rboat

I have an older 1987 evinrude with the dark colored surface mount shift box on the right of the cockpit area. You have to pull the shift lever out and then move forward for fast idle warm up. You pull it back to neutral and it pops in for shifting. Lately it does not pop back in as quickly and seems to move more sluggish. I blamed it on cooler weather, but wondered if there is any cleaning or lubrication I can do inside this shift box to help without messing up something. I have never taken it apart and am not too mechanically inclined. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I got mine at walmart. I just picked out frames that were wraparound and a good seal to keep light out. They measured my eyes and took my prescription I got from my eye dr. I got polarized scratch resistant with a green/amber tint. Great for fishing and paid about 1/2 what the eye doc wanted. It only took about 5 days. I liked it so much I got a second pair the same way to keep in my truck. Good luck.

Bigbill, please let us know how this works. It looks very cool.

I know we were all new to boat launching at some point, but love to watch someone with a new boat try to figure out how to get that boat off the trailer without getting their new trailer tires wet. It is also fun, when their trailer is backed in too far and they can't figure out why the boat won't center on the trailer. Classic!

KVD is a guy who has won tournaments in all parts of the country, in all weather conditions, all water conditions, all different seasons, lakes, rivers, coastal areas, etc. He probably fishes more than most of us, because it is his job. It is not his gear, but his ability to read water and conditions related to bass movements very quickly. He simply knows where they are, which is the biggest part of the puzzle. I am not doubting anyone on this site because I know we have great anglers who help us with this crazy sport we all love, but sorry, my money would be on KVD. I know he would beat me, but it would be fun! Hey ESPN, I think we have a winner for a new reality show. I know it would be better than "Beat Charlie Moore."

I hope all tournaments go to this format. I have personally seen some big dead bass wash ashore after a major professional tournament. This would be a big step forward. Everyone has a camera on their phone and a scale in their boat so even small local tournaments could use this type of format. It could only improve fishing on pressured water for us and future generations.

Those look like lures called weed walkers made by Norman lures. Look it up on the internet and see. good luck.

1. Can you use a half of a senko or does it need to be z-man product? 2. What is the ideal weight for the jighead? 3. Is the bite hard to detect or do they slam it? 4. What is the best time to throw this ned rig presentation? Sorry, been wanting to give it a try, but needed more info. Thanks.

I fought the fish enough to get a good look at it. It was not a real big fish, maybe 3 - 4lbs., but I was still hoping to get it in the boat. A broken hook sure can be a real bummer.

Yea, sorry, I meant it was a 3/0 ewg. I snapped half way down the shank.

To be a bit more exact, the hook that broke on me was a regular Gamakatsu EWG # 3 red color and it was tied on 20lb braid on a medium power spinning rod in open water. I was just kind shocked because i have used the same setup for years and never had a hook break on a fish.

When I can't get bit and don't want to leave with that skunk feeling, I resort to what looks the most natural in the water. 1. That wonderful senko wiggle 2. A plastic worm on a split shot rig worked very slow. 3. A fluke always looks like a dying minnow, the way it darts and falls. Bass love a dying baitfish. 4. A soft body frog looks like the real deal. 5. A jig and craw trailer resembles a craw fish. If you think like a fish sometimes it seems to help. Good luck with the students, wish my school would have had a bass fishing class!

The other day bass started jumping around the boat chasing shad. I managed to catch a couple on a pop r before they quit jumping, but wondered if there is a better lure for that situation. Lets hear it. Thanks.

I hooked a nice bass the other day but half way in he got away. I thought he spit the hook but when I checked the hook was broken right in the middle. Never had that happen before. It was a good brand hook, I believe gamakatsu. I do leave hooks in my soft plastic baits, could the plastic or salt, scent stuff weaken the hooks. I know salt can corrode the metal, but weaken it enough to snap in half? Anyone ever had that happen? Thanks.

I think whoever the idiot is who came up with this legal nonsense should be caught and never released. No one has the right to tell you that you must kill a fish you caught. The bass would most likely slip out of my hands back into the water. You know they can be very slippery critters.

I saw these at BPS last weekend. They had them in the salt water area, but they make a 4" and 6" that should work for bass. It is a swimbait with a hard plastic head and soft plastic replaceable tails. It has a single hook that is positioned upright into the top of the bait. The single hook is on a leader of line, so when the fish bites the leader comes out so the fish cannot use the weight of the lure to free himself. After you unhook the fish, there is a small thumbwheel in the head of the lure to reel the leader back into fishing position. It looks a little bit like a gimmick, but seemed interesting. They were about $15 so I passed. Anyone try them and how did it work? If you did not grasp my description look them up "Spooltek Lures" What do you think?

Eric, Are the areas you fish private lakes and ponds and is there much fishing pressure in that area. I have been fishing around central Fl and never caught anything close to that. I do catch alot of nice fish, but I always fish on public lakes with boat ramps and more fishing and boating pressure. I do not target just large fish, but I wouldn't mind catching a big girl every once in a while. Thanks for any help you can give and keep the great pics coming.

Roger, It is sad, but with our jacked up judicial system, you must shoot to kill. otherwise the intruder will come back and sue you in court and probably win, even though he committed the crime and you were just trying to protect your property and your family. It happens all the time.

So what would be the ideal shot size for home defense. Something that will kill the bad guy, but not go through a wall and harm family? #3 shot or #4 shot or something else?

As a pro QB, Brady knew the balls were underinflated in the game. He did nothing about it. He gets no suspension, yet others are suspended for a whole season for stuff not done on the playing field and not football related.

Sure we all destroy our cellphones for no good reason, How much did Kraft pay the judge?

Thought this would be interesting. This will be a best guess for most of us. (Do not include soft plastics) 1. How many of your hard baits have never caught a fish? 2. How many of your hard baits have never been in the water? For me: 1. about 60 percent 2. about 25 percent Lets hear it.

I prefer to fish alone. It is my time to relax, enjoy nature, and fish where and how I want. I also like fishing with a friend. I always feel safer if someone is with me in case there is any mechanical problems or other trouble out on the water or roadways. Chatting with a friend while fishing is good for the soul.

I believe it will be from small private waters in Georgia or Florida. A drainage canal or maybe a golf course pond. I have seen very large bass in these areas, but they are posted no fishing.

Most hard jerkbaits that are around the 4 inch size come from the factory with 3 treble hooks. I find that this is kind of overkill. With all those hooks it makes unhooking and releasing more difficult. It also does more damage to the fish. Sometimes the middle treble will even get them in or around the eye. I have been experimenting with removing the middle treble hook. So far, it does not seem to alter the action of the bait, the depth, or the catch rate. It is easier to unhook them and less chance of sticking yourself. Anyone else do this or have any other feedback on this? Thanks.