Jig Man

I make a lot of my reel choices by looking at the shelves in the Bass Pro Catalog outlet store. I am in there about 1 time each week. I walk by the "reconditioned" reels and see what is there. There are generally a few Daiwas, hundreds of Quantums and hundreds of the different house brands. In all the years I have been going there I have only seen 1 Shimano.

Wow! Every rod I've ever shipped or had shipped (I build rods) has been in the $20 range for anything 6' and over. Who shipped a 7' rod for $9? I need to know so I can start using them! 7' Gloomis rod shipped USPS priority mail from MO to CA just about 6 weeks ago.

I quit tournament fishing quite some time ago but everytime I hit the water it is like a tournament. I can't sleep the night before and it takes me at least 30 min. to get over the jitters when I get to a fishing spot. Every trip is competition even if I am the only one in the boat. I have never fished for relaxation. That is for when I get home and get all the equipment put away.

I can only speak for the dealerships around here but this may be in your area also. They try to operate on a 25% profit basis. That is 25% after all the setup and rigging charges are factored into the retail price (usually around $800 per unit). With the market like it is you should have no problem keeping a healthy deal breaker in mind (electronics or tmotor upgrade for example). You should also be able to negotiate on price if you opt for an extended warranty as the dealership gets a substantial amount of that. Good luck on your search and purchase.

The only time I have any line twist if when I fish tubes or drop shot. Both of those tend to roll over when retrieved with any speed. Line twist hasn't been an issue for me since I started using good quality Shimano reels. I think the roller bearing and assembly has a lot to do with it.

I just bought 2 of them for $80 each at the Bass Pro Shop outlet in Spfld. MO. They had another one but I for sure didn't need it.

I shipped a 7' gloomis from MO to CA for a little over $9. I called and asked before hand and they said it would have to be weighed and measured before they could determine the price.

So are you saying that these are the same rods and one is a 2007 model and the other is a 2008? If that is the case then someone really screwed up big time.

What is the difference in these two rods: Avid ASV66MF Avid AS66MF

I'm getting ready to order some stuff and mostly use one of these three. I kind of like to check them against one another. After looking at the first item (round rubber) Jan's in way in the lead for my business. Jan's $15.04/lb Barlow's $19.95/lb Stamina $19.95/lb Since I am short on brown, red, white, chartruse, and black Jan's wins hands down and backing away.

Our local supplier wanted $12.50/100 so I bought from Do-It. The have a price break at 500.

Go for it. ;)

You sure have picked both ends of the spectrum. Lund has been the best alum boat for many years while the Tracker is not in its class at all. There are lots of boats which will fit your needs. Do some searches and see what you really like as far as length, storage, fishability, etc.

Golly GMAN I have never even seen a purple watermelon.

My next door neighbor pulls a 16' alum with a Colorado. It does just fine. However, I haven't seen him have to make a quick stop. I did see a guy try to make a quick stop with a Chevy s-10 once. He was pulling a 17 alum and she wouldn't stop quick at all. For a while I thought we were dead.

I like to be on the water an hour or two before dark. Lots of time there is a real good bite around dark. If I am camped and get to fish several nights in a row I fish till the bite quits. If I have to drive home and stay awake, I am gone by 2 am or so.

Snap swivels for jigging spoons only.

Power Pro braid Pline mono Seguar fluro

I'm not sure how many reels I have but I am sure that they are all Shimanos.

Professional catfish guides swear that they can tell the difference on a color unit.

I have used a bunch of different knots in the last 5 years and didn't like any of them until Avid posted the Alberto's knot. Now it is the only knot I use. It is simple, easy, small, and doesn't require glue. I just finished tying several on getting ready for a break in the weather in a week or so.

Avid I totally agree with your list. I also would add the following: A good fishing partner is one who will go for long periods of time without talking so I can concentrate on what I am doing. Also a good fishing partner can fish many different types of baits at many different depths, not just be a shallow water bank runner.

I night fish 6 months out of the year and have for a long time. I catch more fish at night but I have caught more large bass during the day time than at night.

Of the three you listed Bass Cat will have the better ride and Ranger will have the better fishing platform. Look at the little things like storage boxes and rod lockers, trailers, dash layout, fishing deck room, back deck room, etc. You will probably be spending a lot of time in this rig and should have things the way you want them. I wound up with a Champion 206 when I did all that. I looked for a year at 100s of boats on lots and in boat shows. I found that I wanted storage for all my junk and a big box for the guest as well as dual consoles, dry storage, no box locks to trip on, and a big deck for me. I found all that in Champion. I did have them change the engine and upgrade the tmotor and df before I took delivery. So far I have spent over 3000 hours in my boat and would only change a couple of things if I had do overs. Good luck.

I have only bought one used boat and had to rebuild the engine in a couple of months. I hope to never buy a used one again. If you buy a new one, you know how the engine was broken in and how it has been treated. If you want the best buy on a new boat, look at new noncurrent units. They come with all the warranty of the current models but without the big price tag.