Ratherbfishing

Different strokes for different folks but I have enough mindless junk to waste my time. Don't need one more.

This thread could very easily be placed in the "Other Species" area. I would be much more inclined to fish it for big pike or musky than for bass and it is less...(ahem) "laughable" in that application.

It may help to place the hook on the side of the fluke (worm, crawdad, etc) first so that it is perfectly straight. This will give you reference points so you have a better idea as to where the hook should go in, the angle of the hook, where it should go out of the bait, etc. As many years as I've been fishing I STILL sometimes mess it up and I still have to go back to basics.

I don't know anyone who doesn't like an audience when they are catching. If you had horned in on their piece of water, THEN you would have been a jerk.

Can't tell for sure if this is a "full grown" adult or a youth (though I can guess it's the latter). This would help provide some scale. I'd have to say... 4 to 5 lbs. Not much larger.

There was something empowering about not getting dragged down to his level of destructive behavior. The experience wasn't pleasant, I'll grant you that, but I am glad I chose the response I did. Anything else would have been demeaning and self-destructive. I don't know IF he learned anything constructive from the interaction but, fortunately, it's not my job to "fix" him.

You wrote you use use the smallest KVD snap available. I personally don't use snaps at all but small ones, in particular, can throw off the "balance" of a bait. Don['t ask me why or how, exactly. I just know they do.

Though it was unpleasant I have learned some things from the experience. I don't know if this is how "Mr. Customer Serviceman" conducts all his affairs (if so, I pity him) but I know it's NOT how I want to do things. I have an older brother who can be quite difficult and, sometimes, I question if or how much I am like him. If nothing else, this experience has shown me that I can, at least some of the time, conduct myself well.

Am no expert but I've never heard of plugging a sidewall. I think some businesses play phone tennis-seeing how many times they can transfer a customer back and forth until the caller gives up and hangs up. No good!

No but can you contact the guide?

All I know is that if I were a bass, I wouldn't touch the stuff. I DETEST black licorice and black jelly beans. It is the ONEand only candy I will spit out.

I'm actually kind of sick about the whole thing. You are right, though. None of us are completely guilt free (and certainly not myself) and we do, sometimes, make poor choices in our reaction to stressors in our lives. In this instance, however, I could not (or at least did not) find a solution-other than the decision to take my business elsewhere- that did not render me feeling impotent.

Update for those who care: I called the "gentleman" this morning and asked him to have my boat ready in the lot where I can pick it up. He said, "Is this about the gas and the battery?" I said, "yes, I don't appreciate how you spoke to me and the lack of customer service." He replied, "and I don't want to be your gas boy," He wanted to go round and round but I refused. Anyway, fine, he doesn't have to be my "gas boy" but he's not getting any business from me. I'm picking up my boat this evening. The odd thing to me is that ALL he had to do was hook up a fuel tank and battery and charge me a few extra bucks and this could have all been avoided (I live out of town so this should have been a reasonable concession for him).. NOW, he has...well, not an enemy but certainly NOT a friend.

Originally I felt some trepidation about telling "my story" on this forum as he (the shop owner) had already made me feel small so it was with great relief to read your that comments weren't "biting" or nasty. Thanks, everyone! I have spoken to a different shop in town and I will probably take my boat there. HE (the new guy) was a heck of a lot more personable and that goes a long way with me. I've learned over the years that you can be an absolute expert on something but eventually, if you aren't nice to people, they will find a reason to get rid of you.

don't ever make them feel stupid. Back story: I took my boat and motor to a marine shop to have it (the latter) looked at. The place is right off a major street in town and the parking lot (where my boat would sit) is only a few feet from the sidewalk. There is no fence around the establishment and the town itself is not exactly a crime free community. Prior to bringing it in, I had asked about this (security) and the owner said to take off anything that I didn't want stolen. As my boat is an "open air" design, the portable gas tank, fuel line, and the cranking battery are readily accessible and can be absconded in under 30 seconds and, having never brought a boat in for servicing before, I took the shop owner at his word and, stupidly, left the battery and fuel tank home-figuring since these items are interchangeable (after all, it IS a marine repair shop), he could easily hook said items up. Today he calls me and asks where these items are. Innocently (naively) enough, I said that I did not want it to be stolen so I had left them home). And, again, I said that I figured he could easily connect these things. He said, "how can I work on your boat without gas or a battery" and "you wouldn't take your car to the shop without them, would you." (Truthfully, no but a car is considerably more secure than my boat is). also- "...I am to bring said items to him if I want him to work on it." Prior to this phone conversation, I had been nothing but very polite to him but afterwards, I thought, "You know, this guy sure has a knack for making me feel stupid. (And a couple of other things I wil censor out). I am not the thickest skinned person in the world but to borrow a quote from Maya Angelou, it isn't what people say or even what they do that you will remember. It is how they make you feel. For those of you who feel the compulsion to say I should have known better", perhaps you are right but this is not the point of this thread.

Too many good episodes to pick a favorite.

My Helix 7 would shut off if I shared the battery with my stronger trolling motor (and it's possible that battery is weak)

that was count bassula

I'd take it out back and shoot it.

Before I take any reel apart to clean it, the following conditions MUST exist (no exceptions): 1) The room MUST have wall to wall shag carpeting. 2) The ceiling fan and several box fans MUST remain on full blast. 3) The floor and desk MUST each slope no less than 15 degrees (combined to acheive a 30 degree slope-minimum) 4) I MUST first have had a really bad day at work and in traffic 5) The reel MUST have been engineered by a close relative to the Marquis de Sade 6) Most of my tools and screwdrivers have been borrowed by a friend and I MUST be reduced to a pair of oversized channel locks and a bent screwdriver. 7) The cat, who USUALLY prefers to keep to herself MUST feel a sudden and persistent urge to climb in my lap. 8) All but one of the light bulbs in the room must be burned out

I WILL check the jackplate for the horsepower limitation but I don't anticpate going over 35 hp, in any even.

No kidding. I really banged the #$^& out of my shin last year on one (not mine).

I'll get back to you on this. The transom is pretty thick, though, if that is any indication. Holy cow, didn't know tiller steers could run that big! Trust me, I don't want to go nearly as fast as boat on video. Forget my boat! My HEART couldn't take it.

I currently have a 25 horse two-stroke Evinrude which has a difficult time getting my boat on plane-especially if there is a big boy (my friend) on board. (My boat is a 17.5 foot aluminum). If/when it does get on plane, it must run nearly "all out" to keep it on plane. I've heard that the harder a motor has to work (near the top of it's output), the less efficient it is. From what I've observed (with this motor and a few rental boats I've used), this seems to hold true. Is this the case with modern 4 stroke outboards? Also, I really would prefer it to be a tiller steer but I don't know when this becomes less feasible and/or when they stop making them as "tillers." I don't really want a "gargantuan" motor. Speed is not my primary objective. But I would like to have one do want one that doesn't have to kill itself to get on plane and can cruise "comfortably" without going at full throttle. Any words of advice are appreciated. Also, I've never bought new before. Do dealers negotiate prices (like automobiles) or are they pretty firm?

Just don't run over them should they fall off. (Murphy's law)