kjackson

After the whole "do I really want to spend the money" debate you will hold with yourself and wife, the question for me would be relating to your sonar/GPS units. To get the most from Garmin or Lowrance motors, you really should upgrade your electronics...and that can get really expensive. Is there not a trolling motor repair shop in the Tulsa area? That would be my first option to be followed by finding an Ultrex on sale--it's what you're used to using, so that is a bonus. You can always go to option three if you practice social distancing.

I fished both the Snake and the Salmon, but not as often as I'd liked. The returning steelhead are remarkable creatures, considering the challenges they face-- the dams, sea lion hordes, Indian nets, ocean capture, not to mention the hazards when they are young and heading out to sea. The B-run fish were awesome for size and power.

Right hand... don't know what the" i" in 7000i signifies...

PRESS RELEASE For immediate distribution BRP Advances Marine Strategy by Focusing on Boats and New Technologies Company discontinues the manufacturing of outboard engines and agrees with market leader Mercury Marine to support boat packages Valcourt, Quebec, May 27, 2020 – BRP (TSX: DOO; NASDAQ: DOOO) announced today it has re-oriented its marine business by focusing on the growth of its boat brands with new technology and innovative marine products. We will discontinue production of Evinrude E-TEC and E-TEC G2 outboard engines. Our Sturtevant, WI, facility, will be repurposed for new projects to pursue our plan to provide consumers with an unparalleled experience on the water. We remain committed to our Buy, Build, Transform Marine strategy which has been underway since 2018 with the acquisition of Alumacraft and Manitou boat companies in the U.S., followed by the acquisition of Australian boat manufacturer Telwater in 2019. “Our outboard engines business has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, obliging us to discontinue production of our outboard motors immediately. This business segment had already been facing some challenges and the impact from the current context has forced our hand,” said José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP. “We will concentrate our efforts on new and innovative technologies and on the development of our boat companies, where we continue to see a lot of potential to transform the on-water experience for consumers,” he added. Discontinuing outboard engine business and signing an agreement with Mercury Marine Following our decision to discontinue E-TEC and E-TEC G2 outboard engines, we have signed an agreement with market leader Mercury Marine to support boat packages and continue to supply outboard engines to our boat brands. We will continue to supply customers and our dealer network service parts and will honour our manufacturer limited warranties, plus offer select programs to manage inventory. These decisions will impact 650 employees globally. Pursuing new opportunities within Build and Transform phases of strategy With this announcement, BRP will be positioned to expand its presence in the pontoon and aluminum fishing markets through technologically advanced solutions. We will leverage our track record of ingenuity through our R&D resources to enhance the boating experience with unique new marine products, such as the next generation of engine technology with Project Ghost and the next generation of pontoons with Project M, code names for new products we expect to transform the industry. Maximizing operational and functional efficiencies Lastly, we will consolidate Alumacraft operations from two sites to one. All Alumacraft operations will be transferred to St Peter, MN and our site in Arkadelphia, AR will be permanently closed. In addition, we want to upgrade the boat production facilities to reorganize manufacturing sites and apply the modularity model used elsewhere. This move is designed to enhance productivity and efficiency and to allow us to respond with even more agility to demand. About BRP We are a global leader in the world of powersports vehicles, propulsion systems and boats, built on over 75 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. Our portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive products includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex, Stacer and Savage boats, Evinrude and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts, motorcycles and recreational aircraft. We complete our lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel business to fully enhance the riding experience. With annual sales of CA$6.1 billion from over 120 countries, our global workforce is made up of approximately 12,600 driven, resourceful people. www.brp.com @BRPNews

I'm sorta interested. Pix? Price? Location? Thanks.

Three boxes later, I found it...and about 10 other reels in its class. Having said that, what I have is an unused 7000i LC. It's a line counter with a power handle and filled with lead core. If you're interested, I will figure a price.

I may have one tucked away. It'll be a couple of days before I can check. It's unused-- I remember spooling it with lead core, and then we ended up moving.

Given that I grew up on the West Coast where drum is something you beat with sticks, I was curious myself-- especially after trips to Venice where we caught red drum (redfish) and black drum and ate both with no distinction between the two. Since I was willing to try cabezon from Puget Sound, I thought it only right that I should give freshwater drum a try. Caught a decent one in Beaver Lake, filleted it and ate it. It was fine-- not walleye, but few fish are. When we moved to Missouri, the first drum I caught (in LOZ)-- a small fish about a foot long-- was added to the crappies. While it was okay as far as taste and bones went, the flesh was tough...which leads me to believe that it was overcooked. I'm willing to test that again, but I don't catch many.

Sorry, no. I didn't even stick my finger in. Fish are moving around, though.

Just paid a visit to our place on the creek. The visibility is about 8 inches, and the water is lower than normal for this time of year, so be careful if you're not familiar with the channel in the upper end. There didn't seem to be a lot of trash floating, which is a good thing. The creek itself is fairly clear, so maybe things will change a bit.

Caught my two largest redfish last week in Venice at Redfish Lodge...a 45 and 42. Netted a 51 for the guide and saw a 40+ take a topwater 10 feet from the boat. Needless to say, I had a blast.

Bring it back to Clinton, please...

I've not fished for walleyes in Missouri yet, so take this at face value. I have done a lot of walleye fishing back in Washington and Oregon as well as quite a bit in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and I sure that some of what I've learned will work here. This time of the year, I would rely on jigs, casting and doing the pull-and-drop in areas were I could make fish. Curly-tail grubs and ringworms would work, or see if you can find some of the tubes that look like overgrown crappie tubes (the ones I have are a little over tw inches long). I think it's essential to tip the jig with something like a nightcrawler chunk or a minnow. Up north, they swear by minnows this time of the year. After the spawn, I'd pick shad-style baits such as the Shad Rap (duh), Flicker Shad (really like this) or something like the discontinued Rebel Shad-R. I would think that the minnow-style baits off a three-way rig would be good as well. As the water warms, more active baits would come into play: the Hot N Tot, the Mag Lip, the ¼-ounce Hot Lips (discontinued), Wally Diver and similar lures would be good. Once the fish begin feeding actively, I'd rely on spinners a lot. RPS has some articles posted on OAF that give you a lot of info and definitely are worth reading. Spinners can be so deadly that they are a must, IMO. Of course, you can still use jigs during the summer months, and that is a fun way to fish. However, you really need to tip them with a nightcrawler chunk or a leech. And there are lots of other lures/techniques that are worth mentioning: jerk baits and blade baits like the Heddon Sonar or Silver Buddy can be deadly as will jigging spoons, and the Jigging Rap is also reported to be excellent. Rattle baits like the Rat-L-Trap and Red Eye Shad great. Three-way rigs trailing something like a FlatFish or a Floating Rapala should do well. And there were a couple of big tournaments won by guys trolling big spinnerbaits through standing timber on lead core. It's almost a situation where just about any reasonable lure will catch walleyes when it's matched to the situation and time of year.

Here's my take: If it were my boat, I'd use marine ply because I'd only want to do the replacement once. While ACX might work, it has its problems for marine use. You only have to search for Lund boats and transom issues to see that. That same search probably will indicate why you MUST seal the decking, whatever you use. If you want the plywood to work long term, all sides should be sealed with extra emphasis on the edges. Epoxy is more expensive than other sealants, but it is waterproof, while other fiberglass resins are not, or so I'm told. There are boat-building sites that can link to epoxy sales. I like www.bateau2.com as the forum there is extremely helpful; it's a good place to ask questions and do research. RAKA and US Composites also sell epoxy as does Duckworks. Another issue with fir or pine plywood--and this includes marine ply as well as ACX and BCX-- is that even when sealed with epoxy, the surface will check after a year or so. There folks at Bateau recommend covering fir ply with a lightweight fiberglass cloth. I would think that using a bed liner material might be less trouble and just as effective, but I'm shooting from the hip on that.

Welcome to the area...save yourself a drive. RP Lumber in Clinton is supposed to carry ½-inch marine ply--or they can order it. Heavier ply shouldn't be necessary unless you've got a large span to cover. If there are supports under the decks, ½-inch should be all you need. Treat both sides with marine epoxy thinned a bit on the first coat for better penetration and make sure to treat the edges.