Tennessee Boy

You need to check to see what is required to add an NMEA interface to your motor. It may not be an option. I know my Merc requires a $400 NMEA 2000 Gateway. Also there are two NMEA standards NMEA 0183 and the newer NMEA 2000. The motor and fish finder need to be using the same standard for it to work.

That battery should work fine for 4.5 to 7 hours. Personally, I would try it with the trolling motor battery. You might see some interference when the trolling motor is running. If that’s the case then get another battery for the fish finder.

I’m good. COVID had me feeling tired for about 48 hours and I had a mild cough for about a week.

The only rules for fishing etiquette that exist are the ones we choose for our own behavior. You cannot expect others to live by your rules. The higher your standards are, the more people you will encounter that violate them. It’s part of fishing and part of life.

I’m gonna be trying to figure that out all afternoon. ?

Another good reason to avoid backlash. That’s why everyone should invest in the best braking system ever invented. The thumb.

Hope you have a great trip.

That’s what I was thinking. By my definition the lower end of the reservoir is a lake and the upper end is a river. Exactly where the river becomes a lake is one of life’s great mysteries.

This one looks more authentic and is only $15

Exactly, I would use the word hypothesis here. Along with a probability that the hypothesis is correct based on the observed data.

Science is usually about probability not proof. We can’t prove anything about what kind of blades a bass prefers on a spinnerbait. With proper controls and enough data we might be able to show that the differences in the catch rates between two spinnerbaits were statistically significant. That doesn’t prove one is better than the other but might tell us that there was a 95% chance that bass prefer one over the other and a 5% chance that the results we caused by random chance.

Apophenia exist in people not spinner baits.

According to the Garmin website the voltage requirements for your unit are 9-18 volts. 12.2 should not be a problem.

There will be some voltage drop in your wiring. The smaller the wire, the more resistance it has. Voltage drop is a function of the resistance in the wire and the current going through it. Voltage (in volts) = current (in amps) X resistance (in ohms). When you read the voltage with a meter there is virtually no current so there will be almost no voltage drop. The Garmin website says your unit pulls a maximum of 1.5 amps. Doing the math backwards, a 0.4 volt drop at 1.5 amps would mean roughly 1/4 ohms resistance. Checking the resistance of wire on the Internet, 32 feet of 18-20 gauge wire would have about that much resistance.

Here’s your answer. If you disagree please post your process for evaluating the different spinner baits and the statistical analysis of your results here so that we can peer review them.

Best of luck. Changing jobs is stressful but usually works out for the best.

I may be doing it all wrong but I’ve never thought of fishing as a search for the right lure. I find a place that I think should have some fish and I use the lures/tools that I think are appropriate for that location. Rocks might call for a jig. Lily pads might call for a frog but it’s about fishing the water in front of me not finding a lure. If I don’t get bit, I look for different water before I start questioning my lure choices. Changing lures is more of a tweak to dial in my presentation. There are lots of exceptions to all of this but that’s my general approach.

If you like salmon that dog is worth his weight in gold.

I'm not a Helix user but I'm guessing that your built in memory is full. You should be able to save everything to a SD card then delete all your stored navigation data (waypoints, tracks, maps, etc)

Mark the spot as soon as the rod goes overboard. Tie on a big treble hook with a 3/4 oz weight above it. Drag the bottom till you snag the rod. I’ve used this technique to save three rods. It usually doesn’t take long. I lost one a night in 20ft of water and retrieved it on the first try. The longest took about 30 minutes to snag.

It has changed. You can buy the boat with two poles now.

I have a 2018 RT188. You’ve got a lot of recommendations here that aren’t Ranger options. I would encourage you to think hard about how you fish and what’s important to you. Go to the dealer, get in a boat and imagine yourself fishing. How many rods will you have on the deck? Where will you store your tackle? Ask questions here about specific options if you need to. Put a lot of thought into your trolling motor. I had the dealer install an Ultrex 80 lb thrust I Pilot link for me because it was not a factory option in 2018. I fish offshore most of the time and the Ultrex is great. It’s not great for fishing shallow in lots of cover. You need a boat that fits your style of fishing. The RT188 is light so 80lbs of thrust with two decent batteries will get the job done. I’ve never come close to draining my TM batteries. I’m into high end electronics and didn’t like the Ranger options so I bought my boat with no electronics and installed my own. My biggest problem BY FAR is the lack room for a house battery. It’s possible to put 4 lithiums where there are currently 3 batteries and that’s what I would do if I was buying an RT188 today. If you’re not going to spend $8000 on electronics then you should be fine with 3 batteries. You might want to get a top of the line cranking battery since it will be doing more than starting the motor. I’ve never wished I had trailer brakes. The boat is not heavy and trailering is easy with a six cylinder truck. I would not get any options that increase your speed. Spending $1500 to increase your top speed from 46 mph to 50 mph seems like a waste of money to me. If you want a fast boat you need to look elsewhere. I would sit in a boat with a passenger console and one without and see what works for you. I don’t have one and don’t want one. I use the space for other things but you may have different priorities. I got the coin box instead of the center jump seat and I’m glad I did. It’s a great place to store stuff you need often. Remember, a good dealer should be able to install additional things you want that are not Ranger options. Good luck with the new boat!

I’m a firm believer that money spent an a good trolling motor is money well spent.

Well said. My grandfather always preferred catfish. He told me when he was a kid, freshwater drum was considered the delicacy.

Well I expect a lot from myself when it comes to fishing so I would take the approach that most pros secretly use on water they don’t know well. I would ask a local expert for some advice, then I would fish hard and do my best to figure them out as I go.