fishinwrench

I like knowing that whatever it is, it isn't a cougar, wolf, grizzly bear, Gorilla, or Bigfoot.

One can only wish it was that easy to discourage it.

A fish pooping a spinnerbait is not funny ! I mean OUCH! Poor fella.

The only point I was attempting to make in regard to fuel fussiness and additives is that guys that religiously fret over their fuel and meter in various additives all the time still have fuel system issues and powerhead failures at the same rate as the guys who never bother with all that crap. This is a bonafide fact that anyone in the marine service business can not dispute. So if stressing over it makes you feel better then carry on. But you really aren't ever gonna see any payback for it, you are just overcomplicating your life.

Just needs a proper fuel management system and sufficient lubrication.

A combustion engine is a combustion engine, so sure an outboard designed to run on E85 is possible. Converting an older motor to run on it is also possible. I can run one on spray can propellant.

No disagreement there. Fuel can go bad, for sure. And I never meant to say that non-ethanol fuel didn't exist, but every boat I test has 10% alcohol in the tank. I see ALOT of boats.

LMFAO ! Captured for posterity. I've been working on these things every day since 1987 and I am seeing no reduction in the number of blown powerheads and gearcases as time goes on. The computer is sweet but I still need my hammer and wrenches. Terrierman, if being wrong works then I'm OK with it. The engines that I've built and do service on are all still running great. Some have lasted longer since I rebuilt them than they did from the factory. I'm kinda proud of that.

I'll be darn if I'd pay 20k for a machine that I had to go on searches to find fuel for, and only a select few businesses have a person "qualified" to work on it. That's all just BS and yet everyone just soaks that rhetoric up and goes along with it. It's funny really.

Ness, all that organic eating hasn't done much for your "package". I feel sorry for your wife. Yeah ticks are a bummer. According to Lake Regional hospital it took 11,000.00 to determine that I have RMSF, so I guess I am just waiting to die. I've read everything I can find online about the disease and oddly I lack any of the symptoms thus far. So who knows, but I refuse to pay their bill until I die from it.

A MDC agent telling you to "stop fishing and come here", then detaining you for 20 minutes while they run your pedigree is definately "interfering". Who do I call to have them charged?

You guys need to get one of these and see what you are getting from your "no ethanol" stations. It's all E10. I test the fuel in every boat that comes in here and "good fuel" all tests the same regardless, and they come from all points between here and Minnesota/Florida/South Carolina/Colorado. Stabil does a fine job on a tank of fuel that is SITTING MOTIONLESS for a month or more, but when you are shaking it around and just burning it you are wasting your money. As for Seafoam and other non-combustables....I have attempted to manually clean gummy fuel system components and carboned ring grooves with it and it absolutely does nothing even when assisted with a brass brush. The only thing I have found that removes hard carbon deposits is a FREE substance called Water. As for rubber degradation from Alcohol enhanced fuel....All I have to say is that things made from rubber have NEVER lasted forever and have always required reasonable replacement after time. All the crankshaft seals and such in your post 1990 outboards are "alcohol tolerant" material, but they still don't last forever. The funny thing about the alcohol tolerant rubber in your fuel lines and primer bulbs is that it degrades quicker from temperature variations (hot-cold-hot-cold) than regular rubber degrades from contact with alcohol. You guys that are always mixing up this witches brew to burn in your outboards are honesty wasting your time and money. It might make you feel good or something, but that's only because you read too much.

Black bears= No worries there, they live on berries,grubs, and trash, no more dangerous than a raccoon. Meth cookers= I can easily negotiate with them. If you believe all the propaganda being fed to you about speed junkies and the war on drugs you are just blind. The law doesn't bother the poor ones, they only threaten to imprison the ones that can afford lawyers. So meth cooks? Naw, The only ones they are killing are themselves. Floods and strainers= I can see those coming and they are easy to avoid, they don't stalk and pounce on you and then bite your throat. Liquor= Not my thing, especially when hunting/fishing. Skin cancer= Pffft! I'm not stressed out about cougars now, but if their numbers were to begin increasing.....Hell yeah. I mean look at the paws on that mofo ! I just recently saw a 2 lb. Siamese kick my Labradors butt, and to be honest I wasn't too comfortable getting between them, so be dammed if I wanna go all "man on a buffalo" with a genuine mountain cat. Let's be real here!

No word from the tailrace stretch, but below blue spring creek there was some action a couple weeks ago.

Similar to the landowners signs along the lower Niangua river. Why are these type signs not considered angler harassment ? Call the MDC and request that they educate those folks. Sounds like a meaningful project for the MDC to concentrate on for awhile.

Oh they were out in a big way 2 weekends ago, doing "safety checks" and testing all the big boats for noise levels (their newest favorite thing to do). They don't nitpick fishing boats much at all, leaving that to the MDC agents in their new incognito green/white open bow ski boat I assume. It's a V6 Mercruiser I/O though....they won't catch any bass boats in that thing, so I assume they are just looking for folks fishing off their docks. How many license violations do you reckon it takes to pay for a couple of weak ski boats and 4 guys wages ? Sounds like a loosing proposition to me.

Good point, I don't want y'all or the cougars here anymore. Move along

On this lake we have Water Patrol sitting out there with no lights on. Hit one of them and see who's fault it becomes.

Oh man, that really is a cool pic. I'm stealing it !

I used to think it was cool to have them here but I've changed my mind. One of the things I like so much about MO is that when I am in the woods or on the river I am the baddest critter around. I enjoy living far away from sharks, grizzly bears, wolves, and other predators that wanna eat me. I'd rather not have to pack a big bore gun around just to ensure my safety. We don't need cougars here.

Ahh, gotcha.

There's a smallish lime-green/red legged hopper that starts showing up in June. Do up a few (BLT style) that match their size/color and you'll have some fun for awhile after Memorial day. After that it's #14 black beetles and #18 black ants all Summer. Next time you stumble across a hatch of tiny Maycaddis whatever's and the fish seem to be all selective to them...throw them that 18 ant !

The Niangua trout aren't picky at all. Searching patterns like wet Cracklebacks, Wooly bugger's, leeches ect. will do fine until you locate a pod of fish. The stocker rainbows school up like crappie in certain spots, so once you catch one start experimenting with different fly's and different presentations in the same spot until you have caught them all....Then go find another bunch. Nymphs in #14-12 Streamers up to 3" long. Beetles and hoppers are about the only dry fly's you'll do well with.

That's a lot of 70° water.

If you can just hold off for another year or so they'll be a dime a dozen.