Smokinal

My thoughts and prayers are with you Lund.

I guess I need to clarify my post. I wouldn't tell because it causes 7 pages of useless overthinking.

I learned not to tell anyone I planted 50 brush piles.

Welcome. My Grandparents used to live in Cotuit, out on the Cape. We used to fish Middle and Mystic Ponds all the time.

Welcome JMac

Hello brother!

This is eerily similar to what and why with my log...works for me.

Keeping a log will be the best thing you could ever do to help your bass fishing. For starters, it not only helps you in knowing what worked but you should also put down what you tried that didn't work. Second, you will learn patterns much faster with a log. I have kept a log (not too fancy of one but a log) for the past 8 yrs or so. Before most outings I'll go back and look at similar dates, water temp etc.. and find what worked and what didn't and that gives me a great starting point. I don't want to get into a huge debate about fishing memories here but it definitely helps to have some history in your head before you go out. Then, after a couple of years, you will just know your own info and you will have learned patterns.

lol

^^^Nice ride Chris! My first boat was a 1984 14' Procraft with a 40 Johnson on it. Went well, taught me a lot about boating and maintenance. Yours is just a little prettier than mine was...lol

This would have been cool!

So if you arrive at the ramp with 5 alive but they all die during the 2 hour light/tv show, do you get penalized? Geeze...get on with it already.

...they pull you into the Bassmaster Classic arena? I think I'd go with this

This is probably the best use of different colors. Your amber/yellow lenses enhance things in low light. I have Oakleys and like the Fire Iridium lens. It's an amber, contrast enhancing lens. The other good outdoor, contrast enhancing Oakley lens is their G30 lens. This would be good in sunny conditions; and the Fire Iridium in low light. Depending on your eyes, you may be able to get away with the Fire Iridium lens all around.

He's only got 10 yds. Definitely better used to hang up garland at Christmas; strap corn husks to the mailbox around Halloween; hang the bird feeder; repair any cloth item; stretch a span of it across your garage to hang jigheads on when painting them; fix the ping pong table net; practical jokes around the house on April 1st; school projects; and many more Of course I have never done any of these things, just read about them...

Dang AJ! How many days do you have open water up there?

That is bad! I sure hope you have batteries, bread, peanut butter etc... you may be trapped inside for a while.

Darnit! Got 2 tonight: and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L74OkgxwNzA

All good answers above. If I may add a suggestion it would be to try out this setup first, then see what you like to throw on it and what doesn't feel so right. Then buy your 2nd one to fill that gap. Basically, don't buy a rod, then wonder what to throw on it; choose a bait or 2 that you want to throw on a baitcaster then research the best rod for those baits. Most of all, have fun with it and don't get frustrated.

No silly! That's how you get rid of spiders!

It's not nesessisarily planing off; it may just be settling out. If you picture the angle of the prop in the locked position you have it in, it's going to raise the bow on take-off, then as you pick up speed, it will settle in. Without seeing/feeling the boat in the water, I can't tell if it's planed off or not. As far as running it like that, it's not that bad, maybe just lose some MPH and some MPG. If you are pushing water instead of riding up on top, your motor isn't as efficient.

I use the improved clinch on everything. I've had palomars break on fluoro and I've never had an improved clinch fail me yet. For those interested, great site: http://www.animatedknots.com/knotlist.php

I went to using a Mod Albright and it does work just fine. I fish heavily rocked lakes so I need a leader all the time on anything that goes near the bottom.