Snakehead Whisperer

This might be completely off base, but... What about an older Coleman Crawdad? Those things are light and pretty wide open. I believe they're about 11' and made of RamX. And you could score one for far less than $1750.

My neighbor in DC is selling a 13' Boston Whaler with a 40 horse Merc on it. This boat flies (close to 40mph, which is scary fast on a boat that size.) It's basically a skiff.

I voted for spots, although I'm not sure why. They seem to be numerous and relatively easy to catch within their native range. We don't have them where I live though (I've heard stories of them in the Potomac, but never seen proof.) If we are talking any fish in the genus Micropterus, then my vote would be redeye/rock bass.

I'm a line watcher so I usually fish jigs and finesse baits on hi-vis yellow braid, so I do use a leader (usually fluoro.) On my frogging and punching setups I run straight green braid with no leader.

This ^^ This is about the best you'll be able to do within your price range unless you find a closeout deal or something like that. My friend has the 70lb X3 on his 17' deep v, and it has plenty of power to spare. I'm assuming that the hull on the deep v is going to have more drag than your bass boat, but then again your boat's a Ranger

I rarely use backing for fluorocarbon (usually just fill the spool.) If it were me though I would use mono for the backing, but tie a short length of braid between the mono and fluoro to reduce the size of the joining knots. It might just be personal opinion, but I feel that braid to fluoro/mono knots are much cleaner and tighter than mono to fluoro. I tie staggered leaders for fly tippet and the knots are always bulky feeling. Fortunately it doesn't matter much in that case.

Welcome to the site Crankenstien. I too am amazed by the quality of the members on this board. Hard to find a forum where people keep the discussion civilized (for the most part.) You've really got to hand it to Glenn and the moderators, because they run a tight ship and keep all of the discussion on topic. It's a tough job to keep everything in order, and they do great at it. I was/am a member at several other bass fishing forums, but this is the only one that really matters to me anymore. With that said, this thread will probably be moved to the "Introductions" section by one of the diligent mods

I checked the IGFA records, and this is the record holding fish. It's cool to see a pic of it.

That's the only caveat. When I trailer my boat I have about 8" of clearance between the ground and the lower unit. I just drive carefully and don't go down any steep driveways. My lower unit will clear the driveway at the gas station, for instance. I tilt the motor up when I'm at the ramp.

Don't know anything about the carp spawn, but I do know a little about catching them. The best bait that I've found for carp is wonder bread soaked in italian dressing. That and squarebill crankbaits (I seem to snag more than my fair share.) Here's a pic of my PB, caught on a homemade squarebill. Here in DC a lot of folks throw mulberry looking dry flies for carp during the mulberry hatch. They do pretty well with these, and topwater carping is practically an oximoron.

I trailer mine with the outboard all the way down. Less stress on the transom that way.

My personal go-to is 'baby bass.' All of the colors previously mentioned are great too.

Lure retrievers do work, although it's almost pointless if you're fishing from the bank. Can't tell you how many times I've used my landing net to free a stuck crankbait. I've also used an old 12' surf rod to retrieve lures from trees.

Those all look great. I especially like the icey blue and deep red ones in the bottom right corner. I bet you do pretty well with those.

Put some shoes on! But seriously, the PFD is a no-brainer. I wear mine whenever the boat is underway, and all the time when the combined air/water temperature is below 120 degrees. I was ejected from my boat and landed at least 30' from it while underway, and the PFD saved my life. Water was in the 50's and air was colder. I was experiencing the early stages of hypothermia within 10-15 minutes, and I have no doubt that I wouldn't have made it without the life jacket. The thing that strikes me as odd with this story is that Tenkiller is not a lake that has a ton of boat traffic. I'm glad nobody was killed. If it can happen there, then it can happen anywhere.

Sounds like a great dream. The VA state record is nothing to scoff at, and you're actually in the right part of the state to beat it... 16lbs 4oz caught by Richard Tate at Lake Connor.

Had a memorable one a couple weeks back. I was fishing the tidal Potomac at the mouth of a non-existent creek near Alexandria, VA and throwing a popper. Had a fish just barely suck in the lure... set the hook and the fight was on. All in all a pretty lackluster fight, netted and brought aboard. Then upon looking closer at the fish, it was a warsaw grouper that went about 20lbs. Weird. Pretty awesome dream, got me wishing it was warmer outside.

While I'm not superstitious, I do believe in Murphy's Law. Couldn't help but think of this when I read your post.

Always bring my gear, life jacket and some water/coffee/snack items. I don't really believe in luck and I'm not superstitious at all. I did get into a boat accident a while back. The guy I was fishing with brought a banana on board. 2 hours later we took a swim and had to be rescued. Still not superstitious though.

For yourself and your son I'd get these if you're considering a conventional life jacket. They are really comfortable and have a waterproof cell phone pocket and a d-ring for a kill switch. The best part is that the back is not bulky, so you can drive and sit down on seats with backrests. http://www.basspro.com/XPS-Platinum-Series-Life-Jacket-for-Men/product/10202751/ As for the difference between the $30 and $80 vests, I'm pretty sure it's mostly just styling and finish quality. The cheap vests work, but they look dorky and are bulky. The one that I posted is lightweight, comfortable and works (was wearing it when I crashed my boat the year before last.) Pretty much all type II/III jackets will provide exactly 15.5lbs buoyancy, which is enough to keep most adults heads above water. Some inflatables provide you with up to 25lbs of buoyancy, which is greater than a type I offshore life vest (although they are not held to the same standards as a type I, which are designed to turn an unconscious person face up.) It takes about 7-12lbs (iirc) to keep an average adult afloat, so having that extra 9.5lbs of buoyancy is a pretty big advantage. I know the Cabela's inflatables are 25lb, but I can't speak for others. I always wear the conventional style when it's cold outside, but it becomes too hot to wear in nicer weather. The inflatable is the way to go in any weather over 60°F.

There's a Gander Mountain in Charlotesville on 29. Never been inside, but it's a big store.

That is a great gift. I got both of those from BassnChris too. Great job you do on this gift exchange. Can't wait for next year.

This is a great deal, and it includes side imaging. You wouldn't be able to do a through-hull transducer installation with this. http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-409380-1-Imaging-Chartplotter-Fishfinder/dp/B00BSJDRDE

That's a Tennessee Grip. It's made that way intentionally. You tape the reel to the grip.