stratos 375

Being semi-retired, unless it's really blowing or driving rain, I usually fish every day Monday thru Friday from ice out 'till ice up. I haven't fished a Saturday or Sunday in many years. I don't have to do any marathon trips, so I usually keep it at around 8 hours. The lakes I'm fishing this time of year and the ones closest to the house are electric motor only. That means from the time I launch till the time I rack it, I'm standing the entire time. I don't use a pro pole to lean on, and the only seat in my boat is behind the wheel. So, if I go over 8 hours standing on one foot, I can feel it that night. I think it's an old age thing.

With regards to "estimating" water temps, I can stick my hand in the water and come within 3 degrees. Also in my area if you are lacking direct observation, there is a loose correlation between the local lakes and the NOAA ocean water temps, with local lakes usually being a few degrees warmer. That'll work from 40 to about 70 degrees. It's just kind of a hair brained observation I've made over the decades, it has no scientific basis and is an "estimate" only and doesn't take into account any temperature spikes. I don't know if this works in any other areas. For example, the ocean water temps in NJ today are running 48 to 54, I was on my home lake Monday and Tuesday, both days water was 49-53. That's as much as I know about estimating temps. There is however, no substitute for actually sticking a thermometer in the water.

if it's true fiberglass, that's an easy fix. Just re-glass over the scratches. Even if you don't have any experience with fiberglass, it's not brain surgery. The harder ones to fix are ABS or some type of plastic "sandwiched" materials. I've wore out a few of them from slidin over rocks & dragging them thru the woods. I've seen the bottom so thin you could almost see thru it. Then it's replacement time otherwise, one time when you go to stand up, your foot will go right thru it. Although a paint on liner might work, it would increase the friction factor enough that you might notice it, maybe not. Some of those paint on liners can have a rough texture. Still it's an interesting idea. motor thrust, maybe 30lbs, give or take. lots of good used ones around.

I've got a bass boat, 2 kayaks and a canoe. I fish out of them all regularly. The thought of putting a tr. mtr on the side of the canoe is something I'd never do. You're gonna be placing the mtr. & battery toward the rear, and to steer it, you'll be in the rear of the boat also. That's a lot of weight in the rear. Bow is likely to be pointin up & catchin wind unless you put the battery in the front to counterbalance it. I see guys running electrics on canoes, but just never made any sense to me. It's a canoe, just put some pads in the center of the boat, get on your knees and paddle. Silent, efficient, no added weight, nothing to break down. If you really take the time to master paddling, you can do anything an electric motor can do plus more. Back in the olden days when I was into expedition & sea kayaking, we'd do 40 miles a week just to practice for a real trip. Best tip I can give you if you paddle a lot, carry a small spare paddle just in case you drop your main paddle & it floats away. Nothing looks sillier than someone paddling a canoe with their cupped hands. As far as your other question, you really don't describe what your boat's made out of or what "pretty banged up " means, so I can't really help you there. have fun

flyboy, forgot one more thing, a shovel. If you pull off the road onto the sholulder & it's been wet or you're halfway down a drainage slope, you may need some light excavation just to get the jack under . been there.

i use a regular automotive HD floor jack. Although it's heavy & cumbersome, it's worth it's weight in gold. If you got the room, carry a 2" thick oak plank to set it on for soft ground conditions. I also carry a spare hub, lug nuts, 2 or 3 assorted size wood blocks for blocking the tires on the other side of the trailer, and a couple of orange road cones. Or you can get the fold flat variety. A good flashlight is a must.

You have many options. If it were me, I would target the areas that don't get beat to death by glitter boats. 1. if you have two vehicles, put one at the public ramp in Port Deposit, drive the other vehicle up to the dam, cross the river and to down to the power station and launch, you'll drift through several miles of rocks and some great fishing PROVIDING they aren't pulling major water thru the gates. There is a public hotline at the power plant that gives the generating schedule. If you need help with the interpretation of the schedule, PM me. The recording will tell you how many large & small gates are going to be open and when. I can tell you the fishable combinations of gates. 2. You can launch in the back of Furnace bay, this bay is extremely shallow and quite large, I rarely ever see bass boats attempt to get back in there for fear of getting stuck. However, it's perfect for kayaks, and there are a few deeper water pockets back in there. 3. launch your kayak at Deer Creek, work the weedbeds all the way down to Havre De Grace. When you work the weedbeds, take your kayaks to the very back of the beds right along the shore and cast from the shore to the river. The exact opposite of what the bass guys will do. There will be many open pockets in there that can't be reached by any other method other than on foot. The best bet of the above is the rocks, you can hook LM, SM, Walleye, channel cats, perch, there's a major shad run coming up soon, soon to be followed by Stripers and white perch. If you take the time to learn that area, it will be very good to you, and there's very little boat pressure there. Make sure you have your PFD's and a small anchor, license and any stamps you might need. DNR has a fairly strong presence in this area. They have been known to patrol the area in Kayaks themselves. Get a chart of the neck of the bay. If you need further assistance & specifics, let me know. Tides are mild in that area, the biggest problem can be wind, but as long as you stay in the river below the dam, you'll be protected. Have fun

my pick would be a big black plastic lizard rigged weedless with a very small bullet weight on it.

Half the parents I know tell me that their kid's got ADD, the other half tell me their kid's in the "gifted" program. ADD was invented by doctors, and perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies. Kids naturally get squirmy, don't pay attention, scream, fight, fidget, lose focus and become distracted. 95% chance your kid will grow out of it.... eventually. It's amazing how this so called disorder did not even exist 20 years ago, but now has become a national calamity that has to be dealt with by the use of prescription drugs. I wish you the best with your child.

super george flatfish hula popper nip-i-dee dee dying flutter tiny torpedo manns sting ray grubbs any kind of blade baits buzz spoon johnsons spoon

When I was growing up, there weren't any medical catch phrases for such ailments. I displayed all the behavior mentioned thus far, and then some. It took a few years, but my old man slapped it right out of me. Cured.

suicide, you don't need any stinkin electronics to find warmer water, you might have to resort to what us old guys did before we had LCD displays w/ water temp displays. Get a hand held thermometer & stick your hand in the water, it actually works quite well, just not as fast as digital.

An additional fire extinguisher besides the little cheap ones that are about the size of a wine bottle. Imagine my surprise as I pulled up to the ramp one evening, as I was taking off my rear tiedowns, I saw smoke coming out of the rear compartment, after I opened the compartment and let in a much needed blast of oxygen for the fire, I was looking at some major flamage. Right next to my gas tank. I grabbed the closest fire extinguisher, the one made for a midget, and let 'er rip. Don't count on these things to put out a fire of any size! Thank god I had a real fire extinguisher under the console! When it was all over, I saw where a wire had been very hot from the fire and almost melted thru my fuel tank. If I had driven another 5 miles or so, I would have had a rolling bomb. So the thing I'm most happy I added was a real fire extinguisher. Other essential things I carry are a small chainsaw, a Smith & Wesson MP15-22, a boom box, a coleman camp stove, a sleeping bag, couple sets of raingear, a fully equipped toolbox, paddles, a pole, enough line to be able to tow another boat, camera, tape recorder, binoculars, flares and a flare gun, smoke signals, a major size first aid kit, hand held spotlight & a manual bilge pump, some MRE's, 2 15# anchors & plenty of line. Thank god I always fish alone, and much to my happiness, there's no room for anyone else & their gear. And yes, this boat is a thief's dream come true. And then there are the less essential items , like all my fishing gear and electronics

pick any one of the larger creeks, preferably ones that are getting the strongest angle of the sun. And as Rockville said, secondary points. It's loaded with them. Suspending jerks, bomber 8a's and jigs. Water temp is everything this time of year, it's worth motoring about to find an area 3-4 degrees warmer. I'd also stay in the lower lake, & find the clearest water you can. I've got lots of hours in on that lake. I remember taking Randy Howell out fishing in my boat when he was maybe 11 or 12. Google Earth will show you everything you need It's just a great place to fish. Good luck

At my local lake in the first 2 weeks of November. Historically, I've stuck as many or more hogs at this time than in the spring. Water 48-55, overcast, slight breeze from the south. Pitchin & swimmin a jig or throwin Rogues. Shallow to very Shallow. About that time of year, during the week, I'll have most of the lake to myself. The only drawback, the weekly verbal confrontation with duck hunters who seem to think that during waterfowl season they have exclusive rights to the lake. Over the course of the last 25 years there, I've been peppered with shot, threatened, had my trailer light harness ripped out and my truck keyed, and many "love notes" stuck under the wiper blades, all from the local "sportsmen" It usually starts with motoring around a point or bend and all of a sudden you're in the middle of a decoy spread with a couple of very irate Elmer Fudd lookin dudes hiding in the bushes calling me very foul names. But, I really wouldn't have it any other way, it's still my favorite condition.

Finding an area that's holding fish is much more important than what you've got tied on. At that time of the year just about any lure you're proficient with will work if you're in an area that's got fish, especially if we've had relatively mild weather. The only thing I wouldn't throw is topwater. Not that you wouldn't find a few takers, but if I paid an entry fee, I would concentrate my efforts under the water. If you're wantin fishin info for a T, you should be askin some guys if they wouldn't mind throwin you a bone and lay a few spots on you via PM, the lure and color is secondary.

sorry, I realize that I should have posted this in the tackle section, please feel free to move it as needed. thank you.

Most of my fishing hours are spent pitchin & swimmin a jig in water less than 4'. I usually always throw a 1/4 oz jig with rattles and a jumbo plastic pork frog. There are times when I need just a little more "hang time" than a 1/4 oz can offer. Has anybody ever experimented pouring jig heads out of any metal lighter than lead, such as tin, zinc or aluminum? Would something like this work to allow a jig to "glide" a little more? Would some type of plastic resin work ?Has anybody seen anything like this for sale? A lot of times I find myself taking a dremel tool to my jigs and knocking about a gram or so of lead off the sides. Then re-painting. And I do realize that you need more than just a can of Sterno to melt aluminum. Thank you in advance for any answers.

Some guys will tell ya not to leave them runnin with muffs any longer than is absolutely needed. If I have to muff it, I usually don't let it run longer than 10 minutes or so. However, me thinks you can leave them on a lot longer than that with no ill effects, as long as your hose has good pressure and the engine's not building up any excessive heat. I'm sure there are some engine guys on here that could tell you exactly what the dangers would be. I've got a Mariner 150 Mag that I've had for 24 years, used muffs hundreds of times. It's still got good compression. Truthly, most of the times I run it in the driveway, I do it to annoy my one and only neighbor. Those older 150's are loud when out of the water, and if the barometric conditions are right, I can create about a half an acre of the prettiest blue gray clouds you've ever seen and the prevailing breeze always seem to take them next door.

redline, thank you for taking the time to post these. sweet vette. That front spoiler combined with a lowering kit makes a dandy scoop for road kill and those big hunks of tire that seem to always fall off of semi's. Driving these cars will put a grin on your face that lasts all day, trouble is finding a stretch of road to let 'em unwind. The car you pictured actually has a G force indicator built into the heads up display in the windshield. That's a true 200 mph body style, she'll hold her own with 911's, vipers and some of the "slower" exotics. Very nice.

Mr. Ackwards, to help with your cabin fever, I will respond. I've been doing this for decades now, I'm getting wore out, my boats's wore out, fishing has ceased to become fun or a hobby for some years now. It's more like a need or job. When the lakes are not frozen , I fish almost every day of the week, all year long except weekends. Many days I get up & want to stay home, but I actually have to force myself to fish. Many days I get out on the water and decide I really don't want to be out there. That said, I've found there are a few other things to replace the fun I used to have when fishing. I walk about 50 steps out my back door & I'm in state game lands, I can walk a mile in three directions without hittin a road. My own personal 2500 acre hunting ground 24/7. I've started to get more into varmint hunting, there's always something to kill, groundhogs, coyotes, crows & other misfits of the animal world. I'm getting pretty good at turning Groundhogs into a can of soup at some pretty long ranges. It's becoming one of my new sources of fun. If it's too windy to fish or hunt, I've got a very minty Z06 vette in the garage, I put in a Beach Boys CD & go hit the twistys for a while, and find a new place to eat lunch. I've come to find that's it's as enjoyable as fishing. There's something about hitting Nascar speeds and taking hairpin turns at almost a G that brings a smile to my face. there you have it, a couple things I enjoy as much as fishing.

there are easy to find trolling motor experts on the internet that can tell you with a high degree of accuracy what's wrong with it. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. Is it cutting on and off under load, or when you're running it on high for an extended time? I'd start by replacing the auto breaker with a pop out manual. At least you can eliminate that part of it. Have you tried the low tech caveman approach? Touch all the connections & motor parts & see if any are giving off any heat, stick ur nose near the electronics & see if'n you can smell burning components. That's my test. If it's broke, I send it out. One thing I've found out is that if you fish a lot, & depend on that motor, have a spare. You're gonna need it sooner or later. No matter if it's a MG or that "other" brand

I'll go on record as saying that I'm gender blind as far as sports are concerned. If women want to play in the NFL, god bless them, let them try out. Pam did a decent job and we all know where she finished. However to have to make a special thanks and congratulations for finishing in the middle of the pack, would to some, accentuate and underscore the fact that she's a woman in a male dominated sport, and that people are actually amazed as to where she landed in the final standings. Let the standings speak for themselves, and let the chips fall where they may. All the competitors who made the classic worked hard to get there and have my equal respect, male or female. I do however, save my congratulations for the one and only winner. If she's good enough, hopefully she'll get another chance at it. I'd personally like to see her fish another classic or two. I find it not unlike all the hoopla , congrats and face time given to Danica for her finishes, or lack of. To me she's just another driver, let her show the world what she does or does not have in the way of driving skills, gender aside.

the 20K was in reference to the cost of the Ranger in 1989, I'm not really sure what they went for new, but I would guess it would have been close to 20k. I should have been more clear. No offense meant, but by virtue of you asking if it's the train you see coming, you invited opinion. I gave it. I most certainly hope it gives you a few years of cost free pleasure, but that's generally not the case with bass boats over 20 years old, unless the've been very well cared for. Many of them "get run hard, and put away wet." If I could have afforded it back in the early 80's, I would have bought a Ranger, but the fact that I bought a Stratos had no effect whatsoever on the amount of fish I've caught over the years. A platform's a platform. To say that a Ranger is more reliable than a Stratos is a bold statement from a guy who's just coming out of a canoe, a craft who's basic design has changed very little in the last 10,000 years. I too, am just kidding.

I think the light you see is definately the train comin.If you got "service" shock from a steering system fix, wait 'till your engine lower unit or upper end craps out on you. Or your Tr. motor dies, pumps and gauges stop working, electronics quit, trailer needs major attention, wiring gremlins and dry rot hoses appear from nowhere, carpet starts coming up, deck lids get sloppy, and soft spots in the floor develop. That's just the mechanical aspect of it, those things can and will happen without human intervention. Then there's the learning curve from a canoe to a 19 footer. That learning curve has the potential to also cost you a lot. There's a good reason you got a 20K boat for 4 grand. It's on it's way out. It has approached the age where it will start nickel & diming you to death. There's a chance the above gloom & doom scenario won't befall you, but you'd be one out of 20. Boats that age need constant attention if you're gonna use them for anything but fishing in a millpond. Trust me, I've got a '84 I bought new, and I've replaced everything on it, at least twice or 3 times. Unless the boat was kept in a time capsule, these things have a finite life span, especially if the've got wood in them. If you want to be pro active, start replacing the simple things before they break as money is available. If you're good with your hands and mechanically inclined, you'll save a lot of dough. In my case, I've worked from the "neck up" most of my life, hand tools, wires and grease just ain't my thing. Thankfully for many years of my boat ownership, I had a good boat mechanic close by. Welcome to the world of bass boat ownership