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So I just bought a Humminbird SI unit and will be removing some old accessories off the back of my boat. What is the best ways to fill the old screw holes? I've heard everything from using MarineTex to just removing the old component and reinstalling the old screws dipped in silicone. Looking at the picture below I plan on installing the SI transducer where the white fin currently is. Will it be safe to remove the fin, fill those holes and then drill new holes in the same vicinity for the SI transducer? I don't want to weaken the boat. Thanks Chris

I just had my bass boat recarpeted and some of the lids are extremely tight now. The lids on the back deck are so tight I have to raise the livewell lid to be able to lift the rear compartment lids. Any suggestions? I've thought about taking an old pair of hair trimmers and cutting some of the carpet thinner in spots that aren't visible. Thoughts?

I have had DirecTv for about 2 months now. I'm not overly impressed, but I'm not disappointed either. I have the DVR as well (I think it's an extra $7 a month) and its definitely worth it. The installer should get everything working for you (dvr, on demand, hd channels, and whatever else you ordered). The only knock I have on the OnDemand feature is there isn't a "free" search feature. Meaning OnDemand has thousands of movies and shows you can watch, but about 75% of them are pay to watch. You have to scroll through all those pay-to-view movies to find the freebies. And of course the movies you want to watch more than likely cost money. For outdoor type shows I have Sportsman Channel, Pursuit, and Versus. I would like to add the Outdoor channel but I haven't called to see how much extra that would be. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thanks for the tips. I didn't know that it should be level. I'll try that out next time.

I have a 1991 Procraft with a 135 Mariner on it. Everytime I'm on the water the first startup of the morning is a pain. Usually takes 15-25 cranks I would guess. However, the rest of the day 90% of the time it's one turn of the key and she's purring. Should I be concerned? Or is there anything I can/should do to help those cold morning starts?

Been Active Duty Air Force going on 4 years. Just finished 5 months in Afghanistan. I've beens stationed in Germany the whole time, but the military has sent me to Norway, Romania, Louisana, Las Vegas, and now Kandahar all in the last 16 months. Sounds like you're interested in joining. If you have any questions about the Air Force, PM me. My #1 tip: Never believe anything a recruiter tells you.

sodaksker thanks for the links. The gas cylinders are what I want to upgrade to. Currently there are actually springs installed to hold the lids open. It's an older boat 93 I think. I wish I had pictures to show you, but I don't. How should I go about measuring the correct length for the gas cylinders I need?

The springs on my rod lockers are worn out on my Procraft. They won't even hold up the weight of the rod locker compartment door. Does anyone have experience replacing or upgrading these?

Where does everyone buy their trailer bearings and hubs at? I'm looking at picking up a spare for my upcoming roadtrip. I know how to measure for my hub size, but what about bearings?

Thank you all for the support and help. I'm still a long way from making a decision but your responses have definitely narrowed the field. This will be my first used vehicle purchase...what should I look for when inspecting the vehicle? I plan on getting a carfax report before I buy, but is there anything specific I should look at or have someone look over before buying?

I'm currently in the market for my first tow vehicle and would like some input from those with more experience. I just bought my first boat, an 18' fiberglass ProCraft in excellent condition, and now need something to tow it with. Currently I'm deployed to Afghanistan for the summer, so I can't test drive anything yet. Preferably I'd like a midsize SUV, less than 4 years old and 4WD is a must. I'm currently looking at 4Runners, Pathfinders, Xterras, Tahoes, and Trail Blazers. Any advice?

Mattlures, hawgonaline, and others close the situation, Is Dottie being scientifically examined? IE tissue samples, aging, etc. If so will it be released publically? There is a lot to learn from this incredible fish.

I'm still in favor of the 5 bag limits. One recommendation I have is to have completely separate weigh-ins for boaters/coanglers the first two days. The non-boaters don't get any press time to promote sponsors or tell how there day went, and cutting them out of the on-stage portion would reduce the weigh-in time by half. On the final day for co-anglers, they would weigh-in on the big stage. I think what we all lack is education. We should all have an associate's degree in fish care regardless if we are tournament fishermen or the weekend angler. IMO, fish care is dependent on he said, she said. We deserve and should demand scientific answers.

I've been having some weird problems streaming the Live Video content on bassmaster.com and found this work around. Thought I would share with the community in case others were having issues. Click this link: mms://a134.l3404935405.c34049.n.lm.akamaistream.net/D/134/34049/v0001/reflector:35405 Windows Media Player should open, buffer the content, and start streaming. I actual prefer using this method now, since WMP controls are much easier to use than the ones in internet explorer.

32251, fisheries management is one of the most difficult professions out there IMHO, especially in the private sector. It is imperative to fully understand the situation, the goals of the residents, the reality of those goals, and how to get there. Newton's Third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is also true in fisheries management. Every lake has some called carrying capacity. Carry capacity is how much life a lake, pond, or environment can support. For the most part, this number is fixed. (It can be altered using feeding programs, adding forage that takes up a new niche, or fertilizing) To clear things up lets put some number behind it. On average most healthy ponds/lakes can support about 50 pounds of fish per acre. You have a 50 acre pond, so you can expect to have approximately 2500 pounds of bass. Now, speaking purely numbers...if you have a bunch of small bass in the 1-2 pound range you can expect to have between 1250-2500 bass. However, if the average size bass becomes 5 pounds you now only have 500 bass in 50 acres of water. You should definitely see a decrease in the number of bites you get, simply because there aren't as many fish out there. There is a ton of information on this subject out there. Check out www.pondboss.com and their forums.

More proof that anglers have little impact on bass recruitment and future bass populations: This is an article taken from the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. It's an update regarding the latest research in bass recruitment problems at Briery Creek Lake, Virginia's well known trophy bass lake. The research is being done by Virginia Tech and is going on it's 3rd year. Whole article: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/waterbodies/reports/Largemouth%20Study%20Update%20Jan%2008.pdf Here's an excerpt:

Finally got to watch/listen to the entire interview. Great job Glenn!

For those having trouble: Click this link http://www.bassresource.com/Bass/Fishing/video/bass-fishing-Iaconelli.wmv 150MB to download

can't get the live video to work? any recommendations?

I only have experience fishing southwest Virginia's trout waters but may be able to help out a little. What's the depth like in the lake? Are you fishing from a boat or shore? I see it's a small lake, 72 acres, is it managed for trophy trout or basically just small stockers 11-14"? How heavily fished is it? If it's just stocker trout I would fish two Berkley Powerbait Floating Eggs on a #6 or #8 hook. I like Fl. Orange and Chartreuse...one of each on the hook. Put enough weight, anywhere from 1-3ft up from the bait, to cast it out there a good ways. Depending on your lake conditions and how heavily it's fished I can give a little more detailed advice. Good luck there's nothing like a big trout on 4lb test!

what lake are you fishing?

Hello all, I've been away for awhile and missed the entire 2006 elite series. I was hoping someone had taped the season on dvd or vhs and could send me a copy. The series came to my home lake this year while I was in BMT and I am really hoping to see it. I'll paypal $25 to help cover shipping and other expenses. Thanks. Chris

Bimbleton, you've discovered why many people on this forum, myself included, dislike Bassmaster. Put simply, it's a sales pitch. Sure these high tech gadgets provide some edge, but it's all about promotion and sales. If you want a truly educational magazine, my suggestion is subscribe to BASSIN. You can get a one year subscription for $4.88. Can't beat that!!

Thanks flechero! This fly line is very old 10 years may be, has never been cleaned, and has a ton of memory. Since it won't be used regularly I'll probably get the cheap fly line at Wal-mart.

I have an old fly rod that needs the mainline replaced. It is a 6 wt flyrod. Should I match this with 6 wt line, or will the line depend on the target species? I'll be fishing for trout up to 8-9lbs. Thanks!