Tin Man

Thanks Fisncamp. I like this idea. Don't see myself going one on one with KVD any time soon, just trying my luck at some Largemouth and some local tourneys here and there on Kentucky Lake and maybe chase down a few Tiger Muskies in East TN. Thanks.

I fish because for me it is unfinished business. I grew up with an older and a younger brother. They are both gone now. It's just me now so when I'm out there I am fishing for us all. Owning our own boat and tournament fishing had always been our dream. We all drifted apart before that became a reality though. Since I retired this has become a reality. On a much smaller scale that we imagined but it happened. So for me it's a time to reflect and remember.

Sweet, that's what Ive been thinking. Just spoke with my dealer, Seems that the boat is finished and will be delivered tomorrow. Too late to factory upgrade. I was told it wouldn't be done till mid to late March, that's a month and a half away. Will be upgrading to a 24 volt system though. That's a must. My option now is to simply upgrade the electrical system (two batterries) the charging system and the trolling motor later. 80 lb MinnKota most likely. I like the motors that sinc with the Hummingbird but I'm not in a position to spend $2,500.00 or more on a trolling motor. If I were 40 years younger, I would absolutely go that route but not at my age. I would never get the use out of it. I will be looking for an old Jon boat for a project I'm thinking about. Something easy to pull in and out and practise with. Around 14 feet. Just big enough for one person to be comfotable. Once I get that underway I will move the stock Lowe fishfinder and the 12 volt trolling motor over to the practise boat and go with a 24 volt system on the Lowe. I will need a shallow water anchor though. Will have to research that one. Thanks for your input guys I appreciate it. Please keep the ideas coming. So right now this is what I'm looking at: 1. Upgrading the electrical system from 12 to 24 volt. 2. Upgrading the trolling motor to 80 lbs. 3. Upgrading the Charging system for three banks. 4. Adding a shallow water anchor of some kind. Pro Pole or Tallon. 5. Adding a bow mounted sonar. May need some help with the electrical but everything else looks pretty much diy. thanks again, Craig

On order. LOWE Stinger 175. 17.5 foot aluminum. Mercury 60 hp. four stroke, two 23 gallon livewells, ample storage, 19 gallon fuel tank, tilt steering, AM-FM 50 watt amp radio w/dual speakers, 12 volt Motor Guide 45 lb thrust trolling motor, ProMariner two bank onboard charger, twin transom transducer mounts. Hummingbird Helix 9 SI GPS, still looking for a bow mounted unit - $400.00 to $500.00. budget. Question: what can I do to turn this into a serious tournament competitor ? .

Replacing stock fish finder with Helix 9 SI GPS. Will have to be a side mount. My boat is a LOWE Stinger 175. Would like to see any pictures of a sonar this size mounted on a LOWE. Also. How do you cover the hole that is going to be left in th,e dash ? Thanks, Craig.

I love my Shimano Bantàms. A 100 and a 1000 Professional model. I had been looking for several years for someone to rebuild them for me but everyone I contacted told me to get rid of them because parts were too hard to find. I contacted repairmen from Canada to California but no one wanted to tackle the job. That is until I found a guy who worked for Gander Mountain. He works just thirty miles from where I lived. Could have had them rebuilt years ago. Found him completely by accident. I am glad to have them back in service. I used these years ago while fishing with my brothers who are gone now. I now plan on using them for as long as I can. Made much better than a lot of the reels you can find today, without paying an arm and a leg that is. I replaced the bearings with Boca ceramic bearings and rebuilt the drags with carbon fiber washers. Ģood as new. If you like the reels I say use use and enjoy them :-)

The new addition. 2017 Lowe Stinger 175. Tin Boat. 10 foot Talons, 60 hp Merc, Jenson radio, Hummingbird Helix 7,9 and Lowrance. Two 23 gallon livewells, plenty of storage. .