newbiedmv

Just a dumb FYI. I went up to Raystown this week. That is kinda strange. Hundreds of rec boats. It's a massively deep flooded gourg. Only about 4 coves. According to the locals It's a striped bass lake and some wallye and musky. The few that were fishing were big boats trolling with down riggers on. There were massive schools everywhere but 80 to 100 feet down. I needed practice with my boat and it was great for that. I just caught a few 6-8 inches on a tiny inline spinner in the coves. Come to think of it I only saw one other bass boat in four days.

I'm new to power loading by myself. Only done it twice now. First time went real good. I ran the winch out about 3 feet looped it around and set the hook on the winch then snaged it with the boat hook. This time that boat wasn't gonna stay on the trailer. I really should have gotten a 15 footer, oh well live and learn. I need to replace my squeeze ball as it's intermittent (of course when you really need it not to be). I'll try that suggestion. I'm down for a few weeks now anyway. Thinking Lake Anna in VA in mid September. Thanks to all for the information. I'll check it out . Worse thing I can glue beer bottle tops to the bottom of some old sneakers ?

Well finally made it out. Found a good fishing hotel, everyone was decent and helpful. Found one major security thing to do. I have a little 17' crestliner. I get compliments all the time. But once that cover is on its just a little crappie boat. It's a heavy duty cover designed to be used on the road. Just to see inside you'd have to cut 6 straps and ropes. I don't tow with it on, to expensive to risk a rip. I must admit this was easier than I was expecting.

I loaded up today was tieing down. Disconnecting the 24v system wires when I got lit up like a Christmas tree. I left the depth finder on and that little jiggling and tiny spark fired my butt up.

Cool I'll look for them. I took a hard hit in my ribs today. I'm red, white, blue, black, and yellow.

Yep, i had on sneakers on a shallow alge covered ramp and went upside down on the trailer. It hurt. The ramps I used to use were so rough you would shread your tires on them. Not where I am now. Any ideas? I can't power load yet, the boat completely slips off even with 1/4 of the bunk boards covered in water(I got a fix for it). So any alge grip shoes around? Maybe golf sneakers or track shoes?

Another senior moment. The valve in the squeeze ball is semi bad. Long story on how I found it. Worked very well today, the old minn kota power drive auto pilot worked great. The fish stayed 30 feet or more down. I'll be back up here in Sep after the ski people leave.

If anybody sees this and has a comment please do so asap. I'm going back out Thursday morning to another ramp. I'm thinking of not only cleaning the plugs again but shooting some carb cleaner in each clynider just to see if it will start (last time they didn'tlook bad at all just wet). I'll stop at a few boat places coming back and get a few fuel filters also and talk with them. Although I expect a very high priced evaluation (hey that's how they make money here). Anyway I saw a YouTube post about the ethanol drying up and cracking the inner layer of the fuel line, that clogs the filter. That and water (which I'll try to get the additive at 6 am) seems the best. Either way it will take some work at a pros to fix right. Hey if I catch my PB it will be worth it who knows ?

Found what looks to be it. Starts on starting fluid won't stay running. Fuel filter a complete opace white when I swear it was always clear before. Called my boat guy, I evidently broke a law of boating around here. NEVER PUT PREMIUM GAS IN THE TANK. It sits to long at the station and is 25% water. Oh well I have two more days here I'll putt around the south end Thursday and Friday. One thing I can say, in 10 years I've always learned something the hard way each time I go out. But it's a little boat so I don't have to Bust. Out. Another. Thousand. Thanks to all you've been a great help

I did think about that but was to tired and burnt. The cover is a very very tight fit. Could have been much much worse....a 12 mile tow ?. I'll be in shallow water tomorrow, if it stops raining for a few hours.

I flooded it. Yes the merc has a razor thin line between priming and flooding. It's literally magic touch. I will also try venting the tank. I'm in south central PA now on an army flood lake to learn and really shake out the issues. I'm going back to my breakdown spot tomorrow as I can putt around with the 80 lb troller. Hey this lake has massive stripped bass, musky, pike, trout, bass. Most fish are 140 feet down. Thanks Ps I stick close to the ramp. Oh, had the tools as it's loaded up before or flooded. At this ramp I couldn't get a decent place to pull the plugs. The ramp was very busy. At 11 am with a 4 boat wait.

I know this has been answered but I just came from a 2 hour 12 mile pain. I have a 2005 50hp merc 2stroke. I'm up in pa learning it. It did well until the following. Putted 2 miles up a no wake zone creek @ under 2k rpm. Temp was 93 degrees. Shut off to eat. Started again then shut down and stayed shut down. Got a 12 mile lift to get trailer. Still wouldn't start when I got back, raised motor up, loaded, straped down then it fired up. I'm kinda thinking it loaded up with oil but a guy said might be vapor lock? Does this even still happen? Thanks. I'm exhausted.

I used to be an EE. If your triping a ground fault outlet now and wasn't before you have "leakage" onto the ground. If you popped a actually non GFI breaker you have serious safety problems. It kinda suggests charger or a major grounding issue. If everything is dry then maybe the chargers. I did spend weeks tracking down a leak on a UAV once. A switch had a little water inside it. ESD is an issue also but kinda low for this humidity level (above 35% on average). Oh if you've added anything electrical disconnect and remove it. Most things have EMI noise filters on them that increases ground current. Also electricity WILL FIND ANY PATH so it ain't easy to find sometimes. Good luck OH PLEASE DO NOT CUT THE GROUND LEAD OFF THE POWER CORD. IT'S THERE TO KEEP YOU ALIVE. Yes, saw it hundreds of times when I was a tech.

This will work with one "condition". Do or compare the lot numbers of the batteries. They need to be the same for a half way balanced discharge. Otherwise the weaker battery takes all the load.

My neighbor has a 15 foot roughneck that seems indestructible with the channel in the center and a turbo prop on a merc 40. No storage on it though. Easier to handle than my 17' crestliner. I wouldn't recommend crestliner, to heavy for the size and ALL accessories stink, including the trailer.

Thanks a ton. I'm a bit familiar with Scottsboro.

I have s Crestliner 17'. Good boat good motor, 50hp merc 2 stroke, horrible everything else. Including the trailer A bit heavy and sometimes too long to load at reservoirs. I would rather have a 15'roughneck with a turboprop and put in storage in it.

Thanks. My only info came from the states tackle shop on a bulletin board. Haha? I got the same vibe at a hotel right on the lake in Guntersville. At that time there were 4 or 5 speed boats there and the entire hotel shook when they fired up. The park people were great, gave me a great deal on renting a 17 foot tracker for the day. Oh I wouldn't recommend that hotel, you hear Jake brakes all night long. Only hotel listed in Guntersville that o could find. Started with a "W".

Hi. I'm looking to go down to Guntersville AL in September/October with my boat. It's a long two day trip. Been there twice now with just a car and rented a boat. That lake is MASSIVE 72 miles long. Is there any places that cater to tourist fishing of sorts. I've checked it out and only found one guy who did it and 2 other lakes part time. Any info would be appreciated. Man it's so big I had to use my Garmin GPS to get back to the dock last time, and that was around the park.

I'm near Hagerstown MD. Only one that I know of and it is based in Germantown MD. Been to a meeting, they have an excess of co-anglers and a shortage of boats they use. Most have boats but I would guess you have to prove yourself in handling and fishing. It's required you join the foba amateur tournament club. I might still join but the odds of getting out with them are low.

Absolutely... The new mostly digital controlled motors put a ton of noise on the power line. Most is filtered out by the battery but some "radiates" off the leads and is picked up by other wires and antennas. If you have an AM radio tune to an unused station then listen with the motor on(under load) and off. I used to use a small tractor battery for my depth finder Sorry, retired EMI (electronic noise type) engineer. It comes back every now and then.

Also keep in mind no matter how much they might complain, they don't have to do the repairs if it's wrong.

I get it, I go out alone and in a lake crowded with kayaks often. They don't seem to get it (plus 3/4 don't speak english or even a common language). I've asked them to move, no luck. So I just go now very slow but deliberate. THEY MOVE REAL FAST(I also have pepper spray for the occasional ahole or drunk) with other trailered boats it's very rarely an issue. In fact many have helped me load in high current and crosswind situations. Just talk to them to get what's going on.. Oh take A Jay's advice, go slow, I ripped off a bunkboard by being to fast and lazy. I'm running a 17' bass/crappie.

A 112lb fortrex just came up. $400.00 but I don't have the money for 3 of those $1000.00 batteries. I have the space. Besides I need to use this one more. The cicada storm has passed so maybe this week.

My neighbor has steps on the front of his pontoon trailer. I can use them to get on but not off. Large distance, small steps steep grade. He is 6' 2" and he hates them. He stiffened up the swimming ladder on the boat and put a few cinderblocks under it. I looked at them on-line and my legs can't do that anymore.?