Traveler2586

Big O, Your setting on some $$$$. Up in MD, DC, VA, plant nursery's get $5.00 for each small plant; we put them in our ponds to look nice. Up here they don't winter over, so we buy them each year. Look around in your area, people have ponds everywhere and like exotic plants that flower. You could harvest the plants and supply them to the nursery's up north; and clean up your goof at the same time.

Airborne, I wouldn't worry about micro organisms on tackle, there's not much you can do about them even if you could find them, but I would worry about dried plant matter (Biomass); but a general inspection of the bait as you tie it on should reveal any hitch hikers. Anglers carry such a wide verity of articles with them, any one of which could carry something that could have an ill effect on someone or some thing. Take the angler himself; we carry some 10,000 known microbes on or in our body's. Ref:http://www.wtop.com/267/2902122/10000-germ-species-live-in-and-on-healthy-people But that doesn't mean we have to stay off the water. Nature has a way of taking care of herself in most cases.

Reminds me of Baghdad. A team mates bunk... My bunk (lower). My back pack. We would through these 9 mil at each other if we cracked a bad joke, or, wind.

They're talking about the "P" stream, it's an indicator that your water pump is functioning properly. When the motor is started cold the water pump supplies water pressure to the engine block, as the engine warms (same as a car engine) a thermostat opens allowing water to circulate through the engine block, it then exits via a hose from the engine block to the motor cowling (usually in the rear of the motor), it appears as a "P" stream that drops to the water surface; when the engine is hot (operating temp.) steam can be seen coming off of the "P" stream. We can't tell from your photo what the fitting at the end of the hose is connected to, we can see the hose clamp, and then some kind of a fitting. Have you changed out the water pump impeller yet? If not, do it while you have the motor off the boat. Also, does your motor have a temp gage anywhere?

Just make sure the inside of the hose is smooth.

The "Gunnel" is the top of the boats sides. What kind of fuel tank do you have? If it's the common red plastic removable tank you'd need to adapt a fill tube fitting (1-1/2" I think) to it. If the tanks fill cap is mounted on the deck then it may be possible to move it to the gunnel, just make sure the new fuel lines you use on the boat and motor are rated for Ethanol gas.

That's a good tip, I didn't know it was every day. IMHO, Save the Snakehead my astronomy.

Ya, you can't nickle & dime them, but look at it this way, you get the bigest bang for your buck when your not paying shipping.

Like I said, this guy had a bad laps in judgment. You know the gator just didn't swim over to the boat and climb up to the pilots seat for a snack. I don't know that I'd want the hand back after being in the gators stomach for a while; I'd get a lot more laugh mileage out of a hook instead, I can see it now - "Captain Hooks Air Boat Rides" IMHO, He got what he was asking for. End of story.

I get the "your no one special" feedback from the Bass every time I go fishing. I read incessantly, but it hasn't gained me a better catch ratio, just a better understanding that I am doing something wrong. Great speech, it should be required reading in every grade of every school in the nation.

No can you post the link to the article. It sounds like he may have had a laps in judgment while showing tourist a gator.

100% correct. The end-cap would prevent the rod tip guide from catching on the end of the tube. The slight bend will not hurt the rods at all.

Logan, Put yourself on the email list at places like Academy, Bass Pro, Cabela's, Gander Mtn, Green Top, Tackle Warehouse, and others. At times they all have sales where shipping is free.

I think your rod holder with a bungee would work fine. IMHO, I would get a safety support under your motor; you could build a cheep wooden stand that would allow painting and working on the motor as well. Remember, Murphy is everywhere, give him a chance and he will frack you every time.

I think I would lay the motor down on a wagon or something; your hoist looks fine, but I think the weak link is the fitting on the motor, a month is a long time to hang a motor. Play it safe and lay it down, or make a motor stand out of some 2X4's.

Dan, Sorry I took so long on this, I can be a real JA at times. Here are the shots of my rod locker. One observation I just made is it looks to me like the tubes are different sizes, I did not notice that before taking these photos. Also, the tube in the upper right is open, the camera just got a shot straight down the tube to make it look as it does. The hold downs are very useful to protect your reels. I would suggest you do something along this line in your setup. I don't think the rods will break if their not held down, their just too flexible, but I do feel your reels will suffer. The rubber strap they use is the same as the deck rod straps, just a round rubber strap with a screw fitting at each end. You could contact Ranger Boat Parts Dept. at 1-800-724-7273 and describe the straps, I know they have them; you may even be able to get the rod holder frame, tubing, front end plate and end-caps too. I have emailed pic's to them to insure we're talking about the same parts. Just a tip... You can see my LED bling in the upper right It really works very well to see the holes at night. I have seen the other end of these tubes up in the bow of the boat, they're thin walled flexible PVC tubes with end-caps on them. If you ever see a road crew planting orange tubing in the ground for communications cable check it out I think it would be similar to what's in the boat.

X2 Have lots of anchor line (100 ft) to hold your position, and work the line to move your position down river or up river, the wind will take care of side-to-side. If the wind is giving you a problem try setting two anchors, the main anchor up river, and a smaller anchor up wind.

I think I'll do that Sam, Thanks for the tip.

R.I.P. Lucy, 04/01/2001 - 06/07/2012

Congratulations on the new job. Be careful with the big pipe and cable, save your back at all cost.

I like that, I'm Scottish so I like saving a penny now and then.

Thanks Sam, I'm thinking I haven't been down there in a long time now, I've hit GM in Fredricksburg and BPS lately but not GT. I'll have to come down to see what's going on. I just wish the Smoking Pig in Ashland was still open.

Well that's good to hear, but will they need to do more to earn the additional revenue needed to cover the overhead of the new store? I hope they can last, I really do. They are about an hour and a half from me, but I'll make the drive if they have what I need, or just to look around; I also use their web site.

With Green Top (GT) moving so close to BPS, what can GT offer that you can't find at BPS, regularly scheduled classes on hunting/fishing subjects, store sponsored clubs for each sport, guide services, events, gun/fishing craft supplies??? They'll need something to get the traffic through the store. A truly knowledgeable staff would be a big draw.

I'm retired in So. MD now so my social circle has diminished dramatically, none of my neighbors fish and when I talk about it I get a lot of head nodding but no takers; hello, I can't even get my wife on the boat much less take her fishing - what a disappointment that discovery was after marriage. My favorite ramp on the Potomac sees a lot of tournament action, but meeting someone is difficult, arriving anglers are focused toward getting on the water, coming off the water their focused on getting home. On the water meetings are difficult as anglers are mostly from out of the area. I could use some tips in this department, I'm thinking on advertising "Fishing Partner Wanted Call 555-222-1234" on the side of my truck. Now I'm depressed. I have a lot of friends, but no one to spend my time with. Retirement SUCKS! I'm starting to *** Glenn, has a wife that's a good angler, lives in a beautiful area, and no fishing pressure. What more can a guy want.