Dirtyeggroll

This is your answer.

I plan on buying one. Hopefully they are still in stock near Christmas time.

Had a little less than an hour yesterday evening. Checked out South Lake Park. Threw a frog along the bank where there were some mats, tossed a micro jig in the shade lines and bounced a green pumpkin wacky rig around. Had a couple of pan fish nibbles on the micro jig and the senko. This little lake has multiple fountain/aerators near the middle which are just out of casting range where I suspect most of the bass would have been hanging out this time of year. The lake seems very shallow but it was hard to tell for sure with what I was throwing. I saw a ton of fry along the edge of the bank and a couple of pan fish here and there, which was somewhat reassuring. There were some others out there bobber fishing with worms and I did not see them catch anything. Not sure if I’d go back. This is a tough time of year for me as a bank fisherman, so it’s hard to judge.

What’d you do to get the update to work?

I’ll give a detailed update if I make it to any of them.

This is extremely helpful to help me find the small public ‘ponds’ most nearby.

Thanks! Thats about a 20 minute drive from where Im staying. If I get a good stretch of time I'll have to check it out. Good chance I'll be moving down here in July.

Anybody care to share productive bank fishing waters in the Overland Park area? I will be here rotating at KUMC and staying near Overland Park until Sept 20th and looking for somewhere close to wet a line if I get a free hour or so.

I seem to have better luck with the Flat 75 in the spring and the Little John in the fall.

Biggest difference between 7 and 9 is mega+. The smaller unit is not mega+.

Kut tail is my favorite bait to neko rig. The action of the tail looks like the tail of a baitfish or pan fish trying to eat something off the bottom

Johnny and I took a much needed study break! He must have been getting grouchy from not going fishing because he reached out and snagged one right in the back on the first cast!

Wow! I just bought a used one for $135

It’s combination of a deeper swing on the hookset and a kind of pulling motion. its not just a ‘harder’ hookset

Anyone handled these yet? It seems there is a long cast and a pitch/flip version. The difference seems to be in the spool depth (deep and shallow, respectively) and handle knobs. They look pretty cool, but I am wondering if they will be worth the upgrade from the SV or how they compare (at least the pitch/flip version).

I doubt a 55lb motor has enough umph to push it up on the trailer. You can certainly float it on to the trailer though. The old Evinrude Fisherman outboards can be found in 5.5 hp and 10 hp models and do really well on these boats. Getting one of these is the doorway to wanting a big boat. You will enjoy it!

Just make a cheap removable version to try out (take a piece of plywood and just set it over the seats). If you think its too tippy, then don't waste your time. As stated previously, if you don't feel comfortable standing on it w/out the deck, the deck will only make it worse.

If you order it from Dicks there’s a 90% chance it will arrive broken.

Are you planning to trailer? The sundolphin basshound/sportsman boats are pretty heavy and not easy to maneuver even with two people. Might be better off with a kayak or a pond prowler. I can’t speak to inflatable pontoons as I have handled one.

If by configured you mean graphs and trolling motors, and if by getting the bare bones version it fits within your budget, then get that. You can always add that stuff later. Especially for a family boat it will ride much smoother. If that’s not the case then it’s really a toss up between Lund and Alumacraft. Venus hasn’t been around long enough to know.

If you want to g2n Helix 9 you better hurry because they are disappearing quick. Unfortunately, it seems the 1100 series humminbirds pick up a pretty penny used. If I had a $1500 budget I would be perplexed between buying a whole USED setup for the bow and console or getting one unit NEW with a warranty. The other forum thats primarily about bass boats (if you don't know it PM me) has some pretty good finds in their classifieds section and units tend to show up on Facebook Marketplace. If you just want total boat functionality I think you could get a couple 999 and/or 1199 for about that budget and maybe even come in a bit under. The downside is that you would not have MEGA imaging. I'll tell you though, MEGA imaging really isnt a game changer in my opinion and I have all MEGA+ graphs coming from not having MEGA at all. If I see a change on the graph it essentially becomes a casting target. Don't get me wrong its cool to see all the branches of a tree and all the rocks in a pile but it hasn't changed my fishing style. The idea you have to get a Helix 9 G2N is not a bad idea either... You might be able to scoop up one plus an 1199 or a 999. Alternatively, I have seen some of the Helix 9 G3N on sale for ~$1275... Could get one and sell your other units to get a 899 or 999. Lots of options out there. You are on the right track making sure to a networkable unit though. Good luck and keep us updated.

I have the same rod paired with a Tatula SV and I have developed a ton of confidence and skill using it to skip. I feel that the tip is a bit softer than other Heavy/fast rods I own. It’s great for loading up to skip a bait and the shorter length allows me to attempt acrobatic casts without hitting as many things with the rod. The backbone is beefy on the rod which makes it easy to horse fish out of cover. The only downside I find with the softer tip is that I really have to make sure I drive my hookset through the tip and into the backbone of the rod. I lost a handful of fish on my first couple outings with the rod due to what I attribute to not getting a good hook on them. I have since conditioned myself to pull the hookset through the backbone and haven’t had any issues. I also use the rod as my primary jig rod (for offshore fishing) due to its top notch sensitivity. The length and blank of the rod however are not ideal for long casts. So, to answer your question, I find a shorter rod with a little give in the tip and a solid backbone to be optimal for skipping.

Those KaRu vibrating jigs used to be the ticket. A football head with the coffin blade put off quite the vibration. I noticed he no longer uses the coffin blade, I would guess likely due to Z-man hunting him down.

In Keith Jones’ book he reports that a two-tone black and white bait out performed the solid color cranks. Im in the club of thinking color combo and pattern might matter but details probably not so much.

For the first 15 years of my life, I was certain that throwing a spinnerbait on a rod with an "open face" (spinning reel), was the pinnacle of bass fishing. I had occasionally seen my dad throw a "jig and pig" in the cooler months, but never saw him catch a fish with it. Ironically, I caught a ton of fish growing up throwing a spinnerbait and I probably haven't made 10 casts with one in the last 5 years...