Fishing Rhino

Three weeks from this very moment, everything should be loaded and ready to go. I'll crawl in the sack after dinner, and when I wake up, I'm on my way.

Uh, oh. Maybe an extraterrestrial base for aliens extracting the oxygen from the water?

If there is a tree nearby, get behind it, and peer out from the side. Stay still and you may see two or more fish getting onto the beds and then moving off them. It doesn't take much to spook them.

Hmmm, no takers on Long Mike's acronym?

Sounds all too familiar. We were going through a parking lot and a kid didn't look, and backed into the left quarter panel. We exchanged all the info, and brought my wife's car to the body shop. He told us that because it was the other driver's fault to let our insurance company pay for it. There is no deductible in that situation, because they are entitled to go after the other driver/company for full repayment. In return, we signed a subrogation agreement which allowed our insurance company to go after the other company and/or the driver. Never had a contact with the other company.

I have a "main power" switch on my boat. The only thing it shuts down are the lights, and the electronics. If you want to shut down the power to everything, then you're going to need a heavy duty battery disconnect selector switch, maybe two. You'll need a switch for the cranking battery, and another for the trolling motor circuit. You'll need a switch with the capacity to handle the maximum draw for the cranking battery, and the trolling motor battery or batteries. You only need a single switch for the trolling motor power source whether you have a 12, 24, or 36 volt trolling motor. That switch should be located between the trolling motor and the battery on the positive cable, if memory serves.

I didn't forget the tectonic plates. In my first sentence I stated that when I started by saying, "barring some seismic event". According to core samples taken from the Great Barrier Reef, scientists have concluded that on three different occasions it has been as much as sixty feet above sea level over the last million and a half years. If they are correct, and I've read nothing that disputes that assertion, then rising and falling ocean levels are natural occurrences.

When buying blade fuses, be aware they come in two sizes, standard and mini. Make sure you get the correct size. Pink is the standard color for four amp blade fuses of either size.

Here's a simple truth. Barring some seismic event, and if the sun does not burn out, at some point in the future, the oceans shall cover the entire surface of the earth. It will not be due to climate change but due to the slow inevitable wearing down of the earth's surface by erosion. We lived on Cape Cod for three years, and in that short period of time, erosion from storm waves chewed up forty feet of shoreline in some places on the outer Cape. Even the bay encroached many feet on the Cape Cod Bay side. That happens all around the earth. Add to that, the erosion from rain and river currents that finds its way to the ocean, and it's no surprise that ocean levels are rising. In fact it's quite natural, predictable and inevitable. There was an article on the net that homes that some of the Hollywood glitterati own on the California coast are in danger of toppling into the ocean, and they want to build seawalls or truck sand in to replace that which the ocean took away. This inexorable eroding of the earth's surface by water and wind will eventually result in the oceans covering the entire surface of the earth.

http://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-VP-ATC-4-RP-Acting-Blade/dp/B009WQPWYC

Are they the inline type of fuse (glass cylinder), or the bayonet type with the two prongs? I've found them at ACE Hardware. Automotive shops like NAPA or Auto Palace should carry them. You might check out the Home Depot or Lowes.

Don't underestimate the value of the GPS, even on small waters. You find a little lump, or a rock pile, or a small patch of vegetation that holds bass, and all you have to do is "mark" that spot. Then you can go right to that spot anytime you want.

Happy birthday Dwight. But don't believe what Jeff says. You were only a day older than you were the day before.

This thread started out like a confessional. I enjoy his shows. I don't care if he fishes in private ponds or not. I would guess if you had access to them, you'd fish them too. I know I would. It's a matter of being practical. He can record a show in a few hours, rather than having to fish all day so viewers can see him catch ten or a dozen nice fish.

This brings up a red flag. Who is going to let you take a boat for a five days' "inspection" without some type of security deposit? It doesn't seem right to me. Or is it one of those deals where you have to give the money to eBay? I've read too many instances on this forum where someone has received broken tackle, or it never got delivered, but the "seller" gamed the system. The buyer was left holding the bag. Google "eBay buyer protection scams". Run Forrest, run!

Spinning rod. I use a weighted hook, such as the Jackall Wacky Jig Head. Have no problem with line twist. Weightless, it probably can cause some twist.

Tackle Warehouse. Their service is excellent. As someone else has posted, 50 dollars or more shipping is free. Go on their site once a week. They have 20% off from time to time. That's when to stock up. BPS, when they have a good sale. Have just about anything you could need from boating equipment, trailer parts, electronics, clothing, and last but not least, their fishing department.

When I read the title, I thought Arnold Palmer had passed.

It certainly is a clean machine. Congratulations, and may she serve you well for years to come. Have fun.

They (whoever they is) used to make patching kits for vinyl and naugahyde. (search vinyl naugahyde repair kits) Looks like they still do. Check them out. Should be better than duct tape. Here's one. Search vinyl seat repair and you'll get plenty of "results". http://veada.com/marine-vinyl-boat-upholstery.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=adwords

You're holding it in your avatar. All you need is a magnifying glass on a sunny day.

Hardcore? Is there any other way to fish?

Where'd you hear that? Bon jour.

Man, that is some serious project you have on your hands. I have no idea what make or model it is. It was obviously abandoned by someone. It looks as though it has been awash for some time, probably along a shore where someone "salvaged" it. Probably turned out to be more of a project than they wanted to handle. But if you've got the time and ambition, you might be able to make a decent fishing platform out of it. The place to start is with the transom. It is probably fiberglass covered plywood, and the odds are high that the plywood is punky. Drill some holes in various places and poke around with an ice pick or similar tool to check out the transom core. If you find any soft wood, the transom is junk. The other thing I noticed is that the rails are sagging, and someone propped them up with square plywood panels. Those panels will need to be replaced with "knees". They provide support for the inside edge of the rail, but do not go down to the deck of the boat, leaving your deck open for easy cleaning. You might end up with a gem, but you're going to put in a ton of sweat equity, and probably more than a few dollars. The other possibility is to remove the top section from the hull and sandwich the top of the hull between a couple of pieces of wood, one inside and one outside, to stiffen it up. From there, you can design and build storage compartments with decking to transform it into a bass boat. I'm not trying to discourage you, but I want you to understand the task that lies ahead.