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So I went overboard and got the Vanford 3000 and the Avid X 6'6" MLF. Only used it once for a few hours in heavy wind so I couldn't really enjoy it yet. I fish in a smaller lake with smallmouth only. Mainly 10" to 13" but a few are close to 4lb. I lost many with my previous ultra-light gear and 4lb test. Moved to 6lb last year - mono. Just picked up a Daiwa 2500DHX reel for my second good setup. Mostly fishing topwater in the summer but will also fish some spinners and go deeper with ned and senkos etc... I am looking for possibly a MF same length 6'6" rod similar to the Avid X. Trying to stay under $150 on the rod. Researched forever but can't decide. Would like to stay St. Croix if I can and the split grip premier for $149 MF seems about right at BPS. Anyone used this rod or have any other suggestions?

I think the last cold snap is going to be over after tonight. Boat drop and weekend of fishing is going to happen within a couple of weeks for me. Thanks everyone for the updates. So looking forward to getting on the water. Picked up a Vanford 3000 and Avid X - my first set of really good gear. Should be able to get better distance for topwater (eventually in the summer) and have better feel down deep.

Again - Appreciate all the input. Still looking for a decent cover that would be less likely to get chewed through by the critters? I need to replace mine very soon.

So my typical late spring summer... 6 hour drive to the lake to get the boat there. Fish over the weekend. Leave the boat. 2 or 3 weekends later drive up again. Sometimes I stay 3 days for a long-weekend. Rinse/repeat....until Late August. Bring the boat home (a sad day). So the 2 weeks with nobody there is their infestation period...

That would be ideal. Yes. But it's in the Adirondacks and it's all woods....we are talking almost all woods with the exception of a small 300x300 ft cleared out area for a screen house and small beach area. So if I can kill/capture 20+ mice with a few bucket traps in the immediate area, would it make a dent? If the answer is yes, then that's what I will do. Thank you.

I think I will put some metal mesh in the gaps then use a little expanding spray foam. It's really 2 areas in the back of the boat on the sides of where the batteries typically sit.

Well...Maybe my lucky first year (2 years ago) of no mice in the boat has my hopes up too high. I had 5 mice in my 15' jon boat last year. I am willing to try anything really. Started to smell in the back a little. Had to pressure wash it out to get it back to normal. If I can keep them from getting in the gaps, that would be a win, because I was able to get some out with a paddle and send them swimming. The others got caught in the trap I had.

I heard they do work, they don't work....I guess I will give them a try - the dryer sheets anyway. You aren't too far from where I fish, so maybe certain areas they work better than others. So my plan is.... 1. Still waiting for advice on a better brand cover that could keep the mice from chewing through - thicker material. The one I have is pretty worn even though I covered the holes from the mice with flex tape. SO new thicker cover. 2. Use a filler of some kind to fill the gaps in the back of the boat where the mice were - either a spray foam or steel wool covered in Ziploc bags (to keep any rusting from getting on the boat). Just a few gaps - not much space to fill. This would be just in the summer when the boat is stored and used up there. 3. Try the green water proof insulation flat panels again, that I used before. That seemed to help as the initial cover of the boat - no mice that year but water pushed them in at some point. See pictures in previous posts. 4. Bounce sheets in any remaining gaps. Not a fan of moth balls...but we will see on that. 5. If the mice get in again, put a bucket trap under the boat or in a protected area near it. So I can at least fish without them coming out and running across my feet in the evening...I have one of the humane traps that caught some when I put it in the boat overnight. I think the bucket trap would probably work a little better outside the boat as another way to control the nearby population. Can't do a cat or black snake... Any other ideas? Still looking for a better cover brand etc...

Sounds like you will have job security. In 2021 you would think there would be an easy and inexpensive way to cover a boat where mice can’t invade.

Quite a few great ideas here. Appreciate it. So there really isn't a cover that is mice chew proof? Those panels in the picture above did do the trick one year - maybe I just got lucky that year or was I on to something with the waterproof insulation panels? I will probably try the bucket trap but put it away from the boat a little under some kind of cover to keep it from getting ruined with a storm and heavy rain. Should decrease the population of mice if nothing else. Seems like a thin-ish plastic cover custom fit with enough weight to keep the mice from pushing it up. It would have to be in pieces like the panels in my picture to fit in my SUV to get them up there, but again once and done. Probably a bit of a cost but it would be nice to have it sealed up somehow, which is my ultimate goal. Why are mice such a pain???

Thanks. I will look it up. So in a few weeks in the summer with vinegar in the bucket they won’t stink? Could work if that’s the case. I just don’t want my boat to smell or have a dozen dead mice to dispose of when I arrive after a couple of weeks. If they are all in the bucket it’s not too bad I guess.

I can give that try. Thanks. That’s a good thought but I leave it up there for a couple of weeks without being there. Could be pretty bad smelling and who knows what other creatures it would bring... I do have a trap that has worked overnight in the boat when I sleep up there and have the boat in the water. It’s a temporary fix at least. Sounds like I need a steel wool cover. Lol

Thanks for all the ideas and also the honesty on the situation. I really don’t have too much of a choice of where to keep it in the summer. Everything is wooded in the vicinity so even if I would bring to a storage place close by the chances are similar it would happen. The green waterproof foam insulation did work - covering the entire boat then a cover over that the first year. Maybe I will try that again. Just a pain to lug those pieces there in my SUV but once and done. I can leave them up there permanently. The worst part about the mice is the went into the small openings next to where the batteries would sit. Has anyone filled those in with anything? A spray foam? At least I could get the mice out easier because they can’t hide and they wouldn’t try and nest there. I am talking about the gaps around the back blocks in the back of the Jon boat where there is some foam blocks etc... If I can’t keep them out totally maybe limiting their hiding spots would help. This is what worked the first year.

Thanks. Won't the mice die in my boat if they eat it and still chew threw the cover? I was hoping to keep them out of the boat entirely through a better boat cover or something. I was using green (waterproof) foam across the top then the cover and that worked the first year but was a bit of a pain because the one panel slid a bit and a huge pile of water was in the boat (on top of the cover). Last year I put in the pvc pipes across to keep more water off and they chewed right through the cover to get in.

I keep my jon boat near the woods (hidden) over the summer next to the lake where I fish. Last year some mice ate some holes in my cover (a cheap one). Any covers that would be mice chew proof? I will use bounce etc...this year inside the cover and possibly spray the cover with lavender. Anybody know of a fairly inexpensive way to help remedy this problem? I had 5 mice living in my jon boat last summer. Had to use lysol spray to help with the odor a bit too. Either a better cover or other method? Thanks.

Fantastic. Appreciate that. I would be further south by 100 miles. Should be open waters even on small lakes.

It's a smaller private lake west/North of Albany. Just looking for a ground report on anything in the area. I am so ready!!

I am eager to head up north with my boat from PA to a lake in Upstate NY. Does anyone know if the ice is gone yet? It's been up and down temp wise, so it's hard to tell. Thanks!

Well - I looked at the wiring etc...and it would be a bit of work. I decided to just try the new bunks extended. Not sure exactly how to check the tongue weight but it's probably about 40 to 50 lbs by lifting it at the hitch area. Here is the final product with the boat just being 8" total past the bunks. That feels like 40-50 lbs when lifting it up when on the trailer. Seems very balanced and the new bunks make it so much easier to load and unload on my own. Appreciate all the help and advice. All done. If I have a problem I will get a tongue extension.

Great idea about the tongue. It is bolted on so a longer piece would solve things long term. For now I am going to just add the new bunks and see how it goes. Again the boat is 200 lbs or so and I put 12 hours on the trailer a year. I might just trade it in down the road and get a better trailer. The bunks will be vertical so they should hold behind the trailer a foot or so and help enough. I can take a picture when I am done this weekend. I might move the axle back a little if the bolts come off easily. Well changed my mind. I will look for a new longer tube for the front and put the bunks the way they were but have them extend forward more (2 ft). I didn’t want to deal with another purchase or all the bolts but I have some time before I get it to the late and the boat on the water. Might as well do it right. Best place for the new tube purchase?

I will have to check in the morning. Assuming that’s a really bad thing for trailers - cheap. Remember my boat is only a couple hundred lbs.

Sounds good. The front is already the heaviest part of the boat with the mod. I never travel with anything in the boat so I should be good to go. I knew nothing about trailers when I bought it. Hindsight I would have gotten a longer one better suited. Not thrilled with the trailer place. I told them it was a 15 foot boat. I already replaced the lights with led so I will keep this one for a while unless I notice issues with it. Thanks again.

Thanks for the info. I posted more info and pics above.

Appreciate the info and questions. Winch is as far front as it can go. I never travel with anything in it and the boat is pretty light in the back. The only extra weight is in the front where my nephew welded a part (25lbs) for my terrova. It's an easy tow. Total boat weight is about 215lbs with the mod. I only drive it to the lake and leave it (6 hours each way) one time a year. So the bunks will just be back an extra 2' to help the transom. Knowing this info, do you guys really think this could be an issue towing it with the trailer (with the extended bunks)? Hopefully the pics help paint the picture better. I could probably move the axle back a little bit. Great idea. That way I will only be extending the bunks about 16" or so vs. the 2'. The only reason I am doing anything now is because the bunks are in bad shape, as you can see - stick badly. The new ones have good carpet on them. I am going to use gulf wax on them to help me load and unload since it's typically just me out there on the water.

They are straight bunks and I will be extending them to the back. There are 2 brackets - one in the front and one near the back, so I should be fine I think. Attached is a pic of the current bunks at length at 4'. Can't see the front bracket on it but there are 2. I just purchased 2 bunks that are 6' (arrive Friday), so they will extend 2 additional feet on the back.