vernon

Unfortunately, I don't think you could be more right. It's very hard to be even a little optimistic about the future of Ranger Boats when a message as strong as this one has been sent. Can't imagine what it must have been like for Randy to break the news to Mr. Wood. I remember many years ago when Dewey (another legend at Ranger) was telling me about how heartbroken Mr. Wood was and how betrayed he felt when Ray Scott abandoned Ranger and hooked up with Triton to provide boats for the Classic. That had to be peanuts compared to this. I've never met a man that I considered to be more honest, sincere and just downright good as Forrest Wood. It's too bad that he had to see this happen in his lifetime.

I had noticed on Steve Clark's (IT guy at Ranger) and Larry Nixon's Facebook pages earlier in the week that something very disturbing was going on. Neither was forthcoming with details but Larry stated that he "wasn't happy" and Steve alluded to it being one of the worst days of his life. Also noticed that he put his house on the market. I was hoping to buy my tenth and likely last new Ranger (at 63 years old it's not as easy to justify such expenses these days) this spring but now who knows? Ranger Boats was one of the things in life that I always felt could be counted on to be there. They presented a level of customer service and family atmosphere like I've never experienced anywhere in my life as a consumer. Had the privilege and good fortune to spend several hours on a couple of occasions visiting with Forrest and Nina Wood in his office at Ranger and it's an experience that my wife and me will never forget. It was an opportunity that came about only because a couple of folks at Ranger knew that Mr. and Mrs. Wood would like to meet someone who had been such a loyal customer. One of the times their daughter Donna called them from the museum to tell them we were there and they came in covered in mud as they'd been out "chasing that dad gummed ol' bull". Randy Hopper, Connie Hill and many more too numerous to name felt like best friends if not family over the years. Sad news indeed.

Yep. I was a city firefighter back in the 70's and 80's and always used to swap out holidays with guys who had family and or young kids. I wasn't married (which back then usually also meant no kids!) and there was just my mom and dad and my brother and me so we could get together pretty much anytime and do our holiday thing. The family guys always appreciated it and I enjoyed the extra money that came with working the holidays. That being said, I also appreciate and agree with the folks who think everything (retail anyways) should be shut down so everyone at least has the chance to do the family thing if they want. But then again sometimes it's hard to remember that for all the traditional, holiday loving folks in the world there's also a ton of poor people who dread the holidays cause of the depression, loneliness and sadness that it brings. Tuff world sometimes.

Now, I would never COMPARE you to woodpecker lips! Just employing the analogy in a most complimentary way regarding y'all's (that's plural for y'all by the way) ability to overcome circumstances and conditions that most would never take on. I've become so soft in my later years that I use a cart cover and a propane heater whenever I play on days that are much under 50 - at least if the winds blowin'. Talk about anti-tuff. Just don't handle the cold like I used to. Need to check out the Under Armour infrared gear it sounds like!

You guys played golf yesterday?!?!? Under Armour be danged, you're both tuffer than woodpecker lips!! I bet it wasn't too crowded on the first tee!

Dang, Dave, where you eating out that $5 a month makes a difference?!?! A side of fries will cost that most places!

Remember watching Jimmy Houston fish out of one of those on his TV show back in the early 70's! Think his was orange and white? I think Virgil Ward had a Terry and Bill Dance had a Hydra Sport. McFast was/is a really cool name too.

Hadn't thought of it like that but guess that's cause I was there to see it. There wasn't any mistaking that rascal at the time from my perspective either! Glad I didn't step in/on it!

No kiddin'! Actually, my sister in law took that picture a couple of years ago when we were down. She called me and my brother over and "I think there's something wrong with this snake. He looks sick." And with that, she started to reach down to touch him! After we pulled her away and explained what the heck it was she STILL insisted on getting close enough to take the dang picture. Right after she snapped the photo the snake crawled slowly off into the weeds. And didn't look sick either. Man, I hate those things!

I like them flat side down and also use the little number 1 Gammy rigged Texas style. However, I almost always peg a screw-in Florida type 1/8 oz. bullet sinker. Until I discovered the Ned, this accounted a vast majority of my lure preference for many years. Love jigs and spinnerbaits but if the bass aren't liking them I always go back to the centipede and have trouble putting it down due to the confidence factor. Dang Ned had to go and make things so unnecessarily confusing!

I'm with you Phil. I don't get it either. I didn't mean anything more than I said which was that corps doesn't get to pick and choose what they do in regard to releases. Regardless, I will withdraw from the discussion and return to safer ground as an observer of the many informative posts on your great site. Thanks.

Although I recently retired after more than thirty years with the COE Kansas City District, I'm sure you are indeed much more knowledgable about such matters than me and I will defer to you regarding all future COE matters and discussions. Thanks also for correcting my nasty habit of being contrarian, deliberately obnoxious, accusatory, contradictory and making deriding comments on totally innocent postings. I guess I'm just a natural born jerk and a bad person in general. I will do my best to improve my behavior in the future. Thank you again.

Comment was "if they choose to." What definition of "choice" should I be employing in order to not be confrontational? The not so thinly veiled "accusation" was that the Corps might or might not "choose" to lower the water level. If that's a typical Kansas confrontational attitude then I guess us Kansan's really aren't confrontational at all. Some are just a little overly sensitive.

It is not a Corps "choice". Releases and lake levels are mandated by Congressional direction and in accordance with the master plan which is also dictated by Congress . There's nobody sitting around at the Corps this morning trying to figure out how much would be a cool amount to release "today".

Wow. That's some great stuff! I absolutely love not so ancient history like that. Kinda makes me understand what my grandpa was talking about when he used to say, "Son, that's back when the men was men and the women was proud of it!" Thanks so much for sharing!

Wondering what movies the bridge appeared in? My wife absolutely loves that area and although we typically stay in Kimberling City we have made the run numerous times. Not so much "running" mind you, just enjoying a boat ride for a few hours. We're been as far up as one can go in a Ranger 520. Raised the outboard and used the trolling motor to follow the channel until we come upon an impassable area or gravel bar which obviously varies with the lake level. Coming back down on the 12th of September and she's already counting on making that trip. Already told her it's gonna be dependent on the lake level and if they're draining Beaver.

I must be the luckiest guy in the world. Since 1972 I've had 11 boats and 11 outboards. Johnson, Yamaha and Mercury. I have always burned the cheapest gas available and have never added a thing to the tank. My boat and gas sit unattended every year from October till March and the motors have always started on the first turn of the key in spring without exception. My current motor is 11 years old which is by far the longest I've ever owned one (a 225 Opti) and it still starts, runs and idles like it's new. Cheap gas and no additives. Lucky.

Good for him and those in his life. I'm not much of a religious type but whatever it takes for someone to realize the world doesn't revolve around them and their troubles is good by me.

You know I always thought that same thing but I know a guy that played for him when he was the golf coach at Maryland and he says he was the biggest jerk he ever knew. Said everybody on the team hated him and hated playing for him. Apparently, he didn't like the job at all - didn't want to coach and hated giving lessons and took it out on everybody he came in contact with. That was a long time ago though and certainly before he was wealthy, successful and well known. Crazy how some of those guys seem to have multiple personalities though. Always thought Trevino seemed like the greatest guy ever until I met him. Vulgar, rude and downright mean spirited. One of the most unpleasant people I've ever been around. Oh well, looking forward to watching those guys at Branson Ridge and Top of The Rock on TV today. Now back to fish talk!

My dad and I used to stay at Gene's place (Shadrack Resort) six or seven times a year and happened to be there the week that he was converting the old metal shed that he used for making his salt impregnated electric blue worms. Still have a few of the very original ones in the old sandwich bags that he packaged them in. This was way before "Zip Lock" bags too. Remember the ones that you had to fold the flap over and tuck it into the little pocket on the side of the bag? Yep, those are the ones. Man, those were some great times. The "good ol'" days at their best. What ever happened to the milfoil and grass beds anyway? I can remember ripping Bagley's Balsa B's in baby bass color through that stuff and catching some dang nice fish.

This!

We stayed at Kimberling Inn four different times last year. A week each in April, May, September and October and it looked like business as usual at the Inn and at the ramp. We were the only boat in a stall in October which is when my stuff got stolen. Pretty steady traffic at the parking lot and the ramp though. Other than the motel portion (which has been leveled) Kimberling Inn has been back up and running normally for over a year. We were told that the future development included the old motel area and also the property to the south that used to be a resort (can't remember the name - Kimberling Arms maybe?) They also said that Ahoy's was to be demolished as the guy didn't need any more competition for his other restaurants. Overall, is was a pretty aggressive (see expensive) plan. Personally, I think my time there is up. $30 a night for a boat slip that has no security, no running water, no cleaning station, etc. is pretty excessive and they weren't budging off that price. Don't know if any of that is pertinent but thought I'd throw it out there.

Yeah, they won the MAC in wrestling AND in football. SEC east = MAClite!

In the process of "rebuilding" my stolen tackle bag. One of my first purchases was 40 Nutech jigs! Half skirted, half naked and ten each of 1/4oz. and 5/16. Haven't got em' wet yet but REALLY excited to try em' out! The videos were pretty dang convincing but the word of mouth on the forum sealed the deal. Purchased from Tackle Warehouse. Hope that wasn't a mistake and maybe should have gone through Bo's site directly.

Personally, I'm afraid "dire global risks" are right around the corner. These ISIS guys and their counterparts are beginning to make the Nazi's look like kindergarteners. I mean no disrespect to the tortured and murdered victims of the Holocaust. But mass beheadings, burning humans alive and kidnapping 1-9 year old girls to sell on the sex slave market is pretty hard to fathom. Meanwhile, our "leadership" refuses to even acknowledge it's happening. Without the total support and efforts of the US military, the entire world will eventually be at the mercy of these evil doers. Sorry, rant over.