Tin Man

Thanks Ajay. Checked them out. That is the idea.

I'm going to do the diy hinge mount myself. I don't need a plate in TN but I thought a vanity plate or custom graphic of some sort would look good on my rig. First and last boat so a little something to commemorate the buy.

Decided to pop for a pair of Talons. 10 ft. 3 stage. For the Stinger. I have been looking for a dual mounting plate that I can mount between transom and motor so I won't have drill any additional holes but haven't been able to locate one. I do not use a jack plate as I will be running a 60 hp. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Received one of the three jackets I ordered from Cabelas. The other two are on back order. Very happy. When I first saw the jacket in a catalog it looked like the auto module was mounted on the outside of the jacket which would be directly in the weather. It's not though. It sits behind a very dense clear plastic window. Not worried about the rain at all now. These things are very well built. Armed it this morning now its good to go. To have saved an additional $70.00 per jacket makes this an awesome buy. Sweet.

Thanks guys. Appreciate it.

Thinking of using 20 lb.braid and a 12 or 15 lb. Mono leader. This should be enough to hold em.

Sounds good Spanky that's what I'm looking at doing

I have been thinking about that myself. I downloaded the app to see how it worked but was unimpressed. Where it really shines is if you have a lowrance sonar then you could actually operate the motor through your sonar with greater control. With this combo I would get one in a heartbeat. I run Humminbirds though. If you want an idea of what it does download the app for free from the App Store it will give you an idea of what it will look like if you're not running a Lawrance. Also check out Vessel View on You Tube. Impressive. Thing is you would need a top of the line Lowrance to take full advantage.

Good grief. Over budget again. So I went with the Stradik 3000 FK and a St.Croix M1570 MF. Sounds like a sweet rig. Never cared much for Spincasting but this looks like an awesome finesse outfit. The Shimano 3K and St. Croix

Thanks Guys. You have confirmed what I was thinking. I will check out the micro pole and in the meantime go ahead with the additional battery. Should be an easy enough upgrade for Cabela's once I pick up the boat. If I have to update the tm later at least I will have the electrical system in place. The additional battery will also give me additional time on the water I'm thinking. Considering the venom as well. Thanks.

Thanks fishncamp I will check them out. Latest upgrade. Ordered a Hummingbird Helix 7 for the bow today. It's a chirp model with DI, GPS and chartplotting. Still researching the trolling motor upgrade. Looks like the Motor Guide X5 24 volt 70 lb. Unit is going to be the winner though. Thought I would go with another Hummingbird so I wouldn't have to learn two systems. Decided to put off the tournament scene for a year or two till I get a better grasp on what's going on. Lots to learn. Have a ton of prep to do. Bass club picks partners tomorrow. Just have to tell them I'm not ready. I will give myself a year or so. If I fish for the limit at least 3 times a week I should see some favorable progress.

If the boat was open I would definitely diy. The thing is, it is not open, it is filled with foam below decks which makes it a huge hassle without the right equipment. I tried to upgrade the boat while it was being made but it had already gone too far. I was told it would take 3 months but they finished it in half the time. If the lines are not laid out correctly then you have to pull them out and redo the mess. The $90.00 per hour is steep but it's standard. Then there is the the issue of wanting a clean install. Not sure I could do it without screwing something up. I researched the cost with another marina for a ballpark figure but I think I can get a break from the dealer when I go pick it up. Cabelas has a pretty good shop and does good work. Will see. A new boat with a professional install will be worth it in the end though. Just wish I could have upgraded while the boat was on the line though.

Thanks guys. I went ahead and ordered 3 of them. One for each seat. I'm sure I will be happy with them.

Looking for the best rod and reel combo for the money. A spinning reel for Large Bass for Up to $150.00. and spinning rod for around the same. Total. Up to $300.00. Thanks.

Good answer Mick. I may give it a try once I settle in. Right now I dont see an advantage. Thanks.

Just recieved my Mud Hole catalog. Question. I thought that by making my own rod I would be able to save some money. Where are the savings ? The kits I see cost just as much if not more than the rods I can buy off the shelf (ready to use) by the same manufacturer.

Thanks WI Guide. You got me thinking. There is an aluminum channel on the underside of the live well hatches. Welded in for additional support. I could rig something that would secure the rule within this channel and keep it from rattling around. It would then be easy to access, wet down, and keep out of the heat. Don't plan on using it a whole lot but it may come in handy. Thanks again.

Ideas on how and where to mount on a 2017 Lowe Stinger 175. Would like it to be a clean and virtually unnoticeable install but it should be easy to get to.

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it.

I hate that it's come to this. But that seems to be the way of the world now, you either get on board or you are left behind. Probably why so many musicians have decided to unplug. Tired of the tech. Everything has become so automated. It interests me though. I will be paying a premium for non ethanol gas and in maintenance for both the boat and my tow vehicle not to mention hotel stays, meals on the road and tournament fees so anything that saves me time is going to save me money as well and produce better results. Once I get a handle on it that is. Or that's my thinking anyway. .

That's what I understand. The version I am interested in is for sonar and seems like it would be very useful. Especially for tournaments on new water. It's a very detailed search tool once you learn how to use it. Probably why they had a pro explain and demonstrate it. From what I saw on the video it seems like it was made to use in conjunction with Lake Master or Navionix. I called Hummingbird tech support but the guy I spoke with knew virtually nothing about it. How can that be ? Told me I would have to use it with the pre -loaded UNI maps on my Helix 7 Chirp sonar since It only has one port. The UNI map is not that detailed though which has me wondering about the results. As I understand it, you feed the info into smart strike and it highlights the parameters you programed onto your Lake Master chart or in m| case the UNI chart. So I am looking for someone who actually uses this system. There is a 12 minute video on it which is very interesting but it slip for the Onix and not the Helix.

Looking to use as a prefishing aid for tournament fishing. Makes sense if you do not have the time to prefish an unknown body of water. If it's good enough for Aaron Martin's it's good enough for me. The Smart Strike is much more than a location predictor. As I saw him demonstrate anyway. You feed it the features and parameters you are looking for on a given body of water and it comes back and highlights those areas on you sonar that match on the lake you are on. Huge time saver.

Spoke with Hummingbird Tech support. They assured me there would be no problem. Received the adapter the other day. It is short and very well made. Should fit snugly. Will see. Electronics will be on there own circuit so they say it shouldn't be a problem.

Two Ram mounts, two in line fuse blocks, and two lighted switches.

Who here uses an app ? If so what do you use ?