R520dvx

You should be feeling the same thing with plastics Absolutely !!

Well said KC .... anytime anything seems "different" it is time to jerk !!! And none of this drop the rod, reel up the slack, and set the hook ....... jerk and jerk right now !!

Always net in a tournament ..... only net big fish when fun fishing

Denny Brauer has a book out on Jig Fishing Techniques that is very good. He IS the Grand MAster of the jig !!

Simp ..... I have an SOSpenders World Class and it has never gone off in the rain. The newer hydrostatic ones I understand won't either. I haven't used mine in a couple of years. If you are interested in a good deal, I would sell mine. Probably should have a new arming kit in it just to be safe.

Shoot thru the hull ..... it is out of sight and the wires hidden. Also you don't have to worry about it getting knocked off.

I run XD100 ..... if someone is paying twice as much for it they need to find another source. I pay $34.95 per gallon in a BRP jug or can buy it bulk for $28.00

Looks like it is riding on a cloud going down the road

Yep .... no more mudpie for me ..... at least for a while. :'(

I too run the manufacturer's recommended oil ..... actually, Evinrude suggests XD50 and I choose to use XD100. The 100 is full synthetic ..... no carbon ..... and is less viscous in COLD weather for better oil flow. Yes .... it is expensive ..... let me see $30 for oil or $18,000 for an engine ......

Boat insurance is pretty cheap ..... We carry full coverage including on water towing and some coverage for contents for less than $400 per year on a 21 ft Ranger and a 225HP engine. At least try to get some liability ...... it would be cheap. Most companies will let you pay quarterly. Probably be $50 or so for a quarter to protect yourself. Then you could add to it later if you want more coverage.

6g ......

I can't imagine being on the water with much of anything without at least liability .... :-?

We htow with both a Tahoe and a Silverado Crewcab. We have a heavy boat (21 ft Ranger) and both do a good job towing and hauling people. The Silverado is however somewhat better.

Nice Job !!

I've got Interstates and am very pleased ...... price sounds pretty high though. They just quoted me $85 on the 29's a few weeks ago. We have an Interstate distributor in our town.

+1 ..... I'm with you on this one. I've read way too many posts about inflatables either not working or quickly deflating after deployment.

I have read way too many posts about inflatables either not inflating or quickly deflating ..... I wear a good regular style. I do have an inflatable sitting around collecting dust !!

No ..... you will have to use a transom mount ....

:-? Did you have waterin it ???

The lake is at winter pool ....... actually, slightly above. They will start to bring it up soon. The plan is for them to start bringing it up about the first of April. I hope it stays down and it doesn't get too high. It was high last year for too long and it messed up the vegetation on the upper part of the lake.

+1 for the Dual Pro ...... I have a 4 bank in my Ranger and has worked great

I just read some tournament rules that the dead fish penalty is 25% of the ENTIRE CATCH !!! That is the kind of penalty that will make a difference in the way some handle fish.

I think you are ignoring the fact that lakes will go through phases. Other factors come into play like spawn size, climate, and changes in the lake. I live on Kentucky Lake and our fishing has been improving the last few years and is expected to continue improving. Is it the best it's ever been? No, but improving. We had some years with better than average spawns and some other factors. The fishing has changed also. The resurgence of vegetation in the lake has had an affect on fish location. We've had to adapt to that change. Believe me, Texas isn't the only place with tournament pressure. Several hundred tourney boats is an every weekend occurrence here. I have seen times when there were upwards of 1000 tournament boats involved in big tournaments only ..... not counting club tournaments and recreational fishing. We also have our share of high water temps. We have quite a stretch of water temps in the 80's to close to 90. Not as high as yours, however because of conditioning just as stressful to our fish as your temps are to yours. Some anglers could do a better job of taking care of the fish. There are plenty of products to use .... oxygenators, livewell treatments like Catch and Release, hydrogen peroxide, and good old fashioned ice. There will always be some anglers who are not diligent in fish care. Some angler education would be good in some cases. All in all, I believe if fisheries biologist and management thought tournament fishing was seriously damaging fish populations, that they would regulate it more or put an end to it.

If you can get the bullet pulled, flush the powder then fill the case with WD40 and let it soak for a few hours ..... that will make the primer inert.