Tennessee Boy

No, all of my tackle is either in the boat or in the basement. I can locate any specific item in the basement in six months or less.

Nice write up. I enjoyed reading it. There’s a lot to digest. The way I think about bass behavior is they don’t think so much as they respond to triggers. These triggers can cause then to attack a lure or flee from it. Their response to the same lure can very at different times and between different fish. Sometimes a big flashy noisy lure is just what’s needed to get their attention. Other times, it takes more finesse to convince them theirs nothing to be scared of. They way we present the lure make a big difference also. Choosing what tools we should use to trigger the response we want is what it’s all about. That’s my theory and it’s just a theory. I’ve asked many bass to explain their behavior but I’ve never been able to get a straight answer.

I personally don't believe aliens have visited earth from far way worlds. What's interesting to me is how mankind keeps coming up with these legends and conspiracy theories. Check out this video full of competent intelligent people telling fantastic stories of wild conspiracies involving thousands of people over many decades. Crazy stuff and easy to believe if you want to. Impossible for me to believe. Just too many inconsistencies.

I prefer night crawlers in any color. ?

To use the US2 just order the correct adapter cable. Here is the list https://www.minnkotamotors.com/learn/technology/trolling-motors/universal-sonar-2#Lowrance That will give you 2D sonar only. If you want more that that you will need to mount a transducer.

I can hear it now after a big win. HOW BOUT THEM TATERS!

FISH LANDING VIOLATION!.....no wait....never mind.

I had two TM batteries wired in parallel on my first boat. I charged them as one battery with a six amp charger for years with no problems. I'm sure it was slow but they were always charged when I got up the next day. I've heard some people say it's not good to charge batteries to slow. I've heard others say they stay cooler and last longer when charged slowly. I don't know the answer but I got seven years out of the first set of batteries and had the second set five years when I sold the boat.

Chatillon makes 11 different models of the IN series including models with a maximum capacity of 2lbs, 4lbs, 6lbs, 10lbs, 12lbs and 15lbs. I bought my first when I was a teenager (1970s). I got the 4lb model thinking if I ever caught a bass bigger than that I would probably take it home and get it mounted. Fortunately, I underestimated the size of the bass I would catch in the future. I carry a 6lb and 12lb model now. I'm a firm believer in checking your drag regularly with a spring scale. I learned that lesson in the 1990s when I lost the smallmouth of a lifetime because my drag was locked down. The performance of a drag is more complex than people realize. It will start to slip at a higher point than where it will continuously slip (static vs dynamic friction). A spring scale gives you a very good feel for how your drag performs. I also carry a Brecknell ElectoSamson scale to weight my bigger fish. It's the one used my MLF. I have found it to be accurate to about 1/4 ounce most of the time and always within 1/2 ounce. It clearly wasn't designed for use on a bass boat so I have to be careful with it. I'm under the influence of a very rare creature, the scale monkey. ?

My favorite is the Chatillion IN Series Fish and Games Scales because they are a simple brass spring scale that requires no battery and will last longer than I will. They are a little pricey but you can buy old ones on eBay pretty cheap. I think they've been making them exactly the same for over 50 years and the old ones are as good as the new ones. Spring scales are great for setting your drag. I'm a stickler for accuracy and have a set of calibration weights that I used to check the accuracy of my scales. To be honest, every scale I have checked has been more than accurate enough for casual use. Even the cheap digital scales. I also use a Rapala grip because @A-Jay recommends them ?.

You are correct that everything will work normally if not linked. The biggest problem with having two units that are not linked is not being able to share waypoints. If you mark something while idling at the console you have to find it again while fishing or enter the coordinates on the bow unit. That’s a real headache. If you can turn the bow unit around so you can see the map while fishing then it would be less of an issue. I have everything linked on a Humminbird network and the other features provided by having everything linked are great but not essential. I have had issues with the network but when it’s not working it puts me in the same situation temporarily as someone that is not networked is in permanently.

I've used Sunline Supernatural a lot. I have no real proof but I'm convinced that it is the same as Stren Magnathin which I have used for decades. I buy whichever one has the best price which is usually Supernatural. It's my go to mono most of the time. It's very manageable as you described. I've gone as high as 16# test on a 4000 spinning reel and it worked well. No way I could do that with Trilene Big Game. I have found abrasion resistance to be an issue compared to other mono and I feel like I need to retie my knots more. When I'm fishing in a place where abrasion is a concern I switch to Big Game.

and you must have a different rod and reel for each one. No one in their right mind would tie a casting jig on a swim jig rod. The sensitivity would be terrible and the balance would be off causing all kinds of joint and muscle pain.

Very interesting stuff. Technology is changing sports like it’s changing everything else. I wonder how long it will be before computers are calling balls and strikes.

I find myself fishing a lot of standing timber in the spring. That’s the time of year that I fish the bank a lot and often my wayward cast find their way up into the standing timber amongst the squirrels.

Come on grandpa. Buy the boy a Tesla.?

You didn't mention if the reel is new or if you've used DC reels before. Just want to make sure it's not the usual weird noise that all DC reels make.

All of my spinning reels are Stradic Ci4+. A couple of years ago I bought a $30 Shimano Syncopate just to see how it compared to the more expensive reels I have used for years. It worked fine. It was noticeably heavier but was not too heavy. It was not as smooth but it was very easy to turn. Looking at the reviews on amazon, 83% give the Stradic 5 stars compared to only 80% for the Syncopate. I could switch to using Syncopate reels and catch just as many fish and enjoy fishing just as much. If I'm honest I would say that only a fool would pay $230 for Stradic Ci4+ when you can get a Syncopate for $30. I AM AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ONE OF THOSE FOOLS but I'm not gonna try to tell you that you need to spend more to be happy with your equipment. It's just not true. It all comes down to what you give up when you choose to spend more money on a reel instead of the other priorities in you life.

What makes a $235 hammer worth more than a $6 hammer? The $235 hammer weights 6% less and impresses your friends. The nails could care less.

I love bluffs in the winter. I don't have much luck in the summer. I must be doing something wrong.

I often use my bow unit while I'm at the console to show the map so I can go full screen with the sonar on the console unit. They sell a bluetooth remote that I used to control the bow unit from the console. It's a little hard to see the maps from the console but it works. I also take my iPad along sometimes for mapping.

Yikes... I'g guessing Marc's Motors will be having a big scratch and dent sale soon.

I complained a lot last year about watching pros fish for dinks. The 2 lb limit has made all the difference this year. I watched at least 15 hours of this tournament. Really enjoyed watching the best fishermen in the world on an amazing fishery. The nail biter finish was special. B.A.S.S. you're gonna have to make some changes.

Sometime in the 1990s I was fishing with a Manns 20+ crankbait and got it hung on something. I dropped my lure retriever down and was able to get it attached to the lure. I pulled as hard as I could and nothing would give. At this point I've got an expensive crankbait and a lure retriever hung on something. I tied the lure retriever string to one of the boat cleats, started the outboard, and started pulling. Something broke and when I reeled everything in I had my lure and lure retriever. Both split rings had broken and saved me a lot of money. That's the only time I've had one break. I don't give much thought to my split rings but if you do you might want to consider that you may want them to break in some situations.