Bladesmith,

Cool; another Okie. Welcome back!

Cheap dryer sheets. Get a box of cheap dryer sheets (the kind with fabric softener in them) scatter them all over your boat, in rod boxes, storage bins, etc. This will keep cats, rats, and mice out of your boat. I live back in the woods. My first winter here the rats ate the wiring in my boat. After replacing the wiring the guy at the local Marina on the lake told me about the dryer sheets. Get the cheapest, smelliest ones you can find. There is something about them that cats, rats, and other critters can't stand. The only down side to them is your boat will smell like a French whorehouse until it airs out.

After taking all the advise above, there is one absolute requirement of any boat I may consider buying; PUT IT IN THE WATER! So many people selling will tell you they do not have time (or some other excuse) to take you and boat to the lake for a ride BIG WARNING that something is probably wrong. There are so many things that you will only be able to determine with boat actually in the water (ie. water pump, motor running properly, leaks, do bilge and live well pumps work, electronics, and etc.). This will also get the boat off the trailer so you can inspect bunks. I understand the seller not wanting to take people for joy rides (I've sold a few boats myself over the years) so be sure to let the owner know you are serious about it and offer to provide the expense and do not expect him to spend more than a few minutes on the water (just long enough to check everything out). This is the only way you will know about existing problems before you hand over your money.

Unfortunately this sort of thing is not an uncommon occurrence. Most of the people with big bass boats that I know are generally courteous people, as are the drivers of 18 wheelers, people with jet ski's (my pet peeve), and others. It is that one with no regard for others that gets all the attention. The majority of people are still at least half way courteous. That being said; it still burns me up when someone in a big boat (bass or ski) streaks by me on full plane and washes my boat up on a rock or stump. It is especially bad on weekends and holidays when they are probably drinking. If I say or do anything, I become the aggressor. It is best to let it go.

Thank you. This is a very useful resource.

I have a 14 ft. aluminum boat with the bench seats. I used pedestals just like the one you linked to to mount my seats. I bolted the pedestals to 12 by 12 inch 3/4 inch pieces of plywood. Then I took 4 pieces (for 2 seats) of 1 inch angle iron, welded a 1 1/2 inch plate to the angle (to form a square "Z"), and pop riveted the angle onto the bench so that the plywood would slide into and out of the brackets (sort of like a drawer guide works). This way I can remove my seats when I want easily. Hope this explanation makes sense ( I took pictures but am not sufficiently computer savy to post them). Any way complete cost including welding was $21.00 for both seats. This system has held up since 2002.

Since I retired I do not even consider fishing the lake on weekends or holidays. Before retirement I had no choice but fish weekends and battle the crowds, drunks, skiers, jet-ski's, loud music, and other aggravations. I typically fish on weekdays only and my enjoyment has increased immensely. I realize many are still caught up in that work-a-day world and they have my sincere sympathy.

I understand you are young and do not have much life experience. BUT it's called "private property" for a reason.You asked, and was told "no". In my state that denial of permission makes it "criminal trespass" which is a felony. Youth does not exempt you from the law of the land. When you are older and have property of your own that you payed for and have to be responsible for accidents or injuries that occur there, maybe you'll have a better understanding of why it is this way. For now, I recommend you have enough honor for yourself and respect for the property owner to honor his wishes. Who knows when approached in a respectful fashion at a later date, he may grant that permission. HINT; never call. Always approach the man in person, dressed nicely, and be respectful. Sound like your Dad? I am a Dad. Another thing; taking your brother and exposing him to the consequences is not an honorable thing to do in my opinion. Just my .02.

This is my favorite for thick grass or other vegetation. I like a 3 or 4 inch Uncle Josh Bass Strip. Some of my biggest bass have been caught with this combo.

We're OK over around Lake Eufaulla. Understand there was some bad weather north of here but all we got was some badly needed rain and wind we didn't need. No damage, though.

There are several companies that make a small craft (Bass Buggy, Bass Buster, Water Scamp, Pelican, etc) that are very stable in the water (unlike canoes and kayaks. They are inexpensive and easy for a beginner to manage. They can be outfitted with all kinds of accessories (electric trolling motors, depth finders,etc) as you can afford it. They are an excellent choice for a beginner boater to get on the water, both in terms of safety and affordability. You can often find one used and already outfitted for very reasonable. Once you have the ability to move around on the water, you will see a huge difference in your fishing experience.

I have had much experience with this condition in old aluminum boats. The only permanent solution is a newer boat. The next best thing is a competent welder (heli-arc for aluminum). After getting your present cracks welded you will still be susceptible to newer cracks forming. After aluminum gets older it starts to get brittle, hence, the cracks.

I am sure everybody has their favorite methods to catch crappie. I use a 1/16 oz. white or chartreuse (depending on water color) maribou jig with just enough float to float it (I like the thin narrow type). Set the float at whatever depth the crappie are and the water surface works the jig for you. Some folks swear by the small grubs but I still like the old type maribou. This doesn't work well when the water is too choppy as it moves the jig too fast. Just my .02.

I agree with Larry. If the water level in your lake is dropping consistently, the bass are probably suspending over deeper water to avoid being trapped in shallow water. They may move shallow when actively feeding and resume suspending when not actively feeding.

I notice you are in Kansas. Be real careful with that "bill of sale only". It can be a time consuming nightmare to try to get this boat legal.

With no more information than you gave it isn't possible to say. Gears are a function of the motor and not the boat. I would suggest disconnect the control cable at the motor and try to shift it manually. That way you can tell if the problem is in the external linkage or in the motor. At least that is a good place to start.

I have been fly fishing for more than 20 years for everything from steelhead in the little salmon river to bream in my pond. I get a great amount of satisfaction from catching any fish on a fly that I tied myself. I do not use my flyrod to try to horse a bass out of heavy cover. That is not what a flyrod is designed for. I have casting rods for that. In it's place a flyrod is great fun and very likely to be successful in highly pressured water where other methods are not. I would recommend starting with a medium weight (6 or 7) rod with line to match. As mentioned before on this thread, the reel is only to store line and a cheap one will work for that purpose. Buy the best line and rod your budget will allow and learn how to use it well. After you catch a few fish on it you'll probably wind up, like me, with several flyrod combos in different weights, and a fly-tying vice, feathers and hair patches, an assortment of hooks and other tying accessories. Catching fish with a flyrod is FUN!

Is $5.50 for compact and $6.50 each for the cosmic the sale price?

I got my current alum boat in 2004 and built decks with 5/8", 5 ply marine plywood topped with astro turf. The wood is starting to deteriorate after 8 seasons. Still usable but I'll probably have to replace it in another year or 2. The boat has been stored outside exposed to the weather but tilted so it would drain well. I did not coat the wood with anything on the theory that it would dry faster if it wasn't sealed (marine plywood may already be treated with something to prevent rot). 5/8 plywood may not be strong enough to support some of you heavier guys but at 150 lbs. it does just fine for me. Anyway, that is what worked well for me.

I would be slow rolling a single bladed (larger Colorado or Indiana blade) yellow and black or chartreuse spinner bait right in the middle of all that cover.

Let's see. Let us think about this rationally; Fishing season here is year round, unless you want to take time out to hunt, so you really don't need a house (unless you have a family). Not only is a house an unnecessary expense, it takes up a lot of your fishin' time doing all those "house things" like mowing the lawn and stuff. I speak from experience as I have both a house and a wife. Astonishing how much stuff a wife can dream up for you to do that doesn't involve fishin' (and how miserable life can be if you don't actually DO some of it). I have spent the last 3 years trying to explain to her what "RETIRED" means. Actually, I'm kidding. My wife is my most frequent fishin' partner (no, she doesn't belong to this forum). The comment made earlier about Eufaula being large is true but that just means that you can find fish at any time of the year if you are willing to study the lake and put in the time to find them. Not that I know the lake all that well but it has enough necks and inlets that you can usually find fairly sheltered water that holds fish on a windy day and just about any kind of structure and cover you would care to fish.

This is something I have done for years. There is an over abundance of crappie in our lake. It isn't unusual to catch 50 or 60 slabs in a days outing. I'll fillet them all out and take some around to the elderly, and single moms in the community. I'll tell them I caught more than I could eat and offer them some fillets. Many of the people in my community will not accept charity but if offered in this way I can provide some high protein food without offending anyone (not to mention the homemade cookies that come my way on my birthday). There is always a way to go about things without harming the resource.

I don't know about anybody else, but I use 30# Power on my crankbait, spinnerbait, and worm rods and 50# Power Pro on my jig and flippin' rods. Considering the small diameter of the line and murkiness of the water here, I don't bother with leaders. You will probably find conditions here are quite a bit different than Mass. although I have never fished in Mass. What we call clear water here, would probably be called murky in Mass. One of the reasons for the heavier line and tackle here is the brush, stumps, and other cover we fish in. Lots of cover here and a 1/2# bass would snap 4# line on the strike. Years ago I heard people joking about using a "broom handle rod" so they could pull bass out of the brush before they wrapped the line around a stump or something. There is open water here but you need to be prepared for heavy cover. Just my .02.

McAlester is in the middle of the best fishing waters in the state. When you get settled in give me a PM and I'll see if I can introduce you to Eufaula. I'm in Quinton on the east side of the lake. Lots of ponds and smaller bodies of water where you can fish effectively without a boat. On the lakes it's handy to have a boat but not absolutely necessary.

There are good fishin' spots all over this state. What part of the state are you going to be located in?