BigBiscuit

I have the Drotto on my 2009 Tracker aluminum bass boat. Agreed that if you're younger and can reach over the side fairly easy, it's not something that you "have to have". I'm 66 and have a really bad back which limits my mobility. I will say that if, like me and you need it, the latch system works best in conjunction with trailer steps to get in and out of the boat. That's where it all gets expensive. But to me, it is all worth it because without, I absolutely would not be able to launch and load my boat by myself without them. The Drotto latch system works very easy once you get used to how deep the trailer needs to be. No winching with a bad back.

It was nice meeting you Jason and we're just glad that someone will be putting that old girl back into service. It just doesn't feel right for them to sit unused year after year. I know you'll get lots more years of service from her.

You might want to try adding some weight to the bow of the boat to let it push through the rough stuff. If that helps alleviate the problem, think about adding trim tabs to bring the bow down when running in rough water.

Spinning or casting?

I'll take one. The better of the two please.

I haven't had the chance to really use the boat yet. We managed a quick test run, but that was it. It'll be perfect for the fishing ponds around this part of the state. I'm very impressed with the welcome and helpfulness of BR so far.

Yup. That's a pretty shallow pond though, but still some decent fish there. If we fish there, we typically only use the trolling motor around the whole pond. That little ramp hardly gets any use. My daughter works in the Town Hall there and she says there's hardly ever anyone there.

My daughter and her husband live on Oldham Pond in Hanson. I fish there a lot out of convenience. They have a dock and my son-in-law has a Skeeter bass boat, but we fish all over really. That's the only pond that is a regular for us. Everywhere else is fair game. Oh, and Monponsett in Halifax is kind of a regular too, but that gets fished harder than most, so the bite can be tough there.

I grew up in Campello on S. Leyden St. Lived there until 1975. Then my parents moved to another house right off of Copeland St behind the S. Junior High School. I've been in Rockland for 42 years now.

Good looking old girl. And howdy neighbor. I live in Rockland and grew up in Brockton.

Ideally, when you have the funds, you get another Garmin unit and you network the two units and only need one transducer. Of course if the transducer is mounted on the transom and you're on the bow, you're viewing old data. I installed and linked my son-in-law's two Lowrance HDS units. He has a 10" on the console and a 12" on the bow. Initially he had just the one transducer, but we just upgraded to a second transducer on the trolling motor. He can now select which transducer he wants to view. For my usage, I prefer the bigger, nicer unit on the bow as I spend most of my day on the water there. I don't need anything fancy or complex or even that big at the console.

What are you looking at for GPS/FF? The Garmin Echomap 93SV is going on sale the end of this week. That's what I'll probably get for my bow unit. I haven't decided on a console unit. I have a couple of Lowrance Hook Reveal 5's in my garage and debating whether to use one of those or not. I also have a Garmin Striker that I used on my canoe. Same deal, I'm undecided. I could always use something that I already have for a while, then upgrade later.

I feel your pain. I just picked up a new to me 2009 Pro Team 170 and I can't wait to get out on it. My "want" list is getting longer and more expensive by the day. ? I just need to prioritize. New GPS/fish finders (console and the bow) are high on the list. I would also like to upgrade the 12V Motorguide 46 lb trolling motor to a 24V 70-80 lb wireless with spot lock. Those are the big ticket items. Everything else can sit on the back burner until I have funds.

I picked this trailer up for short money that I used to transport my canoe. It's a TrailEx. I want to say I found it for $325. The deals are out there if you keep an eye out.

You don't need to give me anything. I'm sure my daughter and her husband will be glad to get it out of the yard. Lol I haven't fished the trout in Long Pond on opening day in many years. To me, it wasn't very sporting. Too easy. I have caught smallmouth in Long Pond as well as Halfway Pond. John's Pond in Mashpee is one of my favorite smallmouth ponds.