Sorry about the mix-up. Had a mild stroke a few weeks ago that took a toll on my eyesight. Will have the wife edit my posts from here on out before I hit send. LOL

The inverted T (trigger)on the end of the unit keeps your rod from being released. The left side of the T is notched on the end. After you bait & toss your line in the water, you take the slack out of the line & place it in the notched end of the inverted T. When a fish takes the bait, the trigger releases the rod hooking your catch. For nite fishing I attach a small pen lite on the tip of the rod.
Over the last 10, 15 yrs I've used my Bank Buddy in many lakes & stream thu out multiple states & have yet to been told that it was illegal.

This is in response to Bad Bobbys earlier Catch Alarms post. I've been a bank fisherman since my early teens (now 87). While living in N.M. in the 60's I did a lot of nite fishing usually setting up 4 - 5 rods at a time. Born with an "inventive mind" I began fabricating different kinds of "quick catch" rod holders with bells/lites etc that would alert me in the dark when one of my rods got a hit. Early on I got a lot of false hits from the wind & water currants tripping the trigger. Eventually solved that problem by incorporating a spring-loaded trigger adjustment on the unit.
Today after many modifications I've perfected & still use what I've dubbed my "Bank Buddy". Whether you're fishing in the dark or during the day, one only needs to keep their bank buddy within eyesight. Whether you're standing next to your fishing rod or 10 ft away chatting with a friend, once the unit is triggered your pole snaps back automatically hooking whatever took your bait.
At 87 my reflexes have slowed a bit to where my bank buddy now takes over allowing me enough time to get to my pole & reel in my catch. Over the yrs I have caught everything from small bait fish to 30 + lb cats. Great "fishing tool" for seniors & those with limited mobility.

Can't believe nobody mentioned about NOT using the Cruise Control on snowy roads. I learned the hard about 30 yrs ago. Was cruising up 94 towards Detroit about 2 in the morning pulling my 14' video trailer. Lot of snow but roads were clear so had the cruse set about 60 listing to some country & talking on the cb. Heard some truckers in the distance talking about black ice but was unable to make contact with them for a location. About 40 miles south of the motor city I went under a underpass & in a instant the engine went full throttle causing the van & trailer do a complete 160 blocking 4 lanes. With the front of the van buried in a snowbank & the trailer up against the guard rail I could see headlights in the distance coming at us so ran down the road liting, tossing flares while my co driver was on the cb telling everybody to back her down. With help from a state snowplow & those on the scene we finally got the van straightened out & back on the road & continued on with "lesson learned".

Got a interesting e mail on CWD from a hunter friend of mine that may be of interest to those on the stage that hunt.

As hunters, we need to reckon with a scary new reality: CWD (chronic wasting disease) has spread rapidly among wild deer and elk populations, particularly in the last ten years. If you don’t have CWD where you hunt, you don’t want it. This disease is 100% fatal, manifests slowly, and can remain in an infected environment for years. To avoid bringing CWD home with us, we’re all going to have to take extra steps in the field to be part of the solution. Chronic wasting disease is spreading alarmingly among deer herds in states all across the country, creating uncertainty for hunters and driving up costs for wildlife agencies faced with the prospect of controlling the disease.

This disease could have huge impacts on the future of deer hunting and funding for wildlife habitat conservation, as 80 percent of all hunters hunt deer and contribute the most money through the purchase of licenses and gear. Testing for the disease is costly and time consuming, and the presence of CWD-positive deer already has some hunters questioning whether their venison is safe to eat.

Failing to deal with the spread of CWD will certainly increase the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining more hunters. That’s why the TRCP, Archery Trade Association, National Wildlife Federation, National Deer Alliance, Quality Deer Management Association, Wildlife Management Institute, and others have come together to get deer hunters involved. Real and meaningful steps must be taken by the federal government to finally begin to control this emerging epidemic. If we don’t act soon, the very future of hunting and wildlife conservation could be at stake. Hunters have played a major role in the recovery of deer herds on the North American landscape, one of the best conservation success stories in our history. But we must do our part again.
Got an interesting e mail from a hunting friend of mine that my be of interest to those hunters on the stage
You can start by making these changes, including following all regulations on the transport and disposal of harvested deer, to stop the spread of CWD where you hunt. And be sure to pay attention to the real experts, not the ones paid for by the captive deer industry. Finally, push decision-makers at the USDA to hold the captive deer industry accountable for recent catastrophic CWD outbreaks.

In process of buying a nice 1973 Duo cruising/fishing boat (12') with a 9.9 Yamaha. Both have been used almost weekly up until a few months ago. My only concern is that the seller, who's owned the boat for approx 8 yrs can only give me a notarized "bill of sale". Original owner supposedly passed away yrs ago. In Va a tital can be obtained with a bill of sale but the process is said to be lengthy. Would like some input on this from our Stage members

After much searching for a 9.9 for my 14' Jon boat I finally found a 1986 four stroke Yamaha motor that seems to be in pretty decent condition. (Starts on 1st pull & sounds strong)
Would like some feedback (good or bad) on this engine. Is it a reliable trouble-free engine that won't let me sitting "dead in the water" at 2 in the morning? (do a lot of nite fishing)

Duo Fishing boat

Looking at a 14' Duo fishing boat with a 40 horse Johnson for $1500.00. Never heard of a Duo & would like some info on it, good or bad. Due to local lake regulations would have to down size the 40 to a 9.9 motor. Would this be enough motor to power the boat. Not looking to set any sped recors Any/all suggestions/comments appreciated

Screen Glare
FS D
When I was on the road working car shows in the 80s/90s I had a video trailer with 8 tv monitors to show the footage I was taking. To eliminate the glare so people could see what was playing on the monitors I sprayed the screens with a solution I picked up somewhere on the road that totally eliminated the glare. I think I still have a small bottle of it packed away with my video equipment. Give me a few days & I'll see if I can find it along with a name you can google. Video Bob

Have one for your list BB. On the entrance gate to my shop I have a sign that reads :
You bend em , we mend em - You taint em, we paint em
Video Bob

Born & raised on the out skirts of Gettysburg. Back in the 50's the place to hang out & party down was at "Devils Den" on the battlefield.

32 coups

Bingo !!! you got it RJ. The 2 to 36 rumble seat coups were the only ones that had a crank up or down rear window

I was a medic during the Korean conflict & can fully under stand wanting to forget those horrow's we all faced. As for those teen pranks. If we did today what some of us did back then they would weld the doors shut when they put us in jail lol

So sad Big A that you'll never know the great times you missed. There will never be another era like that known to mankind