NJ_Stump_Grinder

Thanks for the help so far folks........ keep the input coming. Dave

Looking for an inexpensive (under $200) handheld GPS unit. Never had a GPS before. Would be using it mostly for marking trails (in heavily wooded areas), fishing structure (in small lakes under 2000 acres), marking lauch areas for boating in dark and foggy weather. Want a reliable, all around handheld unit that is somewhat small light and has a proven record. Thanks, any help would be appreciated. Dave

Does any of it really matter? It's not a new world record. But that fish's days are now surely numbered. Every yahoo in the US is out there throwing rigs at it. Lets face it, even if it were left alone..... how much time does it have left? I'd rather think of it gliding away into the "deep" and living another few years never to be seen again.

He had veterans following him around on the lake cheering him on. Sorry he didn't win it, but glad Ish finally got his piece. USA USA USA USA Go get em Mike

GOOD FOR YOU!!! Hope you get the new gig too! I myself have another 15 to go........ So I hope I live at least another 45 years and get to enjoy it, or get "oldtimers disease" within the next few and don't give a "*****". Go catch a lunker with that new gear.

Gonna do my best to be there. How many definites do you have so far? Dave D.

Right about now I'd be happy with just ONE chance to get out on the water with ONE nice day and catch A fish.

Congrats......she's a beauty. Good luck, safe trips, tight lines.

bipr8 I appreciate the offer, but I'm definitely a DIY kinda guy. The fun is more in doing the work and getting the personal results. Besides I'm planning on more than just decking....... it'll turn into more of a working project I'm sure. Thanks again anyway.

Wasn't able to make the tourney, but glad to hear you were able to pull it off. Sounds like you all had a tough day on the lake. Better luck next time. PS: I might be getting in touch one day soon about possibly joining your club if you are still taking members. Maybe sit in on a meeting or two?

Birdwatching......... funny you should bring it up.... Last year I joined up with the local birwatching club just to see what it was all about. You should see how some of these folks get into it with all their fancy glasses, cameras, and telescopes......... Kinda reminds me of how some of us anglers get carried away with our gear. Aaaaanyway, seeing as how I really couldn't enjoy the birdwatching properly with my el-cheapo set of binoculars......... and I couldn't afford a $1000 setup to SEE them up close, I decided on a little common sense and ingenuity. My logic told me that instead of spending the big bucks on optics, my perfectly good 12 guage would basically do the same thing. After a few well placed shots, I was able to see all the birds I wanted up REAL close....... for as long as I wanted. Needless to say, the birdwatching "club" thing didn't really work out for me.

Just got a delivery from BPS. Brandy new Minn Kota 55#pd/ap/us and some new seat mounts and posts. Now for the dilema. I was gonna gut the boat of it's present setup and redo the floor to add decking, storage and portable livewell. Hmmmmm, to do it right will probably take several weeks of nights and weekends (missing out on precious early season fishin). Maybe just "rig" it for now and plan the major overhaul for later this fall.

I've tried it but will never do it again. When I popped the crankbait into my mouth to get 'er all spitted up, I sank the trebles through my tounge. I don't know if it was the spit or the bits of tounge flesh hanging from it....... but that sucker did catch fish.

As far as the motor size, believe it or not the 25hp is too BIG for me. I live in the wonderful "tree-hugging" state of New Jersey and 9.9 is max HP allowed in all but 2 lakes in this wonderful state. Most lakes are actually electric only (as my 2 home lakes are) , a few allow the 9.9. Combine that with the fact that I have to work 60+ hours a week just to be privledged enough to pay my OUTRAGEOUS taxes (in this wonderful tree-hugging state) I rarely get the chance to travel out of state to fish those nasty oil poluted lakes in the other non enviro-friendly states that surround me. I could actually downgrade to the 9.9 and save money! (I could use it to pay a very small portion of my property taxes) I know what you are all thinking........... the answer is called a "wife". She said we could buy a house in a "nicer" state, but I'd be living in it alone...... she'd be in Jersey with the kids. I'm workin on her though.

I've been thumbing through some mags lately and clicking through the web sites. Just LOOKING...... but kinda like what I see in a Tracker as far as features for the price. Mod - V Pro 175 for under 10G's complete or the same boat in the "panfish" version (less raised decking) for under 9G's complete. That seems real reasonable. What do you Tracker owners think of your boats..... happy or not?

Taken from Minn Kota's site: http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/motors/selectamotor/frames.asp?selectionCode=bn1h1 >>>>>>>>>>> How do I convert thrust into horsepower? Many people think that the more pounds of thrust they are getting, the faster the boat will go. This is not exactly true. With trolling motors and outboard motors, boat speed (and acceleration) depends on horsepower and prop pitch. By changing prop pitch, you can trade acceleration for top speed. Our trolling motors have props designed for maximum acceleration. When you hit the power, the boat responds immediately. This also allows you to hold the boat in high wind conditions. Top speed with our motors and props is about 5 mph. Small boats will reach this speed with most of our motors. Larger boats require our largest motors to approach this speed. Comparing our motors to gasoline outboards is difficult because most outboard props are designed for much higher speed. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I gut hooked a 3lb LM last summer and it was bleeding bad. I knew it wasn't gonna make it no matter what I did so I cooked it up. I consider myself a good cook, and rarely get complaints........ but even though I seasoned the hell out of that bass and baked it up to perfection, it was bland and tasteless (if not a little poor tasting). I don't see any reason to keep em for cookin unless they aren't going to survive if released because of injury during the catch. However, my neighbor has kept a few hybrid stripers from our home lake and he says they're much better than LM. Maybe I'll try one this year.

I'm with JJ Sllllllllloooooow it down. I always feel after a day of fishing that I might have done a lot better if I'd have just slowed down my presentations. I also need to work on my hooksets..... sometimes I just wait to freakin long and never get that next "tap".

I took a 1" wide piece of steel, about 8" long. Drilled 2 holes in one end to mount it to the shaft of my motor using a small muffler type clamp and some rubber hose as an "insulator" from any vibration. I mounted the transducer to the other end of the metal using the actual tranducer bracket. Works great and doesn't cause any noticable rotational twist.

most of the time it's just left upside down next to my shed since it hardly gets any use.

one ten pounder? What is it guys? All day, out on the water, on a beautiful day. Would you rather catch a bunch of dinks, or just ONE nice one?

I have a 17' Grumman and a 15' aluminum deep V. In the winter I throw a few 2x4's accross the deep V and invert the canoe on top of the 2x4's. I then throw a heavy poly tarp over both. The canoe keeps the snow from weighing down the tarp and filling up the boat, and I get both covered in one shot. Not too bad for a dummy...... huh.... LOL

Has Assunpink thawed yet? Dave

Anyone have any of the Powerdrives? With Autopilot or Universal Sonar? I'm buying a new bow mount this summer and thinking about the 70 or 80# with the PD/AP/US features. I'm set on Minn Kota, but not sure of the reliability or pros and cons of the available features. Any help would be appreciated.