J-Doc

Should have talked to Dan. I zeroed today. M_Taylor may never fish with me again. :-(

10lb floro. All I have on two big trolling rods and 10lb on my flicker rods. I lost a 30-35lb striper while fishing with Yakfm and it was on a spinning rod with 6lb line. I got greedy after 15mins and tightened the drag to wear it down faster. My mistake. Pulled the hooks out. Both of them. Line did its job, I made a patience mistake and pulled the hooks. I fought that fish for 15mins and had it to the boat 3 times and was about to land it. Pop.....off she went. You don't need gorilla strength line. That's a misperception. Loose drag, light line.

Champ was right. You really do have them dialed in. 2 per trip pretty consistently.

Good point on boat being shallow. I can draft in a foot or less and a deep v boat.....well you're looking at 2-3ft.

You should learn the cast net. It took me much longer than it should have as there are a lot of videos on YouTube teaching different techniques. I prefer to not put the net in my mouth. Especially after it's got slimy mud all over it. The key is to find a way that allows the net to have 3 triggers that will create 3 separate groups of weights to go in 3 directions while in a circular type motion. Sounds complex right? It can be but it can be quite simple too. I get a pancake toss everytime now. I practiced with an 8ft net and found the right combination that works for me. Mine is a hybrid combo of two techniques.

You can find them shallow. I've said too much already. Asking for bait is like asking for my waypoints. :-) Better have a big net and be ready to throw quickly. Be sure and release what you don't use and only keep what you think you will need. More than a dozen for my boat is too many. I change out baits with fresh bait and still don't use more than a dozen in a 5-6hr trip. A dozen is more than enough for 2 rods. If you're running 4 rods, over a dozen might be justified. Just respect the bait population and take what you need is what I'm getting at.

I lost a 5lb bass (tried to swing it in the boat like a dummy) and it ate a gizard that big. I've also caught a 3.5lb bass eating gizards that big.

Big hook I see. Seriously. ... Do you work? I can't fish as often as you do. Wish I could.

You are letting a big cat out of a big bag. Dang it!! :-)

You would be better off on Stockton. No one releases the just made it fish. And this summer they all looked like Snoopy's frail cousin that lives in the desert.

About a thousand between 15-17 inches. Lol! Yes. But we are in between a good crop year. Takes 6-8 years they say to get a keeper size walleye and no one seems to be releasing any. So once caught, they all go home. Unless you're a bass angler and believe all unicorns should roam free and happy forever. I believe in select harvesting and controlled harvests. Which is why there are limits set that allow fish to be kept. To help maintain a healthy environment vs over crowding.

I got a 10.37 on topwater several weeks back. Biggest hybrid I've ever caught. It was a real hoot landing it on a 6ft Falcon Original and a baitcaster. Had to chase it down with the trolling motor and ease the drag tension on 10lb mono. Took about 10-12mins to land.

Lmao!!! So true.

Wish I had suckers.

I looked into that this summer. I even used an old aquarium we had lying around to keep striper minnows for a few weeks. They eventually yelled "jail break" and LITERALLY jumped out of the aquarium. The had to push the lid off the aquarium to get out. Lost half of them and I had a dozen plus. It was a pain changing out the water frequently so a large tank is needed with a drain and you have to babysit the little buggers. By the time you invest in a tank, bubbler, chlorine treatment, etc......it added up quick. There's also the need for insulation to keep the water around 60 degrees or colder. Wish I had a nice setup and insulated shop to keep something like a 100gal stock tank. Would be a nice setup in the long run if setup where maintenance was a cake-walk.

While I appreciate the suggestion, I seriously doubt they would install it for that price. That's the "new" install when the boat is being assembled. They are so swamped over there, I doubt the would take the time to fit me in for something like that. I could be wrong. They would probably tell me to take it to my dealer and order part number "XYZ". I have to pull the batteries & fuel tank out to get to the drain below the livewell and then tie into the drain lines, route the electrical, etc. It's probably a 2-3hr job. At the least pull the batteries for a tie-in to the drain line. At local rates of labor that's roughly $300-400 with parts, taxes, etc. Not trying to argue or be a pessimist. Just basing my gut feeling based on what I've already read from others on the BBC board who have dealt with factory work and adjustments. They (Ranger) can and will do things like adding jackplates but they have been swamped greatly with orders for the last 2yrs. Not including warranty work and hull repairs on the aluminum lineup alone. I could do the work myself and save a ton but.......I like my warranty. I'd rather leave it alone and just pay someone to do the work these days. I've grown spoiled to that and my dealer does great work. :-) I'll stick with the portable $20 option for now. If I can find an easy way to install the recirc pump and controls, I just may get that done. Sorry.......I'm WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY off topic.

I turn the aerator on auto and let it overflow out the back. My rig has an overflow and not a recirculation pump. I thought about adding the recirc later but that's expensive compared to just buying a $20 bilge pump and some hose. :-) Does the same, just not as convenient. Changing water does help. I also use "Please Release Me" granules. Seems to help in the summer. I've kept brooders alive in my live well for almost 3 weeks by changing water, feeding them goldfish food, and carefully using chlorine adapting solution.

Salt????

I had not tried netting threadfin until this year. They don't live very long and definitely need a round tank. EVERYTHING is eating them right now. They are like popcorn. Can't eat just one.

I'm surprised how many bass anglers have never seen a gizzard shad much less know/understand what they are and how they live. I say this because I was one of those people for many years. Nice photos btw. And most people call "brooders" simply striper minnows.

I'll try to join in. I'll have to set a calendar reminder just so I can get it on my schedule. (Sadly)

I don't miss it. Just curious as to what happened. I don't know what a DOS attack is but.....it sounds serious. I read on Walleye Central that it could have been hacked and the board sponsors were NOT happy because of loss of income around Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals they were offering. Paying top dollar for ad space and then not getting the ads. BBC owes a refund for ad space or credit I'd say.

Tools even? :-)

I heard a rumor the owner is in trouble with taxes? Anyone know what happened to Bassboatcentral.com forum? (BBC) I know some guys that are probably just beside themselves that they are not able to tell someone how much knowledge they have and what prop to use. Lol!!

Awesome input guys. Thanks! So half price for my current 1yr old motor is fair right?