Woody B

Yep, that's what I do too.

That's what everyone was saying about automobiles and trucks a few decades ago. People still say "they don't make them like they use to" referring to vehicles. That's true. In 1970 people drove quite a bit less than they do now. They averaged 10,000 miles a year. Their vehicle lasted 10 years, but required a bunch of maintenance. Choke adjustments in the spring and fall. Spark plugs, points, cap. rotor and wires every year and oil changes every 3000 miles. At 100,000 miles the engine were worn out. They would be woofing out smoke and burning oil. The cylinder walls in the block would be worn out. Modern vehicles get driven many more miles, use less gas, require oil changes at 5,000 to 10,000 miles instead of 3000. Most don't require any kind of other maintenance until 100,000 miles. The only thing modern boat motors have against them is the longevity of old 2 strokes. They would last a long time, longer than a comparable automobile engine. I'm an auto tech. I keep an eye on marine developments though. IMHO Suzuki has always made an excellent boat motor with cutting edge (for marine use) technology. My boat came packaged with a Mercury engine. (many do) I've got over 200 hours with zero problems. However, had I been able to choose my engine I would have gotten a Suzuki.

I've got a friend who had a Ranger RT188. He sold it and got a Vexus 1980. He loved the Ranger but says the difference is night and day. The Vexus is a foot longer too though. Added: My little Tracker (Classic XL) does everything I need it to do. Had I known everything I know now when I bought it I would have gotten a boat with a little wider beam. I fish by myself most of the time. When I have other with me it get's crowded. I choose not to go out last Saturday with 55 mph wind gusts. I wouldn't have went out then with a Z521C Ranger either. For my use I wouldn't consider a fiberglass boat.

2 of my rods have EVA. The other 3 have Winns grips. I don't dislike any of them. I have noticed the EVA is slippery when it's hot, and I'm sweaty. The Winns grips are slippery when it's cold and my hands are wet. Or... it the glass is half full, instead of half empty. The EVA grips are really good, tacky when it's cold. The Winn grips are really good when it's hot.

Not all of them. ?

If I'm catching decent size fish I start thinking they're lighter than they are. OTOH if I'm catching small fish I'll start thinking they're bigger than they are. I rarely keep fish so I'm not concerned if they're legal or not.

There's literally dozens (or more) knots that work well. However, none of them work if you get sloppy. (and yes I get sloppy every now and then) I've never used flurocarbon so I can't speak for it and knot strength. With the mono and braid I've used a palomar knot, tied correctly.....not sloppy won't fail. The problem with this is if you end up snagged and have to break off there's no telling where the line will break. You may lose half a spool if you're snagged deep (or high in a tree LOL). An improved clinch knot, or trilene knot tied correctly will break at the knot, at ~90% of the force required to break the line with a palomar. Use whatever knot your comfortable with and can tie well. I also recommend everyone does what I've done. Tie off to a scale with memory and see what it takes to break different lines and knots. I've got a tube scale with an o-ring on it that I use for knot/line testing. My test aren't exactly scientific, but they do give me information I can use.

I'm pretty sure Sea Ark boats have them. My boat's too light in the back. If I added some they would need to be filled with sand.

I've never used a Senko.

I caught more today that yesterday but I fished quite a bit longer. I caught 12. 10 spots and 2 LM. I also caught a white perch and a flathead cat. The biggest bass was 4 poundish. I didn't weigh, measure or picture it. I got a treble in my hand lipping it. I ended up holding it with one hand, while the treble was in the other. I worked the hook loose from the bass quicker than I got it worked loose from me. I just put in back in the water, then released myself. It wasn't a big deal. Hook was buried halfway over the barb. I was working to keep it from getting all the way. The other largemouth looked almost like a spot I caught yesterday. It had a bigger mouth, not tooth patch on it's tongue and a LM dorsal, instead of a spot dorsal. I didn't measure or weight the cat. I'd guess 3 pounds or so. I figure I don't need to weigh a fish I can boat flip. The white perch was the biggest one I've ever caught. It was 12 1/2 inches long. I didn't weigh it. State record is 2 lbs 5 oz. It didn't feel that heavy. Most of the bass, as well as the cat and perch came on a OG4. A couple were on a shakey head. I kept getting the tail yanked off the worm. They were tearing up a bladed jig yesterday. I couldn't get any interest in one today. It's funny how things change. Edit: Just to correct myself most of the bass, the cat and the perch came on a bandit 200. One bass came on a OG4.

Buy once cry once. Quality batteries not only use better cells the BMS is better too. Ionic uses grade a prismatic cells and a top quality BMS. Prismatic cells are more expensive than cylindrical cells, but they're tougher.

I've got 5 rods.

I usually follow up a missed strike with some kind of worm. Either a t-rig, shakey head or wacky.

I need to add to my previous post, I've noticed the temperature on my 3 in 1 is slow to change. IE, it was 36 degrees when I launched my boat a month or so ago. Water temp was in the mid 50's but it took 30 minutes or so for my reading to get that high. A couple weeks ago they had the coal/natural gas steam generating station running. They rarely run it. I went up to the discharge. Water temp was 80 degrees but it took a long time for my reading to get that high. I confirmed the 80 degree reading with my infrared thermometer, and my dipping my hand into the water. (air temp was in the 40's I considered jumping in LOL) My 3 in 1 read high even after moving to cooler water for a while too.

The forecast was thunderstorms this morning and really high winds this afternoon. I went early before the storms and got a couple hours in. I caught 8, 4 LM and 4 spots. Due to the weather I wanted to stay near the landing. (I've posted earlier, I respect lightening). The only time I started the big motor was loading the boat. 3 LM and 2 Spots came on a Siebert bladed jig. The other 2 spots on a OG4, and the other LM on a shakey head. None were big, but at least none were tiny. 14 to 17 inches. It rained a little. When it came a big clap of thunder right overhead I went back to the landing. I went and hung around Academy for a while, (1/3 of the way home) and considered going back after the storm. I actually headed toward the lake, then changed my mind after a couple miles. After the storm the wind got up, probably 25 mph. I can handle that, but they're forecasting 55+mph gusts. I don't know about a small aluminum boat on a 13000+ acre lake with that wind.

Disclaimer, I haven't put a recessed foot pedal tray in my tracker. Many people have installed a pedal tray. There's wood supports under the front deck but they run front to rear. They're far enough apart to not interfere with a pedal tray. There's a metal support running side to side in front of the seat post. No one has hit it installed a pedal tray. The screws in the front deck are under the carpet. To install the tray you'll have to cut the hole, then cut out some foam. There's a facebook group of tracker classic xl owners. Many of them have pictures and videos of pedal tray installs.

Carbon, FS and Live units are live sonar/active target capable, as well as the new HDS Pro units. I can share my 3 in 1, and Active target between my lives via ethernet. The 3 in 1 is connected to my console unit. Active target is connected to my bow unit. The Ti, and Ti2 units don't have ethernet. You control a unit, and mirror the screen via wireless with a smartphone or tablet. The app required is called "Navico go free" or something like that. On a side note, it aggravates me that they call it "ethernet, but it doesn't use standard (computer) ethernet cables and hardware.

I've never use any kind of fluorocarbon. What does it offer that mono of braid doesn't? Not looking to start an argument. Like I said, I've never used it.

The TI2 only has wireless and NMEA networking. The only thing you can share is mapping is 2d sonar and mapping. There isn't enough bandwidth on those networks. On Lives (and probably FS units) you can see any transducer on any unit via ethernet. You just have to choose the correct source.

I saw one on tackle warehouse that's 9 1/2" You need one of those. I can't believe I got one of the Shimano 7 1/2" swimbaits. I also can't believe I caught an 11 inch bass on it.

Howdy from North Carolina.

I don't have 2 on my console, or bow but I do have 2 lives. One on the console, one on the bow. Via an ethernet network I share transducers and mapping. With that said, I just use the one on the bow for active target. I can view the 3in1 connected to my console unit on it though. I can also view the active target on my console unit.

Every boat is going to load different. I get out of my boat and stand on the trailer tongue to secure the bow. It's never tried to slip, and any ramp. At flatter ramps I get my feet(or boots) wet. I could see a heavier, slicker, nicer fiberglass boat being harder to load. The amount of fender sticking out of the water is totally dependent on the slope of the ramp. Steeper ramps will be different than flatter ramps. I back the trailer into the water until the entire bunks are submerged, to wet them. The wet bunks make the boat load easier. Then I pull forward until 1/2 of the bunks are in the water. This works at any ramp. More or less of the bunks may need to be submerged for lighter/heavier/different boats. With me and my boat it also helps a BUNCH for me to lean toward the center of the boat to better balance it when loading.

Congrats and good luck.

Not the size bass the OP is talking about but I landed a 6lb 14 oz Largemouth last year that's I'm pretty sure wasn't hooked. A 3 inch bluegill hit my devils horse, the bass grabbed the bluegill. The bluegill and devils horse came out of it's mouth while I was netting it. The bass was in the boat in the net, the bluegill and lure were still dangling in the water. I couldn't find any evidence of a hook hole in it's mouth. It might have been pricked, but not penetrated. It didn't fight like a bass that size. I think it was just holding on. IF that's the case, I'm sure that's rare.