Jig Man

I use the palomar and run the line down through the hook eye. This will allow the hook to hang perpendicular to the line. I don't tie the weight. I use Bakudan sinkers which I make.

I do about half and half on spinning reels. I keep a few with Power Pro all the time and have for years. Sometimes I use a leader and sometimes I tie directly to the bait.

I always clean my bearings with naptha, dry them and add one drop of a synthetic blend oil that is made for the guys at the reel repair center at Bass Pro.

I finally got around to reading Jeff Nielson's article about super tuning reels. I spent the afternoon working on my oldest Curado. I don't have any way to really polish the pinion gear collars on the spool shaft other than by hand. I did the experiments with the lightest weight bait (1/4 oz jig with no trailer) and a stiff 6'6" rod. I gained 15' with longest to longest cast comparisons (he reports 30'). For you who have supertuned them, how much gain did you get? And would it be worth going back and inventing a way to polish those collars? Please address my questions as well as relate your experiences. Thanks.

Krud Kutter, Simple Green, Oxy Clean, or soap and water and of course a brush.

What David said. What they said. Right on the money.

Same here I have 3 of them and love 'em.

I would look it up for you if you had mentioned the kind of boat. You can look in the NADA Guides and get a good idea what the average selling price should be. 20' sounds like a good length to provide a good safe stable boat. If you decide to buy it change the water pump impellor before you use it very much.

My advice is take it fishing. Try several different types of baits on it. You may find something you really like. If not you can always sell it.

The motor warranty would be my concern not the boat. There really isn't much to be worried about with the boat. It is the best riding alum. on the market. A couple of my friend have been running them for a long time with no problems. XPRESS WARRANTY OUR Warranty statement was re-written for the 2005 model year and includes two major changes! We are excited to announce the addition of a couple of words that will mean a lot to you, the consumer. Those two words are "Lifetime" and "Transferable". Our basic warranty continues to be for a period of 5 years, but we have added a "Limited Lifetime" coverage clause that applies to transom and hull seam welds. Also you now have the ability to transfer these coverages which adds to both your piece of mind and your Xpress Boat's resale value. That does leave room for questions. Maybe you should call them at 501-262-5300 and ask for clarification.

I'm 15 minutes from Bass Pro in Spfd., 30 minutes from Table Rock, 45 minutes from Stockton. I fish Bull Shoals, Pomme de Terre, Stockton, Table Rock, and Truman. I spend a month in the spring on Stockton and a month in the fall on Pomme de Terre. My seasons are divided into early spring white bass, late spring-mid fall black bass and mid fall to early winter white bass. I do some switching of species depending on which lake and which species seems to be hottest. I have been caught up with making crappie baits for my cancer survivor neighbor and testing them on crappie and whites. I am busting a gut to get after largemouth and with 80° predicted for Monday I know I'll have to take my wife with me but what the heck she bought the boat.

I have an 82# on a 2500 rig. It will move way faster than any light weight boat with lesser tmotors that I have ever been in.

Who gave you that kind of info.? The 55 will go a lot faster than the 30. My premise on tmotors is get the biggest one you can afford and use the highest reserve amp deep cycle battery(s) that you can find.

The year of manufacturing will be in the series of numbers on the starboard side of the transom. They should either be molded into the fiberglass or on a plate.

I use both for jig fishing, the MH rods get the 1/4 and 3/8 jigs while the H rods get the 1/2 and 3/4 oz jigs. When I fish deep 35-50' it will be with the H because of the need for the heavier jigs.

I have some braid going into the fourth year which hasn't even been turned around yet. If and when it seems to be getting weak, I will turn it around. I love that Power Pro.

I used aluminum treadplate.

All you have to do is get a piece of marine ply wood and mount it to the frame of the pontoon. Be sure it reaches the water and mount the transducer to it. The best aluminum boats in the world (Lund) come with one so you won't have to drill holes in the transom.

Any dealer worth buying a boat from should give you a delivery tour. It should start on the ground at the front of the trailer and go all the way around the trailer and back to the front. Then it should go from the front of the boat (tmotor) all the way around (including the motor, prop and stuff under the cowling). The last part should be a tour inside the boat showing the use of all electronics, switches, livewells, storage boxes, etc. There should then be a sign off sheet which should be signed by the rigger, the sales person making the delivery and the new owner. That is the only way you can be sure everything has been looked at. If they don't do that much, DON'T BUY FROM THEM!!!

Anything on my side of the lake in the direction I am heading is mine. ;D If you want to fish it, get behind me and catch what I leave. ;)

I once got a 75 lb piece of printers lead. I borrowed a friend's cast iron pot and melted the stuff down with my fish cooker. I then took a piece of angle iron and bent the ends up. I would ladle the angle iron full, let it cool a bit, dump it and do it again. I made several 3' strips and took a hatchet and cut it into short bars. I think I still have some of it around somewhere.

That is the way I have been doing it for years and never have any line twist problems.

You will clean it one of these days. Mine is so old that the liner has burned out and I had to replace it. I have poured 10s of 1000s of jigs with mine as I used to market them to boat docks. Some of that junk in the lead will make its way to the bottom and plug the whole thing one of these day.

When the pot gets like that it is time to empty it out and give it a good cleaning. I empty mine and then use an air compressor to blow (from the outside) out the hole. Then I scrape down the entire inside with a brush and re blow the hole. Add new lead and start all over. The more lead I keep in the pot the less often I have to clean it. I use an old spinnerbait wire to keep the hole flowing freely.

Check catalog specials from Bass Pro and Cabela's. They sometimes have good combos. Last year I bought my neighbor an $80 Bionic Blade and a $60 Shimano Sahara for $90. That is like buy the rod and get the reel for $10. Surely they have something similar to that again this year.