WIGuide

Congrats on the new ride!

If you told them the problem and they have a pretty good idea what it is, they can let you know if it's worth fixing. I would check and see how much they think it will cost, but if they're charging the going rate at a marine dealership $75-$100 an hour in labor and whatever they have it parts, it just might not be worth fixing. Hopefully you can get it running again though!

I'm not sure about your local laws in FL. I know a lot of laws that deal with underglow are very picky on what is actually allowed and in states that don't have a law against it there can be county, city, or township ordinances against them. It further complicates things as some places they are allowed as long as you cannot see the actual light emitting device itself. I think as long as you use red in the back and amber in the front you shouldn't have issues given that those are the two allowed colors for trailer lights in those places. I know a lot of the elites run amber lights on top of their trailer frame to light up their wraps at night so they can advertise even at night. I would still probably wire in a remote control switch for them though. If you look on ebay you can find them fairly cheap. They have a remote control like a key fob that you can keep in the vehicle and then you can turn them on and off at your choosing. I did full length underglow on my last boat and did them in blue. I used a toggle switch when I wired mine and wish I would have went wireless as I'd have to stop and get out to go flip them off before going through certain towns. ^This is how my last boat looked when complete

Aside from it being handy on its own, I feel it's easier to operate and has a better hold. It's not a spring loaded grip, it locks down like a pair of vise grips. Plus, if the scale dies you can just buy a new scale.

Welcome to the forums Brian!

Yes that's how the 2 bank chargers are wired. If you do that you should be good to go.

I've owned 2 Rangers, their fit and finish is excellent, everything is well thought out and put where it should be. I don't know that there's a better built boat out there. They hold their value better over time than other boats as well. In one of the previous posts comparing the storage of a 17 foot boat to a 20 footer obviously the bigger one is going to have more storage. I have a Sport R70 and it's pretty good on storage for a boat that age and size. The newer boats utilize more space for storage than older ones did but that's true of all brands. I've fished out of both a Triton and a Skeeter. Neither are bad boats by any means. The Skeeter I was in was a 19 footer and there were a few things I didn't like about. First off for being 19' it didn't ride much better than my 17' Ranger. I didn't care for the way they made the latches on their lids. It makes for a nice clean look, but having big hands made them kind of a pain to open. And lastly they have this small step for the front deck that's more of a hump and although I know you'd get used to it over time, EVERY SINGLE TIME I went to get up on the front deck to net a fish I tripped on that thing. The Triton I fished out of I didn't have any complaints about it. It seemed pretty well laid out with minimal wasted space. It didn't get rough when I was in it so I can't speak much for the rough water ride.

Depending on the situation and bait, having weight can be beneficial. On something like a senko style bait the bait usually has the best action with a slow fall as it shimmies. Adding too much weight in front of that will make it drop straight down. There are times when the fish want that and times they don't. Baits like ribbon tail worms fall very very slowly without weight so adding some change the rate of fall. Also, adding weight helps a lot when fishing deeper. There are days fish are feeding up and days they feed down. If you're throwing a worm weightless on the days they're feeding down and fishing in 10-12 feet of water, you'll be waiting anywhere from 20-40 seconds or even longer just for your bait to get down there. If you added a bullet weight, it'd be down there much quicker and the bait will stay in the productive area for a longer portion of your cast.

Best one I've found is whatever digital scale you want and add a pair of fish grips or the rapala fish gripper to it.

Idling in wood you aren't going to do a whole lot of damage, You will want to keep your motor trimmed up though. If I'm idling around in shallow water I haven't been in before, I'll bring my jackplate all the way up and trim my motor up and by doing that I shouldn't hit anything with my prop as the boat is basically shielding it. Bumping wood at idle might put a scratch in your boat but most of the time it won't, if it's a rock you won't be so lucky, you'll definitely be walking away with a scratch. As far as how to get around, you'll want to rely heavily on a gps. Although they can be off some, your far better off with one than without. Also, read your locators. If you have side scan sonar that can help you more as you can see what's out around you, but if not you can learn to look what trees look like on 2D. You'll get the hang of it eventually. Also, it's good to remember a planed out boat drafts shallower than one not on plane. If you're leery about running an area that you're going to be running multiple times, you can idle through it with your motor trimmed down. If you're clear that way you'll be fine on pad.

You beat me to it! A squarebill can be a good bait throughout the spring and summer months, but it really shines during the fall!

Welcome to the forum! Now get yourself some good rain gear and don't let the weather stop you again! Haha

You've got some good info here so I don't have much to add other than welcome to tournament fishing! Also, I'm curious as to what it took to win that tournament and how the rest of the field did. There's a difference in it being a tough day for you and being a tough day for everyone. Obviously, it's going to be beneficial to become more well rounded, but it's good to know if you were close to what was working, or you missed the boat completely.

It might be worth a trip up there at some point if you've got a fishing trip planned for up that way. They sell A, B, and C stock rods at the factory. A stock is the retail rods that you can buy off the shelf anywhere. B stocks are rods that come off the line and have "flaws" It's crazy to see what they pull off the line. I've bought a few B stock rods in the past and you can't tell the differenct between them and an A stock. They might have a little dull spot in the pain/clear coat. I've got an extreme that has a few really tiny air bubbles under the clear coat. You don't even notice unless you look really close. Some B stocks might have a guide ever so slightly out of alignment. Then there's the ones you really can't tell what's wrong with them. I bought a LTB last year I held right next to the same A stock rod and I couldn't find anything at all. These B stock rods are usually discounted 50% or more. C stock rods are those that came back to be fixed but they would not be able to return the rod to original action after fixing it. Most of the time it's due to a tip snapping. It still provides a usable rod, but the ratings on the rod are no longer correct. These rods usually get a new tip top put on, and the St. Croix logo scratched off the rod. They price those by series. I believe anything up to the avid is $30 and LTB on up is $50 if I remember correctly. They get picked over pretty quick, but there are some rods that come out that are totally worth it. Although it might not be the original action, it doesn't automatically make them unusable. The only problem with the B and C stock rods is you can't always go there with a specific rod in mind because availability is based on what gets screwed up. They don't have them listed, as it's more of an in store thing only. You might be able to call and get a B stock rod, but I doubt they'll sell a C stock rod over the phone as none of them have their original length or action so it's more of an in person type thing.

If i were in your position, I'd be looking at the Ranger RT series as well as the new Lund Renegade. Rangers 198 RT with a 150 is priced at just under 29k and I don't know what the Lund will come in at, but it'd be worth checking out.

I supppppose I could since it is pretty much right on the way haha

That's awesome! Reminds me of me as a little kid haha

I like Power Pro and Berkley Professional Braid.

I think you'll be ok with the 7'4". Personally I like shorter rods as well but unless you're planning on going for accuracy with something like a squarebill, the added length will help you cover more water and get some baits deeper.

The Spirex isn't a bad reel. My dad uses them all the time and usually the bail or bail spring breaks before anything else or at least has been the case over they years with the reels my dad has owned.

I would suggest checking out the new Mojo Bass. The 7'4" H/F Frog-n-Slop rod should handle about anything you throw at it.

It'll probably be a little faster, but I wouldn't think it would be by a lot. The 300 Verado is going to be quite a bit heavier than the XS so that's going to negate some of the speed change. Personally I don't think it'd be worth the money. It'll also be over-rated HP wise which means insurance won't cover it. Also, a lot of tournament have a hp limit set at 250. If you're planning on keeping that boat forever then maybe, but if you aren't it could be tougher to sell when you're ready.

Thanks, they don't make for as good of fish porn as what you catch down there, but they just don't grow as big up here! I hope you get out soon. It sounds like you're a really busy guy. Hopefully there's a break in there somewhere for some time for fishing!

Thanks, I love the markings on them. It's funny how they can come and go though. Thanks, it wasn't my best outing up there quantity wise, I'm just glad that didn't matter! Haha I wish...especially with what I know is coming soon here :/ stupid winter haha. Not that Virginia is a balmy climate either I'm sure, but I'm guessing you don't have nearly as many days below 0 as we do.

It's nice to know there are plenty of people that pay close to if not more than I make over the course of a n entire year just to take a flight...