haggard

1448 Grizzly, great boat, I had the same and loved it. I ran a 55# TM on it (digital power management) with a single 12 V battery and it did just great. But then I also had a 15hp 2-stroke on the back to get from spot to spot. Going with a 24 V system likely means getting a new TM. If you want a little more power to get from spot to spot, I think money's better spent on a small gas powered outboard, nothing more than 9.9 hp. My Grizzly moved at the speed of slug; even with a 15hp 2-stroke I couldn't get more than 8 mph out of it. But your lake is a 10th of the area mine is, so a small outboard could be good in your case. It will also serve as a backup when your TM battery runs out. Maybe a Honda or Evinrude carb model with built-in tank to keep things really simple.

If you can afford it, and if you know 24 ft is big enough for family and bigger water yet short enough for smaller water, you won't be disappointed with the quality of a Whaler. I think the bigger water and family friendly boat is a very safe bet, but would just look more closely at how it does compared to a smaller (16-17') bass boat - that's where the smaller boats might have an advantage in terms of agility. After my 14' Tracker got crashed I wanted a boat small enough to run on the home lake(s) for bass, but big enough for salt water bays, rivers and inshore (I live close to), and ended up with a (15') 150 Montauk. Everything in life is a tradeoff and this boat is no exception but it does well in both regards, and quality is beyond great. There are cheaper options but you also get what you pay for. If I remember correctly you have a Hobie. Whaler is to powered boats as Hobie is to yaks. Only caveat I'd say is make sure it isn't so big that it doesn't feel like a cruise ship while fishing for bass close to shore. P.S. I still haven't found a trolling motor solution for the Montauk. I have a high bow rail up front, which I love for safety especially on the salt water, but still haven't figured out a way to mount a trolling motor.

Clam Kenai Pro Thermal $300 at Cabela's (reg $400). Tried ice fishing for the first time last Saturday. Liked. Been looking at Clam 1-angler shelters, happened to see the Kenai Pro Thermal on sale today (it was on the short list) and the store 45 minutes away had one left (display model). It was a perfect storm of Bait Monkey. Brought it home and will try it out this weekend. At 48 lb it should be light enough to drag onto the ice (no ATV or sled here).

I'm under 3 miles from them so if I can ever help facilitate a purchase for you (say take advantage of an online sale and pick up in store) just let me know.

About 1:15 away from you but there's KTP here in Kittery, Maine. Ammo shelves are usually well stocked and they have a big fishing dept (salt and fresh). I can do a reconn mission for you if there's anything specific you're wondering about before making the trip. Good selection of everyday stuff but don't carry too much higher end anymore, but usually they can special order it.

Maybe he'd agree to a non refundable deposit, say $100, to hold it for you and let you do a sea trial in early spring when the freeze is over.

Bait monkey has been off my back for a long time but he recently saw the Stradic C5000XG on closeout with only one left in stock so, yeah, you know the rest. I've used my original one for schoolie stripers in Maine/NH salt water rivers for 2 seasons and love it. Two Chasebaits Mudbugs crawled into the cart (these are new for me), plus a bag of Yum 4-inch Swim'n Dingers in watermelon / pearl 2-tone. Last season these Yums have been my go-to on a ML/F spinning setup on the lake, rigged on a small jig head, and late last season even better as a trailer on a finesse skirted swim jig. Thank you, bait monkey. Now get off my back already

Looking forward to it. Making a list. Checking it twice.

Hello southern Mainer from another southern Mainer. I started 3 seasons ago and if I can do it, anyone can do it Welcome to the forum!

5 inch black & blue Yum worm (or equivalent), Texas rigged with 1/4 or 3/8 oz black tungsten bullet. Paddle tail optional.

Largemoth unknown weight (no scale yet) on a 6" Yum Thump'n Dinger, watermelon with red flake, TX rigged with 3/8 oz bullet.

Hi Dan - I'm about to go down the same rabbit hole. Made a couple attempts in the past so I've used these already and recommend them (even though I didn't get too far). They're nothing fancy but work well. Bobbins (and the other tools) are "Dr. Slick" and thread is Danville's 70 Denier Flymaster 6/0 waxed (200 yard spools).

That's the semi-automatic gut-hooked smallmouth decoupler. Flick it once to release a deep hooked bass, without tools. It automagically resets, ready for the next one. Not sure how well it works on largemouth. You can still use the reel without it but you'll just have to remove the hook the old fashioned way.

Always. It's cheap insurance. Also leaving an outdoor light on helps. And a "beware of dog" sign

I ran a 1448 mod V with a 12V 55# with digital power management. 55# pushed it around fine and I liked the reduced weight of a single battery vs 2, especially in a small boat.

Only reason I can think of is to keep the clamps from dinging/scratching the transom. I don't see any harm in sticking a 1/4 inch piece of plywood under the clamps. Just check tightness every outing; they can loosen as the wood expands and shrinks. A leash on the motor would be a bad idea. Enjoy your boat! I had a 1448 jon and loved it. For bass boat conversion just watch the added weight.

Just don't do anything to aggravate it (heavy lifting, twisting, straining). My doc says sometimes they just heal themselves after time. But if you put strain on it, you risk setting it back. I'm 51 with a herniated L4/L5 disc which fortunately so far has not caused major pain (mostly just stiffness... not sure if it's the disc or just older age). After I found out about the disc, I've been careful, trying to avoid stress/strain on the lower back. I'm sure the occasional 8 hours of fishing in the boat or yak isn't great for it, but fishing is more important than back pain So far so good.

Give her some general suggestions and let her surprise you from there. You'll enjoy them even more :)

I love the outdoors more than anything but at age 51 the sleeping on the ground days were over long ago. Cot is good, at a minimum.

Yes - my 5'6 UL/F is the Premiere series. I haven't used the Panfish series but from what I recall those may use two different modulus: a stiffer one in the lower section and a less stiff one in the upper. I don't have enough experience to notice the difference between that and a single modulus blank, so I stuck with the Premiere, because I had no complaints (other than at 5'6, casting distance was short). So when I knew I was hooked on panfish and wanted to get one (and only one) dedicated setup, what drove me to the Avid was 1) I knew I wanted something longer (to cast farther) 2) I thought 6'6 in UL/F would be too noodly 3) a rod north of $200 would be wasted on me 4) given the small target species, I wanted as much sensitivity as possible without a huge price increase. The Avid AVS66LF is about $60 more than the Premiere PS66LF. I absolutely feel the +$60 was worth it for the Avid - not because I doubt the Premiere would be great, but because the Avid combo seems dialed in "just right" for my panfish needs. It's one of the few rod-reel-line combos I have where I don't wonder about changing or modifying it in any way.

When I started out 3 years ago I learned on panfish with a St. Croix 5'6 UL/F. After doing more bass fishing (on a M/F) I knew I wanted a decent, dedicated panfish rod. I ended up with a 6'6 Avid L/F (AVS66LF). I chose the Avid because for panfish I wanted more sensitiity. I didn't go with UL because I wanted it to be able to handle the occasional bass. I paired it with a Stradic CI4+ 1000 size and use 6 lb copoly. This setup is one of my absolute favorites. I'm sure the Premiere would do well too (I went with Avid for more sensitivity, given it was going to be my go-to panfish rod). The CI4+ is more than you wanted to spend but I'm sure there are plenty choices. I wasn't sure if I wanted 500, 1000 or 2000 size on this rod, and after trying all three, the 1000 felt best.

Lowrance Hook 4 on the yak works great, but after seeing my buddy's 73SV+ on his Lund, I went with the 93SV+ on my boat. Absolutely love it, and I've barely even got into all its capabilities yet.

Nice going Dan, especially on the first attempt. I made two false starts at making lures (bought some tools and materials) but among time, talent and money, it never got off the ground. Your first attempt is encouraging. Enjoyed the videos. Looking forward to seeing the video of your first catch on the homebrew lure.

StC 6'6 Premiere in medium/fast (PC66MF/PC66MF2) with a Shimano Caenan 151 6.3:1. Combo was about $220. This was my first baitcaster combo and still feels like home, even though I have "better" setups. I prefer to take 2-4 combos on an outing, but I'd have no problem taking just this one, if I had to. Versatile.

Whopper Plopper 75 or 90 by River2Sea These are the smallest/lightest in the lineup at 9/16 oz and 1/2 oz (3 in. and 3.5 in.) respectively. Very versatile. You can swim them back with a constant retrieve, fast or slow depending on what the fish want, or use it more like a popper - give it a twitch and it makes an attractive sound. If it breaks off like mine did, it floats so you still have a chance at recovering it (I did ?) PopMax by Megabass Superb quality, beautifully made and painted, and they make a very pronounced "bloip" when you twitch it on the retrieve. Rage Toad by Strike King A sinking soft plastic, rigged with the hook coming out of the toad's back, these are great for pads and thick vegetation - drag them across the top, pause them on a pad, pull it into the water, you can swim it on the surface by keeping the rod tip up, or let it sink and swim it back under the surface. Good flapping action on the "feet." Again, very versatile. If I had to pick one for smallies it would be the Whopper Plopper (75/90, either one).