Garnet

It's a never ending search, it's almost never the same as practice. If conditions are near the same thats a start, you need to adjust. Sometimes you might change the rules maybe from trolling motor to drifting. You might be fishing smallies in rivers and this time of year smallies make big moves so you make big moves. It's called fishing and when you make the adjustments and do well it's great. Garnet

Refer to Keeping a Log to help you make decisions. Garnet

You didn't mention the crankbait style. Some flatside cranks are reel-stop reel-stop getting them to walk the dog deeper these will roll and surface. Something like rapala dt 16 if you reeling hard enough to get it to roll and surface quit lifting wieghts. So it's most likely not tuned good our you over powering it. Garnet

All vehicles have a tow rating so get on that Toyato site and find out. You need to add everything up you tow, boat motor, batterys, trailer and even a four wheel in the box and humans. I still keep it well below the recommdation. Garnet

Another thing I note is my wieght and the winning wieght. I fish against the same people and know there styles or heard what they were doing. If cranks are winning and I'm dropshoting........... my areas are going to see some cranks. Garnet

I'm further north than you start with your first tournament from last spring and start writing then your next and so on, as you get along you will remember more things about each tournament and practice day. I might pick up my notes any day and read them over! From Xmas day on is when I get serious . The general feel of the day is most important to me is the front passed it or approaching is the weather staple what type of activitly am I seeing. It's such a habit that I notice fronts and predict fish activity evertime I step out the door so I'm practicing everday on the water or not. I don't ever no the barmetric pressure but I sure can tell you if it's going up or down. Garnet

Don't start next year start NOW. 3 ring binder blue pen and a red pen. Theres no bad info. Start with days you remember or tournament days date location weather at top of page. Were you fished in blue pen leave spaces then in red pen the whys and how you did. If you fill the space turn page over and keep writing. Remember no bad info. I've added things 5 years later. I've tried the computer models and still like writing it out. Now your next fishing day in blue pen Location,date, weather are prefishing tournament or on new lake and were you are going to try from experience or map study. When you get home in red pen make report. Rick Clunn writes a report every 10 minutes of every practice day. I use a mini recorder mostly on new lakes and the lakes I've fished alot, trying to stay in the now. I listen to the info on the way home from lake then transferr to binder. Keep reading it, your mistakes will be repeated over and over and you will get tougher and tougher. Garnet

Redwing Tackle supplies neting in lots of colors and is available all around the Great Lakes. Garnet

Moto Guide parts are very expensive. Garnet

I also live were it freezes and start the motor quick and shut it down, somebody told me it spins the impeller then I trim down and drain. Garnet

For both your problems, when it stops turn your speed up, if nothing happens take a stick (not your fingers) and push the prop if your motor starts you have a dead spot in motor. Could be just adjustment or new motor. The only turn off saftey is fuse/breakers if they are too large or not there it's wienie roasting time. Garnet

The guy I fish with has a 201 Stratos anf to lean on the butt seat and run the trolling motor you would need to be 7.5 ft tail. So I'm looking for offset butt pole for Stratos. Garnet

Sorry guys Southern Ont. I fish 12 months every year. We do a thing called icefishing! And I dream about meeting my great great grandfather and slapping the idiot for moving half way around the world and stopping were it's snows for free land......... then the joker sold it for a cow and a mule, you guessed it all condo's now. My point is that anglers get all focused on the turnover and it's a very small thing that might effect 1-2 days fishing if you were on the water. Even northern bass don't like cold front everyday, just now they've started chewing and cold fronts are having less effect. Garnet

The 1 reason I kept the external Transducer is you can angle transdcer a little right and know that all fish are to the right of the boat. Garnet

It's ok I love them to. Garnet

Fall turnover is a mixing of different layers of water and great fishing doesn't happen the next day or the next week. This is not about southern sissy bass. From the time of turnover our lakes are getting hit by front after front almost everyday so fishing is all over the place great day, bad tommorrow good 1 hour bad the next. Just like the weather. If you keep fishing, bass will get there winter coats on and go crazy then fronts don't matter warm days don't matter they just start chewing. The fall turnover is a fact but it has very little to do with good or bad fishing. Garnet

Every rod I own is spooled with Yellow Power Pro mostly 20lb on 2000, 2500, 4000 spinning. I fish a pro/am every year and spool 50lb on spinning for my am's and it works well. In weedy lake I permanent marker the last 10 ft and clear lakes run leaders. Garnet

As they say it's how you wiggle your bait! Power Pro has made heavy line spinning. So now you can take 1/2 piching jig off your BC and fish comfortably. Just switching baits between BC and spinning makes you fish with a wider range of wiggles weather it's cranks, spinnerbaits,jigs. Garnet

Instead of getting sponsors you should sell your skills to tackle companys. Lots are very small and most need help in packaging, Advertizing, internet. Garnet

I replace all my rods and reels about every 5 -7 seasons. And I buy in groups of 4 identical rod and reels. They are all Shimano Claus, Curado,Spirex,Saros. And I'm not going to any 12 step meeting. Garnet

You didn't mention your normal approach and some input on lake type. Garnet

As a nonboat you have to work twice as hard as the boater. Your relationship to the shore was little tight and it's your job to make it work. For the boater it's very hard to watch somebody at the back of a boat. If the issue is the boater moving when your bait hits the water you better start feeding line or change to heavier jig, things like senkos, jerkshad are just not going to workout. Being a nonboater is a tough job and the best at it are very good anglers. Garnet

Check behind prop for line. Garnet

If it fish the same, the boys should check out Normans Quarter Back great tiny jerkbait that can be reel wide open and stay true. Garnet

Thank you thank you thank you my supply of (secret Weapon) is getting down. Garnet