Jig Man

I like to keep my boat clean and ready at all times. I even carry a 12v vac in one of the boxes. I don't allow guys to take a leak on the gunwale. You get blood on my carpet, you get a towel to clean it off. I don't buy boats often and want mine to last.

The way your gas engine is set has a lot to do with how your boat reacts. Your lower unit can act as a keel and cause the back to run one way or the other. If you have a motor guide and it is not running the way the arrow is pointing you probably have bent the little L shaped piece of metal inside the head cover.

Ztackle had some last time I looked.

I tried an experiment in clear water with 5 friends. We were all fishing basically the same baits. Another guy and I were using braid w/o any leader. The other guys were using leader or mono. The braid we were using was 8/1. The 2 of us got our butts waxed that day. Since them I have started using leader on all my braid 'cause I don't like that slikery feelin' on my butt.

Since you have give not year for the boat I can't look it up. Check the NADA guides and see what they have to say. Remember that Johnny Morris who owns Tracker and lots of other boats now owns Fisher. He is notorious for putting cheap after market 1 time owner stuff on boats.

We call that Yo Yo ing or BanJoing.

see my other post.

Never never never put the wind at my back. You will put yourself down to the 10% ratio with the wind at your back. I believe in big tmotors just for this especially in the spring and fall. When the wind is too much for my tmotor, I to to the point, put it on high and let the wind "back troll me down the bank". I is usually slow and rough but it produces fish.

The condition is sometimes called black spot disease. The black spots are caused by pigment that the fish deposits around the larval stage of a parasite. Their life cycle includes birds which pick them up while eating fish. While in the bird the parasite becomes a adult and lays eggs inside the birds intestines. The bird, via a bowel movement, deposits the eggs in the water. The eggs hatch and the new parasite takes on a snail as a host. Later it leaves the snail and takes on a fish. Their presence has not been proven to have much of an effect on the fish except in very small fish if there is not a massive amount of them. If you are eating the fish they won't hurt humans. Just cook the fish well done. I have been told that they are 100% protein.

I thought I would use drop shot a lot in TX last winter so I bought a Bakudan mold. I made up a bunch and only lost like 5 all winter. Needless say I won't live long enough to use all of them up. If I decided to offer them for sale, what would they be worth?

I haven't actually added a storage box but I did put in a flippin' deck which gave me quite a bit of storage underneath it. I was mainly interested in more deck space. The easiest way might be to contact Fisher and see if they have any compartments that you could buy and install.

Glad to see the windshield pics. A friend of mine broke his and I told him about your project. Since I have a heat gun, he got interested real quick. BTW: You have done a great job on your boat. Congrats.

If I were looking for a small to medium motor I'd buy the 4 stroke then I'd not have to worry about EPA rulings.

What would be a recommended length? I was thinking of 14 to 16 ft. Depends on the size of the water. The larger the boat the safer. What is the difference between riveted and welded? I know the mechanical difference, I'm asking about long term care, water tightness, life expectance, etc. Welded boats are easier to care for it the have been well built. However, a friend of mine ran a rivited john for a long time and kept it dry with JB Weld. What is the difference in performance between flat bottom and v-bottom? V bottoms ride smoother and flat bottoms fish better. What is the estimated cost of boat/trailer/motor (website doesn't list price)? I don't have a clue. It will all depend on the size of the boat and motor and how you have them rigged out.

Some say use the 3.8/1 for crankbaits. I bought one and hated it. I bought a set of gears and changed it to 6/1. I can always slow down.

I second what grimlin says. When the bite is slow I go to a jig or tube. I know that if there are any fish present, I'll get some strikes. During these times I pay very careful attention to the looks of the area, the water depth, my boat position and what the structure feels like with my baits so that I can try to find like areas if I get some bites. Win, lose or draw it keeps my mind occupied while my body is fishing. I don't have time to lose my confidence because I am working on that next bite.

I don't ever plan to be in a boat without a depth finder or two. I'd feel like I was naked.

I don't have either one but I do run Lowrance products. I'd go for 480 pixels for a better pic depending on how you use the unit. If you night fish, the X125 has an amber back light for $100 more.

http://www.allisonboats.com/pricing/

If someone has one in stock, get a demo ride.

GMAN You have seen some of my colors. :P

I have eaten several bass species but I can't stand to clean largemouth because the smell like frogs.

Personally, I'd buy nearly anything except a Berkley product. I have never liked them. Even Bass Pro Excell is beyond them.

I will have to do some assuming here but let's see. If I am actually fishing 7 hours on an 8 hour trip that is 7X60= 420 minutes. Over all with various baits taking from 45 seconds to 5 minutes, I'd guess 2 minutes per cast. That gives an average of 210 casts. My average last year was 9.43 bass per trip so I guess I caught a bass every 22.269353 casts. Of course they were all keepers 'cause I don't mess with dinks. ;D ;D

I use an 8# on my drop shot and 14# on my jigs. I use the Stren knot with a dab of superglue on the knot. I got my butt waxed once using 8/1 braid in clear water with no leader. I use straight braid on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.