TommyBass

Ok, I have been fishing for a long time. Its almost embarassing to admit this, but I can almost NEVER get a good hookset on the left side of my body. I am right handed, and reel right handed with baitcasting setups. My wheelhouse hookset is from about 1-4 o'clock positions. However, if I find that its necessary to set between 8-11 o'clock positions I cant hardly do it without some kind of awkward, slack inducing baseball swing. I can set it strait up to 12 o'clock, but I don't really like that angle for most situations. Is this only me? Anyone have advice for setting the hook to the left as a right handed angler? I normally try to avoid it happening, but with a partner in the boat or certain situations along banks / docks it inevitably occurs. For as experienced as I am, this is a basic thing that is just bothering the heck out of me. Maybe its anatomically inappropriate and I should just stray from it. I guess I'm going to just have to practice setting the hook with a mickey mouse plug in the front yard until I get it right

They will spawn just the same in weedy areas. Actually, beds are sometimes easier to spot in the weeds since the fish will actually clear them away somewhat. Look for light circlular clear areas in the weedy shallow flats. My homelake has a shore that is very dense with weeds, and its actually the easiest place in the lake see to bedded fish. If you can't see any, use a topwater frog or something similar to get a reaction out of them, and have a senko prepared to follow it up with. We took a couple of keepers our last tournament using this method over grassy spawning areas.

Whos to say the people that win those tourneys tell the truth about what they caught them on? If that tournament is the same time the next year why would they want to divulge all the information that got them a check that year? Unless BassGold is going to pay me alot of money for my tournament secret, I sure as heck wouldn't be giving out ALL of my information. Maybe a little, like type of area, but the whole pattern?.... ya right. Unless a camera was in the boat with them, there is no way I would trust all the information. Since when do most fisherman tell the truth? LOL. I generally will tell the truth when asked, but it has 100% came back to bite me on my local waters. People copy you, follow you, and then start showing up on your holes after you offer friendly advice. Then prance around like they found the pattern. Drives me nuts. I guess the bad manners are on them, but most don't care. I just know the breed that makes up alot of the local tournament guys, and I hate to see people throw their money into something that would pretty much be zero help. I guess we'll see, maybe it will surprise me and people will be honest and the reports will be very useful.

Ya my friend has the camo XP180 bass model. I wouldn't have thought that mattered but maybe it does I guess.

From the website? "The ultimate multi-purpose boat line, the Xpress Boats Xplorer Bass Series does it all. Our “V” Style Hyper-Lift® hull provided unmatched performance as you glide across the water. Whether hunting or fishing, our Xtreme Coat non-slip liner provides positive footing, even under nature’s worse conditions. Whether casting a line or blasting a cap, this is truly a multi-purpose high performance platform." I don't disagree they are smoother riding. When you take an 86" beam boat down to 50 something in the front it sure will cut waves. Deck size isn't a HUGE issue, but I use mine for team tournaments, and its 5x harder out of his boat than mine when we are both needing to be up front. Not enough room to fish comfortably with both on his. I also bow fish, duck hunt, and everything else out of it, so size matters more than wave cutting. The new model of G3 Jon is WAY better if you havn't tried a 2011 or 2012 with the weight forward and new hulls. Still a Jon boat but it 'cuts' at least 50% better than previous models. I havn't see and difference in dry ride, so far they are similar. If I ever move to a big lake like your Toledo, Catt, I may be more willing to make some sacrifices for that smoother ride though I don't think my boat would really like living on a large lake, although we get some decent swells here once in awhile, and I have yet to have any issue. Francho, thats exactly why I traded off my Triton. Stumps, sticks, rocks, hunting, etc, this boat can take it all, with no worries about making my sparkly boat look beat up. The draft is ridiculously good with a push pole too.

Haha, not a matter of using a caliper , but I'd bet my paycheck 7 inches in max bottom width can relate to 2-3 inches difference in draft, espcially with the taper that those boats carry. Nice rig by the way!

That dosn't tell me much. Alot of them are "hyper-lift's" The actual 'Hyper-lift model' has a 67" bottom according to the site. His is an Xplorer 1860 , and although it is also a hyperlift hull, it would be 7 inches narrower in the rear.

I respectfully must disagree Catt. Smooth riding the Xpress takes the cake for sure. I own an 1860 G3 and my buddy has the 1860 Xpress. Both are aluminum modified V "do-all" boats. His boat will do another 2-3 mph with the same 90hp motor, time to plane is nearly identical. His hull is better for plane if you don't consider load, but my weight forward fuel tank evens it out to be nearly identical in performance that way. However, two factors make his Xpress not float as shallow as the G3 1) Width. Both are 60" bottoms but mine runs WAY more the length of the boat than his does. Xpress boats narrow rapidly in order to achieve their great rough water capability. They just measure it at the widest point. Obviously the more your boat displaces the less water it will float in. It is the same way with the 'Beam' measurement. Its carried out alot less in the Xpress. There is barely room for two people on the front deck. 2) Weight distribution. As I mentioned, my weight forward fuel tanks puts 15+ gallons of gas in the front of the boat. While helping to smooth the ride compared to traditional Jon setups, it also makes the boat float more parallel with the surface of the water. My livewll is also forward which adds 30 gallons of water weight to the front as well. With two people, 3 batteries, a 300+lb motor, 15 gallons of fuel, and a 20+ gallon livewell all in the Xpress, there is alot of additional weight that makes the rear sag significantly. If I had to put an estimation on it, the G3 floats idle in around 6"s and the Xpress hits bottom in around 11" or so. Not knocking either brand, I feel like both are great boats for their purpose, just wanted to throw the draft numbers out there since thats what the thread is about.

Its a good idea in theory. Its a good tool to give you an idea where to start, but nothing you can't learn from forums or other internet research. Honestly I'd have a hard time believing it. There is nothing that keeps people from purchasing it just to submit false reports. With large amounts of money on the line you should rest assured that people will give bad data to try to throw others off close to tournament time. There isn't a check and balance on that, and there really is no way for the Admin's to confirm nor deny any report... especially local smaller lake reports. You would never be able to deceifer which reports are real and which are skewed. It would be interesting to read, but I would never bet my outing on it.

Look alot like Fathead minnows to me. They usually hang out in the sun really shallow along the bank... many times in groups of 3-5 or maybe a few more. They have the black stripe, but its hard to tell any other fin structure from your pictures. That'd be my guess though.

I highly doubt it was any fish "blowing" bubbles. Like the others said, most likely carp or cats disturbing the bottom. Turtles will do the sme thing. Methane can also come up naturally without disturbance, once the pressure below the surface gets enough to break through.

Benefits vs an anchor? Much much faster and quieter. However, you are correct in that you are depth limited. I still use an anchor from time to time in deeper areas if the wind is setup right, but the benefits of the Pole are amazing. Unless you fish water that never gets shallower than 8 ft, there is no way you would regret buying one. I use them taking people bluegill and crappie fishing, so they can setup on spots easier, I use them catfishing at night to hold me down, and during my bass tournaments. Makes fishing more fun and efficient. I do not have two, and although I would like to have two but I can't justify the money. The times when I need two have been rare. Usually its when its extra windy and I setup on a brush pile for crappie and want to angle my boat so three people can effectively fish it. In that instance I drop the pole then use an anchor up front to keep from swinging. I do the same catfishing. Most times bass fishing I can line up the boat, and its only me and maybe a partner, so its much easier to just worry about the front of the boat. If you sight fish a ton two would be helpful, but there isn't water thats clear enough here for that, and its only a small portion of the season. The fast aspect comes very in handy, when I am floating down a bank in high winds. I simply drop the pole, pitch what I want to target, then lift it a foot or two, float some more, then drop at the next spot. I can effectively anchor unlimited objects down a windblown bank with only a couple seconds of anchor time.

I'd say you'd be happy with both. I installed my Power Pole by myself using the brackets that go between your motor and hull. If you do one side at a time you can slide it in no problem, then do the spacer on the other side. Electronic hook up is a breeze. I've seen / heard more issues with the Talon than I have the PP, but everyone is going to have something bad to say about both. To me, the powerpole seems to have more power, and it does lower out of the way somewhat. For instance, I fish an area where I have to go under a bridge, and my pole would hit it. I can lower it down a couple feet and slide right under. However, if the water was really shallow there, then you wouldn't be able to do that since your spike would drag. The uses are endless, anwhere you'd drop an anchor in <8ft of water. I find it most useful for parking the boat at docks or beaching it. Fishing wise, as long as its shallow enough, I will drop it on wind blown points or brush piles so I can concentrate on fishing and not boat control. I also have an aluminum boat, and I know how tough it is in 20mph + winds. Its also good for holding you in a good spot while your retie your bait or do other misc chores in the boat.

I agree... I think it is entirely angler oriented. Here is how I feel about it. If you are basically new to fishing, then take everything with you and learn whatever you can. Get a feel for it, learn where fish tend to locate and how to approach them. Get all of your basics down well. Once you get past the beginner stage and you start becoming a 'serious' angler, then it changes. Take only one or two lures / techniques out with you and learn them if you struggle with them. You do this KNOWING that your likely to fail. If you are serious enough about bass fishing to want to learn techniques that bad, then you won't "walk away" from the sport because of it. If you get burnt out on it, do it with a different technique and give yourself a break. You just need to realized your doing that for a specific reason and that reason only, to become a better angler. Not to go out and have a heck of a good time. Its not for the light of heart, but definately well worth it. PS... you don't actually have to 'clear your boat out'... you just need the will power to tell yourself that you are going to practice on this technique, and not revert to fishing your worm or whatever when times get tough.

Very good points. I agree, its definately possible to do well like this from the back. However, you are making one huge assumption. Your assuming your boater gives a lick about your casts. If he pulls up on a piece of structure in the middle of the lake, nose first into a 20 mph wind, only his cast may get to the good spot. Your stuck in the back fishing a 30 foot flat while he fishes stumps on a 10-20ft break. Or hes flipping grass and trees with the front of the boat up in their grill, leaving you to hope there are a few straglers out in open water. Sure there are times when you can always cast to a productive spot, I'm just saying not all boaters are as considerate as you would want them to be to give you a fair chance against a guy whose boater is putting them on spots.

Sweet! Now get out and fish!

I had the 7 before the 8 for around a year. It works fine, but leaves alot to be desired. The 8 is much easier to read and see, details stick out better. I moved the 7 to the bow when I got the 8. Now that I am used to the 8 I hardly ever view side scan on the 7, its plain annoying to me now. The quick keys are a huge time saver in tournaments as well. You won't be disappointed with the 7, but its definately harder to visualize than the 8 when you are trying to cover water quickly. As far as downscan, its basically the same.

Exactly... I hate to be a debbie downer but its almost impossible to take fishing seriously as a non-boater. You have to have a boater who cares, and the truth is most won't unless your a teamate. Your along for a ride and seconds that he misses. If your tournament is boater vs boater and nonboater vs nonboater, its different that way. The guy with the best skill won't always win, but the guy who has the best combination of skill and good boater will. I fish with a non-boater that is my teamate. I think this is much more fun and fair than trying to segregate the two. There is then zero territory or presentation issue, if the boater catches all the fish, or you split the bag, it dosn't matter... your both in it for the 'boat'. My buddy won't hardly drive the boat even if I need him to. Our chemistry has gotten so good with me driving and him fishing next to me that we just share the front deck and know what the other one is doing. We duck on hooksets, point out casts, plan out the day together, etc. Its just plain fun. I personally think that if you are in it to be serious, either fish alone or fish as a team. Its the only way its fair really. Competition as boat vs boat is the only way to go in my eyes. You skip all of the drama between eachother. If you are fishing as nonboater vs nonboater and are getting highly annoyed, I highly recommend you join a team league and sign up with someone who has an opening.

Does anyone have actual experience with one of these? Most testimonials are all excited about power increase, but I wonder how much they actually save on gas. I have an 04 5.4L Triton V8.

O... and Christian, those pumps are not designed to pull water large distances. Most are actually designed to pull strait through your hull, with no hose attached to their inlet. Even if they work like that, it will drastically decrease their life due to cavitating, or, running when no water is in the housing. You did the right thing by temporarily putting the pump on the other side, and I would just move it to a thru-hull as soon as you can to save you some time

30 gallons isn't too much. Any boat sold for tournament use has at least that, and usually more. Some may have only 20 gallons livewells, but they generally come with two or so, that way you don't have a full limit in one side. I think its a poor idea to NOT put in fresh water, at least every so often. No matter what 'products' or how much ice you put in, you are still not removing the fish's waste from the water. The fish live just fine in the lake, and there is nothing better for them than a vast supply of replenished lake water. Unless your filling your livewell with 95 degree water, they will be fine. On hot days I genearlly let a frozen 2 L bottle float around, and turn my timer on freshwater to around 7 minutes... or manually bump it myself every 15 or so. I gurarentee you that you do not need any livewell or fish treatment if you do it this way, combined with recirculation or air bubblers. And keep it dark and protected as possible. My fish are usually TOO lively, even after 8 hour tournaments.

Yes, 15 gallons will be close to being too small for a healthy tournament limit. 30 gallons should be more than enough to keep at least one limit of fish alive I have a 31 gallon and can keep fish alive in it no problem during hot temps. James your probably pushing the fish too hard to have 2 full limits in a livewell that size. That size is generally only good for 1 angler or a team tournament. It would hold two smaller limits easily if you aerate it and add fresh water frequently, but two big limits would struggle. PS.... hes right about the 10" That is going to be too shallow. You'll need at least 14" of water probably. Make sure you orient your container to the boat to minimize sloshing as well. In otherwords, don't run it longways so that the water gets more momentum.

I'd look into it REALLY deeply and question your local Conservation Officers and DNR officials. Its not always how it appears. Rules that cite 'hooks' and especially 'lures' are very grey matters. Indiana recently ruled it is LEGAL to use even though we have a 2 hook or 2 'lure' limit. Here is where the "interpretation" comes into play. Many people argue that the Umbrella rig is actually 1 'lure', that has multiple hooks. Since it only has one tie point its actually arguable, and the rest is part of the lure single lure. I really doubt too many states have a 2 or 3 hook "limit". Otherwise you couldn't even use a crankbait with a treble hook. That would be 3 hooks and your standard crankbait would have 6. I know, your thinking, well its a treble hook dummy... but thats the point. They don't specify how far apart the hooks on your treble must be Its how you interpret. A jerkbait has a wire that links all 3 treble hooks down the length of the lure body. Is that then illegal too in your state? There are a few states that leave no grey area in the matter, and it is for sure illegal. Some even specify that the rig itself is illegal. Indiana solved the grey issue by making an amendment this year specifically targeting rigs such as the umbrella. It specifies them in particular so there is no interpretting about it. Just trying to get you guys thinking and talking to your officials if you havn't yet, make sure you know for sure. It could just as easily be interpretted as illegal too if there are grey areas. Tom, Kansas could interpret it the same way. It could be intrepreted as 1 "artifical lure". But since they have a 2 hook limit even on treble hooks, its highly unlikely they would see it that way. States are all going to have to specifically mention lure harness's and rigs when its all said and done.

The last livewell I 'made' I put in a recirculation pump. It did a very fine job at adding aeration when the 'freshwater' pump was off. However, since then, I have another boat and I set it up differently. It came with a 'freshwater' pump as well as an overflow. I added a timer to that part, as well as adding a double 'bubbler' system with air stones on opposite ends of the tank. It is also on a timer. This system will keep fish alive forever, it hasn't lost a fish in any tournament yet, and that involves some shallow dingy water lakes in the midwestern summers. It is around 31 gallons total though. In my opinion you shouldn't need the recirculation pump. The fish savers will do that job just fine. Im not going to tell you its a bad idea, as any 'extras' can never hurt. But I'd save some time and battery life and just leave it as you have it. Use timers to further your battery even more, and leave the fresh water on the timer. I let mine flush a minute's worth of pumping every 7 minutes, and that alone I feel is enough to keep most limits alive under decent circumstances. The 'bubblers' will then let you keep your fish happy out of the water as well, during weigh in's etc. I might add though, that my livewell has a gravity drain in the bottom. No need for pump out. A recirculation pump can be turned into a 'pump out' system as well. Just add a Y and a few valves and it does both jobs.. .so that may be a reason to add one if you needed it.

I have a small pelican boat that I keep on my pond. I leave it in the water 9 months of the year (as long as there isn't ice) and the motor stays on it. Its a Minn Kota, don't remember the model but its a 54lb thrust 12volt, in the wetland camo. I tip it up so that it dosn't stay under the water, but that is all I do. Its on a quick attach plug to the battery, and I unplug that as long as I remember so it dosn't have any current to it. I havnt had an issue with it yet on its 5th year and going strong. I leave the battery in it too as long as it has a decent charge. I've rigged it with an automated 12v bilge pump for the rain. But I'm like you, if you live on or near a pond you don't want to have to tote everything out there when you want to take it out for a half hour quick fish. Now my big boat, thats a different story, I wouldn't leave that in there for anything.