Al Wolbach

This will cure your problems and as simple as it gets..........Al

Common practice. USPS is cheaper, but they are all in bed together.......Al

The folks from Berkley(Pure Fishing now) told me to always tie a palomar knot with Vanish when I complained about knot breakage using the Improved Clinch knot. Solved my problem and I use Vanish a lot, primarily because of cost........Al

Thanks, Wayne and Tom. I have been neglecting several trailer jacks for a long time. Tom, that video was good, thanks..........Al

I don't pretend to know much about boat insurance but the area where you live may vary greatly. I have heard nightmares about claims adjustments in East Tennessee from Progressive. I carry all my insurance with one company, 2 cars, 2 boats, 2 motorcycles and home. I have had 1 claim on the home and 1 on the boat without any problems. The boat, when I filed the claim, was never even looked at by anyone from the insurance company. If you are really happy with a company it may be best to stay with them.But, explore your options, as the OP is doing........Al

FWIW- Some of the jacks do not have Zerk fittings and the plastic cap on top must be removed the apply grease to the gears. And I have never greased the shafts on my 98 model. Does the manufacturer recommend grease on the shafts?

With a motor guide a 2 blade prop is considered a power prop,and is faster. A 3 blade prop is better for weeds and is not as noisy. Don't have much experience with Minn kota.........Al

The formula BPS teaches employees to determine shaft length is, measure from bow to water + 18 inches.......Al

Matt, I always mold my jigs with the weed guards in. I fish heavy cover and lose a lot of jigs also. I paint my heads with a brush and use jig paint that I order from Barlows tackle. The paint comes in 1oz bottles for a few dollars and many colors are available. You can paint a lot of jigs with 1oz of paint. The paint will chip if fished around rocks but you are probably not losing them around rocks anyway if you are fishing lay downs or other heavy cover. And if you don't lose them you can repaint the jig heads if they need it.......Al

Been so long since I installed one I couldn't remember detail,lol.....Al

Looks great........Al

Not to mention the biggest cottonmouths in the world!!!!!

What did Wayne advise so the rest of can learn?............Al

I'm not a big fan of Nitro but in this case I would choose the CDC because of size and weight. I have not fished Clark Hill but I have the other two and they can get violently rough. Normally I would choose the new boat but not so in this case. Congrats either way. A friend of mine had a CDC a few years back and I loved the layout but they were not popular for some reason, probably poor marketing. Good luck with either........Al

I was a Torpedoman, not around a lot of Boatswain Mates of any branch. Did log about 100 hours flying with the Coast Guard in C130's and CH43's in the Pacific, island hopping and monitoring foreign fishing vessels. Also spent a few days on Kure Island, which is/was a Coast Guard Loran station in the pacific. The most isolated piece of ground I have ever been on. I have a great deal of respect for all branches of service, just couldn't pass a golden opportunity to harass and maybe share a smile.......Al Sorry OP for stealing the thread, I'll shut up now.

Only a shallow water sailor could answer a question about anchor line lol, no experience with chain guys? Just joking........Al

Not sure what type of boat you have but mounting a foot control motor may be your hardest problem. Would be much better boat control, and free up both hands/arms.

I have done this with a Motorguide and it is quite simple but can't address a Minnkota. But this may be your only good option. It has been a while but with a Motorguide all you have to do is remove about three screws, rotate the shaft, reinstall the screws.

A buddy of mine had a similar Javelin and it was fast. very fast with a 150.

Can you spin the shaft in the mount to get the cable to lay in a different area?

I have mounted both type transducers for shoot thru and lowrance, at one time, showed how to epoxy them on their web site. The only problem that I remember was that most skimmer transducers have built in temp sensors, which will then cause your water temp shown on the unit will actually be your bilge temp. It was also a little more difficult to hold the skimmer transducer immobile while the epoxy dried/cured(24 hours) due to the shape of the transducer. Lowrance recommended placing a weight on top while the epoxy dried to keep a good contact with the hull. You have to remember to cover, if you have a 60 degree transducer, to cover 60 degrees of the bottom of the transducer with epoxy when attaching it to the hull. And avoid any air bubbles in the epoxy when you mix/apply it. When you are ready to actually attach the transducer to the hull, give the transducer a slight twist as you push down to remove any air bubbles from the epoxy then place a weight in it while it cures. If you should need to remove a transducer that has been epoxyed to a hull, take a short piece of wood 2x4, place it against the transducer and hit it with a hammer. The transducer will pop free with a couple of light hits. To reattach the same transducer you will need to scuff up the old epoxy/hull with a wire brush or course sand paper, clean with solvent, reapply fresh epoxy, and place the transducer back on the hull as described above.

I have a 98 225VMAX on a 20' Champion. I have had no problems with it at all. Routine maintenance is all that has been required except for fuel pumps. Mine has 3 fuel pumps that need replacement/rebuild every 5 years. Sounds bad, but it isn't. Cost about $150 and an hour of time. I change water pumps about every 2 years. Change plugs every year, fuel filter/water separator filter and lower unit oil, that's about it. I bought it new and it runs great today. That's the plus, gas usage sucks, that's the minus.......I did replace the lower unit and prop about 3 years ago after I hit a submerged rock pile. Has been a great engine

You will need a new pedestal if you want a new seat that you lean against to rest your back. It must be longer than the current pedestal used for your sit-down seat. They make an adjustable length pedestal that are best suited for standing that you can also rest a cheek on or lean against(one size fits all), such as WiGuide suggested above.. You will also need a butt seat which is a seat without a back. The other end of your pedestal is a 3/4 screw in type, not a drop in type. You need everything that is removed in your boat picture. Does that clear it up.

I used epoxy that Lowrance sells to install in my Champion. I don't believe silicone will keep it in place if you run the boat, maybe not even to trailer to the water. I believe Lowrance has some tips on their web site, or did at one time. You must sand or wire brush the fiberglass/transducer and clean with a solvent prior to applying the epoxy to get it to hold. I have only installed a couple of them and I used epoxy both times but I was placing the transducers where the old one was so location was not an issue. And don't forget, if you have a transducer with a built in temp sensor your new temp reading will be the bilge temp not water temp

There are a lot of ways to deal with the floating docks, just a matter of "how much do you want to spend". When the lake is going down you pretty much have to push them, not as many options as when it is rising. Most of my neighbors actually enjoy the lake bottom after it drops for winter pool. We enjoy walking/exploring the lake bed finding everything boaters/fishermen have lost during the summer. Or in some cases threw away. Most of my neighbors also have atv's and enjoy riding them. The first year is a shock, second not so bad and continues to get easier. I have been here 15 years and look forward to the lake dropping. It's just a different adventure.