Joolz

I know he normally uses the big show craw for flippin' but I'm not sure if it's a 4/0 he's using or a 5/0. I would guess a 4/0. Anybody know? And what does he use the other sizes for?

Very helpful. I don't think it will be practical and I'm not sure if I will drill holes in the deck because it's filled to the top with buoyancy foam. And I'm almost positive I'm going to get a 24volt.

Sure.

I'll have a 25hp on the back as well. I'm not sure, but wouldn't 3 batteries be overboard? Could I fish for 10 hours with the trolling motor and high, an aerator running the whole time and a sonar unit or two? Or how about this... could I use the trolling motor high, two sonar units, and an aerator for 8 hours straight like in a tourney? I know when I use my 50lb thrust transom mount tm I run low on battery juice after about 6 hours on one 12volt optima bluetop.

I can't seem to find any videos of how good a 16-17footer runs with a trolling motor on high.

I can afford one for 5,000, but I won't be able to pay it off for a long time and I won't have money for anything else. No seriously, I don't think I can afford a 36v unless I have to to be able to fish without losing all power in batteries.

I have a 16' jon boat and want to be able to fish tournies all day. I'm guessing I'll want a 24-volt TM if I want to hook up aerator, TM and sonar. From my understanding, 24-volts are more efficient and will keep you running for longer. Is this correct? Exactly how long? Will I run out of juice during the day? How much LBS thrust would I need? I want to be able to move around quickly and I don't want to skimp, but I also don't want to go overboard and get some massive TM with 90lbs thrust. Thanks for your help, Julien.

Hey all. I have a few questions and would greatly appreciate if you could help as it will get me on the water sooner. I have a 16' fiberglass jonboat that I'm rebuilding and want to fish tournaments and be able to all day with electronics (2 h'birds), a trolling motor, and aerator for the livewell. I want to put two batteries in the back (this is where they should be, right?) but my hookups for the TM are in front so how do I run the wiring thru the boat? I don't want to cut holes in the deck. Thanks

Hey all. My question today is a very common one. Humminbird or Lowrance? I've read and searched for hours on this topic and I hope my decision will be clear within this or the next thread I make. I've seen many people who give their depthfinder of choice a thumbs up, but I really can't make a decision based on their opinion because they don't have a comparable unit from the other manufacturer. I'm looking for advice from people who have experience with both companies' units with the current technology of 2010-11. Here are some things for me to consider: I have no previous sonar experience so I am unbiased. I might be able to get a better deal on one or the other; probably Lowrance. I understand Lowrance has crisper image on the screen, but what good would it be if it doesn't scan as well as Humminbird. Is the technology as far as 'finding fish' goes, equal? I tournament fish a lot and I have NO PROBLEM whatsoever with a complex unit and a large learning curve. I don't need Humminbird's user friendliness if/when I could be better off learning the ins and outs of a Lowrance with more features. I've also heard of the 'horror' stories of Lowrance's customer service, but it seems to be common that people say they haven't had any problems with their service, and that it's been improving greatly over the past months. I'm not sure if this is something to be worried about - if it truly was, I would go with a Humminbird solely for that reason. I've also read that Lowrance becomes cheaper when more than one unit is used on a boat. I definitely don't want to ignore this factor as I may end up getting another one next year or possibly sooner. How about power and processor speed? I don't want to be shorted on refresh rate going with one brand and have lag of the screen - not even sure if this is an issue or not. What other questions should I be asking? I'm basically looking at the HDS-8 vs 998 and the HDS-10 vs 1198. If I come to the conclusion that both are more or less equal and it really doesn't matter which I have at the end of the day, the main factor (already a large one) will become price. I may be able to get a better deal on Lowrance electronics or vice-versa (probably Lowrance). Thanks in advance for your help, Julien

I've been seeking advice on where to mount the unit/s and if I should get one large one or two medium sized ones. I have a tiller 16' boat and I don't know if it's more crucial to have a better view in the back while I'm driving the motor or if I should have the better view in the front where I'm on the trolling motor. - OR if I should have a large unit in the middle on a RAM mount to see from back AND front - I don't think this would work too well. After doing some research on this topic, it seems that since I generally fish small lakes a few thousand acres or less, I already know them fairly well and it would be best to just have it in the front. I would have an extra ram mount in the back for when I'm learning a new lake and want to drive around while observing the unit. Or say I was prefishing a lake for a tournament and wanted to learn it. I would switch from back to front throughout the day, but come tournament day, I'd just keep it in the front to save time. What are your thoughts on this?

If the water is 80 degrees F, and I internally cycle the water constantly, how many times do you think I should recycle the lake water in an 8 hour day?

In the summer, do I need to exchange livewell water and recycle it in the lake often? I'm trying to build a livewell in my boat and am not sure if it's worth the extra effort to drill holes in the boat for water recycling or if I can just stick water in the well once and use a pump and recycle water only within the livewell. What do you think? Thanks

The water temp has stayed constant right around 80 even when the fishing was really good so I don't think that's affecting it. The only chance I've had to fish the canal is 5:30pm-7:30pm. There are plenty of large tree trunks acting as eddies and matted vegetation for bass to hide near. I've been using 3/4 and 1oz Zoom Grass Craws in Junebug and Green Pumpkin. I've thrown dropshots and shaky heads to try to coax one into biting and I just really feel like I'd at least get a bite it there were fish in there which is why I feel that they've just completely moved out. I'm also not seeing all the baitfish I used to in there. So the thing on my mind is falling water due to lack of rain.

I've done really well in the mid summer in a channel off of a local lake with lots of current running through it. I did well pitching baits to eddies there and you could just tell it was loaded with bass. That was when the rain was pretty consistent- maybe twice a week. Now it's the dog days where it's hot, sunny, and dry and I haven't been able to get a single bite back in that channel. There is still current. Does this mean they've moved out or what? It seems as if all shallow slop patterns have stopped due to this falling water and fish are pulling out to weedlines. Will there be more bass positioned behind eddies when it rains?(hopefully soon)

But my point is that when you're flippin with a heavy, fast falling bait, wouldn't it be even easier for a "monster" to just slurp in a small craw bait right in front of her face?

I guess I can see in some cases like when the water is cold or the fish are being weird a jig being yoyo'd through a grass mat might work better than a streamlined plastic with no action. But otherwise, are there any benefits other than plastic? I'm thinking of trying a punch skirt but am not sure of why I would do that over a regular flippin' craw. If the bass hits it on the fall, it's just a reaction bite so it really doesn't matter what lure is in front of the bass's face, right? So, let me hear why you choose a jig or punch skirt. Thanks

For anyone who has tried this rod... he says that the rod is "super stout"; "stouter than most". I'm looking to use braid with this rod for punching mats and I don't want a rod that's too stiff for this. What's your take on this rod? I'm guessing his older sig series is the same action as his new blue one.

I found a deal on a like new 798c SI and am wondering if I should jump on it, or wait a while and get the next model up with the larger screen? One has 5" diagonal and one has 7". Decisions, decisions.

I have trouble keeping the culling process simple with bass. I don't want to use a scale (maybe that's my problem). What is the best way to do this? I can mark my smallest fish with a red culling tag, but when it comes time to cull it out, I'm not sure which is my 2nd smallest. Then I have to go through the trouble of putting them on a balance beam and all that. Also, what are the best tags that will clip onto the fish but not put a whole through them? Or how could I make a solid clip? Thanks

Alright. BeaverIslander brought up a great question. I can only afford one quality depthfinder right now. I have a 16' tiller. Should it be in the back or in the front? I don't think this will influence which one I buy, but it's still a good thing to consider. After thinking about it, I don't want to go with anything less than the 798 series. Based on my understanding of Navionics, I will want the compatibility with it. By the way, can someone give me a quick rundown on the advantages of Navionics? Is it just a contoured map of the lake on my unit? Like a paper map replacement? So now, due to the Navionics issue, it looks like the 898 is my lowest grade option. I should be able to save like $100 from buying off eBay and just going to Humminbird if I have any issues in the future. Is there a special transducer or any extra accessories I should be getting with the unit? Thanks guys.

Okay. I've read a bunch of articles and watched several videos on depth finders. I'm looking to spend around $1000. I definitely want GPS and Sideimaging or Lowrance's equivalent (it's more expensive from Lowrance, right?) I'm leaning toward Humminbird for now. I just don't know which series to get. Is a 7" screen a big difference from 5"? Thanks.

Awesome TopDog. THANK YOU!

http://www.ncangler.com/forums/f8/home-made-live-well-aerator-5071.html I need some help with this little tutorial. I just got a boat and I don't even know how an aerator pump works, so could someone walk me through this a little? I don't understand which pump to get between these two if one is even a good option... http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5693278 http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11071268 From what I understand, the aerator pump is circulating water that has been dumped into the cooler? Am I correct? Oh, and where do the alligator clips come into this project? Thanks

I can only compare to the Lamiglas Skeet Reese cranking stick. The KVD I've got is a 7' MH and feels really nice. The cork may get a little chipped if you're not careful. It's really smooth and feels great when you've got a fish on. The Skeet Reese feels like it balances a little more towards the butt end. Good luck. Not sure what else to say.

Anyone got anymore pictures and reviews they wouldn't mind sharing? Thanks.