RSF

Hi, SOUTHERN ONTARIO I design and install, Trobleshoot and Repair-- Marine DC Lighting and Equipment from the Battery-on, such as: * FUSE PANELS and CIRQUIT BREAKERS * LED LIGHTING * BATTERY ISOLATORS * BILDGE PUMPS * SONAR * COCKPIT GAUGES * BATTERY (Single/DUAL-Series 24V or Parallel 12V) PM Me if your in need of help. If it's a simple Marine DC Elelctrical problem and your an OFC Member, I may give free advice here through the PM system. If you need onsite work, I charge mileage and either a set rate (estimate) or an hourly rate. I'm tedious and don't muck around fixing old wriing when it comes to Marine trouble, I generally replace and solder all splices and connectors wire input ends. I also, as time permits, covert Manual Downriggers to 12 V Electric as it far cheaper than either buying an existing OEM upgrade or a new Elelctric Downrigger.

You may be able to fix or reduce trolling oversteer by adjusting the vertical trim tab on bottom side of the anticavitation plate. Go easy though, as a little adjust means alot of adjust when on plane. Mark (etch) the original position, losen the trim tab (usually a 5/16" Allen wrench depending on motor OEM). If motors' swivelling to right (Starboard) and boat go's left, adjust tab 1/8-1/4" to right (Port). Tryit, fixit, tes-twit until it's going straight and also acceptable once on plane as well.

Iv'e been using a fold-up net called 'The Masters Net' for more years than I can remember. When folded in it's sheath it measures about 6" x 1" x 2.5'; when open it's hole size is about 2 feet in diameter with a four foot shaft. I remember what I paid for it way back then though 80.00. Think it was InFishermen who were promoting it. Anyway, I have never had trouble with it, while others did, I'm not sure if they are made.

Cripes, I used Ande line back in the 80s. It's still on my Penn and I don't recall it ever breaking (30ld). Make shift anchor rope--lol.

Hi all, Here's another simple method to determine the charge of a 12 volt battery, personally, I let it sit for an hour or so after charging before taking a meter reading: VoltageState of Charge12.6+100%12.5 90%12.4280%12.3270%12.2060%12.0650%11.9 40%11.7530%11.5820%11.3110%10.5 0% Avoid discharging the battery below the 40% level whenever possible

LETTER FROM MNR RECEIVED APR 11/12: Releasing Out of Season or Undersized Fish: Well Guys, it took over a month, but I just heard back from MNR: "Dear Mr. (XXXXXXXXXXXX): Thank you for your email dated March 1, 2012. I am pleased to respond. The Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 indicate that a person fishing under the authority of a sport fishing licence must immediately return a fish to the water if the retention and possession of that fish is prohibited by the regulations. If the fish is alive, it is to be released it in a manner that causes the least harm to the fish. A person is required to return the fish to the water without delay and in a manner that minimizes harm to living fish. The objective is to do as much as possible to ensure the survival of the fish. You had inquired about removing deep set hooks onboard rather than cutting the line at water level. In many cases, removing deep-set hooks may be the least harmful way to release the fish, therefore assisting in its survival. The Ontario Fishery Regulations, 2007 are laws that are put into place to help ensure the sustainability of Ontario's resource. By quickly returning the fish to the water, the mortality rate is reduced and the fish lives to grow, reproduce and contribute to the ecosystem, and get caught another day. When enforcing these regulations, conservation officers do so with the intent of the legislation in mind and exercise discretion accordingly. Sincerely, Lois Deacon Director, Enforcement Branch Ministry of Natural Resources

Used a 40 Merc for years on various lakes and I was quite surprised how good it was on gas, small boat though (Fibre -14'). Always backed-off the power after getting on plane which made a pretty-big difference. I had all kinds of weed problems on Georgion Bay and Pigeon Lake. Managed to solve that problem for the next season, sharpening the prop and it worked well. Just purchased a merc 9.9 for the new boat, Seamax 14' Inflatable. Told performance v gas usage should be very good, I would think that may be due to the boat being light weight compared to fibre glass?, we'll see.

Pigeon Lake has a lot of rental cottages available, but I wouldn't wait too long. Fished a week twice out of a place called Camp Fisherman ( http://www.campfisherman.com/ ) near Peterborough, excellent place.. boat launch, mooring and choice of cottages. It was a number of years ago so I'm not sure of it's ratings now. But Pigeon and Buckhorn are right there and I caught the only two muskies I had caught in Pigeon. Pike, Bass and Walleye were abundant then too. There are just-beneath surface shoals there so I'd grab and check a hydrographic chart before planing off the beaten paths.

Getting parts for the older cannons may be fun..If your having problems finding cannon parts, you might check out cannon parts at Fish307. I have ordered all sorts of cannon parts from them..good prices and fast. Found the cheapest way to bring in the stuff from the USA is USPS/Canada Post. Under hundred they don't charge for Brokerage, just a flat fee of eight dollars and tax. Freight's cheaper than overnight methods too.

Went to a smaller boat w/a merc 9.9. But purchased a 50 lb thrust electric and good deep cycle battery so I'll be using it quite alot this summer. Intend to patch in a minimum, 90 watt 7 amp solar panel for next year, using the merc to travel and the electric to troll. A little surprised to read three weeks on 7.5 costs 300.00? That's a hundred a week or what.. a 6 gallon tank a day roughly?

Hi Guys, Thanks for your comments, though down riggers I'm familiar with, the planer system I'm not and am told it's an effective method perhaps cause it's much quieter out there? Billy Bob: Yes, it would be a single line. Curious to learn why an eight foot vertical planer-mast is best? Could it be the keep the mast line out of water (reduced drag)? BillM: Thanks for your insight on mounting near bow. That may be a bit of a problem as I believe I'll be somewhat limited on base mounting i the bow area cause of the boat type. Basically I feel I'll need transom support which is why I may need to keep it midship, perhaps the starboard side?; the d rigger on the port? Stonefish: Yeah, I hear yah. My first thought was when using both the downrigger and planer at the same time, having the two Mounted close to each other might work best when I'm the only one i the boat. Perhaps that's not going to work, at least from the same side. Skeeter: Yes I can understand that but the initial thought was never to have the d rigger line on the mast, it would have a boom of it's own mounted 90 degrees from the vertical planer-mast. Well, you guys have certainly changed my thinking on the concept of running them off the same base on the same side of the boat. As for electrically operated, that's a given as I already have the two motors needed and the manual cannon lake stroll I just converted to electric's been tested and easily (drags) and lifts a fitteen pound weight so I know these low-cost 12v motors are up to the task. My first concern, before all your great input was the two line torque-force that would be continually placed on the mount. I now see I have many other important things to consider. Thanks for all your thoughts, it's appreciated. Scott

HI, Billy Bob, What I might do or at least thinking of, is making a Mast for Planer System (12 oclock vertical) and a Boom for the Downrigger (10 oclock arch) and both side by side facing the port side and sharing the same swivel base. I'd like to use both at the same time though each would be powered individually. Any advice would be muchly appreciated. I think it's feasable? Thanks for your help. Terry, It would be two separate systems sharing the same base. I do not have the space to run the d-rigger out the stern and think it may be easier to run both at the same time if they were mounted on the same base facing the port side? Hopefully, the design would allow to run both or either one at anytime? Thanks for the help. Thanks Guys. Anything more, feel add your thoughts.. Scott

Hi all, Looking at fish307 for down rigger parts yesterday, I came across a Dual Planer Board system I had not seen before..see: http://www.fish307.com/bertscustomtackle3footdoublereelplanerboardmast-mf3073d3.aspx After looking at the three big OEM planer systems, manual and electric, I asked myself why are they not offering a combo system: 1 Elect Down rigger and 1 mast type Planer system? Actually I thought about it quite a bit as in my thinking it would make great sense to have two (scissor-like) booms, one for each. Unless someone can tell me why they are not offering a connected combo, I will be making a combo this Fall as a sort of winter project. I had planned on making another electric down rigger, but after seeing (see link above), I see no reason not to make a dual boom combo. What do think, is it a feasable project? Thanks

Great price and warranty. As long as your not in a hurry it will do the job. The most important thing these days is that the charger is logic controlled to prevent overcharging. Nothing wrong with using a deep cycle to start a twenty-horse as well as using it for lights, trolling motor and other equip. Your enging may even produce 5 amps and charge the battery on it's own. Usually recent engines over 9.9 have a battery charging circuit.

Thought I mentioned it elswhere here, but Lebarron had a great deal going, I bought it. Not sure if the sales still on but here's the info: Minn Kota Endura C2-50 lbs Min Kota (5amp) logic Charger $50.00 mail in rebate $189.00 Without a dout, the best deal I had come across and I had been looking since last fall.

I'd take a close look at possible conficting amperage rating on this. Seems what your hooking up may have a much higher amperage draw than the switch plug may be rated for.

Keep your renewal purchase receipt. No matter what it will stand up in court if needbe.

Here's a place: http://brysonsmarine.com/

Like many here, I have night fished many years, less noise stress and water activity brings the Walleye shallow. Muskies will attack bait pretty-much anytime it's within their night zone area and above them. Sometimes black plugs are better at night depending on moon cycle as the outline is easier seen as a darker Silhouette than the water itself. Night Navigation: Know the water your fishing in, especially trolling or trolling using a downrigger for Walleye. There are general topographical maps showing depth and obsticles on the net if you do the right search. Only in the darkest of areas (no shore light) and least amount of moonlight do you need more than running lights and mild low wattage capped and down-pointing onboard lighting with output below general eye-line (this way your eyes can focus and see the water surroundings your moving through and not be night-blinded by your boat's onboard lights). (Myself, I put a couple of strips of black electrical tape on the stern light ONLY where it shines directly into the boat). Avoid planing at night as no matter how well you may know the water you can't see floating debri and other nightfishing boats that are not using proper lighting. In unknown waters, I use a compass (lighted) to keep my direction fairly straight in darker conditions and take a shore direction reading before leaving. Walleye: If trolling, I use my electric, the quiter and slower the better in my opinion. Know matter the conditions I fish off the bottom or close to it from deeper to shallower water as I have found schools of walley move into structured areas and shallow water at night to feed, usually after dark. No matter what the bait, I use Florescent Orange spinners with it, as it seem to help attract walley. Musky: You just never know with Musky, they say it takes 200 hours of fishing musky to land one. But there a ways to narrow down that number. Noisy, big side-winding baits (imitating injury) near the surface such as the suick work. Musky will attack moving things smaller than themselves hungary or not from below. They generally travel in pairs and mate for life, so if one is hooked and brought in the other may be close by. They will even re-take bait after being released. I have had great success fishing at night, it can also be quite the adventure. One time while nightfishing gull wing in Bala, we were jigging in a desolate area just off-shore in a boulderous area, where no cottages were when a bear jumped in the water that we didn't hear coming, we were actually quite lucky our little and old outboard decided it would start on the first couple of cranks--something it hadn't done all weekl, and we were able to get the hell out of there. We were quite shaken with that event. -- It scared the crap out of us!

Water temp is probably the most important factor to locating the fish with exception to where the bait fish are. In spring, if fishing from shore, most fresh water fish tend to begin the breakfast hunt on the west side of a lake as it warms first from the morning Sun and pike, musky and LM Bass will seekout bait fish there. Depth wise, as others have mentioned, Salmon and LakeTrout are quite specific to temperature and the thermocline layer. A charter boat friend used his downriggers but with a temperature probe and he was looking for certain temperatures depending on the lake species his charter were there to catch.

One of three things. First: I'd check the battery connections at the fuse box and if equipped, the main fuse at the battery. If in doubt--change them. When your sure there is power to the dashboard fuse box, again suggest touching (shorting) the two terminal clips together that attach to the horn switch using a screwdriver, horn should sound. If not, the switch is fine and you will need to follow the leads to the fuse box and Replace the fuse and while doing so look for corrosion, try shorting the two terminals to each other again, it should sound. If not, The relay's the culprit or connections at the horn. Very bizarre you say it worked before removing the rotory horm switch and not after hooking in the pulse button. I'll assume the rotary original had Only Two connectors attached.

Tired of manually pumping that weight from the depths and shocked at what their asking for a electric model? I've done a few downrigger modifications to rectify the problem through installation of a 12 volt high torque motor. The Cannon mods done also include a rapid conversion to manual in cases where you lose battery power. Did two of them during the winter and apprx 12 during the last couple of years. Can also build from scratch using only two or three OEM body components.

Though I'd post on this topic briefly, though I realize it's a 2011 OP. Just wanted to say that as a small measure, I cut-off a portion of the bottom belly meat on fish I feel are more than a year old (through size). Once read toxins accumulate in the lower portion of the fillet.

You might check and clean all power contact points of the lines, clamps/connector as well as threaded connectors from batt-up, including any crimped ends. I Just purchased a new MInn Kota Endura C-2-50 for the unheard of price 189.00. Includes Manufacture rebate $50.00 and a free 5 amp logic controlled 5amp MK Charger. Lebarons. I believe the sales ends, the end of the month (March).

Seems to me, the simplest way might be adding a couple of 3 way battery switches. Outboard to switch 1 and 1 to 2: Start Batt, Deep Cycle 1 and Deep Cycle 2. Effectively selecting each deep cycle individually and bypassing the series hook up which will bring 12 volt charging across the board. You would also have to manually select 12 or 24 volt for both electric trolling, starting and charging.