FloridaFishinFool

I'd like to hear him try this one! I guess there is something new under the sun after all! Whistling Artist Ralph Giese Impressively Covers Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Massive “Freebird” Guitar Solo Dec 6, 2025 The exceptionally talented Ralph Giese has tackled the famously difficult guitar solo from the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd track “Free Bird.” Giese performed an impressive whistle cover of the entire solo, which runs for almost four minutes. His unique technique involves whistling with his tongue, allowing him to enunciate notes more clearly than traditional mouth whistling. https://youtu.be/XxyIPRWNfds

I've been reading this thread waiting on someone to mention the tall white pipes. I drive a Toyota 4runner and cannot use mirrors to see the boat well enough to back it up. 4Runner is too wide and boat and trailer too narrow. Here in Florida at some of the remote lakes I go to there is no turn around at the ramp. It is simply a dead end ramp at the end of a road and ditches on both sides so no where to go. I have to drive straight backwards sometimes for half a block. So there is only one way I can do this. I have to install tall white pipes on each side of my boat trailer so I can see them and only them when backing up, and I have to turn around in my seat and drive it backwards for long distances sometimes. I have to be precise. No room for error like on Lake Crosby in Starke, Florida. Mirrors won't work. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Crosby+Lake/@29.9503417,-82.1541364,167m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x88e5fe3bcbb23457:0x6fa7d41bdd0cc7d6!8m2!3d29.9457193!4d-82.1577651!16s%2Fg%2F1tdb0hzv?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTIwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D If you look down on the ramp from satellite you can see the problem. I have to turn left on 160th st, and then start backing up around a 90 degree turn and straighten it out and then drive straight backwards for about 200+ feet down SW 65th Ave. with no room for error on either side or I am in the ditches. So tall white poles are the only thing I can see while driving backwards to keep it straight- so I can relate to the OP having the difficulty he does.

To enjoy fishing even more. Travel more to fish new locations. Fish with my sons more now that they are old enough to fish at 12 and 14. Visit old Florida fish camps and rent cabins and camp out more with my boys while fishing in remote places.

Lake Okeechobee 1,000 years ago. St. Johns river 1,000 years ago.

Shimano advisory on website: "Salt is an aggressive material that can destroy your valuable fishing tackle by not cleaning well after use. For these fisherman we even advise to remove the fishing line every now and than when the reel is used in salt water. This to avoid that salt can crystallise between your fishing line and spool, because this can be a cause of corrosion."

Threads like this go both ways. I am a Shimano fan all the way. If someone gave me a daiwa I'd sell it and go buy another Curado HG. I do not use Daiwa baitcast reels simply because not my flavor. I do use Daiwa spinning reels though. I'm not going to try and say one is better than another. Its more like what flavor do you like better? I've tried daiwa baitcasters and just not fond of magnets. I much prefer centrifugal brakes. Curado HG is my choice for durable reliable reels. Get one of each and try them and decide for yourself. Another point I would like to make is that on this forum you can find numerous threads on broken daiwa baitcast reels: https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268581-line-guide-sticking-on-daiwa-reel/#comment-3195337 https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/268201-anyone-had-bad-experiences-with-the-release-button-on-daiwa-casting-reels-sticking-or-generally-not-lasting-long-in-between-cleanings/page/2/#comment-3195267 Both threads are recent. I have used Shimano Curado HG series reels for years with zero failures. Great reels that keep on working. I have yet to see just one thread about the HG Curados failing on this forum. So I just did a forum search on broke curado and the last thread I could find was dated 2015. So next I did a search for "daiwa part" and a search for "curado part" trying to find forum threads for each reel and see which is failing more. From what I found there are more threads on Daiwa failing than Curado. It could be more people use Daiwa on this forum than curado and simply a numbers game. I can't be sure. All I can do is report the findings of the searches showing more Daiwa failures than Shimano. So my point would be to judge reels based on durability and reliability as well as function and which one suits you and your needs best. My opinion is that Shimano is the best and top dog brand of reels in the world today and Daiwa comes in second as I see it. Others may switch them around. Both are great. But different. Don't take our word for it. Do your own research and you will get responses going both ways. It boils down to what do you want or like or prefer?

Just run a new power wire to fuse block or battery and call it a day. Its doubtful there are any such diagrams of how a boat is wired, and the wire in question may not even be factory installed so it would not show up on any diagrams or schematics of boat wiring. This is one of those situations where you just have to wing it. Use good wire, double insulated is safer. Any old unused regular extension cords can be used for this since most of them handle a minimum of 10 amps with heavier gauge extension cords able to handle upwards of 20 amps. Your fish finder current draw should be well under 3 amps so any old extension cable could be used for this. (Most fish finders draw less than 1 amp of current.) You would have plenty of current capacity, and double insulation. And if you use an orange extension cord, you will always be able to easily see and follow the line from source to fish finder. Just make sure to fuse the positive line in the 3 or 4 amp range at the power source and you should be fine.

Keep pickin' BoomStick! Appreciate your post! Doc Watson was awesome! Do you perform any Norman Blake songs? Another favorite of mine as well as Earl Scruggs. Good stuff! Some buddies of mine have their own podcast and just recently some guys right down the street from here recorded a brand new song for the show in their garage and have all the fans hollering "AI" but its not. This one is the real deal just thrown together by some local musicians playing in their garage after work. We call them weekend warriors. Pretty cool new song too. Some think it could be a hit if it got some radio airplay. I hope some of you will enjoy this new song. "The Roadie Song was written for the Stoned Roadie Show to support the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash survivors. The song is about Lynyrd Skynyrd Roadie Craig Reed and His Co-host Griff Martin from the Stoned Roadie Morning Show Wake and Bake in the morning. Craig and his Co-host Griff bring guests on the show that are mostly friends of the original band members and talk about their past experience with the band. Guests include plane crash survivors past stage hands and roadies along with fellow musicians that share interesting stories from the early days of Skynyrd most people have never heard."

More than likely a pawl problem, and not as likely a worm gear problem. I would double check the tips of the pawl to see if worn or missing a tip on one side. And double check the worm gear as well. If pawl is OK, then you might try shimming the pawl up to the worm gear a little bit and see if that helps. An outside issue could be lubrication of the pawl inside the line guide not able to spin easily. Its definitely a turn around issue, and usually what I find are worn or broken pawls. Shimming and lubrication next. Worm gear probably coming in last. Could be a combination as well.

The work state biologists did there has moved past its prime and is in need of biologists coming back in to restore that lake once again. The state had been doing some fairly extensive weed killer spraying in the last few years, but have also gotten in trouble with it as well and so they have backed off on it and now overgrowth is out of control in some places. Us locals try and avoid Toho because of the reputation and fishing pressure it attracts so we tend to go elsewhere. A really good substitute would be John's Lake in west Orlando right off hiway 50. I'd also recommend the Conway chain of lakes, the Butler chain of lakes, and Lake Apopka has made a strong comeback and is now a favorite for locals and tournaments are picking up on that lake as well. Lake Kissimmee is not far from Toho, and Lake Hatchineha, Rosaile, Marian and Pierce are also in area. And a great "secret" spot you hardly ever hear about is Tenoroc- the reclaimed phosphate mines. Some trophy bass in there with numerous 8 pound plus bass tagged. If you catch one, the state of Florida will pay you $100 cash per tagged fish you catch. Let me know if you go to Tenoroc. Shoot me a PM and I will share with you some of the "secret" maps found only on the blueprints used in the bidding process for when biologists brought in land reshaping contractor to build Tenoroc. If you watch the following video local Lakeland yak fisherman John Hallam tries to keep his spot in there a secret and says so on the video, however, what he stumbled onto is well marked on the Tenoroc blueprints which are publicly available but one has to know where to find them to get at those mine reclamation construction maps. If Toho is now too choked up, there are plenty of awesome alternatives! Pay close attention to what John Hallam says about the current and where... and watch what he does. No casting involved. Dip and pull out lunkers one after another including a $100 fish. Here is an example of the top secret bass fishing info some of us locals use to catch fish like John above stumbled onto. State biologists have developed an entire water flow infrastructure all across Florida. And all of that water flow data is available online 24/7 so we bass fishermen can know what water is flowing in what direction and in what amounts as well as monitor water quality data. The Tenoroc mines are in this next image which is a zoomed out overall area flow chart. Its the zoomed in localized flow chart maps that are behind what John did above. You can barely see the Tenoroc mines due west of Lake Arietta in following image. When you have the maps of where the inflows and outflows are as well as water flow data and water quality data, it can really help a fisherman nail down where to fish just like John above stumbled onto and tried to hide in his video. Toho may be well past its prime right now, but other places are in their prime for those who know! Thanks FWC biologists! Best bass fishing info in Florida today! Another great source is the SJRWMD and BMAP's are primary fishing resource information. The state of Florida biologists' "plans" for Lake Toho is contained within the BMAP for Lake Okeechobee. This is the starting point for uncovering the hidden secrets of precisely what is going on on lake Toho. https://floridadep.gov/dear/water-quality-restoration/documents/lake-okeechobee-basin-management-action-plan-bmap Once you open the door to the plan, then fit the plan to 2025 and its all cut and dry science now. And another great way to discover where the best bass fishing is located in Florida I would suggest doing a little research into Florida's trophy bass program and by going through all the recent lunker trophy catches, you can nail down some of the places in Florida that are in their prime right now.

I'm curious. Can you repost the image? I read your words, but not seeing it how you might be telling it. A photo would help! Thanks

God bless and a speedy recovery!

I hope you find a fishing buddy! Good ones are hard to find! Take a look at some of your local fishing tournaments and there may be some that meet weekly or monthly and go to the weigh-in's and its a great way to meet other local fishermen in your area.

You'll need some crimping tools too. A local Home Depot in your area sells a crimping kit that may work for you on this project: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-Terminal-and-Crimping-Tool-Kit-GS-67K/202518592?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&fp=ggl

From hard learned experience, when you do replace your impeller make sure to remove all of its pieces if it comes apart. I do my own impeller replacements, and one time a small piece of it was pushed by water force up into the tube going to motor and it blocked cooling water to the engine. I had to take it all back apart and do it twice just to clear the tube with air pressure from top side. As to your question, I'd say it depends on the motor. With my old 1987 OMC Evinrude all I need to replace most of the time is just the impeller, but have had worn impeller housing needing to be replaced so inspect thoroughly. A kit may not be needed every time.

Curious what year the 35hp OMC Evinrude is? I have a 1987 35hp OMC Evinrude and also need to source parts. Just replaced the fuel pump and not sure if it is OEM or aftermarket to be honest, but it works. So that's 2 of us needing parts sources.

The rest of us understood what you meant! You good!

I'll bite and throw some thoughts out there on this one. Much ado about nothing really. So what if fishermen talk to each other. All those words do not put fish in the boat. During a tournament if a fisherman pulls up on a spot and he is catching fish and another fishermen sees this happen, then he too can roll up on that spot and start catching those same fish. Point is, a spot has been communicated from one fisherman to another by way of sight during a tournament. So what if Kevin Van Dam calls up Iaconelli and tells him, hey I got fish right here! Come get some! How is that any different than Ike seeing Kevin catching fish on that spot and rolling up on it too? The result is the same. But it does not mean Ike is going to catch any more fish because he saw KVD catching them in a spot or if KVD told him to come fish that spot. So its cheating if KVD tells Ike, but its NOT cheating if Ike sees KVD catching them and rolls up on the same spot. Here is precisely this scenario happening during a tournament: What difference would it make above if KVD texted Ike to come there rather than Ike seeing KVD catching on a spot? Results are precisely the same, but one way is cheating and the other is not. Makes no sense. To me cheating is when a fisherman is putting fish into his boat in some illegal fashion. That's cheating. But seeing a fisherman catching on a spot is no different than being told where to fish. One is considered cheating while the other is not, yet the results are precisely the same. I just do not see what these guys did as cheating. And its not fair to Martin to be disqualified for something he did not instigate nor have anything to do with. And lie detector tests should not be grounds for disqualifying someone. If they are no good in court, they should be no good in tournaments too. The fact Martin's text record showed he did not reply should have been enough to prevent any harm to him. The fact it did not is something that should be changed. "BFL Rule No. 10, which states, in part, that contestants may not use mobile communication devices to communicate with anyone about locating or catching fish on tournament waters during tournament hours." But its OK to scope out other fishermen and move in on their spots by sight communication, but not electronics communication when end results are precisely the same makes zero sense to me. What is the difference? Sounds like another bogus rule that should not exist. Sometimes there are quite simply too many rules. And one fisherman should not be able to use said rule or rules to cause harm to another fisherman like O'Connell did to Martin. If you want to sabotage a leader simply text him! When $100,000.00 is on the line how is it fair for one fisherman to simply text another fishermen and get him in trouble when he did nothing wrong? It should not be possible for one fisherman to be able to intentionally sabotage another fisherman by manipulating the rules like this. A $500 fine for what? For someone else breaking the rules? Glad they straightened it out for Martin, but its not his fault and he never should have been harmed by any of it. Change the rules or eliminate some. Fishermen like Martin should be protected by the rules, not targeted and harmed by them through no fault of his own. Asking where fish are, & telling where fish are does not put fish into a boat. Someone still has to cast and use artificial lures to trick fish into biting. That's straight up fishing. All the yak is meaningless, especially to the fish. Tournament politics is another story clearly. Fishing is supposed to be fun and enjoyable....... But the drama keeps things interesting. 😉

Lasts forever.... got it. I am always one to play devil's advocate, and I am always one to be suspicious of chemicals and how they relate to my overall health- which matters to me. So I thought I would take a look under the hood of U-40 and see what shakes out. Here is a link to the safety data sheet: https://www.bestmaterials.com/PDF_Files/U-seal-MSDS.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOopc_MrtepM1ivBPQ3TxaLT1Ncz72shZ0-wzvT-0MHBTXGGKuAs0 Next, I asked google search "is u-40 cork sealer hazardous to health?" Response: Yes, U-40 Cork Seal is hazardous and can cause harm if inhaled, ingested, or has prolonged skin contact, so it should be used with caution. It is important to ensure the area is well-ventilated, wear protective gear, and keep the product away from children, pets, and food. Health hazards Inhalation: High concentrations of fumes can irritate the respiratory system and cause central nervous system effects like headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Ingestion: Ingestion can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and may lead to permanent damage. Skin contact: Prolonged or repeated contact can cause mild irritation. Safety precautions Ventilation: Always use the product in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling fumes. Protective gear: Wear a face mask when applying the product, as advised for chemically similar products. Storage: Store the product safely, keeping it away from food, drinks, and animal feed. Supervision: Keep the product out of reach of children and pets, or use it only under proper supervision. Hygiene: Wash your hands after use." -------------------------------------------- So the primary chemical contained within U-40 that causes harm to human health is called bitumen: "Bitumen (according to SAX’s) : moderately toxic in case of skin contact – low toxicity from swallowing – if heated to decomposition, emits acrid fumes and irritating vapours. -Acute toxicity : LD/50 (oral/rat) > 5000 mg/kg LD/50 (skin, adult rabbit) > 2000 mg/kg Anomalous exposure to product vapours heated to high temperatures can cause irritation of mucous and airways." So my next obvious logical question to google search is "can "bitumen" be absorbed through the skin?" Google response: " Yes, components from bitumen, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), can be absorbed through the skin, and prolonged or repeated contact can lead to irritation and dryness. This dermal absorption is a significant route of exposure that can contribute to the total internal dose of harmful chemicals, according to research. How skin absorption happens Direct contact: Contact with neat bitumen, cutback bitumen, or fumes from heated bitumen can lead to skin absorption. Contaminated surfaces: Workers can be exposed through contact with contaminated tools, clothes, and other surfaces. Fumes: Aerosols and vapors from hot bitumen can deposit on skin and be absorbed. Health effects Local irritation: Repeated or prolonged contact can remove natural fats from the skin, leading to dryness, cracking, and irritation. Systemic effects: Dermal absorption contributes to the overall internal dose of chemicals like PAHs, which may have long-term health effects. Molecular damage: Studies have shown that dermal exposure to bitumen can cause molecular reactions in the skin, such as irritation and changes in cell behavior. Protection and first aid Personal protective equipment (PPE): Wear appropriate gloves and protective clothing to minimize skin contact." And my next obvious logical question for google search: "can "bitumen" cause cancer?" Google response: "Yes, occupational exposure to bitumen and its fumes can cause cancer, particularly lung cancer and tumors in the upper aerodigestive tract, according to organizations like the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Bitumen fumes contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are known carcinogens. The risk depends on the type of bitumen and the specific work being performed, with oxidized bitumens used in roofing classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" and hard bitumens used in paving classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" And that folks is all I need to know. Chemicals = bad for my health. And this "lasts forever" chemical that I put on a fishing rod to protect the cork is not in my health's best interest. Why would I stand there thinking I am doing a great thing in protecting my cork while poisoning myself in the process as bitumen leeches from the U-40 and is absorbed through my skin with each prolonged contact? I have to ask myself what is more important? Keeping cork looking new or living longer as a healthy human? I think I like plain old cork now even more! I appreciate threads like this to help inform me so thanks for the inspiration to check out U-40. I learned something today so thanks BassResource!

"Where all the power is?" I'm not following. Still scratching my head on this one!

Here in Florida I see boats on trailers on the side of the road all the time especially near saltwater. Most boat owners do not properly maintain their bearings. So its not the tires a lot of the time around here. Its the "ignored" bearings putting them on the side of the road. And bearings are quick and easy to maintain too. I keep a bearing kit with me on the road so I can repair and replace bearings and even hubs in minutes on side of road if I ever need to, but fortunately I never need to because I am one of the few who repacks bearings once or twice a year sometimes. And because of this I never have bearing issues. (Use full synthetic grease too and NOT petroleum grease) Another good idea I do to my trailers is to drill out the hubs and install grease gun nozzles right in between the bearings so when I pump grease into my hubs it pushes old grease outwards in both directions through the bearings and makes sure new grease is getting to the bearings. I recently replaced my old trailer and the first thing I swapped out was the hubs to put my custom modified hubs onto the new trailer and the new trailer's hubs are now on the old trailer. I have to thank my old neighbor - now deceased- but H. Boyette was an old engineer who worked for SeaBoard Coastline. He worked on and maintained train cars and locomotives. He was an amazing mechanic who could use a tape measure and no notes at all and cut old cars in half and rebuild them like no other. He was an amazing neighbor to grow up around learning from and this hub trick came from him. Won't see me on the side of the road! Not if I can help it!

The 75% off sale ended last night at midnight. But we got a second order in just in time and Kevin even replied to us after 7pm on a Sunday evening which is unheard of. So thanks Kevin for being so responsive to customers! You can see the entire kit cost under $43 including the Slate blank. Not sure why it says 6'10", but we purchased a 7' MH and blank sticker is in lower left corner. An amazing price for a full custom rod! I loosely modeled it rather quickly off of one of my made in USA Falcon spinning rods. Placed the reel seat on the blank in nearly same location as the Falcon rod which is closer to butt than some brands are. We wanted to utilize more of the blank. And the guide placement was a quick copy of a CastAway rod which had the same number of guides as this kit did. And I did not use the cork foregrip but more or less copied the Falcon rod with the addition of a small aluminum winding check which the Falcon rod does not have. I think mine came out a little cleaner looking than the Falcon rod. Not bad for a rushed custom rod build from start to finish in under 48 hours with a super solid reel seat installation that included 4 epoxy applications: 1)initial install, 2) top pour down through it to fill gaps before initial install fully cured, 3)top fill, and 4)bottom fill for a rock solid reel seat install. I could have completed this rod much faster had the epoxy cured faster. A new record for me. Fastest custom rod build ever. Just a straight forward minimalist build straight from the kit minus foregrip and addition of aluminum winding check. We took the rod out bass fishing on Saturday and my son caught two bass on it already including the biggest bass of the day. He is looking forward to using this rod in saltwater for big reds and snook. And he is already ordering up his second full custom rod from Get Bit as well. His next one will be a medium RainShadow blank, probably 7'6" and include better components like an all aluminum reel seat from Alps with locking ring and molded to fit his hand better. The only thing left to do on this rod would be to round off the corners of cork grips with some sandpaper. And my son is considering adding some decorative thread wraps on it down the road maybe.

The reason I love cork so much is because of its feel. And when it gets wet the rods don't slip in my hands. I will never coat my cork grips on a $20 rod or $600 rod. Not happening. I avoid plastic grips like carbon fiber coated with epoxy. Too slippery for me. And when you coat cork you might as well not even have cork. Keep cork natural is my opinion.

Every reel is different. So different reels would require part replacements based on the quality or lack of quality of the reel itself. Bail springs can certainly be one of those well used parts needing replacement. Bearings can be another. It just depends on the reel and use of it and or abuse of it.

Just call them and talk to them about what you want. Kevin owns the place, but he has some great guys who know what they are doing putting all the kits together by hand. Steve is the person who took care of my son and I while there. When I was visiting Get Bit OutDoors on Tuesday this past week, what I saw was that they stock a lot of RainShadow blanks. It seemed to be the brand they stock the most of. But I am not sure if any of the RainShadow blanks are 75% off. I wanted to take a look at Get Bit's own brand of rods called "Liberty" rods made in USA. While looking at these I saw boxes of another blank called CB Slate blanks - also made in USA. And this is where I put my money this time and plan on returning to purchase at least 4 or 5 more of these blanks. Steve put together a kit for my 12 year old son on Tuesday, and we started the rod on Wednesday, and just finished it up this morning. All the components fit perfectly. Get Bit hooked us up! And for a great price too! I definitely want to get a few more of these blanks before they are sold out. Just tell Steve the type of kit you want and he will put it together for you. You can choose from split grip to full grip and your choice of guides and color. Our kit cost $43 plus tax out the door and rod was finished in 3 days. Can't beat it!