MacTier

I haven't checked this site for a couple of days. Sorry to have a late reply to your post. I recently hauled my 16 ft Lund about 900 miles with a Toyota Highlander, and had an unusual problem. After I arrived, I thought I would replace the gear oil in the lower unit. When I took the screw out, there was no oil in the lower unit. It was completely dry. If I had gone fishing, I would have ruined the lower unit. I had the unit pressure tested, and it was fine - no leak. My best guess is that when the marina serviced my boat, they reused the old washer (gasket?) instead of using a new one. With an imperfect seal and 900 miles of bouncing on the trailer, the gear oil very slowly leaked out. I will never again put my boat in the water after a long trip without checking the lower unit.

I have a cottage about 120 miles north of Toronto. For many years, I have had two of my closest friends come up for a week of fishing in the early Summer and again in early Fall. I love them like brothers but... We will head for a favorite spot, one that we have fished many times. I will pull up, turn on the trolling motor, and make my first cast. I look around and both of them have their tackle boxes open, and are discussing what bait to use. By the time I am done fishing the spot, they are ready to make a cast. Depending on my mood, sometimes I circle around so they can make some casts. Other times I just head for the next spot. They can't figure out why I catch more fish than they do.

I have a suggestion you probably wouldn't think of. I always try to wear a lifejacket, especially when I fish alone. But I often take it off, since the padding on the back makes it very uncomfortable with a high backed seat. This Spring a lone fisherman drowned at one of my favorite spots. So I bought myself an inflatable life vest. These fit kind of like a pair of suspenders. and will automatically inflate if you fall into the water. They are so comfortable that I often forget that I have it on until my wife reminds me. You can get a good one for about $150 at BPS or Cabela's. Your guy would probably not get one for himself, and it would send a message that you would like to keep him around for a while.