Al Wolbach

Nice ride, enjoy!!

When I replaced the seats in my Champion I went to the original manufacturer for replacement. I called them to place the order and had them in a couple of weeks and they were perfect, fit and color. I went to *** to locate the manufacturer's name and contact info. Loads of good info there.

Sorry for delay in response, have been on vacation. I have stopped tournament bass fishing but Douglas has very good bass fishing and very good crappie fishing as well. Most of my fishing is in the winter months now for crappie, just can't deal with the heat. TVA starts to drop the lake level around labor day to reach winter pool. Winter pool varies from year to year but is usually around a 50 ft drop. You learn to live with it, lol. Actually the lake fishes better, for me, at the lower levels. BTW Anchor Down RV Resort is really nice compared to most of the parks on the lake. I live near the Point Resort up the lake from you. Actually near point 8 if you are familiar with the lake.

Here in East Tennessee during the summer months when the crappie are deep we troll small rattletrap style baits on lead core line about 20 ft deep. During the winter months we fish 1/16 to 1/8 oz hair jigs tipped with a minnow under a float, slowly moving it. But a bare hood tipped with a minnow will work year round if at the right depth. There certainly other baits that will work but these are my favorite.

Tennessee

In my young Navy days I hung out in a joint that gave you two bottles of "Grannies Grapes" if you sunk the 8 ball on the break(pool). That stuff would make you throw up in technicolor. I still don't drink much wine except an occasion red wine that I know nothing about. I have noticed that wines seem to vary a great deal in alcohol content. I was a little surprised after reading labels.

Btw- Haven't talked to anyone recently. Who won angler of the year? Bill S. and Ricky would be my first guess or some of newer members.

I started that tournament (Thursday) about 30 years ago and stopped fishing it a few years after moving to Dandridge because of the 150 mile travel distance(round trip). Tell Brian and Fred I said hello. It originally started as a post office employee tournament but over time opened to everyone. There are about 5 men that have fished that tournament for over 25 years. Some really good folks in it but a lot that I do not know. I still fish it occasionally but the membership fees prevent just fishing 1 or 2 a year. I have always tried to fish a Cherokee or Douglas sunday tournament every year but had schedule conflicts(grandchildren) this year. May see you next year. Good luck at the barr.

Do you fish the Thur night tournament out of Carbide Park? I avoid Norris at all cost. I live on Douglas near point 8, between Muddy Creek and Dandridge bridge.

I have done this without the heat. It took surprisingly little effort to knock the xducer loose. Get as parallel to the hull as you can with the block of wood. Getting the epoxy off the xducer may be the hard part.

From info in other post I think he fishes Ft. Loudon or Melton Hill. Those results to the rod/reel could have happened on any lake in East Tn....Lol

I don't care to drive anything that I can't spell the name off. But I *** you!

What a shame. That opportunity only occurs once in a lifetime. FWIW-They say visibility is bad to the rear, lol. Who cares what is behind you in that car. Everything will be behind you in just a second. They have only escalated a few hundred per cent in value, about 500% I believe. Seriously the Ford GT is one of the better investments auto wise and is predicted to continue to be a wise choice. Only time will tell and out of my tax bracket anyway...

Santee-Cooper has great flathead fishing, over 100lb, and we all know about the bass there. Road trip, lol.......

The Ford GT's are going up around $100K a year, so don't pass on that opportunity, should it arise, lol

Many of these people are investing in autos. It's a little safer than the stock market, IMO, but still a gamble. There are additional cost as well, such as a 10% fee to Barrett-Jackson and shipping cost, and storage, etc.

Just read that BPS is buying Cabelas for 5.5 billion. I don't think that is a plus for most fishermen.

Map study and GPS with emphases on GPS. I'm not familiar with your lakes but you can probably get a chip/download in a GPS unit that will show detail, including depth charts. GPS has saved my a$$ many times but I still learn to navigate using the brail system from time to time. When you travel to new lakes that is the gamble you take, but GPS is a large help. I even have a unit in my pontoon boat and would not feel safe without one, on any outboard powered boat. It has been my experience that the detail in these units is very accurate. Idle speed damage is usually not severe but it depends on what you hit and where you hit. Rocks are harder than fiberglass or aluminum, or stainless steel for that matter. It you find yourself in that shallow water trimming the motor up can help, but you still have to keep the foot in the water. It really is just a learning curve everyone must experience.

You fishing Loudon/Tellico?

Progressive took longer for me to adapt but after some time, as others have said, they will improve. Regular bifocals were a quicker adjustment for me. But the no lines look better to my wife/kids.

In your situation I would would go with the 205's.....

I do not fish it but I can tell you you it is a deep clear water lake with a lot of boat traffic. It also is down about 20 ft so be careful.

My wife and I drove through there a couple of months ago on our way to Naval Air Station, Jax and the traffic was a nightmare with all the construction on I-95. Driving there could tick off the Pope, lol.

For those of you that have not tried this, it takes some weight off the bow end of the boat and makes power loading much easier as well as saving your engine/prop from damage.

When you are shiner fishing and the shiners cost a dollar apiece you learn to dislike Bowfin and Chain Pickerel. But they are fun to catch..