KTinman86

The Mercury Pro-XS is a good engine, but the 4 Strokes being made today are so good, there's really no reason to go with a 2 Stroke. The hole shots are as good or better depending on what prop you use, they're more fuel efficient, and they aren't nearly as heavy as they used to be. Plus, they just last longer and have fewer problems. My marine guy says he fixes 2 Stokes 4 to 1 over 4 Strokes and he's been in the business for 30 years. Also, like another gent said, you don't have to worry about aluminum like you do glass, and being new to boating, it's one less thing to worry about. However, the aluminum boats today are far better than the aluminum boats of even 5 years ago. There has been a concerted effort by the boating industry to put more research and time into aluminum, and it's showed. My Xpress aluminum is top-notch and I've had so many guys at the dock or in-passing inquire into it. I can get into the back-waters on our rivers that the glass boats just can't get in to, which has helped me fill limits that I would've otherwise failed to fill on the crowded community holes. So, don't believe glass is superior to aluminum, they're just different, not better or worse. You had mentioned getting 2 Talons to anchor your aluminum... That's not necessary, at all. Buy 1- 12 foot Talon and trust me, it'll suffice. Buying a 2nd anchor would only be aesthetically pleasing and a waste of money. If you really want to get tricky, buy an adjustable mounting plate, which will buy you almost another foot of anchoring capability. Plus, when going under bridges, etc, you'll have one less Talon to fold down... I've only owned Talons, so I can't speak on Power-Poles, but most guys I fish with and against have them, and some have owned both, with a preference toward the Talon. I've used Lowrance and Humminbird electronics exclusively, with my latest purchase being the Mega-Imaging Humminbird and they're so clear, user friendly, and the goodies are just incredible. I've mapped some of our smaller lakes that were paper-mapped 30 years ago and they're nothing like they used to be; I've found so many great spots that have produced some great days. My buddy Chris has a couple Garmin Panoptix Units on his rig and they're so cool, with guys only just beginning to exploit their capabilities. They work in a similar fashion to the 360 Humminbird units but in "real time". The truth is, all the high-end units are great and you wouldn't go wrong purchasing any of them, so it's really just preference. I prefer the Humminbird units because of their Minn Kota compatibilites, so it works great as a "system" of finding and presenting lures to fish in the most efficient manner. That being said, the absolute most important thing regarding electronics is learning how to properly use them, period. Most guys don't understand how to use them properly, so it's just a waste of money. All in all, think about building your rig as a fishing "system" because that's really what it is, a means to find and catch fish by being efficient. If you're going to make a large investment in an aluminum boat, electronics, anchors, an on-board charging setup, etc..., you're looking at 30k give or take a few thousand, so take the time and do your research because it'll help you become a better angler. A few things you'll want to make sure you have on your new boat: 1. A recessed trolling motor pedal 2. Rod lockers that accommodate 8 foot rods 3. An auto bilge pump 4. A live-well system with all the bells and whistle (if you're going to fish tourneys) 5. A hydraulic jack plate 6. An on-board charging system 7. Lockable storage (especially the rod lockers/tackle storage). 8. A top-notch insurance policy (don't skimp, trust me) 9. LED lights in your storage areas (a must have for early mornings or night fishing) 10. A power-trim switch, anchor switch, and livewell switches on your front console, 11. Put a bigger graph on the bow of your boat, 12. If you're serious about becoming a better angler, buy units with mapping (card compatible), Side-Imaging, Down-Imaging, 360-Imaging (if you go Humminbird), and traditional 2-D sonar 13. Buy high quality trolling batteries (so worth it) 14. Shallow water anchor 15. Trailer brakes 16. Keel guard (especially on a glass boat) 17. Swimming/safety ladder (can save your life) 18. High qualith PFD (don't skimp) 19. Full range of console gauges 20. A 36 volt, high powered trolling motor so you have no control issues... Anything you can think of that you want or need... This will certainly add to the price of your boat, but it'll also increase your fishing success, your comfort, and the fishability of your rig. Buying a boat is a rather large investment, so do it right. Good luck brother!

Do lots of research, the information is out there, especially on higher-end rods. Take what you learn and compare it against what you want and like in a rod, and that's as good as it'll get if you can't physically try a rod out. Nothing wrong with having too many rods on the deck...

Change out hooks, add feathered trebles, change split rings, build my own silicone and rubber skirts (different diameters of material) by hand tying some and using flair buttons on others... I also use different color skirt collars to add color accents without getting crazy. I modify frog legs using different sizes of rubber and silicone, add rattles, BBs, trailer hooks, fly-floatant on the first few feet of braid to help walk the bait better, and on and on. Add weight to hard jerkbaits (absolutely necessary at times), tie a loop knot when really snapping the bait hard (on walking baits too), I always use scent whether it really works or not..., I carry and use scented markers to doctor-up baits for whatever reason, put rattles in tubes (especially when snapping them).... Carefully remove glossy finishes from crankbaits to make them look more realistic, especially in clear water. I offset my flipping hooks when rigging my plastics and it's increased my hook to land ratio without question. I also don't peg my stopper right up to my sinker, I leave about a quarter inch and it helps hook more fish, too. There are so many things and these are just a few, so think outside of the box and you'll get a few more bites, especially on pressured bass. There are no rules in bass fishing.

No sir. But I did recently buy one of their newer Expride rods on sale, and it's a great rod. 7'2" H It's a fair bet that whatever they do come out with, it'll be good.

I've never had issues with my system... I had my local marine guy set-up my rig because it's just too technical with all the goodies we've got nowadays, so if you had yours done professionally, take it in and have it looked-over; they should warranty the work. Good luck FryDog! The bass have to be chewing up by you...? Ours is starting to get better with water temps below 70 now.

Size 90 in Perch pattern for Smallmouth and the 110 for Largies in Bone.

That's a good question... They mounted mine with the new MKA-51 quick release bracket, so it was set-up from the get-go... I wouldn't go drilling holes in your bow or anything crazy like that, just to have a quick release bracket. I'm surprised a service center can't figure that out for you, as they rig stuff all the time... Call Minn Kota and they'll have an answer for you; their customer service is top-notch. I hope you're enjoying the Ulterra, I know I am...

Carl, setting-up a punch-rig is actually quite easy and does only have 1 knot. There are lots of videos on Youtube and the like that show you how to do it, but Gary Klein has videos on his Boss Outdoors website that show exactly how to set it up, and he sells the products to do so, except for the tungsten sinkers, which you always want to use over lead. Like one of the other posts said, a punch-rig is really a bait to emulate a jig but that will not get hung-up in heavy cover, so you may not need it... Try using a heavy jig, like a 3/4oz to 1 1/4oz, if that gets hung up, then you would need to go to a punch-rig. If I can present a jig in heavy cover without hanging-up, I will do so 100% of the time because I'm going to hook and land close to 100% of the bites I do get, whereas, a heavy punch-rig will at best put 75% of your bites in the boat. So, only fish a punch-rig if necessary, and if you're not sure, do some more research about it to gain a better understanding of it and you'll have your answer.

Welcome back and thank you for your service.

Welcome... Glad you've stuck around even though things haven't gone very well for you, but it'll get better the more time you spend on the water. I'd recommend that you go to a local tackle store or a Bass Pro and ask someone behind the fishing counter what you asked on this thread. They'll have so much to select from and steer you in the right direction. You only need 1 casting rod and 1 spinning rod to get you going, and they don't have to be expensive, just good all-around setups to learn on. If you want to go-it alone, my advice would be a Medium Heavy Power, Fast Action casting rod 7 foot in length, and a 6 1/2 to 7 foot Medium Power, Fast Action spinning rod. Both will cover your bases. A good all-around line to start with on a baitcaster is 15-17 monofiliment because you can throw topwater baits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and worms with it. You can become more particular once you gain some experience, and you will become more particluar, I promise. On the spinning side, 10 pound fluorocarbon is a great line to use because finesse presentations work better with a line that sinks, is sensitive, and invisible, like fluorocarbon. Good luck

Most companies are making a good aluminum boat nowadays because they see the benefits to the consumer, so they've upped what they're offering in them to rival fiberglass boats but at a much, much cheaper price. I looked at the Triton and really liked it and it comes with great features at a great price. I don't think you can go wrong with a Triton. I personally fish out of an X-19 Xpress aluminum boat and it has far exceeded all of my expectations and I'll never purchase a fiberglass boat. It's light to tow, won't damage like a fiberglass, more fuel efficient, easier to maintain, way cheaper, and on and on... so many benefits over a fiberglass. I walked away with 2 Si combo units, a 112lb Ulterra motor, and a single 12 foot Talon (because 1 easily holds my boat) for about 30K. It would cost me 50k+ to get what I got in a fiberglass package. You're a smart man for looking into aluminum and you'll be glad you did.

They're both great rods, period, and getting a deal makes it even sweeter. That being said, the MH rod will cover more techniques comfortably than will the H powered rod. The H is a great jig rod, especially at short range, it's very powerful and has the solid fast action needed to drive a stout jig hook home. The MH will be a better Texas-Rig worm rod when using lighter weights and when accuracy is important, as the tip on the rod is perfect for making such a presentation and the power is great for a lighter to medium size worm hook diameter. You could use the H power rod for worm fishing, etc, but you'd have to be careful not to bend-out hooks. Also, the MH is good for making long casts on flats with spinnerbaits, swimbaits, swimjigs, and even ripping lipless baits out heavier grass, so keep the H for jigs and superline hook worms and you'll be happy you did.

The hooks aren't the worst on either size Plopper, but I almost always change out my hooks because bait companies can keep costs lower by putting middle of the road hooks on baits. On the 90 size Plopper, I use KVD Triple Grips- 1x Strong, 2x short, in sizes 2 or 1, and the 130 size lure in sizes 1 or 1/0. The biggest concern with smallmouth and a topwater bait is they tend to slap at them or crush it so hard, they miss the bait and have to come back for it, so you certainly don't want any hook flex and you need something that pins them once hooked, and the Triple Grip style of hook does that better than round bends, period. I used to be a round bend guy, using Gamakatsu, Owner, or Daiichi brands but over the last few years I've really been sold on the KVDs for several reasons. First, they simply hold fish once pinned better than round bends, they don't flex like round bends do, resulting in fewer pull-offs, and while they aren't the sharpest hook out of the package (they're still very sharp), they hold their point better than Gamakatsus, Owners, and Daiichi, even though all 3 are sharper out of the package than the KVDs but their points don't hold nearly as long. Also, a misconception and untruth regarding using round bends over EWG hooks is that when fish do slap at a bait, they snag a piece of the fish and EWGs don't, but that's not true at all. If you take your finger and gently...gently push on the top of a round bend hook, the hook swings away from you, resulting in less direct penetration, whereas, the same thing done with an EWG hooks yields a hook that doesn't swing away allowing it to get direct penetration. I swore I would never change from round bend hooks to EWG hooks, especially on my hard jerkbaits, but my hook to land ratio has gone up considerably on all of my treble hook baits. And they are cheaper than the other premium hook companies. Don't forget the importance of the correct rod, reel, and line for all treble hook presentations...

There are all sorts of braids out there and they are just about all made from the same fibers and in the same way. However, the characteristics of each can vary and provide advantages/disadvantages for particular presentations. I prefer 8 carrier braids over 4 carrier braids (how many strands it's made of) because they tend to be smoother/quieter, more abrasion resistant, and better casting, with some exceptions... I also prefer bright colors like neon green or chartreuse because it's easier for me to detect bites on techniques like flipping grass, and several finesse techniques using spinning tackle. I do black out 3-5ft of line with a sharpie and then I go over the sharpie with a garlic scented marker to help mask the sharpie smell (more of a confidence thing...) and I use a fluorocarbon leader for all my finesse presentations. So, after all that, my favorite braids are the Daiwa J-8, and the Sufix 832. I use the Daiwa J-8 in Chartreuse for flipping vegetation (50 & 65lb), swimming jigs (30 & 40lb), and on all my spinning tackle (10 & 15lb) because it's the smoothest and quietest braid I've found. I use the Sufix 832 for frogging and toading in 50lb because it's the strongest braid made. Some other braids to check out are Power Pro, Seaguar, Spiderwire, Sunline, and P-Line. I've used them all and I've settled on Daiwas J-8 and Sufix 832.

Oh, about turnover... Don't get to hung-up over it because there's nothing you can do about it. It has to do with stratified layers of water that are beginning to dissolve due to changes in water temperature. The one thing to keep in mind... If you show-up to fish and the water looks a funky color and has a weird odor to it, it'd be wise to find another place to fish for a week, give or take a few days... Once turnover is complete and the water is stable again, fishing is typically very good. Water is always "turning over" to some extent, but it's the drastic changes that impact fishing success, like fall turnover.