Fastbee

Was the transducer in water? If it's just in open air it'll show strange stuff...

I fished in a club like that when I was a teenager about 30 years ago. There isn't much of that around anymore. I fish a local evening tournament here and there and an occasional Saturday morning one but for the most part I could care less about the other competitors. I'm friends with some but not because of the tournaments. I (as well as most of the other competitors) aren't in it to share spots, talk tackle or have pizza...were there because we're on fish and can make a little money. The best way to find any kind of local club is to join the locals lakes around you Facebook pages. Around here they always post all the tournaments each week. Some require a member fee and call themselves a club but it's just a means to gain a little loyalty and increase their championship payout.

If I know how much something will cost upfront, I don't mind paying more if getting it from outside the US is the best (and sometimes only) way. It just stinks that the delivery agents/customs brokers can kinda do whatever they want. Plat and Mike's have been good suppliers and I intend to keep using them but I might hold off until some of this settles down. I'm just not interested in making a $35 USD order and it end up costing me over $100 and waiting 3 months to get it. I think if UPS/FedEx/DHL could give some clear costs and timelines it would really help everyone out.

I had a Crestliner VT-18. The VT series was basically the same as the Stinger from Lowe, not sure if that's still true or not. It was fine for what it was. The 18 with a 115 would do around 40 mph so I'm guessing the 175 would be low-mid 30s which is common on any tin that size. Windy conditions made me hate life, it blew around a lot. Wasn't very comfortable to ride in if there was much more than decent chop on the water either. Aluminum rigs are fine overall as long as you understand the limitations. I'll probably end up picking up a jon boat with a 25-40 hp motor to just plink around on the river in the evenings. Dragging out my 21' glass boat is almost too much hassle for quick trips.

Plat could not tell me for sure how much a new side plate for a Tatula reel would cost by the time I received it. No time frame on delivery either. Mike's reel repair in Canada was about the same. They have guidelines that are similar to what was posted previously but also cautioned that those were only guidelines and that the shipping company might have different ideas. While the tariffs triggered this, the bigger problem seems to be the delivery agents (also mentioned earlier in this thread) and how they can basically do whatever they want as far as fees and time lines for delivery. Plat and Mike's both made it very clear that the customs broker/delivery agent were the unknown and that they as sellers were trying to find ways to ensure U.S. customers could still be taken care of for a reasonable cost and time frame.

Then teach your nephew and any other youngster starting our that tournament pro level gear isn't necessary to enjoy fishing. IMHO, the explosion of HS and even middle school tournament fishing is ruining the sport for those of us who truly enjoy just fishing. I can't stand the massive tournaments that seem to occur all the time. Very little sportsmanship or courtesy is being taught in my many interactions with these kids. I hope the price increases slow the expansion. Yesterday I saw a couple of teens in a no doubt leaky jon boat with a small outboard and few combos that were so excited they couldn't stand it, just because they could get out for a couple of hours before dark. It reminded me so much of me when I was that age. Every time I get fed up with how things are, I thank God for kids that remind me what it's all about.

Whatever one is in my hand at the time I need to skip...

Come to your attention how? By reading what other say or by your own personal experience? Have you bent out hooks with a fish on? I've been using lighter wire hooks for years on my A-rigs. The lighter wire allows me to straighten the hook when snagged without losing the whole deal. I've caught 100s of A-rig fish including many 20+ lb striped bass and multiple 40+ inch muskie and have yet to have a bent hook cost me a fish. So like a couple of others have said I think you're overthinking the whole deal. I've never cared where the line tie is, doesn't seem to matter. I use two setups for A-rigs: Powell Max 3d 7115 rod, old Curado 200B greenie reel loaded with 20 lb Big Game. The rod is a little softer since it's a crankbait rod but I like it for shallower situations where I'm working the rig faster. Powell Endurance 795, Tatula 150 reel loaded with 20 lb Big Game. I use this one for slower/deeper situations. This rod is a little stouter despite both being 5 power. That little extra is useful when a real hookset is needed.

TnRiver46 - the coal is burned to heat water to produce steam that turns the turbines to make electricity. In a nuke plant the reactors heat water to make steam to turn the turbines. Hydro plants skip the need for steam and use the water itself to turn the turbines. Since coal and nuke need water for steam there will be cold water intake and warm water discharge for both. The warm water discharge at Kingston didn't go horribly wrong, the ash storage did. Separate from that, TVA wasn't doing a good job meeting the warm water discharge requirements, not for toxicity but the temps were too high. Tennessee Dept of Environment and Conservation finally started enforcing the regulations after years of basically ignoring it. The fishing was MUCH better when it was warmer and running all winter. Bull Run was at one time slotted to be closed in the near future due to the cost of clean air controls. OP - I used to love fishing the warm water discharges. The ones around here were much like you described, lots of fish but not many big ones. The only exceptions were some mondo striper and musky near the Bull Run discharge.

It wasn't at a warm water discharge at all. The fly ash was from burning the coal. It is mixed with water when captured in the scrubbers and transferred to holding ponds to prepare it for final removal. One of the pond dams broke, allowing the slurry to escape into the river. It was never designed to be discharged the way it was and the warm water discharge is a totally independent process. I live a few miles from the Kingston and Bull Run steam plants. There is limited warm water discharge from each but not like it used to be (frequency of discharge as well as temperature of water).

That's not even remotely the same thing and I don't believe it played any part in the stoppage of most warm water discharges. I seem to remember the state permits for discharge water expired for the nuke/coal plants and the TVA had trouble meeting the tighter temperature ranges or something like that. I don't recall any disasters around here caused by warm water discharges...

Lack of resources isn't a direct cause for lack of success. As usual, Catt nailed it. Time spent fishing is the single most important thing to getting better. When I was able to fish 3-5 times a week I was SO much better than I am now only fishing maybe 1 time a week. I was a broke kid fishing out of a leaky aluminum boat (when I had enough money for gas) or off the bank. Only had a handful of hand-me-down combos and a few baits but I learned to maximize what I had. Also, if there isn't anything there to catch it wouldn't matter if you had better stuff or a "pro" to learn from.

Early on I had lots of success. Three of my uncles fished alot and usually found time to take me. I started as a co-angler in a small club (two of the three uncles fished in this club) when I was 13. I won some money here and there and usually caught fish. I qualified for the Tennessee Federation state tournament at 15. I got a leaky 17' Bass Tracker when I turned 18 and quit fishing the club tournaments and moved into the local boat ramp wildcats. I can't tell you how much money I won out of that boat. I fished almost every day and at least 3 tournaments a week for a couple of years. When I finished up with college I got a "real" boat and planned to start fishing bigger local/regional events. Due to my job I wasn't able to fish nearly as much and my fishing winnings suffered. I've never regained the success I had then. As I was more able to afford better equipment I've upgraded boats, rods, reels and tackle over the years but have gotten worse at fishing. This year was the worst I've had in 20 years, I haven't cashed a single check and this weekend is the 2 day championship for the local trail I fish. My partner and I have been fishing together for 30 years ( he's like my little brother) and we've decided we have to get back to our old style and stop trying to catch fish like everyone on YouTube and Bass masters. We still enjoy the time together and the competition but without success it hasn't been nearly as fun...

I guess I've never understood statements like this. I'd never depend on the reel to move a fish out of cover like that, that's what the rod is for. When in heavy cover my reel is only used to take up line. At some point you should really consider your own experiences with your gear and how it fishes. Seems like you are always on here asking what everyone else does (despite claiming to own a bunch of high dollar gear). Do you never use it? I'd think by now you would understand what you like and how to determine what works...

At least you didn't ask what the best set up was for skipping! I stopped replying on here and another site because the technique trumps the gear all day everyday. Anyway, my stuff is loose on the Shimanos. Spool has side to side play, internal brakes are basically off and external dail is whatever it happens to be on. Daiwa SVs are similar, very little braking from the reel. Too much tension will make the lure fly high and left (assuming you cast right handed, opposite of you're a lefty) and too much braking will limit your distance. If I had to choose, start with low tension and higher braking, especially with lighter lures. I've suggested in the past high tension/low brakes when learning but that's with heavier baits that are easy to skip. Once you get the stroke, loosen it up. I still blow up a reel here and there but not very often.