rboat

I agree with this. If it has 3 trebles remove the middle one, otherwise smash barbs or go with barbless hooks.

Assuming you have fresh fuel with your favorite fuel cleaner mixed in, a 10 minute run at full throttle in warm weather should clean it out good.

I am not a mechanic, but I'm sure one will be along here shortly. I would first inspect the entire length of your throttle cable. Over the winter, small furry rodents love to chew on cables. Second check that the cable is properly connected to the throttle arm on the engine and that area is lubed and not binding. I would also spray some light oil on the ends of the throttle cable where it enters and exits the covering or sleeve. Sorry that's all I got. Good luck with correcting this problem.

If you could post a larger image with just a few at a time I'm sure myself and many others on this forum could identify them for you.

When I was very young, my dad and I went to a small lake that rented boats & motors just like the one in your picture. The guy loved those engines because they were reliable, pretty much bullet proof, so he never had to invest much to keep them running and he made a good living just renting those out. He had several and they were always rented so you had to be there early. As mentioned, they are kind of loud, so some ear plugs or ear muffs may help depending on run time. I would also check the trailer bearings before going too far. Old bearings, grease, and those tiny tires heat quickly and usually need yearly care for safe travel. Good luck, and catch some nice fish.

I tried several fluoro lines and had many break in different places. Since it is the only thing between you and a fish, I quit using it. If you have to baby it and be extra careful, count me out.

It is nice to see someone else has compassion for their catch. If the bleeding was not too bad, there is a pretty good chance of survival. After working in large aquariums for many years, I can tell you fish are very hardy animals. If he did not survive, depending where you live, you probably fed another one of gods creatures. (turtles, birds, or other fish) Nothing in nature is truly wasted. Sometimes a deep hook happens. Crushing barbs, circle hooks, larger hooks, or cutting hooks will normally increase the survival rate. Senkos are usually swallowed quickly by hungry bass.

Not sure if it's a secret, but I did see a kid doing pretty good at a local pond and he actually was using gummy worms. He used em t-rigged and snacked a couple himself. I was impressed.

This does happen way too much, with me it is normally some tool on a jet ski trying to show off, or a giant boat coming close and causing huge ways to crash over my deck. I always conceal carry, but brandishing a gun my just get you killed. I write down the numbers on their vessel and have the G & F office on speed dial. When I call, they take down all the information on the unsafe boater, description, where, when, etc. I do not know if they actually do anything, but it makes me feel better.

Wow nice fish! Those are real beauties. Did you get them in S Florida?

Was playing with an H2O reel at Academy the other day. It was very smooth and seemed extremely familiar. Does one of the big names make these for Academy? Thanks.

Yes, like rust, corrosion, or just dull and not like new. I try to clean old lures I might buy and some I find. Most of my lures stay pretty clean. Thanks.

Does anyone have a good way to clean old lures? Dish soap is mild and seems to do a pretty good job on the painted surfaces. I have not found anything that cleans and shines metal lips and metal hook hangers. Let me know if you have a good solution for the metal parts and how you clean painted bodies. Thanks.

I recommend Tim Hughes. He painted some lures for me and they were perfect.

I have an older late 80's two stroke 4 cylinder 88hp Evinrude Engine. I always premix the gas and oil 50 to 1 like it asks for. On startup, and for a while it smokes blue clouds pretty good. Is this normal and ok? Should I mix with less oil or would that just cause more wear? I usually mix in a little seafoam with each tank for cleaning and stabiling the fuel. After running awhile the smoke dies down to a more normal 2 stroke level. I only get out a couple times per month. Does sitting around cause more oil burn at start up? My friend says a blue cloud is good because you know the engine is getting sufficient lubrication. The smoke seems a bit excessive to me. Any thoughts from you engine gurus? Thanks.

Tried both the 90 and 130 size. I like the 90, but you have to hold your rod up and reel faster on the smaller size to get the same action. Had no takers, but it was extremely windy and maybe not the best conditions for topwater. So, for now just another tool in the box.

Great action, but I believe it is simply too big and bulky. The northern folks may find it works well for muskies. If they can make a smaller version without ruining the action, it may be game on.

That is terrible. Glad your brother is ok. I hope you can take him fishing again at some point. I keep the local G&F number in my phone and have reported idiots several times. I take down the vessel numbers on the side of the jet ski or boat and report that. They take the reports seriously and and always thank me for reporting it. I am not sure what they do after that, but it helps me feel better, just maybe, it will prevent a dangerous situation from happening to someone else.

If you have a decent ramp and the area is not in a drought situation. You should be able to drive right on using very little power. You can't be afraid to get the rear tires on the tow vehicle wet. As said earlier, make sure the ramp is long enough and does not drop off. If low water or questionable ramp, I have used the winch normally for the last foot or so.

Those Japanese boats look really neat. I normally fish alone anyhow. Easy for one guy to load and unload. Should tow with a smaller vehicle and better gas mileage. It easily fits in the garage. Being fiberglass it would be heavier than tin, so may handle wind a bit better. The big downside is $$$$$$ and probably limited storage for gear.

Thanks Molay, I guess I missed that thread.

I have been looking at the evergreen shower blows lure. Seems it may work for walking and popping. Anyone share your experience and what size do you recommend? Thanks.

Sorry S. Sass, I did not mean to offend. I was not parading misinformation, simply an opinion. For every bass that is kept, there is one less bass in the world, to spawn and be caught again by another angler. To me that is a negative. Again my opinion. Also, anyone speeding in unsafe conditions, no matter the reason, is endangering their life and other innocent travelers. Again my opinion.

Here is my humble opinion. Please don't be a hater. Around here predators eat so many bass, that fisherman are not needed to control populations. I hear many say, if its legal to keep bass, then it's ok. Have any of you ever questioned who made the law on the size and number to keep? Are all lakes and rivers the same in your state so that the law will work perfect for every body of water? How often is the law checked or amended? The DNR in most states is highly under staffed due to budget cuts and they have a hard time checking bass populations to ensure the laws are working properly. Each year we see mother nature control bass populations through predators, lack of food, floods, drought, extreme heat, or extreme cold. I am not saying laws are not needed, They are. I simply state that because it is legal, that does not always mean it is the right thing to do. The highway speed limit is 70 mph all year. If the highway is icy, 70 mph may not be the right thing to do, but legally you could. I do not keep any bass. I enjoy this sport to much to negatively affect it. If you need to fish to feed your family, panfish are more abundant and easier to catch and because they are smaller, will have less toxins due to bioaccumulation than their larger cousins. If you want to keep bass that is solely up to you. I have heard results of water testing on some of our lakes and i would not recommend keeping and eating any of those fish. You may glow in the dark or grow some extra eyes.

Zman tube looks good, By the way any of you lucky guys in the industry that are going to Icast, if you have an extra ticket for a guest, I would love to go. Please let me know.