It's been awhile since this tipic received any love.  Anyone out there use some swimbaits this year?  I upgraded my boat electronics so I'll have to get the rod/reel and baits this Winter.

Well back to swim baits, yea i'm truely hooked on them. I will see you on the Delta Smitty looking forward to it.  My luck with them was a real slow roll back to the boat I would let it sink for about a 10 count and slowly reel her in.  When the fish hit it don't stop it it, they would have to eat it a couple of good bites before you set the hook.  The 8 and 9 lbers we caught would take her first time most the time at a dead run. The 5 to 7 lbers took same time to get her in.  Its a blast not alot of fish, alot of misses but with 2 of us throwing them all day we caught 7 total our best 5 went for 27lbs worth the effort.  Thats my 2 cents tight lines to all and good fishi'n.   Harley

Last fall I managed to purchase a brand new Eagle 2000c at a ridiculiously low price from a vendor who was no longer carrying the product. 8)

Why an Eagle? Maybe I'm not familiar with an Eagle 2000. Does Lowrance not have something the same? Or do they just throw an Eagle in there for good measure....?

The Lowrance networked package includes two LCS 332c's and an Eagle 2000c.  These units will display engine information from the E-Tec such as fuel flow in gallons per hour, range to go at current fuel flow, engine cylinder head temperature and I think barometric pressure.  Also water temps and water pressure can also be displayed as well as fuel remaining in gallons or computed into running time.   

Smitty,

   What is your new Lowrance package.  My boat will be arriving in about 4 weeks.  I got the LCX - 17GPS + WAAS in the console and will have the stock X-86 TX by the trolling motor.  Hope to get the LCX - 110C up front at some time. 

ROLLTIDE

Nothin like a new boat.....Ahhhhhh the smell. And they always seem so darn much faster.

That is VERY cool, Smitty.

Thats cool Smitty, can't wait to see the new one.

Actually Chris, I'm driving down to Nampa next weekend to pick up my new boat. (In Seahawk colors) 
If anyone is interested in a new Stratos and wants to see how they are designed and constructed, contact me after March 4th.  My 20' boat will have the new Lowrance networked electronics package as well as an E-Tec engine.  Denny Burrow the owner of Tri-State Marine tells me he is getting in several late model used boats on trade ins as well as a couple of new 285's and 294's.  Check their website frequently for updates, and call me if you have an interest in any of them.

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Thats awesome Smitty.  If you move back home to Arkansas, you can take a short drive and pick up a nice new boat, and I'm not talking about a Legend 

Well I am a rookie when it comes to them. So I will start by chuckin and windin them. If it works and I get confidence then maybe I can look into other applications like draggin or whatever. Until that happens I will "swim" them at a time when I think a bass will chase a "swimming" retrieve. If it doesn't work then I'll probably go back to my standby tactics and try a swimbait another time when a "swimming" retrieve  works.

I know what ya mean about some of those 3rd world countries.  I visited some of them in the Marines.  I'm lucky I didn't get locked up a couple of times.  
If that kind of talk makes you feel uneasy and work up a little bit of sweat above your brow, don't feel alone.  I get the same feeling just thinking about catching some them California hogs!   Not thinking of moving to the state of Califonication by any stretch of the imagination.  However, when I retire in October of 2008, I have decided to relocate either back home to Arkansas or perhaps Boulder City Nevada.

Smitty

Smitty,
I love it when you talk like that.  My swimbait is a "soft pour".  Is that opposed to a "hard pour"?  I think that you can get arrested in some third world countries for talking like that.  Speaking of Ramirez, where do you think I got the dang fooled notion that these things might actually work?  I throw'em out and wind them in.  I have not evolved to "drop-shotting" of jigging them.  No offense meant, just makes no sense to me.  The fish come from such great distances and depths to check these baits out, why bother dragging?  Heck, my arms already get tired after ten casts, anyway.  And hey, don't get all weird about WDFW and "move to another State".  What, you think California or any other "left" coast state is better.

I fished a tournament on Clear Lake last spring.  the winner of that "T" was slowly dragging a "6" swimbait on the bottom in about 12' of water.  Right Harley? Oh and many of the baits are not injected molded plastic, but rather a soft pour.   I've got several of them ranging from 3" to 10" from numerous manufactures if ya want to see em.  Or just check with Scott about what he is using on Shasta to catch those very large Kentucky's in the spring.  I'll be using a couple them in the California Delta this coming April.