Lund Explorer

With any luck, the female of the species will see this and RUN AWAY!

Another vote for the 24 volt system. It's not just a matter of pounds of thrust, but how many amps drawn per/pound of thrust. A 24 volt system will draw less overall amps per/pound than a 12 volt system. Longer battery life gives you more time on the water even if you never need the max power of a 24 volt. Staying with a 24 volt system, you DO NOT want to use your cranking battery as a power source for the trolling motor. There's nothing worse than ending your day with the click, click sound of a drawn down cranking battery! Buy the third battery and you won't have to worry about that.

In this area both bass and crappie are natural co-habitants in most lakes. In the few lakes where I know that crappie have been introduced by man, as their population grows, the quality of bass and bluegill have suffered. Crappie are not only successful nest raiders, but also feed on the same forage base that smaller bass and/or larger bluegill feed on. I would think that it is this competition for a forage base that reduces the bass' ability to grow to its potential.

I chose my user name so that it was easy for people to recognize me. Example: At last year's roadtrip I was sitting on my cabin's porch enjoying a tall and frosty when Long Mike arrived. He stopped in front of the cabin, looked at me, looked at the boat, looked back at me, and called me by name. It's gratifying when you can help out the old folks!

Yup, made in the USA. With Fuji guides!

The problem and possible causes you are describing simply don't make a whole lot of sense. To begin with, the use of fertilizer along the shoreline should provide the nutrients plant life needs without the use of sewage. Unless the bottom of the waterway has been recently dredged, it should already be fertile enough to support the weed growth it used to support. I suspect that what you are witnessing is the excessive use of weed killer by waterfront property owners. Your best bet would be to buy a Canadian license and start each trip with a boat ride to where the weeds are.

We have a river system here in Western Michigan where an inch of rain can produce an overflow of up to a million gallons of raw untreated sewage being dumped into it. It is by far, the least popular of all the tournament stops on this side of the state because the fishing generally stinks almost as bad as the water when you dare go near it. Every waterway if left in it's natural state can or is the home to certain species of fish that thrive in that environment. However, it is my humble opinion that introducing anything un-natural to those waters is wrong. It doesn't matter if it is an invasive such as a goby, zebra mussell, grass carp, or if it's something such as sewage, or another form of pollution such as fertilizer runoff from farms to front yards. Some of the very best fishing I have ever witnessed came from Canadian Shield lakes while some of the worst came from a time when Lake Erie was considered a dead cesspool. The fact that the latter has come back to rival the former in productivity is the result of people embracing the Greens rather than what I would call the Browns.

I'm afraid you can take me off the list of possible attendees. While you good people will be fishing in AL, I will be getting ready for the openning weekend of trout/walleye season. By the time the road trip announced, I had already needed to make reservations for that trip. The very best I could do now would be to leave on a Saturday only to head back home on Wednesday morning. I just can't see driving for 27 hours so that I could fish for 24. Perhaps next year's trip will fit into my schedule. An earlier announcement would help.

There's always the option to leave the oil in the cupboard. My favorite way to prepare bass/bluegill is very simple. Flour, Seasoned Salt, and Lemon Pepper mixed to taste. Dust the fish lightly, Frying pan set to 375, add a little butter, and then add the fish. 1 minute per/side and they are ready for the plate. Another option. Forget the flour and place fish on the George Forman grill. Fast, easy, and very little clean up.

So waht kind of prices are you guys getting for a prime pelt these days?

My thoughts and prayers go to all of Jack's family and friends today. Still missed.....

Sounds like it's time for the "Float -n- Fly".

Look at the bright side - You're dogs should be loving this weather!

If you'll remember, Japan survived Godzilla!

Is that because he came closer to 109.8 (psalms) than last week's 316? Like a cat, I think Tebow is going to land on his feet regardless of what he does.

As long as it don't kill you, it will make you stronger. If that doesn't work, you can always try to trade your woes for mine!

Frying fish isn't as easy as it sounds. All oils have a threshhold where excessive heat will start to breakdown/burn it and this burnt smell/taste will transfer to whatever food you are frying. Conversely, your oil needs to be hot enough so that when the food is placed into it, the hot oil seals the outside of the food prior to cooking it. If this sealing doesn't take place, the oil will seep into the food you're cooking. Perfectly fried foods should be somewhat crispy on the outside, completely cooked throughout, and have a light brown (almost tan) color to it. Any color lighter and the food may not be completely cooked. Any color darker than that means food that is either over-cooked, or oil that is beyond it's useful life. You shouldn't be able to taste the oil in the food. Your #1 goal should be to keep the temp of the oil at 350 when the fish is been put into it, and it needs to stay at that temp. That's the hardest part. You will need to have enough oil in pot/pan to cover the fish that you are cooking. You will also need to add only so much fish at any time to the pot/pan to make sure the oil stays at the proper temp. Putting too much food into the fryer will lower the oil's temp causing some of the problems above. In a deep fryer the signal that the fish is done is "when it floats". In a shallower pan this may not happen. From my experience, 350 degree oil should only take 2-3 minutes to completely cook your filets. Most likely this will require a little practice for you to find the right balance of all these things to find the perfect balance. One final thought. Monitor the life of your oil. The stuff does get old and starts to break down with every usage, which leads to poor looking or tasting food. Also, using brand new "unseasoned" oil will lead to completely cooked food coming out almost white in color. The secret to perfect looking fried food is to save and then add a small portion of used oil to the pan anytime you are starting out with fresh oil. Just a hint of this old oil will provide for the coloration you are looking for without the old burnt taste. Sorry for the long reply, but I spent over two years standing in front of a commercial deep fryer for every Friday night fish fry at a local non-profit. I think it ruined me!

Come on A-Jay, you've got to get 4WD. Then I'll hope you never have my excuse for wimping out. Sorry guys, but family issues are going to keep me close to home this weekend. I have to keep telling myself that I'm building up some good karma by being the primary caregiver for a Mother suffering through a combination of COPD and Dementia/Alzheimers. We go through periodic bouts of panic attacks, and we're into the third straight day right now. Just can't see leaving right now.

I'm still planning on getting down there on Saturday, but won't know for sure until Friday afternoon. One last issue to clear up that just isn't in my control. I'll shoot you a PM once I know what's going on.

Locationist! I know those little buggers are down there. Prime structure with good cover will always hold fish so it is simply a matter of putting the proper lure within the bass' strike zone. When those fish are in a negative mood, that zone can be extremely small which can lead you to think that there aren't any fish in the area. Throughout the years, I've found that if the bass are turned off on one spot they will be turned off across the whole lake. With that in mind, there is little sense in thinking that moving is going to change your luck. I'm better off going vertical, slow, and small in hopes of bumping the noses of several fish than to spend that time running all over the lake. The only question I haven't figured out is how to deal with the opportunist sitting in the back of the boat!

At least you got some OT Pay coming in during the off season. Hope you can stash a little of it off to the side for a spring order from the bait monkey!

IMHO you left too many variables out of your post. What type of boat would you be putting this on, how much weight for fishermen and their gear to start with. You should be able to get the torque from Merc's website. The hole shot is going to vary widely by boat, prop, and the variables. I don't think a review from somebody with a boat only 2/3's your weight is going to help.

Did anyone else notice that the final AP poll shows that one clueless bozo actually gave LSU a 1st Place vote?

Darn, I missed the Chumpionship Game of the Century! Maybe someday we'll see a playoff system and teams that can't get over 100 yds of offense will be on the sidelines where they belong.

File name for that jpeg was "Ouch". That just about sums it up. It's hard to tell if the whole axle is gone though. Rhino is right about nuts and bolts. I've been involved with something that could have turned out just as bad. A friend of mine had the aluminum lug nuts loosen up on him. By the time we got pulled over to the side of the road, only one bolt had not been sheared off and the tire was NOT aligned with the hub. Fortunately for us, we were still within the city limits where speed was kept down. A guy could save a lot of time and money by using a checklist that covered things to look out for daily, weekly, monthly, and so on.