Fishing Rhino

It's only as exciting as you make it. Unless you have a lot of ballast in your jon boat, your truck should tow it, and stop it with ease. Having said that careless and negligent operation voids the above statement. Have the brakes on your truck checked, and make sure everything else is in good working order, particularly the lights which include the brake and signal lights on the trailer.

You could also use a regular grapnel anchor, but they are a pain to store, especially in a small boat. They snag on everything in sight.

Unplugging the lights may be fine, unless, the reverse lock out for the breaks is part of that electrical system. On hard ramps, it's not a problem, but in some places where I launch the ramps have sandy gravel bottom with soft spots in the bottom. Unless the reverse lock out is activated, either electronically, or mechanically, you may find those soft spots will provide enough resistance to apply the brakes. I may be wrong, but if you blow lights when launching, there is a problem that needs to be found, and corrected/repaired. It's only a matter of time before that problem manifests itself even when the power is disconnected before launching.

Were Alice and the angry haberdasher around?

Robins are here year round. They winter over in the swamps. Make that some Robins stay year round. Some do migrate.

Here's an easy, very inexpensive way to find out. Get a five gallon bucket drill three equally spaced holes around the rim so you can make a bridle. Make each "leg" of the bridle a foot and a half long. On a breezy day, toss it over the side. The bucket will not sink, but it will barely float. If it slows you too much, drill some one inch holes in the bottom to reduce drag. When not using the drag you can store gear in it such as a small mushroom anchor, a pfd, anchor line, etc. With a hole(s) drilled in the bottom, it will not hold water, so whatever you store in it will not be sitting in water. In fact, if you use a stainless steel carabiner clip the line can do double duty. Clip it to the bucket to slow your drift, or clip it to the anchor to hold the boat in place.

The EPIRB and Givens Rescue Buoy on my lobster boat were hydrostatically activated. I have a Mustang, Alka Seltzer pill activated PFD, and it did inflate while in a locker on my boat. The humidity was enough to compromise the pellet.

LOL. See, what did I tell ya.

I'm 75, and have no problem launching or loading. Having said that, I don't have a problem climbing into or out of my boat. When alone, I launch using a rope attached to the bow eye of the boat and the winch stand. Back the boat slowly until it can float without any weight or very little weight on the trailer. Pull the trailer out from under the boat, and clear of the water. Then pull the boat onto the beach or ramp (I have a keel guard to protect the hull from concrete). Disconnect from the winch stand and tie the boat to a tree, post, etc. Park the truck get into the boat and go fishing To load, tie the boat to anything that will keep it from drifting away. Back the trailer in until two or three inches of the front edge of the fenders are above the water. This varies with the pitch of the ramp. That leaves the winch stand just above where the water meets the land. Start the boat up and drive it onto the trailer. If you can power load it, do so. If rules/laws prevent it, just drive the boat onto the trailer so it will stay there. Climb down onto the trailer then the ground and finish loading with the winch. If you have trouble getting into or out of the boat, get a small folding stepstool. Open it and use it to get on the boat. Tie a short piece of line to haul it onto the boat. Reverse the process when loading the boat. Look into the bolt on step and grab post to facilitate climbing off the boat once it's on the trailer. Life is a series of adjustments and compromises.

Hydrostatic?

Pictures can be misleading. By itself, you might possibly conclude that I am a Pelican Bass Raider owner. However, you would be wrong. That is my daughter's boat on a small pond that abuts her property. See, I am not a PBR owner. But, I do like it even though I use a paddle for propulsion. No need of anything more for a pond of about two acres.

It is very cheap, especially if you have your own trolling motor, or you want to row. Fourteen bucks per day. Seven bucks per day if you have celebrated your 70th birthday. Or get an old geezer to go with you and let him rent the boat with motor, 23 dollars per day including parking.

Extensive, exhaustive studies indicate that fish in general, and bass in particular are partial to classical or opera while rap make's em puke. The finest music I hear on the water is the call of the Loon.

Contrary to popular opinion, there are no Pelican Bass Raider owners out there. It would be easier to find a unicorn. It's a conspiracy. Conspiracy I tell ya. This one is fully decked out in camo for stealth.

My fiberglass panel is less than a sixteenth of an inch thick. One layer of 3/4 ounce mat and one layer of 1603 stitched roving. Even if the plate mounting panel was to crack the long strands of glass in the mat would keep it together. While it can flex ninety degrees if it pushes against something solid it will not fold up due to air pressure against the plate at highway speeds. The fastest being 75 mph. That mount has been on my rig for seven years, averaging about four thousand miles (conservatively) per year. The only part of the assembly that is cracked is the gel coat.

You are correct. Even better, if a woman marries her brother, she can keep her maiden name. While no plate is required, insurance is. At least that's what I was told when I went to a marina near Pickwick to get a mounting bracket for a plate. The fellow behind the parts counter looked at me like I had two heads when I asked about the bracket. According to him, all that is required for a trailer is proof of insurance. Interesting tidbit. When I noticed the plate was missing, a PA state cop followed me along I-78 for several miles, but did not stop me. Called my wife and told her I lost the plate. She asked what I was going to do. Told her one thing I was not going to do was to turn around and head home. Wasn't I worried about getting in trouble? Not at all. The worst that could happen was that I'd have to affix some type of temporary plate with the numbers and the state on it. Never did get stop after driving over two thousand miles through ten states.

Yes. The flake is in a Marine Clear gel coat. But, it's not really necessary for a bull ring (short track) stock car. The way they beat and bang, they do break up panels. Most guys will buy a new body at the beginning of each season. Whatever is usable after the last race of a season is kept as spare panels for next year.

Now you're talking. I used to make fiberglass race car bodies prior to my retiring. Here's one of the many bodies I made. From nose to tail, the car is not painted. It's gel coat with a red/gold spindrift Metalflake in the clear coat.

Most plastic brackets are junk. I lost a license plate in PA on my way to Pickwick on my brand new rig. No more. I made a bracket out of flat fiberglass. Made it the size of the plate plus extra above the top of the plate so it could be bolted to the trailer frame. I can bend the bracket ninety degrees back and forth. The plate is bolted to the fiberglass panel with four ss bolts. I got some stainless steel picture hanging wire. Loosen the nut (aircraft locking style) at a bottom corner, wrap a turn around the bolt and tighten it down. Loosen the bolt above and repeat. Then up to the bolt that connects the bracket to the trailer and repeat. Follow around the plate and do the same to the rest of the bolts. If the bracket should somehow break, the plate will not get lost. It has been on since 2010 without a problem. Lexan should be an adequate substitute for fiberglass. 1/16th to 3/32nd inch thickness should work. Anything thicker will not flex as freely. Here's a couple of images. The first is washed out. I had to brighten it to the max so the bolts and wire could be seen. By the way, do not use single strand picture hanging wire. Use twisted strand stainless steel wire. You can also see that the fiberglass panel goes up at about a 45 degree angle where it meets the frame. Follow that up and you'll see, if you look carefully the two bolts that fasten the assembly to the trailer. The wire goes up and around those bolts and then down the other side. This is what keeps the plate attached to the trailer should the fiberglass panel break.

Seems to me that the cost of the wrap might exceed the value of the boat. The gel coat looking awful is a cosmetic thing. Have you tried buffing or having someone buff the gel coat? Chances are it will not be perfect, but you might find it acceptable. It might be beyond salvaging the appearance of the gel coat. Try an area that will be less obvious should it not work. Put that wrap money into a boat fund to eventually replace your boat.

Torque lock. That's what can happen when you use park to keep your car from rolling down a hill. Every owner's manual I've read tells you to set your parking brake, then put it in park. Don't use the parking brake first, and you may find you cannot turn the key because of torque lock. Torque Lock Buick Rainier / Buick Rainier Owners Manual / Features and Controls / Starting and Operating Your Vehicle / Shifting Into Park (P) / Torque Lock If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in the transmission. You may find it difficult to pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.” To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s seat. When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of PARK (P) before you release the parking brake. If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P). Sounds like you need a different trailer.

Plus this The seasoning can be used on meats (beef, pork, poultry, fish), veggies, soups, salads, etc. Not sure about using it on desserts. Sprinkle generously and rub for meats. For the sweet corn, carefully peel back the husks, brush on your favorite olive oil, sprinkle the seasoning, pull the husks back over the corn and rotate frequently at about 45 degrees per turn. The ribeyes were grilled about five minutes on each side, and the corn rotated every minute or two. When the steak is cooked, the corn is cooked.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that is a raft. The giveaway for me is the two wood poles sticking up, over the raft at the same angle. I would think those poles are the propulsion system for the vessel. Are they used to "pole" the raft or used to "scull" the raft? That's the question.

Ahhh, the best all around boat. Not a new concept however. Also known as "a floating saucer". The precursor to the jon boat can be seen between the saucer and the log pile. Wait, that "log pile" may be a raft.

I've never been there, but I've heard good things about this place. Bob's Bait and Tackle and Hobby Shop 235 Whittenton St. Taunton, MA 02780 (508) 967-7095 Oops, just noticed this might be a jaunt for you. But, it might help some from this neck of the woods. My head is still numb from the drive home. My wife and I left Decatur (southeast of Atlanta) at 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Got home just after midnight this morning, a nearly 1200 mile drive. I had to do all the night driving. My wife has cataracts which seriously impair night vision. Surgery to correct the problem is not far away.