@reelChris

Get either this: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Strikezone_Pocket_Knocker_Lure_Retriever_3pk/descpage-SZPPK.html?from=basres or this https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Eagle_Claw_Lead_Lure_Retriever/descpage-EC.html and get your lures back.

Sounds reasonable to me, but I also hate losing lures. If you're really worried about it, tie up two rods as close to identical as possible - similar rod, reel, type and strength of line, and same bait - one with leader, and one without. Cast and retrieve the rod without the leader a few times, then switch to the rod with the leader. If you can't feel much of a difference, chances are the fish won't either.

I'd go the opposite direction and throw a baby z-too on a light ned head for a slow fall rate to keep it in the strike zone longer.

Bill Dance recently put out a video on fishing cranks through cover by replacing the treble hooks with in-line circle hooks. I've seen single hooks on a crank, but never circle hooks. He talks about the hook substitution starting at 8:12.

The lower end Trackers sell for the prices they do because they are the bare minimum to be fishable. Their fish finders are very basic, trolling motors are just powerful enough to move the boat in the wind, decks are wood instead of aluminum, the carpet is light weight and wears out quickly, compartments are held closed by friction and are not water tight, and the wiring under the console is a confusing rat's nest. Build quality is highly variable as well. If you are comfortable with all of that, then consider the Pro 170 over the Classic. The 170 has much better rod storage, a significantly larger front deck and a much more usable live well. The real-world difference in price is minimal, but those three differences make fishing much much easier.

This is the end of the top half of a very old two piece Master graphite rod I'd like to put back into service. The orange rubber that provides friction to keep the two pieces together is dried and cracked. How can I replace it?

Tubes are one of those baits that I want to like but I have never had good luck with them doing anything but skipping where I would otherwise just skip a senko. I don't know what it is, but I can catch fish on a drop shot, then switch up to a tube and...nothing.

Don't get mesmerized by a used boat's list of equipment. The age of all parts and accessories matters to both the price of a boat and your future happiness with it. Ask a lot of questions about everything on board. "Brand new" batteries can be a year or two old. Old pumps, trolling motors, chargers, bearings and tires might be on their last legs and 4 or 5 year old graphs are outdated without much value.

Scheels has right hand retrieve 9.0/1 Abu Revo SX rockets for $79.99 https://www.scheels.com/p/abu-garcia-revo-sx-rkt-9.0%3A1-lp-reel/03628296845.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyojJufHYgQMVSPDjBx0fpwUDEAQYAiABEgKuFfD_BwE&src=hardlines

What lures/techniques would you use in the this circumstance: Northern River, 30-35 FOW that's muddy and 65 degrees. Visibility is 2' or less. The smallies are down there because your boat partner is catching them on a drop shot. What lures/techniques would you use to get the attention of brown bass?

Mule fishing makes their stuff out of a very stretchy plastic, but they're mostly panfish sized except for the jack worm. https://www.mulefishing.com

I tried live worms for smallies around boulder piles last week thinking it would make it easier for kids to catch something. I was wrong, it was easier for them to constantly get the worms stolen with absolutely nothing to show for it. Switched to wacky rigged 3" senkos on 1/16 and 1/8 oz jig heads with big 2/0 khale hooks to ensure they self-hooked and it was fish on.

In the event that you wreck the boat and file an insurance claim, they very well might pay out exactly what you said it's worth.

If you're really worried about line twist, just put a swivel between the main line and leader then use some kind of thin wire hook to take care of poking through tough bass jaws.

I've been losing neko rigged worms skipping docks with them. I've tried regular plastisol senkos and dingers and elaztech big TRDs. I've hooked them through the plastic, through O-rings and through the plastic and an O-ring. I've used 1/0 wacky hooks and 2/0 neko hooks with and without bait buttons but eventually the worm flys off. Is there anything to stop that from happening other than casting more gently?

I'm not sure what makes sunglasses "fishing" vs. "non fishing," but Goodr (that's how they spell it) makes very nice polarized glasses in a ton of styles and colors for $25/pair: https://goodr.com/collections/all-models

The easy way is fireworks. But, that's kind of loud and will probably distract you from fishing. A much quieter way is just stripping down to your speedo. If that doesn't do it, just keep asking your neighbors to reapply sun team lotion every 10 minutes. The great part of this solution is the more out of shape you are, the better it works.

Because....?

Limits vary based on the zone you're fishing in. You're best bet is to check the regulation summary: https://www.ontario.ca/files/2023-05/mnrf-fwsb-fishing-regulations-summary-en-2023-05-11.pdf

You can always get aluminum drop in lids from the Tiny Boat Nation store: https://tbnation.net/products/dry-storage-hatch-lid-pre-built

No, I put one on to keep the worm from flying off during a cast. I mostly skip wacky senkos and without the buttons I was losing a lot of worms.

I found my hookup ratio was worse with two rings because I was constantly losing my worm. One ring and a bait button at the end of a 1/0 wacky hook pins every fish that bites and retains the worm very well.

Those don't look like new batteries. And, they are definitely the wrong size for the application. Old, undersized batteries are not going to last very long on a trolling motor pulling a heavy boat.

You're about where I was until very recently. I got into tournaments to force myself to make time for fishing, and to try out new bodies of water I wouldn't otherwise consider. However, after a bunch of mediocre finishes I decided that I'd rather do better vs. than use tournaments to expand my fishing abilities i.e. by experimenting with new baits or techniques. For me, this translated to: 1) sticking to confidence baits and highest percentage techniques; 2) switching techniques, baits or locations faster than I would if I were fun fishing. I'll give a bait 15-20 minutes to produce than I consider making a change. No more entire mornings spent throwing topwater with only 1 or 2 keepers to show for it; and 3) focusing on getting a limit above all else. If I'm on a school of tiny-but-legal bass, I'll try and get 5 of them in the live well before moving on. There's a mental weight the lifts as soon as you get that fifth fish that is hard to describe but which definitely helps you relax and slow down; and finally: 4) If I'm having little success, I'll think hard about the conditions and water and lay out a plan to target high percentage spots - e.g. if nothing else is working, time to skip docks. Once I get decent limit, depending on home much time is left until weigh-in, I'll either grind on with confidence techniques to cull up in weight or experiment with something new to see if I can't catch bigger fish while also learning something. For example, I've been wanting to spend more time fishing jigs. So, after getting a limit on a wacky worm, I tried using a jig to get a higher quality fish in the boat. At another tournament, I caught a limit quickly in 5 feet of water, then moved deeper to see if I could find bigger fish there. Neither attempt worked, but I only had a couple of hours invested in the new technique after I had a decent bag to bring to weigh-in.

How??