WIGuide

I don't think they're completely becoming a thing of the past, but there aren't as many as there used to be. Personally I prefer my rods around the 6'6" mark even though I have a quite a few over that. There are certain techniques that the longer rods just excel at.

Call Ranger directly, not the dealer and see if they will build you one before you count it out.

You want to look for one that's clean and has been taken care of. The the boat over, is it all faded out? Is it dirty and looks like it was never cleaned? Walk around in the boat on the trailer and feel if the floor has any spongy areas. If it does, these are usually rotted areas that would have to be replaced. Ask the owner about maintenance he's done on the boat. There's other things as well, but those are some of the major ones. Best advice is try to find a few good ones in your area, and take someone who knows a thing or two about boats with you to look at them.

A lot of the newer boats come with them straight from the factory. It's definitely a good idea to have one.

I haven't tried the Huk suit, but I've got the BPS parka. I haven't had the same issues at blue has had. It's been a great investment for me, keeps me warm and dry. I can add in my Columbia coat liner into the shell and it's as warm as my winter jacket. Fingers crossed that I don't have the same issues as Blue has, but I bought it used and I've had it for 2 years now and it's still going strong.

For your first baitcaster I'd go with cheap mono. Practice casting in the yard to get the hang of it. You will get some backlashes so be prepared for that. That's why you want to use cheap mono so if it gets ruined, you aren't hating yourself for it. Best of luck to you!

Get as much out as you can and then fill it up when you get the new motor on. I really doubt it'll do anything at all.

I don't know if they're planning on continuing to produce them or not, but if I were you I'd call Ranger directly to inquire about it. I know at one point not that long ago, you could still order boats that were discontinued because they keep all their old hull molds. It might be worth a shot.

Very nice dude! Congrats on the new ride

Road runners, beatle spins, very small crankbaits, and a bait called the Inch Minnow.

The BPS catalog as been shrinking little by little every year. Although I don't like that it's happening I do understand it. The cost it takes to produce and ship them must be very high and there are a minimal number of people who actually order by phone using the catalog anymore. Even before they started doing that, I might find what I want in the catalog, but I'd still order it online. That being said, I still miss the old ones with all the info in them. I have fond childhood memories as a little kid getting excited when they'd come in the mail. I'd look through them for hours upon hours haha

The cheaper ones I use that work well are the Shadow Rap, Smithwick Suspending Rogue, Luck E Strike RC STX, and the Bomber Long A.

I don't think you'd have an issue using treated wood for bunks as long as you put carpet on them. That way the wood isn't actually touching the hull.

Welcome to the forums!

Welcome to BR! Hope we can help you out!

The Vrod will be quieter and probably have more longevity to it over time. If that's what you're looking for that's probably what you should go for.

I throw wacky rigs on a 6'8" St. Croix LTB "wacky style" rod. 30 Size Abu Premier. I have it spooled with either 6lb fluoro or 20lb braid. I use a 2/0 Trokar weedless wacky hook and an Eco Pro Tungsten Pro Wacky Weight. When you put it all together it really works well.

As far as squarebills I've got confidence in quite a few with the now discontinued Xcalibur XCS100 being my main producer. Other I like are Luck E Strike RC's, Storm Arashi's, Rapala fat 3's. For that mid depth, I like the Bomber Fat Free Guppie, and Fingerling. Rapala DT 4's, 6's, & 10's will do work as well. As far as colors go, try to cover your bases. Get 1 or two baitfish patterns, a few crawfish ones, and a few bright ones as well. Pick colors based on your local forage, and pick ones you like or think will work. If you have faith and confidence in a bait, you'll fish it harder and you'll be more inclined to give it a chance and stick with it. Lipless crankbaits are great options too. I really like the Booyah version and the Cotton Cordell Super Spot/Hot Spot. Pick colors the same as other crankbaits.

I don't have a lot of experience with that, but a little in the spring on the Mississippi. Biggest thing I've found is get out of the current as much as possible. Where I fish on the Miss, it's a lot of sand. When that current gets rolling, they'll stack up super tight on sand drops. If you can find cleaner water that's even better.

As far as for use with a smartphone, navionics has sonar chart live, but you still need the locator to get the info from if I understand correctly. Humminbird Onix is able to create live charts on it's own.

Looks great @Glenn! Keep up the good work!

Haven't used those yet despite the good things I've heard about them. My confidence beaver/craw style bait is the Big Bite Baits Fightin' Frog.

I have used them before, but wasn't impressed with their lack of action. I did catch a few fish on them though, so they may not be the worst bait ever. I just have more confidence in other baits.

I use spike it because it's readily available. I don't use megastrike either, but I use Kick'n Bass with it though.

Definitely would have to disagree with the statement about ditching the motor. For reason 1) a tm is not going to take the place of a 25hp outboard 2) a well maintained small engine should provide years of reliable service. If you look around you see older small engines everywhere still running as intended on small crafts. I had a small Johnson 8 horse on my first boat. That thing started first pull every time other after it sat all winter which that case it usually took three pulls. They're very simple machines and not tons of things that can go wrong with them.