Rizzo

I have a trip planned the same week. Glad to see I'm not the only one scouring the various weather predictors. I too have had a rollercoaster of emotions from "woo hoo" to "sigh"...often on the same day. Not sure why even bother looking.

there you go...don't fight it, go with it. If the temps are reasonable (12 degrees or so and up) I make no attempt at staying dry.

I'm jealous Lew. I'm sure you have lots of openings this summer to fish, nice to avoid the rush of opening day. Then again, lots of retired guys tell me they are busier now than when they were working full time. That boat doesn't wax itself after all!

and by the way, nice sheephead! I've caught a few that really had my heart racing until I saw what it was. They sure can fight.

occasionally for funerals we have "dove releases"...but they are really white homing pigeons. There are local companies in all the cities I have worked (Toronto, Barrie, Kitchener). To be honest, they often don't work out as well as expected. Last one I did they flew like 10 feet, landed and sat there staring at us. And a colleague told me he did one and one of the birds got picked off by a hawk as everyone watched "the spirit ascending". Not sure if it really happened, but pretty neat story.

Nice! Glad you had a good chance to test out the boat and got into a few fish. Nipissing has a lot of hazards...hope you didn't need to implement the spare prop. I finally get to put my new boat to the test later this week (first day I had to go real gentle on it for the break in).

I have to wait until Wednesday, but then its 3 days of fishing after that!

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not too worried about the size. My last boat had even a smaller motor and it was fine for how I wanted to use it. For me, it was more about a low maintenance trolling motor, not one that you constantly had to be rockering a foot pedal. Sounds like the w55 will fit that bill.

holy smokes pulled down the pole and everything...I miss Barrie for goofy stuff like this. Now I live in Breslau where the Millard hanger is

hahahahaah sure you do. I bet you're thinking of the last lady who was super nice any hour of the day. The new one, although more presentable, is unflirtable.

I've fished Balsam for years. 7 or 8 years ago pike were a rumor, maybe 3 years ago I got my first, now I get one every time and I'm usually using some serious sized baits not husky jerks or 3/8 ounce spinnerbaits!

wallacio...its been a while I think. They no longer use the dungeon and its not the woman who comes down in the nighty and bare feet. Now they have a shop in the shed/garage

nicely done! Keep em all

...oooo bribery...good thinking!

I did that once...call the day before. They said no problem. I warned them that if they didn't get up I would be relentless. Next morning they didn't get up...then I was relentless...then she taught me some new words.

Anyone been up there lately? We'll be going by around 6:30 am on Wednesday and would like to grab some bait. Just don't want the woman of the house to yell at me again. Anyone been up there mid week before 7 am? Is the shop open at that time or will I be taking my life into my own hands if I ring the bell?

thanks for the replies. I gotta be honest, I knew nothing about the different types of trolling motors when I got the boat. Have always just had a minn kota powerdrive. First time I put that motorguide in the water I nearly flipped myself out of the boat. With the chop on the water, it was literally impossible to keep the boat going straight and fish standing up at the same time...maybe if I wanted to sit while I fished I could do it...but I don't want to sit!After a bit of internet searching, looks to me the w55 would be the motorguide version of a "powerdrive" other than it is wireless. Think I will make the switch.

I believe it is the pro series motorguide...maybe on the foot pedal I can tighten it down some how. I actually told my buddy I may blow up 2 balloons and put them under the pedal to hold the dang thing in place. How's that for Macivoring it? I guess guys (like me before last week) who have never used a cable drive don't realize what I'm talking about. I guess for certain types of fishing (flipping jigs??) this might be a good trolling motor, but if you want to be standing, watching your lure come in as you creep along, it is not the right motor.

Mike I'm like you. Lots of the time barefoot, occasionally in crocs

By on the move I've got it on cruise control at a super slow speed on a calm day. At that speed with my buddy on board we definitely get a number of casts to the same spot....even hit the open water behind us. But I don't want to stay at that spot forever. I want to slowly creep along, and not have to worry about the trolling motor spinning around if my foot isn't on the pedal. And I also need the motor for is windy days (ie blowing you away from the structure, or blowing you right into the structure). Just a way to maintain being 100 feet away, and slowly creeping along. With my last model I could do this. With this new one it seems very sensitive and has a mind of its own. So my question is, would the w55 accomplish this or am I wasting Clarence's time? If it operates like a powerdrive, then I think the switch would be a good one.

I'm not too worried about delay, I just want to use it to keep me 100 feet away from the weeds, so there is no precision really needed. If I end up 90 feet away or 110 away its not a big deal. I can gradually correct this.What I want to avoid is the constant demand to have my foot on the controls. How the flip do you cast out bucktails, crank em in and do a figure 8 while you're foot is on the pedal?

So the new boat came with a "cable" guide trolling motor which I found very high maintenance to operate...always had to keep my foot on it or we would be doing donuts. Clarence from Bay City Marine has been kind enough to offer a swap for the Motorguide W55. Will this solve my problem? Don't know much about this unit but I'd like something that once you point it in a certain direction it just heads that way (something like the minn kota powerdrive unit on my last boat).Something you don't have to pay constant attention to. Is the W55 going to be more to my liking?

you never know what you'll get out there...we got a small hammerhead once!

my guess would be that was not allowed, but if this person is your neighbour I don't think you will have very good neighbourly relations should you turn them in!

haha Lew the eyes say it all.