DaubsNU1

Green-pumpkin...oh wait, we are not talking soft plastics.... Gotta be black for me.

1000% agree... Thankfully my brother gets all my jokes...and Mrs. Daubs (6 years my junior), understand most as well.

Really got in to attractants in the 1990's. Fishing buddy read some research comparing sense of smell.... Human's can smell drop of vinegar in two litre bottle of water... Hunting dog can smell drop in a 55 gallon drum... LM Bass can smell drop of vinegar in an olympic sized swimming pool(!) I don't remember the study, or the researcher...but that story has stuck with me for 30+ years. Another quote from back in the day: "All things equal, women will out-fish men...make-up contains fish oils...women get makeup residue on their hands...touch lures / lines...attract fish." True? I dunno. There were times when the former Mrs. Daubs would out-fish the men. I haven't used attractants in years. Maybe it is time to try again. Heck, anything to help me boat more fish!

I did as well. Interesting rifle. Price shocked me a little... Then I wandered over to Benelli's site...back in 2001 I finally got a left handed shot-gun after many, many years. Think I paid $1,100 for it. New SBE's are running $2,199. Ouch!

Only reel brand I own...Shimano's rock.

Love me a spinnerbait! I don't have a favorite brand. Like white, chart, and bluegill colors. Double willows are my favorite. Accurate casts are key for me. Get that SB in close to cover, sometimes I start the retrieve immediately upon splash-down, other times I let it sink for just a second or two. I mix and match trailers. Sometimes a white grub, other times a split tail.

Yesterday's weather was 90's with 5-10 MPH wind from the South. Caught 7 bass, 7 bluegill, and 6 crappie. Water temps were 72-75 degrees. Not a bad day. Woke this morning to north wind 15-20 MPH, air temp 55 degrees, a cold front had moved through over night and dumped a little rain. Was debating...then checked my fishing logs...I got in to fish last year around this time with similar weather and water temps. So I ventured forth... Glad I did. Worked the spinner-bait in the shallow trees just off the creek channel. Very nice 20" LMB hammered the gold / bluegill colored SB...weight in at 4 lbs. 1 oz. Five more on the sheet ranging from 12-15". A good day!

Favorite season for me would be summer, for sure. It's hard to get three consistent days of weather in spring or fall here in Nebraska. Yesterday it was close to 90 degrees, sunny with light breeze. Cold front moved through over night, highs in the lower 60's today, north wind 15-25 MPH.

Been in the 90's this week in Nebraska. Water temps this morning were right at 75 degrees. Eight bass and 13 panfish this morning. Trying again tomorrow...

Are you looking for a travel cover? Or just a boat cover? If you are looking for a travel cover, I would get custom for sure. I picked up a Cabela's generic boat cover for my old boat...mainly to keep covered @ outdoor storage facility. Sun, wind, rain and show took it's toll over the years. That cover was not intended for travel use. It worked okay as a boat cover, using adjustable straps to hold cover to the trailer frame. One of the reasons I went with Lund was the OEM travel cover. There are four snaps at the front. Along the sides the cover has plastic clips that feed in to a channel on side of the boat. It is super easy to install, and remove. And just those few snaps. When driving, the cover sucks down towards the boat and doesn't flap around at all. Note: the only time I use the travel cover is on longer trips, probably two or three times a year. Boat is garage kept. Good luck!

Depends on the guide, location, etc. Good opportunity to expectations discuss prior to booking. I have fished the Silver Water Wheel Lodge @ Lac Seul in Canada four times. It's an "American plan" full service, drive-in set up featuring trophy walleye, pike and smallies. Guides run the boat and will do everything for you...set up rods, tie on lures / jigs, bait your hooks, net fish, show you the ropes, cook shore lunch, etc. They get all walks of life at this lodge...families, kids, old-timers, etc. Service is top notch! Great fishing, excellent food. Once our guides got us set up and catching fish, they would pick up a rod and fish as well...but the second anyone had a fish on, or a snag, or needed more bait, they would immediately drop their rod and attend to our needs. We didn't have any issues with this...and were pretty self sufficient...I really didn't need help putting a minnow on a jig : ) I have never hired a guide here in the states.

@Scherbacj, I had an old Minn Kota cable steer 40lb trolling motor and really loved it. Quick to change directions, easy to operate. Mounted transducer of my Garmin Echomap to the bottom and it worked really well for me. Down and side imaging was good. I was really set on a Garmin Force mated with Garmin fish-finders for the new boat. Then my brother got a new boat, and went Ulterra | Helix. I fished with him a lot, and even borrowed his boat for a trip with the wife to South Dakota. Game over...I went Ulterra networked to Helix 9's on my boat. What I really like: Auto deploy and stow is very nice. Yes, it's something that may break down in the future...but is super easy to use, very convenient. If I'm brave, and there are other boaters around...I'll launch the boat and never leave the truck...using the remote to deploy the TM and spot lock...while I park the truck and walk back to the ramp. Oh, i've had to swim once when the TM cable got caught and stopped the auto deploy. If I'm alone...use a rope and "old-school" my boat launch. I actually like the low profile foot control pedal. The handheld remote works well Mark a way-point on the console Helix...deploy the Ulterra (from the Helix), and select "go to way-point..." The Ulterra automatically navigates to the way-point, and spot-locks when you get there. Very cool! Humminbird side imaging seems much better / more detail vs. the Garmin Spot-Lock is great I don't use "follow contour" feature. I do use auto-pilot a lot. Very good. What I don't like: Cable steer is much quicker to turn and move the boat. But I am adapting to the Ulterra Can't add live-view or 360 view to the Ulterra...would need a separate pole for those traducers At some point in time, the auto deploy and stow is going to break down...more electronics, more points of failure. Sometimes the Helix's don't connect to the Ulterra...random. Strange.

Agree with you 100% @ol'crickety. Many years ago, a friend introduced me to her Father's fishing log. I copied, adjusted, and refined many times over the years. My hopes were to somehow "crack-the-code" by capturing data related to my fishing excursions...haven't got there yet. My logs date back to 1991.... The log does help me remember those good days, and the bad days as well. I print on water resistant paper...here is the top half of the front page...

Outstanding! Congrats, and great job landing that toothy predator!

I agree with @airshot...look around and take your time. I looked for almost a year...got to see some really cool boats, and some really junky boats that were overpriced. When you see them in person, you can really get a sense of value, features, what a boat is really worth. I wanted used for sure...and finally found the boat for me...it was 200+ miles away (~4 hours drive time), at a Lund dealer in Iowa. We haggled a bit over the phone, discussed electronics, TM and additional things I wanted installed. Closed the deal, made the deposit...and a few weeks later made the four hour drive and picked it up. Could not be happier! Then it was time to sell my old boat....and since I spent all that time looking at boats, I had a good sense of what my old boat was worth. It sold in a few days. Good luck!!

Our small garden beds are mainly for tomatoes, with a one pepper and one jalapeno. I absolutely LOVE tomatoes! We have so many, the wife started making her own tomato / spaghetti sauce. And since we removed processed vegetable oils and high-fructose corn syrup from our diet, she makes all dressings, etc., from scratch. I will eat pretty much anything, with two exceptions -- I will not eat liver, and I will absolutely not eat watermelon! ICK! Wife has a connection who raises beef...we've been doing this for 10+ years now. He says "they aren't 100% organic...I need to give them some antibiotics and keep them healthy...but I do sing to your steer!" Wife meal preps with her son every Sunday -- it's usually some sort of meat, paired with vegetables and/or brown rice, and her homemade sauces. This week was Korean beef with coleslaw, edamame and mixed veggies. Last week it was a Greek bowl. Good stuff!

Check the dates on the tires...replace them every 5-6 years, regardless of treadwear. I recently replaced the four tires on my 5th wheel we purchased used in 2020. The tires were 9 years old, still plenty of life left on the tread. Tire technician showed me a bulge on one of the tires...said I dodged a bullet(!) I don't care what the price of a tire is...good quality tires are priceless.

I agree with @rangerjockey....any reel will work. All of my casting reels are Shimano Citca and Curado's, 1990's vintage. I like them so much...when I need a new reel, I scour eBay and swap meets to find them. I like the feel and performance...and the price...most can be had for $40-50 used. Most of my rods are Cabela's branded from the 1990's and early 2000's. I have added a few Fenwick's to the stable here in the past year. Good luck!

Grab your tape measure and look at some boats. You might be surprised what will fit in your garage. And remember, you can angle the boat and/or motor to gain a few inches here and there. My new boat is ~6" shorter than my old boat.

PowerPro high visibility 10lb yellow on all my spinning rods. Use 6, 8, 10, or 12 lb fluoro leaders ranging from 2-5 feet in length. It has been a good set up for me. All my casting rods are running braid, from 15-20 lbs. Experimented with high visibility 10lb yellow on one casting rod...mated to 12 lb fluoro leader. This is my currently my favorite t-rigged worm set up. Spool up some high visibility yellow!

Whelp @NorthernBasser, let's start with this month : )

If you would have asked for my 2023 fishing budget...it would have included this purchase... This year's budget is considerably less. I did gear up for a Canada pike fishing trip, so I'm thinking that skewed the budget for 2024. If you are asking for specifics.... : )

Like@gimruis, my boat is garage kept during the fishing season. Two garage bays are 21' deep...the third bay, where the boat sits, is 19'4" My Lund is 20' with motor and trailer. I dolly it in through the middle bay...and don't have to use the swing tongue. I am fortunate, able to move boat to the 40x30 shop for winter storage. I did a ton of research, and measuring when looking for a boat. Did not think the 1775 was going to fit...and technically it is too long to fit in that third bay...but angling it in was 100% the way to go. It's so convenient to leave all my gear in the boat, electronics hooked up, plugged in, etc. Another thing to consider...winter storage, you want to make sure mice are not getting in your boat. Thankfully I have been able to keep mice out of my shop

I usually have at least one jig rod and one worm rod tied up and ready to fish any time I'm on the water. Four of my casting rods are Cabela's branded from the 1990's....they still catch fish. This year I picked up two Scheels Outfitter Pro Angler rods, and two Fenwick HMX (on sale). They all do the job. Don't get too wrapped up with manufacturer's "technique specific" rod labels. Find rods that feel good in your hands, have good balance, and fit your budget. Pair up with reels you like...hard to go wrong.