DADAKOTA

If your buddy never finds the owner I'll give him $50 for the seat.

Don't forget all the costs to pre-fish Wed. - Fri.

I reckon that could happen with glass, but not too likely with my aluminum deck and a 25 HP.

I love the concept and surely wish I'd of had the chance to fish competitively in high school and college.Nothing wrong with these kids having a dream. If their dream is being a bass pro and they don't make it they will at least know how to fish better than the majority of the population.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune and congrats on the win. I have forgotten to pull the TM myself on more than one occasion but suffered no damage. Not sure what your was mounted with, but I have gone to stainless bolts, lock nuts and large washers. The large fender type washers make it extremely unlikely that the mounting bracket can ripped off the deck.

Although there are many reasons for these incidents I believe a lot of them have to do with not wearing a PFD, getting in a hurry, letting eagerness, testosterone, and optimism over ride common sense, faulty or poorly maintained equipment, not checking the weather, lake, or river conditions before you go, not watching the weather conditions while you are out, and a few are unpreventable accidents.

Tourneys during hot months should be limited to 3-4 hours Max. The number of fish that can be in the live well should be dropped to 4. Dead fish should mean immediate DQ. IF the tourney leaves a bunch of dead fish floating around ALL their regatta permits for the remainder of the year should be cancelled. You will see much better fish care when folks realize they could be DQ'd and their derby series could be cancelled. Any dead fish they do have would be taken care of properly and not left as an eyesore.

Couldn't agree more Al. As much as I hate the competition that Spots give the smallies I have seen some monster spots come out of a river. We've caught several 4 and 5 pound fish over the years with the biggest over 6 on a rapala digital scale. Welcome tussles, but I'd swap them all for more smallies and less spots.

Wow. Glad your wife knew the right folks to get you in quick. Hope you heal up quick. Might want to think of a new story about how you disarmed a crazed, knife wielding intruder or something other than flip flops, net, and clutziness.

What keeps the water from coming out through the openings of this device.

Plenty of poop in the Rock and most other lakes. All the chemicals that wash in from businesses, vehicles, fertilizers, boat exhaust. oil. gas, etc. are also polluting the lakes. A good rain really washes down the miles of parking lots and pavement. Seen more than one boat that was submerged over the years. All those fluids, oils, and greases really leave a sheen on the water. The earth has a way of cleaning up a lot pollutants introduced by man to the lakes, rivers, and streams, but someday she will no longer heal herself..

Between Labor day and Memorial day the following year LOZ is a great lake to fish. During the week it is a great lake to fish. Holiday weekends not so much.

Thought Stockton was providing drinking water to Spfld. now? Is that the cause?

I'm jealous fellas. Nothin better than watchin a lab work. Always been partial to them yella dogs. Good shooting boys.

Mmmmm home made applesauce complimenting a nice pork roast, mashed taters, and gravy along with another veggie makes for a great meal.

Right or wrong if I snag a trot line and it is marked shame on me. I'll try and get my lure back, but will sacrifice it if I can't get it unstuck and the line is marked. If the line is not marked then bad on the trot liner. I'll get my bait back even if it means cutting the line.

I have read the thread from start to finish and some parts more than once. You admit there is 15 miles of water yet you are only complaining about the narrows you described early on as the place you like to drift. If I am in that area and I see that the jugs are out I am going somewhere else to fish in the 15 or so miles. If I am pulling tubers or skiers I will not endanger them by pulling them through that area. We will go somewhere else. If the entire 15 miles is a mass of boats and too busy for my tastes I'll trailer and go elsewhere on the lake or I will go to another lake that is less crowded on a holiday weekend (Stockton) and enjoy my time on the water. I typically stay away from LOZ on a holiday weekend for that very reason. I have been on Stockton many times on holiday weekends and never had a problem and I typically fish from a 16 foot jonboat with a 25 HP. If you want to drive a flag with your crest on it in the bottom of the lake and stake your claim go ahead. I would rather enjoy my time on the water in a safe manner and not deal with all the lake drama. Out of 52 weeks during the year, I intentionally avoid Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor day weekends at LOZ. I have no issues going down there the rest of the year.

A buddy and I had waded the Little Piney down to the RR bridge. We were going to cross the bridge and walk back to the truck. I started across while he was still fishing. Stepped out on the first bridge support and spotted a nice smallie in the calm water behind the support. Dropped my bait in there and missed the fish 3 times. Rolled it in their one more time and hooked up on the 15+ inch fish. Not sure if I forgot where I was or what, but the next thing I knew I was falling off the top of the support. I pitched my rod toward the bank and spun trying to grab the top of the support. All that got me was scraped skin from my elbows to my hands. Landed in a brush pile on the bank side of the support in about 2 feet of water. My buddy figured I must have broken something. Managed to stand up, a little wobbly, with a few cuts, scrapes and bruises but nothing major. Found my rod and the fish was still attached. Managed to land it and figured it was time to start the walk to the truck.

RS Pauls - Lets say that the narrows is full of snaggers. Are you going to ask them to leave so you and your wife can drift the one spot you can catch fish? Still don't see why you think you can dictate who should be fishing which area of the lake. If the jugger is there first then let them have it. When you are drifting the narrows first do you leave to make more room for the tubers and skiers? Trout guy needs to stick to the trout parks. Sounds like put and take is suited well for him. Bottom line is this. If someone else is fishing a spot via any legal method then leave it alone and have the courtesy to let them fish. If the tubers or skiers are their first then let them have it or fish where it will not impede them.

Get there before the fella puts his jugs out.

Whether hiking, canoeing, camping, fishing, or hunting my Dad instilled in us at an early age to leave the area better than what you found it. Picked up a lot of trash, sunken cans in the river, floating debris on the lake, trash left in the duck blinds on the CAs over the last 50 years. Irritates me to no end to see trash up on the bank and a trash can 50 feet away.

I used to freeze my fillets in water. Now I fillet them, rinse them off and put them in a foodsaver bag and vacuum seal them. Much quicker thawing out and no water logged fish.

One of my bucket list places to go fish. Good luck. Wasn't it on Champlain where Tim Horton was ahead by so much on the last day he went in before noon and ordered pizza?

100 feet helps some in reducing the wakes that are pounding the docks and sea walls at LOZ. In reality it does not help all that much. Those big cruisers aren't going by at 100 feet, but even from half way across the lake their waves are still enormous when they get to the dock. Really bad when you get several cruisers going by from different directions. Maybe the big boats need to operate at no wake speed. Put them back on the ocean where the waves can travel great distances and dissipate. At LOZ and any lake the waves are contained and release their energy on the shoreline, docks, and seawalls before rebounding. Last time at the lake I watched a 20ish year old on a wave runner intentionally running over the buoys along the docks.

Wow. Talk about some string stretchers. Bet those are a hoot in a kayak. Out of curiosity are they good eating when they get that big?