Russ E

Congratulations. I was fortunate to retire early 3 years ago. don't miss the grind a bit. Low stress, healthier, happier and spend a lot of time fishing. Don't know how I got anything done before. Seems like I am always busy, but in a good way.

Yesterday it would have to be an old REO speed wagon song. 15-20 MPH winds. Waves rolling over the deck. Spotlock was on most of the day. Trolling motor batteries were dead when I quit. I usually stand to fish but I had to use my seat to keep from falling out of the boat,Still managed to catch a few fish.

I have used both. I no longer own any shimano reels. I own 3 Tatula ct's and 2 Tatula sv's. the magforce z is a centrifugal magnetic brake. Easy to set and very forgiving. If a Tatula is set correctly it is one of the easiest reels to use.

for me it is a tossup between the Dobyns fury 705 CB and the KastKing speed demon pro squarebill cranking rod. the Dobyns has a little heavier action and is usually used for throwing squarebills around cover. The speed demon pro has a slightly lighter action and seems to keep the fish pinned a little better when fishing ratl-traps and red eye shad.

finally got to fish La Cygne today. iIt's been over a month since my last trip there. When I pulled up to the ramp the prospects did not look good. water was high and muddy, from the rains this weekend. Add to that 15-20 mph winds and the chances for a skunk were high. I fished for an hour with a squarebill and a spinnerbait. caught two small bass. Switched over to a jig and caught a couple more small fish. Started dragging a Christie Critter down the rip rap and caught these 2 5lb 3oz and 3lb 9oz . 6 fish in 6 hours is not a stellar day, but a couple quality fish made it worthwhile.

if you know where it hangs out stay back a ways and toss a Senko in the area. let it lust sit there for a while.

? You beat me to it. That is about the only color Senko I use.

I would have to agree with @A-Jay on the glide bait. Still have not caught a Bass with one. I did catch a 10 pound Flathead catfish throwing one this spring. That is not a huge accomplishment around here. I have caught catfish on nearly every bass bait I own.

i occasionally throw the magnum fluke, if the baitfish are large. Personally I prefer the super fluke. depending on brand I use either a 5/0 or 6/0 EWG hook. I Texpose them, with the hook point laying along its back. I have never had hook setting issues rigging it this way. I have not had much success fishing it weightless like a super fluke. The Magnum fluke does not have as much action as a standard super fluke. the fish I have caught with them were on a Carolina rig. They might attract larger fish in certain situations. My 2 largest bass where both caught on the standard super fluke.

The original story I heard when Johnny Morris acquired Ranger . For the sale to finalize, Bass Pro Shops could not sell Rangers. Nitro is Bass Pro Shops flagship boat, because they don't sell Rangers. Cabelas sell Rangers. I am not knocking Nitro. They are great boats for the money. Unless something changed recently, they are not Rangers. I have fished out of both. From my own experience, Nitro's are faster. Mainly because they are lighter. Rangers are heavier and obviously a little slower, but in my opinion a little more stable. Ranger also adds a lot of extras, such as sealed storage. Everyone has their own opinion. It sounds to me like the rep you were talking to was pushing Nitro, because he did not sell Ranger.

It is on my navionics card. I would not trust the navionics card completely. It has a few places on La Cygne that is not very accurate. Wish lakemaster would cover la cygne. It isusually a lot more accurate.

My normal summer fishing day goes from around 8AM to 2PM. generally in summer I focus on offshore structure. Time of day does not seem to matter as much when fishing offshore. I have caught some of my largest fish around noon on 95+ degree days. if you dress properly and drink plenty of water the summer heat is tolerable. generally around here the wind is always blowing at that time. if it is a calm day I will leave earlier. I wear a UPF 50 long sleeve shirt, gloves, and a wide brim hat. favorite baits depend on where I am fishing. small weedy lakes it is usually a Pop r, neko rig, texas rigged worm or a mojo rig. larger rocky reservoirs it is usually a deep diving crankbait, football jig, shakyhead/trickworm, or slow rolling a heavy spinnerbait.

Diawa Tatula CT or the New Diawa Tatula 100. Can't get much better in your price range. You can get the Tatula sv for around $170.00 on Amazon and e-bay. this is a step up from the other Two.

They usually want a copy of the original receipt. UPC code does not prove it was purchased. If the warranty states it only applies to original owner. Then you have no warranty. Part of the gamble of buying used equipment.

Curious how you get that licensed. A lot of states require a water craft to be licensed if it has a motor.

Whew! Passed the boat inspection. He was pretty thorough.

First thing you have to do is find the fish. If people around you are catching fish then you may need to downsize and like @Darren. stated slow down. As an example , My favorite lake here in Kansas has a good population of large bass. It gets extremely heavy fishing pressure. The fish will rarely hit a large fast bait. Most of the bigger fish I have caught there, were on a ned rig, fluke, or Shakyhead. all fished painfully slow. A lot of new anglers to the lake try to power fish and often get skunked. I used to be one of them.

I would think the sand caused the scratches. Generally clear coat is pretty durable. It would bug me also. Unfortunately the white scratches on a black hull makes it stand out. You can take it to a fiberglass repair shop and have them check it out. They should give you a free quote. They should also be able to tell you if the damages are only cosmetic. Most boat dealers have a fiberglass repair shop they work with.

I use a 7 foot medium light/ moderate action rod. 10 pound power pro with 8 pound leader. I use the z-man shroomz jigheads. often times they need sharpened after a couple fish. I found with a fast action rod, fish pull free a lot more with the small hooks. They also spit it often if they jump . Moderate action seems to keep them hooked better. another thing I do with a ned rig is when a fish bites I just lift the rod and start reeling. Hard hooksets don't seem to work.

Depending on your area three come to mind. Poison oak, poison sumac, or poison ivy. None of them are much fun.

Last time I was there was a Wednesday. The boat ramp parking lot was full. About half of them were fishing for crappie. chance of rain Friday may keep some people away.

Smithville is still open. I was at La Cygne a week and a half ago. With all of the reservoirs shut down, that lake was busy.

If I am in the woods a standard 10/22 is the preference. If I am closer to civilization a Gamo whisper fusion air rifle in 22 caliber gets the job done.

I bought it at bass pro shops. here is a link to the tool online. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-squeeze-out-hook-remover?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&affcode_c=&gclid=CjwKEAjw__fnBRCNpvH8iqy4xl4SJAC4XERPAK7yV870vSsnWJMtAx32E2eukTdctBjUB97vOrQJnxoCW2Lw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds not sure if you know this , but if you put a @ in front of a persons name. Such as @learnin . It will send them a notification. that way they know you are waiting for a reply.

there is usually an adjustable leg attached to the aluminum frame that rests on the deck. This supports the motor when it is stowed. It has a graphite shaft. It may be bowed because it is not stowing properly. I have bowed mine a long way, hitting trees, and it always snaps back. does it look bent when it is deployed?