Cajunangler

I agree with you. It just looks and from the sign you saw, is nasty. I'd suggest finding another, cleaner river to fish. Good Luck!

This was online in the Tampa Bay Online publication. Looks like more and more states are getting sucked into this crap by our "wonderful" elected officials that don't give a crap about the people who elected them. Maybe we need to start getting rid of the one's that continue to vote for this stuff. By RUSSELL RAY rray@tampatrib.com Published: May 3, 2009 Linda Mulder and her husband, Ronald, were boating on the Homosassa River recently when their boat started to sputter. "We were having a hard time accelerating," Linda Mulder said. After consulting a mechanic and examining the engine, the Palm Harbor couple discovered that the inner lining of their fuel line was falling apart. The line was clogged and the fuel filter was filled with pieces of the corroded hose. "It wasn't letting the engine get the fuel," she said. The Mulders contend they were victims of gasoline blended with ethanol, a mix wreaking havoc for boat owners nationwide. Ethanol-blended fuel is served at thousands of Florida gas stations and will be mandatory by the end of 2010 thanks to a new state law approved last year. Kevin Campbell, owner of Outboard Motor Services in Tampa, said clogged fuel lines, crumbling gas tanks and malfunctions of all sorts have increased since the petroleum industry introduced E10, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline, to Florida consumers a year and a half ago. "Every day I have a new customer come in with the ethanol problem," Campbell said. "I've seen it so many times." Ethanol is creating thousands of dollars in repairs for boat owners who were caught off guard by the potential damage ethanol can do to boat engines, Campbell said. And their warranty, in many cases, won't cover damage caused by what manufacturers classify as contaminated fuel. "If you have an ethanol problem and it eats up all your fuel lines, some of these manufacturers are voiding your warranty," Campbell said. The situation has led several boat owners in Florida to sue the major oil companies. But E10 works just fine in most boat engines - as long as the engines are used regularly. The separation factor The problem is that most boats sit for long periods of time without use. When ethanol-blended fuels sit in a gas tank for a long time, the ethanol begins to separate from the gasoline. When engines consume pure ethanol, a highly corrosive solvent, the results can be disastrous. In addition to unraveling fuel lines, it can loosen sludge, varnish and dirt inside the gas tank, causing fuel lines and carburetors to clog. Ethanol eats away at the fuel line, causing it to fail like a collapsing tunnel, Campbell said. "I have a few customers that have brand-new engines and it's actually eaten up the fuel lines completely," he said. Also, ethanol prefers water over gasoline. If water is in the boat's gas tank, the ethanol will separate from the gasoline and bond with the water. That means boaters could end up pumping a mixture of ethanol and water into their engine. If that happens, the boat could stall. Most experts say it takes 60 to 90 days for ethanol to start separating from gasoline. But that's not always the case. "I've seen it in 30 days," Campbell said. Most older boats are equipped with fiberglass gas tanks, which ethanol can harm. "It will break down the fiberglass material and turn it into a gel and just dissolve the tank," Campbell said. Those with older boats should consider replacing their fiberglass tank with aluminum or plastic, he said. Replacement costs, however, can exceed $1,000. At a minimal cost, boat owners can protect their engines by installing fuel lines that are more resistant to ethanol and by using gasoline additives that help prevent the separation of ethanol and water from gasoline. Matt Hartwig, spokesman for the Renewable Fuels Association, said the boating industry's claims about ethanol have been greatly exaggerated. "Ethanol has become a convenient scapegoat for any issue relating to marine engines of late," Hartwig said. "The fact is that most boats on the water can handle ethanol blends, especially when marinas and owners take the proper precautions." Cars and trucks are better equipped to handle ethanol. What's more, cars and trucks are used more frequently, which means the ethanol is not given a chance to separate from the gasoline. Boat owners, Campbell said, are blaming the federal government for increasing the use of ethanol in gasoline without warning the public of the potential effects. Is a higher blend on the way? As boat owners pay for costly repairs caused by ethanol, the ethanol industry and its agricultural allies are trying to increase the use of ethanol in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent. The nation's $40 billion boating industry is trying to block that effort. "Any ethanol blend above 10 percent poses significant durability, performance and safety risks for boating consumers," said Mat Dunn, legislative director for the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to decide before year's end whether to grant the ethanol industry's request for higher ethanol blends. Any blend above 10 percent would make boats and chain saws run hotter and faster, Dunn said. "You're talking about a huge number of products that could be impacted negatively by E15," he said. "Our major concern is that the federal government is going to make a hasty and ill-informed decision and bring all of those products out of compliance or cause performance problems." The nation's boating industry accounts for 154,000 jobs, including 30,000 in Florida. Of the nation's 13 million registered boats, about 1 million are in the Sunshine State. The ethanol industry, however, says ethanol is a cleaner-burning fuel that will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Under a new state law passed last year, all gasoline sold in Florida must contain 10 percent ethanol by the end of 2010. Reporter Russell Ray can be reached at (813) 259-7870.

Maybe since I am from Louisiana (or as I like to say Looziana), I assumed everyone up here new when a govenor does something like mandate ethanol in gas all you have to do is follow the money trail. It is also rather odd that he made this mandate then decided he had served long enough as governor. I didn't give Nixon my vote but I might consider giving it to him next time if he could get that law repealed. As to how to handle ethanol in our fuel tanks, I think we simply need to make sure we keep fresh fuel in them and don't let it sit longer than a few weeks wihtout using. At least that is the main reason I am telling my wife why I need to fish so much. Yall let me know it that one works for any of you.

Ham and I just completed our annual spring fishing bonanza. We were slated to go to Toldeo Bend but due to unforseen reasons we revamped our plans and stayed closer to home. We started our 4 days of fishing this past Saturday and concluded on Tuesday. We launched out of the Buck Creek area and fished in creek arms and pockets to the east and west of there. I won't be going into too much detail due to my personal dislike of seeing tons of "viewers" and only a few contributors. But what I am willing to share is: we caught good numbers of fish each day. The average number of bass we caught each day was 60-70. One day we actually broke the century mark. But while we were on active biters we definitely could have done better with regard to average size. We did not have any bass over 4 pounds and most were under the 15 inch size limit. We did have quite a few spots that would have made the 12 inch size. We were throwing the same types of lures that you see talked about at TRock and tried to concentrate our efforts in the upper half of the creek arms and fingers. This was our first time to visit this section of the lake and we both plan on returning in the future. I know this report does not offer much detail but if you would like more info send me a PM and I will get back with you on more of the actual lures and techniques we used. Assuming you also offer help on these message boards. Bottom line, fish are biting and if you look at the weather conditions we fished in you will see we had it all. Prefrontal, postfrontal, bluebird skies, and lots and lots of wind. I don't think we got sunburned but standing in a boat for 10-12 hours in the winds we had definitely gives you a windburn. Good luck to everyone. I have attempted to attach one picture of a "fish" Ham caught one day. Based on his excitement I have to think he believed it was a stange looking smallie or washed out LM. I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise.

I thought this issue was a done deal. If C&R is happy with his canoe that is all that matters. I know I am perfectly satisfied with my Polylink 3 Guide 147. It is a little heavier than a royalex but for the savings it has been well worth it. Maybe Old Towne made a few special ordered royalex 158's? Maybe?

Glad that worked out for you. I know buying one new is considerably more and figured the resale value would also be up there. Congrats!

I'm not going to say what the fish should weigh, but I can honestly say it is refreshing to see someone who doesn't "OVERESTIMATE" the weight. I am sure they used a scale to determine its weight which is the only way to determine something close. Not as accurate as scales used in tournaments but plenty close enough. Usually, everyone believes they are catching 2lb fish when they are really catching fish a lot closer to 1lb or less. This is especially true when you watch fishing "entertainment" shows on TV. I thought the TV was supposed to add size and make them look larger, and even with that they can't provide an honest weight estimate. Bottom line, congrats on the good day fishing, and thanks for giving an honest estimate on the weight of that LM. Anyway you look at it, a very good fish.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, BUT, royalex & $400 aren't usually said in the same sentence. Unless you are talking about a "very well used" one. I agree that the royalex is much lighter and therfore much easier to tote around but I am pretty sure that market starts in the mid $700's and then goes higher. I know I have an Old Towne 14'7" guide series made of the poly link 3 and it has been a very good canoe, but it does weigh near 70lbs which can be a little trouble loading on my suburban by myslef when the wind is blowing. Good luck with finding what you want for that price.

Yea, I guess you could say I have been lately. I managed to round up a partner for today and we put in 9 hours on the lake. Overall, we had a real good day with regard to numbers. We put 34 fish in the boat, which consisted of 31 bass (mostly spots) and my partner caught three pan fish on the jigging spoon. He claimed they were harder to detect than bass. We launched in Aunts Creek and began throwing jigs. We probably had 8 fish in the boat within the first 2 hours with two of them being keeper sized. They seemed to be holding in 15-25 feet of water. Unfortunatley, the jig bite seemed to dry up shorlty after this. But we had the good fortune to run into one of our fellow Ozark Anglers , S&M, as we were idling to another location. He was kind enough to help us out with both information and even a few jigging spoons. With the info he shared we proceeded to catch over 20 bass on jigging spoons. This was only the second or third time I had tried this technique and I don't think my parnter had ever done it. But we didn't take long to figure our a few spots that yielded fish. No large fish but at least some activity. Since S&M helped to put us on this bite I won't go into great detail, but the fish we were catching were holding in 25-35 feet of water. I'll let S&M add any additional details he would like. Also, I would like to say Thank You to S&M for offering useful advice along with baits to make it happen. My partner is especially grateful since 10 of his 13 fish came of the jigging spoons. I don't know if every Champion owner is this friendly toward other anglers but he sure is. I guess the Christmas spirit was still in the air today.

Well Ham, as for the "every dog has his day", I seem to remember several previous trips where the numbers seemed to sway the other way. Obviously, those may not be quite as memorable to you as the other guy (ME) on the short end of the stick, but I like the idea of "turnabout is fair play." Additionally, if it wasn't for a 100 yard stretch of bank that yielded 6-8 fish in about 15 minutes the day would have ended up almost even. Heck, if I am remembering correctly it was only 28 to 17 at days end. I beleive the previous trip when we took your rig had totals at 33 to 25 in your favor. I can't help with the jig question since you and I both have limited expereince with these northern fish but maybe in another 5, 10 or 20 years we will be the one's with the local knowledge. I like the idea mentioned about the braid to flouro combo. My previous expereinces with braid has left me feeling less than satisfied. My biggest past complaint has been the slippage factor when setting the hook, and yes, I have been putting it on top of mono. I like to leave a my finger against the line to feel strikes and when the line slips it cuts a quick slice into that finger. I am sure it is because I am setting the hook harder than needed and I will need to adjust my technique.

With the current weather we are experiencing I doubt this report will help anyone much but here it goes. Ham and I got out this past Sunday (12-14) and were able to fish the entire day from daylight to sundown. We launched at the Spring Creek area but did most of our fishing closer to where the Theodosia arm enters the main lake channel. I am sure everyone remembers we had wind blowing at 20-30mph with higher gust and that made us look for areas where we could keep the bow of the boat in the water so the troliing motor could get traction. But I must admit we had a very good outing. Not quite as many keeper sized fish as we would have liked but between the two of us we boated 45 bass (k's, LM, and smallies). The very same pattern we have all been seeing on TRock, fish in the 5-20 foot range hitting either warts or football jigs. We did manage a few on the wart but the majority of ours came on the jig. Fishing through the entire month of December was no big issue in Louisiana but being able to get out in mid-December up here and catch good numbers was very enjoyable. Toldeo Bend and Sam Rayburn get much worse than these lakes up here but we still encountered high enough waves that running became crawling in spots where the wind had time to build. We only saw two other boaters crazy enough to brave the eliments, and I must admit the weather people had the timing on the frontal system very accurate compared to their usual guesses. We didn't have anything besides mist all day until I started the drive back to Nixa after dark, and then BAM the front hit me just south of Highlandville. Temp dropped 25 degrees in about 10 minutes and my boat got a good washing from the rain. Oh well, it will have plenty of time to dry in the garage before my next outing. Hope I wasn't too specific with my comments. I wouldn't want to get anyone mad out there.

I was about to answer your question when it occured to me that you have an EFI motor. Mine used carbs and I would imagine the fuel delivery system could be very different on an engine with fuel injection. I would have to believe there would be a fuel pump similar to what we have on autos for EFI engines and you would probably need a fuel pressure gauge to see if it is working within acceptable range. Sorry, but I think my idea might not be an easy one to solve without proper equipment.

If you are still wanting to solve your own issue I have a couple of things to look at. First, since you say it idles but won't sustain higher rpm's it could be an issue with your fuel tanks vent. If you haven't used your boat very often a dirt dobber might have built a mud nest and clogged it up. Second, it could involve an issue with your fuel pump system. I had a fuel pump diaphram rupture years ago on my 200 yamaha and it caused all kinds of weird symptoms to occur. One of which included the motor running richer (too much fuel) than it should. Just some thoughts on the subject. Good luck.

I read some of your reports on your blog. Good information. One item I would highly suggest if you like taking pictures while on the water is investing in a waterproof digital. At least two companies make them and they take very good pictures without the issue of rain or condensation hurting them. I have a pentax and it can even withstand submersion up to 5 feet deep. The newer models can handle a little more. Just a thought. I too like fishing the James so if you ever want someone to go along and help with the shuttle duties send me a message.

No, the first part of my post was just a joke. I know Babler has made comments recently about the enourmous quantity of boats and water craft on weekends and thought there might be an angle to reduce that. And as for cleaner water, growing up in south Louisiana I am fully aware that everything bad flows down river. Just one look at the Mississippi in New Orleans is all anyone needs to know that. Cleaner water, air and 4 legitimate seasons is what brought my family north, not to mention the lack of mosquitos.

I've heard it is so bad it is a miracle the fish aren't dying and floating to the surface. In fact, it is so bad I've heard reports that it is causing the seals in lower untis and trolling motors to break down and fail. This is especially true on boats involved in weekend tournaments and personal watercraft (wave runners), since they are in the water so long. If I were a tournament fisherman or sea doo owner I would avoid Table Rock like the plague. Okay, so that isn't exactly the truth but merely a wishfull thought to help redcue boat traffic on wekends. Unfortunately, I doubt anyone involved in those activities will be reducing their water time no matter what.

Trav, not trying to give you too hard of a time since the two of you caught a few. BUT! It sounds like something my teenage daughter does at school "caves into peer pressure." I am sure you have been reading the reports and it sounds like you were in your boat, so next time wear that captains hat with pride and tell the passengers to enjoy the ride. Especially if it involves catching good numbers of good fish or not. I know my south Louisiana thinking gets in my way on Table Rock because I love to hit a bank but the fish here don't act the same. Better luck next time.

My buddy snagged one of those last year on a crankbait. Got is to the boat and let it go. Do you keep those? If so, are they good to eat? Growing up in Louisiana fish like that didn't usually have a good flavor when cooked. Just curious.

Thanks Techo. I know exactly the launch you are talking about. It was one of the first I used when I moved to the area and at that point it was "free". Somehow it converted to a pay launch. I guess it was built by private owners and they decided to start cashing in when tournaments started launching there. Oddly enough it has all of the professional features of a COE ramp? Thanks again for the response and I will keep it in mind. I'd probably spend another $2 in gas getting to the Mill Creek COE launch.

I guess I should define "perfect" in the manner I used it. It simply means that if you talk to anyone that doesn't fish a lot or ever they believe when the weather in sunny and warm it is the "PERFECT" time to go. Which is why lakes are always overloaded on those types of days. It has no reference to what true fishermen would prefer to have. Sorry. I'll try to be more descriptive in the future.

Techo, is the ramp you launched at the one beside the bridge leading into Cape Fair on the southeast side of the bridge? I'm hoping to go Tuesday and wanted to find another option besides Mill Creek up the James River Arm. And Bill, I hate to give you a real hard time about your comments concerning too many fishermen, BUT! You need to go down south to Toldeo Bend, Lake Fork, Sam Rayburn, etc and see the number of boats on any given weekend from mid-January through May. Unfortunately, bass fishing has increased in popularity so much that finding a decent body of water without crowds in the spring is nearly impossible. I am sure all of this pressure does have an impact on the fish spawn but probably no more than largely fluctuating water levels. Fortunately, there are bass in every lake that never see a fisherman's lures. And someone in your line of business wanting to shut down a lake during one of, if not your best months during the entire year sounds a little hard to believe. I know we would all like to have a lake to ourselves when we go but that usually takes fishing in horrible weather conditions to achieve, not the perfect conditions that today offerred. I do everything I can to avoid wekend fishing and simply have to grin and bear it when I do go on a Saturday or Sunday.

Thanks for the info. I guess I should have know to call the corps myself. I'll try and remember next time.

Glad to see a few are being caught. It has been too long of a winter and I am ready to get back in the game this spring. Does anyone know which ramps are accessible at this point. I know the State Park ramp is fine but is COE ramp at Cape Fair useable? With the water being well above pool I don't have enough time on the water at Table Rock to brave the run all the way to the James River end from the dam. Thanks.

Doesn't sound like too bad of a day. Who did you convince to fish all day with you? Oh yea, that was me. I think you forgot about the small striper at the end of the day. A lot of fun but also a long drive for one of us.

Bobber, I may be wrong but when Ham says he wants to get up "here" I think he means on a more permanent basis. Unfortunately for him the boss (his wife) hasn't given the go ahead. I would say that by the time he's old and gray it should be a reality but that time is getting here ASAP (partly here already). Oh well, I better not crack on him too bad. I don't want to get him too upset to continue fishing with me. But I'm like you and keep pointing out the awesome river fishing we have in this part of the country.