Jig Man

I use a modified SDJ for everything. It is not as good as the palomar for fluro but works fine as long as the knot is spit sloppy to keep it from burning. I use it because I can tie it in 10-12 seconds and be back in the water.

I read Gman's link. He covered all the basics. Check with Do-It for molds and good prices on components like Bakudan Dropshot swivels. They have a price break at like 500.

I buy 4" tubes by the hundred and they don't have any name on the packages, but they work.

My wife used her Ford Winstar van to pull her 19' deck boat and also my 20.5' Champion all over the midwest.

When I bank fish I put plastic boxes in a 5 gallon bucket along with pliers and other necessities. That way I even have a chair if I want to sit down.

I have been using it for years. I keep a can in the boat, one in the shop and another in the camper. Anytime I need a little spray silicone that is what I use. It helps castability of mono and quietens that noisy braid.

More important to me than towing is stopping. Be sure that what ever boat you get has a trailer that is equipped with brakes.

I use 7" salt craws as jig trailers quite a bit. That keeps most of the dinks away.

The best that I have ever used is Bass Pro 100 mph gortex. It is the only stuff I have ever been able to keep dry wearing. It is not for warm weather wear by the way. They must be changing styles because I saw some in the catalog store at 1/2 price yesterday.

Since I bought a Terminator double buzz I can't make myself use a single any more. Rapala bought them out and stopped making it though. I called around to G. Mtn. stores and found one that had some left on the shelf. I had them send all of them to me in case Rapala doesn't put it back on the market.

Brown football head rubber skirt tied by me in sizes 1/4-3/4. I'll take it over all other colors on a regular basis.

If they won't hit the jig on the bottom, try swimming and twitching it in the water column.

Ammonia is the thing to avoid like the plague. I use a 50/50 mixture of isoprophyl alcohol and distilled water like Lowrance recommends. Spray it on and use the cloth that came with the unit. After a few times throw the cloth in the washing machine. I don't use any fabric softner in that load as it inhibits water pickup by the cloth.

I have tried lots of knots with fluro and though I don't like to tie it the palomar works best for me. I have found that a sloppy spit soaked knot doesn't seem to burn as badly and thus works better for me. The sloppier the better ;D ;D.

If your kill switch cord has a loop at the end look for a toggle switch close to the shifter box. The switch flips and the loop goes behind it.

X2 Way cheaper, easier to apply and doesn't dry out all of a sudden. Here are some color patterns that have worked for me in bucktail.

I prefer the round rubber to the silicone. It can be bought by the foot or pound in many colors. I get mine from Jann's. They also have rabbit. http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/skirts-material/ http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/Search/rabbit.aspx

I don't know where your lake is but a lot of southern lakes are dropped to get some of the vegetation to die. Find out who is in charge and give them a call. They will tell you why they do it. When the water drops around her the fish move out so move out to ledges and drop offs and go for jigs and trigged plastics.

I fish by myself much of the time. I have a 140 rope on a spool. I clip the rope to the bow eye or side cleat and back the boat into the water and float it off. I am holding the spool out the window and let line out. I get out and hold the rope to stop the boat. It may be 50' off shore when I stop it. I walk up the ramp unwinding the rope for another 50' or so, drop the spool and park the truck. I walk back to the spool and reel in the boat to the ramp, climb aboard and go fishing. I can do this proceedure nearly as fast as 2 regular guys can launch and get the truck out of the way because I get everything ready in the parking lot. I take a pair of knee boots with me so that when I load, I can put them on to keep dry if the ramp incline is too shallow. I do this because I have a tonneau cover on the truck bed. It may look kind of funny but it works for me and has for years.

Brands don't mean much to me. I have tried lots and have had good results from most. The cranking battery should match what your engine needs. For example, if you have an opti max you need lots of cca because it has to turn over 3-4 times before it fires so 800 cca is good for that. Trolling motor batteries are deep cycle and good ones are rated in reserve amps. Get 200 reserve amp batteries in a 27 series and you will be good to go all day long for several years.

I have 3 that I use. Buzzbait in calm to mild wave action. Spinnerbait when the waves get too much for a buzz. Swim jig when it is rocking and rolling.

Jigs by far and away. That is why I carry hundreds of jigs in 8 different sizes and many color patterns in 5 different materials. I hardly ever fish without at least 4 or 5 jigs tied on.

I only look for one thing; the name Shimano. From there I go for how much I want to spend and then I am done.

They tried it in the past and it didn't do very well.

A little more info would be helpful since there is a variety of Lunds out there. Some would be worth that and some wouldn't.