anthonyyost

What is that in the middle of the photo in the first picture, next to the limb on the ground?

sounds like my exwife

Me too.

I think that the Mercury oil does just fine, changing the oil and filter on a regular basis is probably more important than whether you use mineral or synthetic oil.

You should probably fill the gas tanks, this helps prevent condensation from forming. Adding stabil or other type of fuel stabilizer as well as fogging or pouring storage oil into the carb while running will prevent moisture from causing problems.

I am curious about using the bags in rough water, like Mike I have two motors and using 1 to troll is fine. But when the water gets to about 3' waves, the autopilot has trouble keeping up at trolling speed. Would the bags help to maintain a course with the autopilot, and how much difference do the bags really make in heavy water?

You can still trailer the wider boats, from 10' to 12' wide all you need is a yearly permit from the state which runs about $45.00. Anything over 12' wide needs a permit every trip, with the trip being scheduled and routed.

Depending on whether or not you have a live well, you could build an aluminum frame to mount a cooler behind the helm seat, that way you could put a cushion on for seating and also have a place for fish. I like the back to back seat setup on the port side of my boat, I have a single seat on the helm with the fish box/seat behind. If I need extra seating, folding chairs placed correctly do the trick.

21#

The rods were purchased just a couple of months ago.

Nice boat Jeff, what kind of trouble was it giving you?

Just an update, this morning Bryan Darland at Jay's called to tell me that he had spoken to the Okuma rep, and they will be upgrading my roller rods to the convector series, and replacing the reels. Good news:) Apparently the Convector series have a stronger blank, and the same roller system as the Shamano Telora rods.

The dipsey rods are placed in Great Lakes Rod Holders that are about 9" deep on the inside. The have a cam release so that when you pull the rod towards you they release and swing up to allow easy removal of the rod. Fish did not hit these rods when they broke, just the tension of the dipsey, given the length of service, and the timing of how all 3 broke so close together, my feeling is that the rods are fatiguing after a short period of time.

I have had 3 new Okuma Blue Diamond roller rods break off below the reel in the last 10 days. At about $185.00 per rod including the reel plus the cost of the bait, I am close to being out $700.00. I run mag dipseys on 3, and leave the drags loose enough so they creep and if a fish hits he can take out line. I have run these rods for most of the summer, and they all broke within a week of each other. I would just be trolling along and they would break off in the rod holder. I bought the gear at Jay's in Clare, and have been in touch with the Okuma rep, and he says that the engineers said they have NEVER had a rod break off below the reel and that it cannot happen. Therefore they will not warranty the rods, or replace the Okuma reels that I had on the rods. Anyone else have similar experiences? Thanks

I was having problems with my depth raider that I bought at Captain Chucks. They advised me to make sure that the swivel below the probe was able to spin freely, I had used liquid electrical tape to coat everything to prevent signal loss. I also had some nicks in the coated cable from cuts in the front downrigger pulley damaging the coating, so I cut back the cable to remove the damaged portion. I also had connected the probe via the temporary method shown in the instructions so that I could remove the probe at the end of each day of fishing. I changed to the permanent installation using the electrical tape to get a better signal transfer. Finally I put a new battery in, I would plan on changing the battery every 4 or 5 trips just to make sure I have good current. Since these changes I have run my probe down to 150 per the downrigger counter and have gotten consistent results.

Good job Matt!

Nice job!

Bombadier uses this same etech technology in their new snowmobiles. For a two stroke, how do you find the exhaust fumes from this unit?

I went over to Lakeside Motor Sports in Mecosta and found a bottle of hull cleaner with acid in it. Takes the stuff right off, but you are right if you get it on your skin you had better rinse it off right away.

Last year was the first year that I started fishing beyond the breakwall. I bet I had over 100 hours in before I caught my first fish. This year things are much better, in part due to the following: 1) lead core and planer boards 2) wire line dipseys 3) probe for depth and temp. The ability to hit different depths in the water column and finding the right trolling speed really helped alot. The planer boards catch alot of the fish I have gotten this summer. But one thing I have learned, you still have to be in the right place at the right time.

I run the drags just loose enough both on the wire lines and my planer boards so that when a fish hits, it will pull line and I can hear the clicker start to squeal, then I palm the reel to set the hook then adjust the drag to a setting that is appropriate to the fish.

Someone told me to use toilet bowl cleaner, anyone tried that? The boat is a 1984 and was always slipped in the summer, and it had no staining when I bought it, must be some relatively simple way to clean it?

On the back side I use an 8" green snubber that I think is made by the same company as the diver, on my Spin Doctors and flashers I attach a 2' length of 30# mono with a swivel to attach to the dipsey and a snap swivel to the rig. I use whatever line is on the fly that I purchase to attach to the attractor. I attach the front of the dipsey direct to the 19 strand wire via a snap swivel.

Came back from Ludington Sunday after having the boat slipped all week, I have a coffee like stain from the water on my boat that I can't get off with any of the cleaners that I have. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Everything was on wire divers, but the 30# mono that I use to rig the spin doctors is what was breaking, I don't know if it is because I am using the mag dipseys on 3, 200 back or what. I lost two meat rigs, flasher teasers and hook assembly as well, not sure what pound mono they use on those. I saw you passing me Robert, saw the Sea Ray logo's in your back window, I could use a couple of those:)