fishnkamp

For the budget you have go look at a Diawa Tatula 100, Tatula 100 Type R, Tatula CT, or Tatula CT Type R in a 6.3 to 1 gear ratio. The Tatula and Tatula Type R are the standard size reel Diawa has made forever, the CT and CT Type R are a bit smaller version. The standard Tatula and Tatula Type R can be found on specials online often. I currently have been changing all of my 12 reels over to these as well as one Diawa Exceler I caught 1 on a good sale. It is just 1 step below but casts jut as well. These are really good workhorse type reels. Be aware depending on the baits some of your lighter baits will cast a little easier on a good 6'6" to 7 foot spinning reel and rod combo. Anything under a 1/4 ounce head and a worm body I still toss on a good quality Medium power fast action rod.

Yes either a battery with a bad cell can do it and so can a charger cause it. I suggest you go to your local harbor Freight ( or auto parts store, but HF is cheapest) and get yourself one of these simple battery load testers. They sell for $22

Here is how to start on the steering cables. Start at the engine side. Take very good pictures of how each one runs and where each one attaches (if it is a dual cable setup) Mark each end of a cable with paint and the location it attaches to. Use two different colors. Now watch where it runs to and tie ropes to each one so you can pull it out and pull the new ones in. Pay particular attention which way the way the cables route around the helm. It is also possible the problem may not be the cable but rather the helm with the cables disconnected turn the wheel and see which has the problem. You will need to measure the cables to get new ones. For the fuel lines go to your local boat dealer and get the newest ethanol rated marine fuel lines in bulk ( purchased about 10 feet to go from my tank to the deck fitting and from the deck fitting to the engine. Just take some rough measurements Now for the power trim. You never mentioned the brand engine. For example most Merc need a fully charged battery, there are most often at least 2 trim switches a series of relays located under the engine cowling and then the trim motor that runs the hydraulic pump. For me I would start by making sure the battery is fully charged, next I would remove the engine cover, and using the closest trim switch test for power to and thru it and then power at the relays. You can easily determine where the problem is by using some jumper wires and jump the wires that were hooked to the relay feeding the pump motor directly. If it runs while jumped look backwards in the system, if it does not work then the motor operating the pump has failed. I hope this helps. If you give us info about the make and model and year of the boat and motor I am sure we can be more specific.

I have a great custom rod builder here in MD. Find one like that near you by checking at local tackle shops. I have a friend that had a couple of guides with issues on his favorite Gator worm rod (something he has used for a couple of decades). Tom, my builder, actually stripped all of the rod guides, varnish and paint off. He then chose a nice modern set of guides and redid the entire rod for less than you could buy a mid priced rod for. He loves it and it even turned out to be lighter overall due to the simple finish on the rod blank now. It is finished very similar to how G Loomis does some of its rods.

My wife and I had the opportunity to take a guide in Tennessee several years ago. We fished with him on Center Hill Lake for two days. Interestingly enough he fishes on the FLW tour. Craig has made a reputation for tossing homemade PopRs completely under docks into places most humans will never reach. His weapon of choice is a pair of custom built pistol grip 5 1/2 foot rods. It was amazing to learn from him. It was like attending a private bass fishing school. The fish in my avatar is a Kentucky spot that weighed right at 7 pounds. With everyone going to longer rods no one remembers what great weapons those old rods can be especially around tight quarters. I have actually considered having a custom rod like that built using a modern lightweight blank and a newer style pistol grip using eva foam.

There are a ton of great choices at the $100 dollar range and up and many have been mentioned so I will not go over them again. Here are some good rods that sell below the $100 range that would make a nice rig for you. First forget the Berkley Lightning rod and instead look at the Berkley Lightning Rod Shock rod. These are available from Walmart on sale for $39 as well as many other places like Academy and Tackle Warehouse, DIcks has a Quantum Escalade series, it is a IM8 rod and it retails for $99. It is on sale for $50. Gander Mountain has a really nice series called Gander Mountain Tournament Spinning Rod which sells for $80. They also have the Lew's Mach Speed Stick Series Spinning Rod or $79. Except for the lews, I fish several of each of the others, as well as a bunch of much more expensive rods. Each of these moderately priced rods are still a part of my regular arsenal so I can easily recommend them.

My wife and I both own a ton of gear.We own Presidents in 30 35 and 40 sizes. I like the 35 best. You will be glad to have that one. The only time I think the smaller reels are a benefit is when I throw one on my 6 foot lite G loomis IMX.

That is not a normal problem for these reels. Is this a new one? My wife and I own 6 or 7 seven of them so I am quite certain it has never happened to us. What line were you fishing with? Was it a really small diameter small test line? If not I would contact Pflueger and see if it is something they will take care of for you. I just looked at several of our newer ones. The bail is held on by two screws. Perhaps the one on the bail roller is either loose or mis machined, as there is no clearance between the parts on any of mine. Let us know what you find out. If it is just a parts issue they may just send you the needed pieces. Truly all our Pflueger have been terrific and I have 2 that are older than 10 years, the rest newer.

Lets start with question 1 That reel and that rod will work well. My wife and I have used all kinds of lines, braid, mono, copolymers and fluoros. We have settled on using 1/2 spool of 14 pound Stren mono as backing and filling the rest up with Berkley FireLine original or fused in 14 pound test (same size as about 8 pound mono) It works well on bass, panfish, stripers and cats. We live on the Chesapeake Bay and run into all sorts of big channels and blue cats while striper and bass fishing. Each year we also travel and fish deep clear lakes in Tennessee and Kentucky. We do not change anything except maybe length of leader. If you wanted to, you could move up to 20 pound test but the 14 pound has worked well for me. In addition to the braid I usually use P Line CXX in moss green 10 pound test for my leaders. This line breaks closer to 20 lb and is very abrasion resistant. The other option would be Power Pro braid in 20 pound test, again with the mono backing and a CXX leader. I would prefer the 14 pound test FireLine So for the second rig I would load 1/2 of the spool with the mono backing and fill it up with Power Pro Spectra 30 pound test. Since you are not spending any money for the first combo other than line here is my best suggestion. Go get an Abu Garcia Veritas 2 7 foot MH Model: VRTS70-6 This is a 7 foot long mh rated for 1/4 to 3/4 ounce lures. All Abus run heavier than they say. so it is more like a mh/hvy so it will be more like a 1/4 to 1 ounce capable rod. This with 30 pound Power Pro Spectra and a 10 pound CX leader and you are set. My wife and I own and fish with about 20 rods and three of them are Veritas rods. We fish with many rods costing much more but these work and work well. For combo three good old Stren original clear blue or Suffix Siege in say 6 pound test. One last piece of advice, if you do not own a Berkley line winder station they are great for putting line on a reel. Cabelas sells them for $20 bucks. If you get one, ignore the direction. Install the arm that holds the bulk spool of line on so it runs side to side across the tool just like the picture shows it. Spool a baitcaster with the line coming off the top of the spool, spool a spinning reel so the line comes off the bottom of the bulk spool. This works best. Here is a picture of the tool I mean. They are available from lots of places like BPS and Cabelas. I have to share a pic and a story that you will appreciate. In April we were vacationing on Dale Hollow Lake located on the Kentucky/ Tennessee border. This lake is known for producing"THE" world record smallie, it was a mammoth 11.15 pounds. It still holds lots of 6 and7 pounders, which we have been fortunate enough to catch ourselves. So we arrive the week all of the big female smallies come off the beds and are roaming around on deep grass beds on main lake. They do not even want to swim and forget getting them to chase any bait. The solution was to throw a new bait from ZMan "the Ned Rig " which consists of a 1/10th ounce mushroom head jig and a special "TRD" body which resembles a 2.5 inch piece of a Senco worm. We were throwing them on a pair of $250 G Loomis 6 foot light action rods with Pflueger President reels and the same 14 pound Stren mono backing and 14 pound FireLine braid and a 4 foot CXX leader. Well we found a school of bass in the grass in about 15 feet of water next to some bluffs. They were very close to the bluff and skittish so we were keeping the boat out a long cast off the bluff. Well the depth finder showed a school of really big fish tight to the bottom just under the boat. All week long they turned out to be cats or walleye not willing to feed. As I noticed them, my wife exclaimed she hooked a huge smallie and to "GET THE NET QUICK!!!" I reached up loosened up her drag and sat down behind the console. She screamed at me again and I laughed as this 6 1/2 pound cat ran her from the front to the back decks and back again. She had no idea I already knew what it was. it took her about 10 minutes to land it. It nearly spooled her twice. I have great respect for her angling skills. She was hugely crushed it was not a smallie but I just smiled and told her how proud I was of her and that she is one of only 3 people I know of that would have been skilled enough to land it successfully. Obviously, the gear we were using would not be my choice to chase cats like that, but it is capable with the right angler. The biggest fish she has ever caught is a 34 pound flathead cat which came almost up to her neck when held up next to her 4'11 frame. LOL I hope this get you going and do not hesitate to ask follow up questions a smost everyone on here help each other out.

Between my wife and I we fish with around 8 or 9 Presidents. Most in the 30,35 and 40 size. They have plenty of drag. This spring we were fishing on Dale Hollow Lake which is the home of some huge smallies. We caught the big females just leaving the beds and roaming in deep main lake grass flats. They were in a terribly bad mood. The best weapon all week was a 1/10 ounce mushroom head jig and a TRD body ( the Ned Rig from Z Man) We fished them on a pair of G Loomis 6' light action rods (SJR 721s) with 30 size Presidents. She hooked and successfully landed a 6 1/2 pound monster catfish that ran her back and forth from the front deck to the back deck, while I was doubled over with laughter. She had 14 pound FireLine original and a 3 foot P Line CXX moss green 10 pound leader. That rig certainly does not meet the definition of a "classic" catfish outfit. We regularly catch big blue and channel cats while striper fishing on the Chesapeake Bay using those spinning reels. No worry at all.

Between myself and my wife we fish with close to 2 dozen rods. My experience with baitcasters is simple. The ones under $100 work, but you will benefit greatly by looking at reels that "RETAIL " between $100 and $175. I say retail because often you can get them online or on sale. Lews makes some great reels in that category. I personally prefer Diawas. In that budget look closely at the Exceler which can be purchased online for around $60 (retails for $99) the Tatula 100 which can be purchased online for around $100 (retails $149) the Tatula CT which is a bit smaller framed version for around $129. Choose a 6 to7 to 1 gear ratio as this is a good all around speed. All of these reels are solidly built. I presently own 6 of them and am slowly replacing my others as time goes on. They have battled some large bass, big catfish and stripers. Now for a rod. In recent years rod manufacturers have sort built great rods in the $50 to $150 range, the $160 to $225 range and the $250 to ridiculous range. These are great rods if you are a good enough angler with a big bank account and the talent to even notice the difference. But group 1 and 2 have some very good offering that will provide enjoyment for years. I think the most popular rod spec for all around bass fishing is 6'6" to 7' in a medium action with a fast tip. It sorta does the most for the buck. Since this is your first "good" baitcasting outfit the reel is much more important to your overall success and enjoyment. So stay in that $100 to $$175 retail category, Here are some very good choices from group 1. Berkley Lightning Shock, Falcon Bucoo especially if you can find one at your local Walmart ( they retail for 99 but every year WM closes them out for $49) Dick has a series called Quantum Escalade they sell for $99 but are on sale for $50, Gander mountain has a series called the Gander Mountain Tournament Casting rod which are really nice for $79 and of course he BPS Carbon lites may be on sale still. Above these are some bigger name rods which would be worth looking at. Lews has some nice rods, Dobyns has a FR 703c or an irod IRG693C “Harold’s Lone Star Special” which is a terrific all around rod. It sells for $149 Look at a Daiwa Tatula XT Casting Rod 7' Med Hvy for $99. Also the powell Max 683 and 684 are great rods. I own an original Powell (not max series) 683 that is my most versatile and fun rod to throw. These run about $150. Also look at St Croix rods like the Mojo Bass series in a 6'8" MXF for around $120. Abu Garcia has the Veritas rods $100 and the Veracity for around $129. So if you pick one from this group you would have a "very" nice combo that will last you for years and should have around $270 in the combo. The next group includes many of the the same company's higher end offerings which may have higher end components and maybe a different spec graphite but I do not think you will benefit enough to make it worth it. Having one good baitcasting setup I would look to get an equally good spinning setup and for that I would get something like a Pflueger President reel for $60 and pick a nice 6'6" ,6'8" or even 7 foot for $50 to $100.

Which P Line did you pick up. I use Berkley Fireline in 14 pound test with a 10 pound P Line Cxx moss green 10 # leader on all of my spinning reels. I have not had any trouble with that setup for over 5 years now. This has worked on bass, big cats and big stripers. In the spring I travel to deep clear lakes in Tennessee and all season long I fish clear rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. You nay have gotten a bad batch or maybe I would also check you guides. I use a double uni knot to attach my braid to the 14 pound mono backing and the braid to the CXX leader. I use either a Palomar knot or a Trilene knot when attaching to the lure. If you up the size line P Line CXX get too stiff and has bad memory issues to use on a 3000 or smaller spinning reel. It is fine on a baitcaster in the higher pound test. My wife and I have found we like the Fireline Original and Fused better than any other line we have used on spinning reels.

Here are some of my best suggestions . Dobyns Fury FR 735C It feels really nice in your hand sells for $109.99 Falcon has two really nice ones to consider. I fish one Falcon Bucoo for rattle traps and love it. It is a micro series. Check these two out. Falcon BuCoo Casting Rod 7'3" Heavy and Falcon Jason Christie Signature Casting Rod 7'3. I have had the Christie version in my hand and I like these rods a bunch. One of my Tennessee guides lent me one just to play with during our trip. These sell for $109 and $99 Check out these two Diawas as I have not had these two in my hands yet. I have heard good things about the frog version though, Daiwa Tatula XT Casting Rod 7'4" Heavy Frog and Daiwa Tatula XT Casting Rod 7'3" Heavy. They sell for $119 and $99. ABU Garcia Veritas 2 Micro series 7'3 MH I use this exact rod but mine is from the the original Veritas series for my frog rod. It would work fine for pitching, flipping or frogs. It sells for $99 There are lots of other really good options but most fall outside your budget a bit more and I am pretty sure you will be happy with anyone of these.

I agree about the storage. I test rode on one at the BASS Elite event on the Upper Chesapeake Bay. It was a 20 footer and honestly I have more storage on my Lowe Stinger 170 and it is only a 17.5 foot aluminum. In fairness, we once compared it to a Tennessee guide's Z8 and he was amazed that I had more storage and a wider front deck than his Z8 had also. Its deck stays wide far further than most and I have two huge storage boxes split by a center rod box. The deal with the Skeeter storage is how the make the box lids bigger than the storage hole. You need to see it, it is hard to explain. For me I have big hands and had some difficulty opening their latch bar too, it is sorta recessed and tight to the edge of the lid. Maybe it is me because plenty of Skeeter owners love them. As for ride, fit and finish it is an awesome boat. We test rode in a Skeeter, Nitro and a Triton. I love love love the Yamaha SHO engine, but prefered the Triton layout. The ride was very similar between the Triton and Skeeter. This was Saturday, during a major tournament, plus all of the local recreational boats which go from runabouts and ski boats all the way up to 60 plus foot long boats, so all of the Northeast River and the Susquehanna River looked like a washing machine. I was not impressed by either the Merc ProXS on the Triton or the Nitro/Merc ProXS combo. I have never liked any version of an Opti-POPS, although I had hoped they were improved. I would stick to the SHO for me. I would like to get a ride on a boat with a Etec G2 I hear good things about them. I do have a different guide I use on Dale Hollow Lake that has an early Etec and loves it. It is 6 years old I think and has needed very little attention. I suggest you test run a Skeeter and see if you fall in love with it. You might want to bring your boat and transfer all of your tackle and see if or works for you. I am pretty sure you will like the ride for sure.

I guess to answer your question I need a little more info. You asked about a heavy cover rod but I am confused. Are we talking spinning or baitcasting? What technique or lures did you want you throw with this rod? All of my hvy cover rods are baitcasting. I own one 7' Quantum Escalade that is Medium Heavy 1/4 to 1 1/2 which I use for heavy plastics, and Carolina rigs. I own one 7' Abu Veritas MH (which is more like a Hvy 1/4 to 1 ounce) with a fast tip for frogs in heavy vegetation, and I have one more Veritas HVY which runs 3/8 to 1 1/2. I also own a BPS 7'6' MH Extreme Telescoping rod that rates 3/8 to 1 1/2 I am thinking of selling. I would let it go for $50.00 and we can meet somewhere in PA between us. They sold for $100 and the rod is in pretty nice shape. If we are speaking of spinning then I am not sure what to suggest, since I use many spinning rods but not for that application. The heaviest spinning rod I own is my wife's Irod Genesis II which is above your budget.

slonezp I had the typical Attwood ski pylon that I linked to on my old fish & ski bass boat. I like your link better. For me I would install the mounts and only install the tubing when I needed them. I had never seen that one before. Nice

First your boat can easily be used to pull a skier. The proper way to do it is to get a ski pole like these. Do not use ropes to the back of the transom. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/attwood--ski-pylons--P023_692_006_507 As for tunes I suggest you look at an Ipod or maybe an Ipod docking station and use bluetooth speakers. Perhaps it would store or mount in the glove box but won't take up much space. Check out how some of the newer boats are doing it especially the ski type boats.

I personally never experienced a problem with braid having a memory problem before. I have used a lot of different braids but they do not include P Line. I like P Line CXX for leaders, and I use both Halo and FloroClear. If you are not sold on that exact braid, I can recommend several god braided lines. All of our spinning reels have Berkley Original FireLine or FireLine Fused in 14 pound test. I really like the way it plays on a spinning reel. When we set Linda up with her newest rod/reel combo we picked a Irod Genesis II 7 foot MH spinning rod with a Shimano Symetre 3000FL reel and loaded it with mono backing and Power Pro Spectra in 30 pound test. That line was chosen in order to hold up against heavy vegetation as this is her frog rod. On my baitcasters you will find Power Pro Spectra, Suffix 832, and Spiderwire Stealth. I have had no problems with any of them. The only braid I did have problems with was the free spool of Tough Line i tried. I di not think it held up it would sorta fray and look like your wind knots. It did not matter as it was free from the factory during a promo they did along with Fishing University.

Years ago my wife and I purchased two Diawa line counter reels and spooled them up half way with mono and then the rest with Suffix 832 6 pound test braid. That line is amazing. We used it to fish for white perch, walleye, and big bluegill. We tied that to a inline weightl and a double worm rig with the beads and a spinner blade like this one in the picture. We trolled this rig along with the trolling motor. I never cast that rig just dropped it back but we caught some nice big perch and walleye with that setup.

I have been using a Berkley Line Winding station for years. If you look at Cabelas they sell them for $20. The directions actually tell you to use the bar in this configuration for a baitcaster and to move the bar to the other hole for a spinning reel. I do not do this. I find if I leave the bar in this configuration it works best. If I am spooling a baitcaster I turn the spool so the line comes off the top of the bulk spool. If I am spooling a spinning reel I make sure the spool is turned so the line comes off the bulk spool from the bottom. That always works best for me. Make sure you add some mono on first in order to get a good tight arbor knot, Personally I prefer 1/2 of a spool of 14 pound Stren mono as my backing, and then fill the rest of the spool with the main line either braid, copoly or fluoro. The nice thing about that spooling station is the line spool is held under tension and the reel is held securely so all I have to worry with is getting the line on nice and smoothly. I hope it helps.

Could they have just put too much line on?..I think what i would try first is find a ball field, big grass field or some area like that. Walk out all of the line Take a rag, starting at the reel, and wipe the line through the rag. Tie the line to something like a fence or tree. Now rewind the line on. Make sure it does not have too much line on it. Be sure to spool the line fairly tight.Tie on a lead weight and toss it a few times. It may just be the way the line was put on by Cabelas. Memory is really not too much of an issue with braid as compared other types of lines.

Lets talk about a few things. What would your dream boat look like? What is your budget? Are you thinking new or used? If you are thinking an aluminum jon with an outboard and trolling motor look at a boat like the Alumacraft Crappie Deluxe in either a tiller model or the stick steer model. Another option would be the Crappie Jon which is sorta the same but only a tiller boat and cones in at 14 foot long.These boats are really nice on small to mid sized water and yet have plenty of room for two anglers to fish. I just sold a similar boat made by Polar Kraft. I had made an all electric trolling motor boat out of it in order to fish several drinking reservoirs. G3 makes nice boats with the same floor plan. The big choice to me is between one of these rigs that uses stick steering ( you drive from up front while running the gas engine and trolling motor) or one that you run from the rear using a tiller control gas engine and a rear mount trolling motor.

If you look at a 1448 it is 14 feet long, 48 inches on the bottom and roughly 64 inches wide not including the trailer wheels, and any side boards. Here is the closest rig I think you will find http://alumacraft.com/Alumacraft-Boat.php?id=284 A jon boat hull or a mod v hull will have more stability than a true V hull boat. The V is better cutting thru waves. Unfortunately anything smaller than a 1448 or 1556 will not make your wife happy without being too wide for your storage ability. The only stable boat I can think of that may meet your needs would be a Gheenoe. Take a look at them here http://gheenoe.net/sixteenft.html The rig can come with stick steering, 3 seats, a small engine and only weighs aroun 400 pounds minus the trailer and engine, That should meet the" easy to move around' element using one of these. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/ce-smith--heavy-duty-trailer-dolly--3683273?recordNum=3 Actually if you have access to a metal fabricator and purchased some tires, a metal rod ror an axle and have him assemble one, it may be cheaper than to purchase commercially. That is my only thoughts. Ordinarily you could simply buy a 16 or 17 footer but your storage spot eliminates it. Good Luck let us know what you finally do.

Here is what I have works best for me. Between my wife and I we usually have at least 18 rods on board the boat and several more back home. In order to have them function well and afford to keep line on them I have developed this as a normal practice. First I use a Berkley Line Winder, which is a tool. It hold your reel securely and holds a bulk spool of line under tension. This allows me to spool line on a reel very smoothly. On all of my baitcasters I use 1/2 of a spool of 14 pound mono, usually either Bass Pro Shops Excel or Original Stren Clear blue. This makes a nice smooth tight base for the main line. It does help eliminate the line from slipping on the spool. Learn hot to tie a good tight arbor knot. Now I use a double uni knot and attach either braid, copoly line or fluoro depending on what I want that rod and reel to do. For braids I like Power Pro Spectra, the Spiderwire Stealth lines and Suffix 832. For copo;y lines I like the P Line CXX moss green and usually use 10 pound for my leaders as well. I also use a lot of P Line FloroClear, a copoly line with a fluro coating. On my spinning reels you will find 1/2 a spool of mono with the rest being filled with 14 pound Berkley Original FireLine or Fused Fireline. I have been using this for my setups for the last 6 or 8 years. My tackle gets used here on the Chesapeake Bay, big deep clear lakes in Kentucky and Tennessee, and for fishing in some rock filled rivers like the Susquehanna river. I chase panfish, smallies,largies, and Kentucky spots as well as big stripers and large catfish. Some of the tidal blue cats have nearly spooled me and yet my line has never really been an issue. Learn to tie your knots well and retie both leader knots and lure knots as needed. If I tangle with a bigger fish I will usually replace the 3 to 5 foot leader and tie my lure back on. The leader gets dragged on the rough bottom the most. One last thing make sure to fill enough line and at the same time do not overfill it, stop about 1/8 of an inch from the top of the spool

I have been fishing with a lot of Tatula, Tatula Type Rs and one Exceller for several years now. The CT is as good as any of the Tatulas, it is just in a slightly smaller frame. This I believe was done specifically to compete with some of the smaller Shimano and Lews reels. personally I like the larger frame on the Tatulas, however my next reel is going on a super light rod, so a CT is going to be my next one. I am sure you will be happy with the CT, and yes I really like the T wing.