Good Day-
as a 37 year serial Entrepreneur, I looked into a business plan to make Organic Fertilizer--my research led me "Worm castings" Worm poop for short-. Can't remember the name, but a company from Wisconsin or Minnesota sells self contained worm farm units, that breed worms...the unit effectively provides an excellent breeding environment, and an easy separation process of Worms & Poop. They apparently breed like crazy, meaning lots of poop & worms to sell. (hint-the BEST organic fertilizer- sells for more than the worms!) And with the proliferation of Organic Food (and weed), The organic fertilizer market is burgeoning! and worms will always be great bait!
Peace Out-
H Henry

Good Day-
I'm sorry that I can't help you with the odd lure, however noticed you are from Marshalltown. My Step Grandpa Ken Gethmann was from Marshalltown, and Gladbrook. I spent every Fourth, & Thanksgiving fishing Union Grove Lake as a kid in the 60's & 70's...great Memories! Good luck with mystery lure:)
H

Kinda Interesting the parallel's between Shark & Catfish, grew up fishing in the Midwest, ended up mostly a Saltwater guy...Catfish...Flathead's terrible & poison like, Channel's good flakey white meat....Blue Shark.. terrible & poison like....Mako's,... Tasty & solid white meat...Never attempted eating a bull....
H

Change the bait and catch the problem;)

Yep looks like a Cottonmouth to me! And be glad you didn't get to see the cotton:) Vernacular for Water Moccasin..

I would have to agree that it would not be worth the risk in that size boat, as the weather changes there dramatically and quickly and would be potentially a very unpleasant experience...Kayak's on the other hand handle chops and swells quite well...up and over:) (sit on tops not so much)
Bueno-
H

Perhaps an analogy from the roots...of the Teddy Bear....President Roosevelt, a Sportsman & Hunter, was with a group hunting down in the Deep South, and came across an old crusty Black Bear tied up to a tree...The Guides offered TR the honor of the Kill...To which he expounded, as he did so well, that it would be disrespectful, unsportsmanlike, and an affront to Moral Sense, and requested the Bear be spared and released...A journalist made a cartoon of the event that was widely published, a toy maker then made the "Teddy Bear", TR, without compensation, granted use of his name and the "Teddybear" became...
In today's environment, when Hunting & Fishing is for sport, not sustenance, when it is increasingly difficult for nature to achieve balance and sustainability, it does not make sense to target Pregnant or brooding animals, whether tied to their Redd's or chained to a tree...The challenge of the Hunt is the Primal fun in it:)
Bueno-
H

To clarify my previous post, the dealer should gladly furnish and install the Jack Plate, and you can write a glowing review on how well they solved their customer's problem...
As Teddy said "walk softly, but carry a big stick"...best to resolve amicably and settle with a jack plate, than to spend time money and energy to be "right", the Big Stick is better revealed than used:)
H

Good Eve-
As a small business guy 30+ years, and having to negotiate/navigate as the Sampson with many Goliath's, this is how I would handle this:
Respectfully suggest the Following:
As it turns out the motor's shaft is a wee bit short to power the boat properly and safely: there appears to be two options to solve this problem-Install a Jack/adaptor plate/modify transom to lower motor a minimum of 3 inches, or modify/replace the Motor with an equal or better replacement, that achieves same...As is, the Boat is unsafe to operate, (inoperable), This is Win-Win.....or we choose scorched earth...which by definition is Lose-Lose....
Some Thoughts - Good Luck
HHenry

Good Day-
I have a Deeper. Full disclosure-I'm not much of a techy guy- so I had some difficulty with set up etc. I also was using it on a float trip on big boisterous river in Canada. It has difficulty with the sonar aspect when being jostled about, however water temp worked, and depth worked....I think, unless the jostle...It is Also difficult to see screens out on the water, and by the time I casted it out, got it to register (if I could), see past the glare, I had gone past the location...I think...so It seemed to make work out of fishing in that scenario, So I quit using it and went old School, with my gut....I'm guessing it will work fine in a lake atmosphere without too much chop...
Best-
HHenry

Hi They are mostly lures used for freshwater Bass fishing, but work on pretty much anything that feeds on fish and Crawdads.....The ones with skirts are sometimes called buzz baits, primarily used in a super fast retrieve, with big spinner blades, that make them buzz and bubble and trigger the Largemouths to strike...although I never much had much luck with them...


The rest used to be called Plugs, but newer lingo includes Crank baits...No Lip ones are typically surface lures, the bigger the Lip the faster & further they dive, There is a large number of plugs here that are typically considered Crawdad Imitations, as they swim backwards, and are designed to dive fast and deep, and even shovel and bounce along the bottom like a crawdad...
Bueno-
H Henry

Very Nice-
Have only fished that area in summer! That is a Hefty Brown! The Lake Whitefish are a local Delicacy in those parts, usually baked on Cedar planks, with twice baked potatoes....! Primo-
H

Hi Ryp-
I grew up in St. Louis. My Great Grandfather started summering up in Charlevoix in the early 1900's-Pre-AC days-
I started going as a youngster in the early 60's..Beautiful Area. Lots of Summertime Fishing memories..My Pike story was at my Grandma's (other side) Summer Cabin in Gladbrook, Iowa on Union Grove Lake..
Enjoy the Snow!
H

Indeed to all of the above-
To me it looks like a Pike, with Tiger Stripes...which I have never seen! So Green! Stripes instead of spots...My only Muskie Experiences (in Ontario), and lake Charlevoix Mi., were distinctly Bronze/Gold and striped, but less defined, exclusively summer, and exclusively Surface Explosions...tough for Ice Fishing...As they Co-exist, Breed on same season, and are biting/kissing cousins, who knows what Hybrid mates were/are created in the Great White North...I was hooked at about age 12, when I caught my first Northern who discreetly followed my classic Daredevil until about 6 inches from shore, at which time it exploded out of nowhere and almost hit my foot, scrabbled back in and almost broke my Zebco...But I got him...

Very Interesting!
And what should not be lost is perhaps one of the most fabled ferocious Predators....were caught on....Corn meal:)