Jig Man

I used aluminum treadplate.

All you have to do is get a piece of marine ply wood and mount it to the frame of the pontoon. Be sure it reaches the water and mount the transducer to it. The best aluminum boats in the world (Lund) come with one so you won't have to drill holes in the transom.

Any dealer worth buying a boat from should give you a delivery tour. It should start on the ground at the front of the trailer and go all the way around the trailer and back to the front. Then it should go from the front of the boat (tmotor) all the way around (including the motor, prop and stuff under the cowling). The last part should be a tour inside the boat showing the use of all electronics, switches, livewells, storage boxes, etc. There should then be a sign off sheet which should be signed by the rigger, the sales person making the delivery and the new owner. That is the only way you can be sure everything has been looked at. If they don't do that much, DON'T BUY FROM THEM!!!

Anything on my side of the lake in the direction I am heading is mine. ;D If you want to fish it, get behind me and catch what I leave. ;)

I once got a 75 lb piece of printers lead. I borrowed a friend's cast iron pot and melted the stuff down with my fish cooker. I then took a piece of angle iron and bent the ends up. I would ladle the angle iron full, let it cool a bit, dump it and do it again. I made several 3' strips and took a hatchet and cut it into short bars. I think I still have some of it around somewhere.

That is the way I have been doing it for years and never have any line twist problems.

You will clean it one of these days. Mine is so old that the liner has burned out and I had to replace it. I have poured 10s of 1000s of jigs with mine as I used to market them to boat docks. Some of that junk in the lead will make its way to the bottom and plug the whole thing one of these day.

When the pot gets like that it is time to empty it out and give it a good cleaning. I empty mine and then use an air compressor to blow (from the outside) out the hole. Then I scrape down the entire inside with a brush and re blow the hole. Add new lead and start all over. The more lead I keep in the pot the less often I have to clean it. I use an old spinnerbait wire to keep the hole flowing freely.

Check catalog specials from Bass Pro and Cabela's. They sometimes have good combos. Last year I bought my neighbor an $80 Bionic Blade and a $60 Shimano Sahara for $90. That is like buy the rod and get the reel for $10. Surely they have something similar to that again this year.

There is no way I would ever own another rear drag reel. I take my reel apart several times each year and thoroughly clean them. I have never successfully been able to get a rear drag apart. I got so frustrated with them that I gave them all away.

I don't ever take the lead out of my pot. In fact I add lead to get it back to about 2/3 full before I turn it off.

I used to be in the business and have been in lots of boats both alum. and glass. The glass boats will give you more stability and handling in windy conditions. However, the Xpress is the only alum. on the market that handles like glass. The down side is the light weight and problems with wind.

You might want to talk to some one else. My LMS 480 got moisture in it in Texas this winter. When I got home my dealer got it replaced under warranty and it was 19 months old.

It is more than likely tire pressure but it could be an axle problem. You can check your alignment by measuring from a spot on the back of your trailer to the axle. Then go to the other side and find a spot exactly like the one you used and measure to the axel on that side. I should be no more than 1/4" different than the first side.

I have Sospenders which I wear in the winter, especially fishing alone.

If you are fishing around Sedalia you are probably in cold water because it is only in the mid to upper 40s on Stockton. I'd be thinking tubes, grubs, jigs, maybe some jerk baits depending on water, weather and the guy in the other end of the boat.

I don't know who has the contract this year. Last year it was reported that Pfleuger made the BPS house brand reels. Personally, I stick with a name brand reel. My preference is the Shimano. I suggest that you buy a Citica for $120 and get a decent rod. The reel will probably be trouble free for 30 years with a little care and maintainance. It might cost more at the beginning but be cheaper in the long run.

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My insurance goes up 10% for three years after a pretty healthy claim.

I follow the instructions. I normally make them in warm weather so I can work outdoors but have done a few in winter.

I know several guys who have gps units without mapping capability. Those are in the bottoms of drawers somewhere in their houses or garages. Mine with mapping goes with me in the boat, truck and even on my bike when I take a ride. I wouldn't want one without mapping at all.

I spot clean with Tuff Stuff. For large areas I wet the carpet and brush with Oxyclean then rinse and wet vac.

The battery is either bad or so far discharged that it won't respond to the charger. I have had batteries that would only accept initial charge from a two amp charger. If you have a hydrometer, you can check the cells. When you buy a replacement, I recommend that you get one with lots of reserve, not cranking, amps. You may not be able to get it at a place like Wally World.

That all depends on just how "new" it is. Sometimes batteries set around for several months before they are sold and need a good charging. If you own a hydrometer, check the cells with it. If you don't own one, plug it back in and give it some more time and buy a hydrometer.

I assume that you are talking about the skimmer and the puck transducers. The skimmer can be mounted on the inside as well as the outside (on the transom or the tmotor) I have one skimmer and 1 puck mounted inside my boat and a puck on the tmotor. I wouldn't ever want a skimmer mounted on the outside of my transom.