Step straight into the HBird 360. The catfish won’t stand a chance!

I guess my voice wasn’t heard. I proposed lowering the minimum length to 24 inches for muskies.

It’s been a common misconception that fluoro doesn’t stretch, forever. I believe it also has higher elastic properties, and returns to it’s original state faster. One reason fluoro, if taken care of, will last a very long time compared to mono.

Oddly enough, the two lines you had the worst results with, are what i’d consider the best two lines you have listed. I’ve been “testing” fluoros for a while now, and BPS is damn good line. I have gone to Gamma Edge exclusively. Break offs are a thing of the past. Holds a Palomar knot well. And, has a finish that holds up better than anything else i’ve tried.

While some may view stretch as a bad thing, and some may be surprised by the results of a test like this, it really doesn’t matter in any way regarding fishing. Another common misconception would be line that stretches less is more sensitive, which the test disproves. So with that, it all just doesn’t matter.

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Guys, I’m trying to connect these two units together and the cables I received arent the same. I dont care about linking them together for GPS. I’m having trouble figuring out what I need as far as tees, resistors, etc. Any help is much appreciated.

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Why connect them if you don’t want to share GPS info? Just curious.

Either way, you will need a blue or red network.

My advice, for a clean install, is to get a red network. It’s powered directly, not through a unit(332). AND…a big plus…it’s a lot easier to find T’s for the red, than it is the blue. Connecting the 332/LCG2000 to the red network will be easier than connecting the other to a blue network.

With the red network, you’d need 4 T’s(units/pucks) 2 blue to red adapters(332/LCG2000). Lowrance has a red starter kit, i’d suggest that and getting the other accessories. This is the easiest way.

Don’t think those units are capable of sharing sonar…at least the 332. Not 100% sure though.

While the Sunline’s are pretty good, still prone to breaking. Gamma is simply the strongest. Tie a good knot, and it won’t break. After trying most of the others…none compare. Nothing but Gamma Edge here.

If it were me, i’d pick a general area that had multiple,smaller bodies of water. Sometimes to bite may be off…and the lake down the road is on fire.

Many of the popular lakes…offer good fishing, but almost always have a tournament of some kind going on. And..unlike MN, many of the average derby’s may bring in 100-200 boats. Why deal with that on vacation.

I’ve planned to go to S. Texas, and it’s difficult to find times when one wouldn’t assume the lakes would be crowded. I realize the lakes are large…but bass fishing is different down there, ten times the amount of anglers.

Are you sure it has hydraulic steering? Stupid question…but i’ve never heard of a hydraulic system having that much feedback.

If you have a leak,low oil, or air in the system, you should notice a mushy feeling in the system at one point or another. Kinda like having air in a brake line on a car.

Give them some food. Goldfish are cheap.

I haven’t seen any fry. I haven’t been in any areas I would normally find it.

It wouldn’t suprise me if a lot of eggs didn’t develop…with the lack of sunlight we’ve had the last few weeks.

Big fish have been hard to come by…and this weekend, the weights were WAY down in the 2 tournaments. Definite post spawn fishing.

Well maybe…but i’ll believe it when I see it.

All the fish i’ve caught the last week over 2.5lbs have been post spawn fish. Haven’t been on the east side at all the last several times out, i’d guess that’s where you were if you found water in the 50’s this weekend.

I did see one 5lb’er spawning Friday afternoon in 8ft of water, and another cruising around the other side of the point. Saturday I caught a 3lb’er off that bed…and went over and caught the other 5 I saw cruising, both beat up and skinny.

Spawn is mostly done, fishing mostly sucks. But, you probably figured that out!

Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon…strong, holds knots well, and can take a beating. Expensive, but you can easily get 3-4 years out of the line assuming you don’t backlash much!

If you replaced your remaining 113 with an HDS,you likely need to add the Lowrance Power Node to your network.

The HDS units cannot power the network, and i’m assuming one of your 113’s was the network power source.

You can still run the power node to an accy switch. Just with the HDS, the network needs an independant power source.

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Ha! I’ve been doing that for years. 1/16 or 1/8 jig head and the tail section of a 5″ stick in either black or GP. Mimics a dragonfly larvae and bass just go nuts over it in small ponds and clear lakes.

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Same here! I prefer 1/4oz head. Good use of tore up worms.

I call it the [censored] rig. Cast and wind slow…bumping the bottom. The heavier weight causes a little more disturbance.

But, it will flat out catch fish…often when a jigworm, c-rig, or jig won’t.

Not sure how it works for smallies…I don’t fish for them.

Mako’s and Hammerhead Over 400lbs.

Yellowfin Tuna over 200lbs. That was not fun on stand-up tackle!!

Looks like you can still buy it.

Get rid of the special regs!

If the lake cannot support a healthy population of smallmouth trassh on its own, maybe it shouldn’t be a lake “mis”-managed for them.

How many thousands of lake without special regulations and suitable habitat support healthy populations of bass?

Fry a smallmouth.

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Another believe it or not – heard today that the next food stamp eligible item will likely be pet food. Nothing against those who need help. Life can throw curve-balls. But if you need food stamps maybe you should not have a pet to feed too. Just sayin.

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Pet=Livestock

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Brad, do you know the reasoning behind this?

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Landowners are tired of paying taxes and mortgages on once productive that now produces nothing…only to be used by anyone.

They gotta take it out of someone!

This also does not apply to meandered lakes…such as Bitter.

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Ever see Shaw Grigsby punch? He uses an 8′ rod and when he sets the hook he runs towards the back of the boat until the fish break the surface, then he reels up on it and swings it in the boat or grabs it. He is one of the best punchers on this planet.

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Well gotdam…you could have just mentioned that earlier so I wouldn’t have been questioning my techniques for the last 4 days…or should I say, lack of technigue.

Actually they’re very similar. Circumstances may vary, but very similar. Jr. Bassmasters like yourself may feel the need to complicate things, and confuse yourself, but ultimately they are the same presentation. Here in the midwest, it’s a presentation used in a range of situations ranging from less than a foot of water, to depths nearly 20ft. But no matter how you swing it, it’s all the same.

Now for people slow-witted like myself, we just call it flipping…whether punching, pitching, or actually flipping(the original presentation, before it gained a half a dozen different names). And it’s not uncommon to do all three on three consecutive casts. I learned to flip well before you were born.

You should stick with giving us Physics lessons and saltwater angling tips…are there even fish bigger than 5lbs in Iowa?

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Now…I understand that they likely don’t get to go fishing from a boat, fly to Cabo to fish, eat out at a high end steak place, drink good booze, etc

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Sack of White Castle…check.

40 of OE stolen from Super America…check.

Bus ride to channel at Lord Fletchers…check.

Pimpin ain’t easy…

Maybe i’m different, in fact, I know I am. And maybe I do it all wrong. But my physics are correct.

For me, the rod only serves for hooksets. I set the hook as hard as I can, which is harder than most people(reason I break braid too much), then just turn the reel handle. There’s no fight involved, just wind ’em to the boat. After setting the hook, the rod is pretty much useless.

If people like to use longer rods, or lighter rods, whatever fits their preference, go for it. Personally, if someone made a 6-6 rod with an action similar to the 7-6 904X’s I use, i’d buy them. For fishing deep milfoil, there’s no need to make a pitch more than 10 feet from the side of the boat. No need for a longer rod for presentation, like you may for punching heavy mats or fishing docks…where you may not be able to position your boat very close without alerting fish.

I spend over 100 days on the water a year, 75% of the time I have a flippin’ stick in my hand. Been that way for many years, it’s my preferred way to fish. I have the way I fish fine tuned, others do it different.

A rods main functions are casting and hook/lure presentation. They do not add power or leverage between the reel and the fish. They do serve as a safeguard for for catching slack line on a hookset or fighting fish.

Just stating the facts. Unless “the pros” changed Physics when I wasn’t looking.

I don’t consider a musky as “big game”.

No, I didn’t.

Why don’t big game anglers use 12ft rods? 20ft?

The lever is not rigid. Plus, the fish has the advantage being on the long end of the lever,with the reel being the fulcrum. A shorter rod increases your advantage. Shorter rods equal more power at the fish.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

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My venture in the Milfoil (which is not super dense) will be with a Dobyns 7’9″MedHvy Fast action stick…40# 832 Camo Braid on a Lew’s Super Duty reel. Starting with a 1 oz slip jig…I will adjust accordingly…
I guess I will be a finesse puncher…

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Probably work fine, though there is no benefit to the 7’9 rod. You get more leverage with shorter rods. Also, i’d suggest experimenting with a fluoro leader, and with that particular setup, I personally wouldn’t use anything more than 3/4 oz. Bigger weight/bigger lure means you need a more power at the hook on a set, mainly because you a pulling a bigger object through their mouth. Fishing lighter is fine, you just have to adjust lures if you think you need a fast, clean drop. I’ve caught more than I can recall in heavy milfoil with a 3/8 oz weight and a Helgie with 15lb line.

I prefer to fish fast and cover water. You’ll find key spots,but from what i’ve found over the years is that a high percentage of the fish you’ll catch are nomadic.

You have to pay to get in?

Ghey.

My dad uses a GLX844 and 20lb XT, and does fine. He can’t fish lures heavy enough to elicit a good reaction strike, but he does fine, rarely has problems getting fish out of heavy Mtka milfoil.

Old guys can’t handle heavy rods/baits. They also can’t swing hard enough to get a fish moving on a hookset. So there’s no point trying!

I use IMX904’s with an ounce Balancer…and they are tiring to use for hours on end.

Line, I prefer Gamma or BPS FC’s. 20lb. I tried 25lb and didn’t like the lure action or rate of fall. Plus, I have yet to break a bass off on either of these lines in 4 years.

I use braid in reeds, rice, docks, etc. And flippin/pitchin with braid, you need a softer rod. I will break 50lb all day on short line hooksets with a 904. Flippin milfoil on clear lakes…I get bit 5 times more with FC. I tried braid, for a very short time.

And lastly, retie often. Always be ready because when you hit a school you have to capitalize before they spook and bail out. It may not seem likely, but just your line rubbing on milfoil will wear it down, I retie at least every 25-30 minutes of use, regardless if I catch something or not.

I prefer more bites and less breakoffs. I’ll stick with fluorocarbon.

Put out 75lbs of corn a day and see what happens!