volzfan59

Doggone @ol'crickety, you've whacked some good 'uns this year! Well done ma'am, well done indeed.

What Josh Jones is saying is correct. I'm not a crappie angler, but my brother in law is a big time crappie guy. There are several crappie lakes, albeit smaller lake, that are being fished out by crappie anglers using FFS. Some unscrupulous crappie anglers go out in the morning and get a limit. They get their limit and go home only to return in the evening. I know that it's been going on, even prior to FFS. When I used to trout fish there were folks that did it too. It is unsustainable and will destroy some of our smaller lakes. Heck, there are guys using FFS to bluegill fish, the simplest of all fish to catch. Seen guys with $500.00, beat up jon boats with at least $1500.00 to $2000.00 worth of electronics. Not illegal, their life and their money. The answer? I'm not sure. As far as tournaments go, I'd be for allowing it during practice periods only and not during the tournament itself. That does absolutely nothing to help the sustainablility aspect though. I'm afraid that it may be to late, the toothpaste is out of the tube. Speaking only for myself, I'm almost 100% a bass angler and don't need it and I don't want it. I do admit to sinking a cricket under a float from time to time. Can I afford FFS? Certainly can but I fish to enjoy God's creation now, the catching is simply an added bonus. I have two 7" Garmin's on my boat now, not FFS. All I use them for is water depth, water temp and bottom composition. If it ever gets to the point that I have to have FFS to catch fish, I'll sell my rig and move on.

@813basstard is 100% correct, $100.00 per day is way, way to much. $50.00 is more than enough. @Mike L offered some great advice.

I love to watch Bill Dance's shows, don't care where they are filmed or how long it takes. A member of the TN Wildlife Resources Agency told me three days is allotted for each show. Anyone that says that Bill was an "average fisherman" before or during his B.A.S.S. career doesn't know their bass fishing history.

Well done, congratulations sir.

Champion used to make a fish and ski that leaned towards more fish than ski. Sadly, they're no longer around. You might take a look at Skeeter and see, they used to make a nice F&S, Nitro too. A Nitro may be more 50/50.

I forgot about running a tunnel with trim tabs! Sorry about that Catt.

Sea Ark boats are also an excellent boat. Like War Eagle, they're built in Monticello, AR. A lot of the trout guides on the White River run jet outboards, wouldn't be very beneficial on the lake though. You might give some thought to a tunnel hull hull, maybe with a small hydraulic jack plate. If fishing a shallow river you could raise your outboard. Still couldn't run as shallow as a jet. On the lake, you can drop it down. Just a thought.

Have fun, take pictures!

In my mind I'm a solid ten, in reality I'm probably a five. Other than last week I rarely get skunked (probably shouldn't have said that), even though I'm pretty set in my ways, I'm fairly versatile and love finesse fishing. May not load the boat with big 'ens, I can a least have fun catching slicks. However, I'm one of those "It's about the journey, not the destination" kinda guys. My main joy just comes from time on the water, doing what I love.

I forgot about your medical issues. Gas probably is not for you! I'll be praying for you.

That was when I ran in the modified street division. Rules said you had to run a "stock" carb that would have came factory on the particular car. Mine looked stock from the outside ?.

We've got a glass top range for now anyway. My wife has cast iron and has used it on the glass top. I guess it has scratched it some, but not terribly. We're talking about a kitchen and bath remodel or just buying another house. Either way, we're going gas in the next one

RIP

I've rebuilt several carbs over the years, some worked out, some didn't. An old GM quadrajet that was modified into a racing carb did me in. Never again, there are folks, such as yourself that get it right all the time. I fall into the "shouldn't" category.

You sure that ain't Santa Claus on a high altitude test run? ?

I used to have an S-10 Blazer that I towed my old Tracker P/T 185 w/ a Mercury 90. Never gave me an issue at all. Even on steeper ramps, never touched the 4WD button. Pulled that thing all over east and middle TN along with north AL and GA. When I first started racing stock cars in 1982, I pulled my race car on the trailer, spare tires/wheels, tools, etc with my old 1972 Ford P/T with a 300 inline six, three on the tree. Only trouble I had was trying to leave Tazwell Speedway (super high banked dirt track in east TN) after the races were called due to rain. I wasn't the only one, track was slick as owl ?.

@Jmurphy87, Thank you for your reply also.

@Big Swimbait, Thank you for the reply. Slow, steady retrieve?

@airshot, Not to highjack the thread, but when I ordered my battery, they didn't charge tax or shipping. I don't know why or how, maybe the amount spent. I'll order from them again.

First, my boat isn't a Tracker 175 so this may be of little help to you. I have a 16'X50" tiller jon that I converted to a bass-jon. Has a 40 horsepower o/b. When laying out my design, I knew that I wanted the T/M battery up front for weight distribution. I enjoy shallow water river fishing. Any way, at my friend @MN Fisher suggestion, I looked into Mighty Max batteries. They have/ had a 100 a/h LiFePo for around the mid $400.00 range. I got one, weighs 30 lbs. Mounted it up front, dead center of the boat. It is great for my needs. The boat planes out perfectly, handles like a dream even with a full load. The gel starting battery and six gallon fuel tank are in the rear compartment.

Been fishing for decades and really enjoy finesse style fishing. New to the screw head jigs like the Megabass Okashira screw head jigs. When and where do you use them? Thank you

From Arkansas USA, Welcome to BR Fjalen! Great to have you.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Best thing you will ever do. I've got two boys (men now) and five step daughter's (adult). I can't begin to tell you how much I Love them. You now have a new fishing buddy! All of mine love to fish.

I secure anything with trebles, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and bladed jigs when I'm done with them. Sometimes I just reel soft plastics up really close to the top, sometimes I secure them. That's while running the outboard. If on the t/m, I always have a follow up bait dangling, ready for use just in case.