Lape0019

Always used hollow points and shot from further than 30 feet with my sub 500FPS pellet gun. Always aimed for the head and never had issues.

Like I mentioned before, if you’re not worried about spot lock or any GPS needs, a Fortrex is a great option too. As for brand, I’d be more concerned with the sizing than brand. An 80lb is what I feel you are best with and will serve your purposes and I personally feel minnkota was the superior option (now with Lowrance, powerpole and garmin having trolling motors, I’m not so sure) but motorguide does have some pretty good options in the 80lb market as well that you might be able to find used. I’d just try to stick with their cable steer options. never used their electric so can’t comment but they didn’t get good reviews the last time I looked.

Minnkota makes a few power steering models. the power drive, Terrova and Ulterra. the power drive has weird issues with design and durability, the Terrova will still have issues but not nearly as many as the power drive. these are all trolling motors that have GPS/ipilot. if you don’t need that and just want a trolling motor to move around, the only option I would look at would be the Fortrex.

Have to agree with all above. I had a 46lb on a Bass Tracker 190 (mod v so probably about the same weight as yours) and it was terrible. On calm days, it was fine but with any wind, I could barely troll against the wind. I went to a 80lb terrova which would be a 24V system and it was night an day. When I switched boats to a 19 foot glass, I did not even bother trying to get away with the 80lb even though I knew it would work. I put a 112/36V one on. Spend the money up front now instead of buying, regretting and buying again. Yes, it is a bit more now but it will save you in the long run.

Always found Simms overpriced but would never call it junk. As mentioned, I too pretty much only will buy Goretex. after 8 years with a 100MPH basspro suit, I bought a 200MPH last season. It keeps me dry and have no complaints for the price. I cam very close to buying the guidewear instead and have heard nothin but good things about it as well.

100% agree! That was a huge step for me years ago.

The only people that are complaining in the pro level are the ones that do not want to learn something new. For me, I am putting it on the boat because I feel I need it in order to compete. I only fish club level tournaments but even there, most have FFS and it has had an impact on the weights that come in. But people complaining that they don't want to stare at a screen all day are just complaining. If you were smallmouth fishing before FFS, you were staring at 22 while drop shotting anyway. Really no difference other than you're casting farther out while still being capable of seeing your bait. To the point of the glasses though, I see that as a way to get around looking down all day. and you should still be able to see through the image so it might even be safer. I have watched a boat come within feet of us because the guy was just staring at his screen and not paying attention to his surrounding. The image would also be a lot bigger for people to see so I would say it does have its advantages. Not enough for me to rush out there and buy AR glasses but they are advantages none the less.

This was the first Dobyns rod I ever bought when they were first introduced (well... 2nd Gen since first one was recalled) and have to agree with you. It is probably the most versatile stick in my arsenal. When my local dealer stopped carrying them, I switched to Exprides and Poison Adrena's and now would find it hard to go back to Dobyns. The Shimano's aren't quite good enough for me to want to sell my Dobyns but I doubt I will be buying anymore.

I have used it for a while now. Seems to do what it is supposed to do.

I have not use leader specific material in years. It was hard for me to justify buy a 25 yard spool of leader material in 6-8lb test when I could get fluorocarbon spools of 200 yards for double the price. With that being the case, I absolutely love Tatsu but the price of it turns me to alternate solutions. Like mentioned quite a few times, I use Sunline FC sniper. At half the price of Tatsu, it is not quite just as good but I would say about 85-90% there. If you truly want leader material, they offer that in a 50 yard spool in FC sniper as well.

Only thing that matters in your case is how long you can stay out on the water while running your graph and anything else. But... 15 years is exceptional use out of your DEKA. You want to look at the Amp hour or reserve capacity limits. Most RC is calculated at how many minutes a battery will last at a 25 amps. The higher the number, the longer it will last. So a group 31 nautilus at 130 RC will last you a lot more time on the water over the 90 RC of the group 24. I mentioned this because there is no way you are drawing 25 amps from that battery at any given time.

Had one of those on my Tour 46lb that came on my bass tracker. If i remember right, it was on 8awg wire and was rated for 40amp.

I’ve used Power Team Lures Sick sticks and a weighted Gammy 1/0 hook for them. Always targeted bass with them but have caught Pike and even a huge Muskie on it. deadly around ricks for me

I would use a hose clamp in a pinch to get by but would later replace it with the proper style ear clamp. That is what was used on my boat when I bought it so I would think they chose that for a reason.

I think you’ve got a handle on this already but here is my experience. went from a 24p raker HO to a 24p Raker RX4. Obviously not a merc but this is what I found. The RX4 has been a great prop for me. It lowered my RPM by about 200 (still raising the motor slowly to get its optimal performance), hole shot is faster and smoother, handling in turns is improved and no slip whatsoever. I haven’t lost any top speed but I think that has more to do with me not getting everything out of the 3 blade than it has to do with anything else. Plus, I’ve raised the motor by about 1” so far and still plan on going higher

I went to a the closed door seminars a couple of years ago. They were not held in the same part of the building as the exhibition. I recall the tickets saying something on them to the fact that they got us into the closed door sessions but cannot recall what. There is the exhibition hall and then like a stage area for plays and such. The sessions were in the stage area.

I too ave felt the affects before but this year is a bit different. The entire family has taken up skiing which is something I used to do when I was younger and now I am wondering why ever stopped.

The beauty of fishing is that no matter the type of boat, we all share the same passion. Plus... it doesn’t matter how you get out, as long as you get there. this is my current rig. 2016 Ranger Z119c with 225HO G2. my last rig. 2006 Bass Tracker 190TX with a 75 merc fourstroke.

Friend of mine had a Mercury Mystique (same car) and they had 3 transmissions put in it under warranty. They were not too happy with theirs either.

Friend recently bought Baffin boots and they will definitely keep you warm. I do not ice fish but my wife just bought me a pair of $100 heated socks and they work well for skiing. She bought them off amazon and so far, I have been impressed. The cheaper ones seem to not last long (like, they only heat up once or twice before dying) and these are thick enough as is. There are more expensive options but so far, I do have not found a reason to go with them.

2008 malibu. Thing ran great but the door latches would freeze up and you would either get stuck in the car or have to close the door 15 times before it latched... 2013 Chevy Equinox, Motor was burning oil at 130,000K. To the point where it was fixed under warranty. They had an issue with the type of piston rings that were used being too soft and they would prematurely wear allowing more oil than normal to get passed the rings. They fixed that and then my Cats were all clogged up by 170,000. The stupinf ecotech motors have two cats on them so to fix with OEM parts was going to be $4,000. I said screw it and drove it like that for another year before more things piled up. In the end, traded it in for a 2018 Cadillac ATS 2.0T and so far have had very minor issue. But... these 2.0T's are known for popping Cylinder number one so only time will tell. Absolutely a blast to drive though! 2004 F150 had no cab corners or rockers by the time I replaced it in 2013 but other than the dreaded spark plugs in that motor, didn't have many problems. and my 2013 Sierra I bought new has not given me a single problem. Mind you, she hasn't hit 70,000K yet so we will see. Plan is to give it to my son on his 16th birthday in 2.5 years so I'll be getting something different next time around.

I purchased a Mustang Elite 28 this year and absolutely love it. The reason I went this route was because of the design. Although it is quite pricey, the 3d is super comfortable to wear and stays close to your body. I wanted to be able to wear it all day in the fall and it has a pretty small profile.

Congrats ont he purchase. From what I understand of the paperwork, looks like a pretty decent purchase. An impeller is very little cost and it doesn't look like there were any high temp codes popped so it isn't like it needed a new one. Now that you have it though, may as well change it out for piece of mind.

I have a 225HO G2 at the moment and havent had any issues with it. My honest opinion is every brand has a bad motor here and there. The ETEC has proven to be pretty good overall. Especially in that horsepower range. I would be more concerned with if you have a dealer close by to service it and if they have a good reputation. They will all break sooner or later. My advice would be to ask to see service and maintenance invoices for the motor to ensure it has been taken care of as well as to see if there were any major repairs. Secondly, bring it to a dealer and have them do the proper tests to ensure it is still in good condition and see if they can tell you how many hours are on it.

Let's be honest though, a Pro V is nowhere near what people think of when they are discussing aluminum boats. It is a top tier multi species rig on the market that competes very well with the fiberglass options out there.