Functional

Agreed, sounds like demo mode or the sonar is shut off.

Ol' Swampy Cricket is still putting in big numbers and good weights! Its nice to see a mix of bump boards and lip pics. Get to see a bit more of your daily POV making me look for conferences held in Maine so I can expense a trip up there! Everyone here was once a one trick pony until we learned a new trick. I'd certainly say if there isn't ice you have faired well all year.

Dont know if its been mentioned but Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence was really good if you like a harder rock sound. (guess its considered heavy metal but whatever).

Him and his daughter are freaks of nature. YIKES...this is an old post. sorry fellas.

Came here to recommend my favorite 1-4x, Steiner P4xi with G1 reticle...only to learn its discontinued. Was a hell of a buy at sub $500. The PA optic you got should serve you well, lot of guys around here run them. Vortex as well, they arent always the most reliable but their CS is top notch. Red dot and magnifier was the only other option for your case but you may be limited on rail space I believe. LPVO is a great choice.

99% of the time I'm fishing alone. I'd say a handful of times I have my father or brother in law out with me through the year but thats about it. I enjoy fishing alone, gives me some quiet time. I dont have to stress over "hosting" someone on the boat and making sure I find fish on a slow day. It is nice to have someone out there every now and then and to have someone offer up some thoughts on what to do/where to try.

look in quilting/sewing stores...hell even hobby lobby carries them I think. They are gold in color and kind of shaped like some kind of a bird, $40 or $50. I was respooling in my wifes craft room to spend time with her and I quickly used them to cut some braid. It was like a light saber through Luke's hand. I said quickly because I got a very concerned look on my last "snip"...telling me if I the line was the only thing I wanted snipped I should put them down. They've held up for her for quite a few years now.

Bone.

Yup, agreed here. I can think of one particular instance recently I was catching and my father wasnt so i literally cut my bait off and gave it to him and he still couldnt catch. Way we fished it was just different enough to kill the bite for him. Agreed with Tom though in some instances I can see that happen for sure as well. Sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesnt.

October through early/mid December. February through April. Great weather and usually great fish activity. I think June/July/August are my least favorite due to the heat and boat traffic....

You cant be that tough without a great support network so congrats to both of you for the outlook and progress that's been happening.

So that's what Id look like in fish form....(stubby Italian genes)

I'm usually lucky with bait balls and walk a spook, jerkbait or spinner/chatterbait work for me. I thought one of the go too baits here was a flutter spoon though? I always have a few in case my standards don't work. Let it fall to what you believe is just below the bait ball and then rip and continue. Or so I've read.

Yes, this is exactly how I figured out to to handle my waypoints being off...my Force TM and spot lock lol. I agree with you. Still love my TM but I've debated on and off swapping the garmins for Hbirds to see the difference.

I've found with my garmins there seems to be a bit of lag between position of the boat and showing it on the map. If I want to get very very accurate waypoints I have to just about stop over the top of the point for a few seconds and then mark it. Typically I'll mark a few and then come back and adjust to the precise spot if needed.

@Swamp Girl I've decided not to pay any attention to your fishing. I've determined you are just a messenger from above showing us glimpses of what fishing will be like if we make it to heaven. No way you are calling me in early! Id honestly have to learn your area because I have no doubt your bass rich places hold both together. Just been my experience in the lakes I've fished. Or maybe I'm not good enough or patient enough to pick the big ones in the school of small ones.

Kermit knows what he would do to that place....

So straight off the bat, if I need more than 2 hands to count the fish I catch its a really high count day. On the other hand, the fish I typically bring in are 3.5-6lbs and my numbers will be 2-5. Not always, but I fish spots not everyone and their mother have hit and if I'm catching small I typically move. I'm looking for a DD and when I start catching 1-2.5lb bass in an area I move. Historically I have not been able to pull a sizeable fish from the same area as small ones. I keep track of how many sizeable bass I catch per lake though. Shows me which ones are more worth hitting.

I think I use a 3/0 1/16 or 1/32 belly weighted EWG hook. Doesnt always keep it right side up but the majority it does. When I used a weightless it was 8/10 flip upside down on me.

Lets just say your going to have to change your username if you go down this hard swimbait route.

So far maybe only 300ish give or take. I have a feeling come black friday/christmas that is going to shoot up though. Been really considering Mega360 or Garmin Livescope (yea, I know).

My best friends father was a city fire fighter responding to all of this. Didnt see him for weeks. Thankfully he never got cancer but he did develop quite a few lung issues because of it. My friend now works for the city fire department as well in a slightly different capacity. Was a crazy in NY at the time....lot of friends' family never made it home, either from working there or was a responder. On a clear day you could hike up a mountain by my house and see the city outline. After this it was days you couldn't see anything but solid haze.

I played with the 3 brands for a good 2 hours in the store before I made my purchase. 1)Garmin/Hbird 2)Lowrance Sonar quality I felt Hbird was the best with an extremely close 2nd/3rd from the other 2 in no particular order. One of the big points against Lowrance was its ease of use. Getting to the settings and changing things around for me was the absolute least intuitive. Price and the preloaded maps ultimately sold me on the Garmin but I wouldnt shy away from a good deal on Hbird or if Garmin wasnt available at the time. ' Agreed with the others, get as big as you can afford/fit.

Personally I'd start with what worked before and if it doesn't pan out I'd target hard cover very close to shore or very shallow that ideally have no weeds around(if your weeds are dying). Frogs, walking baits, torpedo, whopper ploppers, poppers, weightless flukes/paddletails, square Bill, fast fished trig creature bait. I'd expect them to come in to the warmer water and feed but bass are like cats.... they will do as they please.

If it's a very busy area of the lake I get closer than i would a very calm area. Very early and late evening into night I hardly ever even start my outboard. When I do I shut it down a long way off.