Cajunangler

I didn't say or imply that I felt "front ended." I was simply stating that I would have liked to have gotten more bites but I want more bites when I catch 50. I think we all know fishing out of the back reduces that number when compared to fishing out of the front. Nothing anyone can do to change that it is simply fish being fish and usually responding to the first offering. Still had a great time and learned a little more about the rock.

Yep, I got to see first hand that bass on the rock can bite shallow. Had a great time with Tfsh4bass, I just needed to get a few more bites at the rear of the boat. But I guess you have to take your lumps every once in a while. I would have responded sooner but I was on the water at Bull Shoals yesterday from daylight to dark. Sorry guys for the quality of the picture, the fish looks fine but I couldn't do much with the human subject. I tried to get him to stay later since we left the fish biting but I think he needed his beauty sleep (just look at the pic!). Tfsh4bass, when you get ready to go again just let me know. I'll be ready and maybe we can take my old Bass Cat. ps The only real way to catch fish at the rock is to fish deep, really deep!!!

I sent you a PM so you can respond that way or call on the cell phone I listed. Thanks.

I'm not saying your mechanic is wrong in reccomending 87 octane but here are a couple of FAQ's from the Mercury website that might provide some help. Does ethanol affect horsepower or fuel-efficiency? Ethanol has a heating value of 76,000 BTU per gallon, which is approximately 30 percent less than gasoline's heating value (which is approximately 109,000 to 119,000 BTU/gal). The result is E-10 gasoline which should yield slightly lower mileage - a decrease of approximately 3 percent. Fuels containing higher levels of ethanol will have a corresponding reduction in mileage. For example, E85 fuels produce mileage approximately 30 percent less than gasoline. What octane rating should the gasoline that I use in my motor have? United States and Canada Use a major brand of automotive unleaded gasoline with a minimum-posted octane rating of 87. Leaded gasoline is not recommended. Performance Products will have different requirements, consult your Operation, Maintenance & Warranty manual. I'm not saying you should change what you are doing but if I am reading Mercury's suggestion correctly they say use at least 87 octane but don't indicate that using a higher one would cause harm. I know years ago there was belief that using too high an octane could burn a hole in the top of the piston. I guess it got too hot when the gas was ignited. I will go on the record and say that any fuel requiring continued government subsidizing to be profitable AND that causes every engine it runs in to provide worse performance (as indicated in the first Mercury FAQ and shown when we all check our current MPG in our vehicles) takes a lot of governmental DA's to allow to continue. Not to mention all of the other ill effects we are just beginning to find out.

Looks like a good outing. I guess you would be in the top 10% of T Rock anglers that can actually catch a limit of keeper sized fish. That puts you in a very special group according to some folks. Not trying to over analyze your post but were you in 450 feet or 45 feet of water? Just curious? I'll probably be on the lake tomorrow with all of the ocean dwelling vessels. I don't plan of fishing any but rather letting the family enjoy a few hours in the sun. Thanks for the reoprt.

I think I remember a recently posted topic that discussed fish mortality rates due to tournaments and the overwhelming response indicated a VERY, VERY low percentage that die after being released. Surely, the fish some of you have seen close to ramps both dead and dying can't be from this type of event. I am sure they were only close to the ends of their life cycles and decided to all gather at one central location for their last gasps of water!! I know what was discussed in that previous thread involved early spring tournaments but somehow warm water touny's got overlooked. I guess the guys in these tournaments need to keep their livewells running all day to keep the water enriched with oxygen. And I also suppose that fish mortality figures need to include all tournaments, both national and local events to get a more realistic idea of what really happens. But I do have a serious question since a couple of you indicated keeping fish that were obviously going to die. Do you think that philosophy also applies if the fish is under the minimum keeper size. I know I recetly caught a 13 inch spot on a spook and he took it deep into the toungue. Even though he wasn't bleeding when I relesed him I knew things didn't look good for him, and sure enough within a few minutes he surfaced several yards from my boat. So, what is the rule to follow 1) leave him alone to feed the turtles and crawfish or 2) pick him up and hope the MDC officer realizes he was doomed due to an unfortunate hook placement?

Sounds like you had a great time on the river. I have to agree with you, keep the magic lure to yourself, you gave plenty of info and pictures and that is enough. I am sure anyone going there will have a chance at figuring it out. Great report.

I probably should stay out of this as well but I have to applaud Chief Grey Bear because that was my immediate thought when everyone starts talking about keeping and eating a bass. It was said many times but if you are within the limits of the law why should anyone have the right to say you are doing soemthing wrong. Likewise, if you don't like the current law try and get it changed. BUT beware, sometimes (if not everytime) you start getting our wonderful politicians involved you may end up with a law that goes beyond the scope of "what you think you want." And they may deem any type of fishing to be harmful to the environment. The couple additional comments I did not see mentioned might also be things to think about when it comes to mortality from tournaments. 1) If people at TRock are anything like the ones we see on ESPN a bass usually spends several seconds flopping around the floor of their boat before they can get the hooks removed, compare it to others allready in the well, and then finally either release or exchange it with a previously caught bass. 2) Has there been any studies done seeing if the tournament fishermen are responsible for spreading LM Bass virus. After all, they are probably visiting far more different lakes than the local weekend angler and I would be very suprised to here that they are required to clean and sanitize their live wells prior to fishing from one location to the next. My one final thought involves a possible corilation with deer hunting. From time to time deer populations become too large for nature to support. At that point the local management authorities either issue additional permits for thinning the heards or some other alternative to reduce their numbers. Anyway, my point is simply I am sure there would also be a similar situation with bass populations if no one ever kept any (except for the mortality from tournaments). I know the lake isn't at that point as of now but I would hope the MDC took that into consideration when it set the current size and number limits. I know I have seen ponds that have bass with overly large heads and thin bodies due to lack of forage and I can only hope that is part of why the MDC still allows a fisherman to legally keep a certain number of bass if he chooses.

Sorry about assuming the worst, but the "written" word does not allow for the detection of sarcasm. And given my past history of working in the financial world I have seen far too many people that expected the bank to forgive their payments due to the used car they bought not working. And they were even more surprised when they were sued after having the car repossessed. Anyway, good luck with the motor fix. Hopefully nothing too expensive to get repaired. And let us all know what it was in case we experience the same symptoms.

I would assume since you are looking to pay someone that the answer to the following question is "NO" but is the motor completely out of warranty? You mentioned you spent a little more to get a "newer" rig and based on the amount I would assume it to be no more that 3-4 years old. I know the rig I just purchased has motor warranty for 3 more years and it was a 2007 model year. Just a thought based on your comment about cost and condition. I thought most Merc's sold in the last several years were coming with 5 years of warranty. As to letting it go back to the bank because the motor is broken, unfortunately that is the attitude that is making it harder and harder for folks to get loans at reasonable rates. Sure the bank will right off the note but they will get their money back from somewhere or someone else. But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do! If you want to attempt and get some satisfaction from someone that might be responsible write Mercury Marine a nice letter explaining what happened and see if they are willing to step up to the plate. Just a thought.

What the previous post suggested would be a couple of things to consider. Also, look at your manual or online and you can find lots of trouble shooting ideas that you may be able to handle. Unfortuantely, one persons idea of reasonable and anothers can be totally different. Not to mention that anyone with the proper mechanical education is probably going to demand at least the industry average when it comes to their bill. I know none of us like it but that is usually the way it goes. After all, I am sure we all probably like earning the maximum we can at our respective jobs. I just bought a 2007 200hp Optimax and thought the idiling thing was all handled by computer? And if I am correct the next area to look at is consistent fuel flow. Depending on the age of your system it could be as simple as a fuel line with a small crack or a partially clogged fuel filter. Again, I feel certain the manual offers help in checking and changing these items. Good Luck!

We stayed at the Pleasure Bend SRA park and concentrated our efforts on that end of the lake. ie Indian, Six Mile, Pirates Cove, etc. We were seeing surface water temps anywhere from 58 all the way up to 75(late in the day) in areas that were well protected from wind yet still sunny. We both felt that the lake is just about perfect but conditions we had were far less than desirable. Some clouds and even rain would have improved both our numbers and average size but no such luck. Good luck on your trip down. Maybe you will have more favorable weather. Ans thanks for the comments about my new rig. I am still getting used to it but it should prove to be a very nice fishing boat.

Ham and I made our annual (or at least mostly annual) trip to Toledo Bend earlier this week. We fished Monday thru Wednesday and caught fair numbers of fish each day. It would have been a lot better if we just could have gotten a few clouds. Down there spring is in full swing and both you and your boat get coated with pollen from the trees. Anyway, I wanted to share a pic of the big one he caught. Even though we were in my rig I try and do the right thing and share time on the front of the boat, and you would know it, the big bite came while I was at the back. As I told him, if I wasn't going to catch the large fish of the week there was only one other person I would be pulling for. She weighed in at 10 lbs 5 ounces. As the picture shows she was about to pop and I believe I remember her measruing 19 inches around the middle. There is a replica porgram sponsored by the Toldeo Bend Lake commission and he will be getting one free of charge for allowing them to release her back into the lake. Also, as a side note. You may have noticed I was selling my older Cajun bass rig and have now gone to the Bass Cat family. I've included a picture of it as well, so if you see me on the lake stop by and we can compare how we're each doing. Maybe we can help each other find a few more fish. I hope to be posting a few reports soon as the spring fishing kicks in up here. I guess I should change my user name but since I was born and reared in Louisiana it should still apply. Good Fishing!

I've reduced it to under 7k asking ($6,950 obo) on my craigs list ad. I know I will eventually hit the mark where someone looking for a good, well maintained boat will be willing to pay. But much lower and I will be calling relatives offering a kinfolk deal! Thanks for looking.

Regarding your question about getting your jerk baits to suspend. First, most of us would love for our baits to sink very slowly. And secondly, depending on the water temp those same baits may very likley rise slowly. I beleive I have it correct in that : colder water makes these baits less boyant and warmer water has the opposite effect. And if I have it wrong it is the reverse and I am sure someone else will correct me. But personally I would leave them alone and be glad that they appear to be working well. And RS Breth, great report but you might want to leave out a few of the specific details when making post about a small body of water that could get a lot of local pressure. I know we all like to share our successes when they occur but general suggestions might be better in the future, at least if you hope to return and experience similar trips in the near future without waiting in line behind other fishermen.

I have reduced my current asking price to $7,250 obo. I know the age of the hull scares most people but if anyone is looking for a very good boat with lots of built in features for less than 10K they really need to see this one in person. After all IT DOESN'T COST ANYTHING TO LOOK! Have a great day!

18’6” Cajun Bass Boat (Ricky Green Fishing Machine) with 200 HP 2.5 Liter Mercury XR6– boat is 1985 model and motor is 2001. Boat is not like new BUT is much cleaner than most that are 10-15 years newer. It has been garage kept its entire life (except when in use) and has all of the basic features on boats today. It is NOT a fixer upper. It is lake ready right now. • 24 volt Minnkota trolling motor • Two large livewells • All standard gauges (speed, tachometer, water pressure, motor temp, volt, & hour meter) • SS 4 blade prop • 6” adjustable jack plate • lighted compartments • on board 3-bank charger • heavy duty galvanized trailer w/ waterproof lights • 271 hours on engine (30 hours per year) • front and rear 700 series Humminbird depth finders (installed last year) • In dash Zercom flasher • New seats in 2002 (no tears or cracks) • Keel protector • 4 lockable dry storage compartments (one rod locker) • 2 lockable semi-dry storage compartments • retractable front deck rod strap • rear partner rod ramp • and other special features I will mention when showing! Honestly, it must be seen in person to be appreciated. I wouldn’t have put a new engine on it in 2001 if it were worn out. I am simply buying a newer used rig and don’t need two. Boat is fairly fast and will run near 70mph. Obviously, it has suffered some minor scratches & scrapes while fishing but does not have any damage to cause concern about the hulls integrity. The front deck is lower than most current model bass boats, which does provide a more secure feeling for anyone concerned about falling overboard. Please call Johnny at 417-576-6722 to arrange a time to see in person.

I guess I was hoping that the seastar hydraulic steering was nearly a bullit proof mechanism. My previous boats all had the cable steering and I expected them to give problems every 5-7 years. Are there any routine maintenance procedures to help ensure it running properly? Since my new Bass Cat has that system I need to learn about it. Thanks.

WOW! I guess a three year old motor guide that has never been used isn't worth much. I guess WOHDAT, WOODAT, WIIDAT or WHATEVERDAT must be right, so if you've got any motorguide stock you better dump it quick. I guess I should be pleased he didn't think my Bass Cat Pantera II sucked! But seriously, I have this listed on craigslist as well and lowered my asking price to my final figure of $650. Obviously, Motorguide is still making this unit and somehow enough folks are buying them to continue. If you want to save at least $350 (not including the sales tax) on a 36 volt trolling motor give me a call or send me a PM. It may not be the best time to sell a trolling motor but it won't be on the chopping blocks much longer.

Thanks for the candid response Whodat. I'll be sure and pass along your comment to the Motor Gude folks which is probably where your comment would be best appreciated.

Thanks for looking but it looks like I'll be keeping this unit and using it for several years to come.

I know I'm also not adding anything relevant comments but I thought it was interesting the way this thread started yet quickly left that subject for something completely off the wall. Lilley started talking about people that might have been catching fish at the Powersite Dam and look where its gone. There hasn't been another comment on that idea. Its been more like an excercise you would expect in elementary school where you start with one kid and try to pass the message from #1 to #20 seeing how screwed up it can get. Again, nothing of any value, just an observation. But on the original subject, any word on the fishing at powersite and the origianl topic?

Redbud, the reason I currently use a Mercury oil is that I swithced to a Mercury 200hp after the Yamaha blew. I neglected to mention that in my previous reply. No real reason other than I felt both engines had great reputations and I was able to find a last year closeout in LA on the Mercury. However, I can honestly say the Merc is a hotter engine than my previous Yamaha. Mercs and Yamahas can run the same props (or at least they could) and I attempted to run the same prop I had but the Merc wanted to turn over 6000 rpm's with it. I ended up going with a 4 blade prop in a stronger pitch to get the max rpm at 5500 -5600 as the book reccomends. And on the same boat I now run 70-72mph where I was running a max of 67mph with the Yamaha. And yes, these figures are with a gps. Anyway, that's why I switched from Yamaha 2 cycle oil.

I too agree with Redbud. Why should you have to rebuild an engine every 2-3 years? I had a 200hp Yamaha blow in 2000, but that was after 14 years of service. No reason why it happened, it just did. But a mechanic I sold it to for parts suggested not relying completely on the oil injection system to work 100% perfect all of the time. His suggestion was to add some oil to the gas (enough for a 100-1 ratio) just to help keep things well lubricated in the event the oil injection malfunctioned. I've been running a 2001 200hp with carbs since and have been adding the little extra oil. So far so good. You may want to think hard on the type of 2 stroke oil your using. They are "supposed" to all be TCW-3 rated but I have tried to stick with the Mercury Qucksilver Premium Plus just in case there is any difference. Good luck.

Here when time allows.