38 Super Fan

Don't be afraid to ignore conventional wisdom and fish "against the grain", so to speak.

You'll need to stick with the original sizes, or close to it. There are lots of brands of replacement trebles out there. I like Gamakatsu bulk packs, great hooks, and fairly reasonable on price. Mustad Ultra Points are very good, but very expensive. For a good quality pack of trebles that won't break the bank, the Fletcher Shryock hooks you can buy at Wal-Mart are hard to beat. Also, invest in a good set of split ring pliers if you haven't already.

I've got a lot to learn when it comes to fishing deep and the use of electronics. I've got plenty of other weaknesses too, but that would be the most glaring.

That's a nice one, congratulations!

I like Pro Blue. I've caught a lot of them on French Pearl too, even though it's a little bit of a bright color. It's really good in low light.

Ugh, I'm required to have a signature now?

I have a couple and I really like them. If you can get one for $99, that's unbeatable.

A French Pearl Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait. I only have one in that color, I've had it for years now, and I caught my PB Largemouth, and Smallmouth on it. You'd think I'd have bought at least one back up by now, but I'm too cheap.

I suppose it's different everywhere. As far as bass here in Kentucky, I think it's still good, but the fishing pressure, and tons of recreational traffic out on our lakes sure does suck. People around here are notorious for keeping everything they catch too, that doesn't help. We've still got some big fish, but I'm not sure there are any state records swimming around these days. The state record largemouth was caught in 1984, spot was in 1970, and smallmouth (also world record) was way back in 1955. Those were all a pretty long time ago, and I really don't think we'll ever see that smallmouth record fall.

Great info, thanks! I do like the Triton more, and I may look a little deeper into that one. But I'm in no hurry, I know finding a good boat at a good price might take a little time, and that's just fine with me. I never jump into anything without doing a whole lot of research.

Go with the one you can tie the best/easiest. For me that's the double uni.

Incredible!

Yep, I've looked into that. Even a big 21' glass boat is well within the tow capacity of my Explorer. My hitch and the ball are rated to 5K lbs so no problem there either. I tow anywhere from 120-200 miles (round trip) to the lakes I fish the most, and it's common for me to fish a couple times a week, that's still a lot of wear on a vehicle over time even with an aluminum boat. It's also very mountainous around here, that sure doesn't help.

Thanks Tom. I know there are a lot of variables on fuel consumption, but I'd like to get a ballpark idea of what I'm getting into with a big glass boat. Just out of curiosity, how many miles would you say you cover on a day where you've burned 5 gallons?

I think it's about time for an upgrade. I bought my first boat about 4 years ago, a 16' 1984 Bass Tracker with 60hp Mercury, which to this day has been virtually trouble free for me. Pretty good for a boat I gave $1200 for. But it is a small boat, rod storage is very limited, and it doesn't handle the wind and choppy water too well, so I'm thinking about something a little bigger and newer. The budget would be about $10K or so. Up until recently I was sure that when I got another boat, I'd get another Bass Tracker, probably a 190 model. But while I've been searching around on Craigslist, I have been seeing a few fiberglass boats that have caught my attention. I'll link an example or two: https://eastky.craigslist.org/boa/d/2003-ranger-185vs-150xr6/6253192159.html And I really liked this Triton, even though it's a lot bigger than what I've been considering, and a bit above budget: https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/2002-triton/6276831251.html Glass boats are totally new to me though, I've never fished out of one. One thing that concerns me is fuel usage. I don't have a clue how much gas a boat like that Triton uses. I'm guessing about double what a Tracker 190 would use? Maybe more? Also, towing something that heavy concerns me a little. I have a V8 Explorer with a tow package which handles my Tracker great, but a boat like that Triton would weigh around double what my current Tracker weighs. On the other hand, I'd be really curious to see how a big glass boat would handle choppy water when running, and handle the wind when I'm fishing along. Getting on my trolling motor constantly in the wind is getting old. So are those slow bumpy rides when the wind picks up and I'm trying to run. I'm sure a Tracker 190 would still be a nice improvement, but I'm starting to wonder if glass is the way to go? Any thoughts on the subject are welcome!

I fished strip mine ponds a lot years ago, the ones around here are also deep and very clear. One of the big keys for me was to fish them late in the evening because the fish were a lot tougher to catch mid-day. In that last half hour or so before sunset they would really turn on, and a buzzbait was often a great way to catch them. Good luck and welcome to the forum!

I've lost a few doubles like that, but also managed to get a couple in the boat:

Over 70 Bass and a PB? That's one of those rare days you'll remember forever.

Don't ever wrap a uni less than 5 times, it won't hold.

Absolutely no interest in competitive fishing for me.

Both are fine reels, I just think the Super Duty is a little better reel for heavier lures, and for flippin'/pitching/punching. It just has a stronger/sturdier feel to me. I personally like the ergos of the SD more than the SV103 as well. I do like the SV103 more than the SD as an all around reel, and it has a better braking system. I'd give it an edge on casting distance too.

I'm not saying the SV103 couldn't get the job done, I'd just personally reach for one of my Super Duty reels for punching 1.5 oz weights, or throwing 1oz jigs. That's right in the Super Duty's wheelhouse.

I was kind of thinking Super Duty too, not sure about the salt resistance though. I just bought a SV103 and I like it pretty well so far, but I'm not sure it would be my choice for punching 1.5oz weights, or throwing 1oz jigs.

The Shimano hype has always puzzled me through the years. I'm not the brand loyal type myself, I own several different brands of casting reels, and I have likes and dislikes about each one. Comparably priced reels of different brands always seem to have pretty much comparable performance in my experience. Shimano builds good reels, I personally never thought they were anything special though.

Dang, I always like Legends. Never owned one, but if I ever got the money for a big glass boat that's the brand I wanted.