NBR

I back almost into the water very close to the dock and loosen the winch a few turns then back up until the boat floats. I walk out the dock, get into the boat and start the big motor unhook the winch strap. Tie the boat to the dock and move the van and trailer to a parking spot. I fish alone a lot since I haven't found any one else who is retired that likes to bass fish and I no longer fish on weekends or holidays.

Reel Mechanic has an excellant tutorial for setting up and using a bait caster on his webb site. We have all had our share of backlashes, untangles, profanity and cutting off snarls and you will too. The majic word for bait casting is practice, practice and practice.

I echo Reelmechanic-Contact Pflueger! They will most likely honor the warrantee.

My Curado is a great reel but then so are some of my Pfleugers, Daiwas, Quantums and BPS'. The Curado may be a bit more user friendly but it doesn't eliminate the need for practice. Bait casting is learned by picking out your share of backlashes.

Like said trim all the way under to start. Each boat reacts a bit different but mine sets up best as follows. After I get on plane I back the throttle off a bit and trim out slowly until I get an engine noise that I can only describe as sweet. At this point I have no steer torque and can release the wheel and the boat continues straight ahead. The boat is now set up for most any throttle position. If you do reduce the throttle and the boat begins to porpoise you can trim in a bit or increase the throttle to stop the porpoising. All of this occurs in less than 10 seconds after getting on plane and your passengers don't even feel the changes except hear the sweet noise and fell a real steady ride. Also as said a high rooster tail is from a motors trimmed out too far.

I'd opt for the 2 stroke and if possible jump to a 150hp. I couldn't tell by your post whether it is a new or used rig.

Not off the ground but just barely touching.

I would definitly return it. It is possible the rotor is out of balance and the vibration could cause other problems. Whether it the bottom or top of the line you should not have a vibration problem.

jb, I plugged Mercury Marine into Yahoo. Then picked the site re outboards. There is a, "Contact Us" in the upper right with phone numbers, email and fax info.

Why not plug into the Mercury/Mariner's web site and ask them your question?

Having fly fished sinve the late 1940's when all line was pretty poor compared to todays standards most of todays line is ok. Having said that my preference for years has been Scientific Anglers.

So much depends on where and how you will fish. If you are fishing rocky lakes or you want to beach the boat fairly often the aluminum is worth a strong look. For ride, comfort and quietness it is pretty hard to beat fiberglass. You mention going from spot to spot on a large lake. How large? I used to fish a 5,000 acre lake with a 14' aluminum boat and a 9.9hp engine. My fishing location was dictated by going from spot to spot in a reasonable amount of time not where I thought I should be according to conditions. You should only consider boats with motors at or near the maximum HP for the hull. Smaller motors have to work harder to attain the speed and use more fuel in getting there. A well built high sided aluminum in the size range you mention should not be a safety issue. Vee hulled boats are much better in rougher conditions than the flat bottomed versions. A flat bottom boat like many or most of the aluminum bass boats will beat you to death with any significant wave action. Depending on how much you plan to spend you might want to get a marine survey to have the boat and motor professional checked. I repeat, so much depends on where and how you fish to decide on hull material. I have had aluminum and if I was fishing more remote Canadian like lakes where I would want to beach the boat and go to shore fairly often I would opt for the aluminum. My current boat is fiberglass which is my material of choice.

Without power trim/tilt the best spot for hole shot (time to get on plane) would be with the motor tucked all the way under -lowest hole. This might not be the best overall position. You might also look at your load. With batteries, fuel, people and other weight in the back you might just have too much weight for a 60hp to get on plane easily. Do you have electric start? If not you most likely don't have any charging capacity. The mag supplies spark to run the engine but does not charge the batteries. Most electric start outboards have a combination starter/charger. Even newer electric start models don't have sufficient charging power to keep up with battery draw if you are running bilge pumps, live wells, sonar, lights and other accessories drawing from your system. I would say not to waste your money on trim tabs. You would be better off to sell the boat and add the proceeds and the cost of trim tabs toward another boat. Getting the load more balanced would be a better step. Have you talked to the previous owner? He might be able to shed some light on the planing issue. My guess is that it has always been a problem unless you have added a lot of weight.

I bought one from BPS. I don't consider it an effective PFD when running the big motor and only use it when fishing alone in the early spring when water temps are low. Helps find the body!

I have 2 Quantums, 2 or 3 Pfluegers, a previous years Curado, 3 or 4 BPS reels, a few older Daiwas and Shimano's and frankly I can't see much difference in any of them. So long as they have bearings on the spool shaft they all cast plenty far enough. More bearings seem to make them smoother but when I'm fishing I don't notice that feature. I must admit when Shimano upped the price on the Curado by 67% for a slight if any increase in features it did aggravate me more than a little and I vowed to buy else where. I set the drag fairly light and use my thumb on the spool for hook sets and to snub up a fish from time to time so the drag doesn't work into my equation very much. I do prefer an external cast control but not enough to make that a must have feature. My .02 is pick what feels best to you on your rod.

The trout fishermen on Michigan's AuSable river have a heavy chain on a rope. The farther out they let the chain the slower they go.

There is not a boat of any size that will withstand anything the big lakes can give you. Think of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I have fished Michigan, Erie, St Clair and any number of large inland lakes in my 19' bass boat but when it starts to threaten in the distance I beat a very, very, very hasty retreat. I also watch the weather very closely if its going to be bad change plans and pick a smaller body of water. If there are going to be thunder storms stay home. When the waves start to build may be too late. First you can't go as fast and secondly your over the bottom speed reduces since you are going up and down hill (the waves). Over the years I have spent a lot of time on the big lakes and over the years I have grown into "Captain Chicken". When it might get bad I head in or stay home. I have never seen a fish worth leaving a widow and/or an orphan. Look for a used or new boat with reasonably deep draft and length that you can afford any buy it. Take a Coast Guard Auxillary course on seamanship so you have the knowledge and skills to stay out of big trouble and go fishing. My first performance bass boat was used. It served me well for about 7 years and I sold it for about what I had paid less a very few improvements, mostly of the clean up spruce up variety.

Yes weeds can overload the motor. You need to clear it when it gets weed choked. My boat has a bow mount and I just pull it up and run it for a few seconds out of the water and the weeds clear. If you can't do that clear them by reversing or by hand but clear them.

Every thing I have read about Optima batteries is positive but they are pricey. Just be sure to get a marine cranking battery. Marine batteries are built more durable to stand up to the pounding. You should get a battery with as many reserve amps that will fit in your battery holder or be prepare to put in a new battery holder. If the battery you are replacing is the original I would think the existing size is just fine and you have taken good care of it since it has lasted a long time. I too have had a cranking battery let me down and need a tow. Now I have a set of jumpers in a holder that rides in the boat all summer and the car in the winter. If you don't have an on-board charger, you might want to think of getting a unit. Be sure you have a bank for each battery. I put one on my boat years ago and it basically resolved all of my charging issues and is much much more convenient.

I second the BPS rubber. Fish is protected and hooks don't get tangled.

Chris is right on. You get a lot more wrist flex with your palm down and overhead casting. Side arming if you are right handed gives you more wrist flex with your palm to the left. In golf its club head speed and in bait casting its lure speed the yields distance. Lure speed will be higher with more wrist flex. Unless I am really tring for an ultra long cast (very seldom) I don't use much arm at all.

Some place I read a post (I think here but I couldn't find) that said you should not wax the hull of your boat because it would reduce hole shot and top end speed. My thought before this was that waxing the hull would provide some hull protection and reduce surface tension between the hull and the water. Therefore you might see an ever so slight improvement in performance and the wax would provide a bit of perfection. Also when on plane so little of the hull is in the water I wonder about the affect on top end speed. Could some of you comment on hull waxing and the pros and cons of doing the work. If hull waxing is a detriment I sure don't want to spend the time working on it.

In addition make sure the trailer has surge brakes. By the time you load it with tackle, and gas yout vehicle will need some help getting everything stopped. Was the boat covered when it was outside. Big difference in keeping water out. Don't forget to add in the costs of depth sounders, water temperature, needed repairs and other items you will want. With the work you mention as needed it sounds a bit high.

In that price range look for a well maintained used boat. From now till spring is a good time since a lot of guys who have ordered new boats will be looking to sell their current rigs. My first tourney ready rig was bought used. I kept it for 6 or 7 years and sold it for within $200 or $300 of what I paid for it. I might have spent $300 for a few up grades. A good clue for a used boat is one that has been garaged. No exposure to the elements for boat or motor.

I too have used moth balls which seemed to keep the vermin out. I usually put them in several cans and place the cans around the boat.