cart7t

I've fished out of both pontoons and deck boats. OK if there's no wind, they're like a big sail if there is. Fish n ski's are a compromise for those who can't financially justify a full blooded bass boat due to the input from the significant other or have strong interests in other on the water fun but can't afford a 2nd boat or have no place to put one. If you go to a 19 footer or longer F & S, they're usually fairly adequate for fishing. Anything shorter and too much of the boat space is wasted on the open cockpit with the seating for 5.

On the top of the handle end plate is a large screw. Unscrew that and the side plate can be pivoted off.

I prefer using medium action rods with fast tips. If I was throwing something like an X rap and really wanted to get that bait moving under water, an extra fast tip would be better. That said, I prefer a 6 foot rod and am planning on adding a second 6' 4", med fast to my arsenal by next spring

By raising the trailer up at the tow vehicle you're shifting the weight distribution to the rear of the trailer. This is a no-no and is the primary cause of sway which in extreme cases can lead to loss of control of the tow vehicle. Dropping the trailer lower than the vehicle shifts the weight distribution forward which can lead to steering problems in emergency braking situations or steering problems period on winding roads. Ideally, your boat should be level with the tow vehicle. http://www.etrailer.com/faq_trailertowtips.aspx

As I understand from those who know, it takes a year of decent fishing before a Van Staal gets broken in correctly.

I've got no problem with Jimmy Houston. He may or may not have been aware of what went on with that hunting incidents. He realized the mistake and worked to make it right. Those that continue to post those video links up are irresponsible to say the least. They're basically dredging old video up and posting links to it on a public forum without bothering to check on the outcome of this particular incident. As for Vick, Bonds, Sosa, McGuire, etc. Had any of those ever admitted to making mistakes or wrong doing and then working towards not letting it happen again along with setting an example that would help others from making the same mistakes, I'd have absolutely no problem forgiving them. Sorry, I'm from a generation where a man admitted his mistakes, apologized and moved to make wrongs right. That's apparently sadly lacking in todays America. As it is, those guys cling to innocence and have a catch me if you can attitude all to hold onto the ability to continue to cash out on their public notoriety.

The reel in your post is in outstanding condition for it's age. You gotta remember on vintage reels of this caliber that you've got reel collectors bidding on it as well as guys who will actually use the reel for everyday use. IIRC, the one I sold for $60 was in outstanding condition. Not as good as the one listed but close.

I ordered mine on Friday afternoon and they were at the door on Tuesday. Amazingly fast. 8-)

I'm no expert on those type of boats but I have heard that the plastic in those things tends to start getting brittle as age and weathering take effect. What you could use that would sufficiently bond to old plastic is a good question. Splitting the top and bottom in half would be a start but the question is whether they fused them together when the final assembly took place. If they are, getting them apart would be difficult to achieve. I suppose you could take a sheet of something like polyethelene and cut pieces larger and than the holes and cracks and epoxy it to the outside of the hull.

I fished a couple 500 boat tournaments on Tablerock before. Basically it's take a number on anything resembling decent fishing water.

I'm impressed that you keep that level of detail on stuff you sell. If I tell someone I have to check my records, I have to either think a minute or find the "post it" note. ...lol Excel makes things so easy.

Contact All Star, tell them of the mistake and you should get a new bag. Then you'll have 2.

I just checked my 1996 BPS catalog, one of the last years the reel appears there. It originally sold for $146.95 back then!! Obviously a good reel at the time but any of them out there will be 10 years or older now. Checking my records I've sold a couple over the past 2 years for $40-60. There's a few on Ebay right now. One has a $75 buy-it-now which seems a little steep.

6000 RPM's won't hurt your OB but you're not maximizing the RPM's that engines turning currently. With that kind of RPM you've got room to play and you should easily be able to push your boat into the low 50mph range. I'd look into a 21A or 23A Turbo prop personally. 13.25 X 21 or X 23.

Actually, my comments have nothing to do with buying a boat for maximum speed. Although putting the maximum hp motor on a boat will not only maximize performance but certainly help with resale value down the road. My issue is breaking the standard rules of HP measurements to rate the boat and then creating the illusion, at least for those that don't know any better, that somehow Stratos has come up with a 17 1/2 or an 18 1/2 foot boat that can run with the same performance as everybody elses with far less hp. It's not true. Frankly, by the time you replace that undersized trolling motor, upgrade most everything that will need upgrading, you can probably buy quite a few boats from different builders, under power them just like the Stratos and wind up paying the same amount of money.

perhaps THAT IS the hulls potential/ true value... I asked this question once before...wondering if they do some other things to make the boat cheaper... less a layer of lamination?... less structure of/on the transom?... lighter weight stringers?... less flotation?... perhaps there is something physically different about the boat that limits the horsepower that it can handle safely. I know we all feel like there is alot of mark up in boats...but I wonder if this is like Electrical equipment. When you pay less...you get less! You would think Hubbell is flippin crazy for what they charge for devices and equipment...but there really is ALOT of difference between Hubbell and something like Pass and Seymour. Just looking you cannot tell...but they are definately different I feel like that there is likely SOMETHING besides just the cheaper electronics...cheaper trolling motor...and less deck compartments that make these boats cheaper. I would love to see someone take one of these and a "middle of the road" boat from the same manufactuer and see what the difference are. Not likely, the 176 hull weight is listed at 1200lbs, that's no light weight by any means. What you're talking about is what Allison does with something like their XB-2002. That's a 20 footer rated for 200. Super tuned that boat will run over 100mph, With just a 150 it'll run 70 easily. That's a case where a boat has been designed and constructed with ultra light composites along with a hull design with maximum lift that allows you to run a motor drastically less than the max rated hp on the plate and still get very acceptable performance. Here's where I have the problem with this. These boats are specifically targeted to entry level owners. Most any newb bass boat shopper will hit the bass boat advice columns. Virtually everyone of them advises to rig a boat with the max hp motor as possible, including the bass boat information on this website. Now this informed future boat owner goes out and starts looking for a 17.5 or 18.5. They've got a limited budget and they're not comfortable shelling out $20k to begin with. They find most 17.5's need at least a 115 - 150hp for maximum hp. The prices reflect that. The same if it's a 18.5, usually 175 - 200hp. Then they see the Stratos 176 or 186. They see the reduced max hp. They think to themselves that Stratos must be doing something different to get performance out of a 17.5 or 18.5 with a significantly smaller motor. They're not. Honestly, Nitro does the same thing on their non-900 series boats. Besides that deception, what happens when said newb boat owners buys the boat and a year down the road he becomes frustrated with the performance? If he has the cash he opt out to up scale the hp on the boat but he can't. The hp limitation has locked him into a motor that's insufficient for the boat. He can stick the larger OB on their but his insurance company isn't going to be happy and if they're not happy, the bank he has the loan with won't be happy either. Now the guy is stuck in an under-performing boat and his only option is to live with it or sell it, probably for a loss. I don't still don't think these boats do anyone any favors. Just rate the d**n things the way you're supposed to and if a customer wants to vastly under power their rig that's their choice.

The formula is what the industry uses to determine max horsepower for a boat hull. IIRC, the actual formula was derived from the USCG. Anytime you under power a boat by the amount you'd be with that one you'd never reach maximum potential for the hull. That 115 would be running nearly full throttle just to keep that thing up on plane if the boat was fully loaded. A 115 running full throttle eats gas just as much as a 175 running 2/3. Since both boats would run the same speed, you're not optimizing the full potential of the boat and motor combination. Why not rate the hull for what it's true value is and let the customer decide if they want to underhorse power?

??? Using the standard formula for determining Max hp for boats under 20' L (in feet) * W (in feet) * 2 - 90 This boat comes up to 187. Which would equate into a real world 175hp motor. This things got to be a slug even with the 115.

The general rule of thumb is, on a properly setup boat, the rooster tail shouldn't exceed the height of the top of the motor.

I don't do a whole lot of flippin, much more pitchin so a I got rid of my telescopic 7'6" and went with an Allstar Classic 7' HVY action for both techniques. Nice rod, no hump grip, plenty sensitive though those presentations are much more line watching techniques. I'd suggest an AS Classic rod or if you want to spend a little more get a Team Allstar Big Boy rod. The Big Boy line is specifically designed for hoisting fish out of heavy cover.

Forget Jimmy Houston, I just saw where the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor!!

I've found if you pop the rod tip just as you feel the lure strike the branch, the lure will pop off. I think the nose catches on the branch and the rest of the bait pivots around it. It works about 1/2 the time.

That's actually AXXAR. Garcia had an AXXAR line of spinning reels. This might have been a one off deal to get rid of some old 500 series reels they had left over. The 500 is a tipoff, those were low end Garcia's they used to sell in places like Walmart on those rod n reel combo's. The high speed doesn't mean much either, Garcia used to advertise the 4 and 5000 series reels as high speed even though they only had the 5.3:1 gear ratio. They only have 2 bearings, both located on either end of the spool. Anyway, just looking at the handle, the plate thumbscrews along with the overall design it's a 90's design reel. Apparently it doesn't even have instant anti-reverse? What's the number stamped into the bottom of the reel seat? Considering the condition, if you stuck it on Ebay you might get a few bucks more for it vs regular Garcia 500's from collectors. A typical Garcia 500 usually go for around $16 - 20 depending on condition. It's a solid dependable reel that's pretty much bullet proof. Here's a schematic link http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/schematic.php?url=Ambassadeur,%20Cardinal/Ambassadeur%20Axxar%20500%2004-00.pdf

I just found my 2002 BPS catalog and the transom and stringer system is composite with a lifetime warranty (to the original owner).

I'm exhausted just reading it. ;D