Junk Fisherman

I laugh because we both know this is a pipe dream! I give you till the 3rd week of February!

I agree with this. I would not continue to fish with him and just hope it gets it better- it won't. If he is a decent guy otherwise maybe you want to have a conversation with him and tell him how his tantrums and sulking make it unenjoyable for you and that you have no interest in fishing with him if he can't improve. I know it is the type of conversation guys don't usually have but it might be worth it since he has a boat you can fish from which let's face it- a guy that has a boat and takes you fishing does have some value. Good luck.

5 Competent club-level fishermen. If I dedicated myself to fishing with my old club for the entire schedule I feel I would finish top 5, maybe top 3.

1) Ned- #1 bait overall. 2) DS- I have decided to stop throwing a DS around my waters around Chicago. With all the busted up concrete along the breakwalls that I fish, I breakoff constantly even though I am always checking my line. It's just not worth the frustration. I'll still use one when I head up to traditional smallie waters that don't have all the obstacles in the water. NA- I haven't thrown a wacky rig for smallies in years. My rankings overall would be 1) Ned 2) Neko 3) Hair jigs 4) Tubes I'd have a small swimbait #2 if you consider that finesse.

Sorry to hear you are going through this. I hope your Dad finds some comfort, My father passed away a few years ago. I saw a lot of what you are going through drawn out over a much longer period as my Dad slowly deteriorated over time due to COPD and a host of other physical ailments due to working in construction his whole life and always having a poor diet. Even when he was 80 he was still sharp mentally and had the desire to fish but his body wouldn't let him. He is the model I am not following. Working out and staying in great shape, quitting smoking nearly 20 years ago, and having a relatively decent diet is giving me hope that I can fish and be active well into my 80s. My plan is to keep my boat in a marina for the season when I hit my late 70s. My Dad's most challenging task with fishing his last few years was launching and retrieving his boat.

I agree. When I go to BPS or Cabela's it is more for getting out of the house, taking my kids somewhere, and looking at boats and outdoor gear. I buy 95% of all my fishing gear online.

LOL- I think so too.

I rarely ever go to Dick's to shop for fishing gear. The clothing and shoes are what I shop for there primarily. The way you described your store is similar to mine. It doesn't upset me since it is what I've come to expect. I might pick up some Keitechs, Maxscent or some Sleepers if I have a coupon.

The Lund Pro V Bass with the pedestal seats provide a lot of floor space compared to your average bass boat. Plus, I see guys removing the small floor cooler and storage container to provide even more floor space.

Had a 22ish lb bag back in June which included 2 smallies over 5. What hurts is that I lost 3 that would have put me over 25 lbs which has been a goal of mine for a long time. One fish ran to the back of my boat and got in my prop. When you're bouncing around in 2'-3' waves, running around the boat fighting a fish is not that easy. I didn't feel that bad about that one but it did look to be over 5. Another big fish just broke my line and I had literally checked the line and the knot the cast before. And the last fish just came unbuttoned after what seemed like a solid hookset. I saw that one and it looked significantly bigger than the 2 5s I had already caught. So while I had a great day, I think about what could have been. Granted, I don't really feel I did much wrong on any of the fish I lost.

I've never thrown a Whopper Plopper or a jigging spoon.

Welcome Dave. I might have to tap into your knowledge about fishing and camping in SW Michigan at some point. Glad to have you here.

The Dobyns and the Loomis have a no-fault replacement policy that the Daiwa does not have. That is the biggest drawback of those rods IMO but I still have two of them and absolutely love them. lol- Be careful what you're doing. When you get a high-end rod it will make you want to replace the rest of your rods.

This is a tough decision and I've actually gone back and forth. I wouldn't want to spend $700 on a motor that has given you problems. I love my Xi5 but I am on my 3rd foot pedal so I'm familiar with your motor and issues that Motorguide give people. And I don't think you're going to get much for a used Motorguide motor that doesn't have a foot pedal and doesn't have working spot-lock. I think you're best off putting the $700 into a new trolling motor. But to answer your question, I think I'd go spot-lock over the pedal. There are times when spot-lock is invaluable and significantly increases your chance of catching fish while everything you can do with a pedal, you can do with the remote. And as time goes on, you'll adjust to using the remote and become more efficient with it. Just think about how often you put the motor on spot-lock to retie? I fish a lot of big open water. If didn't put my boat on spot-lock when I sit down to retie, I'd blow 50 yards off my spot by the time I got back to fishing. Tough decision. Good luck.

I always bring a thermos of coffee, ice water if it's hot and I'm concerned about dehydration, and a few pieces of whatever fruit we have in the house. My diet has always matched intermittent fasting so I never eat during the day except a piece of fruit or a granola bar if my blood sugar is too low and I'm sluggish. I always throw some granola bars in the boat at the start of the season.

My first decision is where to fish which is based on the season, structure, cover, water clarity, and weather conditions. After that it's a matter of what bait matches where I'm fishing the best. In terms of which finesse bait to throw, there's a variety of baits that will work every single day and I rely on baits that I know are productive based on my history with the bait. For example, I throw a Ned rig a lot and that is what I'll throw in rocky areas especially rip rap. I'm gonna throw that before a T-rigged craw or a shakey head or some other soft plastic bait. I remember being intimidated and overwhelmed as a young fishermen when I would walk into a large fishing shop since there were so many options. It takes time and experience but you'll develop your confidence baits in due time. Good luck.

I don't have any hate for Senkos. I'm much more likely to use a Fat Ika and if I am using a Senko it is often on a Neko rig. Probably the biggest reason I don't use them is that I am fishing for smallmouth primarily and I don't fish many clear, weedy largemouth lakes where Senkos work best IMO. Now If I was to go out tomorrow fishing a lake with some lily pads and docks I would definitely have a Senko or a Fat Ika tied on.

I've never fished Erie but I spend a lot of time on Lake Michigan around Chicago and the different bays in Wisconsin and Michigan. The key question is- are you planning on fishing tournaments? If you plan on tournament fishing then your best best is a walleye boat or a 20'-21' bassboat since you'll inevitably have to make a long run in rough water at some point but if you're a fun fisherman, like me, it changes everything. Depending on the wind direction, I'll change where I launch or simply won't go out at all if I fear the waves are going to be too uncomfortable to fish or run in. Learning what winds you're willing to fish in and not putting yourself in bad situations is the key. I monitor wind speeds and direction constantly when fishing the Great Lakes and have only had a couple bad experiences and they were both due to my own poor judgment. Granted, I was very happy I was in my 19' deep V in those instances rather than a 18'-19' bassboat. But the vast majority of the time I fish Lake Michigan, any average bassboat would suffice since I always launch closest to where I plan to fish and won't go out if the forecast is too sketchy. But what boats specifically would I recommend? If you are not fishing tournaments, you can make any bass boat work on Erie as long as you are sensible about it. My next boat is probably going to be a Lund Pro V Bass which from all the reviews I've read is a great big water bass boat. Another boat I will consider is the Basscat Caracal which is a deep bass boat which is good for big water. Personally, I don't know if I'll be able to justify spending the money on that boat though (the Pro V Bass is expensive enough). Good luck.

You're getting a lot of good advice in this thread. If I was getting a 17' boat there is no question I would get an aluminum boat. This is also assuming that I wasn't planning on fishing Lake Michigan and other big open water which is why I have the boat I do. But if I was primarily fishing inland lakes and was limited to 17', the Ranger RT178 would be my choice. I know the glass boat will give you a better ride and it doesn't get pushed in the wind as much even though with spot-lock motors that is not as big of an issue as in the past. Aluminum boats are much more forgiving, easier to handle, and their lighter weight make run more efficiently with a lower HP-motor and are easier to tow. Plus, I have to wonder if resale is worse with a 17' glass boat. I think most people that get a 17' boat are going aluminum and if someone wants fiberglass they likely want a a longer boat. 17' glass doesn't seem like an in-demand configuration. Just a thought. Good luck on your purchase.

I wish I loved kayak fishing as much as fishing out of a boat. I own a kayak and only use it if something is wrong with my boat. I started with a boat similar to yours and put hundreds and hundreds of fish into that thing. But with that said if I was content with a kayak, life would be so much easier for a number of reasons. Because if you stick with your boat, you'll end up upgrading until one day you have a 75k+ bassboat and need a 60k+ truck to tow it. Hell, you could even get a camper one day if you were a kayak fisherman and go anywhere fishing and camping. Another option, is to join a bass club and fish as a nonboater to satisfy that urge to tournament fish if you decided to keep your boat. If I was in your position I'd get the kayak and start fishing the tournaments. You can always sell the kayak down the road if it's not for you and go back to a boat. Good luck.

I've been doing it more and more. My smallie dropshot combo is a baitcaster with 20 lb 832 with a 6 lb Gamma Edge leader. I like the baitcaster with dropshots since I am pitching lots of breakwalls. I have had positive results with pitching plastics using braid to a leader on a baitcaster (30 lb braid and 15 lb leader). For the lighter leader I am using an Alberto knot while I use the FG for the 15 lb leader. Based on recent suggestions here, I am making sure my knot does not go into the reel and have been very pleased with the results so far.

I check it every so often and will retie it after half a day or so if I am using the combo a lot. What I have found is that the connection knot is most likely to break on the cast not when I am setting the hook or fighting a fish. I'll go to make a cast and the entire leader flies off. I've only had a few times when the connection knot broke on a hookset. But since I've started checking the knot more often and retieing after heavy use, the connection knot breaks very infrequently. And before every outing, I will retie the leader connection knot. For reference sake I'm using an Alberto knot and as a smallmouth guy I am usually throwing spinning gear 90% of the time.

Why do buzzbaits work? Bass think they're baby waverunners!

This is what I do and have sold 10 or so rods in the last year. I get much more action from Facebook Marketplace than I do Craigslist, Ebay, or posting them on Forums. Plus the shipping really eats away at your profit. I set a good price, make pickup at my house so I don't have to drive anywhere, and because I live in a big market my rods sell. And I've sold a lot of other stuff on Facebook Market place as well. I inherited a bunch of random stuff from my dad and it was quite easy selling in on FB. I did offer shipping on those items since they were smaller. Every gun item I posted sold within a week.

That's interesting and I definitely wouldn't want to risk breaking an expensive rod over a 50 cent presentation. But the rod is under much more pressure when fighting a fish. When applying the bow and arrow method, the rod doesn't curve as much as when catching a 2-3 lb fish.