WIGuide

As far as I know there aren't any cons. As long as it's the right fit for your boat, you're golden.

I'd go with the Avid.

I'd say it's in that 3.5 to 4 lb range.

I say go for it! There's no reason not to. There might be a few jerks out there no doubt but don't let that spoil it. Also, if the guy in the front is catching, there's a great opportunity to learn. Watch him and what he is doing differently than you to catch them. Make sure you pitch in for gas/oil/wear & tear/etc. You also want to treat his boat with respect. Don't leave line clippings everywhere and soft plastics thrown all over. Give it a year or two and if you feel you have what it takes, become a boater. Then you only have to worry about those in the back of your boat that will most likely be going through the same thing you are now.

Wacky rigs are deadly!!They do pick up a little more grass and get hung up slightly more than a Texas Rig, but the setup I use is pretty good with that though. I use a 2/0 Trokar Weedless Wacky Worm Hook if I'm using a 4" or 5" bait. 98% of the time I Wacky Rig with a 4" Yum Dinger. With the 4" Dinger, I use a 1/32 oz. Eco Pro Tungsten Pro Wacky Weight. It really helps to increase the durability of the bait, keeps it a nice tight package, and also allows me to fish it a little faster than weightless. When I throw the 5" Dinger, I'll bump the weight up to the 1/16 oz version. I'm not afraid to fish it around heavy cover or very grassy areas.

I'd have to say sexy shad would be my choice to throw in any water condition.

If you have enough clearance to tow with it down I'd probably do that. If not, buy a transom saver. You can pick up a cheap one a Walmart for $20 I think and for a small motor like that it'll be just fine.

Make sure the prop is spinning in the right direction first just to double check that it's operating correctly. If it is then you need to realign the arrow. Pick up on it and turn it so it matches the correct direction. It will be stiff to turn but you can do.

I'll echo what ww2 and geo said. By the biggest baddest you can afford. I had a 16 foot Ranger and the hull weight was only about 760lbs, but I still went with an 80# Motorguide. It didn't get run on high too often, but there were days I was sure glad I had the extra power when I needed it.

There was a post on here not too long ago that was about RH and LH baitcasters. A lot of what it boils down to is how you hold your rod. I palm the reel, as that is what it was designed for. When I do that, my thumb would not be in position to thumb the spool. In order for me to cast a lefty, I'd have to move my hand from a casting position at the end of the cast hold the reel or the rod to re-position my hand to palm the reel and then start my retrieve.If you have your hand behind the reel it might seem easier to use a left handed model. When it all comes down to it there's no right or wrong, only what works for you.

Very good chance it's the breaks. Follow the advice above and it will most likely go away.

I don't use that trick and most likely won't use it either. I use Eco Pro Tungsten weights that are insert free and I haven't had any issues with them wearing any sort of line, braid or otherwise.

It's not a bad idea as long as steps are taken to prevent cheating.

Sounds like a good time. For your swim jig you might want to try switching to a different color or a different trailer when that happens. The bass are telling you that it's getting their attention, but they just aren't quite committing. On a side note, I think you might be overestimating the weights a little on those fish.

I'm ok with where I am but I have a constant drive to get better and better.

Yep that's the way they are on almost all centrifugal reels. If they are clipped in or towards the center of the reel they are held there and not allowed to be moved by centrifugal force. When they are unclipped and moved to the outside, they are free to move in and out. When you make a cast the centrifugal force pushes them outwards (Think of kids on a merry-go-round when it's being pushed fast) and they exert the force on the small metal ring on the inside of the side plate creating friction to slow the spool.

My favorite bait is whatever I can get them to bite on at any given time. Even if I did try to pick one, I don't think I could.

With so many great guys it's hard to pick just one, but I'd have to pick Jimmy Houston. He's a great guy and a great fisherman as well. Plus, we go way back!

If it's a lake you fish a lot and know there's a decent population of fish, go ahead and power fish. If it's not working, visit an area where you know there are fish and pick up a slow moving bait. Convince yourself that you ARE going to catch them that way and work the area thoroughly. If you still don't have success go visit another area you have confidence in and again do the same thing. You'll end up finding them somewhere that way.

Although I don't have a LES rod I do have the Xtreme which is built on the same blank. It's an insane rod and by far my favorite! I haven't used a DX rod so i can't really compare, but can only tell you how much I love my Xtreme's and that you'd love an Legend Elite.

If it's not then just be sure you're twisting the collar as you pull up to remove the collar and then remove the light.

Is it hard to pull out if the collar is not in and you push the light all the way down?

Honestly I don't think it's going to happen. For one, it's electric steer still which although has gotten better over the years, it's still not as fast or responsive as cable steer. I can't tell for sure if this one is the same as their last attempt at an auto stow and deploy tm, but it looks like it. If it fails when it's down, there is no way to get it back up without taking it apart. The last attempt had an issue with failing while in the down position so the only way to even be able to take off would be to remove the bow plate and hope you can get the nuts off to completely remove the tm from the boat. I don't think we've reached the pint yet where you'll see them on the front of pros boats.

Which type of base/light combo is it? Is it the style that just has two alignment screws that fit into the channel and when properly seated the the cover for the opening of turns the full 180* to lock it down? Or is it the newer type that has a rubber cap on the base and a black sleeved locking collar around the shaft of the light?

I've just got the cheap one from Bass Pro. It leaves a little to be desired with the design. It needs a bigger hook and the back cover needs another indexing pin to keep the cover tight. Overall though, I've had mine for 4 years now and it's always been consistent weight wise. I fish tournaments too and it's always been very close to the tourney scales.