J-Doc

Oh come one now. You know it's only a 48" screen.

That question is very hard to answer. You're going to get comments that equate to Chevy vs Ford vs Dodge vs...some new make on the scene that is getting good reviews. Check my thread in the General Discussion forum (flagged at top) for basic sonar understanding and then ask yourself what is it you want and just how far are you willing to dig into understanding the tool you are going to invest in. I'm guessing you won't dig into it as much as some of the pros. That being said, a 12" graph won't help you more than a 7" graph. Screen size is nice but sure expensive of you do not dig into understanding what it is showing you on a very thorough level. That being said I have Lowrance HDS units. The new Hummingbird side scan units are very nice. Lowrance has improved theres also and Ray Marine has come on the scene very strong in recent years. Do the homework. Watch videos online. Buy a Dr Sonar DVD and learn how to get the most info from your investment on ANY unit you buy. And that's the best advice I can give you. Yes, I'm a bit sonar junkie.

Do you have the newest one with improved spot lock?

Mine is as well I think. Or 2016 maybe...it's definitely not a newer one. I've had it over a year now.

No clue but it took YEARS of customer complaints for them to "improve" spot lock. Which irritates me because it was a big factor for me buying one. I have an 80lb thrust on a 19ft aluminum Ranger. It should be holding on a spot better than it does. It's not underpowered. I can troll 3-3.5mph wide open. That's pretty quick for a trolling motor. I've outrun a 101lb thrust Fortrex on a 21ft glass boat. Lol!

Have one. Not crazy about it. Have a Fortrex too. Wish I had the new Utrex or whatever it's called. The spot lock function is supposed to actually work as opposed to the 15-30fr diameter mine holds on any water. Rough or smooth. My spot lock is like Otis on Andy Griffith after he's taken a snort. Other than spotlock, it's nice. Pedal sucks but it's nice with the remote.

No fishing report. Took a couple of hours to run the boat and take my 7yr old out. She's been begging to go fishing which is odd. She's a diva princess and not really into it. Haven't been since Christmas Eve. Which is rare for me. Tried a dock and a couple of spots to get a small crappie on a hook for her but they were not in my honey hole this time of year with the low water. I let her sit in my lap, drive the boat, honk the horn and wave at people, and had a good time with her. She was a good sport and wants to go again when the fish are biting for a 7yd old on a bobber with absolutely ZERO patience. Lol! Still, it wss nice to run the boat again and make some memories with who will be my future fishing partner. She's such silly little kid to.

I heard he wakes up in a new universe with new ideas every day. I bet it won't open for another year or more.

It's only been in the making for over a decade (I believe). Johnny doesn't "do" anything small. I would HOPE that he made this one gigantic "BPS-palooza" exhibition and most importantly......a massive STOREWIDE SALE!

Boat drift probably a factor. Also, line counter is better than no line counter. At least for me it is.

Part of me wants this so bad. I want to walk around Monte Ne and document it. I missed it in 2003. The other half of me says..too dangerous. Them the flip side of this is...Lots of pleasure boaters will damage their vessels hitting gravel bars or trees. So there's an upside. Lol!!

They have the Depth Master combos in the store too.

I have 2 Cabelas Depth Master rod and reel combos with line counters on the reels. I've caught several with them and the drag works well. Strong rods too. I just don't spend a lot of money on rods and reels anymore. I have not seen the advantage vs the price invested and I can do what I do with a $50 rod that I can with my $200 rods. So a striper rod is not needed for sensitivity more so than raw backbone.

You just now seeing this? Lol The new Nitro Z21 can come with a 300ProXS 4 stroke on it.

I added some simple LED lights from Amazon that had a steel angle bracket made for the light. Wired into reverse lights into my truck through wiring harness. Works awesome. Shop around.

Yep, that's Grand from what I hear. No thanks.

That's my point exactly. I've held a $400 Loomis in one hand and my $60 H20 rod in the other and drop shot both at the same time. Both just as light, both just as sensitive. The Loomis had a very subtle advantage in weight and sensitivity but so minimal, you had to concentrate really hard to see if it wss just your mind playing tricks on you thinking surely the expensive rod is better.

Don't own any but I've always heard good things about them. What you think and how you like it is far more important. I bought a cheap Diawa spinning rod at Academy for spoons and I live that thing. Pulled the hooks out of a 30lb class striper with 6lb line. Poor thing was bent all the way down to the reel seat. And it took it. Lightweight, good action, sensitive enough, etc. I have some St Croix rods but I don't buy hi dollar rods anymore because I'm proficient enough witless expensive rods. Shop around and buy based on feel, quality, features, etc. And for the intended use. Stripers was not my intention but it was a blast for 15mins. Lol!!

And if anyone has seen these in the shop..... ^^^ THIS guy has. :-)

And my comment was mainly the decks used OSB board or something and the decks rotted out easily. Can't remember the specifics but what RPS said sounds right.

I was always told to avoid them by a mechanic and fiberglass repair guy. This was in the late 80s/90s. Any used boat requires THOROUGH inspection by a mechanic you know and trust. Soft spots in deck, motor inspection, hull leaks, etc. Crawl under the boat and look for stress cracks. They are hard to find sometimes. When pull the plug after test driving and water coms out, it's got a leak somewhere. Could be something, could be nothing. Used boats are like taking home a questionable girl. Lol

There is one of these here in Rogers. I saw it unloading and was thinking same thing. Except carp chopper never came up! Lol!!! Saw it in use later after dark. Looked like they were searching for underwater treasure with a searchlight station.

When I get a few minutes, I'll send ya a message. I haven't been out since Christmas Eve. When I put the boat up, I was very disappointed and thinking I might not fish till spring. But I have rejuvenated the hunt and found a cure for what was causing me pain. Hope to hit the lake soon. Maybe a few weeks off will do more good and get me back in the hunt.

You keep all you want. We have plenty. Lol!!

Being from North LA myself (LA Tech grad), welcome and hope you make it up here. Nice bass! Before anyone steps off in a hole and offends you, folks up here preach (yes preach) catch and release. So if you're standing in your kitchen, I'm assuming he was dinner and you didn't catch it out of the kitchen sink! Lol! I get it. It's a Louisiana thing. You'll eat about anything. Lol! I know I have. If you're releasing a fish, there is some debate and thought on holding a bass by the jaw so it does not break the jaw. Which can kill the fish. So there are some that might jump on that. That being said..very nice bass and good deal on the catch. Using light line up here is paramount. Can make or break a day due to HIGHLY pressured lakes. I don't think it's visibility more s than tons of tournaments and fishing pressure. And you're using PLine so that's good. Their 6lb or 8lb line breaks at a higher strength than rated. Welcome!