RobA

@BigAngus752 thanks. I had wondered if I didn't have the trailer too far in the water (or not far enough). What you're saying makes sense. I can power load where I fish. I'll have to try that on my next outing.

This is exactly why I was thinking of getting one. Thanks.

Is anyone using automatic boat latches? Drotto? Ramp-N-Clamp? I have a Ranger RT178 and fish alone many times. I'm good with unloading the boat by myself but it looks like an automatic boat latch would make coming off the water easier and maybe safer.

From my favorite brewery. If you like Belgian style beers they have an excellent selection

I was at dealer today and he said if he, as an authorized Minn Kota dealer, installs it then Minn Kota adds another year of warranty.

I currently have a dealer installed Minn Kota Fortrex on my Ranger RT178 and am thinking of changing to a Minn Kota Ultrex. Is that a fairly easy DIY project? I'd do it myself if it's fairly easy. The dealer would do it for me (adds a year to the warranty) but he's 75 minutes away.

I caught a 20" smallmouth on a buzzbait less than 2 feet from the bank on the New River. Surprised he was so close to the bank.

I have 2 Garmin UHD 93sv units which came preloaded with US inland lakes. Last week I fished the Susquehanna Flats for the first time which is 20 miles from my house. That portion of the river is tidal and is at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. I was surprised when depths were not shown on any of the maps as they are with the lakes I've fished. It appears I need to get coastal maps for the added detail (US East, Lakes, Rivers and Coastal Marine Charts). Has anyone purchased new maps from Garmin? I there anything I need to watch out for? Would this purchase overwrite the maps currently on my units? Have you downloaded maps using the Active Captain App?

I live about 10 miles from Anchor Marina on the North East River and want to try out the Susquehanna Flats this year. Any navigation or fishing tips are appreciated.

Wow. Tough to watch. What threw them? Sharp turn to the left? Water didn't look too choppy.

I don't have that much tackle that I need a spreadsheet (although I love spreadsheets). The label on the foot of the reel is more what I was thinking. Thanks.

Anyone have any tricks or ideas for how to label/identify which lines you have on different reels? Pound test, brand, type etc.

Thanks. I'll get a set of muffs.

I know muffs are cheap but is it OK to start an outboard without any water if it's only to make sure it starts and then run it for about 5 seconds?

Italian fish stew https://www.ciaoitalia.com/recipes/classic-fish-stew-from-livorno-cacciucco-alla-livornese

Thanks for the ideas. As @Ski213 suggested I called the hotel (Comfort Inn) and, much to my surprise, they have some outlets outside. The guy who answered the phone went out of his way to check for me.

I'll be fishing for 2-1/2 days next week and staying at a hotel. I'm not sure what to do about recharging my 2 trolling motor batteries. My Ranger RT178 has a Dual Pro on-board charger and I tow with an F150 with a 120 volt outlet. I have no idea how long my batteries will last without a recharge (depends on a lot). Any thoughts?

Being a farrier is a tough job. I enjoy watching ours at work. You must sleep well at night....

Height.

I was thinking of getting a butt seat for the front of my Ranger RT178. Is there a standard size pedestal I should get?

I realize some of the problems and recalls were not their fault. Recalls are good since they admit the problem and correct it. However, I wasn't expecting 3 recalls in such a short time (who does?). It might have been easier to take if I got the notices all at once. I chose Ranger for various reasons - quality being one of them. The nearest dealer is almost 90 minutes away which makes it more of a pain to get things straightened out. There were other problems as well - punctured fuel line prevented motor from getting fuel, tail light fell off, 3 of 4 seat bolts fell out, pedestal seat fitting broke, 2 of the rod tubes in rod locker fell off the support bracket and then 3 recalls. All that in less than 2 months has made it a frustrating and disappointing experience.

I took delivery of a new Ranger RT178 in April and have gotten 3 recall notices!! And my nearest Ranger dealer is almost 1-1/2 hours away. - Mercury has a recall because they put the wrong idle air control valve on the engine causing the it to idle too fast. Luckily there's a Mercury outboard dealer 35 minutes away and it was a quick fix. - Ranger has a recall on the fuel filler cap due to filling/venting problems. - Ranger has a recall on the bilge pump wiring as the wrong kind may have been used. I have read comments here and elsewhere that since Bass Pro bought them the quality of the product isn't what it used to be but I certainly didn't expect this.

My boat is a 2021 with carpet. The first week I had the boat I left it outside and we had a huge rainstorm. All of the bins and under the seats were wet - even the bins with seals. Last week I was on a lake and one day there were heavy winds and waves and some of the bins were wet. I have waterproof Plano boxes so they are OK. I just need to make sure other stuff is either protected or in the bins so they're not on the bottom.

For those of you with bass boats are your storage boxes or rod lockers watertight? I have a Ranger RT178 and have been a little disappointed how easily water can get in the them. Whether it's rain or splashes from rough water the boxes get some water in them.

Great fish to catch and one of the few I keep to eat.