Smokinal

Ya, that sounds like a good deal. I have a '96 16' Rick Clunn single console and love the boat. I keep it clean and in good condition. It gets me to every place a $65,000 Ranger would; not as fast but it gets there and fishes just fine. I would do a compression test on it first though.

10# Sufix Nanobraid to 10# fluoro leader user checking in.

I don't throw tubes much and have never really paid attention to tube quality but I will say, as in most soft plastics, it's the softness that creates an enticing quality to a bait. The balance between softness/fish catchability vs durability is a never ending battle in bait making I'm sure. Example; I have some Shadelicious swimbaits that are very durable but have never caught me a fish and I see the action in the water next to the boat and they don't move very well; they were also very inexpensive. I also have some Keitechs that I run out of on every trip just busting lip after lip. They are very expensive and don't last very long but guess which one I fish now?

Ebay brother!

I'd try a blade bait. I know most guys don't throw them until water falls close to 50 but I've caught fish in 75 degree water with them. In the fall, the shad die off (I believe) and a blade bouncing along the bottom is a good dying shad imitator.

Thank you for posting your story BaitMonkey. For years I have had only 1 chain; I can't remember why I changed it but for some reason, I did years ago. I knew it wasn't right but it worked, so I left it. Well, I read this thread, drove my arse down to Lowes and picked up another bolt and put my other safety chain on the way it was supposed to be. I feel a lot better about my trailering safety now. Thank you

Dang that's a good sack! And that .05 is just a small piece of a baitfish spit-up on the way in....call it 30 and Fuhgeddaboudit

I hear ya. I launch my boat until my trailer rides on top of the water. I've been watching CNN, Weather Channel etc... and they all say we are in for an above normal November and December. I say bring it on!

^^^Very nice AJ. What's the water temp there?

I've worked retail for the last 28 years. Worked every saturday besides vacation weeks. It's just another day to me now.

If it makes you feel better, you gotta remember that the highest bidder may have had an $80 bid on it and it would have wrung up as soon as you keyed your highest bid. So, who knows, you may have not won it anyway.

Ya, sometimes it's about the experience; not the catching. Today looks like one of those days.

Wow, seeing those reminds me of when I lived in Corpus Christi Texas. We lived on the Navy base and would walk the seawall with a gig in hand, holding line in our other hand with a knot around our wrist. We would throw this spear at them as they ate mussels off the bottom of the wall. Once in a while we would even get one!

Well done sir!

Dang bro! Quite a trip!

Nice PB pig Harold. Welcome

This has always been my thought as well. I think the colors catch more fisherman. I do like that Morning Dawn though.

Welcome. Keep at it. You'll get em!

As I normally wouldn't spend this much on any given bait, I'm Shirley not going to buy many in different colors. So, if you were going to buy a BBZ 40, what do you think is the most well rounded color? Does that even matter?

I bought my first kayak this summer and am really hooked on getting into smaller water where big boats can't go. I've had some great days out there in it this year. I still love my Nitro and alternate here and there with it. My question is, do you guys still go out in the kayak in air temps of 35-40 and water in the high 40's, low 50's? Do you do anything different as far as safety precautions go? I always wear my PFD in it, and it's pretty stable; I'm just not sure if it's a good idea with extra clothes on, even with a PFD. Thoughts and tips? This is similar to my PFD fwiw: http://www.cabelas.com/product/boating/life-jackets-vests/inflatable-life-jackets|/pc/104794380/c/104741280/sc/104399280/cabela-s-essential-2500-auto-pfd/1806470.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Finflatable-life-jackets%2F_%2FN-1100590%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104399280

"Wow, she's pretty"

Welcome. Asta La Vista

That's not a pie plate....That's a COOKIE SHEET!

Welcome Andy!

Tcbass, my Nitro is a 96, I bought it when it was around 3-4 yrs old and have always stored it the exact same way you described; never had any probs with it. My buddy always gets a kick out of it when I haul it out for the first time, drive to the lake without firing it up at home first, drop it in and she fires up every time. He thinks I'm crazy not to try it at home first but that Merc just always runs for me.