paparock

Well it seems I may be heading to Florida to pick up a 2003 Bennington 2050FSi fishing pontoon this coming week. My wife made an offer that was accepted so here goes nothing. At least it has four fishing chairs, trolling motor, livewell, and a bait prep-station/trolling station with rod holders. It should be OK as long as we don't want to get anywhere fast. It has only 48 hours on it with a Yamaha 75 four-stroke. After I fish it for awhile I will post my thoughts for anyone else who has a wife that loves to fish but wants comfort and room over speed(bass boat). C:\Documents and Settings\Rocky\My Documents\My Pictures

Check around on the web and for a few dollars more you could move up to Lowrance LCX-26 or 26C HD. They both have WASS GPS and the HD (hard drive) model can even digitally record your finders readings for latter study.

I had both a hydrofoil on the cavitation plate and one on my motors skeg on my 21ft. center console. The skeg one was a Manatee protector. It helped protect the sea cows from prop damage while also offering some protection for the prop from striking hard bottoms. It also helped the boat jump up on plane quicker. Sometimes getting your prop ported can also help. You would need to talk to a prop specialist to evaluate if you could get a better prop for your desired use and if porting would help you.

Try a Cobra Fish & Dive. Yes you will have to paddle so be sure and get a paddle like Bending Branches Stealth. It's feather light carbon for all day paddling and is supposed to be the quietest paddle on the market. I use a paddle leash so I can just drop the paddle and not worry about losing it. A rod leash is also a good item just in case. You can get very close to fish without spooking them with the rig.

Things could end up a lot like it is in some saltwater fishing areas. There is the Coast Guard and Sheriff's Department boats patrolling the areas where most problems happen . They will pull up and do a safety check for all mandated safety equipment and like a traffic stop check your license and registration. A lot of people don't know it but operating a boat while "intoxicated" is a crime for which they can fine you and even take away your regular vehicle drivers license. Of course there takes only a few idiots to mess up everyone else like some Scarab twin turbo on 454 engines doing over 100MPH swamping others and causing mayhem to cause calls for controls add alcohol and like on Clear Lake in Texas where such a boat ran through a houseboat killing the two people on board. It got so bad you had to slow down and make a minimum wake because the jet ski types would jump your wake and when some got hurt they sued the boat owner you made the wake. Unfortunately limits will come because some just can't or will not use common sense in boating just like some don't on the roadways.

Roadwarrior has always been free with help and advice for me as a less knowledgeable type. You have to love that!

I am extremely lucky in that I was born and raised in deep southern Arkansas. Now some may think otherwise but it was a blessing. Yes there was great grinding poverty but as a child I did not see such things in choosing friends. I grew up hunting and fishing. My family owned enough land that I did not have to see another human being if I did not want to and despite my grandfather raising cattle we rarely ate beef but rather fish and game we found upon the banquette table of the land and water. My best friend was half American Indian and we ran the pine barrens, swamps and ridges until we knew them by heart. We tracked game until we knew their habits as well as they did. It was such a wonderful time. Then, I did not understand how special it was; like once killing a wild Razorback hog with a friends custom bowie knife after it ate our food while on a camping/fishing trip. I figured we fed him so why couldn't he feed us. So many people today have no concept of being totally comfortable even when you are temporally lost at night in a forest or swap. It's how we learned and was a far better education than I ever received at any of the universities I went to. Now my body will not let me roam the land as I did but I have those wonderful memories to relive any time I want. Now fishing is my passion as it was with my father in his latter years. I'm not worried about catching the biggest or the most fish. I just enjoy being there. The sights, sounds, smells, and experience are enough. Being young and impatient I did not understand my fathers way. Now I get it dad; thank you so much for giving me the life you did and sharing it with me! Make memories while you can because some day they may be all you have. That is not a complaint but a treasure beyond any value money can buy! Spending time in all that God has blessed us with is never a waste of time. I only hope many of you younger guys and gals can experience the wonders I have experienced in my time here on this water world and if I die tomorrow I will be happy and thankful for all I have!!!

Yes, especially if he is cooking the shore lunch with his fish! As long as he puts me on fish I don't mind and if he will share his experience on fishing the lake then I want him to fish. Hey, actions speak louder than words so sharing the wealth of knowledge should be part of his job and encourages more fishermen to fish more often. Today sportsman who study and try to understand the wonders of nature are a dying breed compared to the radical people who do not believe in using it and are demanding no one else be allowed to either.

Hey, if it's contagious pass it on. We should all have such a problem;)

Well I am happy because there are pontoons setup for fishing. Check out the fishing stations on Bennington and Harris Fisherman series. It's no bass boat and I won't beat anyone to the fishing spot but I can live with it. They have baitwells, livewells, bait prep stations, rod holders for trolling, trolling motors, and they are said to be nice for night fishing. After I get to fish it I will post an evaluation.

:)Thanks for the timely question and answer because the tip on my Johnny Morris casting rod came loose and I was in need of the help. Thanks again !

In this ultra clear water where I am a lot of the locals swear the fish have earned a PHD in lure avoidance. Stealth, being sneaky, and long casts are often the keys.

I use a Cobra Fish n' Dive, it will handle us wee Irish folk and is very stable on a Class I & II whitewater river for smallmouth. http://www.cobrakayaks.com/kayaks/cobracat4.html

The problem can also depend on the boat you own. I know a guy that had a Gulf Coast based on an old Boston Whaler hull that did not discover he forgot to put his plug in until he put the boat back on the trailer. Gulf Coast boats are a sandwich of fiberglass and foam bonded together. Another Friend could reach his plug from his new boat. After swimming and taking some spray into the boat he came up with the idea of pulling the plug while under way at a stop speed to siphon the water out. Old "Murphy" was on board that day. All went well until he tried to put the plug back in. That's when the plug fell apart (why I always carry spares) and he had no spare. Ahhhhh, he thought I'll just beach the boat. Murphy of Murphy's Law now stepped forth. At about 100 yards from shore the engine suddenly stopped and would not restart. The water came in, the boat did a slow roll to sun it's belly and all his tackle took a through washing. Thus he earned the nickname Captain Nemo. It definitely was not his day as a foreshadow of the day was when on the way to the lake a wheel bearing went out on his new boat's trailer. And no I would never go fishing in his boat. I always said "let's take mine".

Oh the wife will be coming out with me alright; she loves fishing. Her problem is she has arthritis in her hips and has had both knees replaced already due to the same problem. That makes standing or even sitting for long periods hard for her. Lying down for even a short time helps relieve the pain from her arthritis so she can comfortably fish again. The lake were I will be fishing is mostly offshore structure but what I am concerned with is how the wind will affect boat control. I might use a couple sea anchors to slow the effects of wind along with a couple of trolling motors. I looked at some of the deck boats as they have a hull rather than pontoons but have the same general layout as a pontoon but they are way to expensive for my budget. I got her to look at a bass boat today but her exact words were "no way". The boat dealer also handled Bennington F series pontoons that come with a livewell bait prep-station with rod holders and just generally set up for fishing. They come in 16 to 22 feet lengths but I am still not convinced. I plan on trying one out through renting before I sink any hard earned money. I have been trying to get her to consider one of the larger saltwater bay boats. They are sort of like a big brother to a bass boat. Maybe I can get her the room she wants while still getting a real "fishing boat. If it had enough space to install one of those couches like on a pontoon it just might work. .

My wife has been bitten by the pontoon monkey. :'( She says she wants a new boat she can take a nap on while I find the fish. rather than refitting the old fish and sky. I have never been on a pontoon boat. Are there any designed for fishermen? Anyone have any suggestions as to how to please her that I can live with?

Welcome Back

All the above are great suggestions. Think of fishing under such conditions as if you are hunting a wary game animal. I even have a camo finished spinning rod.

Welcome back. Those break-ups can be ruff but there are more fish looking to be caught. Find a lady that loves to fish. It sure makes for more harmony around the house and it keeps the bait monkey fat and happy. For example, when I went from fishing offshore to inshore I needed to get a shallow water boat and had found one of those guys that have more money than they know what to do with, selling one of his boats. It seems his wife stepped out of it while under way, ouch (shallow sides)! Well she told him to get rid of it now! That's when I found it. The boat a 20ft. Gulf Coast was 2 years old and loaded out. He paid 38 grand for the total rig. Well, my wife unknown to me contacted the man and talked him into selling the boat to her for 16 grand and deliver it. I came home from work to find the boat in the driveway. WOW, now that is a WIFE!!! GOOD LUCK in finding such a woman.

Fishing is a state of mind. When I worked a very stressful (dangerous) job it was a way to get away and relax. Now I approach it in more of a zin way. I fish therefore I am.

Make the fish in Bull Shoals fear me while enjoying life and all God's creation. Good luck with the cage for the bait monkey.

Man, it has been a dry year here in north Arkansas. How dry is it you ask. Well I saw a 47 pound catfish trying to hitch a ride to a lake with more water. :'(

My oldest stepson lives in Los Angeles,California and I have spent some time there but you could not pay me to live there. Don't get me wrong California can be a nice place to visit and fish but.......... ! My nephew lived in San Diego for several years but moved back to Houston, Texas as he had all he could take (his words) . Now when the wife and I visited Baja, California it was awesome. If only it had been part of the California Purchase. Even the natives would be better off as the poverty is really bad. The children in such conditions really got me. Yes I may have been a sucker but I could not help but give them some money. Who knows how it was spent but I did what my heart said I had to. The fishing was more than mere words could convey. Where can you catch Dorado fishing off a beach while watching sailfish free jump just offshore. The water was so clear you could see the point come off an island and see it taper off to deeper water than you could ever believe. In spots the 100 fathom (1 fathom = 6 feet) curve was only 1/2 mile offshore and at one mile offshore you could be in 3000 feet of water . Do you think California, USA could annex Baja, California? If so then sign me up for a hacienda on the East Cape on the Sea of Cortez (the largest fish trap in North America). Fifty plus pound Roosterfish from the surf while in just a little more water they grow over 100 pounds. The worlds record towed the fisherman, panga (boat), and the guide for over 30 minutes before tiring. Now that is FUN!

My X-wife was a sheriffs deputy in Galveston County, Texas and I carried a short but legal shotgun with me while living there south of Houston, Texas. There the predators walk on two legs and being alone in the dark on an out of the way boat launch can be pretty scary. I once had two 20 somethings pull up behind me and threatened to kill me if I didn't give them my wallet. However, when I turned to face them with my 12 gauge in hand they decided they had a very pressing engagement some where else and left in a big hurry. That said, you must know the laws in your area for the lawful use of deadly force if you deside to carry. They vary greatly from state to state. For example in Texas while I was living there the "after dark" law allowed use of deadly force to prevent the commission of a crime. That meant if you went outside your home after dark and found someone stealing your boat you could legally shoot them but in some states you have to flee even your home and can only use deadly force if you are trapped with no way to retreat from the threat. Needing a firearm is about like getting hit by lightning but I don't stay on the water when it's lightning either. Having carried a firearm working drug suppression for the US Army I have used one. Today I am loath to use one preferring to retreat rather than confront but then it is preferable to be judged by twelve rather than carried by six. We live in times were unfortunately life is not held as highly as it once was in our country but know this, even if the law finds you were justified in using deadly force that does not stop their family from suing you for wrongful death which will become a nightmare. Forget your pride and walk away. Only use a firearm as a LAST resort when all else fails.

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