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Definitely the tip. It's crazy that it's so grooved that a piece of braid is actually stuck in it. If that rod is newer, I'd for sure be calling the company and seeing if they'll do anything about it. Not that it's too hard to replace the tip or expensive, but depending on the brand you might get a new rod out of it.

Not sure how much you're looking to spend, but I've got a couple of Revo Premier spinning reels that I absolutely love! They are silky smooth and their drag is ridiculous! Super smooth and no extra start up inertia. Not to mention the reel looks like some sort of fine jewelry and comes with an extra spool too.

The colors are kind of muted, but looks like a smallie to me!

....not high enough lol. I'm 6'6" and I haven't found a pedestal tall enough to use a butt seat exactly the way it was intended. The 24" to 30" will fit most people though. Remember if you're standing straight up you aren't leaning, and if you're leaning you won't be as high off the ground (floor in this instance) as you would be if you're standing straight up.

Texas rigged with a slightly larger weight, and sometimes I dropshot the smaller creature baits.

Haven't used Yum's scent, however I can vouch for Kick'n Bass Fish Attractant. That stuff is insanely strong and definitely works!

I like Real Magic. I've never had an issue with anything I've sprayed it on including FC.

That reel in a 50 size I think is going to be on the huge size especially for bass. Personally I'd look for something smaller. I've heard the President is a great value.

I used to us a snap swivel for everything, but I had some of the cheap ones fail and decided to tie direct on everything. I've been thinking about going back to using them on some baits. I never noticed it change the action of a bait unless it was small.

Are you looking at spending $100 to $150 for each piece or is that total?

I had one of those as my first boat. I bought it in between 5th and 6th grade and boy did I catch a lot of fish out of it!

Have you tried leaving it in the water parked at a dock for a bit? It might not show you exactly where the water is coming from, but as it slowly fills and runs to the back of the boat you might be able to track the wetness in the direction of the source. It may not lead you straight to the leak but if you can see a direction it's coming from it'll help you narrow it down.

Pro's use cable driven trolling motors because it gives them total control over what they're doing. There is no turning lag and adjustments are instantaneous. They don't need to look down and see what they are doing, they just move their foot and it's done. It doesn't distract them from fishing in the least and they can devote their full focus to the fishing. Another perk of the cable driven motors, is they stow and deploy quicker and easier than most electric steer motors. Lastly, cable steer tm's provide easier maneuverability in very shallow water and very weedy water. You can temporarily lift them part of the way up to get over obstacles, or very shallow water and then set it back down and all of this can be done with one hand. Also, in grass, if the tm gets too clogged with grass you can lift the head out of the water and usually spin most of it off. Lastly, there are less things to go wrong with a cable steer. They are simple enough that if something does go wrong with the steering on the water, it can usually be fixed within a few minutes on the water. Some of the more recent electric steer motors like the Terrova are getting closer to closing that gap between the two, as well as offering new abilities we could only dream of in the past. However, I think it will be a long while before we see the pro's using electric steers.

Yeah, they aren't meant to be pointed in a direction and let go. You keep your foot on it for constant direct line to what you're foot is doing. If you give it a chance, you'll love it, especially if you fish a lot of shallow water. I'd suggest taking it out on a less windy day and getting used to it then. The foot pedals are a bit higher but you can rest more weight on them than you can with one of the electric ones so you aren't trying to do a balancing act. The recessed pedal trays are nice, but I can understand where you don't want to spend the extra money for that. I guess my best advice is to keep an open mind and give yourself some more time to get used to it. If you can't, try the troll perfect accessory, and if that doesn't work for you then maybe cable drives just aren't for you.

Plugs on oil injected motors like yours should be good for about 2 years. Impeller should be replaced around the same time too. Living down there where you can use your boat 12 months out of the year, you should drain and fill your lower unit every 6 months tops. You can inspect it for water leaks then by the color of the oil, and check for any excessive wear (excessive metal filings in your lube). If you have a water separator, check that every few months and you should be good to go!

Are you trying to keep it running without your foot on the pedal?

Dingers rock! I've always got one if not two tied on at all times!

I usually start out with either a square bill, a spinnerbait, or a frog. That'd be during the summer months anyway.

I tend to hop the frog on the pads. Using the rod just as I would while walking a frog in the water but with slightly more exaggerated movements. It makes the frog move in a realistic manner over the pads and I can steer it towards the holes. When I get to a hole, I'll back off a bit and walk it through the holes.

Haha no no, had he tried any of that I would have smoked him up side the head with one of those heavy tungsten weights he made me buy!

Bait monkey must have abducted me at one point. That's the only thing I can come up with as to how he can control me. Does that count?

I average about 4-5 days a week 3-5 hours a trip on week days, and usually 6 to 12 hours on weekends.

You'll be fine with the 1500. Just make sure you get one with a towing package, otherwise get a tranny cooler put on it after you get it.

Come up to WI and we'll get you hooked into a good one!

A bass big enough to try picking off a bird would leave more than little rings in the water. They can jump and you'd know it if they did.