surfer

Once. Naturaly I weighed them together. ;D

Where in Orlando are the St Croix Avids on sale? I looked at BPS on I drive. They had about 4 Avids not on sale. I looked at Sports athority on Sand Lake. No St Croix. Have any Central Floridians seen them localy?

I am surprised no one pointed out that sensitive and durable are opposites in fishing rods. You can have one or the other or a compromise. Naturally the compromise is necessary. I don't know first hand, but I believe these guys when they say the "St Croix Avid on sale for $119 or less is the best bang for your buck right now". I also wanted to point out the rods power, length, and action also plays into its sensitivity. For instance I have a Shimano Crucial Drop Shot Rod M/XF and a G Loomis IMX MH/F. Both are 7ft. They are very similar in sensitivity (disclaimer: I have only been fishing about a year and do not have the most discerning hand). From what I understand the IMX is a better material and construction technique, but the extra power for pulling bass out of cover cost some sensitivity. If all other factors were the same the IMX would be more sensitive. Good luck with your choice. Any one who knows better please chime in as I only have a years experience so far.

I can't comment on Frogg Toggs. Heck I don't even know the price. I have a jacket like the one in this link. I use it as a rain jacket, motorcycle rain jacket, and a snow skiing jacket by adding layers. I live in Florida so it is important that it be light and breathable. I also ski deep powder in Utah. This type of jacket is very versatile. Now if I could just remember which glove box I stuffed it in. http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/outlet/TNF0567/c11/s20/The-North-Face-Venture-Jacket-Mens.html

Darn it. I knew you guys were gona try to convince me to switch to bait casting. Now I gota go back and start all over in my search for rod and real. > I will have to wait a month or two so I can aford, but I guess I can start my search for a good rig now. Thanks for the info.

5 hp might be a little small on that boat. I wouldn't go less than 9.9 and preferably a 15 or better. Nice find. I agree with everything said so far about how to outfit it. I am not much for paint and good looks though. I am a form and function guy. Why go through the extra work of painting it when you will just have to do it again.

When you say lower are you refering to 5:1 that pfluemis mentioned or lower?

I know what some of you are going to say, but I am still scared of the backlashes I see my friends getting on their bait casters. So for a spinning reel what kind of gear ratio or line take up numbers should I be looking for?

Use a lighter or heat source to melt the end of the strap to prevent fraying. While it is still molten use a rag to pinch and wipe the exes melt off for a more finished look. Don't let the molten plastic drip on you. It is more painfull than candle wax on the nipples.

Here is a link to the Humminbird website with screen shots for the 535. http://www.humminbird.com/products.asp?id=722 Your 535 should look like this as long as the lake contours are interesting or similar. Orlando lakes are flat and I never see water more than 30 ft (usually 4 to 12ft). That's what my depth finder shows me and if it is mud or sand, but the ability to see the weed cover is worth every penny to me. The website's screen shots for the 575 are fairly close to what I see, aside from depth. if your 535 doesn't look like this then take a picture of the screen and email Humminbird and ask if they can help. Don't accuse them of sending a broken product. They have feelings too. Work with them and I am sure they will fix or replace. Congrats on the new boat.

Put a hitch on the front of your new ATV. ;D

Install a hitch on the front of your truck.

It sounds like you already have played with the settings. Just by scrolling through the menu for 10 minutes you will surly find everything. Make sure it is the 535. If it came with the boat it might be old or abused. I read somewhere that an oily film on the transducer can affect it. Maybe a transducer scrub would help. Sorry I can't help more, but yes the 535 should have a better picture than what you describe.

I snapped my first / favorite pole on my garage door. I was backing my boat in the garage and had left it standing in a pole holder. I heard it scraping as it started to bend then I stopped and looked in amazement at how far over it was bent and tried to decide what to do next... pop. Too late. I think it was the subconscious bait monkey who wanted a new rod.

That doesn't sound right. I have the 575 (same power as 535, wider beam). I can see a clear distinction between thick weeds and the bottom of the lake. Just two weeks ago I was in hydrilla 8ft tall and almost thick enough to walk on. I could clearly see the weeds and the bottom contour. The water was 10 ft visibility and I had visual confirmation of what was on the screen. In cloudy water I don't get the visual confirmation, but the screen still shows me a vivid picture.

What was it agian? Darn short term memory.

Thanks for the tally RW. The top of my thread says... Thank you for voting in this poll. (The results however will remain hidden until all the votes have been counted.)

I think katsu is actually sharper,but therein lies the problem.They are incredibly chemically sharpened down to a fine hairpoint(superline excluded).The durability factor is nil on these things. The very tips bend all the time. You could try to reshape the point,but its pointless,never the same.Owner cutting points will never ever dull until you have the unfortunate luck of snagging one in a rock or some other mishap. If I can go through 3 packs of katsu for 1 pack of owner Id say owner are the best deal around,and Imo they penetrate with less effort. Agreed. The owner Cutting Point on most of their hooks looks like a bayonet. It has a sharp point that fattens into a three sided blade to slice its own opening as it penetrates. Standard needle points must tear the opening after the initial penetration. Picture of the point. http://www.ownerhooks.com/index.htm

so when do we get tot see the results of this poll ?

Knock knock ! Whose there ? Bass. Bass who ? To late, you shoulda set the hook already.

I am in line with all of these guys. Your trailer is not set up for that boat. Most likely the suspension is to stiff and is designed for a much heavier boat. Larger wheels always ride smoother then smaller ones. The transom should be your first concern. I don't think the bouncing will hurt the motor much. Assuming it's a 9.9 tiller that can be lifted easily; the simplest thing I can think of is take the motor off and put it in your truck while trailering to and fro. The boat and trailer bouncing buy themselves won't hurt much and the motor would get a smoother ride.

try craigslist free clasifieds http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/tx

I wen tout yesterday and caught a handfull of dinks. Can I change my vote to 1 lunker now?

Yeah but I doubt he is going to be hitting anything anytime soon with that setup in his jaw. IMO unless I get lucky I doubt I will be able to find that sucker again. Lets look at it another way. With the jig in his jaw he now has problems eating his regular lively forage and will start loosing weight. He will get hungrier than normal and have to eat what he is presented with. If this spot is his normal range where he hangs out he will make mistakes this time not you. Maybe just a daydream, but I like it.

That 7'9" looks like a good swim bait rod to me. 7/8 to 3 oz. Heavy Fast. Although I am a novice and have never used a swim bait rod.