Xxx

This year I got to use my boat a few times, what I noticed is I run a 15hp Evinrude long shaft and to push my boat "22ft cuddy" I need to run my motor hard enough that I would think that it would be putting out the full 6. amps. One another note I carry 3 batteries and I run 130amp alt, which I made, at at 1000 rpm it puts out 67amp so when my finder shows 11volts I just fire up the main adjust to 1000rpm and let it run for 45-to an hour and I'm all charged up, we put 7 to 9hrs out on the water and I only needed to do this once a day. I'm happy with my decision, would I go through putting a charging system on a motor used as a kicker "no" used as electric start as a main on a smaller scale boat using or a small boat used on a lake or river not as a kicker or if you use it for multiple reasons.

I have a very good friend who is a amateur pro bass fisherman his son is married to my cuisin, last Tuesday David Hall and his grandson fished Lake Otisco, before meeting up with us at camp. He said they did well with the smallies they fished the boat dock area and I think the causeway, he said it was muddy water on one side and clear on the other and people were standing on a stoney high road way that split the two bodies of water that is where they hit the smallies and some brutes to say the least. I told him to look for toon boat with a rocket launch with lights, that would be Justin's boat or a Otisco chaters servise of some sort as I couldn't remember the correct name. He also said it definitely smaller than our local Lake Beltzville. What I'm getting at is people come from all over to fish Otisco, how could you make that known to the dec or whoever, so you get your fish. Maybe the little bit of access to the lake may be in thought just the way David said he paid to launch, he did mention there is only 1 good launch area that he saw anyway David did say he will come back!!! I wish the best for Otisco as I would like to hit on our way back to camp next year. Anything where politics are involved it can be very touchy situation!!! I feel your pain as there is chit going on, on our local lake also, which some things need to be addressed also.

Yea that's what I did guys, I gave it a little more tension, I saw the sticker but it really seamed loose. When the kicker was past center it would pull apart not pull the kicker, at first I thought the steer bushing was to tight but it swings with ease, it works great now, other than its to short. I never knew they made different lengths, damn it all anyway!!! That's what happens when you listen to someone who you think would know. "The man working in the boating section at cabelas" I called out to the Hamburg store, before asking you guys, and finding out I could buy the ends of the EZ Steer for $24.00 a piece!! From iboats super fast service, with a call back from them confirming my order was on the way with a confirmation # Anyway cabelas didn't even have a rod let alone the parts. My wife's uncle works at the Hamburg Cabelas and he said they cut back big time on inventory, they only stock 35% of what the catalog has in the beginning they had 55% of what the catalog has. You would never know things are slow down there unless most are looking and not buying.

That was cool BS. My dad swore by the perch pattern lures and he caught a lot fish with them. I wonder if there isn't any trout in that lake and MR. pike was looking for something different that he went for the trout, and if there is trout in there well that's a no brainier. Either way it's an impressive lure. Kind of like the Savage line of lures. Thanks for sharing!!

Congrats to the both of you. Sounds like a good Time and some fish were caught!!!!

X2 they have all different grits for compounds and it wipes right off when dry with ease!! Then I used Their Premium Marine wax, which also comes off with ease. I brought a 33 year old boat back to nearly new looking and for 18 years it was parked in a barn. Only had 465 hrs on the meter which works to this day.

Yea, thanks Fleet, I need the longer one. The Ahole at cabelas told me they don't make different lengths. The outer rod is the same so I just need the longer insert. Ones on the way!!!

Gill, my problem isn't that it easily comes apart, I have the Allen screws torqued up pretty tight it doesn't collapse it pulls apart. Like thork9 mentioned I didnt know they came in different lengths, I'm thinking I have to short of a rod LOL story of my life. Thanks I'll look into this!! PAP OH I just ordered parts for it from iboats. I'll look there!!

OK, first of all I run my kicker off my swim platform. What do you guys do to hook up your rod on the I/O because mine doesn't rise above the platform. I see guys running over the water with the Kicker tilted up and the main all the way down. I turn my kicker head towards the main but I can't turn to the left past half way or the EZ Steer rod falls in half, pulls apart. When I installed the rod I had to put the motor bracket where it is because the rod was completely collapsed. Now when I have the kicker tilted up the motor down I can't turn left more than half the distance or the rod fully extends and falls in half. One other thing what do you guys do to raise the quick connecter on the I/O above the platform or above the water. Even if I can't do the steer thing I have to come up with something so on windy days I don't get soaked hooking the rod on the I/O. Thanks for any ideas!! PAP

Last Wednesday and Thursday we boated 7, 5 were out around Assocation Island, in 70ft of water 2 dipsys on 3 and 2 riggers parked at 55-65ft we had a lot more hits but couldn't keep them buttoned up. It wasn't just the salmon, we fished walleye boated 2 or 3 but lost a lot more, even the pike we ran into, all on the last hook and maybe only 1 barb hooked. We ran all J plugs silver bullet and bloody nose J plug. I don't wish bad luck on anyone but at least it wasn't just me. Thanks for the post. PAP

Sorry to hear that Larry, sounds like we lost a man with a lot of knowledge and the passion for these toothy critters, I never got to meet this man but just from your post he did a lot of good for the fishing industry!! We will say a prayer for him and his family. While I was up fishing last week I got that dreaded phone call and a friend of mine through my brother who past away 1 year ago on the 19th that Hank passed away in his sleep on Tuesday. He has a beautiful home in Clayton right on the water, we used to use is ramp to put our boat in the SLR. I hope the kids keep the place, which I think they will as they like to fish also. Take care my friend, and stay safe down in the jungle!!! Keep the pics coming as it keeps the winter blues away.

It was just me and my uncle who is 75 and can't operate his cordless phone at home!!! LOL, but he is one hell of an operator, he didn't get the nick name "skipper" for no reason. He always will be uncle skipper to me!! His real name is Loyd.

OK, here's the reason I have no pics. To prove my words. We got to camp at 9pm Saturday eve. 7am Sunday we tried to install my lower lower unit, now this isn't my 1st rodeo but after all FN day I still couldn't get the handle to go into reverse, anybody that ever installed a Merc. Unit knows that the shift shaft needs to be pointing forward and the prop needs to be locked counterclockwise. Totally disgusted with everything I admit defeat!! Monday I took a ride down to Henderson to the marina across from Henchens, that guy helped me out before on a different boat, I pull in and he's winterizing a sailboat, I asked some questions and he replied sounds like you got it right must be something else. He tells me I should go back hook up my trim arms and bring the boat down so he could see it. We got the boat over to the marina and he says everything is right, so why can't I get the handle into the reverse mode, so he hops in and now understands my problem, so he pulls the lower unit off and locks into the counterclockwise (foreward gear) then he says there's something not right. He walks away saying he'll be right back, a little later he says he knows what's wrong, whoever rebuilt my unit has the shift fork in backwards and now my foreward is reverse and vis-versa, you'll need to leave it here or take it back and he explained what to do, needless to say that was beyond a tailgate job. I asked how much to fix it he replies a few hundred, I say if less than 3 Ben Franklins alright and he would have it done. The next day is Monday at 10:30am my phone rings it's the marina, he asks if I have the oil and pump to fill the unit, I tell him yes, well come over I got your boat ready to test it out. My uncle and I head over do our thing and he told us who ever did your lower unit did a excellent job other than the shift fork was in backwards, so I put it in the right way, after 31 years of this he says I only saw this mabe 5 times, wow aren't I lucky but that is my luck!!! Get the boat in the water and everything is a go!!! HELL YA!!!! Now he asks how are you going to pay, well it depends on the cost!!! Cash will be less, I said well lay it on me, how about $150.00 man I was surprised I was thinking 3-4 hundred, I couldn't have been happier. I cashed him off and shook hands and made arrangements to leave my boat down in Henderson area in the water if we want to fish that area, so that was a nice thing to know also. OK now were ready to hit the lake and in a hurry I forgot to hook up my steer rod until it was time to troll, so I decided to hop out on the swim platform and do it, well it was cool that morning and I had on my hooded sweatshirt which has the front pocket, and when I went to hook up the rod I heard something plop in the water but I saw my bottle of aleive floating but when I went to use my phone I then realized that plop, well that was my phone, so it's on the bottom of LakeO out in front of Point Peninsula lighthouse. Well I needed an updated one anyways, but still it sucks. We were supposed to hook up with Kevin to give the river a go, but that will have to wait till next year. All in all it was still a good trip, had some good laughs and lots to talk about on the trip home which went flawlessly for once!!! Thanks to all that posted this year as I learned a lot which will be good next year!!

Well I just got home from our trip, we did ok, not great, to warm yet it was in the low 80's during the day mid 50's to low 60's at night the river is 71* we took 2 kings in the river yesterday and they were jumping in the river by the bridge, we did the best out around Association island, we started seeing big hooks as soon as we got into 70ft of water so we dropped the riggers at 55ft and 65ft with tiger stripe J plug and a silver bullet, we were there from 7am till 1:30pm we boated 5 kings. We then set out for home trolling from the islands towards the Black we picked up 1 eye. We picked up and ran up past Sackets Harbor set up with snap weights and a mix bag of lures, spoons, once we got past the big concrete square past Sackets, in 50ft down 30-40 ft we had 2 nice eyes and further up it was pike city, our best was 38" but fun to catch all were released unharmed. We had a lot hits but just couldn't keep them buttoned up. The salmon are starting to make the run for the rivers. We had great weather, the lake was 1ft or less Tuesday - Thursday, had the water been cooler we would have stayed, we worked hard for what we got. Putting 7-9hrs on the water for 3 days for the fish we got. We had some shakers a few yellow perch and my first ever catfish on a nk spoon. Well that's it for me this year on the big pond. Going to put some time on our local lake till next year. Be safe and tight lines to all the rest of the season!!!!

Us 3 guys new each other before we all had campers up there, and like you we are from PA. Holy crap I live at the bottom of the mountain in Kresgeville on the Beltzville drive road. Do you fish Beltzville at all?

Site 100 where's that we were in there before Allen had it, when it used to be open for the salmon season, we used to be where the first dock in the water is the little channel that comes up along island, but then my uncle passed away and my father so we moved to the row where the tenters are two trailers down from the shower house, along side of Oscar and across from Roland all from PA. There was a hardcore walleye fisherman that bought our trailer, he's not there anymore.

That was a awesome video, thanks for sharing. Say what you want but when the chips are down, we are all American, and the American people will always pull together. Yes there will be some that just stand there like a bump on a log, but us that could survive without a grocery store, born from those that fought for this country will be there when the $hit hits the fan. Thanks again JD.