Old Ironmaker

The JIGGER, what a stupid simple easy way to syphon. Thanks FloatnFly Sir.

I picked up one of those syphon hoses that CTC sells for fuel transfer. It has a brass fitting with a ball at one end and open ended at the other. You shake the end with the ball bearing in it and stick it in the tank you want to syphon fuel from. Magically gas flows to the tank you need the fill up. I had never seen one until the fish cleaning lady at the marina showed me a few years ago. Trying to tip a 10 gallon fuel tank into the filler that is on the starboard side of the boat and the slip is on the port side is difficult to do, prone to spillage inside the boat and it is illegal to fuel when inside the boat to boot. It would take a tad longer but safer than using an electric pump and cheaper than using a flammable proof air compressor and polymer pump for flammable liquids. They actually move fuel quickly. I don't know the proper name for these fuel syphons, TSC and Princess Auto has them too. 10 bucks each I think.

How does that much water get in your fuel, 2 years running? Don't do what a local did last month, used an electric pump to transfer fuel from a 40 gallon barrel to Jerry cans and burned down his house and a few vehicles. Lucky the guy didn't kill himself.

The Sea Foam went in today before I forgot. If we get anymore rain and the lake gets any higher I won't have to launch the boat to cast to the fish.

Down in Florida I have seen them hook them weedless Texas style with a very big bait holder hook. Tossed and jigged back or vertical off the piers for Snook or cast for Largemouth, they call Florida Bass, same fish.

I miss the days of Red Fisher and Babe Winkleman. Now Red he was one crazy skilled angler and TV personality all in one. His favorite saying on the water was "Pass me the Crown my friend". I remember the one show he staggered into the camp fire. They must have not had enough bucks to pay someone to edit it out because there it was in full Black and White for all to see. Babe and his wife nearly came to blows one episode when he had one too many Old Milwaukie. She always had a spot at the end of the show demonstrating to all the "ladies" how to cook your man a great meal. She was frying Crappie and he said, "that's perfect because you are a crappy cook". I miss the days of TV when there was no such saying as politically correct.

Document every medical appointment you have and each and every treatment or Rx as well as the lost time from work that is related to the unfortunate accident. Hope you are feeling better our friend.

I have mine simply tied in with my Home Owners policy from a local Mutual Ins. Co. I had many options to choose from. I have full replacement of original price when bought as well as a few grand in electronics and accessories. After looking at the cost of my tackle I need to take some photos for them and bring it in in case of theft or loss of it. I added up the stuff that I take out long lining, oh my oh my it is more than a few toonies. The cost is around $450.00 a year. Includes 1 million in liability in case of an accident on the water. I was surprised when I bought the boat to find that not many boaters I know bother to insure them. Not smart.

Good to know Woodsman, thank you.

We always have 1 buddy on the boat that would rather nap than fish and wouldn't know a hit from a hat. Snag his line and when you reel it in hook an MT can to his hook and let it sink to the bottom. Then yell to him "you have a fish on sleeping beauty wake up!!!!". Watch and laugh, especially when you net it out of his sight screaming it's a trophy, a trophy Carling. For those that don't want to bring MT beer cans out on the water substitute with any Pop can.

Thanks Grimsby, that is clear. You can't use too much (sell more Sea Foam), so 1 can in the full tank should be fine and a splash in the kicker tank. I was wary of using too much. Many Marine Gurus on iboats forums think it is a marketing scam, not just Sea Foam, all the tune ups in a can. I don't know. I have never used it in the 8 years I have had the engine. They say it can't hurt, like a placebo. I have a few cans I picked up on sale last season so I'll use it. Do you guys find any difference at all or is it for peace of mind?

Tune up in a can. I have some but never used it. The instructions on the bottle are so small I can't read it with a magnifying glass. How much should one use? I think my tank is around 15 to 20 gallons. Float is stuck it either shows full or 1/4.

M2B2, You are so inaccurate sometimes it's mind boggling you are so far off base. It's more like 95%. Why is it when we chat on the phone we never talk about fishing? I try to but our talks is you doing the talking and me trying to get a word in edgewise, some call it interrupting I call it "The Listening to Rick Show." haaaa. You know the other night when we talked I whispered into the phone "you are so full of doo do you stink" and you said "hold on let me finish". Now if you tell me you reeled in a 15 foot boat I'll tell you the time we reeled in a Russian Sub on the St. Lawrence and sold it back to them.

When we bought the new Silverado back in 2011 my broker told me for an extra 90 bucks a year I could get full replacement value for a new similar model with what options the truck has or for less I could get replacement value of what I paid all in when I drove it off the lot. I chose the first and it runs out this Fall. I hope I never have to take them up on it. Like Yogi Berra said about insurance, "When you need it ya don't got it when you got it ya don't need it". I would be on the phone to my broker or better yet Lawyer about compensation for injury ASAP. If I hadn't talked to a Lawyer about my fathers accident I wouldn't have known about this $25,000.00 settlement option without a law suit. I did some Googling and see that many have taken this route in Ontario for injuries incurred due to a collision. Some as minor as scrapes and sprains settling for $5000.00 to $10,000 bucks. They all have an actuary table for every injury no matter how minor.

It was maybe before he became reborn when you met him. I met him in T.O. 20 years ago and he sure wasn't religious then in the least, he sure didn't act like it.

Never a tinny but a home made kayak once in shallow water on Nippising, and we kept it. Uncle Ang patched her up and the kids used it for years. This was on Mono too.

I canceled it 5 years ago. The kid on the phone said it's only $1.99 a month Sir, I told him that he wants to pay it for me I'll keep it otherwise cancel it. It was frustrating watching the crap on there. 30 minute TV commercials other than a few good ones like the "Tarpon Tour" then they stopped showing that. Al Linder was my Guru when I started fishing, when I saw his new series I wanted to cry, if I want religion I'll go to church or watch the 700 Club or call some of my in-laws.

Never put the punch line in the title. We have also had epic battles with tires, anchors, chain link fences and pieces of abandoned fish huts. We actually had a double header once with 2 tires.

If you rent a boat and motor you do zero maintenance. Most places want them to refuel in fact to make sure they get the correct oil/gas mixture. Rick, I'll take some tackle.

Just don't buy anything from Red Wolf. They are cheap Chinese products. You can always tip your jig with a piece of worm or minnow along with the grub you choose. I don't want to tell you how many "thousands" of dollars worth of lure most of us each here own. You are going to loose some, guaranteed, it's all in the cost of fishing, just like loosing golf balls when golfing, it's gonna happen. As far as a stringer buy a good steel clip stringer and stay away from plastic keeper types. Fish will get off them. I've seen grown men cry after lifting the stringer to find 1/2 the fish or all got off. I'd rather use a rope. You a lucky guy Rick. Call or email the place you are staying, they will answer all your question you have for the rentals etc. You are in a great location for fishing. I know we here are very happy you have chosen to share in the addiction we all have. Welcome aboard.

I am so glad you are here to tell the story, the truck is just stuff we use while going through our lives, no big deal. I hope you didn't receive any injuries but I have to tell you anyone that just goes to the hospital now and is diagnosed with even a minor injury is more than able to claim up to $25,000.00 from the person at faults insurance company without suing in court. Any claim above 25 grand for personal injury, not including property damage, a lawsuit is required.Pal got into a fender bender in a private lot and got basically a cramp in the neck. The insurance settled for 23K, he was offered 15K within 6 months. I'm not saying this is right or it is wrong. I'm sure many take advantage and for some settling quickly may not be the right thing to do as many what seem to be acute injuries may come back latter as chronic injury. A concussion is a serious injury. Maybe not today but in the future just 1 concussion can be debilitating. When I played ball sometimes an injury didn't show until the next day even a week later. I remember a Dr. asking me when I fractured my Tibia 5 days after I thought I had a high ankle sprain. I have attended too many funerals for relatives and friends where the collisions were far less than yours. Consider yourself blesses, who cares about a truck that is worthless in time.

floater, They don't all suck, I bought my pump at CTC, no problem with it. It is made specifically for doing this job. It is pretty simple. I did have to buy a proper fitting for my 15HP Mariner, the fitting that came with it fit the 115 Mariner but not the 15. The 15 needed a Yamaha fitting. A pal bought one but the tube was too short to get to the bottom of the plastic jug. A trip to Home Hardware and a few bucks for a longer tube. Sterling, I know it is a different seal, I was just talking about the lower gear oil change you said you get done for you. As far as the prop seal I have been working on marine jobs with the guys out here for the last 5 years and never heard of that seal going, yet.

My east neighbour measures each blade of grass, she says 3" for fescue is perfect, Jim on the other side cuts it once a month if it needs it. I've seen him lop off dandelions with a weed whacker rather that cut it all. I like that idea. Once his wife gets P'd enough she hires the guy for 25 bucks while Jim sits on the deck looking over the lake reading a book with his ear buds on. I love that. Pouring again all night and AM. Sunny and cool now. Calling for rain until Thursday, oh my.

A 12 year old can change the lower gear oil. I know that because I can now. Get your self the hand pump from CTC or any marine dealer and do it yourself from now on. Make sure you change the "O" rings on both the drain and vent every time you change it. Depending on how many hours one puts on an engine annually it doesn't hurt to change the gear lube more than once a season. You Tube will have several videos of it being done. Once I saw it done I smacked myself upside my noggin for not doing it myself all those years. Many times marinas don't bother to change the 99 cent O rings or drop them on the ground and don't put them back in. Nor do they check the magnet on the screw plug for filings depending on who's doing the job. For a 25 it might cost you 10 bucks in oil and gasket rings, takes 10 minutes. Do it in the Fall that way you won't forget when you are hot to get the boat in next spring. I even use the old gear oil to soak my needle nose in before the winter and wipe the bottom of the lawnmower shroud before putting it away for the winter.

I for some reason had a sudden burst of energy yesterday and was about to cut the grass. I said to myself it's going to rain and it's going to grow back anyway so it would be a waste of the new found energy so I went to the driving range. Last year my wife cut the lawn a total of 5 times, my wife has already cut it 5 times by June 1st. We usually have 5 different types of green weeds not grass, this year knowing how much she loves cutting it I gave it a good spread of Scotts something or other as seen on TV. There is 95% real grass this year. I hope she enjoys her lawn. edit: so not to prove I'm a lazy ess so bee last Fall I bought her a brand spankin new lawnmower. I told her I would service it, sharpen the blade and keep it gassed up. For Xmas I bought her a new Ryobi 18V weed whacker. She loved it and I was told don't even think about using it. She cleans it and the lawnmower after every time she uses it, straight goods.