Paulywood

A good shakedown trip and you even boxed a fish, good job!

Good job Paul and thanks for the report!

Good shakedown and thanks for the report.

Good job Mike and thanks for the report!

Good job and thanks for the east side report!

Good tips Ryan, thanks for sharing.

Good job Jim and thanks for the report!

Thanks for the report Kabet! I'm sure it will help some guys in the morning. And good job on the successful shakedown. Fish in the box and no major issues is always a good first trip.

At 10' you will need a permit. I know for sure in Michigan but not sure on other states. However, you won't need an escort or anything like that. I think you have to be over 12' for that. You won't be able to tow it on friday, saturday, sunday or any holidays but I think those are the only restrictions. If you are on the freeway I think that you can get the permit from the state but secondary roads need a permit from each individual county. I'm just going off of memory and second hand info so don't quote it as gospel. Try contacting the secretary of state or check the state website. You might find the info you need there.

I put LED's on mt last boat and it was one of the first changes I made on this boat. No maintenance, considerably brighter and don't have to worry about unplugging them before launching/retrieving. The LED's are as bright during the day as the incandescent lights are at night. It's a great, inexpensive upgrade.

The windshield on my boat has an aluminum frame mounted to the fiberglass. Between the frame and fiberglass is a strip of foam that is disintegrating. Every time I wash it black specks rinse off this foam making a mess. I would like to remove the windshield and replace it. But I'm not sure what to replace it with. Any ideas? I only want to do it once because I think to remove the frame I have to take out all the glass and then unscrew the frame.

I have one of the Klinchers left. I also bought a small Cannon termination kit I leave on the boat. It has 6 ends in it and doesn't require tools, either. I also keep a spare set of rigger weights on board.

I think that this is for walleye fishing. I think he's running 6-8 Slide Divers.

The Woody's wax is made specifically for deck floors. It doesn't make it shiny it helps make it easier to keep clean.

There is a small motel on 31 north of Pt. Sheldon Rd. but I can't remember the name of it. It's not as cheap as it used to be, or should be in my opinion. I think it's on the corner of Lake Michigan Drive. I'll try to find out. There is a campground south of Pt. Sheldon Rd. I have stayed there before and it's nothing special but not bad at all. It's called Drew's Country Camping.

Ben, if you just want holders for storage I added some of the plastic triple holders to the side of the cabin on my boat. They are only $10 and work fine for holding rods. I'll try to post a link later.

I installed a Garmin 740s on Sunday. Needless to say I haven't had it out on the water yet but so far I like the options and it seems very user friendly. I will give a full review after having it on the water. I have used Humminbird products on other boats and have been impressed with how easy they were to use. Like Matt said, budget is a huge factor when talking electronics.

I used to run the Twilli tips and they were ok but I tried the Torpedo Tips and liked them a lot better. Not nearly as much resistance. Might want to give them a try if you haven't already installed the Twilli's since there isn't much price difference. JMO. Now I run Talora rollers and like them a lot.

I have run the Daiwa Heartland dipsey rods before and a friend uses Ugly Stick dipsey rods. Both work fine, not a huge difference between them. On my friends US's it seems like the butt ends are bigger than normal and he kept losing caps off his holders when people pulled them out under tension.

Just an FYI, Comet also has abrasives in it. That's why it works so well.

Hey Matt, glad to have you back! Looks like you made a small upgrade on fish catching machines. Looking forward to your reports and to seeing you out on the water.

I use the deck cleaner. Soft Scrub or anything else that is abrasive will leave tiny scratches in the finish that will actually collect and trap more dirt over time and remove your wax fast. My boat sits in my yard on a gravel road and I get dirt under the cover on the floor all the time so I have to clean it often. And while the Woody's wax might work good in a marine environment I hated it on my boat as it seemed to trap the dirt and make it difficult to clean. I just use a deck brush but you can buy different broom heads that will give you a little more scrubbing power. Look for a broom that is for rough or semi-rough surfaces as they will be stiffer.

I change out all my spoon hooks to singles. I am running all Big Weenie flies this year so I leave those alone. And I always make sure my hooks are sharp.

You can get the X-4D for $700 from Calumet Marine, I feel that's it's worth it. The true depth is different than what your riggers read. If you are just upgrading for something better, why not go all the way? But, it's easy for me to spend your money:) I'm going with the X-4D next month when I get mine.

Welcome Dan! I'm trying to learn more about Sag Bay walleye fishing so your reports are welcome anytime:) Let us know if you have any questions or need any help.