Nitrofreak

A larger battery means more or longer charge life while on the water, more available current then really needed, or reserve, but at the same time is a good thing to have for those really windy days that sometimes sneak in on you when your down lake. Solar chargers are really good for a surface charge, thats about the extent of that, a battery tender will charge the battery to full charge and then turn itself off and on as it see's needed to maintain a full charge , it's the best of both worlds, and does not cost near what an on board charger will set you back for and it is just as cheap to operate. Get the larger battery and buy yourself a battery tender, forget about the solar charger until they get better.

Whhhhooo Hooooooo !!! Thanx RW !! If it don't it still means a lot to know what you think about it !! Sure !! Sell the other 3 first ..... your wife is saying the yard is becoming a boat yard BAHAHAHA !!!

You have that confused with raising a family, especially a house full of girls, I was a dad at 27 and greying at 30, now my salt and pepper look is more like salt.

Thats Just like you kids, you borrow money from your parents and still find a way to cheat them out of a buck or two lol !!!

My wife enjoys fishing but only when the weather is suitable, she can't stand too much heat or too much cold, if I can find that right temp we will go all day long. I have the best of both worlds one would say, my wife likes to sleep in, I like the early mornings and being on the water at the crack of dawn, so I am up and gone with a little time to myself, which usually equates to about 4 or 5 hours before I head back in to fix brunch. She tried one morning with me, we pulled up to a spot and started fishing, second cast she caught a nice little 2 to 2 1/2 lb bass, she made 3 more casts before I heard her say oh that sun feels so good !! Next thing I know she was passed out on the rear deck just snoozing away lol !! I love fishing with her, I really do, but I won't lie and say it's always great, but thats part of sharing your life and your passion with someone, you can't expect them to want to share that passion or have the same passion you do about it, it may be good to have once in a while for them, where as it is something totally different for you. Just be happy when you do share that passion and have as much fun with it as you can.

I have always been a southern rock fan, With out a doubt seeing the original Lynard Skynard was the highlight of seeing any and all bands that came before or after them. 38 Special , One I have seen several times, not one of those shows have ever been a dissappointment. Molly Hatchet The Dooby Brothers SRV , The rockin'est dude that ever played a guitar imo. The Almond Brothers April Wine Eagles Jimmy Buffet , One the highest times I can ever remember lol !! AC/DC Van Halen , once with Dave and once with Sammy, both were spectacular. John Denver, Far out !! Hank jr. , biggest dissappointment ever !! never went back either, love his music, but still a shame. Heart Boston , one of the best sounding concerts I have ever heard !! Rush , WOW !!! Areosmith Whitesnake Kiss Warrant Poison Ozzy Ratt Waylon Jennings Merle Haggard , my favorite country singer, seen him several times. George Jones , yes he actually showed up. Alabama Neil McCoy , the absolute funniest guy on the planet and most likly the funnest concert I have ever been to. Toby Keith Statler Brothers , what a great group of guy's, down to earth and will talk to you like they have known you for years. Conway Twitty

It seems there are always questions as to what boat is best suited for any given situation we have. There are so many options out there, how do we know which one is right for us? Here are a few guidelines that may help you with your decision. First things first when you consider the purchase of a new (or new to you) boat. 1.The first item to consider has to be safety, without a doubt, This is the most important factor when you are considering a boat purchase, used or new. What could be wrong with a new boat? Plenty. Don't overlook the importance of anything when you are out there looking, It could be a boat that has been bought back or repossessed for any number of reasons. Dealers and sellers can be a tricky group of people. You could be getting a great deal or you may be getting shafted. Don't assume anything when you are in the market and leave nothing to chance when it comes to your safety and the safety of others on your vessel. If this is your first boat, or you have never driven a boat, or have little experience, make sure before you even open the first page of looking for a boat that you have at least a little experience. Even though it's not a requirement, you will find this to be very helpful. It is in your best interest that you have at least some experience on the water. Rough water can be tricky to navigate, especially your first time. Finding out that your boat is under-powered in these conditions is not a fun time to be on the water. It's always a good idea to have your experience be, if at all possible, with someone who knows how to navigate and safely operate a water craft. If not, take a boaters safety course (if you have not already done so) before you make that leap. You can often find them as a hands-on class. Take a boat out on the waters you want to fish,. It's not hard to find someone willing to rent a boat or teach you the responsibilities that go along with ownership. You just have to look, but your very first step should always be to be prepared and know the guidelines, not only for your safety but for others you may have with you as, well as others on the waterways. While we are on the subject of safety, be sure to look up good qualified marine service centers, they will/can be instrumental in the decision making process, should you have the need for one. Nothing beats a once-over by a good qualified tech. 2. The second guideline is financial. Make sure the boat you are looking at is well within the financial means of your pocket book. If you want the biggest, baddest boat on the water, just make sure you are prepared to cover the cost of what a new engine can cost you for the boat after it is out of warranty, especially if you had to break the bank to get that Ranger you really, really wanted. Think about the long run, don't just think about right now. Look at how well it will hold value. You may want to trade it or sell it, or even upgrade it with lots of electronics in the future. If you want to run it at night, it's going to require navigational lighting if it does not already have it. These kind of expenses can all add up, even though some seem small, they can be more than you wanted to spend on a given project, if you don't know how to do it yourself then you will have to pay someone on top of that. Labor hours are not cheap for marine applications if that may be your only resource. Further, consider the cost of boat insurance. Make sure that you have at least $100,000 of liability. If you plow into someone's tricked-out Ranger, it's going to cost a wad. 3. The third guideline is to ask yourself, "Is Is it the right boat for me?" We have already made ourselves failure with the safety of the waterways and now we have found a boat that looks really good in our price range. Take the time to sit down and figure out what exactly you wish to accomplish with your new boat. Where will you be fishing? Will it be on large or small lakes, ponds, river systems? All of these areas play a key roll in what your craft is able to safely traverse and navigate. Will you be alone? Think about all of the safety equipment you will need. Will you have enough room for all of these things, plus your fishing gear and maybe a friend or two? Trust me, you will have new friends. Fiberglass or Aluminum? That is a question for the ages. When we members on the forum get this question, we always want to know the specifics of your water ways. Since this is an information highway and not a waterway, it's hard for us to help you with that decision if we can't get a good feel of what hazard lurk in your water system. Take strongly into account what you will be doing with this boat. As above, the right boat for you is going to have to perform and navigate and be durable enough to withstand whatever punishment you have in store for it. If it's mostly rocky waters, of course you need a metal type hull, Fiberglass hulls are not meant for the daily beating of a rocky river system, one bump from a rock on a glass hull and you could be in deep deep trouble in a hurry. It will also be advisable for you to navigate your new waters at a slow pace until you know where all the hazards are located. Not all waterways have everything marked the way they should be. Take your time when exploring new waters and enjoy your new surroundings. Pay close attention while you are on the move. One big thing to consider with each is stability, not so much with glass boats. Most all glassers are fairly stable to begin with. If you should choose to go with an Aluminum boat, make sure it's as wide as you can possibly get it. The wider the hull and beam the more stability it is going to have. This is particularly important if you wish to want to raise the seating platform or put a fishing deck on the boat. Most standard "V" hulls are not really good for modifications that add any height added to them. They become very unstable and easier to roll over the higher you set your seat, if you should find that a "V" hull is what you want then try to find a deep "V" these are much more stable and will allow some modifications you wish to install should the vessel not already have them. Modifications are based on what the boat can safely handle and still be able to perform. Keep in mind, aluminum boats that are not built with these mods, are not intended for modifications, factors are height, and width primarily, plus the weight of the people fishing from the vessel and the added gear, this also adds to the draft, (how deep the boat sets in the water.) Keep your modifications low. The smaller and more narrow the craft is, the lower you need to keep them. Alll of these things are important when considering your investment. When you consider a glass boat, or any boat for that matter, be absolutely sure! If the boat has some age on it, there are many hidden areas that could potentially have problems. The transom at the stern is always a potential weak link,. The wood inside the glass could be weak or rotten. It's one area that requires a really good inspection. The floor of the boat may have weak spots or may have been recently replaced. The engine may not be in as good a shape the seller says it is. The steering and shift cables may soon be an issue if they are not already. The electrical wiring may be in poor shape and may need lots of attention. This is why it is so important to know a good marine service center. If you have no experience with fiberglass boats, it's best if you have a good qualified tech or someone who knows what they are doing look it over for or with you. A few bucks spent here will save you big time headaches in the long run. Once you decide on a boat that you really like, have good relations with the seller if you can, It makes it much easier for both of you. Don't settle for anything. Make sure you get a test drive in the boat and that you get familiar with the settings and how everything is supposed to work. Check it over for leaks. Talk the seller into going fishing with it even if it's only for a brief period of tim. You may find it's just not right for you and there you are stuck with something you can not use or really don't like to use. Take your time! I just can't stress that enough. There are boats everywhere for sale or trade. Be true to what you want from a boat, "your boat", and get the most bang from your buck you can. Trust your instincts! If for any reason you feel it is not the right one for you, then walk away from the deal and keep looking. Owning a boat, especially your first boat, should be fun and adventurous. You want to enjoy your time on the water. Problems are going to come about; no ifs, ands or buts about it. Be prepared for bad days and it won't be as difficult to handle. B.O.A.T. (Break Out Another Thousand) or, a hole in the water that we just keep throwing money into. We have all heard that time and time again, but if you make your decisions wisely and keep a close eye on the service of your vessel and it's trailer, boating can be and is a lot of fun and gives you a lot of freedom to enjoy the outdoors. Hope this helps!! Good luck and be safe !!!

You may be correct my friend, but at the same time, someone may be thinking about going and I really would like for them to have every opportunity to get as many people to attend as they possibly can. As bad as I want to go on the Roadtrip myself, I know it would have to be one or the other, my choice is unfortunatly limited by less money from the ol' paycheck so the Roadtrip is out by default for me, but if someone else has a better chance, I just do not wan't to take a chance and cost the Roadtrip a member. We look forward to meeting each and every one of you, this year is going to be a big turn out it seems, but we need all who are making plans to attend this event to please make sure they put the vote in for either a boater or a non boater, it's very important that we have this info so that we can make plans for everything, without knowing the maximum number of people who wish to attend it's hard to make the right arrangements, so if you are even thinking about it, even if there is only an outside chance, place your boating status so that we can be as prepared as we can possibly be.

No, not yet buddy, We do not want to take anything away from the Road Trip or interfere with it in any way, I can put it on the calander if that is a help to everybody, but only after the Road Trip is over.

We have a good customer base here and we are lucky to have the clientele that we do have, there is one guy in our area that has a virtual parking deck under his house here and he has quite the collection of cars, top end Porche's, Lambo's , you name it, but he also has a passion for American muscle and you should see some of those, i'm talkin SWEEEEET !! When Ford reproduced the GT I thought they did a pretty good job at getting it close to the GT40, I would have liked to have seen a little more performance out of the car but the car was really cool to see, I thought they were going to run the car with the vette in some of the racing series but it really never got off the ground. One thing that really disappoints me is the effort that Ford puts into their racing programs, it's just hard to find any effort, any real effort I should say. The older stuff is my passion as well, I don't think there were any real muscle cars that left Detroit after 1970, I started for a Garage in 1972 and we worked on primarily GM stuff but with a mix of everything from spiders to pacers, more commonly known as (Fishbowls) I have to say that GM did their part in trying to keep the Corvette the Icon it is today, but it seems to be getting away from the Detroit type of American muscle car and starting to look and feel more like an import, when I take these cars on their road tests, the Camaro, the CTSVX, the Vetts, it feels really good to have the horsepower back under your a## like the old days when Big Block monsters ruled the streets with ground shaking thumper type solid lift cams you could hear pecking away at the lifters they were pushing. I miss those days of going to the tracks, both road racing and drag strips, where real horsepower came from the North and the big three battled it out over a long race, or a 1/4 mile or even the ovals for that matter, for the right to have the title of champion, Win on Sunday, sell on Monday baby !!

I am and have been with GM for quite some time, the new vette is something one needs to see up close and personal, we had our first one come through and it was gone before it hit the showroom floor, I love my Fords though, and would love to have a Shelby GT 500, thats a pretty good looking car and it still looks like the American made Detroit power house Lee Iacocca built in the 60's.

You all can have it brother !!! I am glad we only got the dusting when I woke up this am !!! Lots of bad things can happen with that amount of snow fall, I wish you all the best of luck and hope everyone gets through it ok, thoughts and prayers ya'll !!!

Sounds like a lot of fun !!! I shall remember to bring my stuff when we come up for a look see !!!

Reminds me of two movies, Death race 2000, and Corvette Summer

Same thing for Anna, it can be a little sooner if the weather warms up abruptly, the lower part of the lake usually turns on in a hurry by the full moon phase in March, you can find the smaller males on secondary points before this phase sometimes, if so, then you really need to be out on the primary points looking for those drops heading back into the creek channels, or the rows of stump flats in the middle of the lake.

I have been doing some research, especially on Pohick, there seems to be a long "T" shaped dock there when looking at Google maps, the topo maps are a little different with some interesting structure close to the mouth of Pohick as well, the more I look the more I like it LOL !! By the way, I have been looking at the poll, we already have roughly 20 people coming, thats not including wives etc... this really should be an interesting meet and greet !!!

I think thats the whole point he is trying to make LMAO !!! We look forward to meeting each and every one of you, this year is going to be a big turn out it seems, but we need all who are making plans to attend this event to please make sure they put the vote in for either a boater or a non boater, it's very important that we have this info so that we can make plans for everything, without knowing the maximum number of people who wish to attend it's hard to make the right arrangements, so if you are even thinking about it, even if there is only an outside chance, place your boating status so that we can be as prepared as we can possibly be.

You and I need to take a trip to Anna, you would love some of the structure there for some deep swimbait action, but there is also some really great places for swimbaits all around that lake you would enjoy, I love the swimbait, I have fished some high dollar ones there, I just can't afford any of them LOL !!!

If I read Charlies post right, they seem to like the shallows, I have seen some you tube video's and most I have seen have been caught on darker colors, chatterbaits, jigs especially, they say it's a violent strike, nothing like a bass bite, I guess it's one of those things we will have to find out for ourselves, as for the size, I have not seen anything over a 1/2oz that was being used but I am sure if one is hungry enough one of those swim baits you like to use could produce a large fish, at least I would think, as for us targeting bass, that is completly up to you, we do not need to target bass, we are there to have fun, period. You all are getting me all excited here I CAN'T WAIT !!!!

LOL !! I will inform them of that for sure, that should speed up the process !! I am a shop forman it's hard to get away sometimes especially when we are really busy like we usually are, but it has not been a problem in the past so I expect no problems with it to go through. By the way, I AM PUMPED and can't wait till August, it's going to be a blast for sure !!! Thanx for thinkin about me Mike, it's nice to know I pop into your brain now and then, I think about Anna all the time and the fun we had !!!

Ok Endless, if you look at the first post of this thread, I have added a link to every site possible so far, I will be staying at Pohick campground myself, I have already put in for vacation but have not got the ok yet, as soon as I do I will be making my reservations, the rates and contact numbers are provided in each link for each location, if the info you are looking for is not there PM me and I will get you the help you need. Thank you for the vote and I will add a plus one for you, even if you end up without a partner that will work out as well, so we are good to go there as well lil buddy !! Thanx for the post on the video, now you know where my saying came from over my avatar LOL !!

Welcome to the forum !!!

Ever do any fishing shot's? I love your eye for the shot, I have been wanting to trade my SLR for a good digital but just can't seem to bring myself to get rid of it LOL !! I know there are options and I thought about trying to turn the pis into a digital format like on a CD or something but just have not done it yet, if I do I could get rid of all of those photos around the house, but I can't bring myself to just toss them away.

Thanks for the offer, we will have to see how things go first, on my part, the weather should start breaking here soon and we may get a couple of half way decent weekends, there is a ton of structure I would love to introduce you too down by the dam, we won't catch many but the ones we would catch would be picture worthy. Jerk Baits and jigs will work very well as with a possible spinner bait, it depends on the mood, but the Jerk Bait should get us some good fish. I will call you regardless though.

LMAO !!! I DON'T WANNA LEAVE MY BOAT AT HOME BOO HOO HOO!!!! I think I am going to reserve that for my buddy Zoff first, what he and his family did for me the day we went fishing on SML, I think I would rather share that moment with my friend. Fly, if you would not mind, after I get this done I would like it very much if you and I could share a chance at some smallie fishing as well, so if your up for a trip to do some wading with me on those spots, I would enjoy your company, just don't ask me to fish with a fly rod LOL !!