Dad_Golf_Fish

The most fish-catching lure in my arsenal is a 1/4 ounce Panther Martin (black w/ orange spots) that I have had for over 15 years. This thing has caught bass, trout, bluegill and catfish. It has also pulled up tree limbs and anchor lines that it has snagged. It looks awful! Half the paint is missing from the blade and one of the hooks on the treble is bent at a weird angle. This thing has caught hundreds of fish in the time I have had it. I have two new ones that are exactly the same. One is still in the package. The reason is that the new one out of the package has never caught a single fish. This is not a confidence thing, it is just a fact. I believe the reason is the irregular flash of the blade on the old one. The blade is gold underneath the paint, so with half the paint gone, it has a unique appearance when spinning. Don't ask me how I've managed to keep it for so long, but I'm sure now that I've talked about it, I'll probably lose it on my next outing.

I'd be tempted to vote for outdoorgirl. From the pictures it seems she goes either way (LMB and SMB).

As a proud owner of a Cajun F/S, I thought I would weigh in here. My Cajun is only 16', but it only needs to carry one lardo, my wife, and one kid. They are solid boats, but they suffer storage issues as well. The left side seat holds the rods well, and I can easily fit 7' rods since the well goes all the way to the bow. The right side well is almost useless and half of the under seat access is the front livewell. The rear deck compartments are very roomy even with a battery in each one. For 24v systems, you'll lose a bit of space. I use soft tackle bags and coolers which fit very well under the drivers console. That space is so deep I am actually going to add Plano box storage under there. The rear deck is roomy enough, and the only other person who used it had no complaints about space, but if he was carry more than two rods, it might have been an issue (remember that this is only 16' though). The front deck is very small once you account for the TM foot control and my front finder mounted on the deck. If just sitting or using a butt seat it is comfortable enough, but no real room for moving around. I am going to extend the front deck back to the consoles though for additional room and more storage. The other issue with a F/S is the wrap around windshield. They restrict access to the water on the sides, so you need to bring your catch all the way to the front or rear to lip/net. There are certainly pluses as well, depending on your specific needs. If anchored, I can fish off the back deck while the girls sun in the front lounge seats. I like the swim ladder as the girls like to swim in the coves. Since it sounds like you have specific reasons for a fish and ski, go with what works best for your situation. They are not the best "bass boat" and not the best "ski boat", but they are a pretty good compromise. Finally, the last of the Cajuns were built in the mid-late nineties. I see 18' models listed around 4-5k, so I would expect 20' models for around 7k or so.

Either my wife or my daughter is bad luck in my boat. I haven't figured out which one yet as I won't leave either of them behind. Spending the time with them is more important than some silly green fish. Other times I leave them both home and go with someone else because I just love catching those silly green fish. And I always do when they're not with me.

Now you guys have me scared! Not to hijack your thread zam, but I think this is directly related to your post - I got my new 50# trolling motor a couple of weeks ago (thank you cart7t!) to replace a 28# and started the installation. I ran new 8ga wire bow to stern (I was too cheap to buy the 6ga), and replaced the 30A manual reset breaker with a 40A auto reset. Then I noticed a few things when I started the bow connections. First, I would need to purchase new connectors for the TM since the socket end in the bow plate was molded. Either that, or I would need to run the wires through a hole in the plate and just do a permanent splice on the wires. I also noticed the insulation specs on both the existing 10ga and and the new 8ga. The 10ga was rated at 105 degrees C and the new 8ga was rated at 90 degrees C. Now I have a conundrum! The 10ga is going to get hotter since you can only force so many amps down so many strands of wire before producing excess heat, but it can. The 8ga will not get as hot, but it can't anyway. Seems to me it is a wash. Now, since I have finished the installation, I have been having nightmares about having a fire in the wiring. My wife and 6 year old keep asking when we are going fishing again and I keep telling them they cannot be on the boat until after I have taken it out and tested the new installation. I haven't done that yet since I would like to have someone with me to hand me the fire extinguisher and run the boat on the outboard close to shore while I fight the fire before we abandon ship. Now it is possible that I am being overly paranoid, but I'm almost to the point of hiring an electrical engineer to advise me before I launch this thing again. I suppose that's what I get for trying to save $0.25/ft on the wiring. Any thoughts on this (other than me being cheap and foolish)? I would hate to have to add my own pictures to this thread. On the other hand, if I have to tell my wife the expense of redoing this all over again, I might as well take it out as is, let it burn, and just go down with the ship.

White. If I weren't color blind, I would say white.

If there's room in the boat...why not? You can't figure out the pattern until you start finding what they want. It could be the stuff you've never used before. I don't have enough that I have to worry about leaving stuff behind. I start with my favorites, but if they just don't seem interested, I like having other options. I might even find a new favorite.

Air leak in the fuel lines?

Sure! Just PayPal that $1000 to snuffthemonkey@gmail.com. I'll get right on it.

flechero - That was the funniest thing I've read all week! Thank you!

In the For Sale section there was just a post today with a stock of spinners and jigs. The skeptic in me says if they were great producers, he wouldn't be selling them, but I'm pretty certain that the bait monkey can beat the cr@p out of the skeptic. I'm no expert, but I try to keep things simple. Most of my gear is either 3/8 or 1/2oz. For colors, I usually just get something close to what everyone here talks about: Jigs - black/blue, brown/orange, green/blue, pb&j Spinners - white, white/chartreuse, or white with bleeding accent

I just picked up some baby brush hogs to try out this weekend. I primarily bought them to use as a jig trailer, but I've read a lot of good things about just using them solo. I've only had one space monkey get wet so far with no results, but I'm pretty sure that was due to inexperience. Plus it was a really slow day. They'll get a second chance this weekend as well. The only problem I have with all these creature baits is that they look so good, the first one out of the pack usually ends up in my little one's kreature aquarium! Since many of them have scent, you can imagine her room smells much like a tackle box.

You must mean Southern California (We Northerners consider it a different state). We're hard pressed to see many over 3-4#'s except for the Delta and Clear Lake.

When you start your motor, monitor your battery voltage. I would bet it spikes to around 18v which is the overvoltage protection limit and the unit shuts itself off.

Mann's 6" jelly tube.

Ok, it's dark and raining out, so I couldn't visually verify this, but I have the original parts bulletin from Force Outboards on this. This applies to Chryslers 1971-1984 and Force motors 1984-1992. The part number for the entire assembly is: F694541-2 Power Trim & Tilt Pump/Motor Assembly This is the whole unit with motor/reservoir/gearcase. It looks like there were no original replacements made after 1996, but the replacement part can be had from Mercury with a part number of 853515A1 which is the 4 line hydraulic system for the 70-150hp motors. Now you just need someone a lot smarter than me to tell you what all that means.

I hate to suggest this, but could this be a design defect? I just read a similar description in a different forum (I think it was a Texas specific forum) within the last couple of days. I know that doesn't help your immediate problem, but if it is true, it may be something covered by the manufacturer or they may be some chatter about it in some more specialized forums.

I don't know anything about this type of stuff, but I do have an '88 Force 85 with tilt/trim. When I get home letter, I can get you the info from my pump if it would help.

I have never used a tube before, but I kept reading posts about them being great, so I bought some (before reading the tube articles here) with the mentality that a 6" worm was average, so I should get the same size tube. Now that I have them in hand, these things seem way too big! Should I even bother trying them, or downsize to something like a 4" or smaller? If you think they are worth a try, my thought was to use a jig head inserted into the body. Do you just poke the eye through to the outside? What size should the hook be, and what type hook? Thanks for any suggestions!

I know I am new here and should not be taking sides, especially between friends, but I would humbly asked that you not inflict any punishment on Cart until after he ships my new trolling motor. After that, do as you wish since he ruled out California as an option!

I just won a gift certificate for Big 5 at a golf tournament yesterday. Time to feed the monkey!

I always try to wear brown and green. With my size, it's perfect tree looking camo.

This is strange. I looked at LEI, and for the 245DS they only list the 200k TD. Everything else says the 245DS uses the 83/200 TD. Looking through their listing of dual frequency TDs, they don't list any with a TM mount, only thru-hull and transom. Not a problem, the extra $14 for the TM mount won't kill me, and I know it will be ready for mounting out of the box. I guess that alone should make the decision simple. Thanks for the input. I guess the last thing is how naive am I to believe in the claim of 120 degree coverage?

I have asked this somewhere else, and I have received a couple of replies, but I also like to go where the knowledge is, and it is certainly here. I would really appreciate any opinions! What I want: A bow mount finder with a trolling motor mount that will show me some amount of bottom detail at shallow depths. I spend most of my time inside of 20', although I may want to see what is out a bit further (30-35 ft). Since this is not my money buying it, it needs to be inexpensive. I have narrowed my search down to two choices: The Garmin 140 and the Eagle 245. Links to the specs for each below. Since the Eagle will need the TM mount adapter, they equal out in price. The Eagle has better P-P power, so I would expect better echoes. They are both dual-beam, but the specs are a little confusing. The Garmin claims 15 or 45 degree cone, but the Eagle claims 60 or 120 degree coverage. I don't know what to make of that claim, but since this is bow mount and primarily used in 20' or less, I would like as much coverage as possible at shallow depths. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=344#specsTab http://www.eaglenav.com/en/Products/Fishfinders/FishEasy-245-DS/Specifications/ I know there are probably better options, but I limited the budget for this since I already have a console HB and this new one is a Father's Day gift, so I don't want to break my wife's "kitchen money" or empty my daughter's piggy bank. Plus, she is probably letting me get my new (used) trolling motor. I have a $20 off at BPS, so I am ready to order once I (you) pick the winner. A couple of final thoughts: I do not need GPS at this time. Most of my local lakes I can see end to end from the dock. I do not need waypoints since I have not yet developed CRS and I remember what is worth remembering. I may need GPS next year, but I will add a console unit then. I understand P-P power and pixel count and all that, and I don't really need to see every last detail, but I would like to be able to identify bottom composition and see general structure beneath me. Thanks for the help!

Placed on order on Monday and received it Thursday. Great prices and great service. found me again...