papa1

I often use WD-40 to treat severe arthritic pain on my old worn out body. But I would never use it on something of value like a gun or a reel, nor would I use it to attract fish.

All I know is that when the barometric pressure changes, I often have pain. But I never look to see what the barometer reads. If the pain isn't too bad, I go fishing. If the pain gets so bad I can't work, I go fishing.

Fatdaddy, A friend of mine went to a boat show and bought a loaded "demo". New boat, for used dollars. It was one of those deals where the dealer claimed he just didn't want to tow it back to the lot. It was a year old and the dealer wanted to move it to have room for the new models. He got a great deal on that boat. When I went lookin for myself, I asked all my neighbors with boats if they knew someone wanting to sell theirs. As luck would have it, I bought a two year old boat with hardly any hours on it for what the kid owed on it. He was happy. I am delighted! No matter how good a used boat looks, don't put down any money until you can put it in the water and see how it runs. You also want to see how it loads and unloads on the trailer, and how it pulls down the road with your vehicle. It doesn't make any difference who you're buying the boat from. If they don't want to go to the trouble to take you out on the water with it, just walk away from the deal. You wouldn't buy a car without driving it first. Even more so with a used boat. Good luck on finding just the right boat for you. papa1

Hi, I live in the SE corner of Kansas. We have a lot of old strip pits that the state has turned into some pretty good fishing over the years. Bass, Walleye, panfish, catfish. I Bass fish mostly, grandma likes panfish. You just about have to have a boat to fish the area. The pits are just deep open troughs cut into the ground where they stripped out the coal. The sides are steep and rugged. There are just a few places you can fish from the bank. The state is constantly putting in new boat ramps and acceses areas. Some pits are too small for a motor boat. Some will handle a big boat. I have a 14' Bass Tracker that's just fine for anything but the pits we use a Scamp in. The area also has plenty of White Tail deer, rabbits, squirrel and quail, so it's a great year-round area to hunt and fish. We even have Spoonbill close by. I've never snagged for them but who knows, maybe next year? papa1

'Morning, Marine. Thanks for your service. This old Sailor (radar tech) will tell you what little I know about depth finders. Maybe someone else can fill in the shady areas for both of us. "Where does the sensor at the back of the boat read in the water" Generally speaking, directly under the sensor. The width of the beam depends on how deep the water is. The deeper the water, the wider the beam where it hits the bottom. Mine is a dual beam, so it shows solid color fish in the main beam; outlined (ghost) fish in the wider beam. "how come the screen is always moving?" The screen appears to be moving because the depth finder is updating the information it is receiving from the signal it sends out. Basically, a ping is sent out then recieved in an instant. The computer breaks down the returned signal as to depth and bottom contour as well as any obstacles or irregularities within the beam width. If you stay in the same spot, it refreshes what lies directly below the transponder. If your boat is moving, then each time it refreshes the presentation, it is showing the depth, bottom, and obstacles in the new location the boat is in. That's the quick and dirty. If you want to read more about depth finders, Humminbird has a great site filled with information. Here's a great tutorial that will answer about any question you might have. Beams, beam width, theory of operation, etc. http://www.humminbird.com/generic.asp?ID=403 I hope I was able to shed a little light on the mystery of depth finders. I'm going to go back to bed now and try to get some sleep. I will say a prayer for you in the meantime. Stay safe, Marine. papa1 Looks like I need to modify my profile. Gender's wrong. Just what I needed. ;D