skeeter

Do you mean they deem obsolete their five year old units and refuse to repair them ? For what these Companies charge for their new units that is just insane.... Please share your experiences. Thanks.

After speaking with several individuals in the marine and marine electronics business and from costly personal experience I have reached the unfortunate conclusion that Lowrance products are to be avoided. My personal experience is with an LMS-350A that never did work correctly from day one even after an attempt by Lowrance factory service to repair it seven years ago and with an LCX-15MT that just recently "ate" it's GPS antenna which Lowrance, conveniently, no longer has available. Both units cost, when new, slightly over $1000.00 and are both deemed "obsolete" by Lowrance. The LMS unit was returned to me, supposedly repaired by Lowrance (NOT), with a note that repairs would no longer be available as the unit, then, was over five years old. Bummer ! Imagine buying a car and five years later you are told there are no parts for it and no one would work on it. Yeah, I know, cars are different from electronics but this Company is making a habit of this "obsolete" excuse. Then the LCX-15MT displays a message "GPS module not responding" so I go to Lowrance's website and get info. on how to re-set the unit which does nothing. I called their "customer support" and after a 90 minute wait finally get a very disagreeable woman on the phone who scarcastically describes the testing proceedure with a multimeter on how to determine if the head unit or the antenna is bad. The problem was the plug you test on the head unit has four sockets and she kept referring to the socket at the 12 o'clock and the six o'clock position but they aren't arranged that way with sockets at 10, 2, 4 and 8 o'clock ! Finally dragged the information out of her that you had to use the alignment tab in the socket as a starting reference. She was very quick to volunteer that if the head unit was the culprit there was a trade-in rebate (because this six year old $1200.00 unit is now deemed obsolete) if you purchase one of their new "HD" units for thousands of $$. I finally got her to admit that the GPS antenna was out of production and no more were available but at least the sonar side of the unit still works. Started researching other's experience with Lowrance lately and was shocked to find a widespread problem with a Company who's products used to be considered the standard of the depth finder industry. First I was told by two marine dealer's service managers that every boat both had sold in the past 18 months or so, equipped with a Lowrance sonar or GPS unit, has come back with problems with the Lowrance product. Then found out the Company has been sold and they just recently laid off 40% of their customer service staff and their senior technical staff which accounted for the 90 minutes I spent on hold. A further conversation with an experienced marine electronics salesman at a certain local outdoor headquarters store revealed that the HDS units Lowrance has been making.....leak.... ! They leak water....and water is deadly to electronics. So if you have purchased a Lowrance HD unit I would recommend staying out of the rain with it, or, if still in warranty, take it out in the rain and see if it breaks down. If it does, they will honor the warranty and replace it but Lowrance has refused to reveal what the starting production serial number is on which they installed a "fix" for the leak problem so you may be replacing a problem with another problem.

If you grew fond of that fly fishing in CO don't put that fly-rod away here. Some of the best fun of the year is right around the corner as the big, and I mean big, bluegills are just about if not already on their beds and just nail a popping bug thrown on a long leader. Many times while fishing the popping bug for slab gills you'll also pick up a nice Bass and after the gills move out try those same poppers right up against vertical cliff faces. Had some really nice Bass along those walls come the heat of Summer in early morning just hanging out waiting for something to fall in the water. Accardo makes some really effective poppers ( if you can find them ) and the pointed nose bugs cast way better than the true "popper".

And a big AMEN to that ! Topwater, topwater, topwater....it's where it's at. Just LMAO watching them chase it and seeing a big "blow-up" get's my heart started again !!! Sometimes when a hot fish just keeps after that Spook and you hear that big sucking noise they make trying to inhale it I get to laughing so darn hard I lose the cadence in walking the dog and have to stop and start all over again, which will many times get you bit ! Something we used to to do years ago was if the guy in the front of the boat was missing fish on a moving topwater, the "back-seater" would follow up with a white painted spinner bait run just under the surface and not quite "waked". Just let the rear blade break the surface once in a while like a fleeing shad.

Finally saved up to have my eyesight fixed via Lasik last year ( best thing I've ever done for myself ) and the Lasik Company was running a special where they gave you a set of "high-performance" sunglasses as an incentive. I was dubious about the "high-performance" claim but sent in the form for the "freebie" and forgot about them. When they arrived they were a wraparound style "Tommy Bahama" polarized sunglass with a light green color to the mirrored lens. They have become my all-time favorites as they are dark enough for bright days and lightly tinted enough for cloudy days, they fit my melon well and give good eye protection from the wind while running the boat down the lake at the ridiculous speed we Basser's like to travel at. Talking about them with an eye Doc at local Pearle vision during annual checkup and he said that mirrored and polarized lenses were the best choice for wearing on the water. Also have a pair of red Oakley polarized radars and they are great for sunny days but too dark to wear on cloudy days with loss of contrast.

Synonym for an "Ozark Frog Strangler"

Precisely !!! Couldn't agree more.

No sir, they do not. As their name implies, they only separate the water found in some gas from the gasoline before entering your intake system. Good idea to have one and change it regularly but no help with Ethanol.

Sorry, but this melonhead is also a skinhead and I need the shade My hair gel is SPF 30 sunblock

For back pain problems Chiropractic is 150% more effective than M.D.'s Most M.D.'s will write a scrip for "muscle relaxer" pills which may numb the pain and make you feel goofy but it will not attack the problem(s) causing the pain in the first place. I've been to M'D.'s and D.O.'s for back problems and an alternative to a GOOD Chiro Doc is a D.O. trained in manipulative therapy but good luck in trying to find one anymore these days. You will know if you have found a good Chiropractor if they treat the entire person and not just your symptoms. Some of the more progressive Chiropractors these days have moved away from the old "rack 'em and crack 'em " manipulation procedure and are using a computerized gizmo that "thumps" your back on each verterbrae which is much more gentle. Last I heard there is a female Chiropractor in Harrison AR using this machine but unfortunately I have lost her name.

First of all I think it's outstanding that a guy with Bill's reputation and ability to influence fishermen by use of this board and spending time with clients is expressing the previous opinion of what I term "bed jerkers". Secondly, sorry, but I didn't get the "insinuation" that tournament fishermen were doing anything wrong "LEGALLY". I definitely, and hope others did too, get the accurate insinuation that "ETHICALLY" they were doing a lot wrong !!! Of course when there is money on the line most will do anything and to hell with Ethics.........

Thanks for the report. Your analysis of the spinner bait bite dovetails with what I was getting in the Baxter area yesterday, they were just "bumping" it. I'll bet the Corps is dumping water quickly with the forecast for all next week. That would explain declining, rather than rising, water temperatures. After last year you can bet they are watching levels and forecasts closely. The "fleet" seems to be in for the weekend with all the boats I've seen and heard this morning. Think I'll start a new business during tournament season selling cold beer,soda and sub sandwiches off a roving pontoon boat.

Phil, I was in your shop at the Landing ( very nice looking and well kept place ! ) two weeks ago to pick up some of your swimmin minnows as they look a lot better than the ones BP sells. Looked around for stickers or something and didn't see any but did see the OA hats but my big melonhead is too large for most ballcaps. The young lady running the shop was very busy with reservations and other customers so I didn't want to monopolize her time asking about them. I'd appreciate having a sticker for the truck and one for the boat and would gladly be willing to pay for them. Please post if you have some more printed up. I'm guessing magnetics would disappear pretty quick, either from people plucking them or this unending wind. Thanks.

Glad you did better yesterday Dr. J. I was out for only about three hours due to having the XYL with me and fished Big Indian out of Baxter. Tried the white bliade and hung one semi-decent 16-17 " towards the rear of a smaller, shallow cove but figured it was a big male off a bed and let him jump, shake and throw the hook. Hate catching fish off beds. Kept getting a number of deep "bumps" on the blade and couldn't determine whether the hits were really small bass or males just trying to drive the bait off beds. Strangely, as I made my way further up the creek arm the water temperature kept dropping from 61.7 down to 57.2. I can only guess that the South wind was blowing the warmer surface out and cooler water was coming to the surface. Does that make any sense ?? Tried moving over into Little Indian and warmer water back in the 61 degree range again and picked up a mojo rigged lizard attempting to target big females moving in but caught two small males in about 20 feet of water on which I did a very quick release and gave up as, again, I hate catching fish off beds. As we came in, we noticed a small trackhoe spreading several truckloads of topsoil around various campsites at Baxter campground over by the launch ramp. I can only wonder what in the world the Corps is thinking spreading topsoil with several inches of heavy rain predicted on Monday and several days next week. The only way this soil won't wash across the parking lot and into the lake is if they immediately sod it and you know they aren't going to do that. If a landowner did this you know they would have to install those plastic sheeting fences that do such a poor job of catching the mud runoff but we saw no evidence of that .

Noticed a new courtesy dock floating alongside the "steep" launch ramp at Baxter yesterday. It's a different design and will only accomodate three boats at a time but looks like it will stand up better to the strong North winds that hammered the old dock into junk.

As I have posted before on this board, Ethanol is the " Devil's Brew" when mixed with gasoline. It is also the biggest "SCAM" ever forced on Missouri and other State's residents by local government. Small engine shops locally are advising all customers using outdoor power equipment manufactured in any year to use 91 octane only as the stations around Kimberling City have no Ethanol in their 91 octane. Yes, it's more expensive but much cheaper than a new engine or major repairs. The problem lies in the fact that alcohol and gasoline don't stay mixed with gas being a lighter specific gravity and separating and floating on the top of the Ethanol after sitting still resulting in "layering". The gasoline tankers do not get their fuel blended at the source, first they must fill with gasoline then go to the Ethanol plant and add the Ethanol. Sure, it get's mixed while filling and then rolling down the highway to your local gas station but then it sits motionless in the storage tanks and unless rapidly emptied, separates, with the Ethanol lying on the bottom, right where the pump intake is located. Same thing applies to any fuel tank on boats, cars, mowers, string trimmers, chain saws, etc. The fuel intake is necessarily located at the bottom of the fuel tank. So.... unsuspecting owner comes along, after whatever he is starting has sat motionless for awhile, starts the engine and you suck pure alcohol into your fuel system which it isn't designed to run on. The other problem observed in small engines and especially two-strokes is incomplete combustion of the ethanol. Ethanol contributes to pollution and has it's own set of problems in producing it's own varieties of pollution as it burns but it really is notorious for leaving behind CARBON deposits which are hard to deal with when you want to keep your two-stroke engine running properly. Carbon is formed by failure to burn a fuel completely in a reciprocating engine. If you use fuels containing Ethanol, you are building up carbon deposits way faster than normal in your engine. It forms on exhaust valves and seats in four strokes and in the intake and exhaust ports on two-strokes and on some spark plugs. This gradual build up results in slowly diminishing performance which is difficult to notice until it reaches critical levels and then it's too late. The engine (heads) must be dis-assembled and de-carbonized and that costs big bucks. The Sea Foam fuel additive advertises that it eliminates this carbon build up from ocurring, if used regularly, and will even de-carbon an engine (somewhat) that has started to build up these hated deposits. That is why engine shops and outboard mechanics will recommend Sea Foam to their customers. Stabil is purely a fuel preservative but I noticed last Fall that they had started to advertise on their product labels a compatibility with fuels containing Ethanol Don't you just love Missouri Government for forcing this junk down our throats ? Why, you would think there was a heavily funded lobbyist or two that wined and dined them into adopting this idiotic requirement maybe ? Last year (2008) there was a bill presented to increase the required Ethanol content to 15% but several of our wonderfully responsive "representatives" are cattlemen and had seen their feed bills triple due to increased prices of corn. So for once, they had shot themselves in their own foot and voted the 15% content down. As is often said, when the Missouri Legislature is in session, no one is safe !

I don't care what Babler thinks, these are fun stories to read and why it's called fishin' and not catchin'. Mine happened on The Rock in 1979 across the Lake from point 16 on the right end of that short bluff over there. I was, as usual, throwing a silver flitter Spook and walkin' it back to the boat when about halfway back I notice this large shadow right behind the Spook in the water that's still disturbed and stirred up from walkin' the dog. I thought, briefly, because of the size of the fish, " man, what a stupid carp to be following that Spook", so I slowed down and almost stopped the Spook allowing the water behind it to clear a bit. Well fellas, it wasn't a carp it was the biggest Bass I had ever seen at that time. Because the disturbed water started to clear up she started to see me and the boat and I realized that so I immediately started up the Spook again. That fish followed the Spook all the way up to the side of the boat without hitting it and I'm changing speeds and all and about having a cow ! I worked the Spook along the bluff side of the boat with about three feet of line out, around the trolling motor on the bow and down the other side and only when I went to lift the Spook out of the water in disgust, again, right alongside the boat, did that big Bass bust it ! She went straight down and pulled line off the drag of my Garcia 5000 baitcaster like I didn't have the drag cranked down at all. All I could do was hold on and pray that 10lb. Stren would hold up. She finally reached the end of her crash dive and swam back up as fast as she went down and I'm crankin' that 4.7 to 1 ratio reel fast enough to break the sound barrier trying to keep up with her and keep the line tight. Not 12 feet from the boat she did the classic big Bass surface with head shaking and gills flared wide and politely threw that Spook right back at me. I'd have to conservatively guesstimate the fish at 8 to 9 lbs but since it was post-spawn she may have been a bit less. Gave me a great thrill and an experience I will cetainly never forget.

That's a great story and thanks for telling it in a way that was hilarious. In reality, your friend Cal was very fortunate Momma Beaver missed him. Our local neighbor's large and very fiesty ( with wildlife ) mutt got into it with a "Senior" Beaver last week.....if you think Coons are rough on dogs you wouldn't believe what that Beaver did to this dog. Rushing him to the Vet is the only thing that saved the pooch dying from his wounds and blood loss. That dog was at death's door and all torn up. Those large orange rodent/chisel teeth the Beaver possesses are apparently very sharp and not just used to chew wood. We know it was a Beaver since the dog's screams alerted his owner who came running in time to see the Beaver re-enter the lake. The Vet said the only postitive thing is that Beavers rarely, if ever, contract rabies, unlike Coons.

Just a tip or suggestion to save you some $$ in the future. My five trailer tires are going on 11 years old but thanks to an annual application of Armor All or any UV spray-on protectant like Armor All or Turtle Wax type product ( like you use on vinyl car interiors ) the tires are in really good shape with no signs of sidewall cracking or dry rot. Same stuff helps on rubber rollers etc. on trailers and rubber door seals on cars etc. Just make sure on the label of whatever you try it specifically says it contains a UV protectant. Be sure and spray both fronts and backs of sidewalls and even the tread and let it soak, don't wipe it off like the directions say to do. It penetrates better that way and lasts longer. Just don't get it on your rotors if your trailer has disc brakes.

Pound for pound, IMHO it's a big male Bluegill. My old man always said if Bluegill grew to 5-6 pounds it wouldn't be safe to swim in freshwater Average catch, again IMHO, it's gotta' be Smallmouth. They never, never quit and, as you anglers know, you better be ready for that final crash dive when you get them up to the boat ! Whites are great fun since they swim around with their mouths open, are true Bass and hit the bait at about 20 MPH, they also fight with their entire side but give me a Smallie any day.

I am not familiar with the Walleye River program. However, on the Lake I can't figure any other method they could use to make a study of fish populations. I have had the unpleasant experience to be fishing in a TR cove in the Spring and had their boat come into the cove and shock the entire bank. Needless to say, I exited the cove as continued fishing was pointless. For those like myself who aren't aware of the Walleye River shocking program, what exactly is MDC doing that has folks bothered and questioning their methods ? Thanks.

Yep, cell phone for me too. It's expensive enough and don't want to be bothered by chatter on VHF. As far as weather, I keep my eyes on the sky from time to time. Only thing I would like to see weather related is an inexpensive mobile lightning detector other than your ears listening for the thunderclap. It would be nice to be able to tell how far away the lightning is and it's direction. The way the hills echo the thunder makes it difficult to tell direction many times. There is a card you can purchase and install in your PC along with an external antenna that receives the radio frequency of lightning bolts but that isn't going to help you on the water.

A " tip of the cap " to those who can consistently catch Crappie anytime of the year on the Rock. You must be on the water a whole lot more often than I and a much better fisherman ( which ain't hard ! ). Right now, during Lent, I get the taste for fresh fish and by that I mean Crappie. Wish they sold them in stores. Have to resort to going to Rundy's or Culver's for their Walleye. Also thanks for the comment about the subsurface water column being way too cold yet. Maybe these winds will help stir it up but night time temps are forecast to drop into the 30's again and that won't help a bit.

That's great initiative on the part of a 10 year old. Congratulations Dylan, I hope your name is mentioned prominently in the Bill as it should be. The choice of the Missouri River was a smart and logical one but allow me to pass along a piece of information that completely floored me when I learned of it and how correct it is. Several of you may be aware of this. The normal method of the old-time explorers to determine the course of a River was to follow it from it's mouth where it enters the Sea upstream always turning into the largest branch or tributary when the occasion arose. The Mississippi was explored by Marquette and Joliet bass-ackwards. In other words they went downstream, not upstream in their voyage of exploration. If the normal or accepted method of exploration had been followed and the River explored upsteam from the Gulf, when the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers ( as they are now known ) would have been reached just upsteam from St. Louis, the explorers would have turned left or West into the present day Missouri as that River is proven larger at the joining of the two. That would have made whatever they decided to call the River much longer than the accepted present day Mississippi. Doesn't mean a whole lot I guess, just an interesting concept.

If it hadn't been for Warner's ill-advised pass into triple coverage at the end of the first half, the Big Red would have won. Then there was the holding on Warner during the following runback that got ignored..... Have to agree about the p-ss poor referees, no calls whatsoever on "roughing-the-passer" almost every time Warner threw. Steelers figured out they could get away with it and just pounded the quarterback. Just ridiculous letting that call go whenever Cards had the ball, and then they call it to protect "Big Ben" when a Card's defender gets anywhere near him. I also thought the call against Cards when Wilson ran over the ball-holder was BS, the replay showed the guy was tripped and couldn't control his direction. Very very sad when this much money and prestige is on the line. The botched fumble call at the game's end just reflected what went on the entire two halves. Only thing I liked, even though I was pulling for the Cards and Warner, was that Bidwell lost again ! Now his players will all want more money ( which he won't pay ) and they will all leave.