Smalliefan2

Best show in the southeast. Attend when I live in east Tn. Missed many years being out of state. Great deals, chance to talk with vendors. Seminars are very good, Shaw Grigsby will entertain you all day.

Lifetime Tn. sportsman, lifetime NY fishing, Al, Ky, Fl, and this summer Vt & Ont.

Lotsa road trips. Okeechobee Dec. 26, Dale Hollow in March. Pickwick in April. St Lawrence and Champlain in July. Losing desire for road trips, making this one last time. Age and doctor appointments catching up. Did all the boat updates last year.

I tear mine down every year, clean, lube, and replace parts if needed. Respool with fresh line. Clean the rod also, reel seat, guides, handle. I fish year round, this is kinda a rainy day project.

All of the above is good info. I would recommend taking the boat to a Merc dealer,and pull the history from the ECU. Also ask for the maintenance records. If the motor is good, then I might proceed. If not, don't walk away, run.

We have three in the area: Soddy Custom tackle, Hwy 27, Soddy-Daisy,Tn. Real Deal, Hwy 27, Dayton, Tn. Fish Tales, Hwy 60 Birchwood (Cleveland) , Tn. All have very broad selections, great service.

Bought a Golder Rule eon's ago, and haven"t lost it. Have a 22". I fish tournaments, and this is the bump board most used. Still don't own a boat with a built in slot for storage, lives in a rod locker. I think they are still less than $20. Also use a scale, and culling beam.

I take four to five when a co-angler. MH crankbait, Med. spin for shakey head, Med, & MH baitcasters, and sometimes a med or med lt. for ned, wacky or micro jigs. You usually fish used water, but some places, like small sloughs, you have the same opportunity fishing the opposite side from your angler. Same for some of the off shore structure. I also have been invited to cast to the front from my angler. I may carry up to five, but actually use just two to three. Good luck and enjoy the competition. Fish to your strengths.

Root beer, green pumpkin and smoke ( if you can find it.)

Cut down doing stupid things to once a week, rather than daily. Use the lures in my boat that I normally don't tie on. That will help clean out and lighten my boat by the end of the season. The oldies were successful before, just replaced by younger, sexier lures.

Casting: 2-med, 3- mh, 1-h, 1 crank, med, 1-crank, mh, 1 custom mh+ Spinning: 1-ul, 2 ml, 5- m, 2 custom wraps. That is my rod lockers, have about thirty five others in racks, grandfathers, dad's and mine over the years. Brand isn't important to me; some are from companies that are no longer with original owners/developers.

I went from 4500C to 4600C (thumb bar). Fished with them for forty or so years. Built like a tank, parts easy to find, routine maintenance is easy. They are "heavy" compared to the newest reels, but durability, reliability are second to none.

NOAA at home, Accu weather and weather bug on my phone.

Looked at new St. Croix, talked with rep. The older style are being replaced with a micro guide, about 50% larger than the original micro's. Much smaller than the "traditional" guides, larger than the old micro. Their new rods are all the newer micro, i.e Victory etc.

I narrowed down to one brand many years ago. Just change line sizes, types to match the technique I was using. Makes maintenance easy, minimal spare parts needed. The brand is also very reliable, so issues are minimal. Still have a number of different brands, they are in my retired box. Give them for the young anglers starting out. All have been cleaned up, plus I have the paperwork when I donate them.