KABPI: I fished Pool 11 a couple of weeks ago. The Pool is very low right now. We fished wingdams and rocky points and did pretty well. Mostly LM and a couple of smallies. The wingies must have water flowing over them, and we fished the upstream side. Good luck.

Black 9 inch Suick jerk bait. Can’t miss!!

I’m with Spinner Dave. There ought to be an easier way to navigate to the Mississippi Bass Forum.

Lawrence: I don’t know about Minnesota, but the musky season is closed in Wisconsin and Canada until June.

So, Slop and Champman went head to head today… what were the results?

Hope that even though the weather was rotten, that the fishing was good!

Slop: The fish was a legit 4.5#er. Measured a bit more than 21″. Reel Guy will have a couple of more pictures soon as I can send them.

DP: Try changing the angle of the motor as it is mounted on the transom. Any kind of change in the height or angle will affect the tendency to porpoise, but usually it can be easily corrected by closing the angle a notch. Good luck!

Slop. Busting a deer from the back porch is what I call “efficient” use of your time. Don’t worry, if the stories get too wild, I’m sure I can think of something!

Thanks for sharing. That tugs pretty hard at the heart.

My first boat was a 12′ Crestliner powered by a 7.5 hp Evinrude given to me by my Dad. Ran all over Lake Geneva in that boat for days at a time on one tank of gas. A great way to spend a summer!

Security for the boat
comfort
location
price
amenities

I bring the family about 75% of the time, and your thoughts about housing for the boat is a good one. Yes, I would pay a reasonable amount to house the boat. Especially if it had electrical outlets, etc.

I drive a Ranger and arrange loans for customers. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Thanks JC, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Tom: As I understand it, the inserts can be sized to allow a specific amount of air (exhaust) to escape the prop housing. This changes the “grip” the prop has on the water and is supposed to help fine tune performance. Bigger holes allow more air which lessens the “grip” and permit the engine’s RPM to increase faster. A larger engine size that produces greater torque relative to the weight of the boat might permit smaller holes resulting in a greater “grip” on the water. It’s all about matching the prop’s performance to the rest of the components.

Basstracker: I installed a Stealth1 on-board charger last spring. You can buy the system the includes a charger that plugs in, and the piggy back that uses the motors charging system. I bought the piggy back charger and use it with the Dual Pro that was installed in the Ranger when I bought it. The unit uses the excess amperage produced by the motor’s alternator. The big test was on a lake in Ontario where electricity is just a dream, and it kept the batteries charged the entire week. The unit also has kept the batteries up over a long day on the Mississippi fighting the spring current. I can recommend it. Excellent customer service also.

Dan: Great pics. Looks like you and your Dad were having some fun. I make it to LaCrosse as much as I can to spend some time on the water with my son, Reel Guy. It really doesn’t get a whole lot better!

John: An excellent article and a pursuasive arguement. As good as your reasoning is, sometimes color simply does make a difference! Only the fish will know why! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I totally agree with Steve. You obviously do not let the loss of your leg slow you down much. You can fish in PVA events as well as any others. A nice option to have. Congratulations on your self-reliant attitude. It must take a lot of intestinal fortitude at times.

That sturgeon had to be, at least, a great grampa a few times over. Maybe JC could tell us, but isn’t it logical that the sturgeon was beyond it’s reproductive years? If that’s the case…as he said…no harm no foul.

JON: Reel Guy and I have been using the CU200B model Curados. Last year I bought a CU200BSF, the super free model to try. Its almost to slick! Awfully nice reel, just have to get it adjusted right. May have to pick up another one before spring!

ChadG: I bought six Shimano Bantams about 25 years ago and used them pretty extensively. Reel Guy “borrowed” a couple of them and really worked them hard. We just retired two of them, but the rest are still working. We’re going to save them for Reels Guy’s little guy. They are a tough reel and still available for less than $100. For the money, the best workhorse reel on the market right now is the Curado.

Thanks, Wade, for your insight. I’ll check out the StayNCharge as well.

Reel Guy: Don’t sell the “ole man” short. He looks like he was having fun.