Bazoo

Wow! Thanks for sharing. Very interesting hearing about fishing in other parts of the world. I'm not familiar with it at all. I assume the folks down there fish primarily for food rather than sport? I'll have to go read up on Peacocks now.

Thanks for sharing what you do. Sometimes I'll cut the hook and leave the soft plastic rigged so I don't tear it up. Even with a Texas rigged worm, I just slide the eye back out of the nose, leaving the barb and point as is. I don't do it all the time.

Lost the trap the other day unfortunately.

I found these the other day. I messaged a buddy that I'd scored another Whopper Plopper and he asked if it was brown. I said "yes..." I showed him, and he confirmed from location, it was the one he had just lost a few days prior. I offered to return it next time I saw him and he said keep it as it was a good one. The Spinnerbait I gave to another friend that just started fishing this year.

JB weld setup time is pretty long I thought, maybe like 20 minutes?. It can also be thinned with acetone according to their website. I make furniture for a living; gluing stuff together has taught me to get ready before I start smearing glue. I appreciate the advice. I’ll probably give it a go.

Nice find. Good to get all that line out too! Oddly, I'd have confidence in that color. I have about no confidence in crawdad color, but clown and firetiger and similar colors I've had success with for some reason.

I ran the test 2 or 3 times per reel.

I have been using an Abu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reel with 6.4:1 ratio as my primary reel. For a while it was my only baitcasting reel. Then a member gifted me a Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 2 with 5.3:1 ratio. Then I was able to acquire a cheap Lews Speed Spool with 7.5:1 ratio. Today I checked all 3 for line takeup per handle turn: Abu Garcia 23" Pro Qualifier 2 23" Lews SS 28" This surprised me, the Pro Qualifier 2 and Lews were right on what I'd expect, and the Abu Garcia is low compared to my expectations. They are all full of line, so it isn't from that discrepancy. The Abu is spooled with 12 pound Trilene XL, on a backer, the Pro Qualifer 2 is spooled with 10 pound Trilene XL, and the Lews Speed Spool is spooled with 10 pound Trilene Big Game. I don't see how the pound test/diameter would make any difference, especially since they are so close to the same. Any ideas why the Abu Garcia and the Pro Qualifier 2 would be the same IPT, why the Abu Garcia would be lower than expected? Is it just the difference in manufacturers? Thanks for looking, Bazoo

I appreciate the suggestions thus far. I haven't done anything yet other than ponder on it. I like the idea of extending the rod blank with an old rod. I have one I may try that with. Does anyone know how JB weld would do for gluing the seat back? I already have some JB weld and am familiar with it.

If I'd known at the time of purchase, maybe not. I got it for only $300, and I like the design of it better than the currently available models. I'm not afraid to take on the work, once I've done enough research to understand what I'm up against. And I have no problems with the type of work involved to repair it. I also have access to foam that I can use. I've been thinking about how to make sure it doesn't happen again. So far, the best idea I've had is to seal the foam blocks in plastic bags, like vacuum packing but without removing the air, so they can't absorb water. I'm considering that. I'm also considering machine screws with washers and locknuts for ease of disassembly should I ever need to do so again. I'm also considering getting a stapler and redoing the staples.

I found an old video of a factory tour of the Buster Boats. Pretty cool to see some interior construction and methods. The seam is sealed with butyl tape, and about 280 staples. I am going to figure out what to do with the staples before I attempt disassembly. I'm not sure if I'll try to reuse them, or replace them, or restaple it.

Well, I've got the itch for ultralight now, thanks to this thread. Some awesome stories shared here. I normally don't go any lighter than 10 pound line, though I will run 8 occasionally.

I was gifted a Basspro Crankin' Stick and found the Power Hump to be comfortable as well. I was quite surprised.

Interesting replies, thanks all for sharing. I knew you could save them for remelting, but it didn't occur to me until just now that my son (only 4) may want to do it some day. I don't really have an interest in it myself. I remember what it was like being a kid. That's an awesome idea.

I've found I often will try a fluke, or worm, or other soft plastic for a while, and without any luck. Then when I switch, I have one that has holes in it, and or is slightly discolored from dirt/slime. I find it hard to put that used one back in the bag, but I also don't want to throw it away. I have relegated a section of my box for used soft plastics. This in turn causes the red ones to turn the others pink. Not to mention that it turns into a catchall compartment. What does everyone else do with those gently used soft plastics?

No... but if I backlash in a place I'm prone to losing my lure, I real the lure in over my backlash, and then strip it off and clear the backlash. If I'm bank fishing, I cast the lure out on the bank about the distance I need so I don't have as big of a mess.. To answer the thread question though, I suppose the sound I don't care for the most is a booming automobile, the ones that shake the ground. In the boat, my buddy will say... Well, guess what? I know that means we'll be paddling over to a tree or snag. Sometimes I know before he says it, as the boat starts gradually going to his side...

Wow thats amazing. Thank you for sharing that with us. Some serious amount of skill and patience there.

I have a friend who witnessed a bass grab a bat that was skimming for bugs.

Thank you @MAN that’s cool. There was an inch or so of water standing in the pontoons when I purchased the boat.

Thanks for letting us know what worked. I've not run into this problem before, but I've used WD40 for similar applications previously. When you use Dawn and baking soda, do you mix them together first to make a paste or get some Dawn on wet hands and a sprinkle of baking soda? I use Dawn, but I'm not familiar with the baking soda trick.

I don't particularly enjoy using live bait. If I'm with someone that is, I'll try it, but it ain't my thing. When I was a teenager, I went with someone that used minnows. We caught several crappie and several bass. It was "fun", not as much fun as using a spinnerbait though.

Thanks. When we were there, there was some baitfish schooling real close to the ramp area. Water was way down, so no one using it.

I was shown a spot on rough river where I can enter or fish from the bank the other day. Didn't hang out to fish it any, just check it out. Never fished a river before, should be interesting.

Really? I'd guess it weighs 250-300 pounds.

I'm working on a rudder to help with the spin, though we're just paddling it currently and not using a trolling motor, that's coming. I got this tm from a friend, and I was hoping it would be usable, but the magnets had come loose from the body and one of them was broken badly.