DaubsNU1

Spinning reels are all new, and all Shimano. Casting reels are all Citica's or Curado's. Four OG's were purchased back in the 1990's. And four "newer" found via eBay or swap meets. I really love these reels. Rock solid, get the job done, great feel.

@Joe E message me and we can talk details. I really wanted Alumacraft...loved the layout. My brother got a new Lund Alaskan in 2020. Excellent boat. @A-Jay has a great Lund, but that was a bit out of my price range. Looked at a bunch of different boats and was fortunate to find my Adventure used in NW Iowa. One of the keys for me was dealers near by. Lots of Lund dealers in my area. Only one Alumacraft dealer, and his inventory was not great.

In my old boat, I had a 10lb mushroom anchor tied to ~30ft of rope. End of the rope was not tied to the boat...some days I would tie anchor to front of the boat, other days to rear...depending on wind. One afternoon I found a good spot and decided to anchor up and pick that area apart. Dropped the anchor over the side...and watched the rope spool out...then disappear over the side...as it was not tied to a cleat. Doh!

Strong work @MikeB24!!! Congrats! Now the really fun part starts...getting to know the boat/motor/trailer, organizing things, upgrades, etc. Enjoy!!! And post more pictures!!

I am always a little cautious | apprehensive | scared | nervous from launch, to boating, to fishing, and then to load out. Remind myself to slow down, be patient, be careful, and be cautious. Better safe than dead.

Slug-Go for sure! Caught my PB bass on a rainbow trout colored Slug-Go in the 1990's.

I have a few Edge boxes. I like them very much for things like hooks, weights, jig heads. They have a nice jerk-bait box. The remainder are basic basic Plano 3600 & 3700's like @A-Jay.

Wife and I were in Costa Rica a few weeks back for vacation. Rented a car...saw some kids fishing like this off a bridge.... Of course the smarty-pants wife said, "hey, look at those kiddos fishing with bottles...I'll bet they catch more fish than you with that fancy boat!" HA! Well played!

Thoughts and Prayers....

I am fiercely brand loyal...but only in certain areas: Reels: Shimano Truck: GM Car: Honda DSLR: Nikon Garden tractor: John Deere Everything else, I'll try to balance price | quality | availability | durability, and find the best fit for me. But for reels, it's Shimano and nothing else.

Back in the 1990's, buddy read a book that talked about scent.... For comparison: Human's can smell a drop of vinegar in a 2 liter bottle.... Dogs can smell a drop of vinegar in a 50 gallon drum LMB's can smell a drop of vinegar in an Olympic sized swimming pool True? I dunno. Did we use scent back then...yep, all the time. Did we catch more fish? Again, I dunno. Throw it on if you have it.

It ain't glass, and it ain't sparkly...and I really didn't care for the color at first. But it's grown on me quite well. @RLinNH get yourself that sparkly bass boat! You only live once!

I have not fished Okoboji. It's about a 3-1/2 hour drive for me. I fish mostly local lakes in the Omaha area. Occasionally take my Dad to Frances Case in South Dakota to chase SMB's and Eyes.

On my home lake, 95% of the time I am fishing, or moving to a known spot to fish. I will spend a little time graphing new areas...but not much. On new-to-me lakes, I will run side scan to find some off-shore brush piles, structure, or cover for a while...then start fishing as soon as I can.

Great question. I am interested in replies. I fish a newer reservoir that has a lot of off-shore brush piles. I'm not great with drop-shot, and looking to learn.

I'm going to follow this thread closely...I stink at early spring bass fishing.

I feel like "technique specific" is just good marketing by manufacturers to drive more sales. Up until two years ago I had exactly ten fishing rods, all purchased between 1991 and 2005. All but one are Cabela's branded rods. The other is Berkeley. The six spinning rods were all medium-light to medium. The four casting rods were medium-light to medium heavy. Fished everything from sunfish, crappie, LMB's, SMB's, to pike and Musky. In the past two years I have added three spinning rods, four casting rods, and three heavy Pike/Musky rods. Scheels and Fenwick's...the Pike/Musky are Cabela's/BPS. My boat holds ten rods. I mix and match based on what lures I want to throw that day. Two of my favorites -- I have an old Cabela's C44x CDH 602 medium light casting rod that I absolutely LOVE for spinnerbaits. Purchased in 1992. It has spiral guides. Cabela's Tourney Trail IM7 two piece medium light spinning rod...I broke the tip off this rod years ago...probably the first two inches. Added another tip. This rod is great for drop shotting or a NED rig. This rod is from 1995.

Both my finders have side and down imaging. They are networked. I rarely, if ever, use the side scan on the bow mounted finder. Console / transom to side scan when I'm idling around the lake, marking spots. I then head back to the mark and use the front finder on the TM to get close, or right over the spot.

Then time travel we shall! It is so great to see him catch fish!

I'd head back to the Churchill River system in Canada to chase big Pike. And catch eater-sized walleye...on pike lures! Brother and I made this trip last summer...we are slated to head that way again in 2026. Wish we could take my Dad...but at 83 years old, it's too much of a trip for him. I gotta get my brother to hone his photography skills : )

I would have to say a bluegill colored spinnerbait was my top lure of 2024. Broke the 5lb barrier here in Nebraska on a SB.

This is encouraging! Weather last week was below zero...this week we are looking at a third straight day sunny and above 50...yet the lakes are still completely frozen over. Ugh.

I'm not a huge fan of Nebraska Game and Parks (don't get me started on Rainwater Basin marshes...ugh!)...but I must admit, they have hit the mark when it comes to lakes and reservoirs, especially in the Omaha metro area. There is no private access to these lakes, no homes, no docks. All public. There is no horsepower restriction...just a 5 MPH / no-wake rule. Kayaks and boats exist peacefully with canoes and paddle boards.

This. Is. OUTSTANDING!