Dawn2Dusk

Other than the "obvious" stuff... I can't hardly live without a depth finder/fish finder up front with me on my casting deck. I want to know the depth at all times and what the contour of the bottom is.

I concur on the compression check... I know a guy that bought a boat back in Feb. that looked like a GEM but after a couple trips to the lake he just knew something wasn't right b/c the top end on it was about 15 to 18 mph off what it should be. He took it to a local marina and they came back saying one piston was on the verge of dropping out and that it was only putting out 1/4 the output it should.

Thanks bud... Yeah, I've been forwarned about hitting something by a couple folks saying exactly what you did in that it'll stand the test but the foot won't...

Can any of you senior (not as in age but experience) boaters tell me what I can expect going from alum 10 1/2" x 13 pitch prop to a 10 3/8" x 14 pitch SS prop? I have a 60 horse 4-stroke so it's not going to be a speed demon but what I am looking for is the assurance of the toughness of stainless steel over aluminum first and foremost. But are there any other advantages that come with SS? Here are some helpful specs: OLD PROP Mercury Factory Alum. prop - 10 1/2" x 13 pitch Top Speed: 34 mph RPM: 5975 NEW PROP Michigan Wheel - Apollo XHS SS. prop - 10 3/8" x 14 pitch Top Speed: 36??? guessing here and hoping RPM: 5800??? guessing here and hoping

In Feb. of this year I purchased a new Lowe 175 Stinger with a 60 HP 4- stroke on it. It's the closest boat I could find that would suffice all my needs and styles of fishing. I have a 20 month old son and one to be born (son) in late Sept. of this year so I wanted a boat that I could fish two up front (in seats) and one in the back. I wanted one with livewells and baitwells, etc., etc., etc... Anyhow, the Lowe 175 just fit me best and my budget. So then after the purchase began the real work. Setting it up to be a fishing machine... So far I've discarded the dealership Navman 4430 at the console and replaced it with a much more powerful Humminbird 323. I've also installed a Lowrance X135 up front on the front deck (transducer on the trolling motor) I'm installing pulley systems in the front and back of the boat to handle anchors when needed as well. The motor came standard with a aluminum prop and I've just ordered a Stainless Steel one to replace it with. Setting up a boat is fun, but by gollies it's costly. Soon I hope to have it set up completely and I can just fish without worry or desire for this or that... This is a bass, bream, catfish, crappie, hybrid bass boat...

The Storm Kickin' Minnow is a bass killer where shad bait fish are present. If you don't plan on fishing it near thick woody cover, I would change the hook out with a VMC sure set... http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=83530&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

Unlike a couple folks, I've found that my best success comes from the following shakey head set up: ML Shimano Crucial 6'6 Rod with a Daiwa Tierra 2500 spinning reel. I lined mine with 15lb Power Pro braid and use a 10' to 12' leader of 10lb P-Line Halo (Uni to Uni Knot). I like the Luck ''E'' Strike Finesse Football Jigheads; 1/8oz and a Green Pumpkin Zoom Finesse worm with the last 1/4" of the tail dyed fluorescent yellow ( I like Spike It / Garlic).

It might seem "HUGE" at first but it's a winner. Try putting a swimming senko as the bait on a 3/8 oz Swarming Hornet (under spin)... It works very well on schooling Spotted bass or working the edges of blow downs, tree tops, etc. for lurking Large Mouths. You can cover a lot of water with it pretty quick and generally speaking you won't be reeling in many dinks on this rig.

The way I do it is when I get a strike, I immediately point my rod at the direction of the strike giving slack in the amount of about 2'. I allow the bass to run with the bait until the slack is out and then I set back into him/her. It seems to work well.