George Welcome

A more efficient and less messy way is to simply get your fish from a fish store.

Bobby, Gecko, GEICO is notoriously high priced. Try either Boat US or Progressive for non-commercial use. A not-for-hire boat is just that regardless of how many decals are displayed. If you did need commercial this is who I use: http://www.charterlakes.com/

See now: I could fire back that your choice is rediculous as well as your claims but I won't. I don't worry about state certification, but rather IGFA certification. I prefer a scale that is non-temperature reliant, non-battery reliant, and able to stand up in the harsh enviornment that I operate in. I also prefer a scale that cannot be influenced by outside sources such as cell phones and such. I prefer a scale that is as accurate five years from now as it is today. Actually the Salter is a good scale as long as you keep it protected from the elements.

If you want accuracy don't go digital. Boga Grip is spring loaded and highly accurate.

Mike, Thermoclines occur in shallow as well as deep water. It is simply the area where a large temperature change occurs within a small distance. I have seen it in water as shallow as 6 feet, and of course in deeper water. Almost anyone that has swam in a lake has experienced passing though this change. Usually the majority of the water is below the thermocline. In deeper water situations this can drastically affect the fishing as the DO drops as well as the temperature below a thermocline.

From the point of more water covered, the Swimming Senko outperforms the Senko. On that basis alone, the Swimming Senko is going to produce more fish. Things other than the obvious differences: The Swimming Senko is made of a tougher formula and will out last a Senko. We average far more fish per bait with the Swimming Senko. The bait requires a different rigging because of the difference in texture, in order to get a sound hook set. We Tex-pose and skin hook the bait as well as use weight in most applications. We use a bigger hook for the Swimming Senko: 4/0 EWG. We seldom hop or drag the Swimming Senko. We vary the speed of retrieve based on depth of water and the day's preference that we get from the bass's feedback. The hit is similar to that of a slow-rolled spinner bait in that many times there is just an increased resistance against the retrieve. Although both baits have their more appropriate time of usage, the Swimming Senko will fit more windows of opportunity. NOTE: This bait is designed to run in an erratic fashion. The twisting is part of what makes it perform as well as it does.

"You are not rigging it correctly. George Welcome fishes the Swimming Senko with some success down your way." Right now the Swimming Senko is accounting for 50-100 bass per day on most days. Tails warped? Won't run true? The bait is supposed to be erratic, not run like a submarine on a wire. Swimming Senko bass

Minn Kota power heads carry a ground wire to a circuit to reduce rf noise. If you use the same battery to start your big motor on your trolling motor you will instantly short out the circuit board which will feed 12 volts directly to the case of the motor. This creates instant electrolysis. Do not use the same battery for both applications. It is not so simple as a noise filter. If you want to bypass this setup so as to use one battery. Remove the cover and cut the green wire that you will find coming up the shaft. I am only telling you how - I am not recommending that you do it.

Don't overlook the obvious! Bass are not the only spawners in bass spawn territory, nor are they the last to spawn in those areas. Easy pickings makes the spawning areas an excellent place for spawned out and recovered bass. As well as following back to pre-spawn and deeper areas, be sure to check in the vicinity of spawning beds. Top water makes an excellent bait at this time, as does swimming baits.

The first word to eliminate from your fishing vocabulary: RULE! When it comes to chasing bass the only absolute is that your bait has to be in the water. Try that top water any time you want - you just might find it working.

"The weight difference in the two sizes of OB is not enough to cause the bowing." Over 60 pounds differnce between those two motors. If you have to ask it's time to get a professional to do the job. Not a simple task at all!

"It just takes time." And that's the truth. The more often you go, the better she will get.

It is more than likely under the rub rail on the right rear of the boat.

http://www.identicards.com/ Check this page - they have all kinds of stuff on the subject.

It was in total agreement with your thoughts, and to add emphasis that I wrote.

"Hate to be this way, but Memorial Day has become another "Commercialized Holiday" that most Americans do not even know why we have this holiday" Unfortunately, this as all national holidays, has come to represent sales days and shopping for most. The day of memorial services for those that made the extreme sacrifice is mostly a thing of the past. Take a moment and offer a remembrance not only for those we lost in all our wars and actions, but also remember that those left behind have also made an extreme sacrifice. To all those many parents, sisters, brothers, and family members, have as good a day as you can, and remember that we share your pain of loss with you.

There are two days declared to honor veterans of wars, and actions, past and present. Memorial Day, (Decoration Day when I was young), is celebrated on the last Monday in May, and it is the day to remember and honor those that gave the supreme sacrifice for our actions and beliefs. The loss of any life is a sad and tragic occurence, however the loss of life in defense of our nation's actions or war is even more so. Veteran's Day, November 11th, is the day to remember all veterans and the sacrifices that they made.

Of course people use float tubes here, and they swim, and they water ski, and they scuba dive. Obviously a little selective reasoning is called for here, but to not use the fresh waters of Florida is absurd.

Bass have to become conditioned to baits, otherwise how would the bait companies sell that new and exciting bait.

"(Bass are predators and like all predators there is a pecking order where the best locations are dominated by the fittest)" So much is assumed in the above statement. Yesterday's trip ended with the count at 107 caught, with 7 of them reaching over 7 pounds. Big ones, little ones, all in the same area. Hmmmmm?

Spring and fall here, possibly only spring where you are.

Two batteries parallel and then those two in series to the third. That will increase amp hour for the parallel batteries but I don't know about the disparity of the setup in series. It is generally recommended that batteries in a pack have the same capacity, both in voltage and amp hours.

Our bass appreciate deet as it keeps the mosquitos from biting. They like a liberal application of suntan lotion also as it helps contain the advancement of cancer. http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/DEETtech.pdf The problem with most areas of questionability is that most people would rather read the Readers Digest version to answer a question than the actual scientific studies performed. Again, my answer to the posed question is: NO!

Did the tests read also indicate that when we do an autopsy we find flip-tops from cans, shells, sticks, stones, weights, and most small things found in the lake?

Mike, I was going to say the same thing about Bienville, but after reviewing their site, I found that they are now stating that their is no unaccompanied fishing. If you don't wish to have a guide you need to pay a lease fee on your lake of choice, which goes as high as $3000, for Purvis.