fishnkamp

Here is a different idea. One of my all purpose rods I love to fish is my Powell Max 683CEF. I mainly use it as a target rod around structure using swim jigs but it is an awesome rod. Go read the Tackletour review on that rod. That blank has been updated to the Max 3D rods ut it is also available in a Powell Inferno series as well. The last time I spoke with Powell and was told the Infernos are very close to the exact action my Max rod had. The newer Max3D is just a tad bit stiffer. Since all of your rods are 7 foot plus a shorter rod may be a nice weapon to add, As I say, I primarily use it around cover, but last April I was using it to fan cast in big grass flats on Dale Hollow. I was catching big 6-7 pound smallies on a Dirty Jigs swimjig and a 5 inch Kalin grub.

Before you do that, take a few minutes and call out to Irod. I have spoken with them in the past and they were terrific helping me decide on a rod. I am positive they will understand what you are talking about. Unfortunately that rod uses different guides than my Genesis II rods so I can not say for sure. Remember to call them sometime after noon( EST) as they are located in California.

I mentioned them because if money grew on trees I would have 2 of the new 16 inchers, BUT it does not! IN 43 years my wife and I have fished out of our 11 boats including 2 big fiberglass. Those boats have had lots of different 5 and now 7 inch unit. 7 inch units are fine for standard 2d and down imaging. Never try to use a 5 inch unit or for side imaging, Most units show a minimum of 15 feet, so try understanding what you are looking at with 15 feet being displayed on a 5 inch diagonal screen. There is no resolution. Last April my wife and I vacationed on Dale Hollow Lake and we hired the same great guide I always hire when we go there. He had a pair of HDS8's installed over the winter. He also attended several days of training out west somewhere. I was highly impressed. Our fish were located in main lake grass beds , scattered out on main lake flats in 15 to 25 feet of water. They had been on the spawning beds just 2 days earlier. He could turn the side imaging to left only and look 30 feet to the left, in the grass, We would quietly putt along till he saw several fish, set a waypoint on them, turn around and come back in closer with the trolling motor. Many times he would point out 4 fish and we would catch at least 3 of them. I did not have that option so all during the week I caught fish but not as efficiently. I had to fish my way down along those entire flats. I currently have an lite 7 which is now called a Hook 7. It is located at the console. I also have a Humminbird 788 at the front. It is going to be replaced by the Elite 7 and I want a new lite 9 TI at the console. That should allow me to fish as efficiently as we did on Bobby's boat. I also get to use the same mapping chips so that is good. The max price ( depends on options) for a HDS 9 is $2500, the max price on an Elite 9 TI is $1000. That is a big difference just to get options I can not use.

Hello Zeeter welcome back, I have not seen you around for a while. Make it easy on your mind (not necessarily on your wallet). Replace all of the other batteries except for the new one, since it is less than a year old.

I am positive she will do more than float! With the money you saved you can afford to add a few options if you wish. If you go to upgrade electronics check out the Lowrance Elite TI units. Go as big in the rear as you can.The Elite Ti are almost as capable as the HDS but can not network to power poles, or like the 5i Motor Guide trolling motors. they also can not link to the new engines to display engine info. To me those things are not that important, but as far as the gps and fish finder imaging they are reaaly very similar. The difference in price is well over $1000, so to me getting a unit that works as good in the gps/ mapping, and has regular 2d, down and side imaging is really terrific That boat is really pretty. You will be amazed how easy that boat will fish and run. MY wife and I have owned 11 boats in 42 years, some fiberglass and some aluminum/ We currently own a very similar boat to that one. Here is a picture of our Lowe Stinger 170. It has been on tidal water here in and lakes in MD, PA. TN, KY, VA and NC. It gets around!

They were nice boats. That is a very reliable motor. I ran one of those on a custom ordered 1998 ProCraft. I owned it for 10 years and it was bullet proof even when I sold it. The only thing I had to do to it other than normal maintenance was to replace a fuel lift pump diaphragm. That was due to using oxygenated fuel that was state ordered( this was a predecessor to Ethanol fuel. That boat looks clean. I just sent a pm.

I just purchased my wife a Sierra SA 705SF for her to throw jigs and frogs on. Comparing it to my Champion 705C it is a bit slower action graphite (which I expected since it is a Sierra) but if you lay both tips on the ground her spinning rod come pretty close to my 705's taper. I am amazed how sensitive that rod is. The rod specs 3/8 to 1 1/4, It will definitely handle lures from 1/2 to 1 ounce in my opinion. Based on this, I would expect the 704 to be a good choice for you. The question is more like do you go Sierra, Champion or Champion Extreme? I also agree call and ask to speak with Gary or his son Richard.

The Dobyns Champions are great rods and the 765 flip is a good choice . I would look at the DC744C, and the DC764C. There is a difference between the regular casting and the flip series. I would call out to Dobyns and talk to Gary or his son Richard for some guidance. You say heavy jigs, and tx rigs. Discuss what "heavy" in your mind is with them. Now for some other options look at an Irod Air series IRA754C, an IRA755C or Irod Genesis series IRG754C ant there is two other flipping sticks to consider. I know a bunch of guys that fish the Fred'd Magic stick in the Genesis II series. They all love them. Again i would call out and discuss what you really want and the guy at Irod are happy to talk fishing rods. I did just that when I was looking at a rod to fish traps and cranks. I fish a Genesis II IRG 703cc and love it for all my square bills, traps and small to kid depth cranks. I liked these rods enough I purchased an IRG 712 spinning rod for my wife. It is considered a heavy finesse rod. It is perfect for swim jigs and texas rigs. My last suggestion is a Powell Max3D 775 CEF. That thing is a beast and yet pretty light. I fish one Powell but really like their entire lineup. My Powell Max 683 CEF is a workhorse. It is the most versatile rod in my lineup. Here again I have spoken with Keith at Powell and he was very helpful in getting a rod to a friend in Canada. Ask him for his best choice for your purpose I know I keep saying contact these companies. One thing these companies have in common is their customer service, Th size if these companies allow them to directly spend time with their customers. All 3 make very good rods in different series, obviously as the price goes up in the series the rods use lighter more sensitive blanks and use more expensive components. The last 5 rods that I have purchased for myself and my wife have been rods from these 3 companies.

If it were me that Champ Extreme would be on order, I just picked up a Sierra SA 705SF for my wife. I ordered it so she could fish frogs, carolina rigs and maybe big jigs while ledge fishing on the Tennessee River lakes. I matched it up with a Pflueger Supreme and spooled it with 30# Power Pro Spectra braid. I tied on a new SK Popping Perch. If you drop that perch down about 6 inches and just barely jiggle that rod it is so easy to feel it down in the palm of your hand it is amazing. It cast like a bullet and you can easy feel every blade of grass. So if your budget is too tight don't feel like you are settling for a inferior rod. I own as Champion 705C for my frog rod. The difference between the two rods in sensitivity is not that much. I am thrilled with both.

Boy do I have a great option for you, since you said that your max budget was $300. Gary Dobyns has some mislabeled Dobyns Champion crankbait rods in stock right now. There was a mix up and a batch of DC735CB Glass rods and a batch of DC 736 CB Glass were mislabeled. These mislabeled rods are perfect in every other way. They even come with the standard Dobyns warranty. Each rod normally costs $240. They are being sold at a discounted price, you can purchase one for only $170. At that price you could get a nice Daiwa Tatula CT for $100 shipped to your home and the whole combo would be less than your max budget. If you are interested I can share that source for the reel at that price. Go to their website. Click on the "store button at the top. The select mislabeled rods. I know at least 5 or 6 guys that are using them for squarebills, chatterbaits and crankbaits and love them.

My wife and I each love the older series of G Loomis rods. Specifically the IMX and GL3 SJR classic series of rods. For really light baits like ned rigs and drop shots we fish a pair of SJR721 IMX rods. These handle 8 pound test great and are rated for 1/16 to 5/16 ounce baits. We have caught bass, crappie, stripers, and even some big catfish on these rods. No, we did not go catfishing on purpose, but an 8 eight pound channel cat ate her 1/10 ounce ned rig while smallie fishing along a steep rock bluff. It was fun watching her do an "IKE" imitation running around the boat from the front to the back deck and around again. We also fish two of the 6' SJR722 IMX rods. Again these are work horse rods for us. We both fish lots of grubs, shakey heads and small to mid sized plastics on these rods. My suggestion would be to look at the SJR781 IMX rod. It is basically a 6'6" version of my 721. If you read the description on G Loomis's website they talk about it being a special rod designed to fish light lures in deep water for bass and walleye, but can handle some saltwater fishing as well. i am not a fan of the E6 rods. However I have been fishing some Classic series rods ( of course when I first bought them they were not"classics" originally LOL) since 1980. These include 98% graphite, IM6, GL2, GL3 and IMX rods. That would be where I would look for your next rod. Our 6 foot 721s had no problem with ned rigs in 20 to 30 feet of water and feeling the bite from big post spawn female smallies on Dale Hollow last April. The fish were 2 days off of spawn lieing on grass beds leading out to the 25 foot range, they hads their mouths shut and Neds were the only answer for the first 4 days there. Later in the week a jig worked. I am sure the jerkbait bite was on during the following week, but I was home then.

The first thing is that baitcaster do not cast light baits well. That is why even the pros pull out a spinning rod to fish finesse baits. Your new rod specs as a 7'6" inch medium lite designed to cast 1/4 to 3/4 ounce baits. 1/4 to 3/4 ounce baits actually means that that rod is closer to a medium action rod. Most rods work best with baits in the middle of their ratings. Try throwing a 3/8 ounce swim jig with a grub trailer. That might feel better. If you are looking for a rod to throw those 1/8 spinners or super light plastics on say a 1/16 or 1/8 jig heads, then I would look at getting a Berkley Lightning Rod Shock spinning rod. They sell a 6'6" 2 piece ml model that can handle 1/8 to 5/8 ounce baits. Sometimes you can go into Walmart pick one up and have it scanned for the price. They usually run around $38 dollars but are actually being sold for as low as $9.00. I know of several members that purchased them for $9.00.

My wife and I have both caught our personal best in those lakes. My pb is a 7 pound kY spot off Center Hill and we both have been able to catch smallies over 6 pounds from Dale Hollow. She is a major smallie nut, so thankfully I get to go to awesome lakes. Because of medical issues recently we will not be going out west till maybe next year. My avatar is a Center Hill KY spot from Center Hill.

You need to check with the Fish and Game Commission's rules. Since you PA waters are inland and not navigable waters, with the exception of Lake Erie you need to conform to their regulations. This passage is taken directl from their website. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS • Coast Guard-approved fire extinguishers must be carried on all motorboats 26 feet or more in length. • Motorboats less than 26 feet in length with gasoline engines are required to carry a fire extinguisher if they have one or more of the following: closed compartments, permanently installed fuel tanks, double bottoms not sealed to the hull or completely filled with flotation materials, closed living spaces or closed storage compartments in which flammable materials are stowed. Note: Open boats such as jonboats where an after-market solid wood or metal floor is installed and is not completely sealed to the hull are NOT required to carry a fire extinguisher. • Fire extinguishers must be installed so that they are immediately available, within arm’s reach of the operator or passengers on board. • Fire extinguishers must be maintained and fully charged. I do not believe your boat is required to have one. I think you would be wise to take the time and read over all of their regulations Pay attention to several important things. The first is the cold water life jacket requirement. MANDATORY COLD WEATHER LIFE JACKET WEAR • From November 1 through April 30, boaters are required by law to wear life jackets on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak. This regulation went into effect in 2012 and is intended to protect boaters from the dangers of cold water shock if they fall into the water. Recreational boating fatalities that occur in Pennsylvania from November through April are primarily due to the effects of cold water immersion. When water temperatures are less than 70 degrees F, cold water shock is a major factor in boating fatalities. Victims who wear life jacket when exposed to cold water have potentially life-saving advantages such as insulation from the cold, buoyancy for victims who are unable to tread water and reduced risk of aspiration of water. In an effort to reduce the number of fatalities related to cold water immersion, the Commission has amended regulations to require life jackets to be worn on small and unstable boats during the period most noted for cold water temperatures. Also be aware of the boaters safety course requirements. Depending on your age you could be required to take a course and have proof of it with you anytime you boat. MANDATORY BOATING EDUCATION HP of Motor Restrictions of Use PWC* All PWC (personal watercraft) operators, regardless of age, must have in their possession a Boating Safety Education Certificate. Persons 11 years of age or younger may NOT operate. Persons 12 through 15 years of age may NOT operate with any passengers on board 15 years of age or younger or rent a PWC. *Also known as Jet Ski®, Sea-Doo®, WaveRunners®, Tigershark® and others. Boat 0 - 25 hp None Boat 25 hp and greater Persons 11 years of age or younger may NOT operate. Persons born on or after January 1, 1982, may not operate unless they have obtained and have in possession a Boating Safety Education Certificate.

I am really unsure why you had so much trouble trying to tie a simple double uni knot. Tell me what is the brand and pound test of your main line and what was the brand and pound test of the fluoro you were trying to tie together. I use the uni to uni knot all the time and it is one of the easiest to tie while I am standing on a boat and rocking around. There are a few things that are important to keep an eye on while tying it. First do not try to use to little or way to much line. I like about a 6 inch overlap. It is easiest for me to tie the first knot and then move over say an inch before making the loop for the second. To me leaving a good space between the knots helps. Do not pull the first knot down tight before you tie the second. Remember the two knots need to slide a bit back together. Another important thing is to wet the knots just like any knot. One last thing I always watch so my wraps begin close to the where the loop starts, and smooth as they go out towards the other end. This way they close up smoothly without overlapping each other. These details may help you be more successful.\ Here is a good video to help you out.

The Taclke Trap is a good place to start. Call out and ask for their suggestions. They sell a few different brands.

The tin option can be a good one. There are different levels of aluminum boats. There are the Tracker, Lowe, Alumacrafts, G3 and a few other boats that some call cookie cutter hulls. Then there are the real tin boats that are built as well as any fiberglass. They include boats like the Chrestliner PT series ( they are even showing up on the BASS and FLW series events) of course the new Lund bass boat and XPress boats make some really nice boats as well. These are boats that can handle 200 hp or larger engines.

Most of the 175 TFs you will find on a Bass Pro Shops lot come packaged with that same 60 hp 4 stroke engine. Tracker Marine specs that boat and that engine combo to go 35 to 37 mph. The same boat optioned up to the 75 hp would have cost $1600 more and is rated at a max speed of 40 to 41 mph. That is a max of about 5 mph. I doubt that is an issue. Good luck on the sea trial. It should be an easy boat to tow with and yes I believe all of the Trackers use a 2 inch ball. You could call over to the Tracker dealer and ask ahead of time.

That is awesome. Charger took a gamble hiring a true Champion guru and moving forward all the way to production with a boat that was beloved, beloved boats don't always turn into sales. In the past Stratos (they owned the Champion brand) sold the Champion boats under their Elite series and then dropped them in favor of their VLO boats. Bass Cat at one time was rumored to be playing with a Champion hull, but it never went beyond the testing phase. So for Charger to go all this way is really great. I hope it is truly successful, because it would be nice to see a 19 footer come back out. Some of the 190 series were great boats.

If you watch Fishing University Charlie and Ray are supposed to be running them now. BY the way Al I am jealous of where you live. My wife and I are trying to move out that way. It is going to be up towards Livingston or perhaps down towards McMinnville or Sparta. The lakes that exist in say a 1 1/2 hour circle of that area is amazing. So far I have been on Dale Hollow several times and Center Hill once. I love them both. Obviously I have not made it to Chicamagua or even Nickajack yet. Tims Ford is another on my to do list as well.

I have been using the uni to uni for 6 or more years and have never had a problem with one failing, however you do need to pay attention to details when pulling then down. I fish many micro guide rods and never had a problem either. Now I will make one note though. I use 14 pound test Stren for backing and tie 14 pound FireLine ( 6 pound mono equivalent in diameter) and then usually have a P Line CXX 8 pound leader. The diameters of these lines do not differ that much. This could have an influence on my success also.

First let me welcome you to the site. Next, before you commit to the Shimano Curado series let me give you another idea. Take a very serious look at the Daiwa Tatula CT reels. I have been getting rid of all of my Curados and Chronarchs in favor of the Tatula CT and Tatula reels. If you read some of the previous responses it was mentioned that the Curado is a reel that you need to learn to tame, but it will be worth it. Why go thru that learning curve. The Shimano has a centrifugal brake system . You have to open the reel up set a number of breaks then close it up. Then you can play with an external dial to fine tune it. Lots of guys have a love for these reels, I do not. I prefer the Daiwa Magforce Z system. It is a magnetic brake system with an automatically activated drum providing a hybrid centrifugal/ magnetic brake system. This means all you do set the external dial for the magnetic system and cast. It works fantastic. The Daiwa Tatula CT retails for $129, and can be purchased for $100 shipped to your door. If interested I can share that with you later. I would say that for an all purpose reel a 6.3-1 or 7.3-1 will be fine. Most of my reels are 6.3-1. Check out this video, it will explain how the Mag force Z brakes works. So that would be my suggestion. Start with a Daiwa Tatula CT for $100. To me the definition of an all purpose baitcasting rod is a 6'8 to 7'3" medium heavy power fast action rod. For the dollar Dobyns, Irod and Powell offer some of the best quality rods out there. The Dobyns Fury and Sierra rods are made with high quality sensitive blanks, and quality components. In both the Fury and Sierra series a 704 or a 734 are tough to beat. In an Irod I would consider the IRG 693C and the IRG 744C are fantastic all purpose rods. These are well balanced sensitive and use high quality components as well. When I go fishing there are 12 baitcasting setups in my rod box, along with 3 spinning ones as well. The most versatile rod among them is a Powell Max 683CEF. That is a 6'8" medium heavy extra fast tipped rod. It can do most everything. They are not making the rods in "Max series" but offer that rod in both the Inferno and Max3D series. Both are great rods. I own one Veritas and sold another Veritas rod. Neither rod is as sensitive nor is made with the same quality of components. Many users have had issues with the guide inserts falling out. I am not a fan of St Croix either, in fact I sold off all of my St Croix's over the last few years. I have no experience with the Cabelas rod. If it were me, I would consider getting the Daiwa reel ( saving some money and getting a better reel at the same time). Match it with an Irod Genesis II for $149, a Dobyns Fury for $110, a Dobys Sierra for $170 or the Powell for either $110 or $160. If you chose a Fury or a Powell Inferno you could also pick a nice spinning rod to go with your current Shimano spinning reel and stay pretty close to you $300 budget. That would upgrade your entire arsenal nicely.

His subject title was correct. Charger boats has modeled a Champion 210 into their lineup. They have hired a long time Champion guy and have brought the 210 back to life with many modern updates. It is a beautiful craft. That thing is an aircraft carrier. Check it out.

It is like falling off a bicycle LOL Seriously i know you want to protect yourself but as we both said it is practically new. Compression testing and dealer checkout is a primary thing for me under the usual conditions, but we are practically talking a factory left over! I liked the idea of doing much of the check out on the driveway, it shows you what works and also shows her that you are more than serious, while being respectful of her situation at the same time. She knows nothing about boats, but also fears being ripped off, that is only natural. I would add say 5 gallons of fresh fuel treated with StarTron fuel additive. Today's fuel is not like the fuel you were using when you last owned a boat. Always add the Star Tron fuel treatment in the amount the bottle tells you. It will take less than an ounce for 5 gallons but I would add a little more. We do not know if he used any. I hope all goes well, she will have one less thing to deal with during this difficult time. You will end up with a nice boat at a good price. That is a win win for both of you.

Let's look at this a bit more in depth. Your budget will allow you to look at most 18 foot and some 19 foot boats. Money wise, you would be fine if you look at one of the new Ranger Z185s and maybe a Z518. I am not sure you would get into the 519 money wise, if you put a bunch of good electronics power poles etc on it. If you look at a Triton, you will easily fit in a Triton 18 TRX and be getting tight in a 19 TRX, depending on what you want in electronics and other accessories. You will need to study what is included in each boat's package and how much extra your christmas list will add to the final cost. I have been in both of these boats as well as a the 189 series (basically the same hull but with a lower max hp and so a smaller hp engine in the package ). One thing I will say is these boats are designed as modern wide bodied hulls. They feel like much bigger boats. They are much wider across at the cockpit area, and hold that width forward much farther than older models in the past. This gives you a big wide front deck and makes the whole boat feel like it is a bigger boat. The newer Rangers have the same feel I recommend you look at the Phoenix 618. I test drove one of these last April. Even more than the Triton, this boat felt like you were driving a 20 foot boat. The boat shares almost the same dimensions from the cockpit forward as the 19 footers do. I really liked the ride and storage layout on this boat. Be aware many of these boats are setup with two bucket seats, so if you want to seat three you will need to order them that way. Pay attention to the standard and options on each model. Sometimes you can even order a 3rd seat post to be factory installed. If that is something that fits your needs. Also look around at dealers on the internet, some may have a deal on some left over 700 series boats. Bass Cat makes some very nice rigs, however both the Sabre and the Pantera II are the older design, meaning not a wide bodied hull. This really is noticeable if you are like me and prefer a dual console. Otherwise they ride great and have good storage. A P2 has been one of Bass Cats best selling hulls for decades. Skeeter boats was on your list and it should be. Look at a ZX 190. Depending on your list of goodies you should do pretty well with this boat also. Be careful when shopping, make sure the dealer's package is not a "price special" and is an underpowered boat. Look for hull weight and engine hp. Compare it to similar packed boats. Decide on the front end what you want for electronics, battery chargers, trolling motors etc. If you are river running in heavy current than 24 volt 80 # thrust is a minimum. You may need a 36 volt 112 # trolling motor. That means the hull needs room to fit another battery and you need to upgrade to a 3 or 4 bank on board charger. The next thing to consider is if you need to go new. Sometimes a nearly new boat, say 2015 or 2016 used boat may save you thousands. Often times the dealer will not budge on his price for the boat, but you can negotiate a good deal with the options you want. Remember he does want to sell that boat and his mark up on a depth finder, trolling motor etc gives him some wiggle room. He does not pay retail for a depth finder like you would if you upgrade it later.