I wish I was so talented . Good job lad .

TD

If that one gets you pumped maybe you haven’t seen this one yet This one made me want to start filling out entry forms again after a 3 year layoff .

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1109139561

TD

The guy’s a complete clown .I fished my share of tournaments and even a couple of classics and hope this dude never gets on any circuit I’m on .

This kind of behaviour is the same thing that gets people hauled out of cars and beat on . He would be dq’ed on circuits I’ve fished and may even be removed from competing for good . He’s a dangerous clown thats going to get somebody killed if he continues in this manner .

A heavy lure thrown across his bow might wake him up especially if he runs a gauntlet of them .

TD

Eskimo is running Ardisam motors now . I fish with a dealer of Eskimos and actually didn’t find anything bad about them and the starts right out of the box have been good . There was a customer came in the other day who bought an eskimo last spring which got fired up for him before leaving the store and he tried it the other day and she was a no go . I just grabbed my plug wrench and dried the plug and away she went . Haven’t heard from him since so all must be well and should be .

I find all augers in general have a sweet spot to make them fire up and run . Some like the jiffy’s need some tweaking of the carb and mine runs like a charm as does my Nils . Use amsoil or opti 2 at between 80 to 100-1 with fresh fuel and most starting problems can be avoided . My jiffy still has the original pull cord and assembly and has been used more than most augers . If your having too yank on them too often its time to find out why .An auger down can be an embarrassing loss of money when I’m out guiding .

TD

The Lx-3 has an expandable , moveable zoom if thats what your asking . I Didn’t come here to smack at Vexilar but maybe anybody can answer me this ” why does the Vex latest and greatest the FL-20 only do bottom up 12 ft while the basic Marcum VX-1 expands and does more the deeper it goes .Hmmm . Was funny too as all I heard the last few years as there was no need for zoom over 6 ft according to Vex but odd things are being expanded today .

I’ve run many and don’t want the [censored] fest but I’m testing too side by side and some b.s. just doesn’t fly no matter what anybody uses and I just call them as I see them . This year I’m testing an auger and I’m eating some words and will do more but in the sonar b.s. as a consumer I’m not concerned .Marcum is it . Sorry Scott as I’m not out to cause probs but even though all the units have their followers ,,,,I know what I see …..and yes all will get the job done,,,,,,BUT.

TD

Well if you dial the LX-5 in correctly to just show your bait and the bait is bigger than the zoo plankton then you won’t be seeing the zoo plankton now will you ? . And if anything the Vex on most multiple targets shows a blob .The LX-5 or the LX-3 is precise in their target separation and does not show a blob even in tight schooling fish such as smelt . Easily seen that its bait because of the crisp separation and size of the lines instead of one wide blob showing as if it’s a big fish instead of numerous little ones .

Far as the wide screen . My flashers sit in front of me by the hole so I can set the hook on first indication of a strike .I dont find looking at a sonar in any other area is very productive for a hookup . The reason I like the flat screen is it keeps the snow out and easily brushed off because I fish out in the open most days and keep my back to the wind so at times snow blows in on the dial of the LX-5 which can get annoying to remove .

As far as jerkiness on the dial I have no idea what your talking about nor have ever noticed that or heard of it whether it was an fl-8,fl-18, vx-1 ,lx-2,lx-3,lx-5 or the x67c icemachine . Tell me more in detail what you mean lad .

TD

I’ve fished pretty well all the units available today in this market range and this year doing a comparison with the FL-20 and the LX-5 .A week ago a Vex prostaffer and I fished crappies and eyes in 20-35 fow and even put the transducers down 3ft apart and the little interference that occurred was cleared with one push of the button on both and both were absolutely devoid of interference .

The fl-20’s new flat screen was slick because it could be viewed from any angle but then again I use my flasher for myself not for others and if they need one I have one for them so I did not consider it a big deal .

The thing that we both noticed that made the difference was what we were seeing on the dial .The LX-5 was crisper and showed the separation in targets better and could do it in any part of the water column but we tested in the 12ft and under zoom area of the FL-20 so the playing field was even .The Vex prostaffer noticed it and said so and he also made the comment that the FL-20 was louder which it was . Other than that we still have 2 months of on ice tests to do and I’ll stick with Marcum because it still is the best bang for your buck and with what it has to offer in the flasher circles makes it the top dog .

TD

The lads that tick me off at times are ones that return to their perms after two weeks absence during primetime and start trying to pound with a chisel through 2 ft of ice . If your in a perm closeby the pounding echoes in it and gives me a headache if it continues on and on . I usually holler over and ask them if they want me to open up there holes with either of my power augers and most are grateful but you do meet the odd bullheaded, stubborn s.o.b .

As far as using any open holes I drilled go right ahead anytime as I drill more than I ever get too especially now with that speed demon the Nils not that my Jiffy is a slouch but it is a heavy brute to lug in deep snow or slush .

I do like my space though but the lake is as much yours as it is mine so lets just catch fish and not worry about marking our territory as I’m not interested in staking out the whole lake but can if push comes to shove . LOL

TD

I like shaly shoals or rocky points with a good dropoff into deep water nearby . In mid february they spawn and get very agressive and easily jigged with anything flashy even in daylight .

We get a group of us together a couple of times a year and go targetting ling . A jig head and tail that glows with just a minnow head for scent jigged on bottom is what we mostly use and can rack up some good numbers of fish in a short time . If your allowed to chum there than do so with cut up minnows or smelt just before dark and it won’t be long before the ling move in .

TD

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Any advice on Salmo Darters out there? Swivel-no swivel, etc., I paid $7.50 for that thing and want to catch at least one fish with it.

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I use chubby darters but add a split ring to them and find it gives them a better wobble . I know they are pricey and here they cost me 10 bucks a pop plus tax but they treat me well and there is a reason I keep atleast ten in my tackle box at any one time . With the chubby I just do slow lifts and follow them back down on a tight line or hop them with a jiggle .

At times when the eyes are really finicky and just looking I take the belly hook off and add a 4-6 inch dropper and hook a minnow tail on and just slowly lift and drop maintaining a constant tightline . The glow and firetiger perch seem to be the hot ones for me and also testing different sizes .

TD

I got a pack of 4 Extreme weeds a week ago and have only used them once so the word is still out but I was on a tough bite that day and did hook a crappy within a few minutes of putting them down . One thing I did see as an immediate plus is how easy they were to put down and also to retrieve at the end of the day . I’ll definately be taking them along on more trips and give them an honest shot .

TD