Mbirdsley

I went with progressive. $160 a year which, includes on the water towing which, is a must for the Great Lakes. Only thing the insurance doesn't cover is my tackle and or rods unless they are locked up. I don’t have rod lockers so no really way to lock those up. I believe, I’d have to look for sure at the policy but, I have $500,000 in liability insurance. Electronics snd trolling motor are covered. It also covers the trailer

I traded for my 17ft sea nymph from my grandpa and at this point I have about $7k-8k in it already. That includes electronics and money in the trailer. Hopefully next time the wife just lets me just take $8000 in a loan and I can get one ready to go.

They do work and I caught my personal best on a size #5 delta craw Shad rap last March. However, for me I think it’s a situational when it is over cast and generally just crappy weather day color. Hopefully with a bigger boat I can test that theory more in less than ideal weather

Progress so far not 100% professional but 100% better. No more squishy floor. Next project since the consoles are out is a I am putting a new 4 gang rocker switch in with volt meter and usb phone charger. Which, includes re-wiring the nav lights, anchor lights, bilge pump, and adding some inline fuses. Also a new bilge pump as the original isn’t working. Wiring and putting the front fishing deck on his the last step other than re-packing bearings, putting the new plate on and replacing a break light that I busted from huge hole at a crappy launch last year. trailer stuff I can do as I get time as I packed the bearings last July

No it does not

In gin clear water I have found that need to double the length of a flouro leader if you use one. Obviously if your using flouro as a main that isn’t an issue

I make my own chatter baits out of a do-it arkie mold. Seems the Arkie heads raise a bit more. But, as Logan S stated the 3/8 runs more like 3-5 even the ones I make . Actually with the Arkie heads in the 1/2 oz seems to raise a bit more than the 3/8 and I have issue keeping it down. The swim baits style heads will stay down more in the bigger sizes

I’ve always said I’d be willing to pay %20-%30 more for a made in the USA item. Any more than that and the basic economic principles come into play. I treat made in the USA and assembled as the same. I would much rather items say assembled in USA and it be truthful than lying to make more money . At least with assembled some one blue collar/middle class received a pay check for assembly and a honest days work. That’s not to say hi-lo drivers or the janitor at the corporate headquarters/ware house receiving the shipment from over seas didn’t deserve it.

I like mono a lot and think it has its place but, I wouldn’t run mono on every pole I have. Granted it’s like the grand daddy of fishing line far as lineage except the really really early fishing line. There is a lot of stuff that it does not excel at like mainly slower finnessee applications that require concealment, less stretch, and sensitivity in regards to bottom contact. like I said mono has its place with certain techniques and situations. If you fish where the bass havnt seen every lure and techinique besides the kitchen sink it will catch fish no matter what. Get around pressured educated fish in a slower technique sure, you will catch some fish ( never say never ) but, I don’t believe in wasting my time when I’m doing an activity. In my mind using mono for everything would be wasting my time.

Heck of a mail day. First 6th sense sack came and so did my garmin echomap uhd 73sv. Only thing I’m not crazy about in the sack is the divine hybrid jig and that’s only because, I make my own jigs. Not necessarily a knock against 6th sense. It looks like a good quality jig. the jigs are the only thing I probably won’t try or use honestly.

Only thing I’m really running low on is offset worm hooks. I bought a lot of tungsten last year so I should be set on that. I’m good on soft plastics. I’m always a sucker for a new crank or jerk bait though. U My fishinging season generally runs from late March untill early October. April is very hit and miss here. the last two April’s have been very windy, cold, and wet. I’m hoping a bigger boat this year mitigates the wind part . we did have a couple 60 degree days in November that I fished and did well im wondering with things returning to normal this summer if the numbers of people fishing stay up or start to taper off.

I fish one lake that watermelon absolutely kills on and that’s about it. That lake is clear but not super gin clear the lake has a lot of vegiatation too. Green pumpkin seems to work better in really gin clear water with either a hard sandy or rocky substrate. Last year summer craw and blue black flake was top producers in anything plastic

That’s a good looking out board. We have always called any thing like mine “tower of powers “

non square bills this is historically in last 4 years has worked for me 4-6 foot of water I have had a lot of success with 200 size bandits and bombers, size 5 and 6 Shad rap. 6-8ft strike kings kvd’s, strike king, strike king flat sides, and lucky craft, now I’m adding I guess more primium cranks in more natural colors. Now I’m still buying strike kings but, also buying from 13, 6th sense, mega bass, berkly cutters. Most of which, I havnt used yet or very little.

Oh wow. that is a nice jig box. Never knew anything like that existed. I might have to get a couple for jigs

Engine runs very good considering her age. According to my striker it will move us at 32mph.

Its hasn’t been to bad so far. no unexpected surprises at Least. I work on it 2-4 hrs a night after every one goes to bed. Except sundays which, have been my days off lately so I work on it a little more those days

This winter has been going by fast. However, that’s only because, I have totally gutted my 17 ft sea nymph and I am re-doing the entire inside and deck. I have been working on the boat for a month. Winter time is when I try to get my major boat maintance done IE packing or re-placing bearings and other things. I try to get everything done so that I have to do little maintenance during the season other than random issues that pop up most winters I get the boat maintenance done quick. Than I move onto reel maintenance. Again, the goal to have all the major stuff done to get through the year and only fix issues as they pop up. other than that yeah it gets brutal during the winter especially this late in the year. Ice fishing really dosent do it for me. I don’t ice fish alone but, being with family and friends it’s a good excuse to get out of the house but, ice fishing doesn’t scratch my fishing itch. Other than that watching you tube videos on techniques I want to try in the coming year and I usually make my major purchases this time of year. I’d rather live where the cold hurts my face than deal with gators, snakes, bugs, scorpions, and tornadoes. I’d like to take a fishing trip south though My wife works as an under writer for a large national insurance company. This company likes associates to transfer to differnt branches for promotions. she is very good and respected at her job. Has had a couple of promotions already. She is 7 years younger than I am. We have had the discussion that if an opportunity came that she should take it. Hopefully it would be 2 years max. I’ve got a BA in history and 10 years in quality and machining so I can get a job any where. However, I was born in Michigan and that is where I will be buried.

Right now my favorites are the kvd strike king 1.5’s and the lucke strike Rick Clunns. They are my favorites becauss, that’s what I have and have caught fish on. I have been trying other MFG’s so that will change

I really enjoy fishing, I also like being out side and I like being on a boat. Combine those 3 things and I think I can count 1 or 2 times that I’ve actually had a bad day on the water. Have there been days when a dink saved me from getting skunked, yes. However, I don’t consider those a bad day. I consider being exhausted after a day of fishing as a good thing. Means you put in the time and effort to be successful or at the very least to learn

I buy a lot of stuff via eBay. Most vendors offers low cost to free shipping in most orders. Fishing supplies can either be bought directly or through the bidding process

4 inch zoom Green pumpkin tube. Either on a tube jig or t-rigged. What ever your preference on how you want to rig it. Dragged on the bottom. Green pumpkin tube is Almost a dead ringer for a goby or anything else actually.

So I kicked off phase 2 about a month ago. I ripped the up front fishing platform and the entire main deck which, had rotted out. I just used regular CDX .1/2 plywood. That’s what originally was on it. I would have went thicker but, there was some fixturing in the back that the deck wouldn’t have went under if I went thicker. Luckily my dads been helping me out as well to help move things along I ripped the vinyl off that butchered on the up front fishing plat form. For the top side non slip surface on the main and fishing deck I used sand colored tuff coat. It’s currently curing in my basement. Tuff coat is pretty sweet. Currently it is hard as a rock and it still needs to cure for another 4 days. I used the tuff coat wood primer. First coat of the primer and paint went on sketchy but, after that it was no problem I used wood glue to fill in knots, holes, and seams on the fishing deck. For the main deck I used total boat flex epox. After the glue/epoxy dried I sanded both decks. On the bottom side I used behr premium deck and porch acrylic paint. That stuff is tough and chip resistant enough you could use it for the top side if grit was added to it. I took both consoles out and completely stripped and repainted them with a quart of rustoleum gloss white. I am also currently preparing the gunwales at the moment. though I’m not sure what paint I’m using yet. To seal the consoles and gunwales I’ll be using toon-brite protective clear coat. finally I’ve added 2 seats in the cockpit and a bass boat style seat for up front. Last but, not least I purchased a garmin Uhd 73 sv with g3 lake chart map. phase 3 I want replace the dash boards for the steering wheel and glove box consoles. Along with up dating gages and adding phone chargers. I may do that next winter however, im getting the jitters waiting to fish. Hopefully the ice is gone in a month month and a half. Last year my first trip with my boat was March 28th

Latest eBay finds. Top one is a lucky craft ushad 65 in aurora pro blue. Bottom 2 are 6th sense could 9’s. The yellow perch is a c6 ad the ozark ark craw is c10. Kinda wish I had gotten the perch in c10 too. Should be getting a 6th sense monthly bag. So I’ll have new stuff soon for show and tell. I really need to start selling baits haha to make room for new baits I figure I’m roughly a month to a month and half away from possibly putting the boat in the water. Last year first trip was March 26th. I’m starting to get geeked up. Hopefully the ice is gone soon

I like there cranks. I just bought 2 in the last week a c6 and a c10 and purchased/signed up for the monthly premium box. Kinda excited about that hoping to get some stuff that I wouldn’t usually buy. First monthly box I’ve ever bought