mheichelbech

The difference is with the sonar and trolling motor. The out of town dealer has access to a refurb. Also, apparently a difference is taxes

Thanks! These responses are all very helpful! I do have one more question. I am chatting with 2 different dealers on the equipment. One local and one not local. The not local one seems to be getting a much better deal….saving maybe as much as a $1,000. My concern on the non-local is if I have an issue, who can I turn to for support? Is that worth $1,000? There is a Bass Pro and Cabelas very nearby but I don’t know if that helps anything or not.

Thanks. I’m guessing Lithium is the way to go?

Hope I have the right forum…apologies if not! I am getting back into bass fishing with a boat after a long dry spell. Bought an older Stratos FS 295. I’m wondering what TM and electronics to add. I keep hearing and reading about spot lock and FFS, Side Scan, etc. I’d like to stay middle of the road as I will be primarily weekend fishing in 15 ft or less with some catfishing in the local river. Would side scan be my best bet instead of FFS? It sounds like both are needed for full effectiveness but side scan is the best foundation to start with. What trolling motor and side scan if that’s the best route? Know I need a longer shaft than normal on the TM. Any recommends appreciated!

Thanks for the input! I looked and guess I missed the other forum for this.

So I got rid of the bass boat a few years ago due to working so much. I’ve slowed down and bought a Stratos 21ft fish n ski to accommodate more enjoyment with family and not doing tournaments anymore. Having been out of the game a bit, I’m trying to figure out the best trolling motor and electronics combo given that I am not fishing weekly or in tournaments. I am thinking a 24 volt trolling motor with 80 lb thrust (is that too little for my size boat?) with side/down scan sonar at the helm and possible adding FFS down the road. I don’t want to spend a mint but I do want to be somewhat up to date on things. Also, I was thinking of buying a new trolling motor but used electronics from a local dealer. Any issues there? Thanks for any input!

I have a like new BFS setup available if anyone interested. Shimano Alderbaran and Dobyns Sierra.

Anyone know what happened to Smelly Jelly worms? I can find the attractants in a bottle but I know they used to make worms and other plastic baits.

Interesting. Wonder why they would spawn in the Ohio and Mississippi but not the Tennessee River. They are not as bad in our area as those videos you see but I’m sure it will get there eventually.

Matches up with my experience. We only fish it because we are 15 minutes from the ramp. The next closest bigger lake, Patoka isn’t an easy lake to catch fish in either….for me anyways. My main point is, although it wasn’t great before, it’s gotten worse it seems.

The problem with the BASS Classic was they had it at the worst time of the year. Summer is really tough. Back in the 90s and up to about 2005, fishing in the Spring and late Fall was pretty good for this area of the country. You could catch 2-4 pound Spotted Bass and 4-5 pound Largemouth. Big bass in a tournament would usually be 5-6 lb range. This was between March and May. There is one particular marina that I use as a guidepost that always held big fish as long as you weren’t the 3rd or 4th guy through. I also remember Spotted Bass commonly spawning on the trim tabs of big boats. This rarely happens either anymore. I’m sure one thing that hurts is several good marinas have silted in too. They built a new bridge and some have blamed that but I can’t see how that affects things.

Has anyone seen the bass fishing negatively impacted by Asian Carp where they fish? I have fished the Ohio River McAlpine (Louisviile) pool for 25 years and the fishing seems to get worse wvery year. The only thing I can think of to cause this is the influx of Asian Carp. It used to be we would have 10-15 lb bags in little 3 hour week night tournaments in the spring. Now 6 lbs is a constant winner. Catching anything over 3 pounds is rare now. It’s always been tough but just seems way worse now.

What is “navionics on my phone”?

Wondering anyone has info on largemouth bass fishing or guides in Puerto Rico. Do they get big like Mexico? I was told Peacock bass are small here. Thanks!

I’ve seen something like that before..forget the name of it. I was testing out a frog yday and caught 10 in 10 minutes! On a farm pond.