VolFan

I think it's great, and I hope he stays high on the leaderboard with it. Guntersville might not be the best lake for a slower pit, but with a shallow crank he should be able to get some fish.

Only 7?!? Ha! As long as you both shall live...

I was thinking something like a 115 on the easy 200 as it's a little more hull weight. Maybe a 150 if it drives significantly better, but that's tough to get to test out. I'm going to be pretty flexible as this will be my first.

Sent...hope it's just a cracked collar bone, but that's not what it sounds like...good luck.

Is 50 minutes into the telecast without the game starting...and I wasn't a big fan go the Nat'l Anthem on guitar. But I did get some snoop dogg in there, so it's not all bad.

Yes, all the Bayliners I've seen are more of the ski and ...maybe fish variety, which I want to stay away from. I know it's boat-dependent, but did that 90 hp suit your needs fine? I won't be fishing tourneys, I just do this for fun.

Targeted killing of 'Merican citizens in foreign countries

What fish n ski did you have? I'm looking for people who have had them for info on why they didn't like them, what they bought afterwards, and what make/model they've used. Hopefully/maybe I could be moving down near Guntersville this summer for a while, and I'm getting a boat.

Kid (and wife) on tubes, and probably taking another couple out with us. I would imagine fishing out of it alone most, so I'd thought about the deep v's, but if you have any suggestions, please let me know. This will be a first big boat for me, so I'm leaning away from fiberglass due to my own clumsiness.

Has anybody ever owned/used/ridden in a Sea Ark Easy 200? I'm going to be looking for a boat for fishing that's ok for family fun as well. I'll likely be looking at a "fish and ski" type boat, but if anybody has any suggestions, please post them up.

My son's middle name is Fischer, first is Loomis.

I like to wrap a bass around it. Really keeps it stuck.

That raccoon pic is priceless! I can't stop laughing.

I would say the gain in toughness vs the rotomolded polyethylene would be minimal when considered against the weight and drag added. I bet it'd make it harder to slide down to the water on grass and mud too. There are keel guards for kayaks that might make a little more sense if you're looking to protect the most-abused portion.

They have a two piece MagTouch in M and MH. I have the M and really like it.

Bone. That goes for most of my top water hard baits. Bone or black, depending on the light level.

With the amount it costs to get a few rattle cans of good paint and some clear coat to do one bait, you can get a decent airbrush from amazon or eBay and paint to your heart's content.

If I were you (and I'm not), I would pick up an MS Slammer and a Hudd 68 (ROF 12, weedless if you'd like). Mini Slammer will get more bites, but go bigger if you're feeling froggy. Those would cover the entire water column, and catch you some nice fish. If you look around a little, you should be able to get both for under your $50 total. Bullshads are just there...there is really no good or bad.

Those two baits are really moderately priced for big swimbaits. Swim baiting is more like trophy hunting than it is like tourney fishing. The normal box I take with me will have five baits max in it, and I guarantee that all of my fishing partners have boxes of "normal" lures worth more than my box. When you look at it from that optic, it makes a lot more sense.

I had the same experience as the poster above fishing on Calderwood Lake once. A storm came up quick, and my line was actually rising in there air because of the electricity. There was also a high pitched hum/whine like the line being pulled too tight. I paddled off the lake quick, swimming the last 40 yards or so pulling the boat. I got in a cave, made a little fire and had lunch while it blew over.

I was fishing around Ft Loudon dam in East Tennessee one in my kayak. The generators weren't running so it was just like a big rocky pond. I heard the horn sound and was thinking they'd start putting on the generators. I was in the corner closest to the dam by the lock, we'll away from the generators. I was right over the outflow for the lock when they started letting the water out of it. Even though I probably only went up a foot or two, it felt like I was riding old faithful! I ended up about 50 yards downstream before I realized what was happening and that my drawers were still clean.

Yard sales/surplus markets, maybe the bottoms of some reservoirs, depending on his mood?

Get that French ish outta here! Sacrilege!

Wrapped in bacon with a slice if jalapeño, then grilled.

If you're drinking 90 proof Ezra Brooks, maybe you should stick with the ice cubes...maybe even add more. :-)