Long Mike

"Spoonplugging" by E.L. "Buck" Perry. This book was first published in 1965, but the information provided is both timeless and priceless. By far, the most informative book I have ever read. Homer Circle's book "Bass Wisdom" is also an excellent resource.

I wouldn't do it. The bench seats contain flotation foam, plus add to the structural integrity of the boat. I would strongly suggest that you leave them as is.

Russ, does that balaclava come in Pumpkinseed with red flake? ;D

I assume that you are familiar with lake "topo" maps, i.e. bathymetric maps. These are available from many sources on the web. If you have not used them I would try a web search first.

Fishfordollars called today. His initial assessment of the damage to his home was incorrect. They've had a lot of rain and the water is now running down the walls in the house. plus leaking through the joints of the sheet-rock in the ceiling. He says he doesn't have enough pots, pans and buckets to contain it all.

Because of the flex in your hull, JB Weld will eventually crack.

I spoke with Fishfordollars this afternoon. He and his family were directly in the path of Ike. They experienced sustained winds of up to 110 mph with gusts to 140. Hurricane force winds beat on them for over ten hours. Naturally, he no longer has power. Neither do five million others. He lost a couple of trees, but his home is still in very good shape. He says he did not lose one shingle off his roof, but the houses on either side of him will need new roofs. Also, his boat is still parked in his drive. Jack's cell phone battery was running low, so he wanted me to pass on his thanks for all your best wishes. He'll be back on the board when he regains power.

firefiten, bear in mind the the refineries are in business to make a profit. Obviously, this is capitalism at work. The refineries do not dictate the price of the product they supply. They simply sell to the highest bidder. Capitalism. The bidders could be large wholesalers, retailers, airlines, or nauseatingly, speculators. Capitalism.

firefighten15, The refineries on the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coasts provide 25% of all the gasoline and diesel fuel consumed in the U.S. These refineries have all been shut down because of Ike. From this point on it becomes basic economics. i.e. The supply of gasoline to our nation is greatly reduced, yet the demand, in anticipation of a supply shortfall, greatly increases. Guess what happens to the prices of fuel?

I don't remember the percentage and the time frame involved (and I'm too lazy to look them up) but in Oklahoma, in times of emergency, it is illegal for a vendor to raise his prices by more than "x" % over "Y" period of time.

My wife and I are concerned about the potential high winds and heavy rain from Ike. If you don't mind, we are leaving Tulsa first thing in the morning to come stay with you. Many thanks for the invite! ;D

I would add some flowers and potted plants. ;D ;D ;D

What Tyrius said. I posted this on another thread, but all of the Gulf Coast refineries have shut down. Under the best of conditions it will take them a week to come back up to their normal volume. This begs the question of how much gasoline has been stockpiled. My guess is, not enough. I would expect a short term spike in gasoline prices until the storm season has passed, and then I think they would quickly fall to be more in line with oil prices. But then, what do I know?

When I'm on the water I listen to nature's symphony.

I'm not surprised. All of the refineries along the Gulf Coast have shut down. It'll take about a week for them to come back on line, assuming they are not damaged. The big question is how much gasoline has been stockpiled?

Old George must have been really bored/board/boared (poetic license on the third one. If you are gored by a boar, wouldn't you be boared?)

Russ, aren't you aware that Kentucky is noted for its Jelly and Jams? ;D

Hey Mods, Whatever you guys decide, PLEASE don't block reservations for us on the North end of the lake. Although I am by no means an expert, if I were a bass planning to spawn in early April, I would much prefer to spawn in warmer waters to the south.

Gawd, that was funny!

Global warming may be causing it, but Oklahoma is getting a lot of much needed rain of late. Ike is projected to waltz right over us. It's early yet, but our forecast is an 80% probabilty of rain for the next five days.

Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane.

This one has made the rounds before.

Hookem, I got through calculus in college by a very thin margin. It's the one math course that I REALLY struggled with. I wish you the best. BTW, I answered the first three questions with no problem. When I combined the forth question with my forth glass of wine, I didn't even bother. ;D :-[

Be still, my heart. I can hardly wait.

Frogtog, you don't have a very thick beard, do you? ;D