Fishing Rhino

Which is more important to you, the "hole shot", or top end speed? As a rule, the more weight distributed to the stern, the faster the top end. The downside? It will take longer to get up on plane, and, it will settle in the rear, getting off plane, at a higher speed. The less wetted area, the faster the speed. This means "carrying" the bow higher, and out of the water. Weight toward the front is counterproductive for achieving maximum speed. You've got to experiment, to find out what works best for you.

The fish on your stomping grounds are breathing a sigh of relief. Here's hoping their relief is brief. Take care and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

How far back? In my kiddie years it was The Ink Spots, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, etc. In my high school years it was, Elvis, Ricky Nelson, The Platters, Danny and the Juniors, Frankie Avalon, The Everly Brothers, etc. In my kiddie years records were 78 rpm, breakable plastic discs. In my high school years the records were 45 rpm. Smaller in diameter with a larger center hole. Albums were 33 1/3 rpm. I've seen the progression from eight track players, to cassettes, to CDs, finally arriving at todays electronic storage devices. Back in the day, there were record players made specifically for cars. The pickup arm was balanced and held down by a spring so that it would play even on rough roads. Don't know how well it worked. Never been in a car that had one.

The only ones that qualify in Massachusetts are, or maybe were farmers and commercial fishermen. It's possible the regs have changed. The last time I filed for the tax rebate for commercial fishermen was in 1984. Since then, ?????

Tomorrow's assignment is to catch a fly with chopsticks.

I have a Mustang auto inflate, the original before they came out with the hydrostatic device. I'm in the minority, but I don't like it. I don't necessarily dislike it, but no matter how I adjust it, it kind of moves around on your body. Then, you also need to replace the CO2 cartridge every three years, if memory serves. Murphy's law: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong, at the most inopportune time. I have the type with three straps across the front. I can adjust it snugly. It will fit under my foul weather gear, or a jacket in cooler weather. If it's being worn, it cannot fail. It's also yellow, which does at least two things. It reflects the sun on hot days, and more importantly, should I end up in the drink, it's much more visible to any one who is rescuing me, or, recovering my body. Another important factor. It doesn't inhibit any body movements. The first thing I do when I step onto the boat is to put it on. When I'm fishing from my canoe, it goes on before I step into the boat. It comes off when I get out of the boat. Different strokes for different folks.

Hmmm..., if you're like me, the answer would be that it depends on who you ask.

Were you the guy who got zapped for trying to buy razor blades in that commercial? Or maybe the guy who got down to his skivvies in order to get razor blades?

Take it to a place that sells paint and other products to body shops. They should have pages of color samples. Usually it's an inch square or larger with a quarter inch hole in the center of the square. You place the square over the color on your boat. Repeat until the color of the boat in the center hole matches the surrounding color on the square. You may luck out and find a vendor who has the electronic gizmo which can scan a section of your hull, and then come up with the formula for producing a matching color. After doing that, the seventy dollar price from Express may seem quite reasonable, especially after you consider the time involved in doing all the leg work to find a matching color. Another option is to go to an auto parts store. Most of the larger chains have a pretty good selection of touch up paints with a small brush in the cap. You might also be able to find a matching color in fingernail polish. It's cheap. It comes with a built in brush. And, it's lacquer, so it should hold up reasonably well. You'll also have an ample supply of touch up for just a few bucks.

I doubt that paint remover would harm the gel coat. You can try acetone or lacquer thinner for starters. Gel coat is impervious to just about anything except some acids, and ultraviolet rays from the sun. It would help to know what type of paint you want to remove. You can even try paint stripper. I doubt that it would touch the gel coat, but you'd be wise to test a small, less noticable, area first. Use a Q tip and put a little on the paint that covers the ID number. As soon as it shows signs of bubbling or wrinkling wipe it off. Be sure to wear protective gloves, and safety goggles.

How do you do that? Run him through a Jack LaLanne power juicer?

For the sake of disclosure, I keep my Nitro in a garage attached to our house. No need to strip off the electronics or any other gear. Back it in the garage and close the door. Open all the hatches for ventilation, plug in the charger and that's it. I might give the storage a second thought if I had to park my boat in the yard, take off the expensive stuff, and put on a cover, then reverse the process to go fishing. It's handy to work on gear, organize or reorganize the gear, rain or shine. Different strokes for different folks.

Very nice, but I have to ask. What happened to the "t" at the end of your name? Your mom is Franchot in the article.

Shades of Drew Bledsoe. You might be onto something.

Don't you mean an angry mob with ladles?

Yes, wait until you see what that white finish looks like around the waterline after a season in the water. It will give you an appreciation for all the gunk that floats around on the surface of even the most pristine waters. It's nothing a few hours of cleaning and buffing can't remove. And, your boat cannot sink or take on water when it's on the trailer on dry ground. While you may not have to worry about what the ultraviolet rays may do to your white finish, any upholstery, carpet, and plastic windscreens are another matter. But, you can always buy a headlight restoration kit at the local auto parts store to make things right.

Usually, but in Raider's case .............................................................................

There used to be a gang of guys from RI a few years ago. Haven't seen a post from them in four or five years.

What's an "eletcricins"? Can't tell if you meant electricians, or cretins. Or, maybe both. I'm just not certain.

Since air has weight, why would he let out the air? Unless they are weighing the fish under water.

Not necessarily wrong. It depends on the individual situation. What you said about the SS prop's strength is correct. However, an SS prop usually provides improved performance, and better fuel mileage. Barring damage, the SS prop can save you money in the long run. It's a compromise. For example. You fish a shallow pond with a lot of sand bars without rocks, SS will be the way to go. It will stand up to sandbars and mudflats better than aluminum. If you fish where it's common to run into rocks, then aluminum might be better since it's less likely to tear up the innards of the lower unit.

I'm in a quandary. I don't know whether the following question should be asked here, or on the Dear Raider column. I'm wondering. When you moved up to Michigan, did the population in that vicinity decline, or will there be some "lag time" until folks realize you are living in their presence, resulting in their absence?

I have an ominous feeling that this thread has the potential to go the way of its older sibling about the same topic.

Along those lines, here is another conundrum. If there is a bus crash on the NC/SC border, where do they bury the survivors?

For the same reason that ships carry cargo, and trucks carry shipments.