J-Doc

Depending on line size and quality, yes about 14-19ft on 10lbs flourocarbon at 15ft back. I think the reason flickers do so well is the size of the bait and it's a tight subtle wobble. Other baits that have similar size and action are also effective. Now if I could get that action on chartreuse dynamite. .......I'd be doing better. Lol!

^^ What he said sounds right to me.

He is at that. I fished with him as a puppy. Best behaved puppy I've ever seen. And refused to go "potty" in the boat as a puppy. He is as soft as a stuffed animal and loves everyone. :-)

40ft?? I assume the fish were suspended around 20? Mind if I ask if the fish were directly below you or were you casting out and retrieving your dropshot? Seems like I can only get them to bite on dropshot if it's away from the boat and not below the boat. I swear I have a banana in the boat somewhere giving off bad juju vibes or something.

I'd say 25 fish of any size is a good day on this lake these days. Good to hear that a kid is enjoying fishing in general much less working a topwater bait! That's great to hear!

Man I haven't figured spoons out yet. Seems when I drop a spoon, the fish swim away. I must be over working it. I see the spoon drop on the sonar, I see the fish swim up, when I work the spoon the fish swim away. Been doing this for a couple years now. I havery caught some on a spoon but only with minor twithes. That seems to be better than violent jerks and ripping the spoon upward. Seems the fall is when they bite it. So I may start swimming it up vs jerking it and then let it fall gently. To see if that's what they want.

Check for any sticky linkages yet?? :-)

Nope but I'm a believer in their products based on first hand experience. I keep looking at the Cabelas Guidewear bibbs and jacket but for $500, I'll stick with what I have for $70 a piece that works just fine.

X2 I got 3 or 4 of the Mettles. They outcast about every reel I have. I'm not picky on spinning reels and pretty much anything H20 I have, I really like and have had great luck. My H20 rain suit (jacket and bibbs) are going on 3yrs now without a leak. Rods, I've broke a few bit Academy has replaced every one. Cannot say anything bad about their H20 products. I've been happy with everything. Cannot imagine the spinning reels would be any differemt. And thanks.....now I want one.

And to answer your question that I missed above.......replacing bulb may help but I doubt it. Unless you have a Yamaha bulb on a Merc motor, it's probably fine. If idle is the problem, I can bet it is something mechanical like I mentioned above. Not electronic, not carb related.

When fishinwrench rebuilt my old motor, I had the same issue as you. It took me forever to find it and once I did, it ran great after that. My timer base was sticking and not advancing the spark which caused it to not idle well especially at the ramp. It sounds like you have a similar issue. You’re getting too much fuel and not enough spark at idle. Which makes it hard to start and idle. Granted your motor is much newer than my old 79 Rude……you could still have something similar to this. The way I found my issue was to take the cowling off and push the throttle forward (engine off) and checking linkages. I noticed the idler arm was sticking. Then I checked the timer base and saw it was not advancing the spark. Removed the flywheel, cleaned the stupid plastic gasket material OMC designed and cleaned the gunk off of it (grease) and applied an electrical component oil similar to 3-N-1 oil to the gasket and it ran great after that. I dealt with that junk for 3mo and Glen can attest to how large of a pain in the a$$ I was with relentless text messages and phone calls trying to figure out what the problem was. And in the end, I still had to take it back to see the doc before I sold it. LOL! As far as I know, she’s still running around on the lake sometimes. Smoking like Tommy Chong at the ramp on start ups and catching crappie. If I were you, I’d check linkages and see if there is a chance that there is something so simple for a mechanical part that is not functioning correctly. Because if all electronics test out correctly and the carb is rebuilt, it’s something so simple to fix but will be a giant pain to find it. Then you will get highly upset once you find it. I know because I almost left mine at Prairie Creek with a sign on it that read “FREE BOAT, I HAVE TITLE, HAVE FUN – CALL IF YOU WANT TITLE”. And I’m not kidding. After 3mo, I was beyond mad at it.

There are only a few stripers left in the lake and they are all small. The bass are eating them. Nothing to see here.....move along. No big stripers. Repeat, no big stripers.

Canoe?? Maybe it was Obama and Bear Grills out for Obama's survival training. Oh wait.....that's in Alaska currently. Sounds do like the topwater bite died off with this heat wave this week. I was hoping for an early morning topwater bite Saturday morning. Guess I better have the ole bling blade ready just in case.

My Gen 2 sides can is nice but doesn't always show fish clearly. Sometimes it does. Depends on size, clarity, speed, etc.

I doubt it. Water still in 80's. If therequired is still a notable thermocline and fish still hanging out around 20ft or close to it, not yet.

Sounds like a fun time to me.

All the texts and photos I've gotten today are really making me want to go. Maybe I can go one afternoon after work this week.

Man even the catfish are getting fat lately. Most of the fish are gorging on the bait right now.

Sorry, I don't have a pen on me. You mind filling in the blanks for me? Thanks!

Catching bass beats not going. Definately zeroing on Beaver.

I really don't want to see you naked. I'll pass.... Oh wait...you did say clothes also. Still....

I have to tell this story to elaborate..... Years ago we were getting ready to leave a spot (or I was) and we have been fishing for a while without any bites. There was a laydown on the bank in clear water with the sun shining brightly down on it. No shade that I recall under the laydown. He flips a jig into the laydown and I made a comment something to the affect of "you're never going to catch a bass there, it's got no cover". He looks over and says "I bet you $5 I can". Then proceeds to flip back into it and then looks at me again, smiles, sets the hook. I've never bet against him since. I've seen him catch fish after fish, after fish on a jig. He beat me like 2 or 3 to 1 with a jig on a spinnerbait bite one time also. Many anglers have said, "it's not fare when Joe picks up a jig". And when I ask him what he is doing and how he's working the bait he can't tell me his technique. He says "I don't know, I just fish it".

I "was" going this afternoon after work. Then peace with the wife trumped my intentions and I revised my plans. That and I heard there was enough boat traffic late yesterday to remind you of Memorial Day. Everyone must be burning out fuel in the tanks before winter storage. Which is the opposite of what you're supposed to do but hey.......they are supporting local business so KUDOS to them. Keep the local marine mechanics flooded with gummed up injectors/carbs from ski boats I say.

I bet you have one I can borrow right?

Very true. I went on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Lol! I also went to one of the launches early on a Saturday morning. It was massive. Thousands of people there watching the pros launch. Brandon Palahniuk was walking through the crowd looking for his Dad and someone said..."hey, don't you need to be over there on the ramp?" And people were chuckling and he was shushing them not wanting to get noticed. Said he was looming for his family. I also heard conversations about passing the pros on the way to the launch and one guy said he was going pretty fast and Vandam passed him like he was in the slow lane. Lol! It's the little things that make the event so much fun.