Gilly

And Happy Easter to you, Justin. I wonder if your picture will prompt a 2 page catch-release the crickets thread?!

Still can't quite see it....................... Nah, just kidding! Thanks, that baby ought to be seen!

Thank you! I can see the 'angler's' on the bottom, can't quite see the upper letters........OAF?

That sounds like a dang good explanation. I don't know if you guys ever heard of the Boy Scouts that were killed a couple of years ago in Little Sioux Iowa. That was one of our regular camp grounds that we took our troop to. We fought the winds almost everytime we went there. The winds would do exactly that, funnel into the valley and blow right up it. And that's exactly what the storm/tornado did when the scouts were killed. Dropped right into that valley and focused all of it's energy there. So I would say the weatherman is accurate in his reasoning.

[ I would drop the link....] Go to whatever article,story, website you want, right click on the http address at the top, left click on copy, go back to your message or new message, right click to insert, left click on paste. That should land the site that you want in your message. Post or repost and you should be good to go. You might screw it up a few times but what the heck, once you figure it out we'll appreciate your info!

You would like to think common sense would prevail. When we researched Stockton as a possible place to buy a home most of the folks we talked to mentioned the winds but didn't place any emphasis on dangerous conditions. Seeing all of the sailboats docked on the northern end kind of gave us a clue that the winds could be pretty steady. We've fished a lot of the bigger lakes in Minnesota and South Dakota and they can get large waves too. For the most part if you're going to operate a boat on big water you need a big boat. The down side of that is if you're not familiar with boating in windy conditions a larger/taller boat is that much more prone to extreme weather. Again, common sense needs to prevail. My PFD has always been the old school type, zipper front. I have no experience with the inflatables. Mentioned above is 'SOS...'. Is that a particularly reliable brand?

[ What kind of boat were they in?] A friend of mine works at the Stockton State Park Marina. Not certain if they towed the boat there or not but he said the boat was a jon boat, not over 16', but he guessed it to be 14'.

Jim, Bob is a guide on the lake. He's offered to help folks if they'd contact him. Here's his link. I'm betting he's out fishing right about now. Typically he gets on here later in evening. Happy fishing! http://www.fishstocktonlake.com/

[you will like the 900 better than the 800. I just mounted the 1197 on mine and it is awesome. We need to get together with all of us and have a training class Concur big time on the training class. Ordered the 998 from J and H, again, super guy to talk to. Man, Bob, that 1197 is a big screen. For sure wouldn't fit on my dash although I could mount it on either end of the boat and see it from the opposite end! Too bad we couldn't figure out some way to get Direct TV tuned into these things so we can fish and watch football at the same time.

Cool! Grand theft I would think. Put some blocks on his ankles and throw him in. Care to share the "long story" some time?

Hey Andy & JoAnne, I do own rental properties. Most of mine are long term rentals. I do have one in Stockton that is my own personal unit which I've let it be known that it 'could' be available. With that in mind, if I wanted it to be, it would get used as much as I wanted it to be. The difference in Stockton is that no one can live on the lake. I'm assuming where your proposing to do this folks can have property on the lake. Very big difference. My sister-in-law has a time share condo in Branson, huge rip off. They also have one they own in Okoboji Ia which is not a time share. It's theirs 100% however it sits 3 blocks off the lake. Hard to rent unless everything else is booked. A couple things to consider. Vacation homes take a beating. Even with a deposit it takes a lot of abuse. If you can somehow limit your clients to people you personally know it helps. If you are in it for only the profit do not furnish the place high end. Also with my own unit I do not run it as a rental unit. Thus I do not have to claim any income as long as the rental is under 14 days. If this is your first foray into this business.....read, study, google. Arm yourself with information. Book stores have lots of info. It can be a frustrating business to be in but the financial rewards can be good.

Hope they catch the turds quickly.

Bob, Thanks to you also. This is a testament to what I alluded to awhile back....we are sportsmen. With that comes a certain brotherhood. Whether it be a love of fishing, hunting or life in general. A quick wave on the water or maybe a handshake at the dock. We are in this together and sometimes that means the duties we perform may not be all that pleasant but we would want someone to have our back covered regardless. Thanks to all who serve their fellow man.

[Talked to a ranger yesterday and they found the life vests next to/inside the capsized boat.] Rough water and no life jackets. This pretty much confirms that........ http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100329/BREAKING01/100329014/1007

I haven't seen any updates on the news. Without knowing the details it's hard to comment. I hope it's not a case of not wearing the PFD. Whenever the motor is on I make sure everyone has their vest on. Any child on board always has their's on. Prayers up.

Getting caught up on the Easy Riders, behind about a year or so.

I'd like the 898 but they're sold out. He made me a heck of an offer on a 998. However, these units are big and I'm mounting it on the dash, kinda worried about the fit.

Thanks, panfisher. Just called them. Good folks. Hell of a run on Humminbird right now so the inventory everywhere is running low. Hopefully he can get my stuff before our trip in April.

Bummer. Even when we think we have the bases covered tragedy can worm it's fickle finger into our lives and change things in an instant. RIP young man.

I'm in. Will need address info. (A full size decal would be nice for the topper.)

I've decided on buying a new finder/gps. My boat came with an X-135 Lowrance and it failed the second time out. Sent it in last fall to get fixed, just got it back in mid-Feb. Price wise, any suggestions as to where to get the best price? Going with Humminbird. (note: asked the same question about TV brackets, cables, etc. awhile back and monoprice.com was suggested. They have excellent service and crazy prices. FYI.)

Sorry about that...... Anyway, I spent a lovely day in the office. Not!! Thanks for the report, Trav. We have a week long trip to Stockton in mid-April planned. Itching to get on the water. Headed out at noon today to go to Kearney Ne. to pick up the boat. Bought it last summer and they needed it back for a 10 hour check up. What a pain in the butt that is keeping it under certain RPM's until hour 10. Heard one of the engine co's has done away with that. Again, thanks, Trav.

Custom thongs? Bright colors of course!

[if it means trashing our reservoirs and turning them into tourist destinations (more so than they are now), I'm not certain that's something I'd like to see. Concur 1000% We spent a lot of time visiting the lakes of Missouri before we settled on Stockton. Very clean, very 'untouristy', although there are some private lands right along the highway that it would be nice to see them cleaned up.