Fishing Rhino

The Furuno I have, but do not plan to use, had a zoom feature which displayed the bottom as a straight line regardless of contours. That makes it possible to greatly "expand" the bottom echo, greatly magnifying even subtle differences in bottom composition. Definition is definitely important, and I do want the larger display, for the reasons stated by others. I really appreciate the input. Keep it coming. I have no brand loyalty, and an open mind. Plan to go to BPS later this week to scope out the electronics.

I may have space for a roomie, but definitely have room for another passenger or two. If anyone wants to share a ride, I'll be traveling from MA to Pickwick via I 95 to the NY Turnpike, rt78 from the pike at Trenton to 81 in Pa. From there, south to I-40 in Tennessee, and westerly from there to Pickwick. Get off I-40, and follow a few highways to Pickwick.

Room.

I'm willing to spend two to three thousand on the electronics. I'll sacrifice on the boat, type, size, horsepower, and speed. From past experience as a commercial lobsterman, electronics, particularly for reading the bottom as to type, structure, etc., is of the utmost importance. Good electronics, and using them properly makes for a more successful fisherman. The boat, not so much of a factor. It's just a platform to get you to where the fish are.

It looks like there will be an addition to my fleet, currently consisting of two canoes. My priority is the electronics. I want to get a GPS mapping, bottom reading sounder, and a side scanning unit. The electronics are more important in my overall scheme of things. An adequate boat with good electronics should result in better fishing than a better boat with lesser electronics. I have a color sounder from my lobstering days, but it is a CRT Furuno. It's a good unit, with surface temp and over the water speed capability. It produces an excellent image. The downside is that it is heavy, and takes a lot more electricity to operate. Not a problem on a lobster boat with a 150 amp alternator, and a standard automotive type alternator, and three 8D Rolls Surrette batteries that weigh nearly 200 pounds each. So, I'm looking for input from those with experience using the current units that are available, and the pros and cons of each. I've done well finding bottom with my 99 dollar Eagle Cuda, powered by 8 AA batteries. I'm setting my sights higher, and want to be able to fish unknown waters without fishing blind. The wise council of experienced hands will be greatly appreciated.

Get rid of cable. Go with satellite. We had one of the worst, Charter. When we got an hd tv, I called to see when they would offer hd programming in our town, and was told it wasn't even on the radar screen. OK, thanks, I'll get Dish or Direct, and also get channels we have wanted but you don't offer. Got Dish installed and told Charter to discontinue their service, except for broadband. By the time Westport gets the latest technology from phone or cable, other communities are switching to newer technology. We are the ugly step sister when it comes to electronic wire services. Regarding WFN. It may only be broadcast in hd. Cannot get it on the other two non hd televisions.

I didn't realize they could charge a fee for a check on one of their accounts, whether or not the person cashing the check has an account at said bank.

Speed changers operating on the pulley system have been around for ages. I started working in a woodworking shop in 1964. In the finish department there was a track system for staining and sealing various items. An item would be dipped in the stain, and hung on the conveyor system. Further down the line, the item would be removed, dunked into sealer, then hung on the moving conveyor. A trough was placed beneath so the runoff from the item would drain back into the dip tank. There was a speed changer consisting of two pulleys. One was spring loaded, and the other adjustable. The spring loaded controlled the tension and was self adjusting to adapt to the other pulley's setting. It would never have worked in a vehicle since it could not have handled the horsepower. Developing the materials to handle the horsepower is always the limiting factor in this type of pulley system.

Here's an article about one type of CVT with a photo of its innards. http://cars.about.com/od/thingsyouneedtoknow/a/CVT.htm

Jigs ShakE2 Jig Head by Evolution with a Strike King 3X finesse worm Drop shot Wacky worm Spinnerbait or chatterfrog I hardly used spinnerbaits or chatterfrogs this past year. The year before, they were my best producers. Their place in the list is a sentimental choice. If next year is like this year, I suspect there will be revisions to the list as I learn more.

Any idea when the registration forms will be available?

Much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with Mike. ;D 99.9% of what you're reading here is B.S and kidding around. As FF15 said, moderation. Besides, who wants to go fishing with a hangover. This will be my second trip and I can assure you that Mike was not the only one to hit the hay by 10:00. Most guys called it a day early and hit the water pretty early. I got to know alot of great people at the last trip and hope to meet more at this one. I'm a teetotaler, and not deterred in the least by the talk about drinking. You guys would be hard pressed to beat the fellows I used to play golf with on an annual golf trip to Arizona. Won't put up the photo, but these are their addresses. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q155/HomarusAmericanus/Picture016.jpg http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q155/HomarusAmericanus/Picture091.jpg

I like that photo. Reminds me of my childhood. There was a pond in Swansea where we lived that was formed by a mill dam. Don't recall if it was a drought or they had to work on the dam, but it looked much like those "gutters" as we old salts call them, just not as rocky. The bottom was primarily mud. When it was exposed and dried, large cracks formed in the surface. All that remained in the upper portions of the pond was a tiny creek that you could jump across. Near the dam, there was a good sized pool. Wish I'd have known then what I know now. Just about all the fish must have been in that pool. As kids, we were more interested in exploring the exposed areas, because they were usually out of sight. I can still see that little crick winding its way from its source to the dam. Same thing in Westport. A mill pond was drained down to make some repairs to the dam. It was a smaller pond, but to a ten or twelve year old kid, it was a great attraction. The creek bed was larger than the first pond. Frogs and turtles could be easily found, and black clouds of small catfish, about an inch or so long, could be seen as you walked along the edges of the channel.

The other day, my wife and I were at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I came across a section that had plastic storage boxes in a myriad of sizes. They were not with the food storage plastic containers. They were over near the towels in the store near here. They aren't suitable for boat storage. They are too flimsy, but they do have covers, so they can be stacked. A lot of sizes, some perfect for the plastic worm, lizard, creature type baits. They are clear, and they are cheap. A box the right size for the plastic baits costs about a buck. It will easily hold 20 or 25 bags, maybe more. Another good feature is that they will nest. Convenient to have a few extras just for future reference.

Consider yourself lucky. I'm an idiot most of the time. Some would say all the time, and those are my so-called friends.

The ShakE2 jig head with a four inch (it's actually longer) Strike King finesse worm in the coppertruese color. The SK finesse worm takes a bit of preparation, since it's impossible to get the holder barb on the jig to pierce the head. I heat a safety pin with a candle then pierce it along the centerline to a depth of 3/4 to 1 inch. That allows it to slide onto the barb used for weedless rigging. Then a drop of super or wacky glue to hold it in place. You can fish that sucker and never have to change the worm, no matter how many fish you catch. I've caught in the mid twenties, most of them good sized large mouths up to five pounds plus, before I lost the rig to a hang on the bottom. The worm is indestructible. And, it catches plenty of fish. It's a floater.

The bucket is also great for storing odds and ends. I keep my small mushroom anchor in the bucket when neither is in use. I also use the bucket as a trash receptacle for line that I have trimmed, torn up plastic baits, sandwich baggies, empty beverage containers, etc. It's always used for something, even if not its primary purpose.

These are the worst. Cormorants. Heron, osprey, egrets, etc., are not found in density like cormorants. They seem to be territorial and any given body of water will have a limited amount of them per acre, foot of shoreline or whatever measure is appropriate. Cormorants will reside in huge flocks until the food supply is diminished. Something they can do in a hurry. I may be wrong, but I consider the presence of osprey, heron, egrets, and kingfishers to be a good sign. It shows an abundance of small fish upon which they feed to be plentiful. The osprey is capable of taking larger fish as well but they are territorial, and will protect their space from other osprey. I'd be extremely concerned if they were to vanish from my favorite pond. Not so with cormorants. They will group together like seagulls at a dump, until they decimate a place.

The velcro solution looks like a simple fix. I'm a bit of a bull in a China shop. Even one loose pole sitting on the rails is likely to get swatted over the side. I pictured some type of vertical pole holder that loads from the side toward the center of the boat. One suggestion for loading the rods, if you wanted to carry that many, alternate the rods, tip to butt, and stagger them a bit so the reels aren't side by each. In the photo below, if you look closely, you'll see the reels are staggered. It's the only way I could carry that many rods without the gear clanking together. Try a five gallon bucket to slow your drift, and keep the boat in line. It works well for the canoe in the photo above. The slightest breeze can make that spin like a frisbee. It has no keel. If the bucket provides too much resistance, drill some holes in the bucket to reduce drag. I drilled three holes in the rim and made a cord harness, rather than tying directly to the bail. The bail may work as well, but I like the looks of the harness better.

They will also eat mussels/clams. The pond I fish regularly seems to have many otters. I've seen them everywhere except the east shore, but they must be there as well. In the spring, before the purple loosestrife comes back to life, there are piles of the clam shells on top of the dormant vegetation. They also pluck the new shoots of water hyacinth and eat the bulbs at the bottom. At first I thought it was the work of muskrats until I saw an otter with a paw full of the plants happily munching away at the bottom, then discarding the unwanted stem.

May be? May be not! Not yet, anyway. I hope not. The registration form is not available, unless I've missed it.

My wife and I went to our younger daughter's home in Georgia for Thanksgiving. She operates a kennel and dog training facility about forty miles west of Atlanta, close to Alabama. Behind her home is a small pond of three or four acres. She has an old Bass Hunter boat that is rarely used. So, we loaded my pickup with our two dogs, luggage, their crates, and my spinning rods and gear. The pond was created years ago when an earthen dam was made to contain the waters of a small feeder stream. The top of the dam is an access road to homes on the other side of the pond. A culvert beneath the dam allows the water to flow. On the pond side the culvert has a vertical pipe which establishes the water height. Trees were cut prior to the building of the dam, so there are stumps which are visible only during times of little rainfall and the pond level drops. Maximum depth at the creek bed is guesstimated at about eight feet. Bottom is fairly smooth with grasses and other vegetation. I was told the largest bass in the pond were two to three pounders, which is fine for the size and convenience of access to it. But this is really about the boat. I consider it to be ideal for this type of fishing. It is comfortable, reasonably stable, and has plenty of room for gear, a cooler, battery and trolling motor. For two hefty guys, it will be maxed out, and maybe overloaded since its capacity is 575 pounds. The sliding seats are very comfortable, and, a nice height. They also swivel which is a big plus. They also hold their place very well, and can be easily adjusted if needed. A couple of rods can be stored, very carefully on each side. I'd prefer some type of higher outboard retainers, since a single, hasty, careless move could dump a rod or two over the side. A couple of built in hooks for a bungee would go a long way to reduce the likelihood of that happening. In a pond this small, paddling is ok. But on larger waters, a trolling motor would be essential. it paddles like a barge. In that regard, a trolling motor can be mounted at either the bow or stern. The boat would be an ideal starter boat for an individual, or a couple of small kids. While two can fish from it, extreme caution must be used, simply because of the close proximity of two adults. It may be best to have the seats facing each other. It will provide a bit more distance between the fishermen, and provide more convenient access to all the gear, beverages, and food on board. It will definitely require strategizing the amount of gear you carry on board. On tiny ponds this isn't a problem since you can duck back to the shore to grab something you didn't bring. It is easy to "beach" this boat, and step off the front onto the shore. Easy to launch and load as well with the bow close enough to step onto it from dry land. Will it replace my canoes? No, but in some circumstances it would be superior to them, and I can see one of these in my future. There are a couple of ponds that I fish where it would be better than a canoe. In calm water, there is no problem. But, I suspect that in even a moderate chop water would splash into it, necessitating some bailing, or a small bilge pump to remove it. Did I catch one of those two or three pound bass that I was told inhabit the pond. No, but I did catch a four and a half pounder, three about a half to three quarters of a pound, and one dink. Next time I/we go to Georgia, I'll bring my Eagle Cuda to scope out the bottom depths. I'm fairly confident that a larger bass or two inhabit the pond. It has a pair of herons, and a few kingfishers around the pond which tells me there are more than a scattered few fish that bass need to grow to larger sizes. This is the pond, viewed from our daughter's home at sunrise. They call it a lake.

There's only one correct answer. It has to be New London.

Nope, it's not cheating. When I lived on Cape Cod, we'd go to Salt Pond with a minnow seine and catch some nice fat chubs. They also make excellent bait for fluke. The thing about the chubs is they are tough and hardy. They don't require a lot of care. You can tote 'em in a bucket to the pond, then put them into a bait bucket that floats in the water. Never had one die. I'm not sure, because it's been a long time, but they may be one of the species of fish that can gulp air. Had a ball fishing them in Horseleach Pond in either Wellfleet or Truro. It did seem a bit like cheating, but we fished out of a 12 foot Sears jon boat which was propelled by oars. Tell me which has the advantage. A guy in a rowboat using live bait, or the guy who has a full fledged bass boat, with 250 horsepower hanging on the stern, a trolling motor on the bow, a dozen or more rods, rigged and ready, and electronics that can tell him all about the bottom below and to the sides of the boat. One guy goes to the pond with an investment of a few hundred dollars, while the other can have over fifty thousand dollars. I'll instigate a bit, because I cannot resist. The guy with the fifty thousand dollars won't use a landing net, because it ain't sporting.

That may be true, but once you learn 2 + 2 = 4, you don't need to learn it again. Ok, now I've learned to be patient, why keep repeating the lesson?