fishnkamp

It is funny for years I purchased only full cork handled rods. Then during a vacation in Tennessee and i found myself needing to purchase a rod and my best choice for the technique had a split cork grip. I found I loved it so most of my newer rods have them. Recently I had a problem with the reel seat and plastic locking rings loosening up on a new G Loomis IMX rod. I bit the bullet and had a super talented rod builder strip the reel seat and handle. i had him change the handle to a split grip assembly from Winn. We also used an American Tackle comfort reel seat. The difference in that rod made me go have him change several of my Loomis's the same way. If you have not seen and felt a rod with Winn grips you need to. I fished my first rod for days during our trip on Dale Hollow Lake this spring.

It may have the same blank taper and action as a typical 6'6" , but a slightly shorter handle. My Abu Garcia Ike series jerkbait/top water rod is exactly like that. He did it so you can give a good cadence to the bait without smacking your forearm with the back of the rod handle each time.

There are different levels in these reels. If you take a look at the low end of these you will miss some beefy equipment. Years ago I spoke to Woo Davies, at the Baltimore Bassarama, about the reels he used and no they were not Zebco33's. The Zebco Omega Pro is a pretty smooth reel with a decent drag. My wife used one occasionally to pitch under docks. Back in the nineties I lived near Harrisburg PA and had a coworker that regularly caught huge river catfish on his Zebco 808. He always loved it when the Swatara Creek flowed over its banks, then he would go fish for "big" cats up in between the newly flooded trees. That was no place for wimpy rods or weak reels.

Back in 1998 my wife and I purchased a ProCraft 20 foot fish n ski with a Merc 200 EFI. We purchased it with the bimini top and full curtain (made a mistake there we hardly ever left it in the water to get our use of the full curtains) man that was a great boat. i tournament fished out of it on the Potomac and could take friends out on it, tube and ski off it. We had it for over 10 years. The boat you purchased was basically copied from ProCraft after Johnny purchased the company, stole their technology and then a few years later shut it down. Good luck with your boat I know you should love it.

Something to consider doing after you get set and comfortable with your rig On all of my baitcasters I spool 1/2 with cheap mono or the remains of some floro/copolymer spool I have left over and then an expensive braid or floro spool will fill more than one reel. I attach the backing to the braid or floro with a simple double uni knot which works great for me. Usually I can get two or three reels filled like this with one 300 yard spool. Just a tip to consider. It makes it much more affordable to use expensive and quality line

This spring I upgraded 4 of my baitcasters from BPS Extremes ( which have served me well for at least 5 years ) to a bunch of Tatula and Tatula R's, but I wanted one more and it was not in the budget, so I caught the last Gander Mountain sale on Excellers. I used it heavily (as it is on my Powel Max rod I use for throwing jigs) while on vacation on Dale Hollow lake for big smallies and largies. It performed as well as my Tatulas did. I would say jump up and order one or three! Remember these reels sold for over $100 till the Tatulas and Tatula Rs came out. By the way I have a friend that fishes at least 3 times a week and catches some huge stripers and snakeheads on these reels while targeting bass

Several people have suggested the Pflueger President already. My wife and I own 6 of them all 25-30-35 and 40 series reels. They have all caught many many bass and stripers over the last 8 to 10 years. I have never had to do anything more then clean them and regrease them once in a while. For about $60 they are just work horses. For a rod suggestion check out Falcon Buccoo as others have said also. Wal Mart is your best and least expensive source for one. I would pair it with a 30 size reel

I have always used both lefties and right handed baitcasting reels and here is why. I use right handed reels for techniques that I cast out and just retrieve like swimbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits etc. For things that i cast out and impart action with the rod such as jigs,carolina rigs,frogs and plastics, I prefer to use my dominant hand (right hand) on the rod and use my left hand to just pick up line. When you cast say a jig along a downed tree, for example, you are ready to fish that bait right away without switching hands. I am a mechanic by trade and have used and abused my hands for my whole career. By changing it up it also helps me avoid hand cramps during long fishing days as well. Just my two cents.

Todays two piece rods are made with the same quality as the manufacturer's other rods. I fish two G Loomis 2 piece spinning rods (IMX versions) one for drop shotting and one for light jerk baits like original floating Rapalas. I needed to go to the 2 piece rods to fit the 7 footers in my aluminum bass boat's rod locker. They are super sensitive and fish great. I hope this helps.

Consider one of the Diawa Excellers , Fuegas or a Tatula, but keep an eye on places like Amazon, and Gander Mountain, Recently I picked up 3 Tatulas that regularly run between $140 and $199 for $100 and $135 shipped to the house. Twice this spring Gander Mountain sold Excellers that run $100 for less than $60. Now you are still buying a $100 reel but caught on sale for $49 to $60. These reels cast very nice and will last you for a long time. This means you won't be "upgrading" anytime soon. I just let you know I have a friend that is really hard on his equipment, fishes at least 3 to 4 times a week on average and even chases large stripers with those reels and they seem to hold up well for him.

I actually own one of the Falcon Bucco Trapmasters with the micro guides. I fish light tackle stripers here on the Chesapeake Bay with it. It throws 1/2 to one ounce rattle trap style baits excellently. I can use it for any treble bait but it is one of my go to rods for the stripers in the fall.

Consider the IROD Genesis II rods. Really nice, light and good hardware on them. They run a little more at $149 but worth it. They have very specific technique rods. I own a Gabe's Rip Rap Special covers my small to medium cranks very well. I own an Abu Ike Series Jerkbait rod which I love as well. His series runs about $129 and fish very well too.I believe he has 15 rods in his series and you could definitely find several to work for you.

I used to launch and camp at Shad Landing State Park. It was a great place to do both. There are cypress knees ( root balls of cypress trees) that the bass will get on as well as grass and lily pads fields. Navigation was not bad as I remember. Go to the Angling Technologies website, click on "interactive map" then x out the payment box. Now just zooom in on the lower eastern shore with your mouse. The rest is pretty much self explanitory. Enjoy its a nice river.

Mike check your other posting I replied there or send me an e-mail direct to fishnkamp@comcast.net. I would be happy to get on the phone and go over a bunch of info. My wife and I just spent 20 days out there.

If you want some tackle help give me an e-mail direct to fishnkamp@comcast.net. We can meet up near my house and after a little help on land, we can launch my boat for a little on water practice (read as fishing). I live in Middle River, near Martin State airport, so I can be in the water in a few minutes. Make sure to bring your equipment, but you may need to use mine, depending on what you are trying to use.

Your question was any near Howard County. I grew up in HoCo. Try the Patapsco river down near Daniels, also goon down near the iron bridge. Also the section down near Ellicott City. I had a friend I fished with that lived in the Oella section near the olg paper mill.

Look at several places. Here is my short list and I have actually been looking at real estate around each. First look all around Livingston Tn. It is north of Cookeville TN. It puts you near Dale Hollow Lake. It is first rate. It also means you could easily hit Center Hill, Cordell Hull, a little farther and the lakes around Nashville like Piercy Priest and Hickory make short day runs. You would not be far from Chicamagua or Nickajack either. Next check around McMinville which is below Center hill and from there again your short hops to other lakes are numerous.

Mike sorry I did not see this sooner and I hope I am not responding too late. I just spent 10 days there back in April/ May. Personally I would concentrate on main lake stuff for big smallies and largies. Consider making either Goat Island or Little Goat Island your home base. Now for fishing will you be fishing from another boat? We found fish all around there on main lake grass beds in say 5 to 20 feet. There are special areas around Irons Creek, Holley Creek, Willow Creek, Geiger Island etc. If you do not have any make sure you get some Reaction Innovation Skinny Dippers in "white trash" with a quarter once lead head jig like a vmc or Picaso swimbait jig ( the hook has a fish head style weight) also make sure you pick up neg rig baits and jig heads. we did real well with the ZMAN TRD 1/10 oz heads and green pumpkin TRD bodies. Lastly we caught some nice ones with a dirty jigs 3/8 oz swim jig in Alabama bream, but any bluegill/ sunfish color should work. I used both a green watermelon and brim colored craw trailer. I averaged 5 pound smallies and largies during my whole trip. I love that lake. As for license get both KY and TN because the lake is divided in a weird way. That is what I do. The Kentucky license is available at most of the marinas. We always get our tn license at Outdoor Junction which is a great hunting fishing tackle supplier near Cookeville Tn. It is located right off the Route 40 exit. If you want to give me a call I could go over spots specifically as well as places to stop at on the lake. By the way I think fuel is most reasonable there at Willow Grove Marina and we ate there several times for lunch. Their store has "everything including the kitchen sink". If I can help more give me an e-mail at fishnkamp@comcast.net and I will send you my phone number. Also if you want a great guide trip call Bobby Gentry ( look up his website for contact info). We have used him multiple time and done well with him. Contact him through his website but you will notice it is not up to date, he is out on the lake not home on the computer.

Lets start checking a few things. Are you running on a portable gas can ot the boats tank? You may have bad fuel line internally as there is real problems being caused by ethanol fuel. If this is happening while running on the boats tank try running on a portable tank to troubleshoot. Next you may have gummed up carbs. Try running some Seafoam thru it. Also try running it on ear muffs on the garden hose. Try accelerating in neutral just for a few seconds. If the engine accelerated ok you may have a mismatched prop or even a spun hub on the prop. I used to run a PolarKraft stick steer boat on a restricted lake with a Merc 9.9 4 stroke. It ran about 13 mph by gps. If you run okay on a portable tank than you need to go to your dealer and have all of your boats fuel lines replaced. I have done that recently on my Lowe bass boat. The new fuel lines are ethanol approved. Also I would replace my spark plugs just to be sure they are good as well. Let me know if any of these help. Also replace your tach they run about $60.

If the engine runs well you did real good! Congrats and it is fun here in the deep end for sure. That is a nice rig enjoy. Bryan would be proud. Bob

Triton makes a nice boat. I have been looking at them also. Before you decide on a new boat lets think about your fishing. How much do you fish big water? Also do you tournament fish much. Ultimately your ability to pay for the new boat will help you decide but look closely at your needs. That 179 is only inches smaller in length but also narrower in beam. I would expect the 189 to handle rougher water conditions better, but I have not gotten a chance to drive either yet. Check them both out and see how much more the larger boat costs. Good Luck with the new rig.

Dale Hollow is cut in two by the state lines but in a weird way. Go to Angling Technologies website, choose the interactive map and close the dialog box asking you to become a member. Next, mouse to KY/TN find Dale Hollow and zoom in. You can see it then Now, my wife and I just got back from 10 days there and it is an awesome lake. I will check on campgrounds, but I know there is some at the Lilly Dale Recreation Area. There are also some over at The Dale Hollow State Park. Both also have ramps. I am sure there are plenty of others, but I do know of these. Now, here are a few thing to know about in the area. If you come in from TN. stop at The Outdoor Junction near Cookeville. It is an awesome hunting and fishing supply store dedicated to the more serious angler. We always pick up our TN. license there. We pick up our Ky license when we get to Hendricks Creek Marina. We always stay in their cabins. Almost all of the marinas carry licenses. If you are around the middle of the lake area, check out Willow Grove Marina, they have a great store, good food, and their fuel price is pretty good. If you have not fished the lake much, most of the bigger smallies are on main lake stuff. By June you might need to fish more at night. If you want to hook up with a great guide who "lives" on the lake, check out Bobby Gentry. We always catch up with him to fish one day early in our trip so he locks us in on the current pattern. I hope I did not bore you, but if I can help anymore just send me a note. I had an amazing week catching smallies averaging 5 pounds, which made it my best ever week of fishing. I did not beat my pb but it was the most fish that size caught in a week. Enjoy your trip.

If I were ordering one it would be a 4 stroke. They have become really reliable, quiet, and pull really well. I met a guy with a PT-175 this weekend at my local ramp. I asked how he liked it, he said it was just over a year old and he was tickled with it. When he power loaded it I noticed his van was louder than the outboard!

That is a great rig. nice options. How do you like the Talons?

You did all you need to do for your welder. A good welder will get that done in no time. I have had a few projects done on my boats and trailers. It always helps to have a good welder in your Rolodex! Ha Ha