Star Man

Reading through some of the previous post and saw one on insurance. A little different spin but I just realized that I have no idea, and won't be able to call my insurance company till Monday, about whether I need to insure the boat and trailer like I do my camper trailer. I know that the trailer gets a DMV tag but sepreate insurance? Any ideas? Thanks

I've read that there are battery chargers that don't do a good job of recharging these deep cycle marine batteries to full charge causing issues with life expectancy as well as performance. Is there a list of know good chargers or information on how to tell the good ones from the not so good?

I was looking online today for boat nets and see that things have changed a bit in this department since I last bought a net years ago. I expect the net to be used mainly for bass but an occasional muskie is possible. What I saw that I like is a foldable net that is 18" diameter with a 44" long handle. The nice thing is the net folds making it easy to store till needed. I saw some information about knot-less nets and different shapes for certain species but does anyone really use multiple nets or just one for the main fish you usually go for?

What is considered a good boat cover and how long should they last? I'm about to take ownership of a 1989 Lowe Crappie boat and would like to find a good cover for it. I expect to build a open sided pole barn to help keep it out of the weather but expect a good cover will be needed for now and won't hurt after the barn is built as well. Any suggestions? Thanks

Thanks for the replies. I looked at several used boats and was discouraged at the shape they were in. Then I looked at one not 5 miles from home and have to say that I'm impressed for the money. The new 16' I looked at ran 10-11K and that just doesn't fit my budget and the boats were better than needed, if that can be so. What I found was a 1995 Lowe 15.5' with front/rear deck padded seats, 25 HP Evinrude motor, 50 Lb thrust Minnkota 5 speed electric motor on the front, a 25 Lb thrust foot control bow mount Evinrude 3 speed electric on the rear, with live well, Hummingbird fish finder all riding on a galvanized trailer in great shape. This boat has the steering wheel and console with the bilge pump switch, live well switch and horn. Has all compliant Virginia accessories as well. All for $3K. From what I've seen, looks like a deal if the water test works out. Not having owned a boat before, he offered to take me out and give me the walk through some day next week, before a finalized sale. He's selling because of a heart condition and his wife doesn't want him out there alone. Maybe a new fishing Buddy?

I'm new to this forum but have fished quite a bit over the years but mostly from the shore, Now that I have more time but bad knees, I'm looking for some good ideas for a bass boat for the smaller lakes and from what I've seen on the Virginia IGF site, it looks like I need to keep the motor to less than 10 HP and for some lakes, be able to remove it altogether. I'm looking at fishing such lakes as Briery Creek Lake and Lake Orange among a few other area lakes. I looked at a few boats today but they were 10-11K and had 20-30 HP motors. More than I need. I'm thinking with the knees I need to be seated most of the time and the elevated decks are probably not a good option at this time. I could always add this myself later if the knees get replaced. But I guess what I'm looking at is what would be considered a good starter boat for the wife and I? I already know less than 10 HP and padded seats would certainly be a wanted option as well as a good electric trolling motor but foot controlled or not, live well and so on, not so clear. I'd consider a used rig but am weary of the motors. Buying a used car I can have a mechanic check it out but who checks out used boats and do people selling them even allow this? As you can see, I'm as new to this aspect as a new born. I don't mind paying a fair price for a good rig but fear being ripped off. Any suggestions certainly welcomed.

I'm new to this forum but have fished quite a bit over the years but mostly from the shore, Now that I have more time but bad knees, I'm looking for some good ideas for a bass boat for the smaller lakes and from what I've seen on the Virginia IGF site, it looks like I need to keep the motor to less than 10 HP and for some lakes, be able to remove it altogether. I looked at a few boats today but they were 10-11K and had 20-30 HP motors. More than I need. I'm thinking with the knees I need to be seated most of the time and the elevated decks are probably not a good option at this time. I could always add this myself later if the knees get replaced. But I guess what I'm looking at is what would be considered a good starter boat for the wife and I? I already know less than 10 HP and padded seats would certainly be a wanted option as well as a good electric trolling motor but foot controlled or not, live well and so on, not so clear. I'd consider a used rig but am weary of the motors. Buying a used car I can have a mechanic check it out but who checks out used boats and do people selling them even allow this? As you can see, I'm as new to this aspect as a new born. I don't mind paying a fair price for a good rig but fear being ripped off. Any suggestions certainly welcomed.

Now 56 and looking to get back to more fishing. As a kid, I'd walk miles with my pole and tackle to get some fishing in but as time and demands on my time grew I found less time to enjoy the sport. I've caught many bass on plugs and spinners over the years but probably the largest at about 4-5 pounds if I have to be truthful about it. Married to a great little gal who will spend the time with me while I fish, I decided it's time to find a boat the two of us can enjoy. Nothing fancy but enough for the smaller lakes and rivers. I looked at a few boats today but they had 20-30 HP motors that are way to large for my use. From the research I've done so far, looks like 9.9 HP is as large as I want to be able to use in lakes like Briery Creek Lake and the such. No large lakes like Anna, too much boat traffic for me. Anyway, this looks like a great site and I look forward to getting and maybe even giving some help.