clipper

Did you make sure the transom was sound? You should be able to stand on the foot of the motor without the transom moving.

Most 1998 fiberglass boats would not need a complete gelcoat redo. Unless your boat is severely oxidized, scratched, chipped, or blistered the gelcoat can usually be brought back with some work. Post a picture of the boat up close so the guys on this site can see what it looks like. I bet you will get some good advice that will save you a ton of money.

Did I recognize the island at Gaults Ferry Landing in that video? I guess the cloud cover kept them busting just about all day, huh . You having all that fun while the rest of us were slaving away at work . Good video, that should make Gene jealous.

One of the effects of Ethanol in the gas is that some of the hoses are being eating up inside, leading to pieces of hose in the fuel system. Best to take it in so that the problem can be tracked down. I've been hearing of similar types of issues because pieces of hose are getting stuck in the fuel system (at different places) and impeding the flow of fuel. Do a Google search on ethanol in outboards and you will get an education on the effects it is having on outboard engines. A lot of people are having fuel problems with their outboards now. It not only softens and deteriorates certain rubber components, it also disolves the resin from fiberglass fuel tanks and causes the fuel to absorb water. One common problem seems to be sticky needle valves. I have a just tuned motor that is already running rough after only a few tanks of fuel. I suspect we will all be needing regular fuel system service as a result of this stuff. I think the jury is still out on whether the new fuel stabilizers will control the negative effects as well. The longer it sits in your tank the worse the effects seem to be, so the guys that fish once or twice a week may be better off than us occasional fishermen. I have heard you can buy ethanol free gas in Alabama and I only live one hour away. I may just start fishing Lake Weiss and forget Allatoona. I'm no outboard expert by any means but my mechanic is really concerned about it. Back to top Be careful when buying gas that is supposed to be ethanol free, I've been reading about numerous instances where handheld testers showed that "ethanol free" gas really contained 5-10 ethanol in some cases. Seems that the only way to know for sure is to use a hand held tester at the pump. I was planning to buy a test kit.

For a $7000 investment it might be worth paying a local shop $200-300 to check the boat and motor for you before you buy it.

One of the effects of Ethanol in the gas is that some of the hoses are being eating up inside, leading to pieces of hose in the fuel system. Best to take it in so that the problem can be tracked down. I've been hearing of similar types of issues because pieces of hose are getting stuck in the fuel system (at different places) and impeding the flow of fuel. Do a Google search on ethanol in outboards and you will get an education on the effects it is having on outboard engines. A lot of people are having fuel problems with their outboards now. It not only softens and deteriorates certain rubber components, it also disolves the resin from fiberglass fuel tanks and causes the fuel to absorb water. One common problem seems to be sticky needle valves. I have a just tuned motor that is already running rough after only a few tanks of fuel. I suspect we will all be needing regular fuel system service as a result of this stuff. I think the jury is still out on whether the new fuel stabilizers will control the negative effects as well. The longer it sits in your tank the worse the effects seem to be, so the guys that fish once or twice a week may be better off than us occasional fishermen. I have heard you can buy ethanol free gas in Alabama and I only live one hour away. I may just start fishing Lake Weiss and forget Allatoona. I'm no outboard expert by any means but my mechanic is really concerned about it. Back to top

I know how you feel. My dad's been gone for over 30 years and I still miss him. Spent time helping my son paint the kitchen in his new house today, and that was very good. I fished a lot with my dad and personally think both you and I will get to fish with our dads again.

Sounds like you had fun with your rod and reel, hope the trotline had some cats on it too.

I bet he had a good time getting that one landed. Great way to spend a mornng.

I don't remember seeing the buttons but I do remember hearing the slogan. That's strange seeing that now I can no longer remember a new phone number long enough to write it down. (Team Depends Member). :-/ Maybe someone should make some bumper stickers that say "I Like Ike" and get rich selling them to bass fishermen.

A wide-gap hook so I could texas rig a Big Daddy Fliptail instead of fishing it on a hook with a bent wire to make it weedless.

I am posting this report on behalf of my grandson who is too young to have an account. Report follows; "I got up at 3 in the morning to go striper fishing with my uncle and granddad. We went to lake Allatoona to fish for stripers under the bridge. They weren't biting so at daylight we went bass fishing. I went to sleep on the front of the boat and my uncle woke me up to land a spotted bass he had hooked. I used his pole and got it in the boat. I started fishing with push button spin cast reel and a rooster tail my granddad tied on for me. The bass were hitting shad on top water at a narrow place in the lake and I fished hard trying to hook one myself. I hooked one on my rod and landed it all by myself and got to land two more that my uncle and granddad hooked for me. One was 16" long. My granddad also let me throw his open faced spinning reel but I like my spin cast reel best. We came home about 9 in the morning and I was tired. It was fun and I like to fish a lot. Jake Jensen (Little Fluke) - 7 years old My favorite bait is Big Bite worms " Jake is a dedicated fisherman who will stay with it as long as you want to fish. By the time he is 16 he will be giving his dad a run for the money.

My son caught a mouse in a trap and we didn't find it for a week because it was close to the cabinet where I keep my JJ's.

Quite an accomplishment. I know your folks are proud of you. We are too. I guess we are "folks" as well.

I fish 4# test often in open water, but I retie after every fish or hang up. I also don't fish expensive lures on the 4# test. Learned the hard way too.

From the looks of the picture it appears it was a beautiful day to fish. I hope you didn't let the experience ruin the day for you.

Since you are fishing belly boats with snow in the background, I assume you had to hike in. I also assume it was an "invigorating experience" stepping into that cold water. Glad it paid off for you. I've always wanted to fish one the high remote lakes in the Rockies that get light fishing pressure because they are remote and roadless. Actually, I would like to fish a remote lake in Georgia that gets light fishing pressure, but I don't know of any.

I've seen a lot of coils corroded away from the salts in fertilizer, but I never thougt about dog urine. I guess it has salt too. Don't let the mower throw grass on the coil because the grass has the fertilizer in it too and will corrode the fins and tubing. It will also clog up the fins, reduce efficiency and capacity and make compressor work harder and run longer. Bigger power bill :'(.

Maybe he was just getting even for jet skis buzzing him on the previous trip . When I was young enough to water ski we did so - a lot. I also fished with my dad, so I knew to stay away from fishermen. Being a fisherman I know you do the same. Have fun and don't let rude people spoil your day, because the world is full of them - young and old.

The problem with the outside fan motor could be a bad run capacitor or the motor could be going bad. If the unit tried to run without the outside fan motor operating it could have either tripped the high pressure switch(if it has one) or the compressor could have overheated and gone out on overload. If the high pressure switch is manual reset you will have to find it and reset it. If you can't find a manual reset high pressure switch, let the unit sit for a day or overnight to let the compressor cool down. Then have your wife start the unit at the tstat inside the house while you spin the fan motor immediately on start up. Listen for the compressor to run. Also, feel the large refrigerant line. If the unit is cooling the large line will get cold. If not, you will likely need to pay a repairman. If your unit cools OK, you may get by with just solving the outdoor fan motor problem. If the capacitor is swelled or bulging it definetely needs to be replaced. If not, you will need a repairman to determine the problem. Good luck. PM me if you need further help. I will try to check tomorrow night.

It may be stopped up with leaves or other junk. Can you get a small plumbing clean out through it? Try working from the back to the front if you can't go from front to back.

I wonder if he broke his parking gear trying to power the boat off the trailer in reverse? I guess he can sell the boat to buy a car :'(.

Great looking boat. I know you can't wait to get it on the water. You do realize the next time your wife wants a new car you can't say no .

I put it on my Stratos before going on the roadtrip. When I got home I rinsed the boat down and went over it with a damp cloth. It came clean and looked good as new. My son took it to the lake yesterday and when he came back I told him to get the hose and wash off the scum line. I looked closer and there wasn't one. He put in just after a large tourny took out so I know the water had to be coated with oil. I will do my second coat in a couple of weeks and see how the boat looks then. I have had problems each year with fading and am hopeful the BTS will prevent or at least slow it down. As far as putting it in the shower goes, it makes my boat so slick I'm not sure I would do the bottom. Has anybody else used it on ceramic tile in showers? I would like to know because we have to spray ours after each use with this strong stuff to prevent the growth of mold, and you can't help but breathe it during the process.

Those are two beautiful fish. Congratulations to both of you on a great day on the water.