stratos 375

In the 30 years I've had a bass boat, I've stopped & given assistance about a half dozen times, There's also about the same number of times that I didn't. Also because of the damages that could occur to either parties boat from towing, I'm very hesitant to get involved in that type of situation. As always , I'd stop & investigate. Someone injured, or any type of medical emergency, it's a no brainer, yes. However, if I had spent 2 days practicing, hotel rooms, 3 hour drive one way to the lake, entry fees etc. , and I come across Billy Bob & his cousin Gomer who had a six pack of Pabst for breakfast & forgot to fill their gas can, tough luck. I'd offer to call someone for them, that's about it. It just depends on the situation. I've been stranded on the water a few times myself & know how depressing it can be.

I fished yesterday in this band of rain that's moving up the coast, we had over 4" here & it's headed straight for you. As with most rain events this large, 9.5 times out of 10, there are clearing skies and substantial winds behind it. Fortunately, there isn't any real cold weather behind this one. If your water temps are now in the hi 60's like they are here, they'll probably be close to that this weekend, there won't be any noticable change. These early fall fronts don't affect the fish as much as the fronts that come later in the fall with the 15 degree temp. drops. If it were me, the last place I'd want to be if it's windy is fishing deep water offshore structure. I'd be fishing shallow, and in the thickest vegetation or blowdowns I could find. The water is still plenty warm. I'd still be throwin plenty of spinnerbaits & buzzbaits. Even after a front passes thru, there's always going to be some rule defying fish that will stay shallow. It's been hot & dry around these parts all summer, lake levels are low. A good 5" of rain, some water color and a little frontal activity are just what I've been looking for to mix things up a bit. So, ain't no need to panic, run out to the middle of the lake with your marker buoys, or have to break out any weenie baits. Just fish like you usually do with a little more emphasis on shallow thick cover. good luck

I'm not from down there, but my brother has a waterfront house in Fenwick and I've spent a lot of time there. When I'm down that way with the boat, I usually just head over to Salisbury & fish Johnson's or the Wicomico, both offer better than average fishing. On rt. 384, off of 54 heading toward Selbyville, there is a very large pond I've always thought would hold bass. It's probably at least 20 acres, it's got houses around it, but you could ask. I walked around it a few times when it was under construction. It's been there at least 10 years or more. Long enough to get a fish population started. You can see it very clearly on Google Earth, also there appears to be a handful of ponds in Selbyville proper. You're in a tough spot.

You can't go wrong with pitchin a jig into the overhanging brush on the wooded deep banks ( the same side as the ramp) On the other side of the lake opposite the ramps fish all those "nothing" looking banks w/ a trap. There are always fish along the rip rap on the causeway, I get them again, pitchin jigs. Above the bridge, on the right hand side going up, there's always fish in the shallow wood along the edges. Always. Again, pitchin a jig. Jerkbaits or traps along the dam breast. Ain't much happenin in the middle of the lake. There are remnants of an old farm path & stump row about mid lake on the east side. always a fish or two there. Fish under the causeway bridge w/ a deep diving crank. Keep throwin till you snag one, they are always there in the cut. Buzzers before first light work well too. If it's your first time there,or if you're new to the place, make sure all your gear is in order, being that the regional PFBC headquarters is there, you'll always be a target of boat checks. It's a known rookie training ground where the seasoned officers teach rookies how to toss a boat from bow to stern, and write their first citations. It's a great night lake, you can launch 24 hrs. Hardly ever anyone there at night. Being that the lake drains lots of farmland, it gets muddy quick and often. I watched them clear trees and build the dam to create the lake back in the early 60's , been fishin there ever since. It's a decent lake, nothin special. Not really known for size or numbers. 5 keepers w/ a kicker fish thrown is considered a good day. I ususlly go there in Mar./Apr. then again in Nov./ Dec. If I go in the summer, it's on a weeknight & I fish all nite. One out of 10 trips may produce a hog.

to keep it complicated, the answer is yes. Guides by definition are professional, and some of them don't fish tourneys

May 29th. Also scheduled is Nogueira/ Griffin, Bisping / Miller and Hathaway/ Sanchez. Evans may be quicker, but Rampage is tougher Nog's gonna choke out Griffin Bisping will KO Miller I hope Sanchez ends up in the nearest emergency room The only bout of interest on the undercard is fathead Chris Leben

You've been infected with the common malady known as the seven year itch. Except in your case it took a few more years to develop. It will go away. Apply some Calamine lotion to the affected area, massage liberally on a daily basis to relieve symptoms.

Just my 2 cents, but the reason he was so "thorough" with you may have been more for the benefit of his "assistant" or trainee. I was boat checked a few years ago by a WCO and he had his rookie along with him. He made it a point to toss my boat from bow to stern. Everything, and I mean everything was present & in order. He seemed kind of ticked, as he obviously wanted to show junior how to write a ticket. He actually took each one of my PFD vests and inspected it to the utmost degree. One of them had a small tear in it that was less than a quarter inch long from where I had to cut a treble hook out of it. He fined me 25.00 for a vest that was in a state of "disrepair". Had he been alone, the vest would had never gotten a second look. If you didn't have any trout in the livewell and your gear was for bass fishing, the trout stamp thing was just smoke. Those guys know when someone's trout fishing vs. bass fishing.

He's lucky he got what he got. If'n he did that here when Rizzo was mayor, he'd have been shot or they would have pulled a Rodney King on him. How dare he disrupt my baseball game.

Not too many years ago you could get a good bass guide for 150 or 200 a day, & I usually always booked for 3 or 4 days. I didn't mind coughing up an extra hundred or two for a tip. Nowadays, with the fees some guides are charging, I'd find it extremely hard to be as generous as I used to. That said, I've always tipped a guide, and a few really didn't deserve it. Even though I'm semi-retired, I run a consulting business and charge an hourly fee. My work is a lot more techincal and challenging than driving a boat and finding fish, and the consequences of an error can be dire. I'm trying to think of the last time someone tipped me for doing my job. NEVER.

Wow, small world, I thought I was the only one who did that. I've got an old garage out back & they are thick this time of year. I smack them with a 3' canoe paddle & knock 'em into left field. I'll have to try shooting them, good idea. I also stand there with a weed eater & shred them. They never seem to understand the concept of string moving at very high RPM's. Great thread!

I'm a knife collecting nut, I've got close to 50. The focus of my collection is tactical auto's. If I leave the house without a switchblade in my pocket, it's probably 'cause I'm not wearing any pants. I've been carrying them a very long time, never had to pull one out in anger or had to use one for self defense. My current carry is a Benchmade Auto Axis 5000. A great fishing and boating knife. For fifteen years I worked in a meat packing plant, standing in blood and animal parts all day, 40 other guys around you all with very sharp knives in their hands . You learn real fast how to control your emotions and get along with your co-workers. During those years I did manage to see a few knife fights. It's amazing how much blood can come out of a human being and they can still live.

I made what I referred to as a "ghetto gas card", just an old fuel pump out of a car with 12 volt clips on it, with extra long leads to avoid any major explosions. Worked like a charm. Once most of the gas was out, I made a large swab from a broom handle & rag , went in thru the fill tube & sopped up the rest. Flushed it with about a gallon of dry gas & repeated. When I actually had to pull my tank ' cause it had a hole in it, even after the "L" clips were off, it still wouldn't budge. I had to fill it up with suds and cut it out in pieces.

Taking the gas tank out of a full sized bass boat ain't always that easy, at least it wasn't for me. There are much easier ways to completely get all the fuel/ water out of it.

Shortly after the Stratos factory opened, circa '83? I bought one of their 345's. A boat that for a 14 footer was laid out very well, had a Mariner 60 on her. After being a rider for 3 years, I entered my first tourney as a boater and finished second with it. I finished in front of some very respectable guys. I said this is gonna be easy, but I need a bigger boat. About 6 months later and before I even sold the 345, I went out & bought a new 18' 375, overpowered and tricked out. Little did I know. Little do I still know. First tourney of my life in '83 I finished 2d. The last tourney of my life in '92 I finished 2d. The 9 years in between was a mediocre blur. I had a lot of fun fishing tournaments, but had way more fun not fishing them. Probably had something to do with the fact that I could count my wins with just one hand. :-[