Ogandrews

Not really sure how to explain it but it has a platform level to the rim of the boat that has plenty of room to mount a trolling motor on the front tip of the boat, and then has a moderate sized casting deck about a 8”-12” lower than that platform. I took the pedestal seat off of the casting deck to make more room because I rarely sit down in the front. There is plenty of room for me to fish out of the front as well as having a bow mount hooked up as the previous owner had some sort of bow mount motorguide hooked onto it before. Already is all wired to have one mounted in the bow. I grew up fishing vermilion in a 14ft johnboat that my dad got my brother and I so I’m not too worried about my boat. Thinking back on it that probably wasn’t the safest thing in the world but it definitely taught me to be cautious of weather. Obviously I’m not going to take it out in storms or serious wind, but it is a very deep V and the previous owner fished exclusively on pepin with it which has some of the worst waves in the entire state. If I take it to either rainy or LOTW I won’t be going out in main basins I’ll just stick to smaller bays and creeks. I wish I could afford an ultrex, if I could I wouldn’t be considering anything else. By their standards my boat probably doesn’t need a 80lbs but I would way rather have more power than I need than not have enough. Majority of my fishing will be on the Mississippi River which has super strong currents that would drain a 12v really quick trying to keep up with them.

I usually like a mh f or heavy f for spinnerbaits and buzz baits but I know that a lot of other people like a more moderate rod. I would strongly recommend getting a st croix mojo bass. You can get it in 7’1” mh f or 7’4” H f if your like me or a 7’4” Mh mf, any of those will do. I’ve never liked a moderate rod for spinnerbaits or chatterbaits. I like being able to rip weeds off of those baits and I can’t do that as well with a moderate. Also spinnerbaits chatterbaits and buzz baits all have pretty big single hooks, which to me makes me want to have as much power as I can get to get those fish in.

Another thing I would recommend is using powerpro maxcuatro. I use it for everything but it’s especially good for frogs because it’s a thin and coarse line that cuts through weeds better than anything I’ve ever used.

I have been using foot pedals for a long time now and it’s like second nature running a motor with one so I would really not like to switch to a remote. Really don’t like having to take a hand off my rod to control it because half the time I’m making adjustments in the middle of a cast. What is it about the power drive peddle that is so bad? Whichever unit I go with I will be getting spot lock, wouldn’t want to have a boat without it. Auto pilot is nice when I’m fishing expansive bays and following weed edges while musky fishing but I don’t use it nearly as much. Taking into effect that the power drive Ipilot is $300 off and me needing a foot peddle to fish comfortably, would you guys still recommend going with the terrova? Usually in situations like this i like to get quality stuff that I won’t have to upgrade, but I’m an apprentice plumber I don’t have an endless supply of money. For the last couple seasons I have spent a huge amount of time running my dads ranger with an ulterra so whatever I get is going to feel like a step down. I’m not super concerned with how it stows and deploys, I know it is a comfort thing but I can deal with it being a little worse. These might be stupid questions but looking at the power drive Ipilot online is there any way you can attach a peddle to it or can you only use it with the remote?

Under 200 would be a Shimano zodias, dobyns Sierra, and a g loomis e6x if you can find one a couple bucks off 150 no question would be the st croix mojo bass, I have used a good amount of rods in that price range and I think this one really stands out from the crowd.

I’ll keep an eye out for a terrova, wish that one was in sale but I think it’s only the powerdrive right now. I have heard a decent amount I’d not so positive reviews of the power drive

Can I move in there? I’ll trade you my house for it since inland bass/pike/walleye fishing is closed here in Mn until may 9th I have been doing some walleye and pike fishing on the Mississippi and some cat fishing in a smaller river by my house. I’ve also been messing around a bunch with combining and making new musky baits. Made a couple Frankenstein looking baits but I put a big chatter bait head on the front of a bull dawg and a Medusa, I think it’s going to work great. I just attached it with a split ring to the line tie, I added a picture of a Medusa to give you the idea

I would say unless it has really thin wire hooks I would throw it on a heavy, probably not the extra heavy I would throw a normal frog on. With 2 hooks going different directions they somewhat fight against each other when your setting the hook so you need enough power to drive both into the mouth. Even with a small frog you will still be fishing around cover that you need to get the fish out of so don’t go too light On your rod. Even though it’s small it’s still a frog

Found a 80lbs powerdrive ipilot at my local fleet farm for 1199 today, going to come back and get it this week. Do the motors themselves not come with a foot control? Unless I’m walleye fishing and sitting down I hate using a remote because I have to take my hands off my rod

Yea it’s a sweet bait leaves a trail of floaters behind it, really gets em going

Really nice small frog. I like to walk my frogs so this was right up my ally. Liked it better for less think cover. Only other frogs I use besides the Kaera are the river2sea bullywa2 and the spro pooping frog

Yea your right I thought it said twice, still though there had to be something else with only 2 ounces. That other thing could easily be spider wire not being good line and just being a lot more shock sensitive than what I use though.

Yes backlashes can break line but I have backlashed super badly before with 10-20oz baits while musky fishing and it will only happen once in a great while. If your back lashing and it’s happening regularly that a 2 oz bait snaps 65lbs braid than there is another contributing factor

One way to test it is to take a q tip and rub it along the inside of the guides. If there is a knick than a little bit will stick to the guide

So I just bought a new boat today and it has a tiller 12v trolling motor on it right now. The boat is a 16.5ft sylvan deep V with a 45 horse Honda 4 stroke. The boat is quite a deep V which I was looking for as I fish the Mississippi River and big water like lake pepin/vermilion/rainy/lotw. I haven’t had it out yet but I am going to put some sort of 24v bow mount motor and I would really like it to have spotlock. I don’t think I would want to keep it 12v although I know it would be cheaper. Looking online it looks like my two cheapest options would be a motorguide xi3 pinpoint or a minkota power drive with the spotlock upgrade, both were around 80lbs thrust. I know in general motorguide doesn’t have as good of a rep but I have driven friends boats with them and I was pleased. If anyone has info on these models or they have a better recommendation I’d appreciate any info

Must just be a bad spool of line or there’s a little knick in one of your guides that’s making it weaker. I would still strongly tying knots in braid like I said, i haven’t ever had a knot fail once I started doing it that way. And I would still recommend getting some better line.

I would say the rage tail menace but I consider that more of a craw/ double grub. If I had to pick my top ones these would be it. bfishin tackle moxi- super unique grub. It’s designed for walleye fishing on the Mississippi. It has a super ribbed body and a very skinny thin tail. It displaces a huge amount of water with the big ribs and with it designed for river fishing, the skinny tail keeps moving when you are barely moving the bait and keeps kicking at speeds most grubs wouldn’t have any action gene larew rally grub- almost like a cross between a grub and a paddletail. It’s got a body similar to a swimbait and it has a tiny paddle on the end of the tail giving it a unique action kalins grubs, lunker mogambo and octogambo- the lunker is the only regular style grub I will use. I know most grubs work but I have confidence in these. The mogambo and octogambo are monsters, mogambo is 6” with a giant thick tail and the octogambo is 8” and it might come bigger I’m not sure. I have had great success using them as finesse musky baits ripping them off bottom on a 3/4-1 1/2 oz jig head. but I have also flipped the 6” one like you would any creature/craw for bass and got some huge bites. They have so much water displacement with the gigantic tails and it really gives them something different to look at.

Most likely the knot. You have to tie knots in braid a little different, I always go through the eye of the bait twice and then tie on. It also could be faulty line, spider wire isn’t the best line in the world. If it were my rod I’d replace it with power pro maxcuatro or suffix 832

I don’t use them as a bluegill imitation on a swim jig but if i did I’d go with moon juice, sungill or a green pumpkin variation

I really wish this bait came in a perch color I would definitely use it

Must be the premiers on up then, i know the bass x and probably mojo bass are made in Mexico. Not like it really makes any difference they are still amazing rods

I do it pretty often as i would rather swing on nothing than not swing on a fish because it might be a snag. One thing that has helped me a lot with bottom contact baits is watching the deflection at the tip of the rod. If you have a rod with a soft tip, especially a lighter spinning rod, watch the tip of your rod the next time your in that situation. If you are in a snag and you gently lift your rod, a lot of the time it will bend an even amount to how much you lift your rod. With a fish though it will most likely be different, could be a little more or a little less than the movement of the rod. This might sound really simple but if you get used to doing this than you will notice bites that you would have never noticed just by feeling the bait. Lifting a tiny bit up on a spinning rod will barely put any pressure on the lure, usually not enough to really feel the fish but enough to put a little bend in just the tip. Give it a try, it’s hard to explain but it works amazing for me.

Thank god Minnesota has all their lakes open still, although bass/pike/walleye/lake trout still doesn’t open until May 9th. They did issue an order for everyone to fish near their main residence though which I’m pretty mad about. For the last 5 years I have been in a opening day walleye and pike tournament on lake vermilion which is about 30 miles from the Canadian border. My dad and I would go up, stay at his cabin, and we won the last 4 years in a row. Really disappointed that the tournament is off this year, although we will probably go up anyway seeing as he can claim that house as his primary residence. The part that really sucks about this whole stay by your house fishing order is that I just bought and new boat, and I live in Rochester mn which is in the only county in the state without a natural lake. I guess I can still drive 45 mins and fish the Mississippi but this law really cuts down on the opportunities of where I can take it and fish (If I follow it that is). I know I shouldn’t be complaining as a lot of states are getting completely shut down, this is the one time that I have actually been happy with something that the governor of MN has done.

Chigger craws and paca craws are both not very expensive and sew great baits, same thing with the zoom speed craw. The rage craw is obviously great but a little bit more expensive. In my opinion saving a dollar or two isn’t really worth catching less fish

Same here, the keitech is amazing but a very light wire hook. Comes in good colors and is tungsten making it a little more sensitive of the bottom in my opinion.