Al Wolbach

I fish the lake once or twice a year. To many variables to recomend a color or lure. You can get a map at Wal-mart or any bait and tackle shop in the area. It will be called Santee-Cooper not Lake Moultrie. This lake can get very, very rough in a big hurry. Be careful if the wind is blowing................Al

Bigger is better. 6 Ga stranded wire.............Al

I switched to AGM batteries about 2 years ago and have been very happy with them. Please be advised you must use a so called "smart charger" or you will have a problem. Most onboard chargers and portable chargers will fry these batteries over time. The smart chargers have a different setting for AGM's and gell cell batteries and only charge at about 14.5 volts. I stopped using my onboard charger and purchased a portable smart charger and have not been sorry. However some onboard chargers have a setting for AGM or gell cell. Just make sure your charger is compatiable.............Al By the way, my AGM in group 27 are about 20 lbs heavier than the lead acid batteries I removed- if weight is a concern

Welcome aboard. I too am a big fan. Most Loomis fans can tell a story of a free replacement( minus shipping). Their customer service is second to none. Although IMO several manufacturers are closing the gap the GLX remainds in a class by itself....................Al

These outfits will work fine for what you have stated. Maybe not ideal for a tournament fishermen, as they usually carry 12 to 20 outfits, but for starting purposes they are fine. I would suggest for the Abbu you consider jigs, Texas rigged worms and maybe a carolina rig. For line a pretty good rule of thunb is 8-10 lb for spinning and 10- 14 for baitcasting. Unfortunatly experience is the only way to learn what fits your needs exactly..................Al

About 2 years ago, Way2slow helped me with advice when I was converting my bassboat to AGM batteries(mostly thru PM's). He helped with advice on batteries and chargers and prevented me from making several large mistakes. This man knows batteries and charging systems. Listen to him. I spoke with several engineering departments at several battery companys and charger manufacturers and they confirmed his recommendations. His advice was spot on. Thanks again, Way2slow, you saved me a small fortune and a lot of grief.......................Al

In your case I would suggest you go to the base gas station and see what deep cycle batteries are available there. If they don't have any I'm sure they can order one for you and probably save you a lot of money. Another option is the base auto hobby shop. They can order you a battery locally and usually save you money as well, and in most cases they have zero markup or no handling charges. In any case I would suggest a group 27 or larger deep cycle battery.........Good luck, Al

Bunk height is not adjustable on most trailors these days. This sounds more like the angle of the ramp issue to me. Are both of these mens problems at the same ramp? I have not heard of anyone else having this problem.............Al

X2...........................Al

I have a better idea........MOVE........Who wants to live where they are told what they can't keep in their driveway, LOL. Where I live(E. Tn.) if you don't have at least 5 cars in your yard up on blocks, you are considered below average income. Seriously, from what I have seen and heard about property values in Florida there may be some very good buys on used bass boats. I would suggest you consider a used rig as well. The rig you showed will still need a trolling motor, depth finder and other goodies which will drive the price well over 10k, and don't forget the governors cut. I would think the tracker would do nicely should you decide to go with the new boat. Good luck with whatever you decide................Al

This is the only place I have been able to locate unpainted football heads with a wide gap hook. http://www.barlowstackle.com/

I'm going there 3-6 April for the crappie fishing. I will get some local info while I'm there. This is my first trip to Reelfoot. I'm not even going to take any bass gear with me. If I did, well you know. Keep this thread active and I will tell you what I learn............Al

By the way, don't overlook trailor options, ie., oil bath hubs, disc surge brake etc. These can save you a big headache several years down the road should you decide to keep that long. I would avoid any trailor with fiberglass parts. IMHO, this is asking for problems. They look great but parking lots at boat ramps are great places for people with no experience manuvering trailors to practice............Al

I fish at least twice a week year round. I change lower unit oil every 3-4 months. This may be overkill, but I don't have lower unit problems. The water pump I change every spring. About 35 dollars for parts. I do it myself in a couple of hours. If a water pump impeller is left to long it can become dry and brittle. If a piece of it breaks off it can become lodged in and block a cooling port in the powerhead causing overheating problems and potiental for serious problems. That little impeller controls the lifeblood of your engine. I have known outboards to go 10 years without an obvious problem but that is a big gamble. I would not go more than 3 years under any circumstances. I don't mean to sound to negative, but preventive maintenance is far cheaper, and easier, than corrective maintenance..............Al

I like the options you have chosen. I would consider a black light package if you fish any at night and a dual console if you fish with friends, especially in cold/wet weather. Seventy MPH in an open cockpit sucks. I have tried to avoid pushing my favorite brands but couldn't keep from saying at least look at the Champion powered by Yamaha. I ordered a 203DC in 1998 with a 225 Yamaha VMAX. I have not had a problem with either in almost 10 years of year round fishing(Tennessee). Enough said. Good luck with your decision......................Al

I normally carry about a dozen in the rod locker and keep 3-5 on deck. The rest are in the garage until needed for a specific purpose such as deep cranking or swimbaits..................Al

To make matters more confusing I heard they are leaving Douglas at 20 inches.....................Al

I faced the same delima 10 years ago and ended up with a 20' Champion and have never been sorry. That said, of your choices I would choose the BassCat. I have only heard positive feedback on BassCat. Two problems with the Triton 20x2 that I have heard: 1- The seat pedestal mounts have been breaking, not the fishing seat but the drivers and passenger seats. Apparently the pedestal does not support the seat adequately and have been breaking. I heard this from a friend that is a Triton salesman. 2- When they moved the fuel tank forward in the x2 it totally changed the handling of the hull at high speeds especially in turns while on the pad. I do not know any other details and this is really unconfirmed rumor. My salesman friend had not heard of any handling problems with the x2. He said only positive feedback except for the seats breaking and Triton was addressing this problem. As far as motors go, I believe they are all good. I would let the lenght of available warranty and price help with this decision..........Good Luck........................Al I'm not knocking the Triton, only repeating what I've heard. I believe you would be happy with any of these boats.

There are several clubs around Knoxville. Some of them will have booths set up this weekend at the Jacobs Bldg(fair site, Chilhowee Park) for the Fishing Expo or whatever it's called this year. Starts thur evening ends sunday evening($5 entry) If you are interested in joining a club you can talk to members at the show to determine which you may want to join. They have different rules, fish different lakes, different schedules, night tournaments, etc. Talk to members and see which club you like best...........Al

I fish this bait on humps and deep points on the bottom. I added a treble hook to the bottom of the bait and have not had any hang up problems, however I do bury one point of the treble hook into the bait, leaving two points exposed. This bait rest on the bottom in a nose down attitude not flat like many other swim baits. Hope this helps. I use floro.....20lb.......................Al

I have a symetre and a supreme and I prefer the supreme. Both are good reels..............Al

If you have a fiberglass boat, I would suggest you purchase a keelguard for a longer boat. If you have a 17 ft boat buy one for an 18, 19 or even a 20 ft boat. This would allow you to apply it higher and further back as well. No penalty for being to long, but there certainly is for being to short. This would allow you to beach the boat without concern of the bank angle. Just a thought.................Al

Tin.... Lead = Bullets for war Old batteries are really hot items with salvagers around my area right now. Never put that together before. Same here, some places are getting almost $4 for a battery. When I worked at the landfill batteries and copper where two things people where stealing left and right. Once saw a guy pull up next to the battery container, throw 7 batteries in the front of a newer Lexus SUV, and drive off. 5 lb bag of lead at BPS. 2007 price $8.49- 2008 price $21.99. 3 lb can of Catch and Release livewell additive 2007 price $21.99- 2008 price $35.99. WTFO?...............Al

My older Curados have given me years of great service and my newer Curado seems to be good as well, but my Ardents are my favorite.............Al

I have both and I prefer the Supreme, but you would probably be happy with either. I have been doing a lot of Crappie fishing recently with both reels and the Supreme seems to have less line twist than the Symetre. No scientific research here, just an observation that may not be accurate(to many variables, although the rods and line are the same). Both are very good reels.........................Al