Vilas15

Ive got 4. Dont see a need for any more (maybe 1) based on how I fish. Although I have plenty of room to upgrade the stuff Ive got. If I fished the banks I'd carry two max. In a boat I think a few are necessary to be able to pick sonething else up and make a few casts if you come across the right type of structure or change depths rapidly while motoring along.

Gasp! I've actually had a sturgeon bay smallie as well a few years ago. Tasted great!

I recently replaced a Daiwa for another Lews. Not sure why, I didnt have any issues and know the Daiwa was a better reel but I like the feel of the Lews.

I had a cabelas prodigy. It was cabelas buying the reel from daiwa. It was basically a rebranded daiwa exceler (made by daiwa with cabelas name on it). It was solid.

Perch, craw, gold (flashy/reflective) are my best. Dont do so well on firetiger or clown, not sure why. I fish 10' water clarity down to around 2' clarity.

Turn up the brakes, use a heavier/better casting bait, don't cast into the wind, or use a spinning reel. Simple as that.

Yes. Mono costs less, has better knot strength, and isn't permanently weakened when i pull on a snag. Those are the attributes i care about most.

Yes. Dont own one so I cant say Ive experienced it myself. Apparently is more of an issue with MH or H powers and longer rods, less so with the spinning rods.

Youre right about that. The fish get too old up here and especially in canada and die before they get too big. A big smallmouth in Rainy Lake Ontario is 15+ years old. I figure the first musky i caught was 9 years old and only 38". And all the way back around to the original topic, Lake erie has great growth rates which makes for monster walleyes and smallies.

People have lied since the beginning of time, especially fishermen! And I don't see them stopping anytime soon. Id love for my home state to claim the musky record, but I know the top few records are faked. Same story, came from the chippewa flowage, newly dammed. They were monster fish but not quite what they were claimed to be.

Good info. I hate to derail the thread even further but there is absolutely no way that Tennessee walleye is 41 inches ??? i wouldve guessed 33 inches and 15 lbs!

Oops. Missed that.

You are right the blank is the same. The $80 difference between the same models gets you: Mojo - Kigan Aluminum oxide guides, made in mexico, split grip Avid - Fuji Alconite guides, made in USA, full cork

In over near St Germain. Saw the most bass boats Ive ever seen this past weekend. About 5 on the lake at once ?

Dont want to hurt anyones feelings by making them jealous of both my fish and my good looks!

That was a big difference for me when I realized often those on youtube were describing reservoirs where the general layout is the same with river channels, main lake points, back bays. Some seasonal movements apply to natural lakes but there can be so much variation in the structure and layout that sometimes you've just got to figure it out yourself where fish move to at different points in the season. Current is a non issue here but the wind can play a bigger role with larger round shaped lakes compared to thinner long reservoirs.

Trolling motor. If you dont have a flat surface to mount on on at the bow, get one that mounts to the transom that you can steer by hand. A 12v should be fine and keep weight down with only one battery. Id hesitate going all out to build a casting deck which could sink a lot of money into an inexpensive boat. Also beware of anyone recommending a trolling motor that costs a few thousand (MK Ultrex). Dont spend too much on it until you get some time in the water and know what you really need and how much money you want to put into it. I also wouldn't put a power pole/talon onto a boat that probably costs about the same amount. Might be a pretty valuable addition in central Florida, but I doubt it'd be worth the cost fishing shield lakes in Ontario (judging by your photo with rocky shore).

I fished with my dad as a kid but I can remember getting bored and not wanting to sit in the rain. It wasn't until I turned about 21 that I got back into it. Now we're both out there in rain gear freezing our ***** off for a few bites. It's a hobby that takes a lot of patience on the part of the angler and anyone teaching them.

Are you fishing smallmouth, largemouth, or both? I fish only smallmouth in relatively cler natural lakes so I have learned to ignore anything regarding flipping/punching, frogs, t-rigs, heavy jigs, chatterbaits. Theres people fishing largemouth in farm ponds which does not apply to my situation. Especially with baits you need to know on what basis is someone making that recommendation. Another thing is I fish lightly pressured areas when you consider the fact that probably 1 out of 5 boats or less is actually even targeting bass. If i put a good bait in the right areas it will probably work. I dont get wrapped up in the details of bait paintjobs or plastic flake color or "the other 4 guys in front of me used a certain bait so if I draw a stripe on it with a sharpie mine will be something different".

Wow, never knew they made so many colors. And there's tall sizes. But most are out of stock. Still some good ones though! Thanks!

I was going to mention thats one place where walleye are typically very big, but its impressive none the less. Where I fish Id consider a 27" or 28" a trophy.

30" or 10 lbs is a trophy for sure. Where'd you catch it? They might be more common in some locations than others but no doubt thats a beast.

I finally made it to the cabin for the first fishing trip of the year with my dad. We were worried about rain but everything turned out well. The water temperatures were perfect going from mid 50s on thursday to low 60s on Sunday. We fished a few different lakes and caught crappies, a few walleye, and a few pike. This was one of the best trips we've had for smallmouth. We both got a few, but mine were generally a bit larger. Our favorite lake for had a few bass, but the big ones were found in our local 1000 acre trophy lake where the smallies are a beautiful bronze color to match the water and rocks. Water clarity can be up to 10 feet, but was only about 6 or 7 this spring. My best baits were a keitech easy shiner (perch), 5" grub, and my new PB was caught on a brown wiggle wart. 20" with a 16.5" girth. Formulas put it at 5 to 5.5 lbs which I think is very reasonable (dont own a scale). My wiggle wart fouled and skipped across the surface for a few feet before diving. I hooked the fish and was having no problem moving it, and said I didn't think it was that big. That is until she started to fight and then it was on. Hooks came out in the net. Next time Im there it will probably time for night time walleyes or musky fishing, but Im glad I finally got on some good bass for the first time in a while. 18" with the best bronze coloring I've ever seen 20" with 16.5" girth

I have a 2016 Lund 1650 Rebel XS. Its got the flip up seats that fold down to be a platform in the back. 2 people fishing is ideal. You can do 3 but need to be very aware of hooks when casting. Helps if youre all fishing out the same side. Fishing 4 would only be possible if youre vertical jigging. As for cruising, i think you could fit 4. Two in the seats and 2 in the flip up seats. The front seat is not meant to be used while under way. Its rated for 6 people but two would have to be children on someones lap or sitting on the side bench or rod box/edge of front deck. Even at 4 people there would not be much room to move around. I think all this information would apply to any 16.5' Deep V boat.

All else equal, a narrower, deeper spool will lose more line pickup speed at the beginning of the retrieve than a wide spool.