DaubsNU1

Check out tiny boat nation (web site and FB group). Lots of ideas on lighting with those peeps. Some guys are using LED stick-on strip lights. Seem to work well.

Ran mono on all my spinning rods until recently. Braid on all my bait-casters (since the 1990's). Spooled up a spinning rod with braid-to-fluorocarbon before a recent trip to South Dakota...hated it at first...but kept after it...and finally won me over. Now that I'm fishing hi-visibility yellow braid, I'm catching more fish...seeing the slight twitch in the line when a fish hits...or feeling hits via better sensitivity. I'm not great at leader knots, breaking off at least once per trip...but I'm getting better. Sadly, I think mono is a no-go for my future...

That is one of the reasons I am re-designing | re-building my fishing boat. I would rather had it and not need it, vs. need it and not have it... Boat is coming together nicely...four open squares in the middle will be covered storage. I will also have additional storage under the bow deck (not cut in this picture). Plenty of room for all my crap : )

More pictures... On-board charger and back battery set...more wiring pictures.. Test fitting the bow...new Garmin, RAM mount for my camera Mr. Floppy Ears...supervising as only he can : ) Bow trolling motor battery mount and cut-off...This will all be under the front deck...accessible via hatches. I have navigation lights!!! Laying out the Garmin for install Success!!! Not nearly as clean and tidy as my Brother's Ulterra with built in Hummingbird transducer...but this works for me! Next up: Install rear fish finder (Garmin Striker 4cv) Epoxy the trolling motor bow section. Epoxy the front casting deck My hope is to fish this weekend and confirm the electronics all work as needed, explore the layout and fish-ability of the set up. Make any adjustments to the plan... Upon return from vacation Finalize the plan Order carpet, hinges, cargo netting cup holders, etc. Get it all put together and finished! What started as a new fish-finder, escalated in to a partial rebuild, and morphed in to a complete re-design...is now headed toward the finish line! Stoked!

Boat build has been slow going. Brother purchased his dream boat, a brand new Lund Alaskan. Been fishing with him, other projects around the house (Honey-Do-List), and gearing up for our first 5th wheel camping trip to Glacier in a few weeks. Made some great progress on the build in the last couple of weeks. The Harbor Fright pneumatic rivet gun has been a Godsend! Test fitting the back casting deck Framing took a while...had to do some custom cuts to match sagging benches. Aluminum pretty easy to work with, and super strong. More test fitting, most of the decking laid out and cut to fit. Wired up the bilge in the bow And the main breaker wiring. Kind of fun organizing, getting everything lined up, and tucked away. Spent lots of time planning, contemplating, experimenting...

I would have exactly the same baitcasting reels that I have currently... Because I know myself... Step one: get the baitcaster of my dreams Step two: decide I need more than one "dream" baitcaster... Step three: decide I need a few "dream" spinning reels to compliment said baitcasters... Step four: well, with all those new reels...time for rod upgrades... Step five: time to upgrade electronics... Step six: thinking about a new trolling motor...can you say "Ulterra"?? Step seven: time for a new outboard... Step eight: well hell, while I'm at it...let's just order up a new boat(!) Step nine: time for a new truck. Strike that...already driving the "dream" truck Step ten: Headline: "Man stabbed in neck by wife after unapproved shopping spree" : )

Bass are simple creatures, with a very small brain. As a fisherman, I tend to over-think situations a lot...and need to remind myself of the statement above. Why would a bass hit a spinner-bait, a beetle spin, Mepps, Rapala, jig, Senko, Slug-Go, Jitterbug, Zara Spook...I don't know for sure. What I do know, is lure manufactures are always coming up with newer | better | flashier | more basic | brighter | darker | etc. | etc. | etc...They are businesses...and their primary objective is to make $$$. Want to catch fish...get a slip-bobber, shiner or minnows, toss out...sit back...get ready. Pretty simple.

Congrats! Impressive!!!

Weekly Wednesday night fishing trip with my Brother and 80 year old Dad... Pulled up on our spot and started throwing the Senko weightless...hammered them two weeks ago with this lure. But today the wind was blowing and I was having tough time fishing it... So pegged a small bullet weight, and essentially T-rigged it. Fish were not hitting it, as much as they were just grabbing the Senko and swimming off...luckily I saw the line move and set the hook... PLINK...broke off at the braid-to-leader knot : ( Tied on new lure, kept fishing, switched to a NED rig...and about an hour later hooked a nice bass. Boated the Largemouth, pulled my NED out, and amazed to see my Senko | hook | bullet weight in his throat(!) He went just over 3 lbs. And I got my lure back! HA!

All my rods are Cabela's branded, save one Berkeley MH bait-caster. Shimano spinning and bait-casting reels, one Cabela's branded spinning reel. All but one were were purchased between 1991 and 2000. Have replaced a few tips and guides through the years. They perform wonderfully...I have no desire to fish anything else.

I've had some friends have difficult experiences with big $$ items on eBay. If it were me, I would check with Minn Kota first, to make sure the warranty would be valid / honored through the vendor (eBay seller). Last thing you want is to plunk down $3k+, have the unit need service...and have it denied by Minn Kota authorized service center. I have purchased and sold a lot of stuff on eBay...all previously used, no warranty.

^^ Great advice here! ^^ I tore apart a bait-caster a few years back...installed drag washers incorrectly.... Should have been like this, they have a slight curve to them ) ( I had them like this ) ) Couldn't figure out why my drag was not working properly....(may have had something to do with my old eyes...) Anyway, took apart, re-assembled the correct way...all was good.

Dad taught me how to take things apart...clean...and re-assemble...from fishing reels, electronics, Chevy 350 V8, etc. Taught myself how to build computers (this was all before YouTube and the internet). Search YouTube, I'm sure you will find videos to help. Other thing Dad taught me...get the best equipment you can afford...buy once / cry once...

I clean as needed (rarely), and disassemble and lubricate once a year (usually in the winter when it's snowing...and I need to do something fishing related). Aside from that, no action needed. All my reels are 25+ years old.

I have old Cabela's Gore-Tex from many years ago...still dry. If your jacket leaks, try applying a new coat of durable water repellent, sometimes that helps. I think all Gore will leak over time. If your really want waterproof, get some Helly Hansen raingear. I do have some Frogg Toggs...keep them in all my vehicles as backup. Never used them...

Which has better opportunity for promotion / growth? When my kids were young, having a Monday-Friday / 7-4 PM job was great...helped me get them to and from school, and activities. Now that they are in college, shift work doesn't look so bad... I've always worked the "day job" / M-F. Wife is a nurse practitioner, technically does 3 twelve hour shifts per week. She's there 6 AM, sometimes get home around 7, or as late as 9 PM. Her schedule fluctuates as they have to cover weekends (no nights). For example...she worked Wednesday through Sunday...then she has 9 days off(!). She will then work three days in a row...then have two days off...then four days...and I think five off. She probably works two weekends a month. Depends on what fits your schedule best, and gives you opportunity for advancement.

I love catching fish, shooting ducks, geese, a nice buck, tagging a turkey...you name it. When I'm fishing with my buddies, we are pretty competitive and talk a lot of smack. Good times. When I'm fishing with my 80 year old Dad, my kids, niece/nephew, brother, wife, etc...then it's all about "putting them on fish" (or ducks, etc.)

South Dakota Smallie...

^^ THIS! ^^ Got in to chiggers as a youngster...had 200+ bites round my groin / business...itchy as all get out! Mom applied clear fingernail polish. Was better in a few days. Good luck!

Made the trip to Fork back in 1996...with bunch of buddies who worked for Cabela's (they were very good fishermen). Things I remember from that trip: Dangerous boating for sure...there were no "boat land SD cards" back in mid 90's...sometimes we followed a local when they were ripping down the lake...other times we motored slowly, being ultra-cautious. First day that lake kicked our ass! 30' deep...standing timber...how to fish that? We threw everything we could think of - plastics, cranks, jigs, etc. (remember, this was the 90's...). Did. Not. Catch. One. Fish. Talked to some locals at the dock...they just giggled. Best advice...get the biggest shiners we could find...rig up some slip-bobbers...park in middle of some trees...and get those shiners down 9-10'...crack a beer and wait. Man, did we catch fish! One guy boated an 8lb largemouth. Many in the 5-6 lb range. That's all I got...remember, that was 25 years ago. (Note: I still have slip-bobber rigs in my tackle box to this day...just in case I need to break out that secret weapon...)

1. Senko, weightless 2. Ned 3. Drop shot

Best buddy, his wife, and other friends were long time employees of Cabela's...i'm talking since the 1980's(!). They all lived in Sidney, NE, corporate HQ. I actually met Jim Cabela once...way back in the 1990's. Lots has changed with Cabela's through the years...final straw was BPS purchase...My buddy and his wife no longer work for Cabela's. Sad deal. I have noticed their product line and selection leave much to be desired from the "old days." Things change...

Doesn't happen to me often...but some times... There is a Cabela's, BPS, and Scheels here in Omaha...all three are "sort-of" on the way home from work : ) I was in BPS just yesterday...and thought prices were a little high on a few items (Fluro and Senko's...), so I didn't get anything while at the store. Stopped by my local wal-mart...and yep...FC was $3 cheaper, and Senko's were $1 less.

Never heard of a place like that in my part of the country. I do know guys that pay big $$$ for waterfowl leases, deer lease, and some pay to hunt pheasants...but never to catch fish. Interesting concept...

Fished the new braid-FC/leader set up tonight...92 degrees, no wind, water temps 81 degrees. Caught a few on weightless Senko...then we moved under the bridge...and caught four in a row, then just started hammering them. Not big bass, but fun. They were not hitting the lure hard...just taking it and slowly moving off...with the bright yellow braid I could see and sometimes feel the fish. Love it!