J-Doc

After motor searching myself, I don't think you can go wrong with any brand motor. They are all good these days. And the new 4 strokes have come a long way too.

If JT knows that lake like I think he does, he's got this one in the bag. Can't believe he caught almost a 30lb sack. If he can hold it together, he should be in the top 5 if not the lead for the next few days. But I'm still hoping Stacey pulls off a win. He needs it.

I am hurting on this one........ See my report below and look at my sonar images. Tell me that fish doesn't look familiar to me. LOL!! Based on my sonar images, I guessed the fish was about 100lbs and 4-5ft long. I used the "measure" tool on my sonar. There are more fish of that size in the lake.

I got fold downs. Love them. When I do use seats. A butt seat is just in the way.

Thanks for sharing. That just tickles me to hear this. He deserves it. He's had a seriously terrible year and deserves a win. Such a super nice guy and a good ambassador to pro bass fishing. I follow him on Facebook and he's a very deserving guy. I've also met him and talked to him. Very humble.

Totally understand. My next boat could be a center console. Or a deep v. Never know.

The 175 is limited to the 75 only. Did you get the 190? http://www.trackerboats.com/boat/motors.cfm?boat=3657 The 115 on the 190 is the way to go. You can get 52mph easily without a jackplate and a stainless prop. That's a fast tin for a 115 class outboard. Add on the jackplate and you can get 54 easy. Now..........would I do that? Nope. But the new 4s motors are faster than the 2-strokes. The reduced drag on the redesigned lower units have 20% less drag and you can also turn a little larger prop too if I recall correctly.

Sorry bud. I used to have a 55 Yamaha on a big extra wide flat bottom with a console and it would do 36 with me in it. It was rough as a crusty mutated cob but it would flat out get on plane and move me around the lake really well. I totally blame Jolicious (forum member) as his boat gave me the speed disease. Booking it down the lake at 70mph can be pretty fun. But my little 115 does me just fine around 47.

Got some motor information confirmed for you on a different forum. I wanted to re-confirm what I have read and been told by actual boat owners. I was confirmed that the 75 will cruise at the max. speed of the 60. The 60 will get you mid 30's and the 75 will get you 40mph. That's only 5mph difference but in the end, its fuel economy, extra power for passengers and gear. You can actually feel a 5mph difference. Just ask any bass boat owner with a 250. They fight for 2-3mph and pay thousands to get it! Here is the information I was given by a Tracker owner that has a 75. "With a 75, cruising speed would be the max speed of the 60. The 75 is probably more economical overall." I was always told the golden rule is never sacrifice horsepower on an outboard when buying a new boat. Read the book. It's a quick read. Only one page and that's for the table of contents only. "I've got too much horsepower" by author Sed No-one Ever

Yep, they are no Megabass price point that's for sure. :-)

Yep, you’ve got cabin fever alright. All I can say is, baits catch fish when presented correctly under the right conditions. People will swear that similar baits that appear identical, one bait out performs the other but it’s probably something else that the angler is not picking up on. I’ve heard tales where a guy would fish an entire bank on a rattle trap bait that appeared the same as a Lucky Craft and catch nothing. Then go down the same bank with the Lucky Craft and catch 5-6 bass. So was it really the LC that was the difference or was it the difference in rattles? The vibration was more than likely the deciding factor. I can say that I’ve caught some on my H20 baits. Especially the topwater baits. The plugs not so much because I don’t throw any crankbaits as much as most. I’m a worm and jig kinda guy.

A 24v is an absolute must on Beaver. My 80lb Fortrex holds me on position in 25-30mph winds at about 40-50% thrust. That means I can do that continuously for about 4-5hrs before it's really getting a serious drain. And let's face it. No one wants to hold a spot that long in wind that bad. But I can do it and that's the point. My only regret was I could not get an 80lb thrust in a wireless trolling motor like the iPilot when I ordered my rig. Then about a month after I got it in, Minnkota released an 80 and 105lb thrust wireless trolling motors. I wish I had a wireless. I had a wireless on the wish list but at the last minute upgraded to 80lb Fortrex because if anything broke down, it’s cheaper to fix it vs. the motherboard on the iPilot breaking down could be much more expensive to replace/repair outside of warranty coverage. So I went with simple and powerfull. Now I want both. Powerfull and effortless. If you plan on trolling or drift fishing for stripers, walleye, or crappie, a wireless trolling motor that you can control from the helm is a must. I currently steer mine with the big motor (while it’s off and trolling motor is on) which works but not nearly as effective as a wireless. So if you plan on having only one good graph, get the absolute best you can afford at the helm and you can use your trolling motor from the helm while drift fishing. Or you can use it while bass fishing also. They don’t lose satellite connection like I’ve been told and they have their own built in internal GPS antenna. You can even link them into the fish finder unit and have your trolling motor take you to a waypoint. It’s a lot of tech that can be very nice.

Shoot....... I forgot all about it and the date crept up on me. I won't be able to make it.

The lighter the line, the better your chances. I have personally witnessed a butt-kicking over 6lb vs. 8lb line for dropshotting. The bass couldn't feel the 6lb line where as my 8lb line of same brand did not get bumped as much. I'd go with a 10lb leader about 6ft long on the jigs if you can. Moss green seems to be the best line color. Because the lake has a greenish tint to it most of the time.

I've got some. I like them. But I'm not a die hard crankbait guy. Vibration is far more important than how lifelike it looks. Visual is part of it, vibration is everything. At least that's what I'm learning. Two baits that are identical. One will out perform the other solely on vibration. If one has a slight difference that's more appealing, it's a winner where the same bait that does not will not catch as many. Which is why everyone has that "go-to" crankbait that's scratched up and caught more fish than any other. It's go something different about it. So they are a decent bait. Anything under this line is good in my opinion. The rods, reels, and even the waterproof bibbs and jacket. I own all mentioned and like all of it. Super light rods, sensitive, and I've caught a lot of fish on them. I've broke two out of 5. One was my fault, the other snapped while casting a c-rig too aggressively so technically, both were my fault. :-). Bibbs a d jacket I've had for over a year now. Still waterproof. H20 Mettle reels will simply outcast anything I own including Shimano. I picked up 4 of them last year when they had a clearance of them for $20 a piece. Nor.ally $50. Love them. If it says H20 Express........I'm happy with anything they make so far. Most of them are name brands with Academy labels on them. I've spoken to several Academy folks about it. They all say it's name brand stuff with Academy name.

Yep. What he said.

GPS unit is easy. Now that Lowrance just released Gen3 versions of their touch screen units, the older Gen2 units with buttons are clearing out fast. I would look at either the HDS 7 or an Elite 7 Touch for that range. The bottom models require an LSS module for side scane but they have internal GPS and do not require an intena. The touch screens have built in GPS and do not require the LSS unit for side scan. If I could get one good graph, I'd for sure get at least an HDS7 with LSS package (it's a combo kit) or at least an Elite 7 or Elite 9. My Ranger RT188 was built around my sonar. I put more money in the sonar than I did anything else. Simply because I use it heavily and use the information it gives me. I added some boat options too but sonar was a must for me. I have an HDS10 and HDS7 linked together with network cable so the two can sync up waypoints and share side scan imagery. What I paid just last July for my graphs I could buy now for a serious fraction of the cost. A 75hp Opti will get just as good if not better fuel mileage as a 4-stroke I'm told by mechanics and I know for a fact a guy has a 75 Opti and runs 40mph GPS on a 175. After some motor work he's running 45 but I don't recommend what he did. With the 75 you can get around the lake easy enough and get probably 3.8-4.5mpg with a heavy load and wide open throttle. My 115ProXS gets 3.5-4mpg loaded and full throttle. If I drop it down a bit I can sip fuel at 5-6mpg. During break in, I had a full tank. Drove out to Cliffty from Prairie Creek, back to PC, down to the 412 bridge and back to PC to get the initial break in hours. All on 19gal of fuel (21gal tank). To say it's got great fuel range on a 19ft boat with a 115 is an understatement. I cannot believe the economy of my motor co.pared to my very old Evinrude. It was getting 2.3-2.5mpg which for its day, was normal. I don't think you will be disappointed with a 17-18ft boat with a 75hp outboard of any brand these days. They are all great motors and have good performance in that range. Looking back, if I could go 4-stroke over my ProXS, I think I would. The technology has really come a long way in recent years and they are here to stay. As for boat brands, shop around d all brands and pick out a boat that fits your needs the best. Find what you don't like and what you do like and compare. Whichever has the most of what you want and what you think you will be happiest in is the clear winner. Point is, do your homework and you'll feel more informed and confident in your purchase. I love my new rig. Don't regret getting it. Dry ride, super stable, large fishing platform, great storage, and good quality build. Some brands I looked at, not as good on storage or quality in my opinion. Some, equal, some not. But a boat that suits your needs and appeals to you. Not what everyone recommends. :-)

Since some of us don't always go over to the General Discussion forum, I'm linking the discussion already in progress for the article within the existing thread. It's just too good to not share here and it's relevance to Beaver Lake. It takes more than one species to make a fishery. Each species has their part. Native or non-native. The AGFC have their reasons for their stocking practices and scientific background is used for the basis. So..........do you know what a sucker fish is? I didn't until I used one for bait once.

Excellent share. Thanks!

So true Mr. Ed. Very very good point. Paper maps are available at local stores and Hook Line & Sinker bait shop. Worth the few bucks as it has historical data on areas for what generally works in what areas.

I see no issue with feeding game fish with nasty tasting trout. Yes I said it. Nasty tasting. Lol!!

Link isn't working. Is it a group or a page?

Chartreuse dynamite. Can't go wrong. :-) Sounds like you've got a good game plan. Lower third has always been tough for me due to the clear water. Make it 40 degrees and it's even worse. I suck at it down there this cold. I'd go way up river if given the choice. Then I'd try and find fish with craw type baits. Fishing this time of year can be super tough. Only a handful of locals seem to know how to bring a big bag in this time of year on that end of the lake. To me, it's a mystery. Up river, I have a fighting chance. :-)

Let us know the Facebook page

I need a smiley of the guy chewing popcorn. So I can hang out and see what unfolds. Sounds like a good concept to me. (as a tin owner) It's not a new thing but the problem is, it's probably new to this area due to the size of lakes available.