NorthwestBasser

I have a 1988 skeeter sf175 with a 115hp mercury "tower of power". I'm having a weird problem and not sure if it's a throttle linkage issue or a motor issue. Some times when I go to take off I can't get the boat up on plane, but when I stop, put it in reverse and rev it way up I can then shift back into forward slam the throttle and get a decent holeshot... anyone have an idea what may be going on here? In addition, when running at 3/4 to WOT if I back off the throttled say half or 1/4 speed then want to go back to full speed my motor stays at the half or quarter power unless I back off into neutral first at which point I can then get back to full throttle. Very confused...

I fish from a kayak... I didn't buy the Wal-Mart kayak, but I certainly didn't go too of the line either. Here is my honest take on the whole thing. First of all, and as mentioned before, comfort is the most important factor excluding safety. My seat sucks... first two hours I'm fine, hour three I'm getting uncomfortable, hour four I'm irritated and starting to feel some REAL pain. Hour five I'm back at the launch and can't hardly walk to the truck. Whatever you do get a good seat!! So here is what if do if I started over, go demo some kayaks and find two or three that have the options you want and are comfortable. Don't buy a new one!! Once you know what you want, look for used kayaks, getting a higher quality used kayak on what ever your budget happens to be is way better than blowing your whole savings on a lesser equiped new kayak. Sometimes the used ones have already got some upgrades installed too. Mine isn't a "fishing" kayak but it does the job. I would buy a fishing specific kayak if I bought another one though. Rod holders will help free up some space and keep you from losing a good stick, also before I installed the rod holders I would sometimes scrape, bend or stab my rods against rocks and docks I was fishing close to because i wasnt paying attention to what was behind me when i was turning or maneuvering near above water structure, as I would lay the extra rods down parallel to the water sticking straight out behind me. One more thing, lakes are actually easier and safer than rivers to kayak fish. The wind is hard enough to deal with in a kayak let alone toss in a good string current(at least until you have some experience). I recommend a sit on top. Learn how to PROPERLY use an anchorin a kayak, using one can very easily swamp or flip you when applied incorrectly in the face of strong winds!!

Looking to buy a nice '96 nitro 170dc. The boat is in great shape all around. Although, i havnt uet gone in person to check it out. The current owner and i have a boat ride scheduled this weekend. My only question is rod storage, he said he can only got 6' rods?? That seems very short. Anyone have any experience with this model boat and the rod storage capabilities?

Points, post spawn when the water warms up and I think they are holding on the bottom in deeper water I can get a lipped crank. Sink that bad boy to the bottom and yo-yo it, fun stuff

Smallies love rocks! Chunk rock and rip rap banks seem to produce the best for me. Though I rarely fish rivers, when I do I look for the rocky banks. On the lakes I fish, I go to main lake points with close proximity to deeper water and fish the sunny sides in spring and fall, the shaded sides in summer. If both sides are lit up by warm sun in the summer, I fish a little deeper. Crankbaits and tubes

Don't sweat it man, sometimes fish die. I'm pure catch and release and believe in it fully. But I don't beat myself up when a fish dies or I dont think it's gonna make it. Also, I release fish that are tongue hooked or bleeding bad. I don't keep em and grill them. If by some chance it can make it, that won't happen if I fillet it. And if it does die, contrary to what alot of people think, it's not wasted. There is a full food chain out there that will consume and recycle that fish. Not saying I float dead fish, but I will release a dying fish. Just the way I do it

I was jerkbait fishing for smallmouth and thought I hooked a decent fish. By the time I got her to the boat I realized it was a 10" rainbow, no a single hook point in her, Tail wrapped. They sure can fight harder that way!

I like those main points, always a productive place for me... @WRB seems to have a good idea or two though. You definitely need to put more than one day into this place though, looks like a good fishery!

For me, it was two things. One and the most important was education. I joined a local club because it's chock full of some darn good anglers. Guys who have fished big national series and done very well. No elite guys, but solid proven anglers. We have mostly draw tournaments so this gaveme a chance to get on their boat and watch them, pick their brains and learn ALOT. Secondly, I love organized competition. The drivers meeting, blast off, weigh in. Post tournament bbq with the fellas and families. I can go out fun fishing and after 4 or 5 hours I nothing's working I can head back to the launch pack up and go home for a nap. In a tournament, if nothing's happening, IT'S GO TIME! And I don't mean leaving the lake, the tension starts to build, the stress kicks in and you start to feel alive. You're wondering if evrryone has 20lb bags and you're gonna look like a fool or if everyone is wiping the same sweat from their forehead hoping the next cast is gonna put weight in your boat and an opportunity to figure out a pattern. It's exhilarating. I love it. I have no desire to make money fishing tournaments or be professional. The few hundred dollars we win is a bonus in top of the fellowship and fun we have. I've made some amazing friends and fishing partners because of tournament fishing.

This is actually a great welcoming community. Many of the annoying, aggravating things you find on other forums won't be found here because the members and moderators are quick and efficient at targeting negative behavior or types of posts that are not allowed. Very few battles break out where name calling, personal attacks and swearing get involved. This isn't the place for that. We don't allow people to promote their own independent pages or YouTube channels because the forums quickly get flooded with it. Companies pay "mercenaries" to drop into forums and promote their products or services relentlessly, not here. If you want to talk about fishing, pass on your knowledge, and learn ALOT, this is the place for you and you will find yourself very welcome here. If your intentions are anything but, you won't be around long enough for us to notice you're gone anyway. So, In lew of any evidence to the contrary, WELCOME aboard we're happy to have you!!

Bored with fishing?! Wash your mouth out with soap, sir! Haha

I have a Lews speed spin, and had to take it back apart after the first time I dug into it. Still have no idea what i had wrong but it worked like a champ after I tried again, hahaha

Bear's baits has great starter kits at a reasonable price. You get liquid plastic, a gallon I think, three colors, three glitters, a scent, a mold of your choice, and an injector for about 170 bucks

I think the solution will be taking back apart and putting it together, again. Spinning reels are pretty simple but still need to go together correctly. I'm guessing something in there isn't quite right and before assuming it's "broken" I'd lean towards mis-assembled.

As long as you have raingear, it's worth it! The only thing that will keep me home is high winds. Fish still bite when the air temp is cool, and sometimes I've found the action to be better with some rain!

Piranha!! Lol It's a Rio Grande perch! North Americas only native cichlid...

@papajoe222 heartbreaking... even years later, the pain doesn't get any better we just learn to live with it. (Virtual shoulder for you to cry on... if needed)

THE RESURRECTION!!

During this weekend's club tournament I lost a lure. I lose lures fairly often, it happens. My good friend says if you're not getting hung up, you're not fishing right. But this wasn't just any lure, this was one of my favorite squarebills. I have plenty more, even of the same color, make, and model. But this one was my favorite. We'd gone into battle so many times together, fought the hard fights, dug into the chunk rock, banged into the hardwood, caught and lost many fish together. It was scarred up, the bill was chewed and rough. Gone through many hook replacement surgeries. And in the end, on my third cast of the day, it was gone. Never to be tied on again. So in remembrance of ol' threadfin, id like to start this post so we as men and women, fishermen and fisherwomen, have a place to post fond memories of lures lost. You can tell your story, post a pic of you and your lure sharing a beautiful moment together or just say good bye to an old friend. So here's to the brave baits that risked it all for that one last tight line!! RIP Threadfin Shad, my friend...

All I know for sure, and I'm not even sure how sure I am about this, is a smallmouth bass will move or migrate quite a distance, I've heard miles even... where as a largemouth will spend most of its life in a fairly general area. Maybe not always the same piece of cover obviously, but more like within acres as opposed to square miles.

Only thing that beats a pair of Costa is a better pair of Costa... maybe different lenses for different light conditions. Blue for bright sunny days, Amber for low light, overcast situations... Oh it matters, a $14 dollar pair of polarized sunglasses is like being blind compared to a quality pair of polarized sunglasses (costa). There are a few things where you really do get what you pay for, in my opinion, matresses and polarized fishing glasses are two of those such things. And that's not a knock on your Ravens by the way, I've never tried them and have no opinion good or bad on those particular glasses, I'm just saying not all polarized glasses are created equal

Better than Costa? This can't be possible... my brain hurts

But water literally had the same exact results, so why do it? Waste of a delicious mt dew and possibly harming the fish... all a fish needs to stop bleeding, if it's going to stop bleeding, is plain old h2o

I use snaps NOT snap swivels, for cranks and jerkbaits. Direct tie everything else. Just my method, it's fishing everyone can do things their own way. It's all about confidence, I don't think the snap scares fish I mean the two or three giant trebles don't seem to make them shy so...

I'm all about catch and release. And healthy release, I want these fish to survive and spawn for years to come. However, I'm not worrying myself over that one fish out of 100 that might not make it. And no, I don't bring them home. Not a huge fan of bass eatin... salmon, tuna, thats a different story! So, badly wounded bass go back in the lake, if they are going to survive it there only chance, in the environment their bodies were designed to survive in. If not, it's not "wasted meat" "disrespectful" as so many people try to say or even attack me for doing. They are back in the circle, part of the food chain from the top to the bottom nothing is wasted, ever. Just my opinion and only say because I've been hearing so much about pouring mt dew on them, no no it's water, wait I think it's tonic water with orange juice and a splash of lime... who cares. If you're in a tournament, keep that fish alive and healthy... if not, put it back after a pic and a good look, don't live well it all day just to grab a pic of all three you caught together. Fish bleed, fish die... fish on