TrailerHook

I'm headed to Lake Martin in Alabama next weekend (May 6-9). I've visited this lake once before but never fished it. Anyone got a recent fishing report or any pointers they can share? Thanks in advance!!

Howdy, Nate. Welcome aboard! You'll like it here.

+1 Contrary to what a lot fo people think, a c-rig doesn't necessarily have to be fished slowwwww to get good results. It all depends on the mood and disposition of the fish. They will tell you how fast to work it or any other bait.

Ahh. Very cool demo. My question was answered at about the 3:30 point in the video demo. Man, I gotta get one of these.

I know that Humminbird has been in the side imaging game for a while now and they pretty much have it figured out. Their GPS/SI combo units will allow you to place a cursor over an object on an SI image and create a GPS waypoint that you can come back to later. I assume that Lowrance will offer the same functionality with their new Structure Scan module but have not heard anyone confirm this. So, can anyone confirm this?

Yeah, I would like to have the HDS7 at the console and maybe the 5x at the bow, but money is a consideration. If only it grew on trees. : One more question. Have you had any issues with moisture inside either of your displays? It seems like I have seen several complaints about this posted on this forum and others around the internet. Is this a common problem with the Lowrance units?

Just to clarify....you have the 5x (sonar only) mounted on the bow and the HDS5 (sonar/gps) at your driver's console? If so, how is this working out for you? I was thinking of getting the exact same set-up.

Terrible. Not knowing where to go or what to try, I just decided to start fishing at the first creek off Bayou George to see if the fish had started moving up yet. I caught one short fish along a weedline near the mouth of the creek on a white double-willow spinnerbait and that was it for the entire day. No luck getting any other takers in that creek. Tried fishing some flats and ledges in the main lake and nothing. Tried throwing a dark colored worm around cypress trees and grass beds at the north end of the lake and nothing there either. I had heard this was a tough lake to fish and that many new anglers get skunked their first few times on this lake. So I was satisfied with the one dink. Next time will be better......I hope.

I live in NW Florida and I don't know that the speck fishing gets better in the winter months, but it does tend to get a little easier. What I mean by that is that those with the right know-how and equipment have no trouble catching them year-round in these parts but they have to cover a lot more water to find them. However, in the late fall and on through the winter as the saltier waters of the bay and Gulf cool down, the specks tend to move up in the rivers and creeks as they seek warmer water and more food. This concentrates them in smaller areas and makes them easier to locate and more accessible to anglers like me who do not have a boat worthy of pursuing them in the open waters of the bay. In the winter months, I can fish for them just fine in the rivers and creeks from my 17 foot bass boat.

Why would you pay extra for the SS hooks just to change them out? Just buy the Rapala baits with the regular trebels and save a buck or two. I love my Rap DT's but I only buy the ones with the regular trebels. Those SS hooks just look like a snag waiting to happen. And believe me, I don't need any extra help in that dept. :

Anyone ever fish Deerpoint Lake near Panama City, FL? Never fished it myself, but thinking about heading out there tomorrow and/or Saturday to see what its all about. Looking for info if anybody's got some to share. Thanks!

Hi, Alex. Welcome aboard!

Update: After searching the internet, I found a craigslist listing for the pedal I needed....used of course, but in good condition. Contacted the seller and 5 days later, I have the pedal hooked up and ready to go. Only cost me $50. He also threw in a spare machete prop to boot. I hated to spend the $50, but it was better than buying a new $1000+ trolling motor. Financial crisis narrowly averted!

Thanks, shortbasser. PM'd ya back.

I have a Motorguide 24 volt 82-lb TM with digital steering. It was purchased new with my Tracker boat back in '05 so its only a few years old. The foot pedal connects to the motor via a cable with a 6-pin connection (looks like a computer cable connection) and can be easily removed. Anyway, long story short, the pedal is missing (probably stolen). I contacted the local Tracker/Mercury marine service center (which is my local Bass Pro Shop) about ordering a replacement pedal since my TM is useless without one. They are now telling me that the part is no longer available. What the hell? You mean Motorguide no longer makes these foot pedals? I could understand if my TM was 10 or 15 years old and they were no longer making replacement parts for it. But its four years old! This TM was top of the line just a few years ago and cost over $1000. It works perfectly (other than missing pedal), but now I'm just supposed to throw it away and buy a whole new TM just because the foot pedal is missing? Anyone have any suggestions about what I should do now or how I might find a replacement foot pedal? I feel like throwing up.

Welcome aboard, Desultory!

Welcome to the forums, Hemi6677!

Hey, bodythief. Welcome to the forums!

Hey, bigniner. Welcome to the forums.

Anyone have any experience with the Garmin GPS 76CSX or the Lowrance iFinder Expedition C?

If you go to the Navionics website, you can access a list of compatible units from each manufacturer.

Thanks, buckhunter2! I think the place we are staying is very close to Wingate's Lodge. I love topwater action. You've got me excited now! Woo-hoo!

Will be spending a few days on the Georgia side of Lake Seminole Aug 6-9. Anyone got any tips for where to find 'em and what to use this time of year?

Thanks for the suggestion, Ellesar. I hear the iPhone is a pretty cool gadget, but I already carry one phone for work. The last thing I need is another one to keep up with. I'm really just wanting a purpose-built GPS unit. Any other suggestions out there?

Is it Lake Jackson at the Florala State Park? If so, you are correct that it is a tough lake to fish. The water is deep and crystal clear. During the warmer months it gets very crowded with ski boats and jetskis. I avoid that lake this time of year for that reason alone. I only go in early spring before the water warms up enough for the skiers. There isn't much cover on that lake other than boat docks. And with the water as clear as it is, some of the fish tend to gravitate toward the boat docks to escape the sun on bright days. I have had the most success on that lake targeting boat docks on sunny days using my spinning gear to skip a 4" or 5" weightless wacky-rigged senko-style worm under the docks. Just skip the worm to the shady areas as far under the docks as you can get it and let it slowly fall. If you don't get a bite on the fall, then slowly and lightly twitch it back to the boat, pausing several seconds or longer between twitches. Due to the lack of cover, I think that a lot of fish also hold in the deeper water. So I think this lake would be well-suited for a drop shot rig fished in the clear deeper water in the middle of the lake. Problem is that you'll have ski boats running circles around you out there this time of year. Hope your trip was fun. Post a report when you get a chance!