Functional

If it's got treble hooks it gets the fish grippers and pliers, always, no exceptions. Too many posts and youtube videos on how to get out of it than it's worth to save a few seconds.

Mounted mine exactly like that @T.J. on my 175. Put the RAM base just in front of the factory hole and ran both wires up through it and got wire loom wrap to pretty it up. Works well and not many other options on a tracker.

I fish a 260 acre pond when I got o NY that has some really good sized boulders. There is a weed line that comes from the shore to about 15ft off shore and in the last 5 ft it starts getting boulders mixed in and then continues about 50ft beyond the weed line. Big ole round and square boulders, some the size of a VW Bug. The pond has some other boulders around but I've noticed I also needed weeds or a blow down /overhang to get any fish out of them. My best tactic for this particular pond has been to start about 5ft from the edge of the weed line (sitting in the weeds) and casing out past the boulders and drawing it in to the weeds. I use a zoom paddle tail with 1/16-1/8oz belly weight (id use heavier if it was deep but its only 5-7fow). If they need coaxing I'll switch to a zoom fluke with no weight and twitch it back or just go T-rig.

Al Bundy I keep reliving past catches hoping someone cares about it and every so often I get a mild moment of glory again. I also work at a job that goes unseen and no one appreciates 😂

I dont have a fish that started it for me. My father fished and since before they knew I needed glasses I was going with him. For me I stayed in it for the memories it brought back camping and fishing with my dad and uncle and a big part of why I still do it. Not to sound too hippie about it but it makes me feel connected to all of that and what I consider a good childhood. Part of that changed for me when I hooked into my current PB. Up until then it was something for the memories, to relax and to be out in nature. Now its all of that but trying to get better to really hunt down bigger bass. It kind of takes some of the sweetness away from the "smaller" fish and make them seem more like practice leading up to a main event. Dont get me wrong its still tons of fun, I just know my own personal bar has been set higher because of that experience.

Scum Frog in Chartreuse or Zoom horny toad skimmed/jerked across the top if that counts.

large profile swim jig: Keitech FAT Impact Small profile swim jig: Rapala Crush City "the mayor" or FAT impact. the Keitech's can be less durable but I started using the 6Th sense divine swim jig (or any jig with a screw bait keeper) and the longevity has increased quite a bit. For my existing swim jigs I just took some copper wire I use to tie skirts and created a "barbed wire" type wrap as a bait keeper and its held the baits great. The Rapala paddle tail 3" has given me some good action on a 1/4oz bitsy bug I use as a small profile swim jig. I havent tested the 4" against the FAT impact of similar size yet but plan to. I've tried a lot of paddle tails but the FAT impacts are still the best for the most action.

Memorial day weekend was a bit rough figuratively and literally. I've never in my life regretted owning my tracker until this weekend. The lack of length and weight made it a FIGHT just to stay on plane without rattling the teeth out of my head. I worked that throttle probably more times than I have in the past 11 years of ownership. Fishing was also tough. Saturday we drove up to my inlaws in the morning and by the time we said hi, got everyone together and set out it was 1pm already. Full sun, no clouds and not even a gnat fart for wind. Caught 2 ripping a swim jig through weed edges in 5-7fow in about 3 hours. Took me a while to find them, wasn't sure if they were still sitting near their spawn locations or working their way into summer spots. They were off main lake points but didn't get much time once I caught my 2 with dinner and such. Sunday was same conditions except I had a little wind. I was down by the dam Saturday so I made a 30min run up the lake hoping fit less boat traffic but it was a muddy mess. Wasted the first part of my day I there and then spent some time with the family. Did 2hrs before dinner and ran back down to a hump off a main lake point I found on my way out the day before. Fished the points weed edge first with no luck and then hit the hump. Tried spinnerbaits, jig and swim jig over the stumps on the hump and no dice. Then I figured I'd pretend I was Ajay and broke out a jerkbait (I've caught maybe 2 fish in my life on one). Second cast and it got crushed. In about 15 minutes I picked up 4. I just released the 4th and cast my beautiful megabass vision one ten jr+1 in pro blue and hard SNAP. Off she went into the netherworld. Wasted 20 minutes trying to grid search for it but it was gone. Went to tie in another and realized the first guide on my used poison adrena cracked, likely cause of the break so now I'm down a 110 and gotta find someone to replace a guide. Caught 2 more off another rod and then it was time for dinner. Size was nothing great but it was nice to catch on a lure I had little confidence in. Looks like 3 spots and a LM?

This is timely....saw the title thread in the main forum page and thought this would be a good place to ask about a mole trap 😂. My soil is d**n near cement with all its clay and these things tunnel through like its nothing.

If I didnt enjoy smoking meat I'd feel this exact way about BBQ in NC. By the time I go to a restaurant eat and come back I'd just be getting meat on the smoker.

@Woody B I've heard that warning in nearly every state. Call my a conspiracy theorist but I almost feel like its over stated to scare people out of fishing. I've also known people who eat well more than the "allowable" limit in waters with those warnings and they live fine into their 80s and 90s. (worked at a boat yard when I was younger, made friends with a lot of 50/60/70 year olds at the time). Either way, you have to do what you believe is right for you, just my thoughts on those warnings. As for keeping fish it depends on the lake. A lot of the popular lakes here the surveys are finding alabama/spots taking over the LMB population and they recommend keeping the ones you catch and many without size limits. They are also starting F1 introductions in a bunch of the larger lakes in middle/eastern NC so I'm going to start keeping more alabama/spots than I ever did. Before that, if I kept bass it would be an occasional 2-2.5lb bass or one I gut/tongue hooked that wasnt going to make it anyway. The meat is light and flakey and I have always enjoyed it. Its a good gateway fish if its clean meat for someone who doesnt like a fishy tasting fish. I've never had walleye though and I feally feel like I'm missing out now. Pickerel and pike are also good tasting but for me too boney to be worth eating.

I wouldnt underestimate a aluminum bass boat. I'm constantly shocked how little water my boat can float in. Most times I'm limited by how shallow I can go by my TM and have used a small paddle to push my way through some areas. Sounds like a Tracker Classic would be a nice fit for you. Weight is your biggest issue. The Classic XL gives enough room to load up the boat with gear and still be under the 2K lb mark. The 170 only leaves about 150# between gas and gear before you are at your tow max. Agreed overall. If you truely only want to reach a few more places you cant get to quick enough in a day with your kayak either of those will do. If you think youll really want to "fish in a boat" then youll really need to rethink your vehicle and the type of boat you have/get. It would just end up as a stop gap like the kayak you have now.

Going to be on Gaston for a few days this weekend (pray for me) and was wondering if anyone has been on the lake recently. I'm assuming we are definitely post spawn but have they started pulling back yet? With a 2 month old and 3yr old I have not had the opportunity to be out enough to have an idea where they might be at.

I saw feet and the front of a kayak and had to double check you were the one who posted this 😂 Kayak fishing is a fun time. A different way to fish and you can really snake into some remote areas. Casting and landing fish are definitely something to adjust a bit too but very manageable once you figure out the right technique.

@bishoptf I thought you had all the graphs. Not sure which you need but HB is offering some really good rebates right now. Check tacklewarehouse for the "sales" and "rebate" ones. Was tempted myself to pickup a 360 pole and or a head unit for it.

Thats going to be a nice setup. I love my Force TM. Only have it rigged for 24v but its a really powerful motor. If you use spot lock be sure to play with the sensitivity settings. I needed to play with mine a bit before I found what I was willing to accept for drift and not have the motor constantly spazzing out. I didnt see it mentioned but put a resettable breaker as close to the batteries feed as possible. That will protect everything if a wire ever makes contact and your electronics. It's also nice to trip open and know none of your equipment is pulling a parasitic load while stored AND if the charger does something weird your equipment is disconnected from your batteries.

my home lake raises a few inches to a 2-4 feet with nearly every rain and gets muddy and stays that way for days. Best luck I've had is like @gimruis said, loud lures, white/bright. Go into newly flooded areas into the shallows, look for concentrated run off or feeder creeks dumping water into the lake. Often times they hang out eating stuff that gets flushed into the lake. Also look for the clearer water (sometimes this comes from feeder creeks/runoff, other times just further up the lake) which usually holds fish. It can be tough fishing but very rewarding when you find them.

@MIbassyaker unfortunately eastern NC does not have smallmouth. I'd be driving quite a bit to go do any SM fishing. Otherwise I'd be there lol.

My approach...take it for what it is. 1) Is there wind and how much? Hard I'm finding areas that have surface action but nothing that makes me wobbly legged on the deck (think the "protected half" of wind blown points, semi protected coves, etc.). Moderate I go straight to point #3. No wind I go straight to point #2 2) If there is very little to no wind I look for the shade sides of coves/points/shoreline etc. If its cloudy and there is shade everywhere go right to #3. 3) Cover, find the best cover you expect them to be in depending on where 1 and 2 put you. Docks, blow downs, rocks, weeds, brush piles, main/secondary points, etc. 4) If its boiling hot, no clouds and dead calm with hardly any shady points (11am/4ish). Beach it and enjoy time with the family. Lure selection dependent on time of year and surface/cloud conditions. Seasonally there are exceptions to this. Winter/spring I'll hit areas that warm up fast or hold heat.

If I'm not mistaken....the 75 mercs are just detuned 125hp motors. If you are not in warranty you could address the ECU and get a lot more than what a prop will offer you. I recall reading about it a lot looking for prop and motor height position for my boat. If you do a little searching you can find out more on it and decide if it's for you. If I recall, it wasnt all that hard.

its just about the only lure I fish once it starts getting dark and until a little past first light. I had 2 lures growing up...purple worm with a split shot and a jitterbug. Every time I fish either one it brings back my childhood. This thread is making want to dig out my father's old "Crazy Crawler" lures and see how they do now. It's another lure I never see anyone throwing and might do well.

@Zcoker really an under rated bait. I got nervous one year they were going to stop making them and cleaned out 2 tackle stores. Got enough now for even my kids to pass some on. @A-Jay I was going to be flabbergasted if the jerkbait wasnt your top bait 😂. One of the few baits I plan on focusing on learning this year.

Beautiful boat @bishoptf. You should really enjoy that. Good luck with it!

If were talking about excitement....double jointed 5/8oz jitterbug in black at nighttime. If I could bottle that excitement and sell it I'd have a lot more time to do it! If were talking about producing results under a variety of conditions....Swim Jig hands down. I can fish that thing about 10 different ways to get the type of strike I need.

The amount of fish you caught in the last week is more than I'll likely catch in a years time. Incredible.