Sk8man

I'm with Brian., I gave up bass fishing years ago because I was totally burned out on it for the reasons he stated. After watching those videos in this cold drab weather I found it pretty exciting feeling as though you were right there in the competition and looking forward to getting out there again this upcoming season. The basic lack of a decent ice fishing season has made it even more poignant. The thing about fishing in general and trout and salmon fishing in particular that is exciting is that you never know what may be one the other end of the line, whether it is fully hooked, whether you will be able to get it to the boat or be able to net it or how big it will be. That part of the equation is the same for most of us whether in a tournament or not. After doing this many tens of thousands of times (or in the case of charter guys maybe 100 thousands of times) we may become a bit desensitized to the process...sort of like the compulsive gamblers pulling the lever on the old style slot machines time after time and not being impressed by the results even when they win substantially on a given pull All you have to do to judge the true excitement value of trout and salmon fishing is to turn on a kid or someone brand new to it and watch their behavior when they get onto a big king. Even seasoned fishermen who aren't doing it day after day as their living find it exciting. Admiral Byrd and I had a neighbor of mine (serious walleye and bass fisherman) with us after kings this Fall who had previously caught large fish of other species (e.g. 58 inch Musky etc.) and we thought he was going to pizz his pants for sure with a 26 pound king which he decided to have mounted I think a lot of the difference in $$$$ in our sport vs. the bass tourneys etc. is the level of extensive support of sponsors and the highly organized nature of their tournament circuit that reaches across many states appealing greatly to national sponsors. The salt water tourneys are a whole other dimension as they involve things nationally and multi-nationally so they attract huge sponsorship and the entry fees are on a different level as well.

Congratulations Devin. You guys sure earned it with that weather. The trophy should also read " For hardcores only"

Matt you have a PM

The only time I even touch the motor is when I am launching or getting ready to move or quit and I just lift it up with one hand and the shallow water drive lever keeps it there....never have had a problem with it in 14 years. The bracket is located exactly on the transom so that I never have to make any other adjustments at all. As far as the EZ Steer goes (which I don't need to use on mine) they are supposed to be installed and adjusted such that the kicker should raise right along with your big motor if the tension is set right on the connector rod.

Had to move one of the tow eyes on the transom but the bracket has never budged over the years and the lower unit stays totally out of the water when going full tilt or under way.

Shade of Grey brings up a very important point in my opinion and that is the ease with which you can access the various functions on the screen in addition to being able to see screens in bright sunlight. The non touch screen units have "nested" menus so you have to hunt for things and some of the desired items can be hidden within them sometimes several layers down and it can be a real pain and waste of time trying to access them when on the water and especially when you are in a hurry. Not all of these options or items are very intuitive either and although I am a Lowrance and Vexilar guy in terms of personal preference and experience but the Lowrance manuals (if you can call them that) totally suck. The touch screens may offer a better experience in terms of quickness and ease of use but I have not used them (yet) but this issue is certainly worth looking at closely in my view. Because the competition has been very keen in recent years all these major companies have been putting out good quality units ( e.g. Humminbird, Lowrance,and Garmin and at a somewhat higher end the Furuno's)) and you need to closely look at exactly how you will be using the unit you select and the specific transducer selection will be as important as anything too.

If it was your blue one you wouldn't need a pole to go fishing

Good idea about the snaps ....two of mine were out on the road someplace

Did you take your medication today Mark?

:lol:

It probably isn't far off for many circumstances. Back some time ago my wife and I took a course on starting your own small business from the Business College (evenings) at FLCC. She did hers on Social Work Private Practice and I did mine on chartering as I was close to retirement and had thought about getting my captain's license etc.. We had to develop a thorough business plan and then present it at the end to the class with a breakdown including earnings on an hourly basis (which I knew from experience would be a problem ). I presented my findings and cost breakdowns etc. and got to the hourly wage part at the end and it amounted to something like $2.79 per hour. I could see right there the only benefit for me would be the potential write off for my addiction Florida, California maybe a different story where you have the whole year to make money but there you have all the competition too. You really have to love to fish and these guys earn their money too. Additionally I got to thinking do I really want to take a chance on getting burned out on something that I love so much dealing with all the potential issues without being able to actually fish myself all that much.

Is that the 20 inch shaft model?

Admiral Byrd said the same thing....despite being an ancient dude I still have some quickness for some things

cmbomysoad - I was was lucky enough to field test the prototype spoons for Jeff and I was immediately struck by the incredible action at a variety of speeds...they are great spoons and I don't hesitate recommending them to anyone because .they work and I have faith in them.