Long Mike

X3. 1998. I was 52. Geez Rhino! I thought I was the resident Old Fart. You've got me beat by four years. Do you want me to send you my walker?

I use Star Tron every time I put fuel in the tank. It completely eliminates ethanol problems, prevents gunk build-up in the carbs and fuel system, and stabilizes the fuel if the boat is going to be idle for any length of time. Star Tron is one of our advertisers, but I was using their product long before they became a sponsor.

Hey Russ! Where ya been?

Thanks for the info Jeff. As a point of clarification, our "home base" is Pickwick State Park, which is in TN. A TN license will allow one to launch from "home" and fish about nineteen miles of the main lake, plus all of its tributaries. That's a LOT of territory to cover in one week. And yes, there are plenty of smallies to be had.

I've been using XPS flouro for years, but primarily as a leader on my braid. The only rod I have fully spooled with flouro is 6# on my light spinning rig. Never had a problem with kinks, but I use KVD on it after every outing.

I think it has something to do with them both catching me in drag on the last Road Trip. What I do after hours is my own business.

There is an old saying that "a boat is a place in the water where you throw money."

All I can say is that you will never catch me using a SHEmano!

I love my Pflueger Presidents.

Yeah, probably me, if I have the same battery problems I had on the last road trip.

I don't fish tournaments, so I am apparently not qualified to answer your question. On a personal basis, I like the Rage Tail plastics and use them almost exclusively.

Rhino, I would have to disagree with you somewhat. I feel that a knowledge of boat safety, and its rules and regulations, should be one of the top two. Here comes the members debate.

Bring your wife with you! Even if she doesn't fish, there are many attractions that can keep her occupied during the day BTW, your profile doesn't say what City or State you live in. Where will you be coming from?

Kyle, a Tennessee license will be fine. You can come without a boat, but if you have one that will handle a good-sized lake, it would be helpful. Regardless, boat or no boat, you will be welcome and I will guarantee a seat in a boat. That's my job on these trips. As for the cost of the license, I don't recall. I think it's in the $20 range. Google it. Looking forward to shaking your hand.

X3. Received mine today. Thanks to all.

Awesome!

Gut feelings become more accurate with experience. On the female side, it's called women's intuition. On the male side, it's called a gut feeling. In general, men are less observant than women, so tend to overlook the nuances of developing situations. Been there, done that. I've got a gut feeling that you feel your marriage is in jeopardy. You need to address the situation before you ship out again, otherwise that gut feeling will gnaw your guts out until you return.

preach4bass, that was hilarious! Thank you! Bassn, I never noticed that he had pecs. I think his hair got in the way, or maybe it was all of the blood spurting from his 487 non-lethal wounds.

Bless you Jeff! You are now in deep doodoo! Translation for Scrutch. rmofo hes got ya by tha wingwang.

It's been slow on TV for the last few nights so I have been watching the Rambo series. I'm on #3 now. Do any of you aficionados know how many times he's been seriously wounded, and how many of the scars disappear by the next movie? And what about body count? I'm guessing he's pushing 125 for the three movies. YES, I AM BORED, but it beats the hell out of watching "So You Think You Can Dance," which is what the wife is watching. GAG!

Well, the OP is another Old Fart like me. It's going to be either bad news or ignore news. 99% of the time it's ignore news. That other 1% can be a real beech, though.

I would kill to be able to skip a lure like that! Very nice video.

With the exception of my ultralight trout rod (flouro only) and my slop rod (60# braid only,) all off my rods are loaded with 30# braid and a flouro leader. That includes both baitcasting and spinning. That combination gives you the best of both worlds.

Gentlemen, you have eloquently made your points. Everyone knows that we are now beating a dead horse. This thread is now locked. Good night Irene.

I use Stick Jackets. I guess they are the same as the ones BASSclary uses - kinda like Chinese handcuffs. They work great but a word of warning. If you ever get a hook caught in one of them, they can be a real P.I.T.A to remove.