WaskaCrank12

@Eric 26- I ordered one of the 7'6" Abu Garcia spinning rods from Sierra - my hope is that it arrives whole and not in pieces ! I will post once I receive it

@Swamp Girl and @gim - Thank you for the FYI - I have just been randomly allowing the fish to dictate how they are on the measuring board, if they flop and the head is near the bump board end then I take the picture/measurement that way - if the head is toward the open end I snap the picture that way - but now I will take a moment and make sure I have the head at the bump board as it makes sense to do that for the most accurate measure - I just have to do it enough times to make it stick/make it a habit ! Thank you !!

I do not have experience with their spinnerbaits - but oddly enough I bought a bag of tackle at a yard sale and in it there was a pack of Jewel Bait Co. - "Spider Jigs" - the package says they were made in Bakersfield, MO - I think from the late 80's/early 90's - the jigs have worked well for me (I know that doesn't help you with the spinnerbait questions)

Similar to @RRocket and @Columbia Craw I have found a moderate action rod works best for me in regard to positive landing the fish rates with bladed lures I have a Medium/Moderate rod that I use for the smaller bladed lures and a Heavy/Moderate that I have used for larger bladed lures Similar to yourself I was losing fish - when I switched from fast action to moderate action I have found a positive increase in getting the fish into the boat

I have attached a picture of a lure (Nishine Lure Works - Spybait) that has been very effective for me in catching Small Mouth Bass - yet it has also caused issues (as you can see by the blood on the measuring board) - the fish typically inhale it so the back trebles (or terrible hooks as I sometimes refer to them as) are cutting up the fishes gills or throat, and there is probably some additional damage from the back prop - the back hooks are then very difficult to remove from the fish, especially fish with a smaller mouth --- Has anyone else encountered this ? Do you think crushing the back barbs would be a decent idea ? Maybe taking the back treble off completely ?

@Swamp Girl - thank you ! This is a new SMB PB for me

As @gim mentioned it was a hot/steamy weekend - I caught mostly 12 to 14 inchers - yet on Sunday I had a solid catch with this one who was hiding in the shade - This is a new Smallie PB for me !

It was a steamy/humid MN day - did not catch many - but this was a solid catch - it is a SMB PB for me !

@gim - The temp is not that high here (currently low 80's) but the humidity level is almost matching the temp so it does feel like swampy/sweaty late July weather - and it seems tomorrow it might ramp up a bit more - yes, summer roaring back in. I am sure the southerners on here would feel right at home fishing in this weather !

I have only been fishing for a few years - and have kept a notebook with information in it - and so far I have found it to be very helpful - yet in the future I may make a form on the computer instead of writing everything out - or use a form like ones I have seen here - I also look to take a pic of each catch, typically on my measuring board, so I have a time stamp of when the fish was caught, ect... Thank you for reminding us all --- as I have forgotten a few times, I repeat this to myself each time I arrive at the ramp --- PUT THE PLUG IN, PUT THE PLUG IN......

Some recent catches (experiencing some frustration trying to get the pics to a size that will fit)

@RRocket - I wish I had seen your thread and info. before ordering - I understand the additional cost of the tariff and was prepared for that (I felt it would be in the $10-$12 range and it was) - yet I was naively thinking that because I met the "free shipping" requirement of the shop that there would be no additional charges - so the $17 UPS "Brokerage Fee" was disappointing to say the least. The lures/baits I purchased were ones that I was not finding at US shops (colors/sizes/or just the lure itself) - but in retrospect I would have been better off waiting for availability in the US or doing without them - I purchased 8 items, so at $100 that came out to an average of $12.50 per lure/bait - at $130 (adding in the tariff and brokerage fees) it averages $16.25 per lure/bait (or $3.75 more per lure/bait) I will not be doing that again - I heard today, on a podcast, that online orders from Canada to the US are down over 80% - and I can see why that is the case based on this experience

I ordered from a Canadian shop - $100 order (which meets the criteria for "free" shipping UPS emailed and said I owed $29.75 ---- $12.75 for Tariff - $17 for "Brokerage Fee" No more ordering from our northern neighbours for me

@ElGuapo928 - thank you - the boat is a 93' LUND (Tyee ll, 16.5 foot) so it very well may be wiring/amperage - I am the third owner of the boat - so I do not know the history of the wiring (ie, is it original ? had it been updated/changed at any point ? are there any crimp connections ?) As I have mentioned I am a novice when it comes to wiring/electrical but I am learning (ie, I am learning about wire gauge, amps, conductivity, ect....) It has been mentioned that many older boats had 50amp yet newer electronics/trolling motors may require 60amp - my guess is the same thing applies to wiring (ie, moving from 6 gauge to 4 gauge) Thank you ! and I will keep you guys updated

Hello @Susky River Rat - thank you for the info. The two batteries (Duracell series 27 - 12v each) were purchased new this year - they charge fully thru the onboard charger - so I think the batteries are good, but I will also check them as newer does not mean they are working perfectly. @Reel @FloridaFishinFool @casts_by_fly have also all brought up good info/ideas - I will dig deeper into it when I have time this weekend - yet it seems my next most immediate steps will be to check the breakers/fuses (there seem to be 4 fuses total, they are located on the wires that go to the batteries) - I will also look to trace and check all of the wires from the trolling motor to the batteries to see if there are cracks/fraying/other problems (the previous owner of the boat would have done all the wiring from the trolling motor to where they connect with the batteries) If nothing pans out with those steps then I will have to look into steps that @FloridaFishinFool has mentioned Thank you to each of you as I am a real novice when it comes to wiring/electronics so your input is greatly appreciated !

@FloridaFishinFool - Thank you for the information - wow, a lot to take in ! I am a novice with electronics so I may have to re-read your excellent/informative post - with that said I am a determined/curious learner - so I am open to looking at a wide variety of solutions to the issue (which might be going with the option you offered) - yes, it is a 24v trolling motor, wired to 2 - size 27 - 12v AGM batteries (purchased and installed in May 2025') The current trolling motor on the boat has a total of 10 speeds (I am not sure if I am describing that correctly) - on the foot pedal controller the speed "wheel" goes from 0 (off) to 10 (highest speed level) - currently if I turn that dial to 1,2,3,4,5 the motor is fine and runs well - yet once I turn that dial past 5, the motor shuts off (when the boat is on the water and the trolling motor/blade area is in the water) - if I am on land and run thru the speeds the motor operates fine (ie, the blade turns and adjusts speed at all setting - speed 1 thru speed 10) - so having the trolling motor/blade in the water seems to be a difference maker (and it certainly does me no good to have a trolling motor that operates fine on land but not in the water !!) The trolling motor came with a remote control - I have never used that and will have to go get a new battery for it today - I can then check and see if it does the same thing when using the remote control (vs. the wired in foot pedal controller) - this could help me narrow down the what might be causing the issue @casts_by_fly - very good information, Thank you ! I will take a look for/at the breaker this afternoon.

Hello Everyone - I have a Minnkota Terrova trolling motor (Model # 1358862 - Serial # L105MK00080, 80 lb/60"/i-Pilot). I bought the boat used so I do not have the manual or know the full history of the trolling motor. What I do know is that it currently will go up to speed 5 - and if I turn it up past that the motor turns off. Oddly this does not happen when I try the motor while on land -- but anytime the motor is in the water it shuts off when it is turned up to anything beyond speed 5. I have cleaned the blade area (took the blade off, cleaned some line/gunk off) - yet it has not made a difference. Any and all trouble shooting ideas are welcomed ! Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.

@gim - you are correct, last year, due to motor issues, I was not able to get on the water until August 10th - but the first year was a full summer and only 34 fish Thank you for the questions @Swamp Girl - here goes: --#1 thing that has helped me the most --- reading/watching/learning from Bass Resource and YouTube (Tactical Bassin' guys are good teachers, among others) --- success leaves clues and there are people like you/A-Jay/others who are successful at this bass catching quest and have made your wisdom/knowledge accessible --- thank you for that !! --#2 has been (and will continue to be) learning to identify where the fish might be lurking -- in year one I just wandered around and around and around -- narrowing the scope and being in higher probability areas has helped significantly --#3 I would say lures/gear - in year one I had yard sale rods/reels - thru research and asking many questions I have acquired some moderate level gear (a fair amount of it used but in very good condition) and found lures that seem more appealing to the fish (ie, looking at the perch patterns @A-Jay uses) In my first year I was clueless - just happy to be on the water and wandering around - year two was shorter but I made positive strides - this year things are starting to move in a positive direction - I love being on the water, the challenge of finding/catching fish makes it even more fun !

I was able to snap this pic right before catching my 250th fish of the year - for perspective: year one I caught 34 total fish, last year 63 fish, now this year a big jump in numbers (and PB's) - I have been fortunate to get on the water 38 times this season - close to my desired number of 40 - hopefully I can now get to 50 before the open water becomes frozen solid - Thank you to everyone in the Bass Resource community for sharing your wisdom, expertise and love of the bass fishing experience

@Reel - thank you for that info - I will update when I find out more info. for the items I purchased - ugh, I wish I could have avoid UPS now that I read your post, but it was the shop that said they "now ship UPS Expedited" - my purchases were right at $100 US - hopefully I don't get dinged too badly !

I recently ordered a few items from Canada - the shop said they will be using UPS expedited shipping - I am wondering if I will get an email bill from UPS (for duty/taxes) ? Or will I have to be home when they deliver and pay at that time (That would seem silly) ? - I will see what happens and let you know - For now I am holding off on a few JDM items that I have been considering purchasing

I fished for several hours with only a few breaks offs and nibbles......so I decided what the heck and tossed a craw style lure towards a dock - whack, this 18 inch SMB (this ties my PB for a SMB) grabbed it and dove, jumped, and battled - but the real big one came on the next cast..... and, literally on the next cast to the same dock - ZZZZZZZZZZ, my drag was buzzing, I thought I must have hooked a big carp, because this things went blazing from the dock to deep water fast - after quite the battle (this was on 6 lb. line and a Light + rod) I reluctantly hauled this Northern Pike in to the boat - it was 30 inches long (I tried to load the picture of it next to the measuring board but it says the file is too big) , it's head/mouth were very big (my guess is this thing will eventually grow to be a monster)

Awesome ! A beauty !! Wonderful to see such a healthy/strong fish, tail walking SMB are always fun ! You bring up a good point that we have to keep perspective on what size fish are in the lake we are fishing - I watch YouTube (and follow Old Lady Angler as well) but have to remind myself that in TX/CA/FL they have 10 plus pound bass in abundance, where in my local lakes (west central MN) a 20 inch/5 lber is considered a "trophy" bass - I have taken to looking at the DNR "Lake Surveys" of the lakes I am fishing to see what size fish they have found in their surveys over the past 20 to 25 years to give me perspective on what size fish are in that particular lake

This is only my third year of lake/boat fishing - yet since the start I have tracked my catches - and the catch rate leans hard towards JDM lures/baits - certainly not all, yet a high percentage - so this led me to purchase more JDM lures/baits, mostly from *** yet also from a number of Japan based shops - overall quality/attention to detail/number of fish caught are all factors in my decision to lean towards JDM lures/baits

Yes @Standard hopefully the rain will slow down (we needed the rain due to drought conditions over the past several years, yet there have been an abundance of storms/rain this summer) - I too hope the water levels drop a bit (this pic is from a local lake)