fishinwrench

Hardly anyone envisions scenes like THIS when they think of Lake of the Ozarks 😉 Especially on a late Summer weekend. You can cast your arm off in this is area during the day and seldom get a bite, but the magic begins to happen about 6:30pm and lasts until dark.....or possibly beyond. What a great way to wind down after a hard day working 🤗 Dinner And some bonus excitement 😳

Honestly THIS is all you have to do to eliminate line twist.

Let me just say......There are scads of 2016 4-stroke Mercury outboards out there that need new timing chains, but they are NLA. To fabricate one yourself, or have one fabricated, is 762.76 and the labor to replace one is 780.00 and you'll have to use RTV instead of the chain cover gasket when you swap it out.....cuz it is NLA also. 🙄 And NO, a replacement powerhead does not come with a timing chain (or TC cover) on it. The 2.5L EFI Mercs are still rebuildable .......as long as you don't need a TPS (throttle position sensor). If it ever needs a TPS then you're screwed. No aftermarket, no way to override or bypass it. Basically it's just a VOLUME KNOB, but Mercury Marine says "NOPE, not gonna support them anymore"........"But please continue to wear our shirts, jerseys, and hats, because WE LOVE OUR FAITHFUL CUSTOMERS". 😘

Use swivels for Carolina rigs, flutter spoons, and that's about it. Never use a Snap Swivel. A little trick for inline spinners: If you bend the wire 45° just behind the line tie, you won't get line twist when retrieving or swinging through current..... because the wire shaft will not rotate.

I've only handled a cane rod that would cast a line lighter than a 6wt. once, and I got the feeling that it wouldn't last a single day with me swinging it. Just way too fragile feeling. They sure are pretty though.

Excellent idea ! Why hadn't I thought of that? I need a quick-draw holster for that bad boy. 👍

All high-dollar products being sold today are nothing but fuel for financial institutions, insurance companies, and state tax revenue. Consumer satisfaction is at the bottom of the list. The majority spoke loud and clear when they scoffed and snorted about the MAGA movement. This is the way the majority wants to go forward. 🤷‍♂️

I don't believe in "allergy" problems. How can anyone be allergic to the environment that they were born into? What kind of supreme creator would do that to his living creatures? And why? Boredom? Twisted sense of humor? I just can't fathom it. 🤔 That "allergy" BS is all in your head. I think you should stop listening to pharmaceutical marketers and work at convincing yourself otherwise. 👍 Sneezing is a good excersize, and farmer snorting is a good skill to develop. Nothing turns me on quicker than a gal that can fire a snot-rocket 15 feet or more.

Nope. Not unless they are kept in a controlled environment tomb until then. The structural composites used today, in place of wood, get brittle, bust apart, and eventually turn to dust from sun exposure and hot/cold cycles. And those sexy complex-shaped touch-screen switch panels will last about as long as your average cell phone does. And if you think there will be a replacement panel that matches it in 15 years..... you're just fooling yourself. The motors being built/sold today won't still be pushing them either. Everything being built today will end its life by being consumed in a bio-fuel power plant.

I'll tell ya what is covering the ground NOW around my place.......The dreaded Oak Mites! 😖 3 steps past the tree line and you'll be miserable for 12-14 hours. Nothing repels those things.

What is it during late-May-early June that feels like sand in my eyes when bike riding or running down the lake ?

Well, it isn't the boat that catches the fish......so Yeah, you can compete out of it for sure. But honestly, why would you even want to put yourself through that. 😅 These kids with their FFS skills are gonna spank you repeatedly. You can count on that. I've had several offers on my 350V, the best offer was 7200.00 but the problem with selling it is that I know I can't replace it with anything comparable and reliable for under 15k. I believe my 350V with a 150 Evinrude XP sold for about 26k new in 1986 (but that's just going by my memory, not sure).

One of my buddies used to do that trick where you grab the line and send the rod/reel down to dislodge a hung-up lure. It's pretty clever when it works, but he sent a pretty expensive rig down to dislodge a jerkbait.....and the rod tip hung a treble hook. We fought it for a good 30 minutes, then finally he ran out of patience and gave the line a Hail Mary pull......Snap! Gone! 😂 dumbazz!

It sure is gracious, of plants, that they take turns blooming. Add yet another point for divine creation. 👍

Technically there's nothing illegal about hitting a bluff. Maybe he was testing a theory with the passengers who insisted that bluffs were floating objects, that with a little more throttle, could easily be shoved aside. Or maybe they were arguing about the structural integrity of a Crownline bow. How do you know until somebody tests it? The man should not be imprisoned, he should be awarded a Nobel prize ! Many have died in the name of discovery. They call them "Heroes".

Good move! The ramifications of releasing confidential information to the likes of these Rube Goldberg types..... could destroy the planet.

I'm afraid that I can't share y'all's love of hummingbirds 🙄 There's something about working on a running outboard, hooked up to a water hose, that amplifies their curiosity. It's really hard to concentrate on anything when there is a flying needle hovering 3" from your eyeball.

How does one identify pollen ? 🤔

Multiple serious boating accidents over the season so far, yet the only ones that get press coverage are the few where the operator had a buzz. Statistically, sober people crash far more often than drunks......and they do it in broad daylight ! 😅 But you'd never know that unless you lived here. If you only knew the percentage of totally wasted individuals that get themselves and their passengers home safely in total darkness, you'd probably be blown away. Personally I'm rather proud of them for it. 😉

Are all potential records checked/tested for genetic purity? Even Brown and Rainbow trout ? 🤔

From what I can tell they are good strong motors. If I was saddled with having to purchase a NEW outboard right now I would definitely choose a Suzuki over anything Mercury has to offer. But I'd probably settle on a Yamaha just because the dealer network is more stable.

Sonsabitches ! Why don't they come and genetically test these "White Bass"? Then we can have ourselves a field day! 😡

There are some dock builders here on the lake that will miss them too. They may have put themselves in the red by running up here to do warranty work on the motors they sold. Tech labor on warranty work (covered by the factory) is only a small fraction of a shops regular labor rate.....and I know darn well that the manufacturer isn't going to cover "service call" fees. I'm sure that LSK jumped at the opportunity to sell 2-3 200hp Suzuki's at once, and then install them on a work barge....... but what they DIDN'T account for was having to change those motors diapers until they grew up and outlived their warranty. They can't expect the buyer to haul those huge barges to Lebanon every time there's an issue.....so they send a tech to them. Not a smart business move ! 🤔

It wouldn't surprise me, but even if they are..... they are/were the longest running Suzuki dealer in history. Every other place that has sold & serviced Suzuki outboards have only maintained their dealership status for 2-3 years max. Same with Honda. I'm not saying they aren't decent engines..... but WHY can't the average dealership last longer than a couple years ? That always bugged the hell out of me. You can't get any technical service info on them unless you are a dealer.....but DEALERS never stay "DEALERS" for any length of time......So who is supposed to service the blasted things ? !!!! Plus, every part you need has to be shipped across the ocean.....and might take from 3 weeks to 2 months to recieve. 🙄