bassnleo

There's a huge difference. The higher dollar sonar units are more sensitive, more effective, easier to read. Far as fishfinder vs GPS, IMHO your comparing apples to oranges. If you don't have a fishfinder, you'll need that first. With it you can see what's below the water. A GPS would ne next, it'll get you back to what you find below the water. BTW, the Garmin 250C is a decent unit, I have one. If you keep looking you may find one a little cheaper than $200. I paid $125 for mine, used of course. Combine that with a handheld GPS and your set.

I can't repeat here what I just out loud......

On baitcasting reels I rarely touch the drag. Exception might be if I'm deep cranking using light line. If I'm fighting a big fish on light line I may back the drag off a bit during the fight but even that has changed since I went to a glass crankin rod. With spinning gear the drag is set and usually stays there also. 3 of my spinning reels are Shimano rear drag models with the fighting drag. Again, using really light line on big fish, 6lb test on Lake Erie for example, I will bump the fighting drag to loose up a little when the fish is coming in (if it's a biggun). Other than those times, drag is set and stays put. May I add......back reeling......I've seen several people do this when fighting a large fish. I used to, till it cost me a couple lost fish. Once I hooked a fish and felt or saw it was big I would hit the anti-reverse lever and back reel. More than once that cost me a fish. In the heat of the fight I would hurry to hit the lever, do it haphazardly, and causing a sudden back spin in my reel. This throws slack down the line, pop goes the hook. It actually cost me a tournament win once......never again.

I also own a Boulder. Have dropped it in the drink a couple times, still works fine. It's definately a durable phone but one thing, the battery life sucks! I even bought another battery thinking mine was bad, nope, still sucks. Couple of my co-workers also own the same phone and have the same battery issues.

This will be my first year tossing swimbaits, it's the one area I have not really messed with that much. Most of what I read says that swimbaits are most effective in clear water. What about dirty water? Most of the lakes I fish have visibility around 2 feet or less. Is a swimbait a viable technique for that visibility?

I know LM are being caught......have not heard any SM reports yet. I would wait a week or two, usually about mid April you can be assured they are in, they can be tougher to catch in mid April as they are usually staging at deeper depths. In late April they are usually shallower and easier to target. The water is still pretty cold on the main bay, high 30's from what a friend tells me. The lagoons and some of the smaller bays were in the low 40's.

The back.....permanently installing the livewell was both easy and a pain at the same time. I had to cut the exisitng bench seat, then cut the back of it for access to the well for fittings etc... The livewell has a 500gph catridge style pump, an overflow, and a power bubbles unit. Fish will be nice and healthy at weigh in. The back deck is now enclosed with a lid which also hinges to access the battery, gas, livewell pump. My co-anglers will be far more comfortable now!

Pic 2 is an overview of the front deck. The extension starts where the hinge is located, that I added back on 2006. It worked ok but when rods were lying on the deck it was a pain to move them, open the lid, then put them back. Problem solved.....added a hatch. Now I can open the lid and get stuff out without moving rods.

It was time......... I bought the Grizzly new in 2005. I bought a bare bones base model and that year I was in a hurry to get it on the water, I added a front deck extension, fishfinder up front, trolling motor, and went fishing. I was using a cooler, then Toho Rig livewell....until a saw a FishMatePro aluminum livewell in a frineds boat. I had to have one and figured if I was going to install it then I would remodel the whole boat. I put alot of hours into it the last month but it's about done. All that's left is to install the front sonar/gps, I ordered a Lowrance LMS-522C which I will have Friday. I already ran the wiring and nstalled the RAM mount for it so that will be a breeze. Here's a few pics....First one is an overview from the front

I started using a Reaction Innovations BMF flippin hook, 3/0 and 4/0, with the pacas last year. Actually, I'm using the BMF for ALL flippin baits now. It seems to have decreased the number of fish I loose due to the plastic balling up on the hook like mentioned.

And ya can't cure stupid....

I just carpeted an aluminum boat and it was under 65. Once I had the carpet laid I put heat heat on the carpet using a worklight and a small propane heater. It worked like a charm....

A burglar broke into a local officers house here last week. The suspect ended up in the hospital with alot of stiches in his forehead. Then he has the stones to scream Police brutality.... He's lucky he's not pushing up daisies.

Thanks for the advice..... I'm not terribly worried about getting my $$$ back, it seems that I will should I file a claim. What burns my underwear is that I'm remodeling my aluminum rig and I need the friggin fishfinder so I can finish up. I could have bought and received another one in the 2 weeks since my ebay purchase. I want my boat done, it's time to fish.......

I've never been ripped on ebay, maybe until now...... 2 weeks ago I bought a Lowrance LMS-522c unit on ebay. The seller had 100% feeedback. I paid with paypal right after purchase. Seller sends me a message a few days later in which he says that there was a shipping mix up with another unit, he was waiting for my unit to come back and he will get it out to me. About a week later he sends me another message, unit has not come back yet, he has another one, he will get it and ship it, plus he's gonna send a partial refund. I send a message to him inquiring if the unit is the same model and complete. He has yet to respond. I just sent him another message informing him that I want my unit shipped within 3 days or I will contact ebay and paypal to seek resolution. MY QUESTION.....how do I go about contacting ebay and paypal to seek resolution? Thanks for any advice.

Most tractor supply/farm supply stores also carry syringes. We bought 30 at a local Tractor Supply for participants in a Lake Erie tournament last year. If I recall, they are 16 guage.

I feel I'm skilled at a variety of techniques and have the ability to adapt and change and get bites. I'm a grinder. When it's tough fishing I seem to be able to kick and fight and always bring a limit to the scale.

I'd also like to know. There has got to be an explanation behind it's low price.

Unfortunately, your not the first customer that has had similar experiences with Blackbird from what I've heard. I had a local dealer tell me to avoid Blackbird at all cost.

Flippin and pitchin to deep and matted grass Ledges and structure fishing comes in a close second

Maybe B.A.S.S. should allow nets 8-)

If you stop the footage, then start it again, it repeats.......

It's not live as far as I can tell. I've clicked on it 3-4 times. Every time it shows the same footage.

Best of luck. If you have never fished the Upper Bay/flats, you'll like it.

In PA-FLW affiliated: Co-angler is competing against other co's only. Co's have no say where boat goes and must fish from back deck. One thing you guys fail to keep in mind, you all know who is usually on fish and who isn't. If your an experienced Co-angler and have done your pre-fishing, what front deck angler (that isn't on fish) is gonna say "no we can't go to your fish"? I've fished both BASS and FLW federations over the past 10 years, also have fished both front and back deck. It always works out in the end...