Jig Man

I normally run a willow with a Colorado. Fish in the lake I hit most don't go for straight Colorado very well. I learned that the hard way with a few beatdowns.

OK here we go. I have all Lowrance chart plotter units. I know that MK won't link to them but I have 3 broken ribs that have not healed properly and it has been over 6 months so I'm guessing that I am always going to have a problem. Pulling a trolling motor up several times per day leaves me with a nasty sore spot just under my right shoulder blade so self deploying and stowing is very appealing. How do you like your units? Do they function the way they are supposed to? What kind of boats do you have them on? How long is your trolling motor shaft? What functions will I not be getting with Lowrance units? Anything else you think I should know?

If any of you guys are running one, I'd like to ask some questions.

I used to have a spinnerbait mold that caused similar problems. My best cure was to place everything in the mold then run a propane torch over the hook and wire form connection. Then pour the lead quickly. I also had to run the pot very hot.

I don't know what all companies do but Bass Pro sends their trolling motor returns to a couple of guys that I know. They are the best in the business around here. They go through them and fix any thing wrong. Then Bass Pro sends the to the Catalog Outlet store for resale. One of my fishing partners has been using one for several years.

I have noticed the same thing in smallmouth, largemouth and spots. I have no official answer but have been told that it is hormonal. Supposedly fish that are actively feeding will be darker in color while those just hanging around will be lighter. I have no biological way to support this statement but it kind of makes sense to me since they are sometimes caught at the same depth and in the same area.

I have a Gloomis Bronze Back that is similar. I have a Curado X70 on it. I use 6# fluorocarbon line and fish Ned rigs with it.

I have tried a lot of heads and different colors. There seems to be no bad head or bad color. Today I caught bass on chart blade chart/red with chart swimbait trailer and silver blade brown/white with brown trailer.

I wouldn't sand them down. I put them in a solvent that would soften the paint, like acetone, then wipe it off with a paper towel. When they were clean and dry, I'd powder paint them.

I'd get rid of it. Your chances of finding pedestals for that may be slim plus they were always cumbersome to use.

Have you calibrated it. Also 20' +- is normal for a gps.

I dip them in the lead pot and melt it off. Then I let it cool and scrape with an old knife blade. I have high school fishing team kids making baits at my house a lot so we are often doing this.

I use Power Pro braid with my Arigs. I only tie with one knot, (Pitzen). I don't have line slippage.

Just spray the line with some Real Magic or KVD line conditioner and it will go quiet.

I've cut them before and had them repaired. They turned out good as new.

One rod won't do for all of those types. Drop shot and tubes might work on your cranking rod. Your ned needs to be light and pretty limber if you are going to fish it the way it was designed to be done.

If any of you guys are running this setup I'd like to ask you some questions.

A couple of things you might want to consider, (1) is there a good mechanic in your area who services Suzukis (2) don't buy anything unless you take it for a test ride.

Gloomis IMX 843c 30 to 50# Power Pro braid.

If that is the only problem with the boat you could get it fixed for around a grand. If I were interested in it I'd make a firm offer of 12k and see how it went.

I fish a lot of Ned rigs in the spring. One of my setups is a Fenwick rod similar to yours but shorter (6'). I have tried several different hooks from various sources. I did not like the Zman hooks at all. I ordered some from a company in KS that were better but still not what I wanted so I bought the Ozark Finesse Jig mold and 1000 1/0 Gammy hooks and now make my own. The 1/0 hook does a lot better job than the smaller hooks. As far as hook sets go I swing hard but always have a light drag whether it is on one of my spinning setups or my Ned bait casting setup. I am using 6# fluorocarbon line instead of 4. I fish around brush and rocks so 4# would drive me nuts. Keeping the rod tip lowered toward the water helps keep the fish down and fewer of them get off. Some days it is nearly impossible to get them to the boat especially if they are in shallow water but that keeps it interesting. My main bait is the Z man TRD. All colors catch fish.

Well that seems like a long time for such an antiquated term to hang on especially since a large number of the guys who use it weren't even born when those devices were being used and probably have never seen one. I guess that is kind of like the common use of "chip" to define a mapping card for a chart plotter and the old guy who lives next door calling every bait a "plug".

Why do so many fishermen refer to sonar/gps units as graphs? I know that there were paper graphs some years back but I don't understand the near universal use of the word for these units. Can someone please expound on this so I can better understand.

Only buy a deep cycle battery not a cranking battery. The amount of time you get to spend using the trolling motor is directly related to the Reserve Capacity of the battery. The larger the RC number the longer it will hold up during the day.

Build yourself an old fashioned rabbit gum. They are easy to use and make no noise. You can find You tube videos of how to build them.