T.J.

Not PB but best this year.

Been struggling to get out on the water this year. Seemed like whenever I could, the weather would not cooperate. I just don’t bother when wind is 10+ mph. Then I broke a bunk on my bass boat trailer so I lost some more time I could’ve been out. Just 3 trips in the bass boat and 3 in the Jon. Lots of 30-45 minutes bank session at the local pond with a few caught each time so I can’t complain. This was the best so far this year caught last Sunday.

I use a snap for crankbaits. I have one medium rod for cranks so I will have a few baits out handy for different depths and can swap them quickly with the snap. I also have a ML rod for light cranks that will be out if throwing smaller baits.

If they want to catch numbers then I would tell them to use a ned. It is a go-to for me on the heavy pressured lakes when everything else fails. If they are looking more for size then a 3.5” tube for SM or willow leaf spinnerbait for LM. Any season for these 3 for me. I will sometimes slow swim or drift with the current a ned or tube.

DT4 DT6 DT8 DT10 🙃 And I guess a z-man ned

I didn’t get out in the boat as much this year than prior so goal next year is more boat days. I just purchased an Eagle Eye 9 so goal for next year will be to spend time learning FFS. Another goal will be to try a new lake or two.

@gim I dropped mine off last Wednesday and picked it up two days later. I have a 60hp Mercury 4 stroke. They charge $120 for labor and $100 for parts plus tax for 35-60hp. Website still list $80 for part like I paid last year. Not surprised as most things have increased in price. Mom Pop shop (big Ranger and Tracker dealer) so also not surprised website isn’t updated. A 65-115hp is listed as $240 total (plus maybe a parts increase like mine) on website for reference. Deluxe Winterizing for 4 strokes includes: STABILIZE FUEL SYSTEM, RUN AND CHECK ENGINE. FOG ENGINE, GREASE CABLES, LINKAGES, FITTINGS AND PROP SHAFT. CHANGE ENGINE OIL AND FILTER. CHANGE LOWER UNIT OIL. Like others notes, I could do it myself and save the labor but I prefer to have a pro check things over. Last year they found the seal for the water pump was leaking slightly while replacing the impeller. They replaced the seal and only charged me for the part as they already had the motor apart.

@Bazoo the 7’ MH 2pc is not under rated. If anything I think it is a little stiffer than some of my other 7’MH.

I’m South Jersey and get mine “winterized” early to mid December. I will still be fishing in November. I’m storing inside the last couple of years but was outside before that. A few years ago I remember being out on January 2nd because it was exceptional warm. This was after winterizing and then the boat sat outside for rest of winter. There isn’t much winterizing required on modern 4 strokes. It’s really yearly maintenance. I think my shop fogs the cylinders but I don’t know if that is needed or recommended when the boat sits a couple of months max. Not like the pleasure boaters where it is stored from September to May. Leave the motor trimmed all the way down so water can drain. I always add stabilizer when getting gas year round. I find that it is the wind and not the temperature that keeps me off the water Nov-Dec. I don’t see any ice until January or February. I might look at getting it done next week only because I’m off work. I will just fish the one electric only lake after that is nearby. (I only have one local place I can run the outdoor down here any way).

I have a few of the BPS graphite series rods. No issues. Quality is good for the price. I don’t buy higher end stuff. I have a 7’ MH 2 piece and a 6’6” M 2 piece baitcasters for the car. The 6’6” is the previous version of the graphite series (lighter blue color). I bought this to be my car rod along with a medium spinning combo but the power felt closers to a ML so I added the 7’MH in the current generation. The tip section fits over the bottom section making the diameter thinner in the middle of the rod to reel. Might just be psychological that it feels lighter power than other mediums. I also have 7’6” H flipping stick and 7’M 1pc spinning in the graphite series. I like cork handles. Cork quality is just ok.

Had my yearly trip up to the St Lawrence River for a few days. I think this was my best for the trip. It was very windy a couple of the days so I didn’t get in as much fishing time as I hoped. Still a great time. Thousand Island area.

Like: 4:1 reels for crankbaits Dislike: Buzzbaits

New Jersey states type V must be worn at all times underway. See top of page 15 Type V Hybrid. https://www.nj.gov/njsp/info/pdf/marine/021606-boating-safety-manual.pdf

The large 5/8 oz One Minus was my best producer bank fishing in the swallow ponds around here. The shad color with a red/orange belly was my favorite. I could cast a mile and crank it back just above all the grass. I’d throw it on a 7’6 flipping stick. It would catch bass of all sizes down to some that the bait couldn’t even fit in their mouth. The big ones are hard to find anymore.

Spinnerbait crankbait ned rig

Here is my 2020 TXW with a 93sv. I went with a ram mount to the side so I would have easy access to the trim switch and tools and cup holder. The new models have a slightly different recessed tray I believe. I rotate the mount down parallel with deck if I put the cover on.

Shimano Siena already mentioned. I like the Siena combo at $50-55. The 6’6” Mediums I have are one piece. The cork grip is a smaller diameter than most so that could be a deal breaker.

I’m another PA smallmouth guy. Ned is my number one producer followed by a tube. I like the Zman shroom Ned hook in 1/6 or 1/5 with the Zman trd finesse. 8lb mono with M or ML spinning rod. Braid to leader is nice but I’ve been just keeping it simple with mono lately. I believe I have better results using the lightest jig head I can get away with and letting it move with the current after each hop. I fish down to the 20’ range. With the lighter weights I don’t feel I’d get a natural initial drop with a bait caster. I’d guess 25% of my bites come on the initial drop in the deeper water. In faster current I stick with a tube and heavier weights 1/4-3/8 and put the Ned aside if I feel the Ned is drifting more than falling. Or a swim bait with heavier head. Ned for largemouths, I go heavier and fish it more like a t-rig dragging the bottom.

The 175 console isn’t ideal to mount a graph in the center as noted by others. I have seen some with 2 mounted on the side with a taller mount for the one towards the bow. Here is mine with a 9” on the side of the console. I went with this style ram mount so that the graph could be rotated up close to the console to fit into my 8’ garage door. It will hit as shown out in photo.

Not owning a jet, a guide is my only option. Not 100% true but close. I keep pondering getting a jet just for the Susquehanna but in reality I’d probably only make 3 trips a year. The ROI would take a long time compared to the 2 guide trips I try to make each year. Plus as easy as it appears to get on fish like the guide does, only being the river once a season I’d probably would struggle finding them. If/when it comes time to replace my prop boat I will definitely have to think hard on a jet. My “home” lake is super shallow and a jet would be far better there as well.

I was just out last week with this guide from Tunkhannock on the north branch. https://redeyesmallieguide.com He is new to guiding but provided a great trip. I have been out with this guide group a couple of times from Lacyville on the north branch. They also guide in the Harrisburg area on the main stem. Excellent guides. https://reelriveradventure.com Both post a lot of photos of their trips on Facebook.

I have experience with Microsoft HoloLens glasses in the construction AR environment. No vision obstruction when overlaying a 3D BIM model on the glasses out on the job site. If things are headed the same place as construction, there will be Everywhere Facing Sonar with multiple transducers mounted around the boat with the angler wearing AR glasses. Wherever you look you will see something like the current FFS live images. Eventually the image will just look like you are seeing through the water and watching the fish swim around. There will be no need to screw around trying to just the direction of a single transducer. Just look where you want to see. Hololens are in the $5-6k range. But you would not need a 10+” graph for livescope anymore.

Flares Somewhere I was going required me to carry flares. I have some that stay in my dry box with boat registration, some tools, flash light, and spare drain plug.

The navionics that came “built in” on my echomap units only supported color shadings select lakes. I think there was a way to tell on the unit or a list on the web for the support lakes. I purchased a navionics subscription and download via the active captain app which supports color shading on all lakes. My echomaps are networked together and only require an sd card in the master unit.

Whenever running outboard I wear a PFD and the lanyard remains attached. Anyone else in the boat must wear a PFD as well. When I fish alone I also wear a manual inflation belt. That gets put on when I’m unhooking the transom hold down in the lot and doesn’t come off until I put the hold downs back on after pulling the boat out of the water. The full PFD still goes on over it when running the outboard. If the water is semi rough I will wear the belt even when someone else is with me. I will keep the regular PFD on to fish when the water was very rough. The states I fish require a PFD Nov 1 to May 1 whenever not anchored or tied off to dock.