cato

Thanks guys, I'm doing some more research. I just placed my order for the 898c si. Feel like I got a pretty good deal for $1299.00, most places I found had them listed at $1499. I'm going to hold off for a little bit longer and go ahead and get another 800 series for the bow. I just need to put in a few more hours of OT at work first.

I'm placing an order for a 898c SI Friday and I'm curious what other Humminbird model thats not quite so expensive I could order for the bow to connect the two units? Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure I want to spend the extra money yet on a second unit but if if some really good ideas come my way then I may not be able to resist. I have a Lowrance X51 on the bow now but its not what I want.

Sounds like the bass have plenty to eat so maybe they are not hungry. I would go for strictly reaction bites.

Went out for a couple of hours today, left the bass boat at home and hit up a farm pond. My dad and I caught 8 largemouth and one crappie all on Senko's. Baby bass and green with chartreuse tip. All around 1lb - 1.5Lb and one that was a strong 3+ lb. Great time fishing with the ol' man!

Thanks guys

It's not that I have a problem, I'm just looking to increase my options for orders and compare pricing. If I can support a small business in my home state of NC then I want that option if its available. I've actually had very good experiences wit TW.

Hey guys, I buy a lot of tackle online and have been ordering from Tackle warehouse mostly but it's in CA and I'm on the east coast. Any of you guys found a really good company on the East Coast to order from? Not interested in ordering from Bass Pro or Gander Mountain. Thanks in advance

Only in the mountains. The rest of the state's climate is too warm for Smallmouths to survive in lakes. Lake James has plenty of smallies. Located just Outside of Morganton. This is where I cought my very first smallie and where I've seen some nice smallies win some tournaments!

I've had one in the finger too. It wouldn't come back out so we had to turn it, popping it out another side of my finger and then cut off the end of the hook where the barb is and pull it back through the original side. Hurt like crazy too!!!

I have pretty good luck with cranks. If I know the water is 8ft deep I will take a crank that I know will dive to 10ft or more. Crank down into the mud or sandy bottom and then give it a little jerk out of the bottom. Most of my strikes come right after I jerk the crank out of the sandy/muddy bottom. If I'm cranking around cover I try to hit everything I can. I have never caught a fish just throwing and cranking it back with no contact to anything.

Very true!

Here is a link if anyone is interested. http://www.foothillsboats.com/CatalogPro.asp?Collection=83

Yeah I know! I think there is always between 45 and 55 boats in this thing every Tuesday. The tournament runs from 6-10pm.

There are plenty of smallmouth in Western NC.

I haven't seen this rig but I like what I'm hearing. Sounds like it could be pretty easy to make a rig like that out of my garage though! I'll have to experiment with this and see what I can create!

Well the results of the tournament were posted online and we finished 22nd out of 48 boats. Not too bad I guess for just starting out fishing tournaments. I just need to figure out how to get a few more keepers and I'll be sitting pretty!

So I just started fishing some tournaments this month and realized I don't know as much about catching bass as I thought I did! Last night was an eye opener! The first tournament I fished was last Tuesday and bad thunderstorms with lightening ended my run after two hours so I was going to give it a fresh start this week. 4 hr tourney, caught 6 fish but only 2 keepers for about 2 1/2lbs total. needless to say we got our butts kicked!!! It was a great experience though and I look forward to the next one!

long rounds of golf have nothing to do with imulating pro's. It has more to do with people not "playing when ready", shooting 100+, and searching for pice of crap golf ball that they probably found anyway for 10 minutes. biend an avid golfer I could go on a real rant about that subject. I rarely ever watch fishing shows simply because its always a sales pitch to buy something. I realize these guys make their living like this and I would do it too given the opportunity but I don't like to watch it. I never wet my hands before handling a fish and never have unless I'm reaching in the water for him. That being said, I catch him, lip him, take the hook out and throw him back! No hugs, kisses, or dancing involved.

T-rigged plastics.

You aren't alone. We ought form a support group for unsuccessful Senko fishermen. I'll be glad to join this group!

As a former competative bodybuilder and martial artist I would have to say no. Sure its better than sitting on the couch and walking around the lake vs in a boat makes a difference but I don't see it as exercise. Thats a personal opinion though. Heart rate doesn't stay up long enough and you need to use more muscles than one arm. One a side note, I consider it to be a very good "mental" exercise!

I was going through some posts this morning while sitting at my desk, bored at work, wanting to be on the lake and realized that you guys talk about catching fish on lures that I never use, even if I have them in my tackle box! I have several topwater, cranks, lipless cranks, senko's, huge variety of worms, lizards, 10'' anacondas, etc that never get used. How much tackle do you have that you don't ever use? Why don't you use it? My excuse? I have proven lures and its a confidence thing. I really want to go out and use some senko's and other things but cant make myself commit. How about you?

Nice! Thats not a bluegill though. Its a Red Ear Sunfish. We call them Shellcrackers around here.

I haven't fished any tournaments although I'm currently looking into some local clubs so all of my fishing so far has been for fun and yes I fish from the front of the boat. I always position the boat so that me and my fishing buddy have similar opportunities to cast at the best spots and if he wants to cast at the good cover and "steal" my spot then we have a good laugh about it and just keep plugging along. Now, the reason I always sit at the front of the boat is simple. I am dishing out the monthly payments on an expensive bass boat, I pay the insurance, I pay for the gas and oil, I make the payments on the F150 that pulls the boat, I buy the gas in the F150, etc. You get the picture. That being said, my buddy has never asked to sit up front because (refer to paragraph 1) and if he did I would say....Oh, h@ll yeah man, come on up, I'll hang at the back of the boat.

I agree completely but since it's there I want it to work correctly. I guess I'm a little anal about things like that.