Junk Fisherman

Yes. I left my boat at the marine shop on a Sunday afternoon since they would work on it Monday and I couldn't get it there on Monday due to work. I took a walk around the lot just to see what type of boats were unlocked. There was a nice Phoenix and Ranger 620 with no lock. I know it is in a rural place with low crime but still.

I'm surprised this is the first time I've heard of this type of boat theft occurring. At a very prominent marine shop by me, most anglers don't put a lock on their boat when leaving it in the front. Last year, I left my boat there on a Sunday and they told me most don't put a lock on the hitch. I couldn't believe it but there were several 50K+ bassboats unlocked. I locked mine. Should of left it unlocked with a sign saying "steal me." (I have good insurance! lol)

KVD Ray Scott Bill Dance- the show I watched the most when I was younger. Mark Zona- He's probably had the most influence on me the last 10 years with all his videos many of which specializing on northern water tactics. Roland Martin and Linder came to mind for me as well.

Not to be snarky but if the lake is mostly filled with 10" spotted bass, why do you want to go there? I could understand if the fishing was good. And to address the cost, I spent $200 on a yearly marina pass for Lake Michigan last year. I didn't renew this year but I paid $25 to launch today. The majority of the lakes/rivers in Illinois have a free public launch. I limit myself to Lake Michigan only once a week but a big chunk of my fishing days has wind and waves on Lake Michigan that make me go elsewhere.

I don't feel I really have the luxury of deciding. The fishing pressure is so intense in my area that using finesse is necessary to keep me engaged. If I went out throwing a big swimbait or a 1/2 oz jig targeting big fish, I suspect I'd have a lot of days blanking. Therefore, I fish my Neds, finesse swimbaits, Nekos, and other subtle presentations. With that said, I catch enough big fish, especially smallmouth, that I don't feel I am missing out on big fish by not targeting them.

I hear what you're saying. I do not overpower fish with my braid setup. You don't do a major hookset- more a swift raise up on the rod letting the braid's no stretch bury the little hook in the bass's mouth. Plus, anything much over keeper size and you have to play the fish and let it tire itself out- at least that is what I do. I went out this week and caught multiple fish in the 3.5-4 lb range (pic for context) and I definitely did not overpower those fish. I constantly pull out drag if the fish is too close to the boat and I feel it's going to take another run. This is a must when I am smallmouth fishing and using Ned or light swimbaits. Maybe guys are more aggressive when using medium action rods and 20 lb braid but that's not me. About the only time I lose a fish is if I can't keep him from jumping. I'm headed to Northern Michigan next week so I'm sure I'll be playing fish often in this manner!

What does mono do better than braid for finesse? I agree that tying a leader is adding another knot but I'm quite knot challenged and I can tie a Alberto knot just fine. I could post a number of big carp, catfish, and lake trout that I have caught on my finesse rig with a braid and a FC leader. Never a problem with two knots on those fish. And I use 10 lb YGK G-Soul which is a sinking braid with a 2 lb diameter. Not sure, what mono you are using but I doubt you are getting better casting distance and if you are, it would increase if you went to braid. I ran tests comparing my 10 lb YGK to 7 lb Gamma Touch and I consistently got 20%-25% greater casting distance with the braid. Plus, the braid is considerably more sensitive which is vital when dragging a little jig over rocks. I spent several seasons using straight fluorocarbon, which is more sensitive than mono, and the braid is much more sensitive. Obviously, you do very well with mono but I have no doubt that if you spent some time with a high quality braid and really dialed in the presentation, you'd come to the conclusion that the braid/leader setup is much superior than straight mono for finesse fishing.

I too would recommend a single axle trailer but I would make sure to order the largest weight-capacity axle possible. To go from a 3000 lb axle to 4000 lb or even 5000 lb is not much more money. I just had to replace my Karavan trailer due to massive corrosion but even before that I had spring and axle issues primarily because my single axle trailer's capacity was just barely above the weight of my boat. All the potholes around me definitely contributed to this as well. I will pay very close attention to the trailer of any new boat I buy in the future. I just kinda trusted that the dealer that sold me my boat would order the appropriate trailer but it was undersized for my boat (expensive lesson learned). I now have a 5000 lb single axle Trailmaster trailer which is actually more heavy duty than what Trailmaster has made for my boat in the past. So for convenience purposes I would get a single axle trailer for an 19-20' aluminum boat but would want a 4000 lb axle. Good luck.

The 24 volt is plenty and is standard on 18-19' bassboats. I have a 19' deep V boat with an 80 lb 24 volt motor and have never had an issue with running out of charge by the end of the day. And I fish plenty of TM-only lakes in which I never even start the big motor. Now, if you said you were fishing a lot of rivers with strong current I would suggest going to 36 volts to be safe but from what you described, 24 volts will do the job just fine. And it's not like you can't make the upgrade later if you find out the 24 volts is not enough (I highly doubt that will happen). Good luck and enjoy your boat.

You'll be okay. I've gone over the weight range often with a variety of rods over the years and I've never had an issue.

8.3 Deep V, bassboat layout boat. Trolling motor with all the bells and whistles One 10" HBird with GPS and SI at the helm and a Garmin 106 with Panoptix (LV32) at the bow One Talon High-end gear My kayak is an older non-pedal, non-trolling motor Wilderness Ride 105. I have a 5" Eagle graph, pulley system, and a nice elevated seat.

No, but a buddy knows him well. He always thought of him as a good guy and nearly fished some buddy Ts together. Guess the guy is a good fishermen.

Mono for topwater and flouro for cranks and jerkbaits I don't use braid for anything that has trebles.

I think this all the time myself with all the gadgets and whatnot that some cram into a kayak. I keep it simple when I kayak fish and my only electronics is a 20-year old Eagle 320 fishfinder with a tiny little 5" screen. I like the way Craig says how kayak fishing is a "connected" experience. Personally, I always lower my expectations and fish simpler when I am kayak fishing using a Ned rig probably 80% of the time. To the OP, if you are spending that much time wanting to move from spot to spot then a boat is your better option.

Does the pole keep you in place without spinning? I have 1 Talon on my boat and my boat spins with a crosswind. Thanks.

1) Tournaments! 2) Northeast winds 3) Tournaments! 4) Boat prices 5) Tournaments!

Hey Dan. You are getting a lot of good advice in this thread. Definitely use braid with a flouro leader for your Ned rig fishing. I've gone through a lot of different leader brands and my favorite is 6 lb Gamma Edge. It's a little thicker than traditional 6 lb line but it's abrasion-resistance is better than the 8-10 other brands I've used over the years. While an FG knot is probably the best knot, it is the most difficult to learn and tie. I use the Alberto knot and it is an excellent knot and much faster and easier to tie. In terms of the rod, I'd go with a ML instead of that medium for better sensitivity. Don't go too heavy with your jig- 1/16th and 1/10th is all you need. You'll probably be fishing 10' or less over the 4th. Green pumpkin goby is really all you need. Throw tubes and 4" swimbaits on a ball head jig as well. Keep moving till you find fish. I've spent a lot of time there and could give you more tips if you want. Good luck.

100% I'll never forget being a newbie and taking a little too long at the launch and having some older guy criticize me. Several times over the years I have assisted others and helped out the obvious novice. There was a guy a couple years ago launching a fish/ski that it must have been his first time launching. He didn't back down far enough (shallow launch) and was having all sorts of problems getting it off the trailer. I showed him a couple things and ended up backing his SUV down a few more feet. The guy wanted to pay me. I just told him to enjoy the day and pay it forward.

Same here. I used to be in a club and fish with guys several times a year but I fish completely by myself now that I left the club. Overall, I like being able to fish exactly how and where I want. I like listening to podcasts on the water as well. My son who's turning 10 will be getting out with me while on a family vacation this summer so hopefully he wants to start fishing with me.

Medium light is the most versatile action for spinning rods. If you're going to go heavier, use a casting outfit. Sure, there are a couple applications I could use a medium action spinning rod for but they are the exception. For my fishing, I use a light action spinning rod significantly more than a medium action. Actually, I sold the only medium action spinning rod I owned (Dobyns 763) since I own two Daiwa Steez 761 rods which have a lure range of 1/16 to 3/4. If I want a heavier rod for cracking a tube or skipping docks, I'll use one of those. Light action: 1/16th oz Ned jig, ultra-finesse swimbait Medium light: dropshot, heavier Neds, shakey, wacky, swimbait on a ballhead jig, tubes, blade baits Medium: 1/2-3/4 oz tubes, skipping docks I do use longer rods (7'4"+) which gives me more leverage for hooksets and fighting a fish when needed.

St Croix Pro Bass "Spinnerbait Sweeper" rod and a Daiwa SV TWS Chatterbait and a Swimming Fluke trailer

While I have never fished LSC, there are so many tournament recaps articles in Bass Times and I would bet there are all sorts of Youtube videos of Elite Tournaments held there that you could learn a lot before you get there. Just search for articles and videos of tournaments for the time you want to go there.

Isn't the Mat Shad the secret color that's often sold out on TW?

It's never a truly bad day if nothing breaks on the boat.

For bright conditions and very clear water I agree. For low light conditions the Costa Sunrise Silver Mirror lens are awesome! To the OP- my everyday driving glasses are Suncloud which run around $50 (you can always find them on sale). I often end up wearing them fishing. They are a great value and while Costas are better they are definitely not 4 or 5x better.