dulouz

I really like the way the site is organized. I have tried looking at sites devoted to other fish species and boating, but have found the sites were very disorganized. On BR I know exactly where to look for information and advice.

I was picking the brain of a friend who grew up in Wisconsin and would fish the Mississippi all year long, pushing his boat across the ice to get to the main channel. My question was, how do you keep the water from freezing in the motor. First he said he kept the boat in a headed garage. Secondly (and this is what concerns me) he would run the motor for 7 seconds OUT OF THE WATER do run the water out of it. He says it doesn't hurt the motor. What do you guys think?

Some people make their own out of PVC. I haven't done it myself, but I have seen several designs on the web.

During the fishing season I keep my rods in a vertical rod rack in the garage. I considered some of the racks at BPS and the ones that looked nice in the catalogue looked very cheap and over priced in the store. What I did was bought the replacement clips for those racks and built my own out of solid oak that I had leftover from another project. In the off season I put my good rods in one of those Berkley rod holders, with the reels removed. As for the less expensive rods, I put 2x4s between the floor joists in my basement and slide them up there.

I throw mine away so I am not reminded about how much they keep going up every year.

I always saw adulthood as something I would enter into with some sort of event or dramtic shift in mindset. I am 34 and so far it hasn't happened yet. Inspite of having a mortgage, a job, and children I still don't feel like an adult. I still have my ear peirced, I never comb my hair, and avoid shaving and tucking in my shirt whenever I can. Yes there are times I would like to dye my hair some crazy color, or do something totally outrageous without a thought of what the consequences might be. But I don't because I shouldn't, so maybe I am an adult afterall. Perhaps that moment was when I quit the band becuase my family was more important. I really am sounding grown up...

I will tell you what I was told before I got married, "Don't do it!" I had random strangers tell me this when they heard I was getting married. I didn't get it then, but I do now after 11 years.

I like most everything: jazz, blues, country, folk, bluegrass, rock, reggae, classical, r&b, soul, funk, world music, zydeco/cajun, etc.... I have been listening to ska lately: Might Mighty Bosstones, Save Ferris, Reel Big Fish, No Doubt (not pure ska really, but cool nonetheless). Also Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Amy Winehouse have been in rotation a lot for me.

When I fish from shore, I try to cast paralell to the shore so that I can walk around the other side of the snag and pull it back from the direction it came. Another trick that sometimes works is to let out a bit of line, pull it tight and then let it snap loose. You can also reel down your rod to the lure, but be carefull not to bust out your tip (I have done it!). I tried the sparkplug/swivel trick and that worked a few times until it didn't and I lost it. Also remember to choose your lures wisely. Don't use deep diving cranks if you have shallow water by the shore. Hope some of these ideas help.

Let me preface this again by saying this isn't my boat, and it was purchased by on a whim by my father in law. You mention the livewell, I have never filled it and wouldn't know how if I wanted to. In the deck there is a round trap door, underneath it is a pair of hoses each with a valve that run in the direction of the livewell. If one of these valves were in the wrong position, would that send or let water flow freely into the hull?

So do you attach the spark plug to a cord? or does it just come up with the lure?

I have that trouble with one of my rods. The reel is bigger than my others, that combined with the particular design of the grip puts awkward pressure on my finger and it starts to hurt after a while. I find just changing my grip a bit helps.

No problem.

Yeah, craigslist led me to junk that was overpriced. Keep an eye out, and if you see something that looks promising ask about it, even if it doesn't have "for sale" sign. I found mine that way. It was sitting in someone's driveway outside of town and I stopped to ask about it. The guy hadn't planned on selling it, but since I wanted it he did. It needed some modifications to fit my boat, new lights, a paint job, and a few other minor things. It also had a brand new spare. I paid $125. Considering how much a new trailer would be, I consider that a steal.

It wasn't too long of a fight. I was using a med/fast baitcast with 20lb PP, so I brought it in pretty fast. I caught it with a red craw/black back crank. I don't know what brand it was, but it is similar to a bandit 200 series. I caught a northern once that was at least that big, and man THAT was a fight!

I caught this beauty this morning. 6lbs, 24".

I took the boat out today and it didn't seem to be leaking too bad until the whole family was in the back of the boat. I noticed water dripping from the keel ( not sure if this is the correct term, it was the metal rib down the center of the underside of the boat) from a hole that looked like it was made to be there. Any ideas???

I busted the ring out of my tip last weekend trying to free a DT6 from the rocks, which in the end cut my line anyway. So what would you guys recommend for freeing cranks from rocks?

I use it on everything all the time. If I am fishing jigs in rocks I will put on a mono leader due to abrasion.

It isn't much, but it is my first boat and I am very proud of it. It is a 1962 Seamaid 12' Aluminum V, with a 6hp 1968 Johnson and BPS Prowler trolling motor.

That water in the motor and overnight temps is exactly what I was worried about. I usually do tip the motor down when I first pull off the ramp, and then tip it up and put my transom saver in before I hit the road. Once I get home I tip it down again for storage through the week.

I hate to think about it, but one of these days I am going to have to put my boat away for the season. At what point do I need to winterize? It is a small boat, so basically it is the motor I am concerned with. Will freezing temps at night harm the motor?

Shallow/square bill cranks. Spinnerbaits.

I would be happy if I had the time to fish all of the places around where I live.

What do you guys use to keep the liver on the hook? Everytime I try using liver it flies off when I cast.