Muddpuppy

I usually tell if they ask and are in a nice mood. I fish with a guy that is just the opposite even when we are at the launch leaveing. And on more than one occassion have over heard him and anouther boater discuss how many fish they didn't catch while me and the other guys parter are discussing the ones we both did. Funny how it works that way.

I think alot of Jr. Colleges offer courses on bass fishing. I know the one here Tyler Jr. College (TX.)does. I think they still offer basic and adv. classes. It also has a course on fly fishing and tying that is supposed to be wonderful. Then have a class trip to Arkansas at the end of it. Also I think I read that Sky Ranch just had a week long camp for kids w/ parents that Jay Yelas conducted. They have a private lake, cabins with a christian envionment. I don't know if they do it often.

1st. boat - two 40's mdl. car hoods welded together, that I had to drag from pond to pond behind the tractor, it was indistructable, the next was a 12' flat bottom. I could load it in a pick up but had to wait a few years before I could legaly drive. current boat 116 Ranger Cherokee

The main one that I have heard of is if you don't get the universal sonar, then trying to run the wire for anouther unit is a pain when stowing or lowering the motor.

I often put a barrel swivel in the line when fishing weightless plastics. That also gives me a slight leader. The swivel reduces line twist that is bad with unweighted plastics like flukes, worms and adds a little weight.

We used to tighten or peen the rivets like M.Guru discribed, we also have replaced some with aircraft rivets they do require special tools, or cut them out and weld them with a heli arc. Aluminum can be brazed or soldered but with a regular heating tip on a oxy/acetalene tourch you have to be very careful that the metal doesn't melt and fall out. Since the rivets and the boat are different materials and dirty it can be a pain. I never have tried the Brazeing Sticks that Fisher/LBH were describeing. About how many cans of Herculiner would it take to do a 14' semi-v? How many coats do you put on? I don't have any leaks I am interested for sound supression and traction.

I have an aluminum semi-v kind of like what you are looking at. They are not as stable as a jon or flat bottom. You may be able to raise the seats some, depending on the size to improve casting. It has been a while but we use to fish for bass in stumps at night and run miles of trotlines with no problems. They do cut through the water alot nicer then the flat bottoms. If the boat is sound, I think that is a pretty good price.

Minn Kota tells how to determine wire size on there site. You may have to scroll through it to find it. http://www.minn-kota.com/Minn-Kota-faq/Minn_Kota_FAQ.htm I didn't see anything on the Motor Guide when I just checked, but I believe that they used too or had a simular question board too.

I think the article section is a good place to start and often recomend it. It gives the beginner a basic understanding of alot of the methods and techniques, and still allows for plenty of follow up questions and advise, plus now they have some idea how to apply it or focus their questions on a specific topic, where personal advice maybe helpful.

Your batteries need to be the same size, type and condition. If one battery is old and week it can shorten the life of the newer one. That can also be a problem when chargeing unless you use and isolator or charge them seperatly otherwise you can run the risk of overchargeing one. I had mine hooked up parallel for a while and finally just went back to alternating between one of two batteries if needed.

I have one on the bow that mounts on the TM and the one on the console mounts on the transom also. I have a flasher too, and need to get anouther trans. for it I may try to shoot thru the hull like Ben next time if I can find one.

I think Lowance has one model that is 3d.

My buddy showed me up useing a tube the other evening. At least until I pulled out the heavy artillery and put a "Hoo Daddy" on his act. They were hitting tubes like they were going out of style and not much else.

Works pretty good unless it hangs up and tears your gnorbeseing hand off!

We have a few around here and for the most part they don't present a problem. I thought that I heard that an adult was attacked by one in Louisiana, last week, but I couldn't swear to it. If it is true I believe that it is the first gaitor related death in 10 yrs. So they are nothing to take for granted. It is illegal here to feed them, even dispossing of the aftermass of fish cleaning on the bank or in the water can be considered "feeding" and carry a hefty fine where gators frequent.

I landed a 4.10lb. largemouth this evening rigged as described in the first post. A 3/4 oz. brass weight and ticker with a glass bead on 30# braid. I was useing a Pumkin seed colored Gene Larew Hoo Daddy in about 22' water next to a weed bed. We also caught several others 2 1/2 to 3.25 lb. off of a watermellon candy fluke. It was c-rigged with about a 3/8 oz. weight in very stumpy area. We were fishing between 21' and 30' the heavier weight was just a little too much when pulling though the branches and thick weeds.

Since we are about to enter into hunting season before long also, I wonder if will one theropist be enough or do I need two? You don't happen to know of any haveing a two obsesive disorders for the price of one special do you?

Have you tried to leave a little more slack in the worm when hooking it?

I bought a Coleman Mosquito Deleto System to take camping and several extra Inhibitors. I take a couple of the Inhibitors in the boat with me when I go and they seem to help. They are fan powered and run off of 2aa batteries and have something like sentinal in them. They don't repel the mosquitoes but confuse their senses so they don't bite as much. I have had them for a couple of years now and they seem to work pretty good. My wife is a mosquito delicasie and they don't bite her near as bad. Each one covers an area about 10 x10 if the wind isn't blowing. The trap is a joke though. http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2950A602&categoryid=21562

The Fe Da Lance is one bad joker. Raul did make a good point, I worry more about spiders anymore than snakes. We have Widows and Brown Recluses and I know a few people that have been bitten by those and some got pretty bad. And they were't trapesing around in the bottoms to do it. They were bitten at home. I have gotten where I fog the campers at camp before I stay in them. I have been bitten by one spider (unknown kind) and it was a week before I could put on a shoe. I still move pretty slow getting out of a sleeping bag on cool mornings when sleeping on the ground in case of snakes, but always, even at home make sure notheing is in my shoes and such. Luckily our scorpions aren't very poisonous, but we have a bunch of them. As far as snakebites they will probably get you eventurally if you jack with them. Even with the copperhead my arm and hand swelled to like 3x the normal size and they had to make insisions and split the skin to keep it from ripping. Pain doesn't discribe the feeling. Since I didn't want to remain in the hospital I had to sign enough realese forms that I,m not sure they even have to pay taxes anymore. So they do take the bites very seriously. I have been told by some of the old timer's that it was a common practice at one time to keep snakes like a bull snake in secludeded places of homes like cuboards and under sinks ( this was a long time ago, way before the Orkan Man) to control mice, rats and other snakes. Many are often welcome in barns and places feed and grains are kept. So they do have there place. I have yet to hear a good story about snakes and chicken houses however.

Don't drink alcohol either, they can't or couldn't adminster anti-venom if you have been drinking. Also if you should ever get bit, make sure that you are able to idenitfy the snake, if not by name then by its markings, shape,features, colors might be helpful but it can vary from snake to snake. (like Dip o snuff said)

I've been bitten by a copperhead. Hurts like $^*@ later. The doctor is even worse. Deaths that are caused by snakebites in this country are extreamly rare. If you live in snake country watch your step especially when crossing logs or rocks, get a pair of blue jeans and good boots or gaitor's and never lift anything towards yourself. If you learn where a snake might be you probably won't ever have any problems. Most snakes are in a bigger hurry to get away from you as you are from them. Some of the non-venomous species eat the smaller poisonous snakes.

There is a printable journal sheet that you can download on here in the tacklebox section at the top, if somebody wants try to start one.

I just picked up some Mustad feather dressed hooks at a local shop. I didn't think they were outragously priced when compared to plain hooks. I put them on some Yo-Zui lures and it sure made them look good, I guess I will pick up a few more packs and dress up a few more. Since Will mentioned that, a good fly fishing shop will carry all kinds of different feathers and hair types. I know the one I go to has a whole wall full of stuff.

I wouldn't hook the batteries together. Since they are different types to start with, it will probably be more grief in the long run. The weaker one will cause added draw on the other and shorten the life, or that has been my experience. I think I have everything hooked up to the cranking battery or it was. I usually carry an extra so I may have changed it.