Elkins45

Pardon my ignorance but how do they help if you launch alone?

My old Johnson didn’t have a cover. I removed the cover from my Yamaha when I discovered my battery was dead after a two hour drive to the lake and never put it back on. I keep a set of cheap wrenches and screwdrivers from Harbor Freight in my boat box and they have more than made up for their minimal cost by allowing me to fix issues that would otherwise have ended or severely impacted fishing trips.

You didn’t have a rope? If I had a dollar for every time I pull started my old V4 Johnson I could have bought a new motor. I keep a set of jumper cables in my boat so I can start from the trolling battery if needed.

My favorite place to fish (Eufaula) is an eight hour drive. My second-favorite (Kentucky Lake) is about four and a half. The place I fish the most is about 20 minutes away. Do what I did and get a separate small water boat. I fish the local lake with a Jon boat. You don’t have to save your pennies for too many months to be able to afford a pretty good used Jon if you look around.

My grandfather had a 14ft Sears Jon boat and he took my brother and I fishing a few times before his health failed. When he died I ended up with his boat and I rigged up a bumper hitch on my 71 Dodge Dart so I could tow it to some local ponds. I rigged up a transom reinforcement and managed to get it to accept an 18hp outboard that belonged to my dad. I had a lot of fun in that boat for a lot of years, and in fact I caught my personal best bass and muskie out of it. I still have that boat, although I haven’t had it on the water in probably 20 years and probably never will again. I still pay the $3 property tax every year.

If you have an account I have found that if you browse for a few minutes but don't buy one they will send you an email offering 25% off. My current starting battery is from Advance because of their 25% discount code.

You could make a portable one from a sturdy cooler by adding either an aerator or (better) a pump and drain to circulate fresh water in/out. You could even make one from plywood and fiberglass/ epoxy but that would probably be better as a permanent installation.

Longer and wider is better in terms of stability, but I would agree that getting a good PFD is paramount, and learning to swim would be even better. Over 40+ years of boating I've managed to end up in the water twice, and knowing how to swim made it just be a mild annoyance rather than a near-death experience. My Lowe 1648 Jon boat feels pretty stable for a small, light boat. I think it would take a real effort to flip it over.

Well, sorta, I guess. Higher HP capacity and a wider bottom. That’s not a horrible thing really. The 1648 is my dedicated small lake boat because the local ones are 10HP limited. I once mounted a 15hp on it and crossed Kentucky Lake in late afternoon when the wind was up. That’s when it dawned on me I was in a Jon boat and not a bass boat. I suspect the classic wouldn’t be nearly as scary in rough water. It’s presumably a more sturdy hull. But you do raise a good point.

I own two boats now: a Lowe 1648 Jon with a 9.9 that I use on small local F&W owned lakes. I’ve had it for 20 years now. I also have a 16 ft G3 deep V (2007) with a 50 Yamaha 2-stroke that I bought three years ago. The boat was essentially new when I bought it and everything still works perfectly. I was at Bass Pro yesterday buying some spinner blades and it jogged my memory about these boats. With an upgrade to a 50hp it looks like they end up being around 12K after all the fees. I like my V for rough water but I miss the casting platform and general fishing characteristics of a bass boat. It would look silly having three boats in the yard so I would probably sell the G3 for around $6000. The net result would be a new boat with a warranty for 6K. G3 vs Bass Tracker hull, Yamaha (2 stroke) vs Mercury (4 stroke) outboard... I’m not sure I would be moving in a positive direction with the motor but I would be giving up a riveted hull for a welded one that allegedly has a lifetime warranty. Trolling motor is a wash, electronics would definitely be better. Decisions, decisions... What’s the closest sales outlet to where they are made? I could save myself a few hundred in freight cost if I drive to Springfield, MO to buy one. Is there somewhere even closer to the factory?

My boat is maxing out at 4400 if my tach is to be believed. It’s mounted as low as it will go. Before I go out and spend $300 on a new prop I’m going to raise it up a couple of holes and see what happens. All it will cost is a little time and some sealer for the bolt holes.

I made myself a PVC pipe frame to keep my Walmart cover taut and pointy so it doesn’t puddle water, but I never travel with it. The cover says it has a three year warranty and it’s already developed a hole after one winter, so I guess we shall see if they come thru. I’m going to eventually buy one of those aluminum carports for my boat and my tractor. I would rather pay big once than buy a new tarp or cover every year. My problem will be finding a decent flat spot to build it.

Find something used on Craigslist. It might end up being cheaper to buy a boat and motor then sell the boat. I have a 2HP Johnson that my grandfather bought when he got too frail to life a larger motor. It wouldn’t plane my old 14’ rough bottomed Jon but it moved it faster than my trolling motor at max power. My 9.9 will definitely get my 1648 up on plane even with two people.

The only new boat I ever bought is my 1648 Jon and I paid cash for it. Both of the others were used and it was a cash transaction. My depression-era parents drilled it into me that financing was something to be avoided if at all possible. Even then, only finance things you absolutely must have (house, reliable car) and nothing you just want (boat). I don’t know your situation but my advice would be to buy a used Jon to fish out of while you save for the boat you really want. Not having a loan payment for anything is a really nice feeling.

I’m curious to see how many of these I will still have a year from now.

I ended up pouring all of them. It didn’t take very long and I got in a groove so I just kept pouring until I ran out of wires. Now I just have to paint them all.

I don’t really have to worry about rocks and stumps when my lure is 20 feet up into a willow tree. One of these days I expect to catch a squirrel.

You said these techniques are about 70% effective: it wouldn’t take very many lost lures to offset the cost of a plug knocker. I put close to $30 worth of lures in Eufaula alone over the last couple of years. But I’m guessing you don’t have to deal with treetops nearly as much as I do

All of them work unless you are being blown around in the wind and have circled around the snag and wrapped your line around it. Once that happens your only hope is that you can snag the stick up and bring it up. You can bang a plug knocker against the side of a stump all day and it won’t do any good if your lure is on the other side.

I’m not patient enough to let a Senko make it to the bottom of a 60ft River channel when a Little George can get down there in a couple of seconds.

I’ve ordered a tail spinner (Little George copy) mold from Barlow’s that should be here soon. I’m thinking about cranking out a lifetime supply of the things and then selling the mold so it won’t just set unused in my garage until I die. Assuming 20 years of moderate fishing, how many of these lures would a person realistically lose? Part of me just says cast up all 100 of the wire forms I ordered with it, but the other part of me says that’s being excessive. How many would you make?

Ned rigs, Rat L Traps

I have a PowerDrive V2 with Bluetooth. For reasons I can't explain Minn Kota has an iPilot upgrade for the ones made prior to 2017 but not for my newer motor. The only upgrade option for my newer motor seems to be copilot, which is just a wireless steering and speed control. Amazon suggested the ProNav Angler as an option. It's a $700 add-on that uses a smart phone to do GPS receiving and to plot courses and waypoints. I figure I could use one of my old iPhones just as the dedicated steering unit because you don't really need a data plan as long as you download the maps on wifi beforehand. Or I could just buy a different motor with iPilot and maybe sell this one on Craigslist. Since I just bought it last year that doesn't seem all that appealing to me--but neither does spending $700 on a toy. I'm not sure either path is a good investment for a hobbiest like me and the chances are that I probably won't buy anything and just keep using the foot control. Still, I'm curious if anyone has any experience with the ProNav?

I’m giving up on fluorocarbon line. I just don’t see the benefit vs the coat. I think I’m going to spool one casting reel with 65 pound braid for the thick stuff and one spinning reel with 20 for Ned/ floating worms and all the rest with regular mono.

One thing I don’t think you mentioned is how you plan to transport it. If you’re loading it into the back of a supercab truck with a 5ft bed your options are limited. If you are pulling a trailer or have a full 8ft bed then you have more options. I would go with a 1648 if you can find one. It won’t be much harder to push but it will be quite a bit more stable. If I had the cash to spare I would put a 24v on the transom and a 12 at the bow. With one person at the bow the extra weight of two batteries in the stern keeps it a bit more level. I used to sit on the bow of a 14ft Jon and use a sculling paddle and I’m pretty sure the end of the stern was out of the water