Big Fish Rice

I learned of this technique from a Lindner Media video that I purchased last year...a little bit different setup, but they use it in Minnesota and absolutely annihilate big bass in the heat of summer. Thanks for bringing up the topic...sounds like you and your Dad have a good thing going

For cover, flipping/pitching lily pads. For structure, I love fishing jigs around rocks. Big fish baits!

Points are obvious, Google Maps will help you there. Any type of cover where the water will be shaded are excellent. If you are fishing points, or breaks, one lure can really help you find out what's beneath your Yak - a jig. Choose a 1/2 ounce football jig with your favorite trailer and start shallow and work out. If you're pulling up green weeds, chances are you're in a great summer spot. A rocky bottom can be great too. Look for weeds and rocks, you'll feel them both easily. Without electronics, you have to maximize your casts. Instead of trying to work an area shallow to deep, zig zag back and forth so that you cover water and cover the different depths.

Sad...but it happens...a lot! I always see people mishandling fish. I even watched a group of pleasure boaters stop skiing, catch a largemouth about 5 lbs and then put it on a stringer. Only to boat down the lake with it... I literally had to block my mind from witnessing that one..

15lb or 17lb Fluoro is what I use, always casting gear. If I went to spinning, I would probably use 40 or 50lb braid with a fluoro leader, but for swim jigs and chatterbaits, I sure hope that spinning rod has a tremendous backbone.

I will say that the boats I've ridden in with E-Tecs are quick to plane. Very powerful motors - but the issues with them over the last few years just makes me look towards Merc and Yamaha. This particular design is growing on me though. Of course, you have to wait a few years to let others be the guinea pigs.

Awesome! My dad had one just like it when i was little. Used to sit on his lap and shift (5 speed). Sure would like to get one to restore!

Well, my local lakes are much different than lakes 2 hours away. At Potholes Reservoir, I have found fish in pockets of scattered weeds (but this body of water is HUGE and has abundant vegetation). For smaller bodies of water, frogs along the shoreline and small swimbaits have caught me fish, along with jigs on any kind of rock that I can find. Usually here in my area, all of our lakes have lava rock, so fishing jigs is a no brainer. My last trip this past weekend...I caught 12-15 fish on a Rapala DT6 fishing shallow...and bringing the crankbait over the edge of the drop. So casting up shallow...digging the crank in the rocks/sand....and bringing it back to the boat. Kept getting smashed! Much different than last year....like you, I was catching fish on docks with vegetation with jigs and plastics.

I've had the same experience here in Washington State. Regardless of the talk about warmer years, one thing's for certain: nothing ever stays the same (or grows the same). With that being said, temperatures play a huge role in vegetation growth. Research photosynthesis...there's a lot of moving pieces to the puzzle.

It's clear that the boat did not have an "impact" because you would certainly see a more confined area of damage, especially with scratches, spider cracks, etc. Sure hope the owner can get it sorted out!

Co-angler for a nice sized tournament. Loaded my camping gear, clothes and rods. Got 20 miles away and my wife texted me this: "You forgot your tackle bag!". Yep...all of my lures and line. At least I had extra clothes My partner was nice enough to turn around. Here's another $20 for gas lol.....

You're going to hear a lot about higher graphite content = more brittle rods, but the fact of the matter is this: after working retail fishing and seeing how some rods come in from shipping, many "breaks" and defects could easily be how the rod was treated....before you got it off the shelf. Quality control is another thing. I wonder how many rods are built around the world in one day. There's always going to be a bad one in the bunch. If it becomes a constant thing, that's when I would approach the manufacturer in a nice way and let them know your experience. Hopefully you don't have it happen again...but look at it this way....you must have a heckuva hookset Tight lines olblue72! By the way, a '72 Chevy? Just curious...

7'3 MH would be much better than a 7' Heavy for your original post.

Buying in the Winter is great....for price negotiations. But it's bad for test drives. If you're in a warmer climate, then yes...December and January can be great. For new purchases, "boat shows" are the way to go since they often have newly released incentives, or financing specials (from the dealer who is actually selling boats at the boat shows). For used boats, you'll often get bare bones pricing from people because they generally want to sell before March or April. They might need the money...the room because the wife is complaining, or heck, they might want to upgrade to a different boat but can't until they sell the old one first. So yes...I think your plan is solid! Start looking now to get a feel of used boat pricing....it can take months to find something you're willing to buy.

Absolutely! Glad to help. Definitely check with USAA. I've used them for vehicles (and my house) and they've been nothing short of spectacular. Then, when you find the boat you're willing to give a thumbs up, let the dealer see if they can beat USAA's APR with their lenders. Or, if you buy private, shop USAA and another lender to see who comes to the table with the best deal. You could research boat loans here too. Lots of great info on BassResource about this topic!

Both are solid boats. For years, you can only go back a few for the VLO sicne it's a newer model. For Z7s, you can look at older years depending on if you are finding something that you want in your price range. Champagne taste on a beer budget won't get you far. I've seen an average of 50-100 hours on a motor per year, so obviously you would want to try and get the boat/motor with less hours. If it's taken care of properly, they can run 10-15 years. It's a case by case scenario. If you dig deep on the internet about Tracker Marine Group (Nitro) and Platinum Equity (Owns Stratos, Ranger, etc) you're bound to find negative feedback, positive feedback and everything inbetween. Here's what your purchase will come down to: 1. Your budget (don't forget insurance, tax, title, etc) 2. The dealer you choose to work with 3. The post-purchase support from your dealer (Service, defects, issues, electronics rigging, etc) Both boats rigged with 150s will allow you to enjoy the sport, yet be competitive if that's what you choose to do. Look at the storage, layouts and ALWAYS take each boat out for a test ride. You wouldn't buy a car without researching and driving it, so this is no different. The 2014 189 VLO specs look like: 93" beam 1500 lbs (single console) 33 gallon tank (important) 70-pound 24Volt Trolling System 7'6" longest rod length Road armor trailer Surge brakes Estimated top speed: 63mph (Evinrude 150 H.O. performance test from 2011) The 2014 Nitro Z7 specs look like: 94" beam 1650 lbs 41 gallon tank (important) 70-pound 24Volt Trolling System 7'6" longest rod length Powdercoated trailer No mention of surge brakes or not Estimated top speed: 61-63mph (Mercury Pro XS 150) As you can see, many similarities. When you get back, introduce yourself to a dealer or two and ask for test drives. Once you decide on the boat, and only then If you have financing lined up, they may want to try and beat your APR with their lender(s). I'd recommend letting them see if they can be competitive. Lower APR = less money you're borrowing over the life of the loan. I won't give financial advise beyond that because I'm not a professional - but getting a better deal is only going to help you. Other than that - sounds like you've got an exciting time ahead of you. Get back safe man. Let us know if we can help you out any more too!

First, thanks for your service. From one vet to another, it's important for you to come home and find that one thing that makes you happy! Fishing isn't a bad choice at all For the VLO and the 115hp - just don't do it. That boats needs a 150 no matter which way you look at it. For performance and resale value, you'll be stuck with something that won't make you happy in the long run. Can't urge you enough to steer away from this package... Secondly, you'll want a 19' or 20' boat. I would recommend a 200hp or more, especially for tournaments. I'm not saying a 150 won't allow you to be competitive, but I've been in boats where the guys with the 150s just can't take getting beat over and over and over. If it were smaller bodies of water, I would say go for it because it's easier on the pocket and more fuel efficient. But....you're on big water. For me it would be a 19' with a 200hp MINIMUM. Third, let the boat dealer work for you. If you're looking at a new boat, yes...it can be great with a warranty, etc. With a budget of 20k, you would be surprised at what you can find in your price range...with many of the features and accessories already installed on the boat. Many pro-staff trade their boats in yearly, or every two or three years. The most important thing is getting the boat inspected. Then, looking at the mechanical history of the motor. If the boat and motor check out - you just saved a TON of worry and heartache. By the way, find a boat inspector and pay that guy a couple hundred dollars to do an unbiased inspection when you find a boat you're serious about buying. Don't take the dealers word...or a previous owner's word. A real inspector knows what to look for and will save you thousands....just by spending a couple hundred bucks. Any other questions, fire away! I've been in almost every model except for the BassCat Eyra and Legend V-20. Many of the rides are unique (rough water versus handling, etc) but all brands are building good boats. Lastly - shop around. You can buy local, or you can reach out to larger dealers across the country. You never know what kind of deal you're getting until you get multiple quotes.

Your car would pull it, but it doesn't necessarily sound like you aren't comfortable with purchasing a new tow vehicle. With that being said, you could always tow it to a recycling center and have it weighted (boat, trailer, etc) to see how much it really weighs, or any weigh station along the highway. If you're taking the time to be safe, most people will probably let you do it for no charge. I doubt you're over 1,000 pounds by looking at it, but you just never know without checking. Play it safe...and be safe in my opinion!

Wanted to see what you all think of the new Evinrude E-Tec G2? I know it will make some very picky guys happy since you can match the sideplates and accent colors...to the boat! Your thoughts?

The biggest thing is the longevity. You'll eventually have to change out the plywood....but it is much easier to work with and less expensive. We used aluminum in our jon boat and it's strong as could be. It was worth the cost on our side because we also trailer the boat down miles of dirt roads. I wouldn't think too much about it. Sounds like you have your plan...so go fishin'

One of my most popular videos on YouTube is converting a jon boat to a bass boat. Granted, there is a lot of time involved, as well as money, but you can take the most basic boat and turn it into something unique. Still fishing out of it today! Message me if you need help...I'm willing to help you along with any questions you may have.

Alright, fished with both! The 736C is a beast. Has a lot of backbone and the sensitivity is good. I think that since it is a "6" power, I lose a bit with it being a fairly stiff rod. I think the "5" power would be better suited for jigs and texas rigs overall. This "6" would be a great swim jig rod though, as well as a flipping/pitching rod. THe Excell IIs are very light, balanced and just plain great quality. I'm very happy with both models. Haven't used many glass rods over the years, but I did catch a smallie on a square bill with the 705 Excell II Glass and it felt awesome. More of a parabolic bend throughout the entire rod. Should be great for DT6's and DT10s. For $99, it's a big yes from me.

The Strike King Rage Craw is a great trailer, or if you want to swim a jig, you can use a swim senko as the trailer (cut a couple inches off the worm). While skirted jigs catch fish either way, I would recommend using trailers like many ofthers have said.

Great story, absolutely! I realize not all guys and gals have the opportunity that you and I had when it comes to being introduced to the sport by our fathers, but these are the types of memories (and parents) that really deserve a whole lot of recognition. I hope you find peace this Father's Day...because it sure sounds like you had a great one...and many happy memories with him.

Haven't seen that before...but it obviously looked real enough if he took it down