Tim Kelly

Nice choice AJ. The 200hp motors have been a bit of a tough choice until now, especially on Brunswick boats where the choices are limited. The new V8s look very interesting. How does the weight compare to your Opti? The V6 200 is another interesting new choice. Famine to feast!

Got the last bits of construction done on the boat today! Cut the hatches in the front deck without any errors, big relief. Just need to cover them now and we're pretty much ready for the start of the fishing season on June 16th.

It would only take a few moments to remove the brake blocks and find out. I expect I'd know what would happen, but as you say, there must be method in DVT's madness.

I think removing the brake blocks completely would be a bold move. I've never felt the urge to do that.

!4ft? That's a whopper. Mines only 12ft, but it's a tight squeeze getting it in the garage.

Check whether there are any brake blocks in the troublesome one. Also, check there's no oil contaminating the brake drum piece. You might also take the cast control cap off and turn the little copper washer over, they sometimes get dimpled if people are using them with too much tension.

Actually I think the LTB is uplocking still, so there's nowhere for the heel of your hand to be, other than hanging off the angled bit of cork on the locking ring.

Yes, that's the same reel seat. I find them too slim and they make my hand ache after a while, which is why I prefer the aero style seat. I am odd though, everyone else seems to like very minimal reel seats. ?

If it's the same as the ones on the green legends, I really don't like it. I hacked it all off my new green legend med light and put a handle I find more comfortable on. I am a bit obsessive about spinning rods though, casting I don't mind any of the available reel seats.

Got some more done to the boat at the weekend. All the decks and framing are now complete, TM wiring complete. Need to find a way of covering the decks now. I would like some marine vinyl, but it's utterly unattainable here. I can't find a company who will ship from the states either, which is frustrating. Not sure quite what I'll end up doing at the moment. Once the covering is done though, I just need to wire in the nav lights, bilge pump and fishfinders. I probably need to raise the motor about 3" too annoyingly, but that can wait for the moment.

Apparently so is lying around in the garden!

Bass pro still do a 12v maxxum bow mount cable control with digital maximizer. I know because I bought one a couple of months ago. Minn Kota no longer officially make them, so I'd snap one up quick at Bass Pro before they're gone. Otherwise I think there's a 12v Motor Guide X3 digital, but I believe they're not as solid a motor as the minn kota.

Very nice. Enjoy it.

Depends how much you like your paint I suppose.

Have a great trip. Absolutely understand your excitement. I have had a trip every other year, or sometimes every year to America and Canada to fish for bass with some very generous American chums for probably the last 10 years. Absolutely some of the very best weeks of my life. Something I will always treasure.

All my bass fishing is a plane ride away, so I've accumulated a good selection of 2 piece rods. I have a couple of St Croix SCV spinning rods that I use whether I'm bass fishing, or fishing at home as they're fantastic. I have a range of baitcasters built on MHX blanks which are very good. You will struggle to find any more specialized rods in 2 piece. I would love to find a decent flipping stick and a decent crankbait rod in 2 piece, but otherwise it is possible to equip yourself well if you need a 2 piece rod for bassing.

Could you leave the jockey wheel partially down, so that when it was about to scrape the jockey wheel would hold the trailer and back of the truck up? Might work for the few feet involved.

I like both, but feel that the F fish about half a power heavier than the XF, so yes, they have different purposes.

Have you spoken to Humminbird? I believe the two systems are not fully compatible, so you may be trying to do something that's not designed to work.

Have a look at your outboard. There is usually a pin that goes in the mount which sets the angle (trim) of the motor. If it's not in the lowest hole, so that the motor will sit flat to the transom, put it in the lowest hole, otherwise it's like trying to start a boat that's trimmed up and you will just aim at the sky.

Just back in from the test run. All went very well. The boat was stable enough, balanced fine and planed out easily. A great success. I can get on with building the hatches and putting in seats etc now knowing I'm not completely wasting my time! First boat trip for the black dog too. Petrified at first, but quite enjoyed it in the end.

Labbos is ready for her maiden voyage. The structure is in and the deck cut out. No hatches yet or covering, though I have painted the ply with polyester resin as it dries quickly and does a good job of waterproofing the wood. Tomorrow morning I'll give her a run and see how we're doing for weight distribution and general stability.

If that's legit, that's awesome.

Tackletrap.com

A loop of line trapped between the spool and the frame?