mixermarkb

For what little it's worth I switched to the uni knot when I made the jump to fluoro years ago from having too many failures with an improved clinch. It seemed to really help, and I don't break off fish at the knot, even with 4 pound flouro and keeper Smallies...

I've been staying at TMR since I was a kid. It's a great place to stay, clean rooms, cookies restraunt, nice marina- the Cooks are good people

I played guns as a kid. I bet AR's are still fun to play with at the range. Why can't people just say shooting is fun? Why make up all the crazy scenarios about self defense? If you like to shoot, good for you, it's legal, have at it. Just don't try and make it more than what it is to justify it to those of us who play with other toys.

Picked up the rods for a friend of mine, you won't be disappointed, I'm sure if they are like the rods they will be like new! Good seller!

What series blank? HM? IM?

So I bought a few old wiggle warts to have custom painted, and one of them is a color I hadn't seen before. Looking at charts, it's called V72, brown trout. Before I take it to be repainted, I thought id ask the wart experts here if it's one that's worth more money to collectors as is.. Anyone know?

Buck Creek seems very fisherman friendly- nice folks, when I'm over that way I try to spend a little money there each time.

I have caught a couple nice Walters and a few really big gills throwing a rapala DT16 on Bull

I'm trying to learn deep cranking, I've had some really good days with it in post spawn on into the summer, but that's at LOZ. When I'm on Bull I can't seem to get bit as well, and I give up and go to jigs or plastics. I'm watching here as well to see what others say-

I pretty much compare line diameter instead of pound test- FYI, I have been using Sunline Sniper FC green and Shooter FC camo for a year or so now. I was happy with Trilene 100% green, it's very good line, but the Sunline stuff to me just blows it away. It's thinner, with less stretch, casts well, just does everything I want a fishing line to do- I know I sound like a commercial, but this stuff really is the best FC I've tried. I use their 7 pound test on spinning rigs for grubs/Ned/tubes, and drop shot. 10 pound for cranks and jerkbaits, 14 pound for finesse jigs and 16 pound for big football jigs and Crigs. A couple rods get 12 pound Yozuri Hybrid for spinnerbaits and squarebills, and the topwater rigs have Sunline braid with a 6' leader of Pline CXX mono. Everything gets a shot of KVD line and lure conditioner when spooled, and another shot at the beginning of a trip if it's been a few weeks or a month or so since it's been used. The few line twist problems I've had on the spinning gear haven't been severe with the sunline- and soaking the birds nest with the KVD spray has been a help with pulling the tangles out. I haven't had to drag the sunline FC behind the boat any at all, and the 6 pound Trilene 100% needed that from time to time. Ps, I like the nanofil in the green color a lot for the UL crappie rigs, and use it in slightly heavier tests on the wife's rods, as she isn't as mindful of loose line and tends to have problems with FC on her spinning rigs-

Gawd. That wakeboard site, calling fisherman "peasants". Scary stuff.

Just to stir, but let's say a new Direct Injected power head is $4k installed... That's a lot of fill-ups. I sometimes wonder how much we really save for "fuel economy"

Awesome info! Please keep posting this! Many thanks- Mark Burris

Ham is right wrench- if I could buy a new 20' bass cat with a 225/250 and all the electronics to compete with the 15 and 16 year old champions I run for $30K, I'd sell mine and buy me a new one. We are in the 40-50K range easy, and that's before the crazy toys like power poles! I do think the trend will be re-powering. I wonder if the sales of new outboards is already pulling away from the sales of new hulls? I just don't see the reason to buy a new hull unless mine break. Carpet, seats, etc and I have a nearly new boat. There just isn't that much new about bass boat design. They just get a few inches longer and wider every couple of years to hold the camera guys for TV...

That ladder idea is brilliant wrench! I was just trying to get him to not build out the whole deck with wood. Going back with the seats on the rod locker and an extension back between them would be killer! Oh and don't use the front livewell! It kills the ride of the boat and kills fish!

Praying here too.

Oh, and for your seats call Dean's top and canvas in Mt. Home Arkansas. They were the OEM seat manufacturer for Champion and will have all the measurements to make you new ones that fit like a glove-

An extended deck on a champion Fish and Ski is a bit of a trick. The best way is to have new rod locker lids welded up out of aluminum. The way the deck is slightly angled, and the thickness of the seat cushions makes it hard to cut lids out of wood and make them flush. By the time you build a support and make lids of thick enough wood to make things flush with the front deck, you have added a LOT of weight. Then unless you seal all that wood with fiberglass resin, it soaks in water and adds even more weight. Champs like to run best when you can get enough lift to get those short outside turning chines out of the water. Extra weight in front of the consoles throws that lift out of the window. It's a recipe for a flat running, big rooster tail, inefficient setup, with little to no bow lift, slow top end, and big bills at the pump because the boat plows the water instead of lifting up on the pad of the hull and running as designed. Making all the extension and lids out of aluminum keeps the weight up front down. Keeping the tackle on a diet will help as well. No need to have every bait you own in the boat all the time. If setup properly you have one of the smoothest riding, most maneuverable bass boat hulls ever made. I've owned 6 champions, and the only one I could never be happy with was a converted fish and ski with a wooden deck extension with full deck back to the consoles.

Lol, you guys are making me hungry! I gotta go for Memphis as far as pork tho... Texas or KC for beef, but Memphis and Eastern Arkansas joints know how to cook pig.

We have The Hill though... Sometimes a man needs some 'Sketti to break up all that steak from being too boring. Oh, and Ted Drews. And I don't partake myself, but I hear that some liquid made down on Pestolozi Street makes a lot of people glad they dropped by..

You should join the ChampioN owners group over on bass boat central. It's a great forum, with tons of info on older Champions, including lots of links of OEM parts- and it's some great folks! Nice looking classic Champ.

Water is $$. They want as much in the lakes to make power with all summer as possible...

Hey Bill- What size head on that big swimbait? 1/2oz? 3/4? What's the retrieve like?

Good taste in tunes...

All sold!