Nitrofreak

I think that is about the best we can hope for, speaking as one who likes to converse, one, would be to meet an angler like yourself, two, the general knowledge should be a big help in eliminating a lot water, I believe as you do and agree that the fine details are one of many aspects that we worked hard for and should be ours to keep.

I fished with an X96 Lowrance for a very long time, now having new updated equipment with down scan is a good bit different in the reading structure returns, I love the improvements over what I used to see, I took it to Lake Anna two weeks ago just to get used to the returns, brush piles, rock piles, road beds, stumps, all look completely different, still have some adjustments to make to clear up the pictures a bit but man what a difference, with all the new equipment however, I still threw a heavy jig down to clarify what I think I saw, it's always best IMO to revert to old fashioned tactics when there is any doubt or your just learning a new way of doing things.

I think, or at least I would be willing to guess that there are areas in this country that tend to be a bit more liberal with the information given, in my area it depends on how you approach local bait shops and the anglers who frequent the bodies of water, if you just come right out and ask, you can pretty much bet your going to get some very bad info.

That right there is a good looking set up man !!!

I have been in your boat, I know what kind of guy you are, what kind of angler you are, I can certainly vouch for the above statement, one of the best IMO to ever converse with on any given day.

In talking with locals, and what I mean by that is either, going to a new body of water or hanging around the ones where everyone knows your name, sometimes it's not the bait shop where you strike up a conversation, I have approached anglers and have been approached at campgrounds just asking how their day went and the next thing you know your having in depth conversations and a beer next to the campfire and yes, sometimes the talk is about as cheap as the beer LOL!! but the laughs are good to share. I found it interesting when Dave Mercer was talking about this kind of thing because I don't know to what extent the pros actually talk to people, just like the video above, that was my perception, that is to say that my impression is that most don't even bother, they just use their skills that got them there, I think they all have their own way to resource a new body of water as we do and I like the idea that sites just like this one aids them in their research. Lots of different views on this subject and thanks for sharing your input all !!!

Let us know, I believe you will be happy with it, did ya get the 380 or the 9?

I would have gotten one for myself as well when I purchased my daughters but it's just to small for my hands, have you fired it yet?

There is not one single angler out there that will tell you about their "honey holes" LOL !! I ask more specific questions about baits, depths, target areas, and put that to work with maps and a little Google mixed in. its a greater experience rather than coming right out and asking where the fish are at, the more subtle questions seem to yield the better answers.

How many of you actually talk to the locals? What is your approach? I just watched a clip of Dave Mercer touching on this subject. With the internet now and the abundance of information you can find on it about almost any body of water, do you invest in the personal conversations with local anglers? I am an old school kind of feller, even though I google a lake to find some interesting areas via aerial photos and such, reading various fishing reports, etc..., I personally like to have conversations with them, often enough you can find out key things about the body of water and the species your fishing for by sharing a conversation over a cup of coffee or even breakfast which I always pay for to say thanks, there is always a laugh or something good you can keep with you from a personal investment.

Keep in mind that I focused on the points and not the channels and deeper flats out from them, could very well be further out beyond those primary and secondary points, reports (word of mouth) says they are shallow, like fishing really shallow, I didn't venture back into any shallows, again, I am looking to learn as much as I can, I wasn't there to fish, but I did learn a bunch I probably marked at least 200 spots for later use

I did Sam, I really didn't fish at all however, my sole intention was to look at and understand what my sonar was sending back, to scan primary and secondary points and to understand why fish were there or not there, I scanned Mitchell's creek which included the 208 rip rap, most of what I had seen were still in the creek channels suspended above it out in the middle of the lake, those were stripers, it wasn't until I went up into Anna arm that I started to see fish relating to structure on the bottom, scattered but a few, I scanned that first point on the left along the old river channel as you make your way back into the arm and found some activity in the middle of the water column along with some scattered bait clusters, I learned more than I thought I would but didn't expect to find zero fish in the lower sections of the lake, I didn't cover it all down there but I covered a lot.

I don't do it that way, I have seasonal services like a winter service which includes everything from bow to prop including the care of the trailer, that includes wash and wax, that's what you would get for 400 bucks with me, depending on the size of the craft. I usually address my customers concerns with a diag that includes parts pricing outside of any service, it's to the point and very clear what your getting.

That is some really great news, thoughts and prayers sent your way for continued recovery and good health, God bless !!!

So, does that mean we could see a video in the near future too ??? sounds like a sweet set up for sure !!!

Hurry up man !!! LOL !

The first question I would have is exactly what work is performed for that 400 bucks, it take little to no time at all to properly install a set of plugs and a fuel filter, if that's all it consists of then that's way to much, they may add into the list that there are numerous checks which makes it sound as if they are doing an awful lot of work when in fact 98% those checks are something even the most mechanically handicapped can perform themselves, if their list of parts to be replaced is larger than the checks they perform it could be a good enough deal, every business is in business to make a profit, some are in business to make a killing.

Thank you very much for your input Way2slow, I did see that video a year back or so, it's been a while, you could see it before it even happened but that was a nasty turn, I don't know how many injuries the guy suffered, it said it at the end of the video but it was a lot, I don't know that I have that amount of room for a 5 minute run like that, at least not on my home lake, Smith Mountain has a stretch that it could be accomplished on if need be, I feel I don't have enough experience with this craft just yet to attempt a shut down like you suggested but thanks for the caution note, it will come in handy if I ever do such a test. I will get into this once I get my manual and get it figured out, Thanks again for all you have sent my way, it means a lot and I will put it to good use !!!

Now I know why you chose your handle, pretty cool stuff man, if I am ever in the market to get a little extra out of my 200 I know who to ask that's for sure !!! Maybe we can give it a shot if you don't mind, maybe a few things to look at or try while I await my service manual, what's happening is that I believe I have 2 problems. 1) I believe I have a misfire, it's idling like a race car engine with a thumper cam, I have done a compression test to check the internals before I purchased it, all 6 cylinders are at 135psi, with all 6 plugs removed during the test, I am fouling the number 5 and number 4 plugs (black), first thought, too much fuel, possibly a leaking injector so I did a leak down test on the system both key on and key off, system pumps up to 38psi and holds for over an hour before any noticeable change (drop) in pressure, while we are on the subject of fuel I did do a complete system clean, including removal of the fuel cell, I have only had the chance to look at one cylinder so far for spark and strength of spark but that's my next step, I need to finish the rest before I can determine/eliminate a possible weak coil, from there I need a manual to figure out the triggering. 2) I now have a recent issue, smoking really bad, white smoke like too much oil, all 6 plugs are soaked and causing it to stall, I have no clue how this oil injection system works, following the hoses though I can see it has what appears to be a control valve/pump and I am wondering how to diagnose the flow rate to see if it has a defect. Just placed an order, thanks buddy !!!!

I work with GM and have been a tech for almost 40 years, always had an interest in marine but never pulled the trigger, I am and have been a shop foreman for the last 18 years so I know how the mark up works and just how much it takes to be profitable given the market we are in, I hate it but it's a necessary evil IMO, I know you have a good bit of experience with engines of today and I am happy that you are part of this conversation, I would love your input on the issues that I am experiencing if I may ask.

That's what I did Catt, I'll wait until I get on my laptop and see what's what, I have been having some issues with my phone lately, weird things... might be time for a new one.

All I had seen was website access if I wanted a specific engine, the seloc manual has like from 1965 to 2006 and covering everything in between, maybe I missed something or possibly had the wrong criteria or shucks maybe even the wrong site, I googled it from my iPhone so it is possible that I didn't see everything that I needed to see.

I do like the idea of having access to one engine for three years for 30 bucks, it is very appealing, is there a print option in this site? I didn't see it advertised is why I am asking.

I love threads like this one !!!

Cant... stop... laughing !!!