J._Bricker

Another avenue to explore @Cincycreech is a certificate boat, which is given as a prize for a tournament win in lieu of the actual boat. Granted, it’ll probably be a little more than your current budget but you can negotiate the price with the seller. With the certificate boat you can usually upgrade the boat size, motor displacement, electronics, various options and color. Good luck with your search and your new boat

X2, as I think we all do

Sorry to hear about your situation @ww2farmer, your daughters are fortunate to have you as a stable and understanding father as the three of you work through these unforeseen set of circumstances.

It’s impressive when you see one of these headed towards Stockton and Rough and Ready Island. When loaded with cargo and creating their own tidal current, they can sometimes turn on the bite…

I was able to put in a few days on the water, early morning bite was the ticket. The majority of the better fish for me averaged 3lbs on bladed jigs, senkos, including a 5.1lber on a plopper.

We’ve been paying over $6.00 a gallon for months now, a diesel is even higher ($6.79) as of this morning at the local Chevron station. I’m not gonna let the cost gas affect my fishing, I’m just happy I don’t have to pay $30 a gallon (bulk) for Optimax oil.

Same here. The thought is much appreciated @LrgmouthShad and a Happy Mother’s Day to yours…

How much money have I spent @PressuredFishing on my fishing “addiction” which is kinda a lifelong pursuit of happiness? I’m gonna equate it to government spending…. Most of it’s accounted for, other monies I have no idea ??‍♂️

Very true Rick, but this is a “pro” that really didn’t act the part in this instance. We can agree that the pro in question is an accomplished angler. After all he did pick up a fourth place check in his respective derby. The other boat was high school kids with an adult boat captain, which collectively may or may not know the unwritten rules of tournament etiquette. But a “pro” should understand this and give the inexperienced anglers a little slack and show some class. Unfortunately, this just didn’t happen in the video….

Yes, I was sarcastic to make a point. I did edit my original post but you were extremely quick in your response. I just can’t see how anyone can justify casting at a boat with kids in it as okay. Everything thing else is just minutia to distract what took place in the exchange between boats. If you are a “pro”, then act like one…

Sorry, but what I got out of this was a great video of self justification by our hero about his day on the water. Now it took him a week of mental wrestling to post the video, when he probably shouldn’t have posted it at all. Our “pro” and another adult male, who was probably his co-angler, are working around a blind point and as he clears the point another boat comes into view with two kids who I’m guessing are 14-15 yers old and an adult. Per the “pro” the other boat is roughly 50 yards away, has already turned to port and is headed into the same pocket our hero wants to fish. The “pro”says he can hit the boat with a cast and makes a cast that lands “10 feet” from the boat with two kids in it, not to mention his “half cast” that lands “10-15 feet away” from the other boat. Just as the “pro” points out the occupants of the other boat haven’t said anything, neither has our “pro”, who is supposed to be a “pro”. Maybe our “pro” could have acted like a pro, said something to the effect of “hey, there’s a good fish back there I found in practice, sure would have liked to have got it.” But he didn’t and just continues to creep up on the stern on the other boat, now with one of the juveniles on the trolling motor. The two kids just are trying to fish cause that’s what they’re on the water to do. And then “here it goes” as the “pro” from roughly 15 feet behind the other boats stern makes a cast past their bow. Our “pro” starts to mumble out loud when the adult in the other boat asks if he has something to say at which time differing thoughts were shared. In my opinion, a real pro would have gone around the other boat with the kids knowing he can make hay on a lake that’s getting a lot of fishing pressure. If he can’t, well that’s fishing. I’m sure our hero is probably a really nice guy, but in this instance I think the pressure of the tournament clouded his judgment. I don’t think there’s any justification to cast at a boat with kids in it in an effort to intimidate, and definitely not 33.25 minutes of video on YouTube isn’t gonna work…

I’m in agreement with @PhishLI ‘s advice. Send me the label and I’ll ship it ASAP when my schedule allows, but I will ship it back in the condition I received it. Something about a $350.00 item of mine being lost/stolen/or damaged as the result of not shipping it back comes to mind…

Come on now, when it come to BTS or 303 it’s like Frank’s Red Hot and I put that $#!t on everything!

That’s a good looking boat @pharmfisher. As for the hull color, white, black, red, whatever… scum lines from frog water and hard water stains are gonna show up after a day on the water. It’s a matter of developing a routine and product preference in in wiping down the boat after pulling it out of the water. My routine is using Bow To Stern (BTS) and microfiber towels. It kept everything on my ‘04 Ranger looking good and I expect it to do the same on my new boat. Good luck with your new boat!

My personal best came this AC Mag Shad on an extremely windy day…

I predominantly fish by myself since I’m retired and I can pick and choose the days and conditions I want to fish. I used to take my dad fishing, however he passed away from leukemia two years after I retired and one of the last things he said was he wished he could’ve made one more fishing trip. Once in a while one of my kids will take the day off or a friend will go out on the boat.

I would suggest your best bet would be getting to the lake you pick as early as possible. On a weekend, when the park/marina facilities opens. San Pablo and Del Valle have public launch ramps for gas powered boats, I believe Lake Chabot allows only allows battery or human powered watercraft (boats, canoes, kayaks) that you have to transport down to the marina from the parking lot.

I’m just kinda surprised the good ole red Radio Flyer hasn’t been mentioned yet to get all your gear down to the shoreline. As for a day of stream or river fishing and moving light along the bank I still use a creel with some hemostats clipped to the strap…

Definitely worth a try @5/0, everything in the Delta is in Bethany. When they’re pumping water south out of Clifton Court it can help the bite. West Coast Cajun posted a couple of YouTube videos a month ago fishing outta his kayak if you’re interested. Good luck

Yes he is and definitely agree about the durability of Elaztech!

Nothing like showing out on your first post! Welcome @Jenna Lauren to Bassresource and the Forums!

Ned rig with that little 3” piece of elaztech plastic…. who’d da thunk it’d catch fish like it does, but it does catch ‘em!

I don’t know about the length of the warranty or whether it would be honored, but I’d give them a call to see if the would or offer a discount on a new rod. After all, what’s the worst the could say, “no”. Right? Good luck @padlin with your search, lots of excellent rods and options out there

Congratulations on your retirement @Tennessee Boy, and hopefully the Covid bump in your newly minted retirement road is in your rear view mirror soon. And as @A-Jay mentioned above so well, retirement does take some adjustments but they’re definitely worth it and worth celebrating!

For me when all else has failed catching a bedding green fish…. throw a Fat Ika