Fishing Rhino

MY take is that you put up that gruff and tough exterior to hide a kind and caring heart. A defense mechanism if you will. She has obviously seen through that façade. Good for you, and good for her. Count your blessings, and be thankful that she was able to touch your heart.

I'm guessing that for a 21 foot boat, you have a tandem trailer. If that's the case, you'll find it nearly impossible to maneuver the rig. To make anything but a very gentle turn, you have to scrub the tires sideways on a tandem axle trailer. Single axle trailers are a breeze to "steer" even by hand, because the tires do not scrub at all. That scrubbing is one reason why tires wear less on single axle trailers.

Chevrolet vs. Cadillac, or whatever brand you care to substitute, with Nitro being the econocar. I had a new Nitro Z7 bought as a leftover, and it also had a cosmetic issue which was not a problem. Somehow in the construction the hull was leaned against something, or something was leaned against the rear starboard side of the hull leaving a depression in the hull which could be seen from one angle. The heat of summer caused that depression to disappear. Had no issues with the hull. I traded it for a 2011 Z8 in 2012 and have had no issue with the boat. The motor however did need to have the oil pump replaced under warranty last year. The chances are high that it will be the outboard motor that will account for the bulk of your operating expenses. So, be it a Nitro, a Ranger, a Bullett or any other brand, it will have the same brand outboard hanging on the transom. I know, Nitros are only available with Mercury. If you have a problem with Mercury outboards, then look elsewhere. Depreciation will be higher on a Nitro than some of the premium brands. Something to consider if you plan on replacing your boat every few years. The hardware on Nitros is not up to snuff with the more expensive boats, but it is still up to the task of doing its job be it hinges, locks, running lights, etc. Here's the important thing. The fish do not care what platform you are fishing from. There isn't a brand on the market that makes you a better or a worse fisherman. Based on seven years, I have never missed a day of fishing or had a delay because of a mechanical problem with the boat. On thing I did do was to install rubber grommets where the trailer wires passed through holes in the trailer frame. It annoyed me that Nitro would cut corners to save a few pennies. Don't know if they install them on the trailers today. Didn't take me an hour to install the grommets which can be bought at most hardware stores.

All "super glues" are not created equal. Have tried Gorilla super glue, crazy glue, etc. The best glue that I have found is the Loctite super glue. It sets up quickly, and it lasts. Don't like Crazy Glue. Too expensive. Too small a container. There is a trick to keep the super glue flowing. After applying it, hold the bottle upright, and burp it to prevent a membrane from forming across the nozzle. Burp it two or three times and keep it stored in the upright position. One bottle of the Loctite super glue should last you a season.

Soooo, you've been to Hell and back.

I hear King is working on a new book, the most terrifying of all his works. The main character owns an oriental restaurant, flips out after being mocked, and goes on a killing binge with a ladle.

Correction. SOME are getting old. Some of us are getting older. Never complain about getting old. It beats the alternative.

Well, this answers one of the things I've been ponderin'. I knew there was something missing on the site, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Officials seize 330 pounds of illegal striped bass, 5 charged for exceeding limit 2 Updated on August 25, 2017 at 9:53 PMPosted on August 25, 2017 at 9:52 PM 7shares By Dave Canton dcanton@repub.com BUZZARDS BAY - State Environmental Police seized more than 330 pounds of illegally caught striped bass from five Cape Cod Canal fisherman Thursday. All five were given criminal summons to appear in court for violating the recreational fishing limits, the Cape Cod Times reported. Environmental Police Maj. Patrick Moran said authorities have received many complaints about overfishing, but with perhaps thousands of people fishing and too few police to enforce state laws, only some fishermen are checked. "We are shorthanded," Moran told the Times. "It's strictly a matter of manpower." According to state law, each fisherman is allowed a daily take of one striped bass of at least 28 inches in length. One of the charged fishermen had 16 pounds of filleted fish in his possession. Moran said recreational fishermen are required to take their fish home before processing. The fillets had to be destroyed as unsuitable for human consumption, but the remaining fish were donated to the New Bedford-area Salvation Army. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/08/officials_seize_330_pounds_of.html

If I have to hazard a guess, maybe ten miles. Keep in mind, I usually put more miles on the trolling motor than on the big motor. Don't have a lot of big water, heck, don't have any big water around here except for the Atlantic Ocean. The only water with over two thousand acres is the Quabbin Reservoir.

The gate I use at Quabbin Reservoir is at the end of Hell Huddle Road. Now, let's make it a two fer. On my way to Hell Huddle Road, I pass by Purgatory Chasm.

How much fuel would you use? Like anything else, it's how you use it. If you are a run and gun, zoom off to a spot make a few casts. No luck, off to the next spot. Repeat. You will use a lot of gas. But, if you are familiar with the lake/pond, you should spend a lot more time on the trolling motor than on the big outboard. I've got a similar size boat and horsepower as the Triton. I don't burn more than four or five gallons per day, most days less. I cruise at 35 to 40 mph, even though it will do sixty mph. Too many variables to give you a reasonable guess as the how much fuel you will burn. The rule of thumb used to be one gallon of fuel per every ten horsepower at wide open throttle. That would mean you could burn 20 gallons per hour. You'd travel 60 miles. That's why the average fiberglass bass boat can carry 45 to 65 gallons of fuel.

Then it must be getting in through the top when it rains. Turn it upside down. It's going to be a process of elimination. Lean it up against a tree or building, stern down, top toward the building/tree. Drill a hole in the top at the stern. Drain the water, and put a plug in the hole. Do not drill a hole below the waterline, where it can get dislodged. and you cannot get at it to put in another plug. Use an expansion plug. Put it where it cannot snag your rods or line, or where you can trip on it. There are several types. The one below is less likely to cause problems.

Chances are you have a crack that is allowing water to seep in. You'll have to find the leak, then fix it. Haul your boat onto shore, put it on saw horses or anything else that will allow you to get it off the ground and get it level. Wipe the hull dry, then examine it to find the wet area where it is leaking. You may need to tilt the boat from side to side and bow to stern, until you find the leak. There is some process where you "weld" the crack to seal prevent it from leaking. Be sure to get all the water out before you seal it. Google "how to repair leaks in a plastic boat". Some time ago there was a video posted on the forum showing how to "weld" the crack closed.

I posted some time ago about putting a barrel for trash at a local boat launch. It really isn't a ramp, but it serves the purpose. For years litter has accumulated, simply because it was too easy to toss trash onto the ground, rather than carrying some type of plastic bag to hold trash until it could be disposed of properly. The ground around the barrel is free of any litter. A hundred yards away where cars park there is some littler, but not like it used to be. One of my concerns was that some might use it to dispose of their home trash, but that did not happen. The only thing close to that is that someone disposed of thirty or forty rods (no reels). They stuffed all they could into the barrel then made a neat stack of the remainder. They were salt water rods, and there were about three types of rods. Looked like someone who ran a "head boat" decided to get rid of his old rods after replacing those supplied to his customers. They didn't appear to be in bad shape other than they were rendered unusable. Other than that, I am pleased that it has worked out so well. I'll continue providing a trash barrel until the season ends, and if I'm still around, I'll put it out again next year as the season approaches.

That's nothing. I woke up in my wife's underwear. Strange things happen during an eclipse. As an aside, you can get Eclipse in a bottle.

Many fish are lost because the drag is too tight. Maybe it's not tight enough to break the line, but it can also pull a hook if it is set in soft tissue. Those happen most often when the fish is close to the boat. When I have a good fish on the line, I'll back off the drag a bit when it gets close to the boat.

Power loading is against the law at all of the state operated and maintained ramps in Massachusetts.

When I was a commercial lobsterman, I caught many basking sharks when they got entangled in the ground line of the lobster trawls. Believe me, you do not want to catch them. Also caught sea turtles. But, the most interesting catch was the mainsail of a Hinckley 42 foot sailing yacht. But wait, there is more. On our next trip, the sail bag for the sail came up draped over a lobster pot.

I've hauled my boat over 10,000 miles from Lake Champlain to southern Georgia and points in between, and have yet to find a grubby boat from any of my travels. I get more grime on the area of the hull at the waterlines from the gunk that floats on the surface of the water than I've gotten from all my travels combined. To each his own.

Interesting. I'd be more concerned about the damage caused by sunlight than I would be about rain. The CD that came with my boat's cover, and the message inside the pocket for the cable ratchet advise against using the cover for long hauls. All that road grime, dust, grit, bugs, etc can get trapped between the cover and the hull. When the cover flutters during travel, it becomes an abrasive that can damage a hull's finish. I do take the cover when I travel with the boat. It goes on the boat at night to keep the inside of the boat and everything in there such as the seats, carpet and consoles dry. If it rains during the day, but is not supposed to rain that night, the cover stays off which allows at least some of the moisture to evaporate. I'm fortunate. My boat stays in the garage, uncovered, with all hatches open to provide good air circulation. My opinion is that the tow vehicle takes the brunt of the impact from bugs and other airborne debris, acting like a deflector to most things that could potentially impact the boat.

After being computerless for the past two weeks, I'm back on line. Derek is on his way to Ohio tomorrow, and will be searching for new territory to fish. I'm in the market for someone to fill the empty seat at the bow from time to time. Sometimes I fish the canoe. Sometimes I make the drive to Quabbin (been a couple of weeks so I'm due) and sometimes I fish from the Nitro Z8.

It might have changed, but the last I knew, if you are staying at a Disney resort, you can fish any of the canals from shore. You can get a guided fishing trip on the "big" lakes in a bass boat or a party barge. You can use your own gear except for the dynamite, or use theirs. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/fishing/ When the page opens, be sure to click on the "see more" to get more particulars.

Fifteen dollars per gallon? It must be junk. I made fiberglass race car bodies for several years, and cannot remember when resin was only fifteen dollars per gallon. I purchased polyester resin (which I would not use in a boat) for around that price, buying it by the 50 gallon drum. For boats you should use vinylester resin because it is waterproof. Polyester resin will absorb water/moisture. Canvas? really? You are really looking for trouble and throwing all you labor down the drain. There is a saying, "penny wise, pound foolish". Clayton is correct about the fabric. It should be a combination or mat and roving. The mat is a filler between the layers of roving. Mat only construction ends up with a composite like an egg shell, because it contains short fibers about two inches long. Roving, be it woven or stitched has continuous fibers running the full length and width of the roll. It sounds harsh, but you may as well take a match to that hundred and fifty dollars worth of material, plus the time you've put into it for the construction you describe. Here's one of my bodies. The color is in the gel coat. It is not painted. The body weighs about 75 pounds. It takes five gallons of resin to make the body plus the gel coat. It averages about a sixteenth of an inch thick. The last polyester resin cost about 26 dollars per gallon in a five gallon pail. By the way, when fiberglass boats were in their infancy builders used burlap as a fabric.

Hmmmmm. The site seems to be percolating along nicely now. Hope I didn't curse it.