DaubsNU1

I was fishing a small area and believe I hooked and lost this pike two times in the span of about 30 minutes. Hooked him a third time and finally managed to land. Was fishing 40lb PowerPro braid...didn't bother this fish one bit. Water was gin-clear, you could see the bottom (4' deep). I don't think Pike or Musky are line shy at all. I've had them hammer lures right by the boat...always fishing heavy braid or braid to steel leader.

Stepped on mine Sunday...bent it back...kept fishing...give it a try.

I am a big fan of leaving chargers / trickle chargers on batteries. Do this in my unheated shop for the John Deere x750, two Polaris ATV's. Been 4 years and never issues with the batteries. I've started the JD in below zero temps. They all run off these inexpensive Amazon units. Installed ProMariner ProSport 8, 2 Bank Charger and have been leaving it plugged in when not fishing. Seems to be doing well. Any issues continuing this practice? Batteries are the Wal-Mart marine deep cycle Everstart 24DC.

Been fishing the boat for a few weeks now. Before the re-design, the old 20HP Merc motivated this boat to 23 MPH. With all the modifications and added weight, I can still get 20 MPH. I will take it! Still haven't done anything to the carb / motor. Takes about 3-4 pulls in the morning to start...and starts on first or second pull remainder of the day. Pretty d**n good motor for a 47 year old motor! Added gas struts for the hatches. Works well...and they hold down when motoring and trailering, no need for additional tie-downs / straps. The small leaks are getting a little larger...need to get underneath and seal up with the 3M Overall layout is great for fishing alone. Still figuring out the best places for things like lures / tackle, lunch, water, life-jackets, tools, supplies, etc. Daughter joined me on Sunday...two in this boat is tight...but works. Figured out the battery charger issue. I had one of the lines wired incorrectly. Batteries are charging great now. Added small plastic storage thing-y in front...holds bottle of water, pliers, soap, braid scissors. Need to add the rear Garmin. Carpet still on hold...I'm going to epoxy resin the remainder of the wood and fish rest of the season as is.

I like the idea of positioning boat away from structure / cover, and casting longer. I think the Hummingbird representative is pretty savvy...as are their marketing peeps...their job is to develop and sell merchandise. Back in the mid 1990's a bunch of buddies and I made the trek to Lake Fork in Texas. We fished hard for two days throwing everything in the book at them. Nothing. Not even a sniff. Talked to some locals...they just giggled and said, "go get yourselves some shiners...biggest you can find. Rig up a slip bobber, toss that big-un in to the trees...grab a beer and wait...you will catch them." And we did! Landed one that was 8lbs. Some were caught right next to the boat. Sometimes I think we think we give bass too much credit.

Thanks @TnRiver46. I've landed several large Musky and Pike via the "shock-absorber" method and without a net...play them and work some energy off...then grabbed behind the gills...all while holding my rod high. My hands were no where near their toothy mouth. And there is no way am I grabbing braid on one of these bad-boys. For the bass above, I was fishing 10lb PowerPro braid to a 10lb fluoro leader. I won't be grabbing the line again...it will be either: - net - fish grip - lip 'em

I was very hesitant to run anything on my spinning rods except mono. I tried straight fluorocarbon and HATED it. ICK! Brother and I took Dad to Frances Case in South Dakota this spring for Smallies. I spooled up one of my spinning rods with braid to fluorocarbon leader. Initially did not like the set up. But after forcing myself to fish it for a few days, ended up really liking braid-to-leader on my spinning gear. I switched all my spinning rods to 10lb PowerPro bright yellow (so I can see the line), and attach 8 or 10lb fluoro leaders via modified Alberto knot. I really like this set up. Killer for NED, weightless Senko's.

I watched Glen's video, and can agree, grabbing the line is a good way to land fish, especially small & smaller bass. I do not like the idea of walking hands up the rod toward the tip, regardless of fish size. Watched a buddy snap a rod doing this very thing. Ideal method would be to net big bass, and Northern Pike (which are prevalent in my home lake). Or use this...

Buzz-bait at first light, or maybe a whopper-plopper. Love the top-water action at dawn.

I have owned the following rods since the mid to late 1990's: - four bait-casters (three Cabela's, one Berkley) - seven spinning rods (all Cabela's brand) All but two get used regularly...one is a very light spinning rod that is a duplicate, the other is a heavy spinning rod that needs guide work. I don't want to spend $$ on new rods and reels...what I have seems to catch fish. I would rather spend money on lures / tackle, or boat upgrades. Now, ask me about Gore-Tex coats, pants, rain-gear, hats, gloves, waders, etc. I have a PROBLEM : )

I appreciate the link and the words of wisdom @Ski. I will certainly have a watch of Glen's video.

Yes, I was out of the game for 10+ years until I started back fishing last summer. But that is no excuse for violating one of my basic principles of bass fishing...heck, fishing in general. That rule is: Never grab the line when landing a fish. Always, I mean ALWAYS keep the rod tip up, and use as a shock-absorber if the fish makes a run. My home lake is just a few years old, and holds a lot of small bass (<12"). Sure, there is the occasional 2-3 pound bass...but they are few and far between. I've been getting in the habit of grabbing the line just above the lure to land small fish. Easy. Convenient. Get that fish in the boat. Get the lure out. Keep fishing. Two weeks ago I fished lake for the first time...it's known for having big bass. Five and six pound largemouth. Guy at work claims his fishing buddy landed a 9 lb. bass from this lake. Okay, I'll give it a try. I fished for 7 hours and caught a few...one went 3lbs-6oz. Nice fish. Saturday I gave it a another try. Wasn't doing great, just two fish in the boat, a 13" and a nice 2-1/2 lb. bass. Fishing was slow. I decided to start pitching a Senko under boat docks (not a technique I'm super familiar with, or even good at). The sun was getting higher in the sky, winds calm, warm day...and I found a nice dock with plenty of shade and was relatively open back to the sea-wall. I casted the black and blue Senko and managed a perfect skip, landing the lure just a few inches from the wall. I did not feel anything, but noticed the line moved just slightly to the right. I reeled up the slack and set the hook. Bam, fish on! I did make one good move...getting the fish clear from the dock I whirled around the trolling motor and got the fish clear. She made two good runs, peeling line from my reel...but it was all over pretty quickly. She surfaced and I could see the hook buried in her mouth...I relaxed (big mistake)! Instead of keeping the rod in my hand, rod high...and lipping the fish...I reached down and grabbed the line. She thrashed once and I heard the "plink" as the fluoro snapped. I just laughed, knowing the rookie mistake I had just made. It was a d**n good fish...I hope we get to dance again one day!

Blue fleck power worm...been catching bass on this color since the early 1990's...

d**n good list!

A simple lead-head-jig with a white Berkeley 2" power grub.

My favorite rod is an old Cabela's C44x, CDH 602, 6' casting rod. It has the spiral-guides. Great for texas-rigged soft plastics. Super sensitive.

Wife think's I'm crazy for not drinking coffee. I usually wake up naturally around 4:30-5 AM daily. L O L ! She had to stop eating dairy and wheat (gluten) about four years ago. I stopped eating gluten about that time...pretty easy to do...lots of meat, veggies, cheese, fruits, etc. And there are lots of gluten free things out there. Felt better. Never was a bit sweet's guy...so slowing down in that area was pretty easy. Cut way back on dairy about four months ago...feel even better. I can still slam down the meat-n-potatoes with the best of them!

This is going to sound crazy, but I have had exactly one coffee in my entire life(!) Never liked the smell...I know, I'm crazy!

30lb PowerPro braid on all my bait-casters 10lb bright yellow PowerPro braid to 10lb Fluorocarbon leader on all my spinning rods. Simple. Effective.

Excellent!

I wouldn't worry too much about the perfect set up. Sometimes I think we "overthink" things... I'm still fishing rods / reels I purchased between 1990 and 2001...and I agonized over every purchase back then.... And.... I'm still fishing those same set-ups today. Get the best equipment you can afford ("buy-once-cry-once"), and get out on the water.

Agreed! I scored my aluminum at Lowe's and Menards with gift cards and 11% discounts.

Agreed! I learned a lot, and got some great ideas for my build. They also have an Amazon store, pretty d**n useful.

I've been running 30lb braid on my bait-casters since the early 1990's...plenty strong. Ran one spinning rod with 30lb braid and didn't like it one bit. Never a fan of braid on spinning rod...until.... This spring when I made myself fish spinning rod with braid to fluorocarbon leader...and loved it! Now all my spinning rods have the following set up: - 10lb Yellow Power Pro braid - 10 or 8lb fluorocarbon leader I fish timber, lily pads, heavy vegetation...no issues. When I do get a big snag and have to break off...~80% of the time i can break where the leader meets lure. About 20% of the time I break at braid-to-leader knot.

Here is a build-thread...with before and after pictures. I purchased in 2000 for $600, boat / motor / trailer. It had nothing...I added the front casting deck, front trolling motor, both seats. Fished like that until last Christmas...daughters got me a new fish-finder. What started off as a Garmin install turned in to huge renovation / re-design. Replaced transom wood, created framing and decking.