71Rig

I can't say if you would need a controller for a 2000# boat or not. I will leave that to the guys that tow bigger boats. Installation is a snap as most late model trucks have a factory hookup for this under the dash, especially if your truck came with a tow package/hitch. It's basically plug and play. The controllers cost from $60 for a standard model to $160 for one with a lot more then you would need. It will prolong your truck brake life and also give you more control if you need to stop short. But it will also add one more maintenance step for your trailer depending on the type of millage you put on it. If it were me and $$ was not a big issue I would do it for that piece of mind. Plus you will be able to handle bigger loads if the need arose. Maybe someone with a similar set up can tell you how theirs handles.

I second that. I built a small "box" on the front of my boat to mount the trolling motor to. It gives me the extra height needed to clear the front lip and makes taking the motor on and off easier. It also makes a nice neat mounting place for the plug (if you are using one). Easy to make out of plywood and 1x1 stock once you have your measurements.

www.por15.com that is a good start and they can tell you where to get it from. You can top coat with almost any paint from Rust-o-leum to a top end automotive paint. One thing to look at is how much rust you have and how bad it is. Sometimes you wire wheel and scrape till there appears to be no rust only to prime and paint and get a rust bubble in the paint in 6 months. I just like doing things once so I went with the POR-15. Plus you can treat the areas you don't see the rust growing. That way the wheels will fall off prior to you rusting out. my $0.02

If you have rust go with POR-15. You can put it on and not worry again for the life of the trailer. If your trailer has a square tube frame get a cotton mop and run it up the tube to coat the inside. You can make a handle out of PVC to get all the way in there. But make sure to put a top coat of paint on it as it does react to UV light. But $ for $ it's your best bet. I painted the frame of my 1971 Landcruiser with it 7 years ago and have not had a problem since. well worth the $44/quart.

Still looking for those big fish....Went out yesterday (11-9) from 7am to about 3pm. Managed 8 or 9 total. Started out down reservoir near the Lake Ridge HOA ramp fishing the stumps and snags. Managed two in the 2 lb range (pictured below). Saw a lot of shad being chased just under the surface but had no takers on the crankbaits. Later moved up to Sandy Run. Wind blew all directions so getting a good drift up or down was challenging. Threw some tubes and trick worms to the wood and overhangs with little luck. One 1.5 lber came off wood on the eastern bank. Finally got a drift down and switched to the crank. Managed 3 more in rapid succession on a secondary point with a Bomber A in Tennessee Shad. Had a few more bumps but no takers. Switched to cranking more main lake points and picked up a few more small ones along the way. Ended the day with another 2 pounder on the stump flat in front of Lake Ridge Marina on the main lake. All in all a good day. Nice to be out with few other boats around. Anyone else having any luck out there with sizable fish?

Hit the Occoquan Reservoir this weekend and chose the wrong day as Saturday was much more favorable weather. Wind played a small role in the strategy but all worked out in the end. I launched out of Lake Ridge 7:30 am and hit a long deep cove right off. Threw spinnerbaits, cranks and super flukes at wood and the tree tops and found nothing. Hit the usual holes that I get at least a dink in and nothing. Finally hooked up with a dink on a shad colored crank in the back of the cove but could not repeat. I decided to motor out and headed all the way down reservoir and started to flip worms and flukes into the grass. got a few short strikes but no takers. Slowed it down with a junebug trick worm shakeyhead in the grass and they turned on. Managed 4, 1-2 pounders all in grass near deeper water. 3 came in close to grass and one was about 5 feet off. Fished the grass line till it ended then cranked one pass along a deeper wall as I was making suspended fish. 3.5 pounder slammed my deep crank on the second cast. Threw a few dozen more casts with no takers. Switched up to slow rolled spinner bait, lipless crank, jerk bait and nothing. Ended the day there. Only saw 4 other boats fishing. But then again there was a regatta going on.

Isn't that the smell of bait tanks? Or maybe it's the smell of money escaping my wallet... Greentop is a great little place to visit and they do carry a lot of baits that you don't find at big box stores. If you are south of Richmond there is Dance's in Colonial Heights. Also a smaller shop but lots of baits that you normally can't find. Lots of local tackle to choose from as well as some of the harder to find Japanese baits. Oh, and super deals when they have them.

X2

If you look at the jon boat mods page you will see someone that did just this. Don't know how they like it but I would imagine that it causes a lot of drag. Unless you have a big motor you wont notice it too much but if you have a smaller motor it might ruin your ride. Plus you are really putting the liner to the test with constant water contact plus friction. If not applied correctly it will peel and peel badly. I personally would stick with it as it is.

Is it a leaking rivet? If so it's an easy fix. Bed liner can make a boat hot in the summer and will only be hiding the problem and not fixing it. If it is a rivet try hammering it back into place to tighten it up.

Um, 3-6 inches of rain is forecasted. Don't think of even getting a line wet till at least next Thursday. I will most likely be out Friday afternoon, let you all know how it goes.

Weather fronts, approaching and passing, do have their effects on fish. I'm not the one to speak on that though. What I do know is that the Occoquan takes a lot of water from a lot of tributaries and is greatly effected by runoff water from all the surrounding paved surfaces. Thus, in a large rain event you will see drastic rises of water levels in a short period of time. This increases sediment load and the water becomes very stained, not to mention all the woody debris that gets swept up and floated down steam. The forecast is now calling for heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday so don't count on any good fishing on Sunday. Friday on the other hand may prove to be excellent.

Look at the Big Foot motor switch and possibly an extension handle. The switch will give you on/off power and the extension handle will allow you to bump steer with your leg. It's not fancy but the cost is under $50 for the lot. If you are on a real tight budget you can get the switch ($16) and fashion your own extension handle out of a piece of PVC and a fernco fitting (Home Depot). Just slip on and off as you need it. Keep the motor set to the speed you want and then just click the power on and off. Hope that helps.

I can't imagine that your 16' boat and trailer weigh more then the 2090 lbs that your tires are rated for. You should be able to go to a truck stop, recycling center (scrap yard), quarry, or any other place that can weigh you and find out the total weight of your trailer and boat. Or, pull out that owners manual and get the weight and save some time. But if you are still worried about the weight can always go up a load rating (ie, your tires are load range "C") so go up to a load range to D or E to be safe. The 10 inch tires were intended for the trailer so why not use them. Messing with the geometry of a trailer with little knowledge will put you in a bad position. Stick to the set up and buy some new rubber and save some bucks in the short and long run.

If you are looking for a DIY coating consider Durabak (google search). Might save you some $$ if you do it yourself and also comes in a lot of colors. I have Herculiner in a truck and it holds a lot of dirt. I have carpet on my boat and a brush and shop vac take care of most messes. If it gets wet you just have to put a fan to it or let it dry in the sun. Nice on the toes too when you want to kick off the shoes. I guess for me it would just be a personal preference to go carpet.