Al Wolbach

For anyone that is the market for a fairly inexpensive crankbait rod, and live near a BPS, check out the Browning Siliflex rods..............................Al

At the risk of confirming stupid, What are ECON and DEC Police?

"Shallow water sailors" is a loving phase the Navy uses to recognize our friends in the Coast Guard, but not a phase they see the humor in................While in the Navy I logged several hundred hours flight time with the Coast Guard flying Sea Air Rescue missions. I had many friends in the USCG and truely admire their work. Just don't usually tell them so.......................Al

I stand corrected! I always have had problems with those "shallow water sailors" rules and regulations.Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe they only apply to what are considered navigatable waters.And the only way I know to recognize them is bouys and channel markers, which of course are maintained by the Coast Guard. The Tennessee River chain of lakes is a good example of navigatable waters. Most of these are used for barge traffic. I had my boat searched by a county sherrif at the Harney Pond ramp a few years ago. Still don't know what he was looking for but I had nothing to hide. I have been checked by wildlife folks all over the south but being checked by the sherrif was a first for me.............................Al

Separate boxes, shallow, med, deep, jerkbaits, rattlebaits. The only time this is a problem is if I fish a tournament in someone elses boat. Then I load boxes just for that event. I also load/unload some boxes for different times of year. Jerkbaits early spring/fall, deep crankbaits hot months, etc This post has made me think about what I carry. I carry probably 150 different crankbaits and have at least that many in the garage but truely only use a dozen or so, normally. I should probably rethink my own storage.............Al

I agree with most others on the black/white colors. Blade color doesn't matter to me. I have had more sucess cranking them just fast enough to stay on the surface with the rod held high, which is the advantage of a Cavatron. They stay on the surface at slower speeds than most buzzbaits. Others will recommend burning it but slower has worked more often for me....................Al

J Franko, I don't understand this one at all. Can you only die in cold water? Quicker I know but? Or <21' boats? Only underway? I don't intend to attack you northern folks but it seems you have law makers with no real problems to solve or they just want to write intrusive laws. The no lead I can somewhat understand but this I can't. Is there some logical reason I have overlooked?...........................Al

The classic must vary from store to store. The only thing that has changed at the East Tennessee store was the dates, so all the stores have the same Classic dates. I have worked all of Classics at this store and I haven't noticed any changes except the dates......................Al

Welcome- I live in Tennessee now but I did live in San DIego for two years. I lived on the Submarine Base at Point Loma. Love that area. I just realized that I lived there before you were born. I left there in 1986. Anyway, welcome. There is a great deal of knowledge on this site..........Al

You are correct it is not if the boat capsizes, I was wrong. Must have had a brain cramp. It's probably due to the amount of floation in the inflatable as this varies from jacket to jacket and/or how long it will keep you afloat. A jacket also receives a higher rating if it will keep your head out of the water in case you are unconscious...................Al

Because if the boat were to capsize they do not float unless inflated. If your boat sinks they want your life jackets to be on the surface of the water so hopefully you can reach them. I believe you can store your jackets in a compartment as long as it isn't locked/latched. This will allow the jackets to float to the surface if your boat sinks. By the way this is federal law, US Coast Guard Regulations and does not differ from state to state.

Check out these prices. They have a minimum $100 order. But good prices..............Al http://www.wholesalecentral.com/maulsa0001/store.cfm?event=showcatalog&catid=85880

This is also a good bait to fish matted vegetation. The shape of the claws allows for vibration and slides through the weeds very well. And yes it should be a good cold water bait just fish very slow................Al

I prefer Lowrance units, however I have had a moisture problem with them. I believe most moisture problems are due to mounting location and maintenance/storage issues rather than brand name.......................Al

I think he needs a canvas type weather cover. If so you should be able to get one from your local Merc dealer. If not, ebay or have one made at a local upholstery shop.................Al

Good for you, enjoy. I hope you catch the fish of a lifetime...........................Al

You may want to try here: http://www.easttennesseefishing.com/ I don't bass fish in the winter. The crappie fishing is very good now..........Al

Lee-It was not my intent to offend or mislead anyone, if I did I'm sorry. To set the record straight: I have no personal knowledge of any theft at Camp Mack. I was warned before my trip and while staying there(by weekend tournament fishermen). Other than the tournament fishermen I don't even remember who warned me but I received several. I think you will agree that most of the resturants are near the Walmart, so around 20 minutes away, by your watch. My group likes to sitdown and eat breakfast and we could not fine a resturant open early enough to eat breakfast and be on the water at safe light. Maybe with your local knowledge you know of a place, the folks we spoke with did not. So we were late getting on the water every day after a 40 minute drive for breakfast. After driving 12 hours to get to the lake I really don't like the idea of driving an hour and a half each day to get something to eat. If you are local these are not problems for you but does impact visitors. I did not see anywhere at Camp Mack to eat, maybe I just overlooked it. If I were really complaining about Camp Mack I would have discussed the condition of the boat ramps and parking lots at the ramps. Motel parking was very good but a long way from the ramp. I may have overlooked the ramp parking lot because we never did find one in the 7 days we were there. We parked, after launching, in a forested area that made vehicle navigation dangerous at best. I truely can not imagine an 80 boat tournament launching there much less a 200 boat tournament. We have difficulty with 200 boat tournaments here and we have large paved parking lots with multible ramps. I have stayed in fish camps all over the south and do not expect luxury but my one experience there was my probably my last. I just think there are better places in Florida with equal fishing opportunities and maybe I could at least let someone else know what to expect before they use their annual trip, spend a lot of money, and become disappointed. JMHO..........................Al

I really don't want to rain on your parade but: I too go on an annual fishing trip with friends. Two years ago we stayed at Camp Mack for a week. The fishing wasn't to bad despite weather in the 40's. Camp Mack is a great place to stay for a couple of days. Nice motel but absolutely nothing else unless something has changed. Like to eat breakfast before you go fishing? Nothing within 20 miles, maybe further, one way. Forget your toothbrush? Nothing for 20+ miles. This place is in the middle of nowhere and don't leave anything out, it's also famous for it's theives. I do not want to paint a bad picture, the motel is good for a fish camp and the fishing is good, but everything else sucks(for a vacation). I'm really just wanting to warn you of what to expect. My group is probably older and more demanding than yours and in all fairness had nothing stolen but we slept lightly. In my opinion, there are better options. If you want advice: Okeechobee is only a couple of hours further................Al

I had the u-bolts(that attack the axle to the leaf springs) on one axle break on me in a boat ramp parking lot. The tire/axle rotated under the trailer frame without damage. We had already launched the boat so the trailer was empty. I drove to a Northern Tool Store and purchased new u-bolts then drove to my son's house picked up a floor jack and hand tools to make repairs. This is a tandem axle trailer made by Dri-Dock and these bolts were the origonal bolts. I do not recall hitting anything on the road that should have caused this type of damage. The bolts actually separated when my son(45 years old) drove across a speed bump in the parking lot. Thank God it happened as it did. The possibilities that could have happened are endless and frightening. Needless to say I have replaced the u-bolts on the other axle as well and they looked damage free. I also inspect the trailer on a routine basis.........Al

I am not sure about the boat but I would be concerned about wiring connections being corroded by the saltwater. And always flush the motor with fresh water and wash down the boat. My biggest concern would be the trailer. Saltwater will get to areas that can not be flushed with fresh water. Could cause it to rust from the inside out..................Al

There is some great fishing on my home Douglas Lake in East Tennessee. I believe the first week of June the Elite series guys will be fishing here. Good lake, good fishing and near The Great Smokey Mountains. However, no weeds. If you want to fish weeds I would recommend Guntersville or Santee-Cooper. Both are great lakes to fish with an abundance of big fish. Guntersville navigates the easiest by far but the local folks are much friendlier at Santee-Cooper. Both lakes can get very rough if the wind picks up but have protected areas. I would give a slight nod to SC's weather as Alabama seems to have a lot more thunder storms. Both are great fisheries, can't go wrong with either.............Al

Freebie------Ohms is a measure of resistance obtained by measuring the voltage drop in a circuit. In this case the sending unit is the circuit. To obtain an accurate resistance reading(ohms) the gauge must transmit a known voltage. Since the battery/charging system voltage can vary greatly the gauge uses the voltage from the battery/charging system and stabilizes it to supply a known voltage(lead marked with an S) to the sending unit and measures the voltage drop through the sending unit to determine the amount of gas remaining. I have never measured the voltage or current on a fuel sending unit but I would assume it is low however it is a hot(voltage present) lead. You can not have a resistance reading in a circuit(ohms) without voltage. Sounds a little scary I agree but that is how it works......................Al

I don't think gas tanks require grounding. If you install an external fuel gauge on the drivers console it will require a hot lead and a ground. But the tank itself is not grounded. Plastic will not conduct electricity. Plastic tanks vent thru the fill cap recepticle which is mounted on the outside of the hull cap(you will have to drill holes for this). Two hoses run from it the the tank, a large one for gas and a small one for air. Both hoses connect to the recepticle. Metal tanks in an enclosed compartment: On older boats they vented the compartment using chrome scoops. One facing forward, one facing the stern. Mounted on opposite sides of the boat. Boat movement forces air in on one side and pulls out air on the other. Some boat manufacturers faced both scoops to the stern. The first option sounds better to me for better air flow but may allow water in during heavy rain or very rough water.............Al

I have a Hambys that was installed when my 98 Champion was new. Still looks great..............Al