littleboat Posted July 28, 2023 Share Posted July 28, 2023 1st evening solo trip on the littleboat this year. 2/3 both small kings 4-6#. Had a double on the second fish but I couldn't get to it in time and it broke my 25# line losing both main line and slider lures. The main story was the crazies on the trip through the channel and at the launch ramp. The littleboat is only 16-1/2'. I don't think the "BIG BOATS" could see me with my lights on. They were to busy worrying about their blue, purple etc colors on their boat. It was a boat parade and I was stuck in it. Almost run down twice. Now the launch/ retrieve it wasn't bad until the crazy drunk lady started screaming. She had gotten off boat running down the ramp and over to Yacht Basin still screaming. I missed my earplugs at times like that. 1- king 5#, (8:24pm), Mongolian beef std, 2.4sog, E trl, port rig down 74' bk 84', 101fow 2- king 4#, (8:41pm), Bloody nose mag, 2.5sog, N trl, stb rig dwn 74' bk 70', 109fow Missed #3 part of double, when line broke before I could get to it. Sent from my Z5156CC using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaFoam Posted July 28, 2023 Share Posted July 28, 2023 Glad you made it thru safely. You see all kinds on the lake!Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBD Posted July 28, 2023 Share Posted July 28, 2023 Man I like fishing in November… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Randy Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Nice eaters. Glad you made it through safe. I've had that experience a few times when I had a short sided 18'. I am not fond of the boat using colors or work lights that are so bright it ruins my night vision. There are a couple of charters out of Frankfort that do that and it makes it hard to see. I have taken to turning my headlamp on bright and shine back at them, but their work lights are so bright, I don't think it bothers them. I think the spotlight needs to go back in my boat when the salmon fishing kicks in gear. I wish there was some enforcement about using only running lights in the harbor and channel. Good luck fishing! Prime time is almost here. Sent from my moto z4 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgrinder on Fin Warrior Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Well that is an interesting trip. Sorry you lost gear on two rigs. Been there and hate that double whammy. Pack more ice in that cooler cause I got this feeling you are going to hit it big on another trip. The pic you have with your ID appears to show a boat with an array of rocket launchers - is that a former boat or am I miss reading the pic? The channel can be nutty but hats off to you for keeping your head and keeping you and your boat safe.!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleboat Posted July 29, 2023 Author Share Posted July 29, 2023 Well that is an interesting trip. Sorry you lost gear on two rigs. Been there and hate that double whammy. Pack more ice in that cooler cause I got this feeling you are going to hit it big on another trip. The pic you have with your ID appears to show a boat with an array of rocket launchers - is that a former boat or am I miss reading the pic? The channel can be nutty but hats off to you for keeping your head and keeping you and your boat safe.!!I have two boats. The one in the picture is my littleboat that I use on both the big lake, small or rivers. It's set up for all of the above. It's easy to maneuver when I park at my house in an attached garage. My second boat is a 2102 Trophy when I want to fish in a little rougher water on the big lake. I've equipped both with Auto pilots, gps fish finders, fishawks etc. The smaller boat has manual DRs. I enjoy them both. The smaller boat is great when I'm jigging the Detroit River in the spring or other smaller body's for walleyes or steelhead such as Grand River and Muskegon lake.Sent from my Z5156CC using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zgrinder on Fin Warrior Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 A man with two fishing boats - you are my hero. The 2102 Trophy is a well set up fishing machine. I like that is has portability to be dropped in at other ports. And it is small in that it is easy to get around and fish it. And you have it well rigged. Reminds me of the Corner Office, a Penn Yan Predator that predated the Fin Warrior, Rampage Barta Canyon. The Corner Office was so easy to fish and a good running boat in most water. It had a modified V hull so it did not handle big chop very well but on a calm day it could plane out at 35mph. A nice throaty response when the engines were fired up. I brought it across the lake from Waukegan to Holland in 2009. I knew every corner of that boat and my ear could tell if anything was a miss. However, it had wood stringers and water in the transom fiberglass which was the end of that boat without making a huge investment. Many good memories of that boat. Pics are from 2008. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleboat Posted July 29, 2023 Author Share Posted July 29, 2023 Looked like a great fishing boat. You got to keep them trailerable that's for sure. I do my own maintenance and equipment installations. I enjoy fishing I just want it to stay fun not a crusade. Safety first.Sent from my Z5156CC using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaFoam Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 I have two boats. The one in the picture is my littleboat that I use on both the big lake, small or rivers. It's set up for all of the above. It's easy to maneuver when I park at my house in an attached garage. My second boat is a 2102 Trophy when I want to fish in a little rougher water on the big lake. I've equipped both with Auto pilots, gps fish finders, fishawks etc. The smaller boat has manual DRs. I enjoy them both. The smaller boat is great when I'm jigging the Detroit River in the spring or other smaller body's for walleyes or steelhead such as Grand River and Muskegon lake.Sent from my Z5156CC using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile appI had a trophy 1802 that I sold this spring and upgraded to a 2152 trophy. Still getting it outfitted but did add autopilot and a kicker which is awesome. Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Randy Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Love the Trophy. I wish mine was green and an outboard. I have the 2152 with same hardtop, but all white. Sent from my moto z4 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Randy Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Out of curiosity, what does the autopilot run? Mine is a 2003 with I/O. Not sure if that makes a diff. But it's cable steering and not hydraulic. Sent from my moto z4 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaFoam Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Out of curiosity, what does the autopilot run? Mine is a 2003 with I/O. Not sure if that makes a diff. But it's cable steering and not hydraulic. Sent from my moto z4 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile AppMy autopilot runs the 9.9 hp kicker only. Not the I/O. Sent from my iPhone using Great Lakes Fisherman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdh Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 Love having the two boats! I bought a 14 footer this year for small lakes. Has a 9.9 Honda and a bow mount iPilot... and oars! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBD Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 There’s been days I’d wished I had oars. At $4.79 for rec gas even the 15 horse hurts… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleboat Posted July 30, 2023 Author Share Posted July 30, 2023 Out of curiosity, what does the autopilot run? Mine is a 2003 with I/O. Not sure if that makes a diff. But it's cable steering and not hydraulic. Sent from my moto z4 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile AppMy Trophy is hyd steering so I use a Raymarine hyd unit setup uses a pump to move the hyd fluid. Cost was ($1200) when I installed it. Prices will be higher now. I run a ezsteer rod between both the main motor and kicker on the backside.My littleboat is cable steered and I run a Raymine unit for cable steering. Both units have the same control unit. But the drive is in the column because of the cable steering .Both have a flux compass and control interface module which I mounted behind or on the helm bulkhead/wall. They don't make the cable steered unit anymore but other companies make similar ones. Again I link the two motors with an ezsteer rod, but it I is mounted on the front of the motors. I use an itroll unit for both kicker motors speed control. The itroll on the bigger boat is just behind the fish finder in the updated photo.Both units are sized for the boat. Both run great. I've had them since 2010 on the littleboat (Crestliner) and the Trophy 2014.Sent from my Z5156CC using Great Lakes Fisherman mobile app 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockin' Randy Posted July 31, 2023 Share Posted July 31, 2023 Thanks for the info Littleboat. Nice looking boats! Sent from my moto z4 using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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