Janderson45

I have two (soon to be 3) Humminbirds on my bass boat and a small Lowrance for my kayak. I think others have pretty much hit the nail on the head as far as the major differences. It really comes down to a more intuitive user interface, touch screen and the best 2D sonar (Lowrance) vs. the best Side Imaging, Down Imagaing and better connectivity (Humminbird). Having used only Lowrance until the past few years I was very hesitant to make the switch to Humminbird and learn a whole new head unit and menu system, but ultimately the SI and DI images that Humminbird was producing at the time were leaps and bounds better than any images I’d seen from competitors. I knew I was going to be using an Ultrex, so the fact that Humminbird connects to the Ultrex via ipilot link was a key factor for me as well. Humminbird helix units w/lake master chips networked with the Ultrex ipilot link is a very cool system and arguably gets you great bang for your buck. I would caution anyone looking to implement this system that there are some “hidden” costs that you may not be aware of when pricing it all out. Humminbird recently released a new lineup of headunits and transducers, which are supposedly produce much better traditional 2D sonar CHIRP images. Haven’t seen any results or tested it myself yet but any improvement in this regard is certainly welcome. Unfortunately this is a known bug/issue with that specific Helix model - The Helix 10 CHIRP G2N MEGA SI (I own one as well, as far as I know the issue is limited to that specific unit) - supposedly Humminbird has a firmware update in the works that will fix this issue, but I’m not sure what the ETA is on that update or if it’s a priority for them or not. Mine rarely does it, I need to be in 6-8 feet of water with a very hard featureless bottom to reproduce the effect, but it’s certainly a bummer regarldless.

Lol... I’ll wait for you to post the results of this.

I use an 8 speed for flipping/pitching, football jigs, Carolina Rigs, frogging and shakey heads. Like others have said a 7 would work but an 8 is better. Majority of my reels are 7 speed, but 8, 6, and 5 speed reels all have their place in bass fishing. With only a few rods fishing from the bank I’d probably want a 7 or 8 speed bait caster for workhorse duties, a 6 speed for reaction baits, and a spinning reel for finesse. Should be able to throw most baits effectively from the bank with those 3 setups.

Dumb... use an FG knot, Alberto knot, double uni, etc. Another fantastic video featured on the home page with Hank I guess! ?

I fished out of a kayak for a few years before buying an aluminum bass boat this past spring, can’t recommend it enough for guys that aren’t willing or aren’t able to purchase a motor boat to fish out of. My kayak is a Wilderness Systems Ride 115x - pretty standard sit on top fishing kayak but better built than most of the cheaper boats and with a few nice accessories and easy mounting solutions. The kayak is incredibly stable, I tried pretty hard to roll or capsize it numerous times and haven’t been able to. It’s so wide across the cockpit and has a pontoon style hull that makes it stupid stable. I’ve fallen off of it once in shallow water (my fault) and like many others my experience with this kayak is that you will fall/slide off of the kayak before it’ll actually roll or capsize. I fish standing up almost 100% of the time while using my kayak, that’s why I bought it. I had been fishing in a canoe previously, but not being able to comfortably stand and fish was a deal breaker for me, it feels very awkward to sit and fish if you ask me, I like knowing that I’m in a good position to set the hook or feel a bite at all times. The kayak is also much better for solo fishing trips, it’s lighter and smaller making it much easier to throw on a roof rack and get out there. Most of the water bodies scattered around Massachusetts are on the smaller side, and as long as you’re not out on one of the larger lakes on a very windy day a kayak can get the job done. The most frustrating parts of kayak fishing are boat control and battling the wind. There’s good products and solutions that exist to help combat these issues, but obviously they have their limitations still. I’m torn between selling mine (will take a pretty big hit compared to what I’ve invested on it) or keeping it for an occasional pond outting when I don’t want to or can’t use the big boat.

Christmas came early this year, I just had to be my own Santa Claus. Should be a fun winter project, these new models come with heavy duty hyrdrualic hoses and necessary components for a very clean (and lightweight) install - should be very slick looking on the Lund. Paired with the Ultrex I shouldn’t have a problem preceisly controlling the boat in just about any water depth or conditions.

Yes I should have made it more clear as to what part of the quote I was addressing, the first part of your post is fact not opinion.

The new Ultrex has an integrated MEGA DI transducer for compatible Humminbird MEGA DI fish finders - that would be any Solix MEGA DI fishfinders or the new Helix CHIRP MEGA DI G3N models. Not sure if the previous generation of Helix G2N fishfinders are compatible or not, they use an older transducer than the one built into the Ultrex. The MEGA DI transducer that is built into the Ultrex will give you two different types of sonar imaging at various frequencies, traditional 2D sonar and Down Imaging. It will not give you side imaging you would need a different head unit and transducer to get side imaging. A lot of guys (myself included) will run a side imaging unit at the console with a transom mounted transducer, and then a DI unit at the bow with a transducer mounted on the trolling motor. You can then connect the two units through an Ethernet network and share imaging/sonar data, GPS, waypoints and temperature between the two units. So then you would be able to have side imaging on your Humminbird MEGA DI unit mounted at the bow. Another popular option is the 360 imaging, which is connected via Ethernet network to the bow unit and essentially shows a 360 degree side imaging view. This is true to some extent, but varies widely based on the operators knowledge and experience using and interpreting side imaging sonar. I don’t use side imagaing like this personally, but I do know others that do. If you’re good and accustomed to interpreting SI images you can certainly still use it effectively at the bow mounted on a trolling motor, Ive even heard of guys turning their trolling motor on purpose to point the side imaging beam in front of them and using it as forward facing sonar. Certainly not ideal in all situations though, and not at all appropriate for a beginner to learn on.

I own a 7’MF avidx- I use it quite a bit for lighter duty applications with straight 10lb fluoro on a curado 70 - pretty good deal. There’s a reason I only own one avidx model out of all of my St Croixs, and that’s because 50lb braid to a 12lb+ leader would rub through the guides every cast with anything other than an FG knot. Never would get hung up or anything just make a noise and obviously degrade the knots strength pretty quickly. I throw braid with a fluoro leader fairly often and prefer “regular” guides on my rods instead of micros for this reason. Some of the higher end St. Croixs come with guides that are getting close to “micro” sized but they seem to be a very nice in-between size. Best of both worlds.

The MEGA+ was released with the new generation of Solix and Helix units. MEGA+ SI is able to “see” further to each side (200’ per side vs 125’ per side) and the MEGA+ DI is able to “see” deeper (200’ vs 125’). These distances/depths were already more than attainable with previous Humminbirds, just not at the MEGA frequency and the level of detail that comes with it. Humminbird also boasts an additional 20% more detail on MEGA+ images, this is because Humminbird is introducing MEGA+ through a new (supposedly proprietary) transducer. The new transducers are quite a bit larger than current generation MEGA transducers and have a different sized connection to plug into the head units. There is the problem for those of us with current G2 MEGA units - the new transducers, which also feature “Dual spectrum CHIRP High Wide Low-Q” - essentially magnifies the CHIRP affect (perhaps quite significantly from what I’ve seen) and increases 2D sonar image quality/target separation - are NOT backwards compatible with previous generation MEGA SI or MEGA DI units (G2 Helix, G1 Solix). The only new transducer that Humminbird came out with that is backwards compatible is the straight 2D transducer, none of the SI/DI models. I’ll probably grab the 2D transom transducer to throw in my network somewhere, but it’s too bad that I can’t upgrade to the new MEGA transducers, especially considering I spent a considerable amount of money on my units only a few months ago. A similar situation happened to me with the Ultrex, I purchased mine brand new just a few months before Minn Kota released the new Ultrex with integrated MEGA DI transducer. I realize this is part of the game, and I don’t feel burned, but I really don’t want a similar issue by upgrading to a 360 or adding an outdated graph when it only makes sense that some sort of upgraded 360 or front facing sonar is on the horizon for Humminbird.

Thats a good point regarding the network connection vs. transducer cable connection - the 360 even requires its own power source if I remember right? Either way I’m not taking any chances on older units, regardless of their close out pricing. Im an all Helix guy by the way - Helix 10” CHIRP Mega SI G2N and Helix 7” CHIRP SI G2N at the console, and I’ll be installing a Helix 9 or 10 Mega DI G3N at the bow this winter. All units are networked together via the Ethernet switch, the Ultrex ipilot link is also networked to all of the units. Networking with the Humminbirds isn’t exactly cheap or straightforward, but the results are very much worth it in my opinion.

This is why I’m holding off on getting a current 360 - I’m also thinking if HB follows their recent trends that the new 360 (or whatever it ends up being) won’t be backwards compatible with older units - the new line of Low Q transducers that they just released are not compatible with the Gen 1 or Gen 2 Helix, or the Gen 1 Solix either. They will only work with the newest Gen 3 Helix or Gen 2 Solix. That’s a real bummer if you ask me, it stopped me from adding a 12” helix Gen 2 to my bow at a great price - I want the newest transducer (Low Q) and I’m afraid that they’re going to drop an updated 360 very soon that will have the same compatibility issues. Personally, I have more money spent on electronics at my console than I do at the bow. I can see both sides of the argument, but generally when I’m truly searching for fishing locations I’m on the big motor- trolling motor is for minor adjustments around the fishing ground that I found with my console units. There’s times where this isn’t the case, especially on smaller lakes, but I don’t necessarily agree that every bass angler should have a better (or even equal) graph up front than the one at their console. Just have to decide what suits your fishing style best...

Well.. I just got a deal too good to pass up on a pair of 8’ powerpole blades, mounting brackets and wireless footswitch, so I guess I’ll be adding a pair of poles to my rig over the winter as well. Right now the plan is to install them myself like @RenegadeBassin did- I think I even have the same same sandwich brackets that he did- biggest issue is going to be getting the outboard and jackplate off to mount the sandwich brackets.. I may have to take it to a dealer to do that. The rest seems pretty simple, with the second biggest obstacle being finding a suitable mounting spot for the pumps and running the hydraulic hoses. @RenegadeBassin if you don’t mind me asking, how did you mount your HPUs and where did you run the hydraulic lines? Did you use access that was already available from your outboard or did you have to drill into the transom? Do you have any pics that you could share of the pumps mounted and hydraulic lines plumbed through the transom? Do you have any issues or complaints with your blades yet? Would you install them yourself again or have a professional do it second time around? My boat is in the shop currently so I can’t crawl around it to figure out how I’m going to make all of this work, but I’ll have it back soon enough and then I’ve got all winter to figure it out.

This is spot on and describes my situation to a T. Being young and single with few expenses and a decent income goes a long way. I just bought a brand new boat, financed it, but with a good plan to pay it off over the next 3 years - if not sooner.

There’s a handful of guys on here with Quabbin rigs - maybe one of them will reach out to you. I usually fish it a half dozen or so times a year from a rental- I’ve done pretty well and have learned a lot about the reservoir over the past few years. Awesome place to fish, just hate the boat and horsepower restrictions. I recently bought a bass boat that is too big and fast for the quabbin, so my trips out there will probably decrease by quite a bit.. maybe one of my buddies will bites the bullet and invest in a cheap quabbin boat, that would be cool ?.

I’m doing tackle and yard work today, might still get out around here tomorrow though. I need a few more bites before I pack it in for the next 3+ months, still got the itch. Let us know how you guys did today, tomorrow looks like winds are gonna be a bit stiff down the cape with .25” of rain on the way too. I think I’ll stay local and see if I can’t find a big largemouth, winds don’t look nearly as bad around here which is a key factor for me this time of year in the kayak.

Might go mess around somewhere in my kayak this weekend since the boat is in the shop. Looks like fairly mild temps and wind, especially Sunday. Most of the water around me was freezing up last weekend but has been pretty much wide open all this week. Tonight is supposed to be just below freezing but rain and 50+ degrees forecasted for Sunday.

I remember those days last fall ?.. just fished 35-45mph winds on the cape a couple weekends ago, still wasn’t *ideal* but more than doable with the Ultrex. Definitely wouldn’t have been on the water in the kayak let alone caught a 4lb+ smallmouth! Just brought my boat down to the dealer this weekend to have it serviced and fitted for a cover. The service manager asked me if I wanted them to winterize it and I agreed. Past few days has me regretting that decision already. Have you seen the tactical Bassin YouTube video on this topic for jerkbaits? Incredible watch if you haven’t, it’s insane how fast the fish can inahle a jerkbait and spit it all while the bait is motionless. I could see a blade being similar.

Got smoked at Harwich on Saturday. Water temps were 47-48, had mostly cloudy skies and west wind at 15-25MPH. Air temps were in the mid 40s. I met up with @Dunks N Dinks and we fished together along with a buddy of mine. We chucked blade baits, jerkbaits, Spinnerbait, chatterbait, underspin, swimbait, ned rig, dropshot, hair jigs and a football jig. Had a handful of perch at the end of the day, about 8 hours. I think they all came on a blade bait. Not the outcome we were looking for, but I think we still managed to enjoy ourselves. My boat and outboard need a bit of work, so I’m not sure if I’ll be getting out again before 2019. If I do I’ll let you know how I do.

What kind of baits are you looking to fish with this rod? I fish two brands of rods - Dobyns and St. Croix - if you’re comparing the regular Dobyns champion lineup to the St. Croix SCIV lineup, the St Croix wins in terms of both weight and sensitivity. The advantage goes to Dobyns when you step up to the Champion Extreme HP- and I’ve yet to fish the new ecstasy lineup. When you introduce St Croix legend elite into the mix the choice gets very tough. I own numerous SCV and Champion XP rods, they’re all my current favorites. Both Dobyns and St. Croix have great customer service as well, and I’ve used both. Edge goes to St. Croix but Dobyns customer service was fantastic to work with as well.

I’m a new boater, coming from a coangler recently I can see both sides of the discussion and don’t think that a one size fits all rule approach really works. Both boaters and non boaters come with widely varying experience, skill, knowledge of the fishery, etc. I’ve recently fished two tournaments with a coangler, just so happens it was the same guy twice. He’s in my club and I drew him for my first club tournament as a boater, which we both did well in. This was a two day event, and he was in my boat day 1 and in another guys boat day 2. After day 1 with me he was sitting in 1st and I was in 3rd place. The guy he was fishing with the next day happened to be in 2nd place. After day 2 I won, and my coangler from day 1 didn’t catch a single fish all day because of the dock pattern his boater was fishing. Not anything intentional or nefarious about it, the boater was just trying to win and kind of screwed his co because of it. Even if you are technically competing against each other, I still think it can be an advantage to have a co onboard. There’s exceptions of course, but I can see scenarios were working off a co can really help narrow down a good bite for both of you. If I’m fishing with someone, I’m usually vocal about my thought process, plan, and pattern for the day. I’ll often ask for their input as well, especially if my gameplan isn’t working. Maybe some guys wouldn’t appreciate their boater being vocal? I’m not sure, I’m just used to fishing alone or with buddies, and I’ve pretty much taught all of my buddies how to bass fish so I’m always talking through my thought process and bait selection.

Saw some skim ice on ponds while on my way to work this morning ? this cold weather we’ve had all week is gonna drop temps fast and really slow any remaining bite down.. on the bright side, it should make the fish easier to locate.... i’ll be heading out in the Lund again on Saturday. Likely Mashpee, Wequaquet or Long Pond Harwich. Still considering Webster and a few others as well in case I decide not to go down the cape, but I think the cape is my best shot (locally at least) for a good day of smallmouth fishing. Wequaquet has a chance for a nice Pike, which i’d be okay with too. Id imagine water temps have dipped into the high 40s on the larger cape lakes by now, but can’t say exactly how quick they’re cooling down. I’ve hard some good days fishing for smallies in 45-50 degree water, just hoping it’s not much cooler than that. Once it’s colder than 45 I struggle to get them to bite anything other than a bladebait. Anyone else getting out this weekend? I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes one way or the other.. tight lines and remember to be safe if you’re getting out on the water this time of year..

@BigSkyBasserYes and yes. I’ve fished two so far, I won my first ever tournament as a boater first try in the Renegade. 3 day event on Lake Winnipesaukee (45,000 acres) - I fished the “broads” for deep smallmouth in 15-25mph winds with some truly nasty white caps. I’d take an occasional wave right over the bow, and the 45” trolling motor was coming out of the water frequently. Ultrex held me right on the spot for hours though, not another bass boat in sight (people thought I was out of my mind to be honest). It is still a mod-v aluminum hull, if you’re running through good chop on plane you will feel it, no denying that. You’ll also get wet.. both my partner and I being in our late 20’s and decked out in good rain gear was pretty key on that particular day.. I run the only aluminum rig in my club, and was a bit intimidated at first... not anymore. Sure their pretty 21’ Fiberglass boats will go faster, stay dryer, and be more comfortable, but that doesn’t at all mean that they’ll catch more fish. I’ll fish and run on plane shallower than any of them, and apparently with the Ultrex and good electronics I can beat them all fishing deep too. At WOT I can get 46-52mph depending on my load and prop. Lots of lakes we fish have 45mph speed limits or are too small to matter. The only places around here where I think I’m going to have a real disadvantage are Lake Champlain, or Oneida which is unfortunate but far from a deal breaker. I think the amount of days that you’re “safe” in a 19-21’ Fiberglass bass boat and “not safe” in a 19’ aluminum bass boat are few and far between. Here’s a quick video I made during the run back to weigh in on day 3 of that Winnipesaukee tournament. I’ve got a review video long overdue.

The Lund only came out a few years ago and the Ranger only a few years before that, going to be tough to find used. Just my opinion, but if you’re not going Lund, Crestliner, Xpress or Ranger you’d might as well go Tracker. Tons of used trackers to be had in that price point, and from what I could tell and have read they’re about the same quality and build/layout as Lowe, Triton, G3, etc. I just got a 2019 Lund Renegade 1875 a few months ago. I love it so far and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it or the 1775, but they’re going to be a fair deal more pricey than Tracker, Lowe, G3 etc. There’s no Xpress dealers anywhere near me otherwise they would have been in the running. I looked very closely at the Ranger RTs and determined that the Lund was a nicer boat in the 17’ and 18’ lengths. Lund doesn’t offer a 1975 to compete against Ranger’s RT198 - the RT198 is a very nice aluminum rig when you put a 150 on the back, gets about 60mph which is very good for a 19’ aluminum hull.