FishinBuck07

If you are wanting one rod to do it all I would say a 7' to 7'3" MH Fast would be your best bet! That would be what I would pick for an all around rod.

Each company's graph is better at something than the other, Humminbird's side scan and down scan are better to me than the others, Lowrance has great 2D sonar compared to the others, and Garmin has the Panoptix that I don't believe the other companies can match. I really think it depends on your fishing style myself but that is just my opinion.

I hate throwing the Carolina Rig, but my buddy told me last year he catches them on a couple local lakes I fish on that darn rig. You know what I did? Yep went and bought stuff to fish the Carolina Rig. haha I am stubborn, but I am not stupid!! haha

Ordered 16 DT series cranks today from Midway Usa, can't beat their price on the DT series of cranks. Needed backup baits! Some DT 6, 10, and 16. One more order of baits before the season and I should be good to go!

I hear ya man! My wife is tired of me also, I have a brand new boat sitting in the garage that I have to look at every time I walk outside. It is bad this winter, even worse than all other years! Haha. She said can't wait till the ice is gone! ??

Captain Phil is correct also, just because a certain boat brand works for one guy doesn't mean it will work for another guy! My buddy and I fish pretty close to the same style and I fished out of his Phoenix before I decided on mine and felt how nice the ride was. If you flip a lot the 819 might not be for you, it has higher gunnels on the front deck than other boats. I do flip but don't use huge weight that would knock the slop out of the fiberglass if I hit it.

Mercury Pro XS 200 hp, the dealer I bought it from said it is a low 70 mph boat, I have had it to 55, I only had it on the water a few times before it got too cold here in Ohio. When I had it at 55 there was still plenty left in it for sure. It gets up on pad quickly and drives very well!

I just bought a Phoenix 819 Pro this past year, absolutely love it! I can put 7'6" rods in my boat and I am sure an 8' rod would fit in there. My buddy has a 21' Phoenix and I think mine rides just as nice as his, but I haven't had it in rough water yet but think it would definitely handle it. My boat is built with the same quality components his larger boat has on it. The smaller boats are going to have less standard options that the bigger ones have, but the good news is if you really want those options you can mostly pay the extra to get them. My 819 will get up and go and run at a speed faster than I will most likely ever be comfortable running it at. My buddy that owns the larger Phoenix went with me on my boat said he was very impressed with it, the way it rode and the way it fished!

Well then you beat me by 6 years! Nice looking boat!

Spring I tend to use craw patterns more, but will fish bluegill and shad patterns. Summer I fish more bluegill patterns and some shad, and fall I fish more shad patterns and some craw patterns! Don't know why that is just the way I have done it, feel like in the spring crawfish are the main forage they are eating, the summer I believe they eat more bluegill and the fall more shad. I may be completely out of my mind but it usually works for me.

Don't know if I have owned that many spinnerbaits in my whole life!?

I bought the 7'4 model the other day, it will launch a DT10 a mile and a 3XD quite a ways also, good thing because that is what I bought it for! haha

Looks like you are really making great progress!! Can't wait to see it done and what it comes out like!!

That isn't cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha

Why would you do that to me?

It's cold there????

Top water bite gets a little difficult in the winter in these parts!?

Maybe still frozen??

Thank you for the response! My brother lives around an hour away and has never fished it, so just trying to get some ideas of how to fish it that time of year. Very much appreciated!

Yep I help the wife out around the house and it just makes things easier for everyone. But I do tell her once in a while that, that is a woman's job, just to see her response. haha Once in a while also tell her to get in the kitchen and make me a sammich.

Nice looking display, but they still eat a Hula Popper up this way also! haha

Hmmm that color looks familiar also! haha

Well I believe I have a disease or something! Went to the local shop after work (why does it have to be so close to work?) and proceeded to spend almost $200 on soft plastics for drop shot fishing. Yamamoto Shad Shaped Worms, Jackall Crosstail Shads, Baby Z too, Half Shells, and a few other soft plastics. Also some small swimbaits to throw when the water opens up and is cold.

I am with the other folks here, drop to 10# braid and I believe you will get a whole lot more distance. Thinking that the heavier braid is causing too much drag through the eyes.

Oh wow didn't hear that! So now you have peaked my interest!