BenLubbs

The 3rd one from the right has been HAWT.... 300 copper took 6 hits today. Only managed to get 3 of those 6 in.. .I have nailer syndrome

Hey now, no need to start it so long before the next event

Looks like you mistakenly put some extra bait in the picture Good luck with the surgery.

I've defiantly had fun with my new wire setups too. Good job out there, from the web cam it looked like glass.

So after having the boat out for a few trips I've noticed that the at low speed there is a lot of slop in the steering. At cruising speed it is not an issue, the steering is tight. This causes the most problems in waves or when using the autopilot. When a wave hits the boat, you have to over steer to correct and then you end up sawing the wheel to keep it strait. Same thing with the autopilot, it corrects on way, then has to over correct the other way. Eventually you are going in circles. So I tried to fix it. Found some slop in the conection between the outdrive and the steering cable so I tightened that up. Now, I can still turn the outdrive about 15* before the wheel starts to turn. I can watch of the steering cable by the outdrive move in and out without the wheel turning. I took the rack apart but there is no slop in the gears. I'm left with the cable must have streched and/or the housing expanded so that there is slop. Is there anything i'm missing? What are the options I have to fix it? Am I over exagerating the problem and it is normal for boats to do this?

Good job out there Jimmy, I thought I heard you while I was listening to the radio stream last night

I've been setting up inside of most of the boats and doing pretty well. Early last week they were catching limits out deep but we were averaging bigger fish in shallower.

Congrats to Dirty Dog, although I think it was expected.

Dave, 17lbs? that must have been a nice fish

Mark, is the engine giving you trouble again?

Wish I could have been there, from the webcam it looked amazing. Hopefully the weather cooperates better for the next event.

I'm have a facebook page but I rarely use it now days other than uploading pictures of my fishing trips. I actually found something really scary while uploading pictures last week. Facebook now has the ability to pick out faces in pictures and then tag them as your friends (if facebook has facial recognition i'm assuming that anyone could get a hold of it and use it).

Looks like I'm going to rebuild my self. Have time but not much money. Plan to get the heads redo , block bored. Then all new guts. Should be good for another 20 years

Looking for suggestions on where to get parts and machining done here in gr area

I have had RPM on Chicago Dr. in Jenison do my car head for me, though I don't know how he compares to other shops because he's more performance oriented. Also he's a one man deal so if he has other stuff going on it might take a while.

Just curious, how many people would need to be out for Sunday to consider moving it to another weekend?

I won't be able to make it Sunday either.

Yea, I launch right there so you might see heading out every now and again.

Yea, I've been running one f/f setup every trip but have yet to take a hit on one. Spoons have been the key from top to bottom.

Nice boat, you slip in Holland correct? I think I've seen/heard you out there.

Nice job with the limit.

Troll in a strait line and the tangles will go away.

You would think I would have learned that in 5 years of fishing

On a side note, how do you guys deal with flies on the boat? When I went out in the morning we didn't have a problem, but when we went out at night, they just swarmed the boat. It really was pretty miserable trying to set up poles and deal with tangles while being bitten all over. At one point, when my friend went down into the cabin, the walls and ceiling were literally black there were so many flies in there.

My biggest issue now is going to get everything back in running order for the WMFL event this Saturday. I have a busy week with graduations and things and I need to go through all of the tangled poles and figure out what it usable and what needs to be cut/replaced

Nice job Terry, it was a great morning out there.

Went out again tonight with a few buddies. Got on the water at 5:45, Set lines in 100 ft when we started marking fish near where we fished this morning. First fish came in 150 FOW on a blue and sliver spoon that looks like an MJ (a Monica maybe ) on the rigger 100ft down. Close to the boat and it started going crazy, charging the boat and stuff. We were very close to losing it due to a rookie on the net but managed to get it in the boat, a 13lb 10oz behemoth (the biggest fish I have ever caught on one of my boats).

Went a while with out a bit then got a double in 170 FOW on the 5 and 7 colors with the same spoons as this morning. Both of the fish were 4 lb steelhead. Made a turn to go back thru the way-point, noticed that the outside leadcore was dragging weird started to wind it in only to find that it had tied with the rigger on the opposite side of the boat and got the other lead core and diver on the same side. Ended up spending an hour getting the mess taken care of. Once we got done, it was starting to get a bit chilly (none of us dressed warm with it being so hot earlier) and the flies were driving us crazy. While pulling lines we found a tiny king on the 10 color with a blue dolphin on it. That one was release with a lot of life left in it. Took off for the piers at 9:15. Not as good of a trip as this morning but still enjoyable.

Summary: 4/4 2 kings deeper, 2 steel higher in 150-170 FOW southwest of the piers with SOG of 2.9 MPH

Pics

Nice to meet you Phil, good job out there this morning.

Went out of Holland this morning with my Dad, two of my younger brothers, one of my sisters, and Javier from work (here from our plant in Mexico). Got on the water about 6:00am. Set lines in 60 FOW (inside most of the other boats out there) south west of the peirs. Kept a line course headed south west. First hit came on a green flounder 45 down on a rigger over 80 ft. Gave the pole to Javier and he reeled in his first ever fish, a 6ish lb King.

Next, we got a hit on the 5 color with a Dbl. Orange Crush. I gave the pole to my brother but he was having trouble with the board diving so I took it back. While I was working on that one, we got another hit on the rigger with the Green Flounder. My brother grabbed that pole and started reeling. All of a sudden a nice king jumped out of the propwash 10ft behind the boat. by the time my brother caught up with the fish, it was already gone, but I bet that thing jumped 7 or 8 times after it was of still trying to get away I finally got the fish on the lead core to the boat to find a 4 lb steelie hooked in the tail (it felt big at least ) As I was going to put it in the cooler it gave a flop, right out of my hands, off the lid of the cooler, back into the lake. He was floating in the prop wash for a bit before taking off to the bottom of the lake. After that, we had pretty consistent action until about 9:30 when things shut off. Ended up going 7/9 with the last 6 coming in a line going east to west from 110 FOW to 140 FOW south of the peirs. Box had 1 steelie (2 if you count the one that got out ) 1 laker, and 5 kings.

Pictures:

Here are some pictures of the final setup of the boat.

Downrigger Mounts and Lights

Rod Trees

Side View

Better load him up on Dramamine if he's never been on a boat before, or it could get messy.

That's the plan:thumb:

Ken, I finally decided on a boat name, Ben'din Rods

Sounds like I'm going to be out fishing basically all day tomorrow. In the morning I'm going with some of the family and a guy from work (from our Mexico plant, he's never been fishing or on a boat before). In the, I'm taking a few of my buddies out. Hopefully the fishing is as good as it has been for the last couple days. If you are out there give Ben 'din Rods a holler.

Right now they are forecasting 83 and partly sunny for Saturday, though that could probably be taken worth a grain of salt because of the recent forecasting track record.