CITM

I haven't seen them in stores in quite a while. No sign of them on their website either.

Same here - I run regular divers on the high's and mags on lows whether I'm using wire or braid for high's. I run the big rings on the high divers though, or a Walker mag with a standard weight in it. There are days when the currents screw things up and I can't get 2 out on a side without tangling them. Could be a function of the big rings on the high's but it doesn't happen very often.

I'd take that as good info then. I thought I was talking to a manager but maybe not.

I have had the Big Jon TR4's for a few years and am very happy with them. I can't think of a thing I would change about them.

(231) 907-0052

Gander is doing a major remodel, not eliminating the fishing dept.

Perch pattern, red & white daredevil, black & white daredevil, yellow/black 5 of diamonds, yellow/red 5 of diamonds, firetiger. Daredevil used to make a "hammered look" paint, all one color and that's very good in gold or bronze.

Check out the Edge Pro Apex. I'm very happy with mine.

I have ran a chute rigger with an I/O for several years without any issues. Turn it 45 degrees when setting lines and when bringing it up if it's rough. And when netting feisty fish. Lots of guys with straight inbaords do the same thing when netting. I use a 4' boom but have even used a 3' without issue, just makes me nervous that someone will forget to turn it when bringing the weight up. I would be lost without the chute rigger because its a good gauge of whether things are running straight or not.

No need to thump them, just grab them behind the gills and they calm down.

Your rods should be lower if you're running your boards close to the boat (maybe within 30'?). You don't want the rod picking the board up, you run the risk of the board diving if it hits a wave just right or you get a fish on. Otherwise, they should be high.

I think the original question was "do you use flourocarbon line or flourocarbon leader (material)". I use Seaguar InvizX flourocarbon line, 20# for leadcore, copper and rigger leaders, and 40# for flies. I tried the Seaguar Red Label for leaders on long lines toward the end of the season and had a lot of breakoffs.

It appears from the bottom two pictures that the old paint had fallen off before, you can see similar patterns to the flaking paint you are getting right through the new paint. It very well could be an issue with the old paint, likely prep from what you are saying, maybe just junk paint? Seems like someone that knew what they were doing would have recognized that there was an issue and recommended that you start from scratch rather than paint over it.

Danel, Sea Flea, Thunderduck, Reel Action or Catch A Bunch in Grand Haven.

I have the bass pro 100 MPH. Very happy with it.

Capt Mark Veurink (616) 638-3331.

Dry Dock Canvas in Caledonia, great people and great work.

Back to the original question. Location is important, I'll travel up to 100 miles or so but that's about it. My boat is trailerable, but the cost, time and hassle still adds up. It must be a two day tournament. Payouts are important. An average tournament will cost me $900 or so, we need a reasonable chance of winning some money to help defray the cost. Format is important, I might fish local "weigh 5" tournaments but no way will I travel very far for them. The format I like the most right now is Ludington, which is catch 20, weigh 10 (for AM) and at least 3 of those must be trout. And lastly, I'm a lot more likely to enter if it's a well run tournament. That starts with a quick, thorough captain's meeting, clear, enforceable rules, efficient weigh-in, electronic scoring (nice but not necessary), etc.

There's a lot more than 1 there. They go until about 4 miles N of Grand Haven. Maybe someone could post the link to the website that lists their location, I don't recall what it is.

Yup - reel the swivel right up to the tip of the rod and NEVER pull the wire out with your hands, always leave the swivel at the end of the rod unless it has the weight of a dipsey on it. Not saying you shouldn't check to see what's going on with your rods though.

I need one for Muskegon next weekend. Shoot me a PM with your phone number.

I have better luck landing steelies if I horse them in. It's not as much fun but it tends to work better.

If you're running at the manufacturer's recommended RPM's at WOT, you're probably better off adding trolling bags (or using bigger ones if you already have bags) to slow down. Bags help stabilize the boat in rough seas too, that, in addition to allowing your engine to run at higher rpms, helps your autopilot work better. If your RMP's are low at WOT, you'll gain about 200-4000 RPM's for every inch of pitch you go down. Prop design makes a big difference too, and even the same basic design between manufacturer's (although probably not much difference at trolling speeds).

Okuma CV55L with high speed gears and upgraded drags from Tuna Tom.

Sunday 55-75 FOW was best for us. We trolled from 75-95 without a bite, turned back in and started getting bites at 75. I'd check the water temp in close and if it looks favorable, give it a shot. If you don't get bit, put it on a SE troll and go until you find them.