Alex from GA

My '96 tiller Merc 25 has one that I clip to my PFD. I also have an '88 Merc 45 on my bass boat that has one on the control box that goes on my PFD also any time I'm in the driver's seat. Running the rivers I've hit rocks or stumps that took the tiller out of my hand a couple of times. It didn't throw me out but easily could have.

Do what Tom said. Put a 6 or 8 lb 5' fluorocarbon or mono leader on your braid. Use an 1/8 oz weight and a 1/0 or 2/0 hook with a Texas rigged green pumpkin finesse worm. I find a triple surgeons knot easier to tie than a uni knot for the braid to leader junction. Slow slow slow.

If you use regular zip ties put 2 on 180* apart.

https://www.buster.fi/en/news/understanding-your-boat-identification-number It's a 1994.

40 lbs is fine. You can turn the control end 180* and it'll work good. I have a 30 lb transom mount on the front of my 14' old glass boat and it is enough. I got a piece of 4x4 angle iron and bolted it to the bow.

40 lbs is fine. You can turn the control end 180* and it'll work good. I have a 30 lb transom mount on the front of my 14' old glass boat and it is enough.

Like slow said have you moved the winch stand as far forward as you can? If the bunks are on edge you can move them back, if they're not it won't do any good, they'll bend. When you're not using the boat take the weight off the transom; put a box or some concrete blocks under the back and raise the jack. Do you or any of your friends weld?

I just inquired what basspro pays their employees and it's from $10 to $13. What kind of people are you going to get for that $?

If you've never fished a deep water reservoir your best bet is to hire a guide. Other wise throw a worm @ anything different you see. Blowdowns, stickups and grass. There's not much grass in Burton. If it's sunny, docks are always a good bet.

I caught one on the first cast Tuesday and didn't do very well after that, only about 8. I also had clothes on and was in a boat.

Like Michicander my boat has several rods and baits but when I'm in the kayak I usually carry 1 rod some hooks, sinkers and a pack or two of worms. I use my vest for my tackle.

The last 3 or 4 scales I've bought I checked with 2 food scales we have at home and they were all within .1 lb which is good enough for me. They are the inexpensive ones on ebay or amazon.

Thanks for the detailed report, not many as good as yours. What, where and how.

That was my local lake back then. Bill Lamb taught me how to bass fish @ Castaic in a tournament. I caught the big fish, 6 lbs, $108, and I think we came in 4th. All Bill wanted to do was beat Don Iovino and we did.

A couple of summers ago our power went out in GA, where we live, and we decided to take a trip to see the northern states. We took our trailer and a kayak to fish for smallmouth because I don't get many chances in GA. We went to VA to fish the rivers and they were blown out so we continued north. PA rivers were blown out also but we camped by a small lake for a couple of days and all I caught were some LMs. We continued north to NY and camped and fished and caught smallmouths. I used the same technique I use 90% of the time I fish all over the country. 6 or 8 lb line with a finesse worm and 1/16th or 1/8 oz weight texas rigged. Caught smallmouths in a couple of lakes in Maine along with LM. On the way back home a couple of weeks later we stopped @ Elkhorn Creek in KY, which is famous for SM. I made a 4 mile float and probably caught 30+ fish including a sauger, which was a first for me. For me the SM were where I would fish for LM in lakes; rivers they were in the faster water like everyone else says. BTW my personal best SM was caught in the Savannah River at Augusta, GA.

Usually I'll throw to a place where the chances are slim I'll catch a fish but sometimes I do and it hasn't been detrimental. We winter on a pond in FL and the first cast is the best chance to catch a fish. I caught one on the 2nd cast this morning.

I have one complete with a foot pedal in my garage 450 miles from where I am now. I'll be home in a month or so, so if you're interested PM me the middle of April. I used it for about 10 years and had a chance to buy a cable controlled trolling motor and removed it.

I leave my boat in the water all summer and remove the one with the waypoints, console, when I'm not fishing. I figure no one wants an old unit that's on the bow.

It's the difference between a lithium battery and a lead acid battery. 12 amp hour lithium is less than 3 lbs and costs $90+, a lead acid battery is over 7 lbs and costs $20. An .8 amp hour solar panel isn't going to charge a 12 amp hour in time for another day of use....

Out my back door. The river ramp is 3 minutes, the lake is 7 minutes.

I've caught gulls, pelicans, a cormorant and an alligator but the biggest thing was a helicopter. I didn't land it. We were @ Catalina Island and heard a helicopter flying very low and, being a smart ass, threw a scampi tail straight up. I must have wrapped around a skid. Looking @ the reel emptying itself very fast hung on to the rod. Bet when he landed and found 200 yds of line trailing from his copter he flew higher.

Years ago my buddy had a 15' tin boat with a 15 Evenrude and we towed it to Baja. It would plane with us and lots of tackle. Lots of skipjack and a 200 lb mako were caught with it. We'd also use it on the So Cal lakes. This was pre GPS so we didn't know how fast it was but I'd guess about 15mph.

Good going!!

I lived in So Cal for over 50 years and moved to N GA in '99. I keep a boat in the water on Lake Lanier but don't fish on weekends during the summer when the crazies are out. There are small rivers within 30 minutes of me that hold lots of bass. I'm old and can't fish in winter there, too cold most days, so we have a small place in central FL, on the Tsala Apopka chain, for the winter. I'm from 5 to 40 minutes from several lakes and rivers and 40 minutes from the gulf for salt water fish.