I just sat down to read BassTimes Magazine.  The very first page is called "The Editor's View" by Dave Precht.  Dave talks about B.A.S.S. moving their headquarters from Celebration, Florida to Birmingham, Alabama.  This got me to thinking about the town of Birmingham and my very first Bass Masters Classic.....

The year was 1996.  I was invited to attend the Classic and promote my new invention,the AKUA Bass boat fender.  I had never even heard of the Bass Masters Classic.  Mickey Wood of Ranger Boats described it as equivalent to the Masters Golf Tournament for professional fishermen.  I was both honored and excited about attending the Classic with Ranger.

When I arrived in Birmingham I was taken away at the excitement that surrounds the Classic.  When I entered the vendor area, I was totally surprised at how many boat companies, fishing lure manufacturers,  and fishing accessory stores were represented. But, as excited as I was, the best was yet to come.

When the main program started on the first afternoon, I couldn't help but get goose bumps.  The auditorium was totally electric.  People from every walk of life were going ballistic.  Ray Scott, the founder of B.A.S.S., was  the emcee, and Ray has a way of getting people excited.  Dewey, Ray's side-kick, was the official in charge of the weigh-in.  The program centered around Americana. It was well done and very patriotic. 

The weigh-in was even more dramatic.  Each fisherman, in their fishing boat pulled by a Chevy truck, went around the arena before stopping in front of the stage.  With the crowd cheering, the fisherman would pull out their catch of the day one fish at a time and put the fish on the scale. Dewey and Ray were at their best with jokes, comments, and fishing insights.  What a great memory!  I have never enjoyed anything more in my life.

Are you still trying to think of something different to buy for the sportsman/woman in your circle of family and friends?  Are you starting to panic because there is a big blank beside their name on your list?  Have you walked around your local mall or big box store only to come back to your car empty-handed?  Well, while you're reading this blog, an answer to your problem might be on its way.

Order two AKUA Boat Fenders!  AKUA Boat Fenders are unique. The AKUA fender is a fender that was designed by a boater who did not want even one little scratch on his prize possession. The fenders not only keep the boat away from docks and other boats, they can protect your boat if it gets hit on top of the gunnell.  The fenders are easy to put on and easy to take off. Holding the fender and actually seeing it will make a believer out of the boating enthusiast.  At first glance, they know the fender will work.

You will not find AKUA boat fenders in stores; you purchase them right from the website.  The AKUA boat fender will solve your problem; it's a unique gift that works! 

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Well, December is over, and 2012 has begun.  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a Happy New Year.  Now that is is all over, it's like hitting a wall.  All the "pomp and circumstance" and then boom, it's gone.  January and February are generally cold, snowy, and cloudy in my part of the country.  Some people can't handle this combination; and, if they have enough money, even after Christmas expenses, they go south to wait out the winter.  Unfortunately, I cannot do this.  Here are things I do to stay sane during these long bleak months.

• Boat shows:  If you can't go boating, this is about as close to that as possible.  You can look at new boats and dream of spring.
• Read BassTimes or other fishing magazines.  You can gather all the ways the pros catch fish and check out the new gear.
• Go outside as much as the weather will allow.  I get "cabin fever" sitting and watching tv.  One thing I do every winter is get my firewood cut and split for the next year.  I cut my wood as green as possible and let it season for at least 9 months.  I have a gas wood splitter, but sometimes I use a splitting maul on the easy pieces for exercise.
• Sharpen your tools and knives.  I got a new sharpener for Christmas and have already got a list of friends and relatives who want their knives sharpened.
• Refinish furniture.  I enjoy redoing furniture as long as someone isn't standing looking over my shoulder and telling me what to do.
• Auctions--we live in an area that has auctions going on all year long.  They have consignment and family auctions under roof so it is out of the weather. You don't need to buy anything--just look--and there is always somebody to talk to.

These are the things I enjoy which sure help me get through the winter months.  You can always do what the  experts say --exercise and push back from the table, but I would just as soon do it my way.  Have fun.

I have a 16-year-old nephew who, along with two of his buddies, bought an old fishing boat.  They are so excited about their purchase and can't wait to paint it camo and go duck hunting.  That dream almost came to an end when they took the boat out for the first time.  Water filled the back end and the boys quickly realized that they had forgotten a most important item...the drain plug.  Well, all ended well...the plug was put in just in time, and they're on schedule to paint this weekend

But, that got me to thinking about things that have happened to my friends and me over my boating years.  And one thing that keeps coming up are stories about the boat's drain plug.  Probably there are more funny and not-so-funny stories about the boat's drain plug than any other important boating fixture.  Most boaters have had something happen that is funny or, in some cases, expensive concerning a boat drain plug. 

I remember having a little aluminum fishing boat.  It had rained, and I needed to pull the drain plug.  Without thinking I reached down in about six inches of water.  Then I realized I had not taken my watch off--the watch that was given to me by my wife for our anniversary.   Back in those days wrist watches were not water-proof.  I realized immediately that I had screwed up.  I hoped the watch would be ok--wrong--it quit in less than a week.  That was not-so funny. 

A funny story happened to a friend of mine.  Ben had invited my wife and me to spend Memorial weekend at Lake Perry.  Ben had worked all winter restoring a boat that had sunk--not his doing.  He literally took the boat apart.  He rebuilt the motor, replaced the carpet and upholstery. He was so proud of the work he had done.  After showing us all what he had done, we hooked the boat on and trailered it to the boat ramp.  Ben got behind the wheel and gave me instructions on how to  crank it off of the trailer.  He turned the key, and the motor started right up.  You could see on his face how proud he was of what he had accomplished.  Then, all of a sudden, that look turned to panic.  The stern of the boat was filling with water--and fast.  Luckily his wife and mine were totally involved in their own conversation and had not driven off the ramp.   He made a desperate lunge toward the trailer with a wide open throttle.  He made it, and relief flooded his face. I didn't know what was going on--then I realized-- he had left the plug out.  Luckily, a good ending to a precarious predicament.

In boating, it's the little things that can make a huge difference. A drain plug is less than 3 inches long, but what an important 3 inches.  I hope all of your drain plug stories are retold with a smile and that your watch keeps ticking. 

It's October...time to think about winterizing your boat.  Rule of thumb in Missouri--winterize no later than Halloween.  But, right before Halloween, in September and October, is some of the best boating.  The summer crowd is gone; they've buttoned up their cabins and  winterized their boats.  So, this is the ideal time to see the fall foliage and to have the water all to yourself.  If you can, take some time to enjoy the last of the boating season.

Now, after the final hooray, it is time to winterize.  A lot of people take their boats out of the water and store them in dry storage facilities.  My boat sits on a lift so I boat until the first sign of cold weather.  I remember a year past when I was stretching the boating season until the last possible day when  a quick cold freeze came through. I was in a panic...I had to drive 1 1/2 hours to my slip and winterize that day.  At that time my boat was a 1982 IMP with a 350 cubic inch engine...easy to drain the water and winterize.  I was messing around with my out-drive (This IMP did not have a power outdrive) when, in a flash, the outdrive dropped on the center fiberglass pontoon of my lift.   The drop gouged a hole in the pontoon and air was hissing out. Now I was really in trouble. The only thing to do was to go to the nearest hardware store, buy a fiberglass patch and resin, and fix the hole.  Let me remind you, the weather was cold.  Not only did I have to buy the patch, I had to buy a hair dryer to dry the patch quickly.  I pumped the lift up and put a board across the width of the slip under the lift arm to keep the lift from sinking.  I patched the hole and sat there with the hair dryer drying the resin.  After more than an hour of waving the hairdryer over  the sticky resin, the resin finally dried enough for the pontoon to hold air. I finished my winterizing task and left for home tired and cold to await April 1 and a new year of boating.

Boat lifts are amazing. A small electiric motor about the size of a vacuum sweep can pump up almost any weight boat.  and keeps your boat out of the water with little effort.  Just make sure you don't punch a hole in cold weather.