3crows

And the Three Amigos, Curado 200IHG on Falcon Pitching Stick, Curado 200IHG on a Falcon Amistad LR and lastly a Curado 200I on a Falcon Herm:

The Boys, Casitas 150HG on a 7' St Croix Premier MHF and a Caenan 150HG on a St. Croix Mojo Bass Flippin' rod:

Anyone familiar with G3 boats? Their bottom model looks good but have never seen one up close. I guess nobody makes the 14 to 16 foot boats like I grew up on. The world has gotten too complicated. As I ride down country roads I am always on the lookout for an original Skeeter boat. Add a platform up front, call it good. They were glass, but they were tough and sneaky.

The OP was not about engine break-in.

I am vexed. I am a kayaker but prefer to stand when fishing. But a kayak that is stable enough to stand will not paddle well and a kayak that paddles well will not allow standing. I carry three rods, one with a worm of some sort, usually a Zoom or Senko (Falcon WW and Curado 70XG), another with a spinner bait/chatter bait or similar (a Curado 200I on Falcon Herm) and lately my new spinning outfit with a Ned Rig (Stradic Ci4+ on Falcon JC). I try to pre-rig everything and carry a couple of spares and maybe a different color or two. Anything more becomes a wrassling match and a wrassling match in my kayak could become a swimming lesson.

Oh, I did not see that one on their site. Thanks. I do like it, yes.

I mean lower price range, smaller size, no more than 17 feet, low horsepower, 20 to 40, shallow water capable emphasis, aluminum only, little or no wood. Really, what I am asking and did not do a good job of it is the opinions and experience of those who own small, aluminum low horsepower boats. I fully understand that it is unlikely such boats will meet up with the quality standard of my Whaler but carpet stapled down on cheap plywood is not what I want. I can afford any boat I want, any boat. But I do not think I can justify, regardless, owning two such boats. A no guilt boat that will not hurt my eyes. And that I will not need to strip and rebuild in a few years. A brand that has a good reputation for value and quality. I have more projects that I can finsih in two lifetimes and time is short as it is. New or used, the same criteria remain. Lund builds a nice boat but I see nothing that would skulk through a cypress swamp in their lineup. Those Vee hull are nice for the big water lakes and northern lakes but do not see them much on the bayou. You guys ever seen the old Terry bass boats and Skeet boats from back in the 60s and early 70s? I know they were glass but that is the concept.

The Babies, Stradic Ci4+ 2500 on Falcon JC and Curado 70XG on Falcon LR WW:

Thanks. There is also Lowe and Alumacraft, not sure about their construction. The Tracker 175 looks okay though it is more boat than I want (wood aside), but I like the design. And it has the full 0.10+ hull.

LOL, work was one of the exceptions. Look, rather than arguing with me, go see for yourself, Google is your friend and I found and read the entire law. It was a Pdf. I stay with what I said, my interpretation of the law as I read it, no, the answer is no to trailer towing for fun and pleasure.

Yeah, the 160 is very very close. Yeah, that is cooking with gas as long as the construction is composite. I think a galvanized trailer is optional.

Actually it would rot out in about two. I am looking for all aluminum or aluminum with composite materials. I may have to purchase an aluminum hull of the desired type and outfit it myself. I will not save money that way but I can get a galvanized trailer, no wood construction and keep it light so I can use a smaller engine. I just hate another project, I have my third airplane project underway and still work full time so my time is the limited resource. I like the carpeted decks and general layout of the Tracker Pro 170. I do not like the wood lining, thinner than competition aluminum hull thickness and painted trailers. The platform and general size is correct.

Oh, okay, I see now, the Exxos model. Interesting. I live in Wichita now but I am from the deep south and will soon return upon retirement. I am not a midwesterner. That is why I am looking for a new boat to sneak around the bayous in again and hunt large mouth bass, those big ones that hide in the cypress stumps between the alligator nests with the water moccasins hanging from the limbs.

That is the correct platform. But I am leery of glass boats. Glass and cypress stumps do not mix. Those are nice, thanks, I will research them. Those are similar to the old Terry boats. Bass cannot swim 70 MPH, I could keep up with them quite well in my (self made) pirogue. That is exactly the the platform but it is also exactly the brand that I am accusing of poor construction and carpet covered plywood that will turn to a rotten mess in a three years or less.

Those Tuffy boats are walleye boats. We do not use that type of boat down in bayou country for bass. The bayous are often narrow and the backwaters shallow. No need for a Vee-hull boat. I already have a BW that cost as much as a small house, I want a bottom end value boat with a simple, shallow Vee for small water bass. I am just not impressed with what I see in the market.

So, I went and read the Penn. laws. No, the answer is no, you cannot tow a trailer unsupervised, that would be my interpretation of what I read from the Jr DL law. Leave the country, where you planning on going?

I had for many years a small "Panfish" type aluminum fishing boat with stick steer. I converted it to have a forward casting platform. It had a 25 horse two stroke Merc and it would haul tail for a little 16 footer. I stupidly sold it for some reason. I also currently have a (very) expensive Boston Whaler Outrage and a fleet of kayaks so justifying a higher end bass boat is just not there for me and it is not the type of fishing I like anyways. What I would want would be a simple, no frills, 16 feet, 25 to 40 horse aluminum rig. But looking at many of these aluminum boats, even expensive ones, they do not have the fit and finish of my Whaler. There is cheap carpet covered plywood lining the inside for one thing. That wood I am sure would be a rotten mess in a few years. And it is heavy thus requiring a larger engine. I grew up remembering when a bass boat was the little two seat stick steer Skeeters and similar outfits. I appreciate that some people need to go 70 MPH to get from spot to spot but that is not me. I would rather sneak around backwaters and bayous and cutoffs and smaller lakes or explore inlets from larger lakes. So, who makes a quality, small, bass boat these days?

Just knowing how to catch fish does not make one a lubrication expert. The 3 in 1 is known to turn gummy and thicken, there are better lubricants on the market than oil suitable for door hinges. This is kind of like the firearms forums, there is always somebody who has one a ton of contests and uses 3 in 1 oil in their AR or 1911. Nonetheless, there are better lubricants there as well. You should use what makes you happy. I think being cheap makes a lot of people happy. In the aviation world where I work, it will just get you dead.

I generally change the impeller every other year though my manual say annual.

It is a Mercury, put the hammer down on it and let the water fly. And fly it will. My family has run Mercs since the 60s on salt and freshwater boats. Some were Hades to start but once running, like the 150 Tower of Power, straight 6, shove the throttle down, there will be a whine and then Hades follows after. Five, (5), MPH? Huh? What you do need to worry over is water, outboards require a regular water pump replacement, in fact, I bet your manual says annually. Watch your water pressure and the tattle tale stream, it should be solid. Running an engine will not hurt it as long as it has oil and plenty of water to cool it. It was built to run.

My Tacoma DC TRD OR has the factory optional Snugtop. I bought my Tacoma in 2006 and it is still like new with just turning 100,000. It has always had a Yakima rack on the Snugtop. But I also have the factory rack installed on the cab. I have carried two large kayaks, on either rack, from Kansas to San Diego and to Key West, twice. Never a single problem. I carry them to TR lake a few times a year, many, many miles. I use the Yakima J type carries. Yakima has an adapter for factory racks. Surely the new Tacomas have a factory rack option? My 06 did not come with the factory cab rack. I bought it after the fact from Toyota Parts and installed it myself.

Yes, the small ones, like mine, are short on storage because they maximized flotation. It is as solid as a chunk of concrete, but not a lot of storage. It is a fun boat for exploring, diving, riding and fooling around and a great near shore (near being relative) saltwater boat and we have caught a lot of fish. But one thing it is not good at in any way and in fact horrible, it is not a bass boat.

Are you sure that the line is not frayed or damaged and the grinding noise is the rod and guides singing as the damaged line runs over them in the last few inches?

Thanks guys, appreciated.

Nope, from the store, to my basement which is cool and dry. I have not checked any other Zman packages. i am sure this is an anomaly. I hope. I have original Mr. Twisters from 1973, still good.