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Posted: 6/14/2020 4:18:26 AM EDT
[Last Edit: disco_jon75]
I've been a hardcore kayak fisherman the past several years. Because of COVID, all our trail events got cancelled and a local boat club switched to a catch-photo-release format similar to the KBF format when their marine event permits got cancelled. They'd meet away from the lake, do a drive-thru style livewell inspection, issue identifiers, and send everyone away at launch time. Then, using a chart, they'd convert inches to lbs. I actually fished my kayak against them. I didn't win... but I did fare pretty well. I came in 3rd on one with a 26.5 lb bag, behind a 26.6 and a 27.1 lb bag. However, a trip co-angling in a guy's Skeeter and the exhaustion I felt after two consecutive days in the Hobie have made me decide I'd like to start fishing boat tournaments. Yeah, 70MPH on a boat is fun as hell... while 4MPH across Santee Cooper in whitecaps and a kayak can be a bit painful.
My kids are still a bit young to enjoy boating. My wife and I both want a family boat in three or four years... (Albemarle 27DC dream boat please?) so I've decided to get a bass boat. I was leaning towards a new Vexus 1980... but a friend convinced me I really want 20'+ fiberglass. (He also happens to be a guide and a serious expert on the region). Another friend told me he's selling his 2014 well-equipped Skeeter in Jan or Feb. I'm deployed now and will only be back briefly in Oct/Nov, then return for 3 months home in late Feb so the timing works out. Still.. I've spent most of my time in quarantine surfing bbcboards and the Basscat.com forum. Yeah, I'm a bit obsessed right now. I really think I want to go the used route in the $40k range... and save back up to buy a family boat in 3 or 4 years. |
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#1]
can't hardly go wrong with a used ranger. although your probably looking at newer than my old tub. but hey its paid for.... Attached File
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[#2]
Originally Posted By aimatdeer: can't hardly go wrong with a used ranger. although your probably looking at newer than my old tub. but hey its paid for....https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/418716/20140809_125439-1_jpg-1461018.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/418716/20150612_074127-1_jpg-1461019.JPG View Quote Yeah, looking for something newer... but she is a pretty boat! |
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#3]
thanks not bad for an old 1990.
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[#5]
have you thought about skipping the saving back up for a family boat in a few years and just buy a fiberglass multi-species boat now?
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[#6]
Ive got a mint older skeeter. Its a 2000 but i love that thing. It has been taken care and garage kept since day one. Ive been more than happy with my bug.
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[#7]
Originally Posted By tornadochaser: have you thought about skipping the saving back up for a family boat in a few years and just buy a fiberglass multi-species boat now? View Quote Not even slightly. I've got access to Dad's 17' aluminum Triton for inshore and catfishing. At Santee Cooper, Ive got some spots that I like to fish. Google Earth review shows them as up to 20 miles from where most of the club tournaments my friend runs launch from. I need to be able to scoot... and handle rough water. |
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#8]
There was a pretty clean white 06 20i in laurens for sale, i think 28 or 29k?
Im a big fan of the bugs! |
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[#9]
I've had bass boats for 20 plus years and got the bug for a new one earlier this year. I had it bad.
Course so did everyone else , so what I wanted was hard to find..... Got it finally on July 12 . 2020 Triton 20trx . Attached File I made it 7 days..... Merc 250 4 stroke developed a crack in the block allowing motor oil to be pumped into cooling system . Oil was leaking out of the water intakes. Fuck me , 3.7 hours on the motor. She's in the shop waiting on the new motor coming from Mercury . Fucking karma got me , lol. |
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Big Easy Snow :If I want you to feel loved, I'm going to feed you and fuck you silly
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[#10]
Originally Posted By dsteelman: I've had bass boats for 20 plus years and got the bug for a new one earlier this year. I had it bad. Course so did everyone else , so what I wanted was hard to find..... Got it finally on July 12 . 2020 Triton 20trx . https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/223987/IMG_20200711_181356_jpg-1517235.JPG I made it 7 days..... Merc 250 4 stroke developed a crack in the block allowing motor oil to be pumped into cooling system . Oil was leaking out of the water intakes. Fuck me , 3.7 hours on the motor. She's in the shop waiting on the new motor coming from Mercury . Fucking karma got me , lol. View Quote Yikes! I'll have to look at Mercnet and see if there's any recalls or service bulletins on that. |
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...behind every blade of grass...
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[Last Edit: disco_jon75]
[#11]
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[Last Edit: fulminate]
[#12]
Originally Posted By disco_jon75: Not even slightly. I've got access to Dad's 17' aluminum Triton for inshore and catfishing. At Santee Cooper, Ive got some spots that I like to fish. Google Earth review shows them as up to 20 miles from where most of the club tournaments my friend runs launch from. I need to be able to scoot... and handle rough water. View Quote I can only guess that you're either putting in at blacks and running up the canal, or john c and running down to the lower lake. if you need a tournament partner, shoot me a message. maybe we can grab lunch or go wet a line. I relocated to the orangeburg side of the upper lake last december and my old tournament partners stopped fishing. I usually fish the swamp up near low falls or around canal lakes resort. |
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[#13]
Originally Posted By disco_jon75: Change of plans... Skeeter purchase fell through. Guess I'm getting a 2019 Ranger Intracoastal 521L!! Its my buddy's partners. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/105802/17589-1659015.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/105802/17593-1659016.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/105802/17588-1659019.jpg View Quote that's the boat i've always wanted, but could never find one used. ended up with a 2018 nitro. if you can swing a good deal on that boat, it'll last forever with care and best part is no carpet. |
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[#14]
Originally Posted By fulminate: I can only guess that you're either putting in at blacks and running up the canal, or john c and running down to the lower lake. if you need a tournament partner, shoot me a message. maybe we can grab lunch or go wet a line. I relocated to the orangeburg side of the upper lake last december and my old tournament partners stopped fishing. I usually fish the swamp up near low falls or around canal lakes resort. View Quote Let's do it! |
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#15]
Originally Posted By disco_jon75: Change of plans... Skeeter purchase fell through. Guess I'm getting a 2019 Ranger Intracoastal 521L!! Its my buddy's partners. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/105802/17589-1659015.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/105802/17593-1659016.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/105802/17588-1659019.jpg View Quote Had a '94 481VS and still regret selling it. It was a blast and fairly quick for what it was. Loaded down I usually topped out at about 55 mph, but empty and on glass water I was able to hit 62.4 mph on the GPS just seeing what it could do. Never played around with props or anything and that was with a 4 blade on that Johnson 175. |
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[#16]
In the next few weeks im going to be draggin her out of the shop, mounting a new depthfinder at the bow, and getting her good and clean for the year. Firet tournament is in feb.
Anyone starting to get that springtime itch?! |
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[#17]
Originally Posted By Chadsc: In the next few weeks im going to be draggin her out of the shop, mounting a new depthfinder at the bow, and getting her good and clean for the year. Firet tournament is in feb. Anyone starting to get that springtime itch?! View Quote I usually don't get the spring time itch because i fish through the winter, but I haven't put the boat in the water since late last year and I sold my truck in december. getting an older model chevy next week or so I've been itching pretty fierce lately. I went to one of the public parks nearby eutawville to chuck a spinner bait and drag a jig across rocks. had a couple swipes, but i think the water temp is still a bit cool. next week or so, if the warm weather holds and we don't get rain like we did a few weeks ago, it'll be time. did you fish the CR tournament this weekend? I had a couple friends in it. |
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[#18]
I did not. My next one is on the 20th on greenwood.
I try to fish some over the winter but i rarely do it seems like. |
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[#19]
I didn't either. I'm out of the country for a bit with work.
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#20]
I went out Tues, Weds and Thurs and didn't even get a strike.
Disappointing for myself as well as my Dad and cousin that flew into town hoping for some great fishing during the pre-spawn feeding cycle that usually occurs late Feb/early March. Not this year. |
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...behind every blade of grass...
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[#21]
Originally Posted By KB7DX: I went out Tues, Weds and Thurs and didn't even get a strike. Disappointing for myself as well as my Dad and cousin that flew into town hoping for some great fishing during the pre-spawn feeding cycle that usually occurs late Feb/early March. Not this year. View Quote Its been a little funky here too. Alot of the lakes i fish are cold and muddy. Thats tough. Not my strength. |
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[#22]
Guy brought a 6 1/2 pounder into the marina this morning. He wanted
his picture taken. Dad and cousin "missed it by that much". I hope this signals the pre spawn feeding frenzy! |
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...behind every blade of grass...
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[#23]
Originally Posted By KB7DX: Guy brought a 6 1/2 pounder into the marina this morning. He wanted his picture taken. Dad and cousin "missed it by that much". I hope this signals the pre spawn feeding frenzy! View Quote if they aren't in sc, they will be after this week, only go get pushed back out by next monday or so. highs in the 70's lows in the mid-50's. no rain for the last few days. they'll move up a bit. |
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[#24]
Originally Posted By KB7DX: Guy brought a 6 1/2 pounder into the marina this morning. He wanted his picture taken. Dad and cousin "missed it by that much". I hope this signals the pre spawn feeding frenzy! View Quote What lake? I just got a boat and really want to get into bass fishing again. I used to be a pretty good fisherman 20 years ago on the east coast but these AZ lakes are way different. I did catch a few at Sahuaro a month or so ago. |
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[#25]
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#26]
Originally Posted By AZ_M1: What lake? I just got a boat and really want to get into bass fishing again. I used to be a pretty good fisherman 20 years ago on the east coast but these AZ lakes are way different. I did catch a few at Sahuaro a month or so ago. View Quote We fished Saguaro on Tuesday mostly in the shallows. Wednesday we went to Canyon and fished deep for the most part. Thursday we were back at Saguaro and fished a little but it was more of a "wine and cheese" trip with a little fishing mixed in. I'm from the midwest originally but have been in AZ since 1999. fishing here is way different than "back east". The lake I grew up on back east was a mud puddle compared to the deep lakes here. I grew up fishing lilly pads, lay-down logs and creek channels, not deep rocky canyons. I spent a year in the Orlando FL area in 2002-2003 and fished there alot. Bass fishing was fantastic there! @AZ_M1 |
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...behind every blade of grass...
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[#27]
I've fished Canyon one weekend. I'm going to be honest... it was a strugglebus. I've done better on Mohave but even better on Havasu. Parkers was a fail on the trip we made.
Mead continuously disappoints. From Vegas, I think my favorite body of water < three hours is Sand Hollow in St George. That's really the lake I "started" bass fishing on. |
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Proud Member of Team Ranstad
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[#28]
Originally Posted By disco_jon75: I'm "downrange" and missing her. Hey, at least I see her everyday on my laptop walllpaper. The downside is for probably six or eight weeks after I get home, I'll be on Cape Cod with the family at our summer home. Parking sucks so I'll probably just leave it down south and use my Hobie. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/105802/Ranger521Intracoastal-1865630.jpg View Quote She's a beaut, Clark. |
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[#29]
Got a tournament this weekend on greenwood. Looking forward to fishing cold chocolate milk!
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[#30]
Originally Posted By KB7DX: We fished Saguaro on Tuesday mostly in the shallows. Wednesday we went to Canyon and fished deep for the most part. Thursday we were back at Saguaro and fished a little but it was more of a "wine and cheese" trip with a little fishing mixed in. I'm from the midwest originally but have been in AZ since 1999. fishing here is way different than "back east". The lake I grew up on back east was a mud puddle compared to the deep lakes here. I grew up fishing lilly pads, lay-down logs and creek channels, not deep rocky canyons. I spent a year in the Orlando FL area in 2002-2003 and fished there alot. Bass fishing was fantastic there! @AZ_M1 View Quote Yeah, I have a lot of experience fishing in the Llilly pads. Canyon and Bartlett fishing is completely different. I am going to try to catch some stripers at Lake Pleasant this summer. |
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