WaskaCrank12

@MiceNReets - nice that you have 7 of the Combat Sticks ! I have 4, including the one I have sent in - I have enjoyed them and my hope is that I will receive some feedback from them as to what the status is. @J._Bricker - thank you for the phone number you provided, I had been calling/leaving a message on the different number than that one. @WRB-2.0 - I have copies of all of the information (return form, receipts of original purchase, tracking info. for shipping ect...)

Unfortunately my Evergreen Combat Stick (7'4" Medium) broke (trying to pull a fish out of the grass) - Daiwa handles Evergreens warranty in the US - I filled out the form, put a description of how it happened, put the rod in a tube with the original receipt and sent it in - 11 weeks ago - I have not heard anything from them and have not gotten any return phone calls - Has anyone else dealt with an Evergreen rod warranty thru Daiwa ? What was your experience like ? If you had an issue, how did you resolve it ? I had a St. Croix rod break and they had me take pics, cut the rod in half (and take pics of that), send in $60 (to cover shipping) - and then a few weeks later I had a new/replacement rod - simple and seamless.

@Way2slow @WRB-2.0 - thank you for the feedback - I will try putting the trailer in more shallow (ie, not as deep in to the water) - then attach the winch strap and start to winch it on to the first set of rollers and see how it is aligned on them - then maybe back in a bit further and crank the winch again and see how it aligns on the 2nd set of rollers - then do the same for the center roller - I can also inspect the trailer at the dock area (with the boat off the trailer) to see if the hinges on the rollers are working properly (they seem to be but I will take a closer look) - I will need to try and find a time/dock that is not busy - lastly I will look to take some pictures as that might help as well - thank you again for your time and feedback !

It was high wind here yesterday (Monday) - big lake had white caps - so I went over to the closest smaller lake that has some shelter from southern winds - water temp was about 74 - lots of thick vegetation which made some parts of the lake inaccessible - caught a few 12 to 14 inch LMB in open water areas (12/15 feet) - then nothing for a long time - I saw a blow up near a tall weed line so I cast in that direction - caught a 16" LMB --- cast again caught a 15" LMB --- then 2 casts later caught an 18" LMB --- all within about a 10 yard, 2/3 foot deep area --- then nothing for the rest of the time I was out --- all three were healthy and strong fighters, the 18" was husky (I will try and post a pick, I have to find out @gim secret to getting his bass to be still on the measuring board for his pictures --- these fish, specifically the 18" were going bonkers jumping/jiving/fighting, so I had to keep one hand on them to try and take the pics, otherwise they were going nuts trying to get back in the water !)

I have a Shore'Lander trailer that has rollers on it -- I have found recently that when I am putting the boat on to the trailer (I load it by hand, meaning I use ropes to get it up to the initial rollers and then attach the winch strap and then winch the boat onto the trailer) it is ending up about three/four inches too far to one side of the trailer (I will try and take a picture and post it) --- it seems to start off straight when I am cranking the winch, yet gradually it lists to one side --- I can trailer it and I do not think it is a safety issue but I would like the boat to sit straight/even on the trailer --- The rollers have good "tread" on them --- Has anyone else experienced this ? What did you do to correct it ? Do the rollers become mis-aligned over time ? (the trailer is a 1993 and I bought it three years ago so I am not sure of it's full history) Thank you

I grew up near the Atlantic Ocean (MA) and was engaged in sailing as a youth -- the instructors hammered into our heads that our safety was our responsibility (including tipping over our own sailboats and having us learn/train how to right them ourselves) --- scan, scan and scan again --- basically hyper vigilance --- and having an uncle who was a Frogman/Navy Seal who taught us to respect the water at all times, detach/assess/act, have a plan A/B/C/D and be proactive to avoid danger --- two times on my last outing I had "party boats" flying in my direction (front of the boat way up in the air so there is absolutely no way they can see what is in front of them) so I had to move fast --- some of these pontoons have 400hp motors on them and are driven like racing boats --- so like a number of people have mentioned, I do my best to avoid holidays and weekends (on weekends I might go early or late to avoid as many of the irresponsible boaters as possible) --- stay alert/stay safe !

@gim - Nice fish ! My PB's are LMB 18.5, SMB 18 --- my next goal is to catch one (or more !) in the 19 plus class (and ideally 5lb +) like you have --- not sure how many LMB/SMB of that size class are cruising around in my local waters (Alexandria/Glenwood area) so I might have to travel a bit to find them --- I am only in my third season of fishing and am learning by the minute --- I need to increase my ability/confidence/knowledge to the point where I can catch fish like that --- I have been catching a fair number of 15/16 inch LMB and recently caught two 17 inch SMB (on small plastics/bug type baits) --- In my first year I caught about 30 fish total, last year about 65, this year I am over 100 total --- so I am figuring a few things out (and learning from people like you and others in the Bass Resource community) --- I will look to focus on the weed lines and deeper on my next trip out (looks like lots of thunder storms this week so I don't know when I will get out next)

I have a number of soft plastics that have lost one or both of the original eyes (Hazedong Shad, WCZ Micro Citizen, ect...) If you have had the same issue -- where did you find replacement eyes ? The plastics are different sizes so I would be looking for different sized eyes for them. Has anyone ever put some super glue/other glue over/around the eye BEFORE they pop out ? (as a preventative measure so they don't pop out to begin with as it seems inevitable that they are going to pop off --- it does not seem like the companies do a very good job of attaching them in the manufacturing process). Thank you !

Shimano Vanford 3000

I am similar to you in that I have not used frogs very much - I have tried the Booyah Pad Crasher Jr. and the Lunkerhunt Pocket Frog as I wanted a smaller profile frog for small mouth as well - I can say the Pocket Frog has gotten hit by fish a number of times (I have just been too slow with the hook-set, I am working on that !) but has held up fine - I have only thrown the Pad Crasher Jr. once - all the best with your decision and catching small mouth, they are a ton of fun !

@Standard = wow ! that is an adventure !! Whew, that smallie was having a bad day - but you did your best to help it ! Speaking of things that are a first time experienced -- Today I looked at the weather reports and it looked like rain/storms for part of the day - then a 4 to 5 hour break - then storms again - so I figured I would go out during the window of time the weather report said 8% chance of precip/storms (and the radar indicated an open area with storms going well south of us) - I dunk the boat in, get to a spot, get everything ready, load up the rod to cast and BOOM ! BOOM ! - big thunder - the lure was in the air - the lure landed in the water and bang, fish on - and I see 6 boats running hard across the lake to get to the dock - so I reeled the fish in, did a quick measure (17 inch LMB) and put him back in the water - then BOOM ! again more thunder - so I fired up the engine and joined the line at the dock to get out before the storms hit - I think it was a sign from above --- you get your one fish, now go and get off the lake - literally - 1 cast (and it seemed that immediately when the lure hit the water the fish grabbed it) 1 fish and off the water - crazy (but a good decision to get off as strong storms have rolled in)

The wind was whipping - so I went to a smaller lake - yet the wind made it tough there as well - I was about to go in when I saw a small cove area that looked fairly well sheltered - it was shallow ( 2 to 2.5 feet deep) and lots of vegetation - I had to go with a topwater lure - I threw a frog and got three bites, yet all three shook loose (first time I have ever thrown a frog, learned some lessons and that I may need to bend the hooks up a bit) - so I knew there was at least one fish willing to bite a lure - I then threw a Megabass Baby Pop X topwater lure - threw it many times and nothing bit - then this 17 inch LMB blasted it and fought like crazy (jumping/diving) - it looked pretty thick so after measuring it I put it in the net and dunked it back in the water for a bit and then took it back out and was surprised at what the scale read - and then quickly got it back in the water - I do my best to get them in the boat and back in the water in a timely manner - if it seems like it will take a while (hooks buried deep, having difficulty getting the hooks out) I will put it in the net and dunk it in the water for a bit before trying again (today I had to cut the back treble off of a lure because it was in the jaw bone of the fish and I didn't want to break the fishes jaw trying to get it out) - I keep pike in the net and just get the hooks out and dump them back in the water

Only my third year fishing - first two years I measured with an aluminum ruler - this year I bought a Ketch aluminum measuring board and a luggage scale - I measure most fish (12" or longer) and weight those that are 16" or longer - yesterday I caught a 17" LMB that was 3.14 lb on the scale (it was thick/healthy and heavier than I expected as most of the other 17" LMB I have caught have been in the 2.7 lb range) - perhaps for next year I will check out some sales and purchase one of the scales people here have mentioned (I do not tournament fish so I don't need anything too fancy)

@BrianMDTX @WRB-2.0 @A-Jay Thank you for the feedback and info. I will look to source some 1/8 aluminum - I have a neighbor that has the tools (rivet gun and tool to shape/round the corners of the aluminum) to make this happen - there are 4 spots (2 on vertical surfaces, 2 of horizontal surfaces) Yes, that Pro Seal is pricey. I will check around and see if anyone has some that they are no longer using (I have a co-worker who's dad flies planes that spray crops/fields, so he might have some) otherwise I will look into the 3M 5200. Sharing info/expertise like this is one of the many things that makes the Bass Resource community great !

@IneedAnewScreenName-98161861 - it is worth the effort to provide @Way2slow with your exact Model Number and Serial Number from your motor (those numbers should be on your motor, on the outside of the motor, near the jack plate/tilt trim area) - that info. will help him help you - last year I had some significant motor issues and he helped me solve each of them and the motor (a 1993 Evinrude V4 90hp) is running strong this year - before starting the work on the motor last year I had NO experience with boat motors (and low level mechanical aptitude) - he not only helped me correct/repair the issues, he helped me significantly increase my knowledge and build my confidence/skills in taking on future repairs/maintenance of the motor - I wish you all the best with finding and solving the engine issues

Hello @gim @Crow Horse @MN Fisher @A-Jay @Alex from GA @12poundbass Thank you for your feedback/information - here is a picture from one of the gunwales - there are three other spots (two with just bolt holes, one with a larger round hole, this pic shows holes on the top/horizontal part of the gunwale near the steering console, some of the other holes are on the side/vertical side of the gunwale) yet big storms are rolling in so I snapped this pic quickly as an example - my hope is this pic gives you an idea/visual of what I am looking to cover/change - Thank you !

I bought a used (1993) LUND aluminum boat a few years ago - it has some holes in the gunwale areas (my guess is they are from old electronics units/accessories) - I am at a point where I would like to cover them/put something over them (for better cosmetics yet also so rain/water/debris/rodents/ect... do not get into them) - some are from bolts/screws and some are a bit larger size (silver dollar size) - Thank you in advance for your thoughts/suggestions/advice

I have a Sealskin cover for my boat (16.5 foot LUND Tyee II, aluminum) - the cover has served me well over the course of 2 winters and 2 summers - it is not a "fitted cover" so I use bungie cords (vs. the provided straps) and some "tarp holders/clips" at the back corners to secure it - I also have three poles I place in the boat (one front/one middle/one back) that serve to keep it taunt and have the water/rain/snow run off - it has held up well (the weather here in MN can be extreme, from minus 40 to plus 100, we have had some significant storms this summer with driving rain) - it has helped me keep the sun/rain/leaves/snow off of the boat - it is not a "fitted cover" so I do not use it to travel at all - it is just used when the boat is in the yard I beleive the Sealskin cover I have is the 5 year warranty (not the top tier Lifetime Warranty)

I have had some success with the following cranks - -OSP EX DR -OSP MAX DR -Megabass Super Z3 -Strike King 5XD -Teckle Drunker -Megabass Griffon/Cyclone -Imakatsu Runvolt 120/80 In the shallower range the Imakatsu Geisha Shad has worked well

@Standard - they could have been Carp/Largemouth Buffalo - the conditions at the time (rain/wind/waves) made it tricky to identify them (it was in an area that is 18 to 22 feet deep) - I will say I have seen some large (probably 30 plus inch Carp/Largemouth Buffalo) jumping/blow-ups in about 8 to 12 feet of water (so they might be doing that as part of their spawn as you mentioned, I took it as fish chasing/feeding on other fish as the reason for the jumping/blow-ups, yet it might just be part of their spawning ritual ?) - they seem to be swimming in groups, some suspending about 2/3 feet under the water sunning themselves - do Carp/Largemouth Buffalo hunt other fish ? I did get out yesterday (Wednesday) and caught 17/15/15/13/14 inch LM in 10 to 16 feet of water - the 17 inch was thick and looked very healthy, I had my scale (just a cheap luggage scale) but could not find the clip so I was not able to weight it - water temp is around 73 - might get out today (Thursday) yet there is a chance for some strong storms later today so I will have to see (it's not overly hot today, about 87, yet the humidity level is very high, so ripe for a thunder storm)

@gim - it was hard to tell - rain, wind, waves and I was wearing amber colored sunglasses due to the conditions -- I did just chat with one of my neighbors, he is a Muskie fisherman, and he said it might have been catfish -- he said there are Flathead Catfish and Bullhead Catfish in the lake -- I am also going to ask at the local DNR office when I get a chance

@throttleplate I like the flying fish photo ! @gim - to clarify the jumps occurred about 8 or 9 times in approx. a 40 yard by 40 yard area on the lake - in a short (2 minutes or less) period of time - my guess is there were 2 or 3 different fish doing the jumping (based on the timing of the jumps and one jumping and then suddenly one jumping 30 yards away - so it was multiple fish, yet they each jumped multiple times) --- I have never seen anything like it - I cannot be 100% certain they were walleye, yet based on the color and shapes of the bodies (wider head area, tapered to a thinner rear section is what it looked like, yet they were jumping and their bodies moving/twisting in the air which can serve to distort things) it appeared that way to me - yet it was raining, the wind was 19 plus and the water was very choppy/waves -- they did not look like bass (based on head area/body shape) and they were not pike/torpedo fish -- and they were good sized fish (which made me even more curious as I am thinking -- why are these relatively big fish with sharp teeth frantically jumping up and out of the water in an 18/20 feet depth area ?) -- I am going to stop by the local branch of the DNR at some point and ask them what their thoughts are on it -- this lake certainly has some big pike, but I do not think it holds any Muskie -- so perhaps it was caused by big pike (or something else ??) on a feeding frennzie going after some good size walleye/or whatever type fish they were ?? - I am really curious as to what the heck was going on !

Yesterday (Thursday) I took on the constant/driving rain and close to 20 mph wind - for a little over 4 hours I tried the east side of the lake as I have found a spot that bass seems to be at - I caught two 15 inch LM pretty quickly - but I was being tossed around/battered by the waves - so I took the slow/grinding ride across the lake to get to the east side, which still had waves but was much more reasonable - my streak of catching pike continued, 3 in a row - and then I landed on several 15/16 inch LMB in about 15 feet of water I have a question for you guys - I saw several big walleye (probably 25 or so inches) jump up and out of the water - probably 8 or 9 times - it was raining/choppy/windy and they were in 18/22 feet of water but were jumping out of the water - Have you ever seen this ? What would be causing them to jump out of the water ? These fish (walleye) have teeth and were big so I am curious what in the lake would cause them to flee/jump out of the water ?

Kittery Trading Post seems like one of the few places where their sale/discount applies to Megabass....so the Bait Monkey said - "Well, you know what that means....."

It's over 100 heat index and wind gusts howling over 40 mph here - so despite my efforts to stay busy the Bait Monkey has been grinding at me all day.... "They are $5 each, get at least 4 of them", "They are only $1, you should get 10 of them, at least.", "Look at all the money you will save"..... So, of course I have gone on to the TW site and looked -- but much to the Bait Monkey's dismay, I am going to ask some questions of the Bass Resource Community before I purchase.....I welcome your feedback on the following lures - -Have you ever used the Berkley Agent E small swimbait ? (it is similar to a Dark Sleeper/Gobius, I have lost a number of both of those lures this spring to toothy critters, so this might be a less costly way to fish that profile -- if they work or perform well) -Have you ever used the Berkley Powerbait Power Switch HD ? -Have you ever used the Big Bite Baits Hybrid Swimmer ? -Have you ever used the SPRO Pin Tail Minnow ? -Have you ever used the DEPS Cover Scat ? I am considering some other lures/gear yet I have experiences with them so I know the performance level -- I don't know about any of the above lures. Thank you in advance for your time/efforts. (and allowing me to push the Bait Monkey out in to the heat for a bit)