Sk8man

that is about as good as I've seen

Yeah boats can be high maintenance but nothing compared to the ladies

Rookie Fisherman is right on target and servicing should be a consideration. Many if not most marinas will service Mercs but not Suzukis or even Tohatsu's so having a servicing option nearby can be a good idea. Much of the time though these kickers are pretty smooth going for the most part and the winterizing and maintenance pretty simple.

Thanks Rob

Sometimes we lose sight of what is really important. Our two countries have stood side by side when it really counted (e.g WW2 etc.) and as we have ventured forth into the future without the direct threats that bonded us folks born well after that time may not fully appreciate the true nature or depth of our relationship. The Canadians,, Brits and Aussies have always been there for us and we for them. My dad flew in B-24 bombers over Germany, Austria, Italy, North Africa for 25 missions and reading his diary it became obvious that many of the citizens of these countries gave their very lives for us and our way of life. We should never lose sight of that fact no matter what the current issue. On another note there is another possible option to actually shooting an intruder and perhaps as disabling is the use of a TAC light and Laser activated and shined directly into the eyes of an intruder prior to potentially pulling the trigger may suffice to protect you and deal with the civil concerns afterward (e.g. being sued for blinding the intruder perhaps).

Although Tohatsu does make the small motors they are not exactly the same specs and construction for each motor.

The most I have ever seen is in Jackson Hole Wyoming in the center of town on a few arches in the park with thousands of them.....unbelievable!

Good question. Yes I do but I retrieve the spoons with a dinner fork because I do multiple spoons at once and to avoid getting stuck . You do have to fish around a bit but not a real problem.I wipe any fine dust off of them with a soft cloth after retrieval.

Just an afterthought but I probably shouldn't have divulged that to the two Mikes until AFTER the Seneca Derby

For quite a long time now I have used my cartridge casing tumbler (for cleaning ammunition cartridge casings for reloading) to refurbish the shine on my spoons including Sutton's that weren't badly water spotted in the first place. It is a lot easier than using silver polish etc. The cleaning material is ground up walnut shell material to which a small amount of polishing solution is added. The vibration from the unit when turned on and left for a couple hours does all the work. My tumbler is made by Dillon. Anyway just an idea to share for anyone interested who may be into hunting or reloading etc. that might be applicable.

Thanks for sharing that solution. I don't think any of us actually thought of that as we were focused on the winch and strap stretch which is the more common problem. Another example of Hank the superhero coming to the rescue

Last I heard Cayuga Lake itself was very very low water level along the shorelines

One of the things to think about is that the US has a population 10 times the size of that in Canada so just statistically it is more likely without anything to do with politics

Nor was the crack about "Glad to be a Canadian"....inferring that it isn't great being an American. The relationship between our two countries is a strong one and valued but nationalism is strong in both as it should be but needs to be tempered by mutual respect.

I have the 9.8 electric start Tohatsu on my 18 ft Whaler and probably could have gotten by with the 8 but wouldn't want less than that. The 4 stroke makes a big difference from 2 stroke of same HP as it seems to have more torque and does much better holding position into the wind etc.The 8 and 9.8 are good on fuel consumption as well.Very quiet and very little vibration on mine. I'm thinking Mike's had something wrong right from the factory.

What would have been a problem for you had you shot the person is that you are OUTSIDE your home. Second, even if in your own home you are required to retreat if at all possible. Two major things of concern in any use of a firearm in this wacky state of ours are criminal and CIVIL prosecution. There a whole bunch of lawyers out there that just love this stuff and your assets can be up for grabs. Another thing of concern is the existence of perhaps incomplete or inappropriate training of some law enforcement personnel when they respond to lethal force situations where "defending" folks may be shot when they are merely holding a firearm before things are properly sorted out. In the military we had VERY clear-cut definitions and procedures for the use of lethal force (and only as a last resort), but not so in some areas of the country or some law enforcement agencies or perhaps more commonly "personal interpretations" made in the heat of the moment. Despite all the hype in TV shows shooting scenarios are horrible in real life and the images you are left with stay with you for life. Having said all that I would rather be explaining my legal actions to a judge or jury of my peers than having them standing over me at the cemetary.

The ones in Seneca and the canal system came up through there from elsewhere as invasives but the ones in lakes like Conesus must have been as bait. Too bad as they out compete the native species and are very hardy. The one pictured became eagle food.