Jig Man

It wouldn't hurt to call and ask if they have any upgrade programs. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't but the call is free. 1-800-324-1356

I really like to have a wacky rigged senko or a trigged craw to toss on a missed fish (jig or spinner bait). If they have been hooked and lost sometimes yes sometimes no. However with smallmouth you never know. I lost a jumping smallie on a jig and beaver. I only got the jig back. My partner was fishing a tube in the same area and caught a fish almost immediately. It was also a smallmouth and when he boated it, that fish spit my beaver out on the deck.

Jitterbugs work around here on ponds but I have never caught a bass in a lake at night on one of them or a buzzbait. I use jigs, craws, tubes and worms at night.

It would be Stradic for me as I own 21 Shimanos and no other brand.

Take a look at www.fishingskirts.com. They have all kinds of skirts, bands and a $4 tool. Be careful about getting carried away. After I chose mine and my wife chose hers we had 1400 come to the house.

You can add a charger and charge the two seperately or you can get a bigger charger and charge both at the same time.

I probably have been fishing jigs longer than you have been alive. It still comes down to sometimes, "when in doubt set the hook" as they don't always take the jig with a tap. My recommendation to you is to not try to master 3 very effective techniques at the same time. Pick one that you like best and use it till you get decent with it then move to another.

If you haven't changed line in several years, it is time to do it. I have used yellow, blue, green, clear, etc colors of line and haven't found much difference. You probably will need a light line like 4# for those trout but 10-12 should work for bass unless you have lots of weeds or brush in the ponds.

I haven't made any of them but it takes 1/2 oz to make a 5" senko type worm.

Fletching cement from the archery section. It can be melted with a candle and allows for easy removal if you need to but holds on for ever. I replaced one 5 years ago and it is still holding strong.

When I can't keep the tmotor prop in the water.

You can make a cable luber if none of the shops do it where you live. If you want info, send me a pm. I have a couple of friends with 16 year old units who lube the cables every other year and they just keep on keeping on.

You may have your boat trailer too shallow and the engine is having to push hard against the bunks. I notice that on my Opti sometimes if the trailer is not deep enough. Also trim it up a ways to give it some bow lift and take more boat off the trailer.

Do an internet search for boat seats. Lots of places carry them. You can spend as little as $40 or as much as $500 for a seat.

Rebuilt motors are only as good as the parts put in and the guy putting them in. If you don't have a good tech who can look at the motor, BEWARE!! On the otherhand a good rebuild can last as long as or longer than the original motor depending on care.

Check here for the one pedestal that matches your then go buy a seat. http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/category/swivl-eze

When your boat is stored if away from home, take the batteries out and take them home. Charge them every 3-4 weeks and check them on the hydrometer.

My guess is if the bait is still on the hook the fish will have trouble eating so it may die. I have caught a few fish that have passed the hook completely through their digestive systems and had a rusty hook hanging out their anus with mono line going up into it.

You can get a good deep cycle battery with 180-200 reserve amps. When you use it, take it home and charge it as soon as possible. Check the water level regularly and add distilled water when needed. An inexpensive hydrometer from any auto parts store will let you check the specific gravity of each cell to tell whether or not it is fully charged. Use a 10-15 amp charger, keep the water level up, charge when you get home, keep the battery clean and you should get 4-5 years of good service out of most batteries. I have used lots of brands and gotten good results from all of them.

Well Rod, I fish there a lot. If you are bass fishing, jigs, tubes and worms on main lake points have been working. If you have any early breeze, spinnerbaits and buzz baits may work for a couple of hours early. If you are crappie fishing they are 12' deep in timbered coves and creeks. I don't know about the walleye.

The best thing I have done lately is put Blue Water Led lights in all my boxes. I am now thinking about putting some red deck lights on to see where my rods are laying in the dark.

No I don't think they are going anywhere. I have caught lots of hybrid and white bass that are hitting surface baits or are feeding on shad on the surface. Those other "lazy" bass are also there. They just don't expend the energy to chase stuff. They tend to lay below the action and feed on the injured baitfish that flutter down. Use a sinking lipless crank, spoon, or other type bait. If you can get it past the agressive fish you should be able to hook up with more smb and lmb. However, it is a lot of fun to catch those hybrids on any kind of bait.

I have been keeping a data base record of all my fishing trips for several years. I track about 20 items with the moon phase being one of them. I have found that there is almost no correlation between numbers or size of fish and the moon phase. Now lake levels are a whole different story.

2500 series Shimano Sahara or Symmetry

Hit a few garage sales and get you a $5 toaster oven. Mine only cost $2. You can use it to heat up the heads, then bake on the finish.