Jig Man

I have a smart craft gauge hooked to my 225 Optimax. 4000-4500 rpms gives me my best consumption rate. WOT it is 1/2 gallon per minute. So WOT is not very often.

If I were buying a used boat, I'd ask the seller for a signed document from a reputable service center that stated everything had been checked out and passed. If he wants to get the most bang for his buck he has already done it and can provide you with the paperwork.

I've done it with Curados going from 3.8 to 6.3. It cost me $30 for the gears but that was a few years ago. Call Shimano America and see what they say.

Car batteries (cranking) are designed for putting out a lot of amps for a short period of time. Deep Cycle batteries are designed to put out smaller amounts of amps over a long period of time. You state that you have like 3 car batteries laying around. Well it would be anyone's guess as to how long any of them would work for you because there is not telling what kind of shape that they are in. If one of them was a good strong fairly new bettery it might go for several hours but then again depending on their condition they might not go at all. The first thing I'd do it charge them up and check the specific gravity with a hydrometer. If you don't own one they are only a few bones. If you can get them charged up to 12.7 volts and get them to hold that for a while then they probably would work. Even if that happens, I recommend that you take a couple of them with you when you go.

I've use a lot of different ones and the all will catch fish. I couldn't get colors the way I want them so I started making my own several years ago. Now I don't use any other than the ones I make myself.

Learn to tie the Pitzen or 16/20 knot. It will work on any kind of line and you can tie it in the winter with gloves on.

If I could only fish on plastic it would be a tube and the color would be green pumpkin with black flake before the spawn and purple flake after the spawn. #2 would be 5" stick in bubble gum before the spawn and red after.

paranoid

With a boat load of money I'd get the most expensive Bass Cat with the 12" touch screen Lowrances and 109 # MG trolling motor. I'd put the biggest motor that I could find on the back.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I don't think it will give you much of a boost compared to the space it will take up.

I use my round nosed pliers and make a complete circle. You and take needle nosed and get it done. Just be sure you have the gap closed so you won't lose your swivel.

I do remelts a lot. Don't put any gulp in or you will have a smelly mess.

flash From someone who has made thousands of jigs for probably longer than you have been alive, try to buy your jigs with out the weedguard installed. Just have them sent along with the jigs because putting anything on with the weedguard in place is a pita. You can glue them in with super glue gel like the rest of us do after the skirts are tied on.

Jig tying will become economically sound for you only after several hundred jigs and a lot of time. The initial cost will run between $200-300. Then you will be limited to the style of jigs for which you bought molds. Check out Seibert outdoors. I'm sure you can swing some kind of deal with Mike for some jig heads either painted or unpainted. The is a good guy and does quality work. www.fishingskirts.com is the best all around place that I have found skirts. If you buy silicone tabs from them be sure to get the cheap tool for the collars if you are going to use collars. For tying wire I use windings from an old electric motor but you can get copper wire of about 24-26g at a hobby store.

Look at some of the sites like Janns and Barlows for heads or see if Cadman or Gman would make you some. For skirts you can't beat www.fishingskirts.com

If the 75 has infinite speed control like the 82 then go for it. If you haven't had infinite speed control to dial up or down then you don't know what you are missing. I have had it for 11 years and don't ever plan to be without it.

Have you checked around for pricing? There may be a better deal for you than the one you are looking at. For example I just saw one on Amazon for $935 45" shaft.

Buy your own boat. There are too many things that can go wrong and you get the blame with a borrowed one.

Don't take anything else and you'll have to use them.

Except in very cold clear water I haven't found color to be much concern. All fall I have fished with hi vis yellow and white Power Pro vertical jigging in 25-40 fow. For a while my pard was using some kind of smoke fire line. After a few beatdowns he asked if I would spool him up some hi vis yellow.

I had the costa mirrors and couldn't see my gps screen so I traded them for the amber and have been happy of 2 years.

If you got your jigs in one box then you don't own enough jigs. I have 6 boxes and 2 tackle bags just for jigs.

I don't own any reels except Shimano so that is all I can speak about. I have Solstace, Sahara, Symmetry, and Stradic spinning reels. All of them do a good job for me. Most of my reels have been in service for 10 or more years and are still going strong. If I had to choose an all around reel that will do most anything and be dependable for a long time then I'd get the Symmetry. What ever you choose, I suggest a 2500 size with a front drag for the best all around size and performance.

Don't think about entry level. Buy a good reel that will last you for a long time and be easy to use. I have tried lots of brands and found the most reliable for me is the Shimano. The Citica is a good reel and not in the entry class but in the semi entry price. I'd get it if that were my price range if I could swing it I'd get the Curado E5. I bought one last summer for cranking and that thing is awesome.

Since I fish jigs and plastics a lot most of my strikes come as the bait is falling. As soon as my bait hits the water or just before it hits the water I engage my reel and get my rod in the 10:00 position. When I see line move or feel a strike I set the hook immediately before it can spit out the bait. As I am fishing the bait back to me I try to keep in touch with it as much as possible. I also try to keep the rod working from the 9 O'clock to the 12 O'clock position. That way I am always in position to set the hook.