Way2slow

Yea, in south Florida they don't wait for the water to get warm enough for the bass to go on the spawn, they have to wait for it to get cool enough. There have been all kinds of battery additives around for many years making all sorts of claims. I've never used or experimented with any of them to make any assumptions of my own. I feel a properly maintained battery does not need additives, whether it be stored or in use. I think if there was a magic potion, some manufactor would be advertising it already in their batteris to get that little extra on the competition.

Wind, and old wives tale???. Yes, wind and wind directions have a definite affect on bite. Some of that is based more so on the pressure systems causing the wind directions but some directly related to direction. Wind creates artificial currents that attract bass. Also, hard winds blowing straight down a wide channel drives bait fish up on the longer shallow points going out into that channel. Some of the best fishing I've gotten into in recent years has been where bass were stacked on these points like cord wood feeding on those helpless baitfish. When the wind gets strong and yes, with 2 - 3 foot white caps as mention, where the trolling motor will not even stay in the water, I head to these types of points or heavily blown banks. They are a pain to fish, but if you're hidding from the wind, you're possibley passing up some of the best fishing you could hope for. Whether the cows are up and feeding, or laying down have any affect, since they are domestic animals and may have a lot to do with the farmers feeding schedule, who knows. However, if you are seeing deer and way more other wildlife as you're getting to the lake or along the banks while fishing, you can bet the fishing is going to be better also. I do contribute the same conditions that have the wildlife up, moving and feeding as to having the same affect on the bass. Been doing the game a long time and have made this observation for many years and have come to swear by it.

There is nothing wrong with changing one that often, unless you're having to pay a shop to do it, even then if you have that kind of money to throw away, no problem. That is however, way more often than ever needed. I would venture to say, most water pumps/impellars are never changed unless they fail. They will go many years before they dryrott. Unless running a lot of shallow water were silt is regularly being ingested, they will last years before wearing the ends off the blades. What they will do is start to harden and develop a memory so the blade tips don't flex back out quick enough for a good strong seal when it moves into large side of the chamber. I've seen motors many years old still running the original water pump, just not a very smart thing to do. When one does come apart, it can send pieces all up in the motor to get lodged in small ports and passages, causing cooling problems after being replaced. Plus the fact after a few years, the water circulation start reducing. It's probably almost as important to grease the drive spline every couple of years as it is to change the pump. I've seen them stuck in so bad, the LU would not seperate from the motor, that's why I do both every three years. Gotta drop the LU to do either, may as well do both. I guess I should say these comments are based on a motor that's not started out of the water and run dry. If you are one of the idiots that think they have to start the motor before launching just to make sure it starts, or for what ever reason they do that, then all this is out the window. Several seconds of running dry can destroy a water pump.

I change mine and grease the drive shaft spline every three years. That's 250 - 300 hours on my motor. They are easy to change if you have any mechanical skills. Impellar's for big motors are usually $35 - $45. The whole kits can vary $50 - over $100, depending on make and model motor. I usually usually pull it apart first, see what the gaskets, seals and other parts look like. If they are in good condition, I replace just the impellar, it they looks used up, I buy the kit, if the housing looks like it's getting near the end of it's life, I buy the whole water pump. I'm sure most shops will charge you two - three hours labor, even though most can be replaced in 1 - 1 1/2 hours. That's provided it's a fresh water motor. If it's a saltwater motor, don't even think about trying it yourself unless you are a pretty good mechanic. You can bite off a whole lot more than you planned to chew when you start trying to get saltwater motor parts off. You can usually expect the have a higher bill when you have one replaced on a saltwater motor, especially one that has not been apart for several years.

If I thought it would work, I would probably try it. Latex or rubber next to the skin doesn't work though, makes the hand sweat and shouldn't need to say anymore after that point. The glove I'm looking for is probably not made. I've at least three years trying to come up with that perfect pair. Just thought this would be a good place to see if some of ya'll had come up with a pair. I just ordered a pair from Duluth Trading Company to try http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/75074.aspx?feature=Product_14. Probaby just another $35 thrown away.

Well, I'm kinda the renegade when it comes to over powering a boat. Don't think I've ever had more than one or two that weren't over powered and they usually got over powered rather quickly. Back in the 60's I had a 16' Allison with two 135BHP mercs. I've had a 15' Procraft rated for 85 hp with a 200 EFI merc on the back. I've had several 17' boats with 200 - 250 hp on them. A 18.5 Stratos rated for 175, running over 300 hp. I've never even looked to see what my 20' Javelin is rated for but when I get that wild hair, I put one of my 300+ hp motors on the back of it just to raise H*** and tick those Tritons off. The transome is built to withstand a whole lot more stain and force that what that extra HP puts on it. Hitting an underwater obstacle at 40 mph and having the motor knocked out of the water places a 100 times more stress on the transome than that little extra hp hung back there. The three keys things you have to watch out for when over powering a hull is: 1. The weight, adding much more weight than the class motor the hull is designed for make it sit deeper in the back. If too deep, it's too easy for wakes and rough water to wash over into the back of the boat when stopped and fishing. NOT GOOD. 2. The insurance. If you are required to carry insurance on your boat, forget it. More than about 5% over and they will not insure it and will not pay off a claim if they find out it is over powered. 3. State laws. Some states, (a lot of the northern states) have strict laws against over powering and have very healthy fines if caught.

Make sure what ever you use, it protects the rods all the way to the tips so the tips are not allowed to come together when inserted in the rod holder. If you can't go all the way to the tip you will need some type of sleeve to slide over the rods before putting them in the rod holder. You can buy a whole bunch of sleeves for what one good rod is going to cost the first time the tips get tangled together and breaks one or two off. The plastic tubes they use in golf bags are popular for making rod holders but they are normally not long enough to protect the tips do get the sleeves for the rods if you use those.

Georgia is pretty much like in Louisiana, 30 degrees, 90% humidity in that early morning wet cold and a wind and the hands can get very painful. I've found exposed fingers don't work for me. From the middle of my fingers to the tips is where the cold gets them. Neoprene didn't work, those were some of the first gloves I've tried, several different type I can cast with no problems wearing bulky gloves, gotten very used to that and do that all the time when chasing stripers but when fishing worms or finesse baits for bass, you loose so much feel of the rod it's hard to detect most of the soft bites. I've explored the latex gloves over the cotton gloves but can't find a latex glove that's large enough. They are so tight they get uncomfortable rather quickly. Anything that fits too snug on you hands is going to reduce circulation which is going to cause your fingers to get cold no mater what material it is. I'm looking for a something like a wool, fleece or Thinsulate inner with a thin, soft pliable waterproof outer. I've got several pairs of Gore-Tex and other breathable fabric type gloves that would work great if they were truely waterproof, but haven't found a pair yet that is.

Haven't tried that brand. I've tried other brand neoprene gloves and they don't do much for keeping the fingers warm, fingers still got painfully cold with them, even with a fleece liner. Those I've tried also tired your hand after long use, but as I mentioned don't many glove fit my hands without being a little tight.

I've got a several different pair of gloves that expose the finger tips made for shooting, archiry and fishing. Some have flip off finger tips some leave the finger tips constantly exposed. The problem is the finger tips is what I'm trying to keep warm. It doesn't take much moisture in freezing/near freezing temps for them to get so cold it's down right painful in a short time. I've got everything else so I can fish all day in freezing rain and not be uncomfortable, only thing left is my hands. I have actually fished until the rain and sleet freezing on the decks made it too dangerous to move around. Got to the ramp and I was so iced over we couldn't use it, even with 4WD, had to use dirt area beside it and hoped like the devil I could come back out with a loaded trailer behind me.

Ok all you northern, cold weather fishermen, this southerner is looking for a pair of gloves. They can't be extremely bulky, have to come in XL - XXL, need to be fairly flexable but the need to somewhat keep you fingers warm and be able to keep them DRY. I've spent hundreds of dollars on gloves over the past several years trying to find the perfect pair but all I've gotten is a basket full of gloves that don't work I've tried just about every make/brand of Gor-Tex and other breathable materials made and they don't keep you fingers dry. I've tried SealSkinz's, both type, with and without the Chill blocker and they don't keep your fingers warm plus they tire your hand out in a short time and create a big wad of material in your palm when you close your hand The best I've still been able to come up with are those cheap, brown cotton work gloves and keep several dozen pair in the boat and constantly keep changing them as the fingers get wet. Those and a Coleman propane heater to thaw your fingers out from time to time. If it wasn't for the fact I have a very larger hand (long fingers and wear a size 15 ring), I would wear latex gloves over the cotton gloves but I can't even find latex gloves to fit my bare hand that don't cut the circulation off. I fish even when the line is freezing as it comes out of the water and go through this every winter. I would love to find a pair of gloves that work. I can cast and wind a bait caster even with those big, bulky gloves on but during the winter the bite is usually so soft, you can't feel most of the bites through that much padding between your hand and the rod.

I've been running MotorGuides at least 25 years and have had more of them than I remember. The ONLY times I've ever had a problem with vibration is: When the prop nut gets loose When something wraps around the prop or prop shaft I bend the prop shaft or damage a blade I've never had the depth cause vibration. If you have to run it a foot deep to keep it from vibrating, what are you going to do the first time your trying to fish a wind blown point where threre are rolling white caps or a lot of wakes from boat traffic, the bow is pitching a couple of feet and even with the TM as deep as it will go, still won't stay in the water? Just not fish those key locations and keep it in calm water. If that motor is vibrating set deep in the water, there is a problem that's not suppose to be there.

Not to make a stink but I believe I would drop these claims, the more you try to explain how you are doing it, the more it makes someone that does know high performance motors and boats realize you don't really have a clue. I don't think Allison or STV even makes a hull that will run in the 80's with 150/175 hp motor. To run 1" below the pad, you would need about 30 inches of total setback and a surfacing prop like a chopper, not a trophy. The exhaust tunner on a Merc has very little affect on the HP the motor makes, I know of guys who have run them where the tunner has broken loose and fallen into the mid section and never knew it. The exhaust ports you open are in the side of the cylinders and the motor has to be torn down and someone that knows what they are doing with a diegrinder grinds them higher and larger, they are not in the tunner or bottom of the motor. Timing advance is mechanical, not a module. The motor would self distruct if you tried to do away with the timing advance and lock it into one setting. The reason you read of people changing the "Ignition" module is to change or do away with the rev limiter built into them, not to change the timing. I could continue but no need, hopefully you get the point. Plus, as cart7 stated, whe are getting way off the subject of the original post.

I'm in Georgia and I too fish year round, but with five boats and nine motors, I don't use all of them year round so it saves money and aggrevation if you keep the ones not being used stored properly. My Javelin is the only one that never gets winterized or stored, that one gets used just about every other weekend, regardless the weather.

Not sure what info you got but they are basically one in the same. The only depth finder only units are those digital readout units made for boats that only want to know the dept. All LCD's and flashers give the depth along with traces of anything protruding from the bottom and between the bottom and the transducer on the boat. Now, just how good you want to interpit the information the units are giving you is where the differences come in. The better the unit, the better the information you get. I should also comment, you should never consider any of them a "fish finder". The upper line color models will come the closest to being called a fish finder but in reality, you will seldom ever see a bass that you catch on the "fish finder". You will however see plenty of structure and cover that has the potential for holding bass. Good units will pickup and show fish on the edge of a drop off and close to a stump if they are not laying right on it, some will seperate fish as close as a couple of inches from cover but the main thing you are looking for is where bait fish come in contact with these areas.

Any flasher or LCD depth finder will give you the basic information you say you're wanting, right down to the cheapest things made. It's when you start wanting more/better information about whats down there and want to start doing away with all the clutter /junk you see on them is when the prices start increasing. As LBH said, the better the unit, the better the electronics that provide the display and seperation. You pretty much get what you pay for, buy those cheap Cuda's, Garmin 140's and that junk and you get just what you're wanting. If you want to know if the blob in the screen is a fish, a tree top/stump, a school of shade/baitfish, or just a random noise return don't waste your money on that cheap junk. You can get some fairly good units that will serve you well in the $250 - $300 range, especially if you pick up the year end clearance sales. As you might gather from my post, I have no use for those cheap units that the pixels look like building blocks compared to the 360 and 480 units. Look at it like this, to a commercial fisherman, a $1,000 Lowrance would be a cheap, low end alternative.

I bought the auto's for my dad and grandaughter. One never know when they fall in if they my not be able to pull the rip cord. One thing about the auto's, they recommend changing the cartrige out on regular intervals (seems like they said every three months but may have been six) and I think that's about $30 a pop. Both of these are about six months old so I need to check them the next time I'm in the boat to make sure and order the recharge kits for theirs.

There's are people on S&F that would probably pay dearly for that Tracker, it has to be the fastest 18' Tracker on the planet with a 150 on it. I know guys barely getting that out of their STV's with more hp than that. I've had a lot of hotrod bass boats but have never even a 17' that would run even close to 80 with a 150. I did have a 15' ProCraft with a 200 Merc that would hit 80 but that's a long way from an 18' with a 150. As for boat preferences, I'm partial to the Stratos. I've had several over the years and have liked them all. I still have two Stratos' one 17' set up for stripper fishing and one 18.5' I'm selling next spring, and a 20' Javelin made by Stratos. My next boat will probably be a Stratos also.

No such thing as an WOT RPM calculator, way too many variables go into what determines the Max recommended rpm of a motor. Bore, stroke and porting are main determing factors but other variables do apply. Based on the bore and stroke, total CC displacement, the engineers determine what type application they intend for that motor and port it to most meet that application. If they want it to have maximum bottom end and mid range power, they port is so the peak power band is low in the rpm range. If they want it so it will have max horse power in a safe rpm range, they port it so the peak power band is up higher in the rpm range. That's why you can see two motors from the same manufactor and looking at the spec sheet, they look identical in bore, stroke, and cc's but one's rated for 100 hp and 6,000 rpm and the other rated for 75 hp and 5,500 rpm. Look at the 2.5 merc, same bore and stroke but they vari in hp from 150 - 300+ and rpm range from 5,500 - 8,000. Almost any two stroke motor can turn over well over 6,000 rpm and not bother it but if it's not ported to turn that many rpm you are so far over the peak power band you are just burning more fuel and running slower than if proped to run in it's designed rpm range. For those that know car motors, changing port heights, sizes, angles etc is just like changing the cam in your car motor. The bigger the cam, the more hp and top end power but you have to use more rpm and ride the clutch to get it moving. Low lift cams get you moving real quick but quit pulling when you try to turn them any rpm.

One little note on Wal-Mart and most other batteries you see that have the date sticker on them. That is the date the battery was delivered to that store, that is not the manufactor date. The manufactor date is a coded date imprinted into the battery along with some other coded info, usually around the top edge of the battery. To tell the date of manufactor, you have to have the quide to decode the info. Companies will just change the delivery codes stickers every month or two or to keep from being so obvious, will swap them to another store and change them then. Granted, Wal-Mart has a high enough turnover their batteries are fairly fresh, but I have seen batteries as much as eight months old at them, but the delivery sticker will say they were only one month old. Where ever you buy batteries, buy them from a high volume dealer, theirs are going to come closest to having the newest date of manufactor. If you go into a place and see a few batteries and they are all covered with dust, keep walking.

He made a comment I guess most of ya'll missed and if true it's going to make it very difficult to remove the scumm. He commented toilet bowl cleaner blistered the "PAINT"???. If it's painted, almost anything you do is going to damage the paint if it's painted. If it was gel coat, the bowl cleaner should not have phased it.

Pull the cotter pin out and take the nut off the prop and around the edge of the prop under the nut should be the size of your prop. To make a shot in the dark guess, I would go down two sizes but with those small motors it's hard to tell, small changes make big differences.

Don't think just because it's all composite construction you are safe. Composite hulls can get just as waterlogged as wood. Waterlogged composite hulls can be just as weak as rotted wood if they delaminate.

It has to be in contact with the water to work or the bottom side of the Xducer epoxied to a glass hull. They will not shot through air. Even airbubles in the epoxy mounting one down can cause problems. If you're talking about glueing it to the inside of the hull and shooting through the hull like the do in the rear, most likely it will not work doing that either. Most bass boats have wood layered between the fiberglass in that area and it will not shoot throught the wood. If you want to see if it will work, get some clay and build you a dam around the area you're think of placing the Xducer, place the xducer in it use some type of weight or something to hold it in place and fill it with water. It will need to be in an area that will let it point straight down when you are in the bow seat. If it works to your satisfaction, epoxy it in.

Might also want to check state laws on inflateables. Some states do not accept the inflateable as the only form of PFD, you still have to have an approved PFD in the boat in conjunction with them. I have auto SoSSpends for my dad and granddaughter and the both love them. I make my granddaughter wear one at all times, not just when in the boat but anytime near the water. In the hot summer, it's much cooler for her and in the winter, it fits over her cold weather gear much better, but still keep vest type PFD's in the boat. That was the one thing she like most about turning 10, she no longer had to wear a vest (required by law until 10) and could start wearing her inflateable.