Al Wolbach

You may want to check here. They have seconds that may fit your boat. They do many of seats for the origional manufacturers. I purchased new seats from them for my 98 Champion and have been very pleased. http://www.deanstop.com/seats.htm Good luck..........Al

I have been considering this move as well. If you decide to switch please let us know how it worked. I have not found anyone that has offered any negative feedback on the oil bath system. They have been used on trucks and railroad cars for years. However I would still like some feedback on use in a marine environment.................Al

A 24 volt system should be more than enough fot a Bass Tracker.................36 volt is overkill and I would not want the additional weight..........Al

You are always safe using the factory recomended lubes. And these days the factory lubes are almost as cheap or cheaper than other products(especially synthetic lubricants). I run a 225 VMAX and I use Amsoil products in the engine and lower unit and have for years, but I'm paying about $25 a gallon for oil and $10 a pint for lower unit oil. I have not bought any recently and it probably has gone up. I don't believe lubricants is a good place to save money. If in doubt you are always safe with Yamalube.........Al

I agree, 843.

+1000 This is old news. Shimano does this to prevent a BPS advantage over all the other Shimano retailers. I don't think Shimano is against charity or anything like that....they are just trying to keep it fair for the smaller retailers. This is correct. Shimano is trying to prevent a large retailer from under pricing the smaller tackle shops.

I am probably the exception to the rule. I use a deep cycle group 27 battery for cranking a 225 Yamaha and to power all accessories including gps, livewells and lights. The only accessory that I power with the trolling batteries is black lights, all other accessories are powered by cranking battery. The origional cranking battery supplied with the boat when purchased new was not a deep cycle and had a short life( for whatever reason). I switched to a deep cycle about 8 years ago and never looked back. My take on dual purpose batteries is, they aren't really good for either purpose...........I'm sure this will bring outrage from someone but it has worked for me for a number of years..........................Al

Just a heads up in case you haven't noticed. You will need a different style bow light with that new motor in order to be seen.............Al

Just for info........The Bass Pro Shop in Kodak, Tn has the Spro Aruku Shad Jr on clearance for $3.77 each. As of last night they still had numerous lures of each color available. Don't know about other stores or internet..............Al

Bassnleo is right, release a few bubbles at a time per fiz until the fish is behaving normally. Do not leave the syringe in the fish until the bubbles stop. Release a few until the fish is behaving normally.........Al

I have never seen a diagram or even any pictures for that matter. Sure would make a good article for one of the bass magazines. I don't have a digital camera, but I'll see if I can get some pictures. When we teach this at tournaments we normally teach around the release tank where people can see better and plenty of fish to allow everyone to perform it. In the meantime- Stick the needle straight down the throat. As close to the center as possible. I really don't know how to explain it better. This probcedure is so simple and easy when you show someone how to perform it they usually say something like, " is that all there is to it". It usually takes me longer to get out the syringe(and find my glasses) than to fiz the fish. It can be done in less than 30 seconds including time spent finding the glasses..............................Al I'm not sure what you could do incorrectly but worse case senario is you kill a fish that was going to die anyway!

I forgot to put in the first post. Remove the plunger from the syringe and throw away.........Al

I suspect more fish are killed because tournament fishermen do not know how to bleed pressure from swim bladders than in other reason, especially in the summertime. If a fish is not bleeding when placed in the livewell and dies afterward, something is wrong.(assuming a good livewell).Many of the fish that die just needed fizzing, pressure relieved from their swim bladders. Most fish that need fizzing(pressure bleeding) will swim at the top of water and not be able to stay on the bottom, will stay on their side a lot, or be upside down. If they display any of these symtoms, they need fizzing to stay alive and nothing else will help. All the rejuvinate, ice, o2 or anything else will not save them. Actually injecting pure oxygen into the water might but most fishermen don't carry pure oxygen in their boats. Fish that need fizzing are usually caught in excess of about 12 feet, however there are exceptions to every rule. Over 12 feet you can just about be assured they need fizzing. These fish would normally do this automaticly themselves if left in the wild but due to the stress of being caught and placed in the livewell many will not in the livewell. It is a very simple procedure and gets easier with practice. It does require a syringe and needle. I'm not sure what size but the needle needs to be about 1 inch long and the syringe about the size that is used for a flu shot. I actually got one from my doctor but you can get one at a co-op or even your vet. One of the tournament trails that I fish provides them free of charge and will teach this procedure to anyone that ask. First throw away the plunger from the syringe. The procedure: While holding the fish by the lower lip with one hand lower the fish into the livewell water. With the other hand holding the syringe/needle slowly insert the needle down the fishes throat straight thru the middle of what looks like an a??hole until bubbles start appearing in the syringe. Hold in that position until bubbles stop. I have never measured the depth of the needle but I would guess 1/2 inch. The syringe must have water in it to see the bubbles therefore the fish must be in the livewell water. After the bubbles stop remove the syringe/needle and you are done. Keep an eye on the fish, occasionally they need additional fizzing, if so repeat the procedure. This will not harm the fish and will save its life if you intend to weight it later. This can be done through the side of the fish, and was for years, but down the throat is much easier and more accurate(at least for me). If you are a tournament fisherman you need to learn this procedure and use it. It is really easy to do and we owe it to the fish.......... I don't have time to proof read, I hope it makes sense...........Al

Under Armour is a great place to start but it does restrict your movement somewhat. At least is does me, but I'm in my sixtys and that might make a difference. I crappie fish all winter(12 degrees last year and numerous days in the twentys) and had the same problem, especially with my feet. I bought a pair of Irish Setter boots with 800 grms of insulation and they did the trick. I had been wearing a pair of Timberland Guide boots with 800 grams and what a difference. The Timberland boots were 15 or 20 years old. Not sure why such a difference unless it was age. I recommend addressing feet and hands then layer everything else...................Al

Ron, I will send a package to Andy from here. So far I have rounded up 3 fishing DVDs, 2 books on fishing and will make a trip to the store for some snacks today. I will mail the package wed or thur...............Al

I had a 14ft Alumacraft v hull for about 10 years and never had a problem of any kind. Very good boat. Should never have sold it. I just bought a used 1448 G3 jon boat and so far I really like it. I work at BPS part time and my advice would be to only look at the Grizzly series jon if you are interested in a tracker boat. Their small jons are very light, unstable, can not carry much weight and have very little freeboard. I spoke with a tracker saleman that I know pretty well and he advised me to avoid the cheaper tracker jons. If you can afford it, I would suggest you get the 1648. You will never be sorry that you have extra room and stability...........Al

I have not had any problems with house reels but when I consider buying one the lowest bidder concept always comes to mind and I usually will pass on those reels in favor of a major brand name. Another problem I have about a reel manufacturer is the new Curado. How can they produce a new and better reel and sell it considerably cheaper? Where did they cut the production cost? In my mind cheaper is not usually better as far as quality is concerned. Needless to say I usually take my time when when buying a new reel and always have second thoughts until the reels is well used. Sorry, I did not mean to steal this thread with my personal problems............Al

G Loomis MBR 844c GLX and Diawa TD103

In the last 20-30 years I have tried every box available and none work very well. I am currently using a soft sided binder with zip bags(BPS). It seems to store better than the hard boxes and allows to find the correct bait easier at least for me. Buzzbait are another issue and I still have not found a good storage system for them...............Al

I have often said, I would have saved a small fortune if I had purchased high end equipment to start with instead of working my way up. That being said, buy the best you can afford now........Al

Hea Sam: I don't understand your reference to Champions. I have a 20 ft Champion with a 225 Yamaha and I assure you nothing inexpensive about operating this monster. I nearly purchased a 14 ft jon boat yesterday and probably will get one in the near future. It is hard to justify $20-$100 in fuel to fish for a few hours..............Al

I use a 7'6" H rod with 50lb braided line. Braid cuts through weeds better. I hook the wild shiner through the nose, as stated above, when fishing in heavy weeds. When fishing open water or weed lines I hook them through the back just in front of the dorsal fin. The shiner will swim more when hooked through the back. And don't conserve any energy on your hookset. One other tip, if you lay down your rod, always, always open your bail first. I have never lost a rod but I have jumped into the water(more than once) to catch one...........Al PS- Shiner fishing is about as much fun as you can have with all your clothes on.

We've missed your wit........Welcome back...............Al

I prefer to fish the lightest jig the water depth and wind will allow.......Al

I kind of just want an answer to this question... All my buzzbait fish have pretty much been on the slowest retrieve possible. I generally fish a buzzbait as slow as possible and still keep it on top, however I use a high speed reel. I use a buzzbait in shallow water and need to get the bait up and moving quickly after a cast. A high speed reel helps to do this. I do not want the bait to sink and possibly get hung up. In a tournament situation the time spent retreiving a lure that is hung up robs me of several cast and that could be the difference in cashing a check or not. It seems as though a buzzbait that is not moving(sinking) can hang up on a twig of grass. You don't need a high speed reel to fish a buzzbait but it helps me be more efficent..........................Al