Alex from GA

Thanks but I'm looking for something under 7 oz. I have a 2.5 oz rod I built and, being old and weak, need a light reel with a 6:1 or greater gear ratio.

Due to unfortunate circumstances I lost/destroyed 2 Okuma Helios 30 and RTX 30s spinning reels and can't find them anywhere. They both weighed 6.6 oz and held enough line, 220 yds of 6 lb mono. The RTX was 6:1 which I want and were around $100. Do you fine folks know where I can find comparable reels? Yes I'd like a Shimano Ci4 but being on a small fixed income it's out of the question. Thanks, Alex

Like mcipinkie said a12 or 14' jon boat depending on the size of the lakes and your stability.

If it's smooth and light when the boat is on the trailer there's nothing you can do. If it jerks or sticks then you probably have to replace the cable/s.

Good for you. I used to fish there a bunch of years ago but in a boat.

Usually only a few days. I'm retired and fish several times a week. As I got older I'm not fishing as long though. I am going to take a long break as I'm having my shoulder replaced very soon.

If I see fish on the bottom I'll fish very slow usually with a worm or spoon. If I'm fishing a moving bait I'll speed up. Right now I'm in my living room not fishing but will be later on.

Last week I was on the lake and there was a tritoon in a dock with a white 450 on the back. I see lots of fairly fast, 40+, pontoons/tritoons running on the lake. They're mostly pulling tubes not skiing.

If there's not too much wind I'll use 1/16th oz for 12' and under and 1/8th for deeper.

In my case a boat is just a tool to go fishing and a person usually takes good care of his tools.

In the past 4 months I've launched my boat 2-5 times a week and have it down pat. Put the mushroom anchor on the front of the trailer, with about 25' of line, back up until the boat floats, pull forward until the front of the trailer is out of the water, grab the anchor and pull the boat to the bank or ramp. To get it out I run the boat on the trailer, get out and winch it the last couple of inches. The water doesn't go up to the winch so I stay dry. I can't climb in or out of the truck over the side, too old, and don't have to. My last boat was different and I had hip boots in the truck that, when the water was too cold, I put on. BTW I'm 80.

I've been using Okuma Helios and RTX 30 size reels for a few years and loved them. They were as light as the Shimano Ci4, not quite as smooth but 1/3rd the price. Last winter I lost the Helios and recently I ran over the RTX with the boat trailer. I looked online and the RTX is $110, which I can't afford. I bought the previous reels on sale for about $60 and can't find any for near that price. I bought a couple of Pflueger Presidents 25s to tide me over until I find a reel I really like. They're OK but too heavy and not as smooth as I'd like. Does anyone have or know about an under 7 oz reel that they think I'd like?

Filled up the boat on the way to Baja many years ago, get there and the boat would hardly run. Poured some of the gas in a bottle and found a bunch of water. Luckily I had 2 6 gallon portable tanks and could pour them out easily and get fresh gas. Had to take the bowls off the carbs and clean the pilot jets to get it to run. STP gas treatment is a good way to remove a small amount of water from gas without a separator.

For the same $ you can probably buy a new tin boat and have no or very little maintenance. Boats require maintenance just like cars, the older the boat the more maintenance.

I bought a boat with a power drive motor in 2002 and used it for about 10 years. I got used to anticipating the slow turning. On Craigs list one day there was a cable controlled Motorguide for a good price and I never looked back. The compass board never worked.

The past couple of years my balance isn't as good as it once was so I mostly sit. At 80 and have bad shoulders I can't cast for long times anymore.

If it's shallow I feel the boat running over the spot spooks the fish temporarily. If it's marked on my GPS I'll get within 40 or so feet and throw there. If I run over a good spot I'll drop a marker then go back and put it on the GPS. Deep, 20' or more, brush piles I usually go right over it and drop a worm or spoon and watch the locator.

I think the title of this thread was trading a boat for a kayak. My take is have both. I bought a kayak 18 years ago to get into places I couldn't get in my boat. I use mine almost exclusively on rivers and creeks.

Like TnRiver said, buy some fuel line @ an auto parts store and buy a Mercury bulb not a Walmart or BassPro one, and replace it. I have an older, '88 Merc 45hp, it's essentially the same engine. 4 cylinder 2 carb 2 stroke. The carbs are a ***** to get off. Did you take a compression check? If not you need to. The mixture screws on the front of the carburetors need to be adjusted to idle right. Start @ 1 1/2 turns out. Good luck.

Steel wool rusts, but I guess red streaks are better than mice. They will chew through wires.

I was in a small lake in FL throwing a frog and a 4' gator kept coming to my kayak even after I splashed it. I finally had to nudge it with the paddle to get it to leave. A couple of years ago I was throwing a buzzbait along the banks of a river and a gator, I didn't see, grabbed my lure. It let go after me pulling it several feet. About a 7'er. I kept the blade with a big dent in it for a souvenir.

I'm sure you'll pay it back when some poor guy/girl needs help. That's what good people do.

Wow, I'd no more pay $80 for a mount than fly to the moon. I got a 6" piece of 4x4 angle iron, painted it and put a piece of 1x between the iron and the motor. I use a chunk of PVC wedged on the handle for an extension.

Did it come with oars? How are you going to propel it?

Yes you need an anchor. Mine is a 2' piece of 3/8ths chain. I rigged it up with a rope through a carabiner that's attached to the bow handle. I have a clam cleat riveted to the kayak just ahead of my seat to hold the rope when I weigh the anchor. When I'm in the water I don't put the anchor in the boat just leave it hanging over the bow. If you want you can put another anchor in the stern the same way. I had an anchor trolley on another kayak and never changed position so I simplified it. As to the scuppers if you don't get wet leave them unplugged.