WIGuide

Nice work! It's always a great feeling to catch a good fish especially on an evil lake!

Spinning reels usually cast farther than baitcasters because there is nothing controlling how fast the line comes off the spool and there is virtually no drag. As far as the rod goes, you're using baits that are at the lower end of it's weight rating so they are not going to cast as far as those in the middle. Also, as far as breaks are concerned, this is where you need to train your thumb. All of my reels are set so that you need to thumb them when the bait hits the water. You may not like them that way, but you get some more distance out of them that way.

If you bought one of those blue rods, you'd find a few reasons to justify it after using it! lol Absolutely love those blue sticks!

Biggest issue is going to be the wind. You can try throwing a popping type frog instead to make a little more commotion. Generally froggin, at least what I've seen, is more of a slacker water technique.

Yes, they will eat anything they perceive as food.

The lights are commonly sold at any an all marine dealerships, as well as most places that carry marine accessories (walmart included). How you mount them is up to you. Since it's tough to run wires in that boat you'll have to keep them exposed and use the screw in cable ties to keep them out of the way. All in all it's pretty easy to do. Congrats on your new ride!

Don't let this post or any others scare you away from tourney fishing. If you love fishing and competing, there's a pretty good chance you'll love tourney fishing. Give it a shot!!

That's awesome! where do you work and are they hiring??

I've got 3 LTB's and absolutely love them! One of them I do have is the ML/XF their dropshot rod and I can feel everything with it. I've got a couple Xtremes too, and those are even better, but you definitely wouldn't be let down with an LTB.

Give Trilene XT a try. I believe it'll be what you are looking for.

No, most definitely not! Think of it this way, how happy would you be to buy a spool of line only to find out that it had been cut and tied together?

Did you get the graphite crankbait rod or the S-glass one?

It's really hard to list a true conversion give that every line is slightly different. If you look at mono's different brands have different diameters. You can generalize, but to say that it's exact is pretty tough.

That's gonna be tough, but if you keep a really close eye on CL you might find something come up. Those type of deals are very rare. I've been lucky enough to come across a few. Bought my first Ranger for $1400. Got it from a guy who got it when his dad passed and he wasn't a fisherman. Boat was in great condition for the year and I ended up getting a deal on a newer bigger motor. Sold the old one and still only had $1600 into it. I've added things since then, but that was a tourney ready boat at your price range. Managed to do close to the same thing again for a newer Ranger. Best advice is to be patient, and know what you're looking at. Things on cl that are well priced go very quickly, so you need to know what you're looking and need to know enough that when you get there, you don't get hosed by being sold crap.

Waiting will only make it that much better when you get your boat. Totally sucks in the meantime though!

I don't know about your local laws, but for us we can hold tournaments in WI without getting any sort of permit as long as it's under 20 boats. You might want to look into local regulations.

I got a replica of mine, and would not hesitate to do so again. They look just as good as a skin mount, and the big girl gets to go back to fight another day.

Rapala DT's, Bomber, Xcalibur. Rattles depend on the conditions that day.

Think of it as a more natural version of a spinnerbait. They excel in clearer water and or higher skies, although there's some days they just eat them better. I suggest you give them a try, because there are days they can be deadly. Let the fish tell you which they prefer.

I've been using the spin shots for over a year and they really eliminate line twist. Haven't had the issues crestliner had even when smallie fishing. I'd say give them a shot and see what you think.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a cover without the stickers on it

Great wacky worm rod and will work well for many purposes. You got a steal on them!

I use Rod Gloves and their Reel Gloves. I use mine in the boat and just pull them off when I pull it out of the locker. The rod and reel cover go right back into the rod locker and stay there till the end of the trip. They go on before I put my rods away. If I'm fishing in someone else's boat, I'll keep them on until I use them and then pull them off and stick them in a pocket of my tackle bag unless they have room in their storage for them.

Another vote for the Legend Xtreme! Absolutely awesome rods. I'd also go with the MH over the H

Are you looking for a glass crankbait rod or a graphite one?