jdw174

I've never been a fan of baitmate, but to each their own I think there are times when scent can help. Other times it doesn't seem to make a difference. I'd be careful about what I spray on crankbaits. Use an old one to test before trying it on your good lures.

Their Series One rods are quite good.

Norman "Mad-N" ( I use a LOT of Norman lures 8-) )

If the water is dead calm, I'll pick a popper/chugger or possibly a Spit'n Image. Even a buzzbait at times like that, although I like a little ripple on the water for that. If the water is fairly choppy, out comes the prop bait, preferably one with two blades, one at each end (you need to make a lot of commotion at times like that )

In an action tail worm, one of my favorites has always been Gillraker worms. Great tail action with even the lightest of weights. For a straight tail, the best I ever fished were Fliptails. They're still available, but on special order only, and you have to buy quite a few at a time

I'm kinda curious. Do your tournaments have the "half day rule" where the non-boater gets to either control the boat or at least go to your fish for half the tournament?

Regarding the Allison, as the saying goes, "if you have to ask............"

Sounds like you're not doing all that badly as it is . Perhaps you should clarify a bit the term "less knowledgeable boater". Is he frontending you, or does he just not have a clue as to boat positioning, etc? Perhaps the best suggestion I can give is to NOT throw what the guy in the front of the boat is. One of my favorite lures to use against a front-ender is a lipless crankbait. If he's being fair with the boat and pitching a jig, pitch a tube or worm/senko, something like that. He can't get them all and showing them something different might even pick up fish that wouldn't hit what he threw.

I wouldn't expect a dealer to move much, if at all, from their quoted price, although prices can vary quite a bit depending on what part of the country you live in. I've seen prices differ by several thousand between, say, California and dealers in the southeast. I've known people who traveled a pretty far piece and still saved money even after the cost of the trip. To me, the cost isn't as important as the service AFTER the sale. Joe Blow might be shoving new boats out the door way below what others are asking, but what will he do when something goes haywire? Are his mechanics good? Will they go the extra mile to get your rig serviced in time for your tx or trip? Most dealers will take in work they didn't sell in the first place, but their customers will come FIRST. (There are exceptions to this. Just sayin'........)

Zoom makes a 10" ribbontail worm. Practically every tackle shop carries Zoom these days.

It's been my experience that outside mounted x-ducers on bass boats may not be the best location. They're fine at just above idle speed, but anything faster will lift the portion of the hull with it away from good contact with the water. You may want to reconsider relocating it to inside the hull. Check with your dealer to be sure.

Sounds like a "spinner" to me. Put on the spare.

Same as everyone else. I launch, they get turned on. I trailer the boat they get turned off.

Sounds like true love to me.... ;D

I've seen fish caught on some of the most horrid looking color combinations imaginable. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Bandit Bill Norman Bomber

If the water is truly choppy, there is only one topwater lure for me.....DEVIL'S HORSE!!! Actually any of the cigar shaped lures with a prop at each end would likely work as well, but the DH is what I use. I use sharp jerks of the rod to really make a commotion. LM and SM can't stand it 8-)

I've always liked finding the smaller tackle shops that are jam-packed with things that the "cookie-cutter" stores DON'T have (Wallyworld, etc). Unfortunately, they're getting real hard to find these days. It seems like most of them all stock the same stuff, i.e. Zoom, Strike King, et al. Not that there's anything wrong with those products, but I'm more likely to grab something on impulse if I haven't seen it hanging in every other store in the country. There's a small store near me on the way to Ky Lake. They have a small tackle selection and some gear odds and ends, but I'm more likely to find something I can use there, than at the Super Wallyworld in town. As an added attraction, they're a BPS dealer that will order anything from the BPS catalog for you and you save shipping. A few more miles in Dover, TN, is a US Bass shop. It doesn't set along the main highway and if I hadn't seen his ad I'd have never known it was there. Great little store with lots of stuff, and the owner is super nice. I do the majority of my gear shopping at these two places.

1. Fishing Tackle 2. Boat with livewell that WORKS! 3. Entry fee. That about covers it. Can't think of anything else you need to get started in fishing tx's. Don't forget the necessary safety gear for each angler.

I used to fish with a guy who could plant a spinnerbait anywhere he wanted it and barely leave a ripple on the water......with spinning tackle. Like anything else, it takes practice to be that good with something. I like spinning rigs for dropshotting/shakeyheads, fishing smaller worms (6" or less in fairly open water), skipping docks, and small CB's like the Bandit Footloose. For all else, there's baitcasting.

Anything that was posted in regards to checking out on the Ranger still applies. If possible, I would insist on at least a compression check on the engine. The pix look good.

I would expect a slight gain in top speed (SS doesn't flex like aluminum), but perhaps a bit slower time in getting there. Stainless steel is indeed tougher than aluminum, but as a dealer once put it to me, "if you hit something hard enough to damage your SS prop, the prop is going to be the LEAST of your worries"...

My Spittin' Images have accounted for some of the best topwater action I've ever had, including one day when I hit one 25 yd stretch and landed 20lb on FIVE casts! And that ain't no fish story 8-) I've had the best luck on the shad finish in the larger size.

Absolutely great eating. If you like bluegill, perch, crappie, you'll like the ol' goggle-eye.

1. Are you fishing new water? Try to find a map of the lake and study it before going on the water. 2. If you don't have a map, the old fashioned "Mark I Eyeball" can tell you a lot. You can pick out points, flats, occasionally flooded roadbeds, etc. All can be good places to start. Myself, I know where I'm going when I leave the dock...usually I normally start EARLY in the am, so the first thing I pick up will be a topwater. You mention riding around watching for fish. While that may be OK, I prefer to look for underwater structure, humps, stumps, drop-offs, etc. You have to remember that not everything you see will be a fish and not every fish you see will be a bass.