kenmitch

1st Bass I've caught this year! It's also my new PB! 7.02 lb's

At last I get some decent weather on my day off! I wound up taking the yak out today to test out some new gear and rod holder setup. Was in the low 40's when I got to the lake this AM. The water temp was hovering around 54 or so and I figured I wasn't going to have much luck again. After trying out a lipless crankbait, ned rig, and a Berkley PB bearded shad I figured the bass weren't biting. Whenever I don't think I'll catch anything I'll go into casting and accuracy practice mode and putt around the lake. I'm looking for what'll be good areas once the water temps climbs. If I feel the need to beat the skunk then I'll break out the plastics! Flash forward to 9:25 AM and hundreds of casts later..... 1st bite of the day....She slammed my lipless with a vengeance! When she 1st broke water I was somewhat shocked to say the least! Tipping the scales at 7.02 lbs. In the what's your goals for the year thread one of mine was to beat my PB. My PB of 6 lbs and 2 or 3 ounces (didn't remember exactly) I caught way back in the late 80's or possibly very earls 90's. The other was to put down the lipless and try other offerings for the Bass. I wound up with 3 bites and 3 fish today! 7.02 lb 1.78 lb 2.85 lb After catching my PB I got corralled into the shallower water by a bassboater. I patiently waited and then followed him and caught the 2nd and 3rd fish. I think he was one of those finesse fisherman I hear about? Not exactly sure what he was throwing but he didn't catch anything. I didn't think I'd catch my PB this early in the year. It's looking like I'll have a shot at multiple PB's this year!

Lake Elsinore, west end of the lake, fishing submerged brush, in the 70's is all I can remember. Rewinding my memory bank I can only see bits and pieces of that day. I can visualize the area of the lake, the bass I caught, and remember my dads long lost brother telling me it was a LMB. My memory bank has been scrambled more than once in the last 40+ years!

Did you double check your wiring? Maybe something got knocked loose? Maybe loose power or ground on one of the other batteries?

The Ugly Stik GX2's make a good beginners rod. 7ft MH options available. Action? What baits will she be throwing?

That would really depend on how far your going, how fast you drive, and of course how paranoid you are that it'll fall off. I'd be the paranoid guy that took the time to add the extra front and rear straps just in case.

I've never tried trolling when moving from spot to spot in my Yak....On the other hand I've trolled a few of those bass boating spot jockeys by catching a nice sized bass behind them as they blast thru my spot! 5 lbr's! I'm with the depends on the lure your using crowd. I guess the easy way to figure it out would be to cast out the lure and find the correct retrieve and pay attention to the bend of the rod and the tips action. Just cast out behind you and start trolling and try to duplicate the bend of the rod and tips action with your speed. Probably won't take long to figure out the correct speed.

Have you ever watched Major League Fishing? That's were the camera man is sitting when they're up on plane zooming to the next spot. Not sure how comfortable it is tho. I guess depending on the water and the drivers skill level a person could be thrown up and out of the boat sitting there. I guess you could put a grab handle or two and use one of those throwable life preserver cushions to sit on. It's really hard to find a bass boat that can be a traditional bass boat while seating 4 comfortably. Doesn't mean that there aren't any options....Just means you have to find them and pony up for it. There's a guy that haunts my local lake in his Lund Pro-V 1875 that seams to get into skinny waters without issue. Not really sure what the draft is on his? The hull is designed for both shallow and rougher waters....They say. Take a look at the Lund Pro-V Bass XS's as see if it fits in your budget. The XS as far as I can tell stands for extra seating? It has 2 pedestal seats along with two flip up seats on the rear casting deck. Probably one of the few have your cake and eat it too options available that's more of a traditional bass boat. They are kind of pricey!

The Echomap 93sv plus shows as in stock on BPS as I type this message. If that's what you really wanted then just order it online and return the other unit. Your wish will be granted if you act fast enough.

What's going to be the lesser of two evils when it come to your hand and surgery? Holding the rod or turning the handle?

I don't see any reason why what you plan on doing wouldn't work. The fight is what it's all about anyways! Using UL will just enhance the fighting experience.

Welcome aboard. In the end you'll have to decide which boat works the best for you and meets YOUR needs. Comparing them to the traditional bass boat it looks like the cons would be lack of gear storage, smaller casting decks, center console possibly getting in your way. That doesn't mean that the boat won't work out fine for your bass'n adventures. How skinny of water do you plan on going in? Seems like a deep v style might be better for the other stuff you want to do with a boat.

8% back in eBay bucks currently going on thru the 20th if you see the promo at your landing page. You must activate it. I guess it's better than nothing....Won't get the bucks to spend until April.

That's no longer a RES it's a zombie shad now!

I wouldn't call it stupid....More like no compromise.

I realize that you live in Massachusetts. You can take the Maryland one which doesn't require you to be a resident of the state. It is valid in all states that require the NASBLA approved boating safety course according to boat-ed.com Other states don't require being a resident it looks like. Just pick one of them.

You missed the hinted Maryland quote?

Viewing the following site it doesn't look like a NASBLA approved boating safety course is state specific. Looks more like a one and done thing too me. https://www.boat-ed.com/blog/2013/05/30/can-you-use-your-boating-license-in-another-state/

The gears in the steering housing are probably worn out. https://www.walleyecentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-614466.html If it was me I'd probably just replace the whole assembly and be done with it.

You start at the console and end at the bow which makes it somewhat confusing. Are you looking at getting 2 units? Ignoring the somewhat better image quality of the Mega + it looks like the key new feature would be the extended range of the SI. Doing some quick research it looks like the Mega gives good detail up to 100 ft left and right while the Mega + extends it to 200 ft left and right. SI works best below 10 mph and the extended range seems like it could be a big time saver in the end. The extended SI range of the Mega + would be more valuable than the 2" of screen size too me in the end.

New one is 1/2 oz. You shouldn't have issues casting it. 1/4 oz with a trained thumb is doable.

Before taking off the stock hooks make sure you look at the orientation of the hooks. There is a right and wrong way to put them on. If you don't pay attention you can wind up putting them on upside down. Cabela's has the Mustad KVD Elite 1x Strong 2x Short Triple Grip Treble in size 2 on sale for $3.88 per 11 pack. They also have the Gamakatsu® Round Bend Short Shank Hooks in size 6 on sale for $1.88 per 12 pack. I wish they offered other sizes at the sale pricing as I could use some #4's. Standard shipping is $5 $50 minimum for free shipping.

Not really a jig fisherman yet. I've seen and read that it really depends on the weed guard on the jig. Lot's of pros modify or cut the guards. https://www.bassmaster.com/tips/weedguards-getting-point

I don't really hunt for lures, but sometimes I'll find one. This is the last one I found a couple of weeks ago as I was leaving the lake. It was floating on the surface with some line that looked like it was snagged on some brush. Being really close to the launch ramp I later figured I should have pulled the line in instead of just cutting it off. Might have been a rod and reel on the other end of it.

They all have a eyelet for the safety lanyard. If you look at the image you can barely see it about 3-4" from the botton on the left side viewing it from the front. If you look at the rear image and enlarge it it's clearly visible.