Deephaven

Yes. PP 50# is perfect. With all the hype on here I bought 10 spools or so of 832 and find that it is the opposite of the promises. It is louder, doesn't cast as far, handles way stiffer and has no benefit to the original PP. All the hype actually made me question any advice on the forum. There is nothing about 832 I like better than the original PP. For throwing frogs it also seems to snag a lot more in the pads as well. It is stiffer also making it a lot harder to get subtle action on light frogs. So yes, there may be other better braids than PP, but 832 is not better for frogs and it isn't even close imo. Would love to see another thin, quiet, supple line be offered up but every time I try something else I feel like it is wasted money.

Agreed. I use. 7'10" frog rod and it would be longer if I built it now. My 521 only had 8' rod lockers so I didn't dare go bigger. Length is your friend on a frog although it can make dialing in your bait action a bit more tricky at first.

Throw it in braid and before leaving the lake cut it off and pull a bunch of loose line for a while behind the boat. Wil fix itself.

Had a Ranger 521 which was great, changed to a 620T which is a higher side wall tiller boat. It is also great. No problems with tracking, control and really don't feel a ton of difference between the two when using the trolling motor. The 620t backtrolls a crap ton better though

Your best bet is to tie one of each on two rods and fish them both. Adjust the eye exit location a bit as well and observe how they behave in the water you fish. I personally never use a ball head as that is not what I throw tubes for. It surely could be the hot ticket, I just won't be the one to find that out.

Ha, and I would personally go with a tiller if it were a 20' boat. If I constantly fished waves that would get me wet I would get a console boat, but I don't so I'll take the space. That being said a 17' tiller has more space than a 19' bass boat.... ...and yes they can still get across the lake. Mine can do 54mph although I prefer to prop it slower as it beefs up the mid range which makes it more fun.

Lund made a Pro Guide (tiller) in a 16'er for a while. Layout wise it is great for a smaller boat, it's pretty lightweight and nimble to move as well. It's more of a multispecies boat, but fishes bass real well.

It does amazing. WAY better than my Silverado. It's not even close. Stops better, turns better, even feels way more stable just going down the road. The big rig gets towed 2x a year and just 20mi but it does great. Even after lowering my Escalade and adding Wilwood brakes the Audi is better. Of course in Europe you'd also see q7s towing huge campers. Specs for towing here on German cars are way different than their capability.

I am late to the thread, but I rarely use a bed and after having a bunch of trucks realized it was a serious waste. It's super cheap to rent a truck if I need the bed. Instead for just over $40k we have a Q7 Audi. It is super luxurious, gets over 30mpg on the highway, tows the Ranger like it isn't there and even has zero problems yanking around our 6800lb cruiser. $40k doesn't get you all that much in a truck in comparison.

Will fill in more later, but drive an Audi S6 with the twin turbo V8. Other car I cross shopped it with was an SS Sedan, but mine would have gotten a full Golden badge kit, a Whipple, long tubes, intake and perhaps more. I just couldn't quite get over the interior and at the time had a supercharged Escalade that I kept hanging to do trannies on so i figured something closer to stock would be a good idea....of course I am now contemplating bigger turbos and a tune for thd Audi. I love cars.

I only use a spinning reel for presentations that won't work so well on a baitcaster. Would rather be everything if I could. Large or small fish I would rather use one

Wet hat is a constant for me. Easy to dip whatever you have and put it back on. Feels great. Well then you suck. I carry something similar in the boat as well, but mine doesn't require you to suck

If I am skipping I want a stout hook that I can yank that fish sideways and out of the cover instantly. Even a medium is too light. I use salt water fly hooks a lot for those presentations as they allow you to pounf them and have a great hookup ratio.

Shimano for a frog, 6:3 is fine although I could deal with a 7, a 5 is too slow and an 8 not enough of a winch. Other than that let your budget or what is available used nearby decide.

I don't change...but could depend on the rest of your setup. Something has to give somewhere. If you are using a muskie rod with 50lb braid there really isn't give.

For ultralight skipping (ie senko's and such) a MH 6'6" spinning rod is the weapon, for jigs and other heavier baits I use an 844 (I built to 7'2") with a Tatula BC'er. Both are always tied up that way on my boat in case there is a need to skip. Love fishing understuff.

Scum frogs are way more fragile. Even burly bass can pop the hook through them and once there is a hole where water can get into their action is toast. You can patch them and still catch fish, but they work way better fresh. Luckily you can choose to throw them mostly where the pike aren't. The other problem with them is that pan fish are notorious for turning them inside out and if you don't have a beefy rod and line when you hook a pad and need to extract it you lose the lure. They are however great frogs and work really well.

Only problem with scum frogs is that one pike can shred them to bits. Not unusual to destroy a few in a day sometimes

Daiwa for skipping, Shimano for everything else

I would be interested in learning more about the process. Sounds great.

It's hardly a motor. I'd spend a wee bit more and get something that can get the boat on plane. I spent the first 20 years of my life fishing out of a 10' boat with a 2hp or 10hp motor (uncle left the 10 at the cabin sometimes) and the difference was monstrous. With the 2 it wouldn't do 5, but when my cousin brought his 15hp it would do more than 30. The 10 was a sweet spot for the boat though and rated HP. Whatever that hull will take I would do it. Older low HP motors are reliable so make up for the size difference dollar wise with age. At least that is what I would do.

There are a ton of used ones on FB Marketplace in MN. That's what I'd do.

Good point although normally I'd use a Senko for that, but if I were choosing a fluke I'd skip it on spinning. 6'6" MHF so I can yank them away from the cover.

I should add that I abhor fishing a jerk/fluke or the like with spinning. It is so much more natural with a casting rod.