OneShotOneKill

Won a small team tournament on Winni yesterday. Ended up with 4 smallies that went about 10 & 1/2 lbs. Biggest was right around 3 lbs. water temps were between 47-49. I managed to catch between a 5-6lb salmon on a megabass jerkbait. that was interesting.

Finally got out in the kayak on sunday. Got about a half dozen between 1-2 lbs. Jerkbait, crankbait, jig. I think it could have been a much better day but the 30MPH wind gusts make things real frustrating in a kayak sometimes.

the one on winni is a regular tounament. I wouldn't mind getting into some kayak tournaments. seems like it would be pretty fun.

(without giving away top secret locations) where are you guys most excited to fish this year once the ice is all gone? I've got a couple honey holes for the kayak but I'm pretty excited to get out on Winni for a tournament next month.

I've spooled probably thousands of reels. Doesn't matter if its brand new out of the package or 40 years old...a $60 abu black max or a $400 shimano. sometimes the line just doesn't evenly spread. just help guide the line with your hand. when the line guide on the reel goes to full stop on one side apply some pressure to the line a little further out to the side and then follow it back across the spool and do the same on the other side. for some reason reels get finicky when spooling up and need some help. If the problem persists while you're fishing then I would take apart the small gear and pawl and check for wear.

I'd be less concerned with the method used in mounting and more concerned with them mounting in the proper location. not all hulls are created equal and some require a little more attention to detail. Any decent sales guy should know what a ram mount is, but at the same time i'm not surprised he doesn't. sales guys arent always that bright. If it's a marina that primarily sees a lot of larger boats going through they are probably more accustomed to flush mounting. Using starboard VS screwing directly to the hull is really personal preference. a decent tech can easily make sure its a water tight set-up. The plus to using starboard is you can easily mount more than one transducer throughout the years without multiple screw locations into the hull. (as long as they prep the area correctly and use the right amount of 5200) Post some pics when you get it back so we can check it out!

Glad you're enjoying the boat. one thing to keep in mind with the terrova (or any electric steer TM's) is that because of the way the motor stows and deploys almost the entire shaft slides through the mount so you wont be able to run a transducer cable down the shaft like you traditionally would. Now you can circumvent that by simply buying one with the transducer built into the head unit for a higher cost. the downside is that most of the built in transducers are limited to your traditional 2d sonar. If you're looking to add side imaging or something similar to the Bow you're going to have to run a transducer capable of those frequencies. Which in most cases means using a cable steer unit. (fortrexx, maxxum, etc.) Or you could go with the new ultrex which is a hybrid that combines the precision of cable steer but still allows for the GPS spotlock and remote control features. *Edit* you also won't hear back from Tracker corporate on the warranty info until sometime in the week. They're closed on the weekends.

Long thread so i might have missed a few things. Nice deal on the boat. If you're firing up the engine out of the water always use muffs- the garden hose attachment doesn't do much for your water pump. If you haven't brought it by the local Tracker yet make sure you ask them to plug into the motor and print out your hours so you know how many are on the motor. (Merc recommends the first oil change after the 10 HR break-in period). after that either once annually or every 100 engine hours. You can change your own oil without voiding the warranty (recommended to use merc or quicksilver brand 10w-30). If you take the cowl off their should be a decal on the top of the engine stating oil capacity, If i recall its about 3.2 qts. I would be interested to know if he only had the standard 3 year warranty or upgraded to the 3+2. Most likely the Service guys wont be able to tell you the paperwork end of things, You'll need to speak to the tracker GSM or business assistant at the store. from the factory that boat comes stock with a Paddle, anchor and front nav light, fire extinguisher, extra keys for ignition & compartment. It should have (3) pedestal seats along with an extra pedestal. The rope ratchet cover is not stock and had to be purchased for an extra amount which is nice for you (they cost about $545) Most things to look for on these boats you probably wont come across with it being so new. keep an eye out when you walk across the deck and check for any sagging in the plywood. If you do decide to run your hook4 upfront its a pretty easy install. the boat already has power wires run for a FF behind the panel your trolling motor plugs into. you'll just have to run a transducer down the TM.

I have last years FS12T. The kayak is as stable as you are, everyone has different balance abilities. But to give you an idea the only time I sit is when i'm paddling, sometimes i paddle standing up. When I fish I am always standing, I cant sit down to fish it drives me nuts. I also duck hunt out of it, firing a 12 guage with 3 & 1/2" shells at moving targets while i am also moving. Long story short, Yes it's a stable kayak. Edit: I've considered selling to buy the new model, the improvements they've made with the foam ontop and relocating the center dry storage are great. I would even buy the larger model the 128T but they don't make it in the camo pattern.

I've always had good luck bidding on auction baits from japanese retailers on ebay. I've gotten a half dozen or so brand new jerk baits for 10-13$ instead of the 20-25$ they go for retail

I don't know if it's blasphemous, But I can never bring myself to leave any tackle behind in the truck. Even if I'm fishing a swamp out of a kayak that's 100% covered in pads and vegetation and the only thing ill be doing is froggin and punchin...I still have to have my three tackle boxes of jerk baits and crank baits in the boat. I don't know why...It's my tackle and i feel warm and fuzzy when it's with me. makes me feel like gollum sometimes. "My precious!"

It seems I've heard more negative than positive on militec, I could be wrong but I don't think it's suggested for drag washers.

I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good brand ultrasonic cleaner for reel parts/bearings? I've used perfect solution as a de-greaser for years now but swishing bearings around in a solo cup gets old when you have 8-10 reels to clean. Also, i pretty much have used shimano drag grease for all of my grease applications (drag, gears, worm gear) but after two days of searching I'm coming to terms I've lost my little container....or its still sitting in my ex-girlfriends living room..which is as good as lost lol. TW is currently out of stock but i did come across another shimano grease on amazon...now it looks like it is designed for bearing applications on high end Bicycles. I figured i would ask if anyone here has tried it. https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Dura-Ace-Grease-100-grams/dp/B001GSOO34/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488595351&sr=8-1&keywords=shimano+star+drag+grease any input or thoughts is appreciated.

Another vote for the TW covers, I use them on everyone of my reels. Rain, snow or shine no issues here.

On a baitrunner i would say 30lb braid to either maxima mono or seaguar or xps flouro

the boomerang tool is the best I've found. I've cut everything between 5lb to 100+lb braid and 150+lb mono for saltwater. never failed me, plus you can clip the retractable lanyard to your belt loop and spend less time searching for them. just get the boomerang and be done with it. the best $12 you'll ever spend. Unless you have a good sense of humor like me and bring loose change to a strip club.

touche

that's not what she said. *badum-tss*

I find the soothing sounds of cher or celine dion really get me in the zone

i bought some of those on clearance myself a year or so ago. As far as fish catching abilities the hook is fine, Mustad updated the keeper on the new hooks which is a little better IMO. the main difference is the welded keeper will tear plastics a bit more, and if you fish an area with very fine hair-like vegetation the keeper will grab it every-once in a while, whereas the new keeper design is a bit more streamline and comes through better. conclusion-still a great hook when you get it for a few dollars off, but i prefer the new model.

Fished pleasant lake saturday. both the large and smallmouth are on beds...bed fishing isn't really my jam so it was a slow day. brought the girlfriend over to turkey pond yesterday. seemed like the bass were already in shallow vegetation guarding fry there, few fish caught..nothing to call home about.

It's a browning airstream. I have the same one for trout fishing, not a bad little rod. http://www.basspro.com/Browning-Air-Stream-Spinning-Rod/product/1409110755384/

Couldn't decide where to go this morning, decided on Lake Massasecum. I've only fished in in the middle of the summer so i wasn't sure what to expect...with the wind and fishing while standing up in a canoe i would have been happy with just catching a few..ended up having a great day catching about 20 fish between 2-3.5 lbs. didn't get anything huge but had a lot of fun. ended up with a 4lb pickerel absolutely hammering my SPRO bbz-1 Most fish came on a jerkbait or a crankbait, both natural colors. all of them were primarily on a big grass flat right next to deeper water.

Another vote for the owner beast. Better spring keeper IMO and the keel weight seems to pick up less vegetation than the competition.

P-line, stren, maxima.