KTinman86

The Mercury Pro-XS is a good engine, but the 4 Strokes being made today are so good, there's really no reason to go with a 2 Stroke. The hole shots are as good or better depending on what prop you use, they're more fuel efficient, and they aren't nearly as heavy as they used to be. Plus, they just last longer and have fewer problems. My marine guy says he fixes 2 Stokes 4 to 1 over 4 Strokes and he's been in the business for 30 years. Also, like another gent said, you don't have to worry about aluminum like you do glass, and being new to boating, it's one less thing to worry about. However, the aluminum boats today are far better than the aluminum boats of even 5 years ago. There has been a concerted effort by the boating industry to put more research and time into aluminum, and it's showed. My Xpress aluminum is top-notch and I've had so many guys at the dock or in-passing inquire into it. I can get into the back-waters on our rivers that the glass boats just can't get in to, which has helped me fill limits that I would've otherwise failed to fill on the crowded community holes. So, don't believe glass is superior to aluminum, they're just different, not better or worse. You had mentioned getting 2 Talons to anchor your aluminum... That's not necessary, at all. Buy 1- 12 foot Talon and trust me, it'll suffice. Buying a 2nd anchor would only be aesthetically pleasing and a waste of money. If you really want to get tricky, buy an adjustable mounting plate, which will buy you almost another foot of anchoring capability. Plus, when going under bridges, etc, you'll have one less Talon to fold down... I've only owned Talons, so I can't speak on Power-Poles, but most guys I fish with and against have them, and some have owned both, with a preference toward the Talon. I've used Lowrance and Humminbird electronics exclusively, with my latest purchase being the Mega-Imaging Humminbird and they're so clear, user friendly, and the goodies are just incredible. I've mapped some of our smaller lakes that were paper-mapped 30 years ago and they're nothing like they used to be; I've found so many great spots that have produced some great days. My buddy Chris has a couple Garmin Panoptix Units on his rig and they're so cool, with guys only just beginning to exploit their capabilities. They work in a similar fashion to the 360 Humminbird units but in "real time". The truth is, all the high-end units are great and you wouldn't go wrong purchasing any of them, so it's really just preference. I prefer the Humminbird units because of their Minn Kota compatibilites, so it works great as a "system" of finding and presenting lures to fish in the most efficient manner. That being said, the absolute most important thing regarding electronics is learning how to properly use them, period. Most guys don't understand how to use them properly, so it's just a waste of money. All in all, think about building your rig as a fishing "system" because that's really what it is, a means to find and catch fish by being efficient. If you're going to make a large investment in an aluminum boat, electronics, anchors, an on-board charging setup, etc..., you're looking at 30k give or take a few thousand, so take the time and do your research because it'll help you become a better angler. A few things you'll want to make sure you have on your new boat: 1. A recessed trolling motor pedal 2. Rod lockers that accommodate 8 foot rods 3. An auto bilge pump 4. A live-well system with all the bells and whistle (if you're going to fish tourneys) 5. A hydraulic jack plate 6. An on-board charging system 7. Lockable storage (especially the rod lockers/tackle storage). 8. A top-notch insurance policy (don't skimp, trust me) 9. LED lights in your storage areas (a must have for early mornings or night fishing) 10. A power-trim switch, anchor switch, and livewell switches on your front console, 11. Put a bigger graph on the bow of your boat, 12. If you're serious about becoming a better angler, buy units with mapping (card compatible), Side-Imaging, Down-Imaging, 360-Imaging (if you go Humminbird), and traditional 2-D sonar 13. Buy high quality trolling batteries (so worth it) 14. Shallow water anchor 15. Trailer brakes 16. Keel guard (especially on a glass boat) 17. Swimming/safety ladder (can save your life) 18. High qualith PFD (don't skimp) 19. Full range of console gauges 20. A 36 volt, high powered trolling motor so you have no control issues... Anything you can think of that you want or need... This will certainly add to the price of your boat, but it'll also increase your fishing success, your comfort, and the fishability of your rig. Buying a boat is a rather large investment, so do it right. Good luck brother!

Do lots of research, the information is out there, especially on higher-end rods. Take what you learn and compare it against what you want and like in a rod, and that's as good as it'll get if you can't physically try a rod out. Nothing wrong with having too many rods on the deck...

Change out hooks, add feathered trebles, change split rings, build my own silicone and rubber skirts (different diameters of material) by hand tying some and using flair buttons on others... I also use different color skirt collars to add color accents without getting crazy. I modify frog legs using different sizes of rubber and silicone, add rattles, BBs, trailer hooks, fly-floatant on the first few feet of braid to help walk the bait better, and on and on. Add weight to hard jerkbaits (absolutely necessary at times), tie a loop knot when really snapping the bait hard (on walking baits too), I always use scent whether it really works or not..., I carry and use scented markers to doctor-up baits for whatever reason, put rattles in tubes (especially when snapping them).... Carefully remove glossy finishes from crankbaits to make them look more realistic, especially in clear water. I offset my flipping hooks when rigging my plastics and it's increased my hook to land ratio without question. I also don't peg my stopper right up to my sinker, I leave about a quarter inch and it helps hook more fish, too. There are so many things and these are just a few, so think outside of the box and you'll get a few more bites, especially on pressured bass. There are no rules in bass fishing.

No sir. But I did recently buy one of their newer Expride rods on sale, and it's a great rod. 7'2" H It's a fair bet that whatever they do come out with, it'll be good.

I've never had issues with my system... I had my local marine guy set-up my rig because it's just too technical with all the goodies we've got nowadays, so if you had yours done professionally, take it in and have it looked-over; they should warranty the work. Good luck FryDog! The bass have to be chewing up by you...? Ours is starting to get better with water temps below 70 now.

Size 90 in Perch pattern for Smallmouth and the 110 for Largies in Bone.

That's a good question... They mounted mine with the new MKA-51 quick release bracket, so it was set-up from the get-go... I wouldn't go drilling holes in your bow or anything crazy like that, just to have a quick release bracket. I'm surprised a service center can't figure that out for you, as they rig stuff all the time... Call Minn Kota and they'll have an answer for you; their customer service is top-notch. I hope you're enjoying the Ulterra, I know I am...

Carl, setting-up a punch-rig is actually quite easy and does only have 1 knot. There are lots of videos on Youtube and the like that show you how to do it, but Gary Klein has videos on his Boss Outdoors website that show exactly how to set it up, and he sells the products to do so, except for the tungsten sinkers, which you always want to use over lead. Like one of the other posts said, a punch-rig is really a bait to emulate a jig but that will not get hung-up in heavy cover, so you may not need it... Try using a heavy jig, like a 3/4oz to 1 1/4oz, if that gets hung up, then you would need to go to a punch-rig. If I can present a jig in heavy cover without hanging-up, I will do so 100% of the time because I'm going to hook and land close to 100% of the bites I do get, whereas, a heavy punch-rig will at best put 75% of your bites in the boat. So, only fish a punch-rig if necessary, and if you're not sure, do some more research about it to gain a better understanding of it and you'll have your answer.

Welcome back and thank you for your service.

Welcome... Glad you've stuck around even though things haven't gone very well for you, but it'll get better the more time you spend on the water. I'd recommend that you go to a local tackle store or a Bass Pro and ask someone behind the fishing counter what you asked on this thread. They'll have so much to select from and steer you in the right direction. You only need 1 casting rod and 1 spinning rod to get you going, and they don't have to be expensive, just good all-around setups to learn on. If you want to go-it alone, my advice would be a Medium Heavy Power, Fast Action casting rod 7 foot in length, and a 6 1/2 to 7 foot Medium Power, Fast Action spinning rod. Both will cover your bases. A good all-around line to start with on a baitcaster is 15-17 monofiliment because you can throw topwater baits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and worms with it. You can become more particular once you gain some experience, and you will become more particluar, I promise. On the spinning side, 10 pound fluorocarbon is a great line to use because finesse presentations work better with a line that sinks, is sensitive, and invisible, like fluorocarbon. Good luck

Most companies are making a good aluminum boat nowadays because they see the benefits to the consumer, so they've upped what they're offering in them to rival fiberglass boats but at a much, much cheaper price. I looked at the Triton and really liked it and it comes with great features at a great price. I don't think you can go wrong with a Triton. I personally fish out of an X-19 Xpress aluminum boat and it has far exceeded all of my expectations and I'll never purchase a fiberglass boat. It's light to tow, won't damage like a fiberglass, more fuel efficient, easier to maintain, way cheaper, and on and on... so many benefits over a fiberglass. I walked away with 2 Si combo units, a 112lb Ulterra motor, and a single 12 foot Talon (because 1 easily holds my boat) for about 30K. It would cost me 50k+ to get what I got in a fiberglass package. You're a smart man for looking into aluminum and you'll be glad you did.

They're both great rods, period, and getting a deal makes it even sweeter. That being said, the MH rod will cover more techniques comfortably than will the H powered rod. The H is a great jig rod, especially at short range, it's very powerful and has the solid fast action needed to drive a stout jig hook home. The MH will be a better Texas-Rig worm rod when using lighter weights and when accuracy is important, as the tip on the rod is perfect for making such a presentation and the power is great for a lighter to medium size worm hook diameter. You could use the H power rod for worm fishing, etc, but you'd have to be careful not to bend-out hooks. Also, the MH is good for making long casts on flats with spinnerbaits, swimbaits, swimjigs, and even ripping lipless baits out heavier grass, so keep the H for jigs and superline hook worms and you'll be happy you did.

The hooks aren't the worst on either size Plopper, but I almost always change out my hooks because bait companies can keep costs lower by putting middle of the road hooks on baits. On the 90 size Plopper, I use KVD Triple Grips- 1x Strong, 2x short, in sizes 2 or 1, and the 130 size lure in sizes 1 or 1/0. The biggest concern with smallmouth and a topwater bait is they tend to slap at them or crush it so hard, they miss the bait and have to come back for it, so you certainly don't want any hook flex and you need something that pins them once hooked, and the Triple Grip style of hook does that better than round bends, period. I used to be a round bend guy, using Gamakatsu, Owner, or Daiichi brands but over the last few years I've really been sold on the KVDs for several reasons. First, they simply hold fish once pinned better than round bends, they don't flex like round bends do, resulting in fewer pull-offs, and while they aren't the sharpest hook out of the package (they're still very sharp), they hold their point better than Gamakatsus, Owners, and Daiichi, even though all 3 are sharper out of the package than the KVDs but their points don't hold nearly as long. Also, a misconception and untruth regarding using round bends over EWG hooks is that when fish do slap at a bait, they snag a piece of the fish and EWGs don't, but that's not true at all. If you take your finger and gently...gently push on the top of a round bend hook, the hook swings away from you, resulting in less direct penetration, whereas, the same thing done with an EWG hooks yields a hook that doesn't swing away allowing it to get direct penetration. I swore I would never change from round bend hooks to EWG hooks, especially on my hard jerkbaits, but my hook to land ratio has gone up considerably on all of my treble hook baits. And they are cheaper than the other premium hook companies. Don't forget the importance of the correct rod, reel, and line for all treble hook presentations...

There are all sorts of braids out there and they are just about all made from the same fibers and in the same way. However, the characteristics of each can vary and provide advantages/disadvantages for particular presentations. I prefer 8 carrier braids over 4 carrier braids (how many strands it's made of) because they tend to be smoother/quieter, more abrasion resistant, and better casting, with some exceptions... I also prefer bright colors like neon green or chartreuse because it's easier for me to detect bites on techniques like flipping grass, and several finesse techniques using spinning tackle. I do black out 3-5ft of line with a sharpie and then I go over the sharpie with a garlic scented marker to help mask the sharpie smell (more of a confidence thing...) and I use a fluorocarbon leader for all my finesse presentations. So, after all that, my favorite braids are the Daiwa J-8, and the Sufix 832. I use the Daiwa J-8 in Chartreuse for flipping vegetation (50 & 65lb), swimming jigs (30 & 40lb), and on all my spinning tackle (10 & 15lb) because it's the smoothest and quietest braid I've found. I use the Sufix 832 for frogging and toading in 50lb because it's the strongest braid made. Some other braids to check out are Power Pro, Seaguar, Spiderwire, Sunline, and P-Line. I've used them all and I've settled on Daiwas J-8 and Sufix 832.

Oh, about turnover... Don't get to hung-up over it because there's nothing you can do about it. It has to do with stratified layers of water that are beginning to dissolve due to changes in water temperature. The one thing to keep in mind... If you show-up to fish and the water looks a funky color and has a weird odor to it, it'd be wise to find another place to fish for a week, give or take a few days... Once turnover is complete and the water is stable again, fishing is typically very good. Water is always "turning over" to some extent, but it's the drastic changes that impact fishing success, like fall turnover.

First and foremost, learn the seasonal patterns of bass and that will help you more than any tip or bait ever will. Understanding seasonal patterns gives you the ability to locate fish not just in New England but anywhere they swim. Location is the single most important part of bass fishing because once you find them, they're relatively easy to catch. There is no magic number temperature wise that initiates the late summer to early fall transition, but a good starting point in once you see temps drop about 10 degrees from summer highs and you see shad/bluegill moving shallower (you'll start to see pods of bait in shallower, flatter water and not out over deep water like in the summer). Cooler temperatures along with shorter days trigger the fish to start moving away from summer patterns and into fall patterns. It's important to note that it happens gradually, as all the fish do not move together nor do they initially move far; it's a time of transition. Depending on what type of water you fish, natural lake, man-made, etc... they make slightly different moves. However, the overarching theme is shallower. On man-made lakes, begin looking in creeks, coves, and pockets, but be sure you are looking for shad with eyes and electronics to help narrow down locations. Early in fall, it's better to look where the creek or cove meets up with the main lake (deeper water), and as fall progresses, push further and further back onto the shallow flats (flats are areas of consistent depth, here we're looking for shallow flats) until you're on the bank. When you see bass busting shad as far back in the pockets and creeks as you can go, it's peak fall fishing (water temps from the low 60s to the low 50s typically produces fast fishing). On natural lakes, especially those with vegetation, typical summer locations are deep weed edges, and those that lack vegetation, areas like deep points and humps are the ticket. So in early fall look for bait to push up onto any adjacent flat of the deep weed edge, point, or hump. As fall progresses keep pushing shallower up onto the flats until you're on the bank. Most natural lakes don't have creeks, so you'll most likely be fishing main lake flats or flats in coves, and both will produce fish. Once you're seeing bait running the banks, it's peak fall fishing (once again, the low 60s to low 50s typical produces the best fishing). It's important to note that on natural lakes in particular but also on reservoirs, the flats that the fish spawn on in the spring are almost always the flats they feed heavily on in the fall. One last note, for peak fall fishing, you'll typically be in water that is 5ft or shallower, so keep that in mind. Lures to use in the fall are baits that can be fished horizontally and quickly through the water column. Spinnerbaits are great where shad are present, but are extremely affective when it's windy and the water is stained. Crankbaits are great lures to throw whether the forage base is shad or bluegill, and they are good in calm to windy conditions and in clear to dirty water. Crankbaits are probably the best and most versatile bait you can use from the beginning to the end of fall. Swimbaits can be really good, especially where shad are present and there's good water clarity. Lipless crankbaits are great lures too, and are very affective around vegetation and a little wind makes them even better. Lastly, a jerkbait can at times be the best bait in your tacklebox, especially when it's windy and the fish are suspended. It's absolutely vital that the water has good clarity, with clear water being the best. Fish with these lures to find fish and if the bite slows and you believe there are still fish in the area, drag a jig or shaky head around, with the jig being very affective if presented to a target. It's important to note that there are no rules in bass fishing, just percentages, but it's always best to fish high percentage areas with high percentage baits. If it doesn't work, don't be afraid to change some things up remembering to always follow seasonal patterns.

Welcome to bass fishing, it's a great sport, so stick with it! The first thing that can help you is to keep it simple. There are a lot of shiny baits, rods, and reels out there, but you don't need all of it to catch fish. Get a medium power spinning rod in the 6-7ft range and load a 2000-3000 size reel with 8-10lb fluorocarbon or monofiliment line. Use it for you senkos and other plastics. Next, buy a medium-heavy powered baitcasting rod and fill a casting reel with 15-17lb mono, fluoro, or braid (30-40lb) and use it to cast cranks, spinners, jigs, etc. Next, and most importantly, keep reading and learning, specifically, about SEASONAL PATTERNS and MOVEMENTS of the bass. I promise you that there is nothing more valuable than understanding the movements of bass. Once you do, you can go anywhere in the world and catch bass. So, buy a couple decent rod and reel combos if you haven't already, and use the mentioned baits in the locations based upon the current seasonal pattern. Don't ever let anyone tell you anything is more important than being able to locate fish, and that starts with knowing seasonal patterns. Stay calm, confident, and focused and you'll become a good angler.

The simplest answer is to follow the seasonal pattern guide. Late summer - early fall bass can be difficult to find and catch because they tend to move more this time of year than any other, especially where shad are the base forage. Fishing from a boat is a big advantage early in the fall before the fish really commit to the flats to feed heavily, so if you can, take boat our and look for bait on your electronics if you have them, if not, use your eyes and fish fast moving lures like crankbaits, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits in natural colors because you have clear water. Start up on the flats where you caught them in the spring and gradually work your way out to where you catch them pre-spawn/late winter. Most likely, they'll be somewhere along that path, but it's up to you to fine-tune it structure and cover wise. If you're catching bait chasers, it's hard to reproduce because you'd have to stay with the fish and that's nearly impossible, but if you're patient, you can wait for these feeding windows to open-up and you'll scratch out a limit if nothing else is working. If your forage base is bluegill, it's easier because they tend to move with the bass. A good spot to look first are the shallow flats where you catch them in the spring and use your eyes to see if they are present, especially if you have an inside grassline. This can by dynamite once the shallow grass recedes in late summer/early fall. Sometimes you can fish the inside edges all day and load the boat. It that doesn't work, move out onto the adjacent flat and cover some water, specifically looking for subtle depth changes (your channel) with some grass, wood, or hard bottom near to it. The idea is to search along routes from summer/wintering areas to spring/fall areas. They pretty much use the same areas, but the key is finding the limited transition areas where they hold-up before moving-up or down a major structure for the particular season. Use the seasonal pattern guide and fish high percentage areas with faster moving baits, and slow down if you need to. If this was confusing to you, get out a map of the lake, mark where you catch them in the spring and then mark the spots where you catch your first fish after ice-out, the fish will be somewhere in between those two spots or on those two spots. If you can find some cover in any of the areas, fish it fast and then slow, and then move to the next area along that route. I promise you, the fish are somewhere in that area, just put your head down, believe in yourself, and don't give up.

I make my own from scratch. I start with a Boss Outdoors pre-painted fish head jighead (it comes in several high quality colors). It comes with a medium gauge, medium length shank, Mustad NeedlePoint hook that is very sharp out of the package and maintains its sharpness as good as any hook out there (braid and a MH power rod will not open the hook- I've caught many fish up to 6lbs on these hooks with no damage). The weedguard is a medium stiffness, perfect for heavier cover but not too stiff as to impede the fish getting a good bite on the bait (weedguard's color is matched to the jighead color). The keeper is a double-barb that holds plastics really well without tearing them like wire keepers. I buy my own skirt material through Boss Outdoors and make custom skirts for any situation (Boss Outdoors sells top-quality silicone and rubber skirt material at a great price). I also purchase my skirts bands, rattles, and other lure customizing material through their website. I can make my swimjig for about a 1$ and they are of a better quality than anything you can buy, guaranteed. Oh, and it's fun to build them yourself. I also build all my own grass, wood, rock, finesse jigs, bladed jigs, and buzzbaits using their materials. There are many great swimjigs on the market today. You can pretty much swim any jig but a true swimjig is designed with 2 KEY features to keep it upright and streamline so it comes through cover efficiently, and hooks a high percentage of fish, with a few other features that are an added bonus but not a must. First, the best swimjigs have a near flat or flat head on the bottom which acts as a "keel' to keep the jig upright and swimming with an almost hunting action. Second, the line tie in vertical and recessed to keep from hanging in cover, it'll also protect your knot from contacting the cover first. An added feature, but not necessary one, is a softer weedguard, as it'll increase your hooking to bite ratio versus a heavier weedguard. Another added feature is having a sharp, medium gauge hook that won't open-up when fishing with braid (hook to landing ratio will increase when using braid versus fluro or mono), as some swimjigs have too heavy or light a hook. Lastly, having a double-barbed trailer keeper will help keep your baits from falling off during your casts and when fish just bite the trailer (stay away from wire bait keepers, as they just tear your plastics and eat-up your fishing time as you tinker with it to get it just right.

If you were engaging the reel as you cast, you'd know it, so that's not the problem. First, make sure your reel is set properly before casting so you don't get backlashes (adjust spool tension knob first and then fine-tune magnetic or centrifugal brakes). Second, when you try and make a long cast be smooth, accelerate to gain rod speed instead of muscling it and feather the spool as the bait is nearing its target. Speed is the key to a long cast and you achieve it by being loose not tense. Also, 20lb braid can cut into itself when getting a bad backlash, so you may be getting small abrasions on the line which is contributing to it snapping, so when picking out a backlash, pick it out slowly and never pull hard on it, it'll only make it worse and it'll damage the line, too. Your rod would not cause you line to break unless one of your guides is damaged. You can check by running a Q-Tip through them and if it's grabbing cotton, you've got a bad guide. And, for a jerkbait setup, you definitely don't want to go heavier than 20 - 30lb braid, whether you're talking soft or hard baits. Day in and day out, the best line for jerkbaits is fluorocarbon, so give it a try.

A low-profile baitcasting reel can most likely handle the baits you are throwing, especially if they're bass baits, however, once you step-up to baits that are 2 ounces or more, you could step-up to a round baitcaster because it's built with stronger materials and more powerful gears to pull bigger baits. The same goes for spinning reels, except you just step-up in size, but typically when a bait is too heavy for spinning tackle, it's best to switch to casting tackle because it's more efficient and much easier to handle. Point being, most quality reels can handle any bait you can tie on for bass, so it's more important to make sure your rod is balanced for technique/lure you're presenting. Most rod makers have very accurate rod specifications, so just follow them and you'll be fine for the most part. Personally, I think most rod manufacturers over-rate their rods, meaning, if they rate a MH power rod for up to an 1oz, it'll feel really awkward actually using a 1oz lure on that rod. I believe G. Loomis and St. Croix rate their rods more accurately than most companies. So, if it doesn't feel right presenting the bait, modify your rod and reel combo until it feels right. Reels do wear-out but other than cleaning and maintaining them, it's just part of the game. I take mine completely apart every winter and get several years of problem-free performance out of them (Shimanos) before replacing with new ones . That being said, techniques like punching and frogging do put more stress on a reel's gears and materials which can result in a shorter life span, but don't over-stress on it. If you really are that worried about beating-up an expensive reel, buy a cheaper reel for your powerfishing techniques.

Learn about the seasonal movements (aka seasonal patterns or calendar periods) of the bass, apply them based on the region of the country, and fine-tune them based upon the body of water. It sounds stupid because everyone wants a magic bait or a secret to catching more and bigger fish, but no such thing exists, but possessing the knowledge of how, when, and why bass move is the single most useful tool that any angler can have, period. If an angler truly understands the seasonal movements of bass, they can go anywhere in the country, at any time, and be successful. That is why pros are so good, not because of their equipment or anything like that, but it's their understanding of how to locate bass at any given time. Just about any Elite or FLW angler could go to any body of water in the country and beat the best local sticks from that area because they understand seasonal movements and will find areas locals would never find or fish. So, take the time to do lots of research on seasonal patterns and apply it every time you're on the water. It won't be easy because it takes time to get really good at finding fish fast, but it'll pay off little by little, and when you can consistently break down any body of water and catch a good limit, you've acquired a skill very very few bass anglers possess. Oh, and it's easy to revert back to what's comfortable or familiar to you on the water, but it will not make you grow as an angler.