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Don't know the color scheme but when I hooked my Lowrance LMS520c and my Standard Horizon VHS together I had to call SH for some help. One tip was to put a volt meter across the wires (ground vs nema). If there is data being sent, you'll see the voltage varying from zero to +5v. If I remember right, the ground on the Lowrance harness was a bare wire. Also, I needed to go into the GPS setup to configure it to send the data. All in all, it wasn't too hard to figure out. -- Bud

The black plastic part is what is left of the klincher after you cut the original swivel off of it (snip the wire and hacksaw out the rivet). The you re-rig with another swivel, screw, washer, nuts and ring terminal that you provide. If you search for "klincher" on google, you can find a few places with them. I got my at Cabelas in Hammond. Works great as shown. -- Bud

I'm pretty sure he is talking about these: http://www.planer-board.com/torpedo.htm I'd be interested to hear if anyone has tried these. -- Bud

One other thing that is important to me that I forgot to mention is a scan feature. I suspect that most radios have this. On the water, I scan, 16 (priority) 9, 68, 69 71, 72. It will also scan the weather channels for weather alerts if programmed to do so. Another thing I like about the Quest-X is the rotary knob for selecting channels rather than push buttons. -- Bud

I installed a Standard Horizon Quest-X ($130) on my new boat and I really like it. http://www.standardhorizon.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&ProdCatID=83&encProdID=0AEEEC50CAF66ADDC056A4D07E2F0A36&DivisionID=3&isArchived=0 It sounds good which is very important and has Class D DSC which is something you really should look for. I have mine interfaced to my GPS so the DSC will send out location info. If you need a hailer as mentioned in a previous post, you need to step up to the SH Matrix line. SH also has great support. Get this. The cover blow off the radio when I was trailering back from Florida this spring. I contacted a guy from SH and less that a week later, a new one showed up in the mail at no charge! There are many similar stories about SH if you look around. ICOM also has a great reputation so I certainly wouldn't knock them. For the antenna, I went with a Digital (brand) 529-VW, which is a very well built 8' antenna. They run about $110. One of the best things about the Digital is that it has a mini-connector pre-attached that is easy to thread through where ever you need and then a normal size connector that attaches to that. It is a very slick system and it is idiot proof. -- Bud

I've run my wire on $35 Shimano TDRs for the past two seasons with no signs of wear. That said, I'm a weekend warrior and not out fishing every day so your mileage may vary. I've been using the Okuma Convector CV-30D also which can be had for $60. The wire itself will set you back $40 or so, maybe a bit more for the 19 strand. At any rate, you can get setup pretty well for under $150. -- Bud

Well, I got out for a little yesterday but didn't try the rubber bands. I'll give them another shot when I get a little more time out on the water. I do like the idea of being able to see a shaker. -- Bud

Thanks Mike, That's what I was looking for. I have the #16 bands. I'll give it a shot today when I get out. -- Bud

I was under the impression that a lot of guys liked using the bands with the Blacks to help detect shakers. It sure seemed easier to just twist the line a few times and clip it in so I'll go with that. In the past, I ran the offshore pinch pads which worked pretty well but sometimes I'd pop them out when cranking down. That was always frustrating. -- Bud

Earlier this year I tried using rubber bands with Blacks releases. I was half hitching the band to the mono and putting the band in the release. It didn't work too well because the mono would slip. Do I just need to give the line a couple of twists or something to stop the slipping? I was also using pretty skinny bands which may be the issue too. Thanks. - Bud

Did you hook it on backwards? That's the only thing I can think of. -- Bud

Hi Guys, fairly new to the site but I've been lurking a bit and have been somewhat active on one of the other boards. I've been fishing Lake Michigan a few years now and I'm mostly out of New Buffalo, MI. This year I am fishing a new boat. It is a red Pioneer 197 Sportfish which is a center console with a t-top. Still getting it fully rigged but I made my first trip out last weekend and managed to boat a couple of cohos with my 5 year old. Look for my reports this summer and if you see me at the ramp or on the water I'll always share whatever info I have. I generally have the VHF on and scanning the usual channels. -- Bud

Stinks for the guy that lost it. When I was starting out a couple of years ago, I left a Plano box full of stick baits on the seat of my boat. When I got to the ramp, it had blown out. Not only did I lose out on over $100 worth of lures, they were the main ones I had planned to use that day. Good idea to put some ID on all your boxes. -- Bud

Would you split one 12# and one 15#? -- Bud