TOXIC

The Pearl got a new cover for the days she is not in the barn. It's made by Sealskin who I bought my truck cover from. Not a perfect fit but I won't ever trailer with it on. The Ghost trolling motor sits really high so there is a gap there. I can probably get it to fit better if I mess with it. It has a side cinch all the way around like the factory covers but i sm not using it. It's a good deal for $250. Lifetime warranty. Good alternative to the expensive OEM. Attachment straps are super long but I assume it’s to fit all models. I also replaced the rubber step pads on both trailer fenders. I forgot I had them. The old ones were gone. I took some Nevr-Dull to the rims and got rid of that white chalky corrosion that they get. Finished it off with a cleaner wax. We ran 1/2 of port tank out on river, I haven’t filled starboard tank since we cleaned them both out. Each tank holds 26 gallons.

As far as I know all the major trails have this as a rule, at least on the boats, I don’t know about yaks.

Just another thing to consider, if the screens were deemed to be a contributing factor, wouldn’t every manufacturer of the dual screen mounts be open to lawsuits?

I’ll be the dissenter here and make the claim it wasn’t the graphs that obstructed his view. The graphs may have distracted him but they didn’t block his view. He was running a straight line and had been for a long distance. His view would have been above the graphs considering the distance he traveled before the accident. Simple physics will show how far ahead the graphs could have/would have blocked his view. In my experience the dual mount graphs do obstruct your view but it is for a limited distance not the span he was traveling. Height in the seat is also a factor but unless he is really short, most boat seats put your head above the windshield. Sad,sad, accident.

Are you saying that is the deal with GSM acquiring Dobyns? As far as I know no dealers were dropped or prostaff eliminated. I can only speak to Yamamoto brand and they did not sever relationships or have any questionable business tactics. I assume the same attitude would be with the Dobyns line.

In February we will be going back to Headwaters and if history is a good teacher, first thing in the morning, a DShad worked out from the weedy banks was a killer.

I’m confused, GSM aquired Bill Lewis and they are still producing Rattle Traps.

One of the reasons I am so enamored with the Yamamoto DShad is that it has enough natural weight to fish deeper without nails, pinch weights, ball heads, belly weighted hooks, worm weights, etc. I have never fished a DShad deeper than 10 feet so there’s that. If I’m going deeper, I’ll normally choose a different bait. Texas Rigged weightless on a 4.0 EWG gamakatsu hook allows me to fish everything from open water to wood, topped out grass and pads. It saved a trip to St Clair one of our 22 years of going there by dead sticking it in 8-10 feet and just dragging it on the bottom. In pads and topped out grass, it has enough weight to sink in the open holes and weedless enough to work on top. Now GSM/Yamamoto has come out with the Hinge Shad and everything I have seen has it on a ball head. Seems no one is fishing it weightless. I’m going to order some and give them a go.

Here in Virginia on the tidal Rappahonock river we have been waiting for the fall feed up. I didn’t go last weekend but my buddy did and he said he saw excessive amounts of big bass up shallow chasing Shad in the creek mouths. Just what you would expect so it isn’t just man made reservoirs. It is affected by big tide swings though when shallow becomes exposed gravel.

Just a word to the wise that whenever you use a vinegar or water spot remover, home made or store bought, it’s a good idea the put on a coat of wax or whatever your preferred protectant is.

It sure highlighted the reason most old time farmers didn’t have all their fingers! All of my maternal relatives were farming folks. It had 2 drive mechanisms directly cogged to the main axle. One spins the blades that do the chopping and slinging of the poo, the second is a drive system that has 2 chains on either side of the box that run front to back that pull a series of 2 inch tall angle iron bars connected on both sides of the box which move the poo to the blades. Every moving part on that machine was designed to remove your body parts. She coats the inside with used truck/tractor oil to keep the wood from rotting. I spent a lot of time on google trying to figure out why it had 2 oil drain plugs and the oil filter was on top of the d**n motor. Next up will be a deep dive into flushing the hydraulic system.

For the last 3 years, my daughter (27) has been running her business, a horse boarding/training/sale facility and since I’m retired (and her father😂), I got drafted as free barn help. Aside from helping with the horses, which I actually have experience with, I have been drafted into working on her 1 ton truck, her tractor, horse trailers and the usual farm chores. I have learned a lot of things like working on her Kioti tractor (Korean diesel) and remembered a lot from my younger days wrenching on my own vehicles, which weren’t 1 ton diesels. This last week I earned the certificate for becoming a certified poo slinging spreader mechanic. 🤣😱 I won’t go into the gory details but a machine that is probably older than me that is ground driven (no PTO) with more gears/chains/straight shafts that won’t properly sling poo, I felt like I was Mike Rowe on an episode of “Dirty Jobs”. To add insult to injury, it wasn’t empty when we started this product. Long story short….we had to tear it completely down and reassemble.

Not trying to be a smart arse, but if you are using sealant and it’s not stopping water spots, I’d switch products. Is there a problem with the water you fish? High calcium?

I know it’s impossible to cover all the brands but for the masses, BPS/Cabela’s offer affordable rain, cold weather gear and clothing. I have 2 pairs of Red Head fishing pants that are great for a very affordable price. Likewise, I have a 100mph suit (now replaced by the 200mph at the store) and a Pro Qualifer suit for the in between temps. There are a lot of options out there for fishing clothing.

Also, make sure you put a good protective coat of something on your cowl after using any harsh cleaner. Ceramic, wax, bass boat saver, bling, hot sauce, whatever you choose. You will find you may not need the harsh help.

When I was actively guiding and on the water a lot, my gear got rotated annually or biannually depending on how hard it was used. It was replaced with my sponsors allotment. Reels were the same way. I wanted my clients to have the “latest and greatest” for their trips. I spread my rods/reels out over all price points to match my clientele and what we were fishing and their level of expertise. That being said, I just retired a Browning reel that was over 25 years old mated to a CastAway Skeleton rod that was my dedicated dropshot setup. I’d wager I caught thousands of fish on that combo. The reel literally disintegrated. Felt like I lost an old friend. The biggest difference I see from my older gear to the newer models is weight. That’s where the most advancement has been made.

That’s sad news.

As I have said, you can’t legislate common sense. If regulating speed and size was the answer, then there wouldn’t be an automobile made that exceeds the maximum speed limit. Pretty hard to not get 100mph out of most all vehicles. That’s not to say that sometime in the future automakers won’t come out with a way to limit a vehicles speed to the posted limit. My GPS/Android Auto In my truck knows the speed limit and displays it. It also lets me know when I exceed it. But I digress.

When I was pro staff for Bass Pro, in my reel allotment every year, I always got a JLM Signature baitcaster. The one that comes in the padded box and over the years was gold, blue, or silver and I put them up as kind of mementos because I was a Pro Qualifier and Browning Citori or Midas fan. I pulled one of the JLM reels the other day and it feels like a boat anchor. 😂 I don’t know if I could throw or all day. I also have a large collection of the old round reels in various sizes because at one time I thought I was going to throw those more.

My gear is what my 50 years of fishing has taught me works the best for me. My boat was the best value I could find that covered all my bases for the water I fish. I choose to “splurge” on traveling to different locations to fun fish. Besides Virginia, I go to Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Canada, and Florida. I like spending my $$ on different experiences. Traveling with friends to fish and meeting friends in other locations and experiencing different waters, is priceless.

The height of the rig above where you aim it is what causes the splash. Either eliminate that height distance (sidearm, skip or lighter weight) or cast beyond your target and draw it back. Btw, 1/4 is my everyday weight and I never go down, only up, for deeper presentations.

Yes, all fishing rod blanks have a "spine" or natural bend axis, even if not always obvious to the naked eye. This spine is the result of the manufacturing process, where rolled materials create a stiffer and softer side. The spine is the natural bending point of the rod, and identifying and building a rod on this spine ensures maximum performance and longevity by preventing stress and twisting. That’s the result of a quick google search and mirrors what I have always been told. There is a difference between the spine and a defect though. If you’ve ever put heavy stress on a rod and it wants to roll to one side or the other, that’s a build with no consideration to the spine.

Couple of factors for me. When guiding, I quickly determined my clients casting prowess. That determined where and what we fished as well as boat placement. I’ve had clients throw baits over power lines and boathouses. If they can’t skip, I’m not going to fish docks. If they are throwing weighted baits in wood or rip rap, I will determine if it’s worth the risk of me banging up my my boat, motor or troller to attempt a retrieve. When I am in the backseat, I make the decision myself and more often than not, I will just break off. Factor in the super high cost of some of the newer glide and swim baits and it could cause a real conflict.

I use Cuda but tried the Rapala multi tool and was sorely disappointed. It is too heavy for a lanyard and it rusted after 1 trip. I contacted Rapala and they claimed it was natural for stainless to rust and refused to do anything. Very bad customer service.

Just to throw a wrench in the selections, Yamamoto just introduced the “Hinge Minnow” which is an upsized DShad with a jointed section and ridges that make it tip side to side.