1st night trip of the yr.

Well me and a buddy decided to hit the water for the 1st night trip last night.  We had our problems.  He has a newer Triton, but I've fished more at night than he so we decided to take the ol Skeeter of mine.  Keep in mind my boat is a 90 model....want a new one but can't budget it right now.  

I had my blk light and he even brought one.  I explained I only have one cig. outlet and to bring a splitter.  His blk light had gator clips to hook directly to the battery.  I tested my cig. lighter the day before to make sure my blk light would work and all.  Then, everything was a go.  Well it decided not to work once we got out there, which means my spotlight for navagation wouldn't work either!  So we are out here in the dark after we had ran 2 min or so to a drop-off around an island to fish buzzbaits before it had gotten dark.  I had my small hand flashlight, and the boat lights worked... but it was looking like an idled ride back to the ramp and no fishing for the night.  I jiggled some wires and got it to working.  It took a lot of jiggling all throughout the night, an electrician i'm not!  

We fished from dark till around 3 this morning and I only caught 1 3lber+ hooked another on a 12" worm.  Scotty my buddy got skunked!  It was tough.  We tried C-rig brushhogs, buzzbaits in blk and white, jigs in blk/blue,  and he threw a couple crankbaits.  Water temp. was 83 and they didn't seem to be doing much.  

My Mercury 150 motor took the floodedness on us and it took a lil to get her going at times.  I pre-mixed a lot less oil this time but she still smoked a lot and well flooded out a lot.  We both talked about when we get to be old men and can afford to drive new boats we would probably look back and laugh.  I've had good times outa my skeeter but she's getting older now.  Dream boat: 8-)  Grn/Silver 20.5 skeeter zx loaded out, with a 225 or 250 given boat length/restrictions.  Economy sucks right now!!! :'(  So what could we have fished differently last nigtht, any suggestions?  I hope it isn't this tough come Sat. for a tourn. I plan to fish.