fishnkamp

I think maybe you misunderstand my entire point. The idea that the OP would rather depend on a backup device such as a jump starter RATHER than start with 3 good batteries is ridiculous. He has at least two other topics about the batteries on his boat or possible charger issues. I helped him find that boat last year. So I have been trying to help him all along. He has said numerous times that the dealer supposedly replaced one faulty battery, but he is not confident which one. I realize my battery choice is expensive at first. If you spend $200 on a battery that can last 7 years than it cost $29 per year. Boating, especially bass boating is not a cheap hobby. But safety requires the use of dependable equipment. If that initial outlay is too much, than find something like the Wal Mart brand AGMs and replace all 3. MY the main point was to avoid starting a season relying on batteries that will fail or you can not confidently trust. Troubleshooting devices like the one I suggested are used all through the mechanics world to reliably evaluate the condition of a battery. Every professional shop that I have worked in has used them. I have been employed as a mechanic in car shops, diesel engine shops, and construction repair shops. I would rather go spend $30 and test the batteries to be certain the plates are not dying then guess. Since this is his first full season I would just start with 3 good batteries, maintain them and not have to worry about their reliability. Another thing to consider is with today's computer controlled engines trying to start one with a low battery could damage the electronic controls. You could also damage an outboard charging system if it is trying to charge a bad battery. Those repairs could be much more expensive in the long run.

The tab should be almost dead center, a small 1/4 of an inch is a lot of adjustment. Before I did anything, I would center it and see what difference that might make.

The 6'6" spinning rod should handle all of your needs when it comes to grubs, tubes, shakey heads, and most finesse baits, like Ned Rigs, and weightless or lightly weighted plastics like creature baits and Sencos. You can even throw belly weighted hooks and swimbaits like the Reaction Innovations Little Dippers and Skinny Dippers. Keitecks fall in that category also. Someday you may want to add a rod like a 6'9" ML for the lighter baits, but you are good here right now. I consider this rod good for handling baits up to 3/8 of an ounce combined weight. The 7 foot medium fast action rod should allow you to fish slightly heavier baits up to 5/8 if this is a true medium power with a fast action tip. Although not ideal, I would think you can get by throwing spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and some topwater baits on this rod. Hopefully it can handle baits like rattle traps, smaller crankbaits, and even baits like Pop R's. If that rod can handle all of that, then I would look at a Dobyns Fury series model FR 735C, That rod would be a terrific rod for heavier texas rigs, bigger jigs with bulkier trailers, carolina rigs and as an extra benefit it will serve as a great rod to throw hollow bodied frogs on. I use a Champion series 705 for that exact purpose. I went with the 7 footer just because my rod locker could not fit the 7'3". This rod will run you $110, but it fishes much more like a $200 rod than a $100 one. Another good option to consider would be an Irod Genesis II IRG754F which is known as Fred's Magic Stick. That is a very versatile rod as well. I have friends fishing with both the Dobyns Fury Fr735C rod and this Irod. The Irod Genesis Ii rods will run around $150. The last rod I would suggest would be from the Powell Rod Company. Look at a Powell Max 3D model 764 CF Mag. It is a great rod as well. It will handle what you want. A Powell will run you around $160. I know that most anglers do not have stores near them that carry all of these brands but I do. Between my wife and I we fish 3 Irods, several Dobyns and two Powells. My friend Kris owns 3 Furys and is getting ready to pick up #4 soon. He is changing all of his rods over to Dobyns Fury series rods. All of these rods are well made with good components and balance well. MY choice for a reel is easy. I would choose a Daiwa Tatula CT. I personally fish with 12 baitcasters. I have been changing my entire lineup of reels from Shimano Curados and Chronarchs and a few Bass Pro Extreme reels to all Daiwa. So far I own 1 Daiwa Exceler, 4 Tatula Type R's and 2 Tatula CTs. I would suggest you consider getting a Daiwa Tatula CT in a 7.3-1 gear ratio for this setup. The techniques that we are fishing with this combo are ones we generally manipulate the lure with the rod, not the reel. So a faster reel speed helps get line in and make your next cast quickly. The Daiwa Tatula CT sells for $129 in most places. If you decide to go with one I have a source that will sell you the brand new reel and ship it to your door for $100. You save $30 off the reel and the shipping is free. That is where I purchased my two CTs from.

I have changed most of my reels over from Shimano Curados and Chronarchs and Bass Pro Extremes to Daiwas. I apologize, but I have not used a Lews in over 4 years. Having said that, I fish with 1 Exceler, 4 Tatula Type Rs and 2 Tatula CTs. I am pretty sure I am familiar enough with these reels to trey to help you. If you like really small reels then stay with your Lews reels. A Lews Speed Spool LF is both small and weighs either 6.9 or 7.0 ounces. There are two major Tatula bodies available. There is the original Tatula reels ( Tatula, and Tatula Type Rs) These reels are the larger size and weigh either 7.9 or 7.6 ounces. If you are using mostly Lews reels than more than likely they will feel heavy to you. My suggestion is to look at the newer version called the Tatula CT- or Tatula compact which is a different body all together. There are 3 versions of that reel. I use the standard Tatula CT and love them. In fact I love fishing with all of my Daiwas. There are also a Tatula CT Type R and an anniversary version. Personally, I see only one reason to run the Type Rs and that was to get a 8-1 left handed reel, which I wanted for frogging. The CTs weigh 7.4 and 7.2 ounces. I doubt you could tell if the reel weighs .2 or .4 ounces more. Both of the Type Rs come in a left handed 8.1-1 gear ratio, they include a tiny bit lighter spool and instead of having only one corrosion resistant bearing, they change one regular bearing so the reel has 2 cr bearings. Now does that matter when you are casting and retrieving lures? Absolutely not! I do believe in the MagForce Z brake system and the T wing also. Is it a major game changer. No. Does it function as they advertise? Yes. I am sorta confused by bass raider's comments that he had trouble dialing in a Tatula reel. The Lews has a simple magnetic brake adjustment that works with the standard cast control knob. No mystery there. You simply back off the brakes, adjust the speed of the dropping lure till it just stops as it hits the ground and then adjust the magnetic brakes by turning the external dial. With the MagForce Z it is a bit different. Back off the brakes using the external dial. Next adjust the side play in the spool. You want to have the spool move just the tiniest bit side to side, like less than a 32th of an inch. I usually tighten the cast control knob till there is no side clearance then back off a bit till I just see the spool move side to side. If you check the drop rate of the lure it will seem too fast compared to a traditional reel. Now you can adjust the magnetic brake dial. I suspect bass raider may not have tried that. You have to understand how MagForce Z works. It is very similar to other brand reels where they have dual braking. The centrifugal brakes help avoid over runs during the beginning of the cast and the magnetics help more with the slowing of the spool as the lure hits the end of the cast. With Magforce Z the centrifugal braking is not adjustable, it is set automatically by the movement of the drum that's attached to the spool. It is a balancing act between the weight of spring, the pawls and the speed of the spool. Once I set the cast control I almost never need to reset it even as I change baits or weight of baits. Here is a video that explains how the different Mag Force brake systems work.

I am a big Daiwa fan, but I would go Daiwa Tatula CT over any of those. They can be had for $100 shipped to your door. The Aird has the older designed MagForce braking system. You will find a big improvement when you move up to a Daiwa Fuego or Tatula CT which have the MagForce Z braking system. That system is so easy to adjust and just go fish.

Old school and reliable! I do not care if it is a construction equipment battery or one in a truck, lawnmower, boat or camper, these simple testers work. If a cell is dying it will show up quick.

First, Dobyns rods differ more like 1/2 of a step lighter than some other rods. Of course some brands of rods are known to be at least 1 whole step heavier than the average rod blank with the same specs. Abu Garcia is one of those that run much stiffer than other brands. If you hold a 7 foot MH Veritas 2 rod it acts much more like a typical heavy rated rod. Since you want to throw 1/2 ounce jigs with a typical trailer then that bait will weigh close to 3/4 of an ounce. A FR 735 will handle that and give you a good rod to throw frogs, carolina rigs and texas rigs. I personally own a Champion series 705C and it handles all of those baits well. I chose the 7 footer just because the rod locker can not fit a longer rod. Given the opportunity I would have preferred the 7'3" version. It is more than just 3 inches longer, the entire taper is different.

I think I would sell my AR instead. There are lots of used aluminum boats for sale and many would allow you to fish more easily. I think a boat like this might work much better for you. https://roanoke.craigslist.org/boa/6009780198.html

I would just get three brand new batteries and stop fussing with batteries that are questionable. Instead of a battery jump kit, I would recommend you go to Harbor Freight and buy one of these battery load testers. You will know if any of the batteries on your boat work without any doubt. You are waiting for your battery charger to indicate if they will take a charge. Depending on the condition of the batteries internal plates your charger may never give you a correct indication. I would temporarily disconnect the jumper lead between the two trolling motor batteries (assuming it is setup for 24 volts) Test each battery isolated from the other one. This is your only reliable way to test them. One of these testers runs $21.00 http://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-6-volt12-volt-battery-load-tester-69888-9191.html

That trim tab is adjustable. There should be a cap over top of it.. You pop out that cap, loosen the bolt down inside and then adjust the trim tab. Torque it back up to spec and it should be done in small increments. Be vary careful when "hammering" on you lower unit. That aluminum can crack from that type of "adjustment". Thewn you would need a fabricator to repair it.

I have been boating for 42 years. I do my maintenance as needed. I have yet to need one of those on board. If you start with good batteries ( high quality made batteries, not the cheapest ones) and recharge them correctly, as soon as you return home, you should rarely need such a device. Most times you would have need for one would be to help someone else who has failed to start with good batteries or failed to maintain them. I run Cabelas group 30 series AGM batteries. These 3 batteries are on their 7th season and are as good as they were when new. I give credit to the Bass Pro on board charger that supplies 10 amps per battery and to charging them back up immediately after returning home from use. These batteries are expensive to purchase. They run $249.99 each and go on sale almost every year for $199, which they are right now. If they last 7 years then they cost $35 per year and never give me any issues. Many anglers use the Wal Mart lead acid batteries that cost less than half that cost, then have to deal with replacing them annually or at least every other year. To me, this is a pain and one I am not interested in. I charge them up before I put them away and top them back up in spring and that is it. I never need a trickle charger left on them, or any other nonsense that can kill a battery. That is just my 2 cents from owning and fishing from 11 bass boats, canoes and jon boats over 42 years.

That boat is frequently found with a 115 Merc, so it may be underpowered with a 90. A boat ride would tell you that. The price is fair if the condition is decent. Is a 17 1/2 foot fiberglass big enough for the water you want to fish. I sent you a pm.

I love my Pflueger president spinning reels but have never touched one of the baitcasters. I would stick to what is known to work and that would be a Silver Max. I have cast my friends and it worked good.

Look at an ABu Garcia Silver Max reel from Bass Pro for $60. They are well liked and well built for the money.

Look at it this way, you did not have that happen to some $400 reel. Lets move onto what your budget is to replace it. There are a few decent reels costing less than $100. Not many. You could get a really good real for $100, including shipping, and that would be A Daiwa Tatula. There are a couple of lews reels that run about that. I recommend the Daiwa myself. Now when you mess with thee rid and reel in the future you know you will need to be more careful.

Abu makes a 6'9 mh in 2 piece, it is not that easy to find but check Gander Mountain, it is model MODEL # VRTC692-6 They have the rod for $79. They also have a $20 discount on any order over $100, so order some baits and get them for free basically.

One nice thing right now is Gary has some factory brand new mislabeled Champion 735s and 736s. The only defect on the rod is their mislabeling. They come with full Dobyns warranty same as any new rod would have. Their price is $170 instead of $240. Ter anglers I know who have purchased them are smiling big time.

I personally love your choices. I fish with a several Irod Genesis II rods. Since it sounds like you want an all purpose rod check out the IRG693C ( Harold' Lone Star Special) or his longer version which is an IRG733C. I would definitely consider a Dobyns 703C. I fish several Dobyns and I have a friend that fishes 4 Furys. Look at a Powell Inferno 683CEF.. I own one of the earlier Powell Max 683 CEF models. That is an amazing versatile rod. I talked to the president of Powell rods about this and he said my rod is very close to an Inferno, and that the Max 3Ds that replaced the Max rods are a bit stiffer than the original. Go read this article. http://www.tackletour.com/reviewpowell683cxfast.html I enjoy fishing rods from all of these brands. I find each one to be comfortable to fish with all day long, well balanced and very sensitive.

I sent you a pm.

Often times just moving the stem back one finger makes it much more comfortable and often helps with rod balance especially with tip heavy rods.

I love those Dobyns Sierra rods. My local tackle shop stocks almost all of them, so I have handled a bunch of them. I fish one Champion 705C for my frogs and my friend Kris fishes 4 Fury rods including a FR703SF. So I have fooled with different Dobyns models. I purchased a Sierra SA705 SF for my wife to fish big heavy jigs, carolina rigs and frogs. I matched that rod with a Pflueger Supreme 35 size reel and it balances awesome, just above the middle of the spool. Just to test it out, before I left the store I strung up the 30 pound test Power Pro Spectra and tied on one of the new Strike King 1/2 ounce Poppin Perch. I let it down about 6 inches from the tip. I just barely jiggled the tip and you could feel the vibration from the lure in the palm of my hand. These are super sensitive and I love it. It is just a touch less sensitive compared to my Champion rod which cost about $70 more. I had the store owner mess with it and then we went outside and did some casting with it. She is going to love it I intend to make my next rod purchase a SA 693SF. I will use it for Sencos, light texas rigs ( 3/16 to 3/8) light jigs. I am certain that rod would do what you want. I like the feel of the 6'9" long rod for tossing under docks and around structure. Another option would be a a SA 703SF. I realize they suggest the 2 power rods for dropshotting, shakeyheads etc. I have held some 2 and 3 power rods and I think the 3 power would work best. As Patrick said these rods feel best with a tiny bit heavier reel. Take a good look at the reel we chose, the Pflueger Supremes offer a quality reliable reel with a high retrieve ratio of 6.2:1, 12 pounds of drag and a IPT of 33.8. The reel weighs 8,8 ounces so by no means a light weight nor a heavy weight.

The easiest way is to mount a simple waterproof electrical plug to your trolling motor wiring. Then mount a waterproof electrical outlet. The outlet would get mounted in a typical plastic electrical box and waterproof lid from Home depot. There are cheaper options but here is what I would use so that it can handle the voltage without losing amperage. The plug and outlet are available from Bass Pro. The wire can be purchased online, at your local electrical supply house or Home Depot. I would use 6 or 8 gauge wire and a circuit breaker as well. Here are some pictures. http://www.basspro.com/Marinco-12/24V-Trolling-Motor-Receptacle/product/38067/ http://www.basspro.com/Marinco-Trolling-Motor-Male-Connector-Plug/product/1242/ http://www.basspro.com/Minn-Kota-Circuit-Breaker/product/13060507313912/

I would follow MD Bassin508. Start with a very easy to learn, extremely reliable reel and that fits the Diawa Tatula CT. I can easily give you a source to buy a brand new one shipped to your door for $100. Send me an email to fishnkamp@comcast.net. I would order the CT in a 6.3-1 ratio, it is useful for lots of fishing. The suggestion of the Berkley Lightning Shock rod is a good one. So is Dicks Sporting goods Quantum Escalade 6'6"MH for $49. I fish 4 Daiwa Tatula Type R reels, and 2 of the newer Daiwa Tatula CTs. They are all terrific reels. I also fish 1 of the Quantum Escalade rods, it is a 7 footer. Either of these would work well and would fit in your budget. If you want to check out the Berkley rod stop in a couple of Wal Marts near you. They have these rods marked as $49, but some guys have found that if they have them scanned they came up as on clearance for $9.

Since no two rod manufacturers rate a rod the same lets look at some really good options for a frog/sunfish rod. I would start by considering a Irod Genesis II IRG754F or as they call it the Fred Magic Stick. That rod is $149. It is also available in the less expensive Fiber series for $110. Powell offers a mag heavy frog rod called the MAX3D 736CEF it runs $160 or they offer an Inferno 725CF for $110. Finally look at a Dobyns Fury FR 735C for $110

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