DaubsNU1

I've owned this 1974 Mercury 20hp 2-stroke since 2000. Replaced the plugs every few years...replaced the water pump. That is it. I have never done anything else to this outboard. Starts, runs, stops. It will make 20MPH with my added decking.

Outstanding!! Looks very much like my 1960 Rich Line, 14' A few pictures of the old set up...and recent upgrades / decking. The 20HP Merc was getting 23MPH with setup in the first picture...I'm getting 20MPH as it stands right now. I still have work to do...hatches on front deck, carpeting. I fished out of a canoe before getting this boat in 2000. Very stable, great fishing two people, love it! Enjoy your new boat!!!

Congrats! Read up on "birth-order." Interesting stuff. For the most part, first born will be reliable, structured, cautious, careful, carry the family flag (achievers). Second kids will tend more towards people-pleasers, rebellious, thrive on friendships, large social circle, peacemaker...and fearless (I had two daughters...my second daughter was bound-and-determined to to EVERYTHING her older sister did!) I can remember holding them in the hospital...@jimmyjoe is right...time flies. Mine are 23 and 21! Enjoy every minute!

I've been hammering largemouth on the standard TRD at my home lake. Catching everything from 9" up to a very nice 18" | 3lb-6oz fatty. Tried Big TRD yesterday...nothing. Not even a nibble. Back to the standard...and continued hammering them.

Trilene XL.

#Truth! I scoped out a new spot last week...got to talking with a couple of anglers...we ended up standing by our trucks, talking fishing until around 10:30 PM. They shared good information on this lake...and I shared information on some other lakes in the area. Fished a new lake on Saturday...got to talking with guys at the boat dock, and later in the morning spent about 30 minutes talking with them on the water. They were super friendly, offered some good advice.

For me, fishing is a whole lot different than public waterfowl hunting. Duck hunting: wake up ass-crack-of-dawn, make sure I'm there, in my "spot" before anyone even thinks of getting out of bed. Critical! If someone beats me to my spot, more power to them. Enjoy. I will be back, even earlier tomorrow... Fishing: I do like to be the first one on the water, and try to hit my "spots" first...but there are sooooo many places to fish, and so many fish to catch. I really couldn't care less if someone comes along and fishes near me. Or fishes after I move on to another spot.

Fishing before sunrise = TOP Water, 100% of the time!

Smallies kick ASS! Congrats!!

^^ This. Is. GOLD! ^^ Took my daughters to a small local pond...each had their own rod. Rigged them up with a bobber, split-shot, and small hook. I sat on a lawn chair between them...a can of corn at my feet... I could barely keep up with them...bait hook...remove bluegill...bait hook...repeat! Side notes: - Make sure it's not too hot, or too cold - Watch the time carefully...don't want them to get bored - Bring snacks

I have to remind myself the following: - Preparation and planning are all part of the fun - I am not going to catch fish every time (or shoot ducks / deer / pheasants) - Enjoy being outside - Enjoy being alone (I manage a large team...deal with people all day...) - Enjoy fishing/hunting with my Dad and Brother (when we gather) - Have patience with the paddle-boarders who clog up the ramp - It's not a competition (...but really it is...HA!) - Write in my fishing log...# of fish...stories...observations...weather...etc. - Take my time...when I rush, I make mistakes...safety FIRST! ** Dang, I'm getting excited just TYPING this...cannot wait to get my boat in the water this weekend!! **

All my bait-casters have braid, and only braid. Most are 30-40lb braid...PowerPro and old Fenwick Iron Thread. I fish spinner baits, jigs, t-rigged worms, cranks, ploppers, frogs, buzz-baits, power-shot, etc. with this set up.

I'm usually on the water before sunrise...and always throw a buzz-bait / plopper / Jitterbug to start the day. Nothing better than a good top-water strike to get the blood flowing! I then typically move to my "power fishing" techniques to see if I can get a bite going -- spinner baits, lipless cranks, cranks, jig-n-craw, t-rigged worm, jerkbait. If those are not producing, I move to NED, Drop-shot, finesse worms, and weightless Senko or a Slug-Go. These I consider my "finesse" rigs. If I had a choice, I would throw a buzz-bait or plopper all day long. But I like catching fish...not just trying to catch fish.

Nice work! I went from bank fishing, to belly-boat...to a canoe. Each step opened up more fishing possibilities. It was GREAT! The downsides of a canoe (and Yak) were: - Lugging it on the vehicle...and off - Can't stand when fishing (some Yak's you can do that these days) - Boat positioning was a pain...paddle a little...put down paddle, pick up rod...cast/retrieve...repeat (could get trolling motor on a Yak) - Tough to tick when sitting down, or head to shore and do my business - Limit to tackle / rods I could bring along Twenty years ago I scored boat/motor/trailer for $600....added casting platform, seats, and trolling motor...and it again changed my possibilities. I have recently upgraded electronics, added decking / storage...it's light and small enough to get in to most lakes in my area. Fishes two very comfortably. Drafts about 3-4 inches deep...and I don't care if I bang in to trees, rocks, etc. Enjoy your kayak...and most of all, fish whenever you can!

Fished a local lake again Saturday...I would call this my "home lake" as it's just 10 minutes from my door. Relatively new lake, lots of flooded timber, holds largemouth, pike, crappie, bluegill. Water temps were right at 80 degrees. Rained cats-and-dogs the night before, and was raining when I got up around 5 AM...so I slept in and got on the water at 8 AM. - First fish was 16" | 2lb-4oz largemouth on a NED rig at 8:22 AM - Two 15" bass, one on NED, the other on whopper plopper - Four 13" on whopper and Senko - Seven 12" on a mix of whopper, Senko and NED - One crappie on the NED Remainder of bass were under 12" and didn't get "on the board" -- total of 30 fish caught. Caught fish near trees, off grass beds, and by the bridge. Stopped fishing at 1:30 PM. This lake is still strictly catch and release. Lots of small bass...I'm happy with the day.

I will be 54 here in September...never really fished cranks much. Many of the lakes in my area are clogged with grass/moss/etc...so it's mainly soft-plastics for me. I do, however, love me a Jitterbug!!!

Always interesting to see threads like this..."which rod..." I'm part tight-ass, part "lover-of-old-things-you-can't-get-anymore"... I'm still fishing my Cabela's branded rods purchased in the 1990's -- have five different bait-casters, and six different spinning rods. I see a thread like this and think, "Just fish what you got...no need for something new." But then again, I'm a complete hunting-clothing-*****! Always looking for another pair of hunting pants to suit a certain need...don't get me started on Gore-Tex...I got more than a normal person should ever think of owning : ) [when I die, my wife is going to have a heart-attack digging through all the bins in the basement...I can hear her now..."why did he need ELEVEN hunting coats???"] That said...research more, and enjoy your new Frog Rod!

All my bait-casters have had braid since the 1990's...and never a leader. Some even have the same old Fenwick Iron Thread from way back in the day...it's faded to somewhere between moss green and white...the fish don't seem to care. I have learned to adjust my hook-set when fishing straight braid. Just a quick snap of the wrist is about all it takes.

I never really fished for Smallies...Brother and I took our 80 year old Dad to Frances Case in South Dakota. We hammered them on NED rigs, Senkos, minnows on jigs. Had a blast.

I'd opt for the Ranger or Triton... You should check out the Lund 1875 Pro-V Bass. My brother just got an Alaskan 1800...darn good boat.

I agree with Bankc...it stays mixed. Weed eater, blower and my 40+ year old Lawn Boy are all two stroke. My little 2 gallon can will last all year. My 3 gallon fuel cell for the 1974 Mercury 20HP has sit with gas-oil mix for two years...engine fired right up...and ran that tank dry over the course of last year. No problems. One note: I always run ethanol free fuel in all my small engines!

My wife is a nurse practitioner in heart and lung transplant...she has lots of patients who have to quit smoking or get off drugs in order to qualify for the transplant lists. Cannot tell you how many times she has worked with drug addicts who say quitting smoking was WAY harder than drugs.

I am curious. I remember my parents smoking when I was a kid...Mom smoked a lot...Dad smoked mainly when he drank. Grandparents, aunts and uncles on my Mom's side smoked. Just one of my cousins on that side of the family smoke now. Dad's side not so much. I can't think of any cousins on that side of my family that smoke now. My older sister (57), younger brother (50) and me (53) never smoked. My Mom quit smoking in 1991, my Dad a few years before that. Years later Mom developed oral, and then lung cancer. She passed in 2013. Curious how many out there smoke...what got you started...ever think of stopping?

I picked up some inexpensive long sleeve shirts from amazon...i think they were $19 for two. Pretty good quality, block the sun, comfy. Also found these at the Wal-Mart.