Crow Horse

For what it's worth..... It's not only an issue of water temperatures. Accidents occur in warm weather and they are unplanned. A medical emergency can incapacitate you and make any perceived mitigation responses invalid. In a controlled environment, try to swim or remain afloat with just one arm and one leg (possibly simulating a stroke). Just something to think about.

This is spot on. Kudos to your BIL. This is another pet peeve of mine. A great many people focus on their "rights" (fill in any issue) instead of their obligations to their fellow man. Pretty sad.....

Survivability tanks in cold water. Wearing a PFD will save recovery divers a lot of time.

Thanks for all the info. Would replacing the original trebles with the thin wire 110 trebles appreciably slow the sink or make it suspend? I don't have one here yet to actually weigh the trebles.

Besides the hardware (hooks & split rings), are there any other differences between the regular 110 and the 110SW?

For what it's worth, I tried to "clean up" the image. Maybe a slight improvement.

Haven't found any info regarding availability. I'm usually pretty good at sniffing out information but haven't found anything beyond what AlabamaSpothunter has shared. Has this just debuted?

Any more info about this gem? I haven't seen it on any of the sites I've searched.

I have a sit in yak with a Sting Ray seat and use this seat cushion I got on Amazon. This season will be it's 6th year and it's still going strong. I sit a little higher due to the cushion but it pads my skinny butt so long days on the water isn't a problem. The high back Sting Ray seat provides great support.

Love the phrase "dirt time". It's a phrase that is often used in tracking training.

Nailed it. It seems that both wisdom & understanding are commodities in short supply and for many, have little value. Addendum to my earlier post - Learning is a never ending process. There is no finish line, no tape to break, grab a drink and grab a lawn chair to watch the rest of the finishers. It is an eternal journey, not only with bass fishing, but everything in life (and beyond).

Great topic! I've found that the internet has been a valuable resource for instant information. One caveat that has been mentioned is that one must employ intelligence to filter out what is usable information and what isn't. I geek out with all the information to sort through. On the opposite end of the spectrum in the learning process is learning from a coyote teacher. When a student asks a coyote teacher a question, the answer will never be direct. The answer will direct the student on a circuitous learning journey that could take months or years (maybe a lifetime) to arrive at the answer.This learning journey will teach exponentially more than a simple direct answer. The obvious drawback is the time element. We live in a instant gratification society and this teaching/learning method flies in the face of it. Another facet that bares mentioning is the difference between "believing" and "knowing". Believing is iffy. Knowing is absolute. It's the difference between concept and percept. Personally, I'll take "information" and test it to the best of my ability. After testing I'll make my assessment and decide which category it belongs in. My experience has been that without the results of direct experience, untested information can be easily forgotten.

Here's good article on how to choose one..... Choosing a PFD

I agree 100% about the Chinook. My only complaint might be that the current version is different than the ones I have and if I had to replace them I would get the current model and adjust accordingly.

A great many people try to economize when purchasing a PFD and subsequently end up with one that isn't comfortable. This is an area where economizing is very foolish. My NRS Chinook is on the higher end of PFD's and it's extremely comfortable. I'll bet other brands of a similar price point are equally comfortable. I believe my hide is worth the extra sheckles I had to pay.

What spins off of unconscious competence is a positive mental attitude. Knowing what to do, how to do it regardless of the situation & conditions at hand AND be proficient in those skills fosters clarity of thought. This is huge and one's mental state often dictates success or failure.

I have to correct myself in a previous post. I'm a safety Nazi. Things can go wrong at the speed of thought and I want to be prepared as much as humanly possible. My buddies kid me about this but are happy when they need something. Other safety items to consider: waterproof strobe waterproof flashlight(s) 2 way radio with weather band whistle tow rope knife (dive knife with blunt tip) These items might sound like they're over the top, but they'll be valued when they are needed.

From the Mayo Clinic.... Treatment Heatstroke treatment centers on cooling your body to a normal temperature to prevent or reduce damage to your brain and vital organs. To do this, your doctor may take these steps: Immerse you in cold water. A bath of cold or ice water has been proved to be the most effective way of quickly lowering your core body temperature. The quicker you can receive cold water immersion, the less risk of death and organ damage. Use evaporation cooling techniques. If cold water immersion is unavailable, health care workers may try to lower your body temperature using an evaporation method. Cool water is misted on your body while warm air is fanned over you, causing the water to evaporate and cool your skin. Pack you with ice and cooling blankets. Another method is to wrap you in a special cooling blanket and apply ice packs to your groin, neck, back and armpits to lower your temperature. Give you medications to stop your shivering. If treatments to lower your body temperature make you shiver, your doctor may give you a muscle relaxant, such as a benzodiazepine. Shivering increases your body temperature, making treatment less effective. If you notice signs of heat-related illness, lower your body temperature and prevent your condition from progressing to heatstroke. In a lesser heat emergency, such as heat cramps or heat exhaustion, the following steps may lower your body temperature: Get to a shady or air-conditioned place. If you don't have air conditioning at home, go someplace with air conditioning, such as the mall, movie theater or public library. Cool off with damp sheets and a fan. If you're with someone who's experiencing heat-related symptoms, cool the person by covering him or her with damp sheets or by spraying with cool water. Direct air onto the person with a fan. Take a cool shower or bath. If you're outdoors and not near shelter, soaking in a cool pond or stream can help bring your temperature down. Rehydrate. Drink plenty of fluids. Also, because you lose salt through sweating, you can replenish salt and water with some sports drinks. If your doctor has restricted your fluid or salt intake, check with him or her to see how much you should drink and whether you should replace salt. Don't drink sugary or alcoholic beverages to rehydrate. These drinks may interfere with your body's ability to control your temperature. Also, very cold drinks can cause stomach cramps. What happened?

I think there are ways to combat the heat. I always wear a hat, a cooling towel around my neck, a long sleeve fishing shirt and keep hydrated and they have provided relief and even comfort in the searing heat.

This might help. I keep mine in a zip lock bag with a Zerust "tab" (VCI) to prevent rust & corrosion. I keep my really good ones (Knipex) at home in my fishing tool box. \\

Wearing a PFD isn't a decision that affects only the wearer or non wearer. If one chooses to roll the bones and not wear one and things go sideways, now that decision impacts first responders and rescue or recovery efforts and family. Valuable resources might be consumed because of the protracted time that is needed for a recovery. Recovery efforts can also put responders at risk. I recognize the watch your own top knot perspective but this decision can have far reaching impacts. Like so many things in life, focusing on personal "rights" seems to be the dominant paradigm and our obligations to others seems to have little value. I disagree with that school of thought but that's how I roll. Yes, I am the PFD Nazi..... Spinning away from the PFD issue, how many people carry a first aid kit and a set of pliers capable of cutting a hook on their vessel? I carry a small FAK (with cutters) in my yak and have a huge FAK in my truck.

EDIT*** NOT Wearing a PFD is a pet peeve of mine. I see many people not wearing them. Drives me insane. One item that is rarely mentioned - I don't care if the water is warm or if the water is shallow and you can walk back to shore. If you have any type of medical emergency that incapacitates you, without a PFD you'll probably drown. A PFD will keep your head above water and you'll have the ability to breath. It gives you a fighting chance. If your body doesn't choose to breath, at least your body will be reasonably easy to locate and recover. Rant off....

I did the same not once but twice. Both times I returned to the launch site to remove a layer of clothing and in a rush to get back on the the water I left my PFD with my jacket. I got a short way from the launch site and realized something was terribly wrong and then realized my howling error. I retrieved my PFD and all was well in the world. I'm lost without my PFD. It has most of my gear lashed to it and it's comfortable that I don't even notice that I'm wearing it. NRS Chinook (old style)

I know (or hope) that most do wear one, but this is a good article about why to wear one...... Why Wear A Life Jacket

If you're worried about spillage, I made this dying work area so I wouldn't knock a jar of JJ's over and require Haz Mat removal..... You can make it out of anything. I used 2 cutting boards from Walmart.