BaitMonkey1984

I have not experienced this, maybe because I am young, fish most days, and always have been one who casts, casts, casts. Fish similar to KVD and Rick Clunn. Stretching couldn't hurt but I do not think it will relieve your pain. I think your best option to avoid any pain is to get a specific casting rod for cranks. This would help you out more than anything, if you do not already have a crank bait specific rod.

I had a 7.5hp game fisher on my aluminum some years ago. The engine did the same thing, and it was a carb problem. I would re-check the carbs and the jets. Also, as to the spark plugs I would make sure you get the right brand for the engine. For example, they say for Hondas use NGKs, for Johnson it may be Champion. I had an issue once before due to not properly gapping the plug, so make sure that is done correctly as well.

I like many of us started with Ugly Sticks a long time ago too. Most people do because they are durable and can take abuse by younger/inexperienced anglers. You do not want to use this rod to try to get yourself unsngagged. I broke St. Croixs and Carrot sticks by doing this. I never broke an ugly stick. One year with good rods I broke two. The first, I thought was due to a manufacturing defect. The second time, I realized it was me. That was 10 years ago. In that time, I broke only one rod and that is because i hit the rear pedestal seat in my backswing. If you get snagged , don't use your rod. I tell until the line is tight. Then I grab the line right above the top eyelet and grab and jerk the line. If you have soft hands and are using braid, be careful, you can get braid burn. This will save you from snapping off your expensive rod 3/4 of the way up the rod.

Not to beat a dead horse- but wear your PFD. I don't wear mine as much as I should in my two boats. I do in the Yak. And maybe this short story will tell you why... I was fishing out of my aluminum boat. Beautiful day in the summer, mid-day. Two guys around my age, 30, paddle by me in the yaks and make quick conversation about the fishing. I could tell these guys were having a good time. They move past me. I make maybe 5 casts and hear one of these guys cracking up. I turn, one flipped his kayak and the other guy is laughing his butt off about it. The one in the water (50 yards away from me) says I'm going to shore, tells his buddy to take his kayak. Perhaps 3 overhead strokes later and he is yelling for help, he is 300 yards plus from any shore. I pull anchor go and get him. The guy was loaded, was in pants and his shoes. His buddy wasn't initially able to get to him, and the guy erronesouly thought he could make it so shore. This guy was lucky to be alive. I have the deck of My ranger loaded with 14+ combos in all times. Yak fishing, two rods max and limited tackle. Keep a set of pliers handy too, in case you get a pickerel bite. It is a blast when you catch a decent fish and it takes you for a ride. The hooksett is difficult to adjust to, so do not be discouraged if you lose some fish. One thing I would add, I use shorter rods so it is easy to land fish, as a 7ft 6 inch rod is difficult to land the fish in tight quarters.

$250.00 is a lot of money for someone just getting into lures. Make sure that you spend it wisely tho. You should get a vast and diverse selection. GYCB 5" Senkos in green/watermelon pumpkin are a must wacky style. Grubs on a jig head and spinner baits, and in line spinners are also great easy to use lures. That $250 can be well spent on several different sizes, colors, etc. The $250 should fill up a tackle box pretty good. However, the bait monkey will eventually get you. When it does, you will have 15+ plano 3700 boxes full and maybe one day, you will have an entire Plano Sportsman Trunk. I do not have any idea as to how many bags of soft plastics are in there, but I would estimate at least 400. At say $6.00 a bag ( very generous) that is roughly $2,400. If you tell the GF, I will deny it. Enjoy the collecting!

Powerbait scent is great. Also, the baits are better made. That said. I got a literal "boat load" of both. The Havoc Smash Tubes by Ike are the only tubes I use, and I really like the Havoc Pitbossess and Havoc back slides. My favorite texas rigged bait is the 4" inch berkley powerboat crazy chigger craw in green pumpkin. Use them both. They are both great baits, and the havocs fish like a much more expensive bait.

I am going to go against the grain. I have been fishing like a madman for over 10+ years. I have two fish mounted- a nice bass (5.5 lb) and a chain pickerel around the same weight. Replica mounts were not common knowledge when I kept the chain pickerel, and I kept it because I did not think it was going to survive. The bass I kept last year. I have friends who have obtained replica mounts and the quality of theirs, I was less than impressed. I have many fish at 5lbs and never mounted. I did catch a 6lb shortly after I mounted the 5lb and never even thought about keeping another one. It would have to be 8 lbs before I keep it. I respect the heck outta the people who do the replica mounts- however they just don't do it for me. Would be happy to see some pictures from good replica mounts some members have. But I would say based upon my personal experience I would go for a real mount, as you are likely not going to keep a whole lot ( it gets expensive) and anything over 4 lbs will make a good mount. Good luck, and be sure to follow up with pics of whatever mount you go with. O yea, now is the fun part, you need to go catch that toad.

X2. As long as the boat is in the water and the engine is submerged that is fine. If you trailer, when you take the boat make sure the engine is drained. Trim the motor all the way down to ensure that there is no water in the engine. Also, do not forget to pull the boat plug to make sure that all livewells/bilge is empty too. Water in these areas can freeze and crack the piping.

Welcome. You are close by. I live in Dracut right on the NH/MA line. Hit me up on a PM sometime if you want to meet up at a lake. Will have to wait till next year though as I just got back from dropping the Ranger off to the marina for the winter. Sad day.

A couple of things. One thing that gets me, and I am sure many of the northern guys- how do you know that you caught 74 fish? Do you really sit there and keep tack all day= seems tedious, but I am very jealous. Additionally, 74 fish on senkos seems extremely expensive if your using GYCB. Lastly, to target bigger fish throw A big Swimsbait. Savage or Hudd, and stick with it all day and wait for that one bite.

Used to drive me nuts. Since switching to the palomar knot it never really happens anymore. Never realized it, but that comment about buzzed baits must make. As this is the only difference I made and I have no issue anymore.

Yep, back with Mono. Saves you a bunch of $.

I picked one up from west marine. Mine is on the boat for approx. three months a year. This is year 3 and it continues to hold up well and looks great. Think it cost in the ballpark of $300.00. Good luck.

I always run marvel oil, seafoam, and star to enzyme treatment in every fill up for both boats. I do not my 150hp motor out of gas. I do do it for my small 8hp motor, and always have. I have never experienced any issue whatsoever, I make sure that the engine gets a healthy does of fogging oil so that the engine is well lubricated. I believe the biggest issue is to avoid water damage/rust/corrosion. I do not think it matters, only make sure that you have have enzyme treatment if you do not run the engine out of gas.

KISS. Keep it simple stupid is my motto. For beginners, or for anyone struggling to get bit I like to resort back to easy to use lures. This would include dead sticking a 5" senko bait. Also, I would agree with Ike that a spinnerbait and a small grub on a jghead are also impossible to fish incorrectly. Try a spinner bait, fun to cast and usually produces well, especially during the Fall.

I spent 4 hours out on the pond today enjoying this great weather here in MA. I knew I needed moving baits and tied on the senile action first lipless seeker I got from MTB like 4 months ago and haven't gotten around to tiring it on. Great finish and the bait sounds awesome, even on a long bomb cast you hear that rattle all the way back to the boat. I know that you want subtle rattles during the fall, but gave it a whirl. Ended up with 5 fish. 3 on this bait. Great action, great paint, and fat out catches fish. Will be getting more of these.

It depends on the spot. If it is a known community hole, then fish the heck out of it. If it is a secret spot, or one subtly on a larger known area I would have no problem fishing it for fun, but come tournament time- find your own success.

I keep my center console screen on for the back angler almost all the time. I may shut if off intermittently if we are fishing all day and I don't want the battery to die, or if the back angler isn't even looking at the graph.

Depends on the time of the year. In the fall, I do my best around 11-3 when the water has a chance to heat up. Same in the fall. In the summer, I do best early morning till 1 hr after sunrise.

Just bought 30+ Jawbone crank baits at Dicks because they were on sale for $3.00 a piece and even with a lure retriever I am always losing cranks because I throw them into the gnarliest stuff I can find. Color, shape, eyes, rattle all looked good. Got em home and the hooks are tiny and need to be swapped out. Should have saved myself the time and aggravation and got a decent crank

I had similar issue with an old motor, and it turned out to be the carb. jets just like way2slow mentioned. Give it a good spray/ or soak and see if it solves the problem.

Sweet ride, never seen an aluminum with rims and a power pole. Upgrade the motor and keep that bad boat for yourself.

I have eaten a few out of curiosity, probably 3 in my lifetime. Nice healthy looking 2-3 lbs. I marinated them for a day and the cooked up nice. I have tried all of the fish from the lake and wonder why warm water fish get a bad rap- they taste good if you prepare it well. Have ate pickerel, bass, and catfish, all very good.

So let me help you out. The Hooksett BPS store is 20 minutes from my house. It has mostly everything I want/need. However, before the Hooksett store opened two years ago I would have to go to the BPS in Foxboro by Patriot Place. Those two stores are night and day. Foxboro is 2 floors, has a pub, and likely 4x the space. I love it but is is 45+ minutes away, so most of the time I can get by with the Hooksett store. Also, being in NH it is tax free so when making big purchases like graphs etc it rocks. Also, the new cabelas (this year) opened in Hudson, MA is on the way to Foxboro from your neck of the woods, so you can hit up both. One thing that drives me crazy is that after the explosion of the ned rig, I can't find it in any stores and still have to order it on TW.

Who needs automatic order when I make sure I always have 15+ bags of my got to 5" GYCB Senko in Watermelon Creme, Berkely Crazy Chigger Craws, and BPS Toruanement Series Worm in Green/White Laminate at all times. Just don't tell the GF that I really don't "need" anymore.