NBR

My fishing pal has had 2 of them for 3 or 4 years and bought another this year. He thinks they are fine.

For the cost of 1 change per year why would you take a chance?

Some one else should chime in but I don't think I would charge if the plates were out of the water. At least cover the plates.

I too am a avid on board charger user. Easy to hook up no fumbling around and your batteries are cared for better since it is so easy to charge them up when you come back to the dock or garage. I would not pull a new boat from a dealer without an on board with banks for each battery. I too started without an onboard but never again.

It won't work and if it did your time on the water would be cut about in half. You shouldn't need to spend that much. I have fiound that the very costly batteries last longer than the less costly ones but IMO not enough longer to make up for the added cost. Down here in the states I buy Wal-Mart deep cycle marine batteries for about $90 each. The ones I have in the boat now are 4 years old and doing just fine. I expect to need replacements next year or the year after. I fish 6 to 8 hours at a time with only slight notice of power loss. Keep the water level up and recharge as soon as possible after each use.

Sad to think that Canada and the states are following the same path. We must realize that our representatives must pass new and often stupid laws to justify their existence. To wit the non use of cell phones in NY except hands free models when the car is moving. This even seems to make sense but how can it be enforced?

Years ago it was thought that the hook would rust out very fast. This probably came from saltwater fishing. Good hook removal skills are a better way; barbless hooks are easier to get out and there is a gadget that snips the hook off and has a magnet to remove the hook part. I think it is called a "Barb-It" but not sure and I don't know where mine is since I haven't put stuff back in the boat. IMO cutting the line is a last resort.

I can't speak for spinning reels since I don't have one new enough to know if they have bearings or not. However, since spinning reels don't have anything rotating at a high speed outside of giving a tighter smoother feel I don't think bearings have much to do with performance. Baitcasters are a different animal since they do rotate at high speed but there too only the bearings on the shafts that rotate at high speed affect performance. In most BC reels bearings beyond 2 or maybe 3 affect only smoothness. Bearing quality has a great deal to do with function but I have never seen any statement of bearing quality from any reel manufacturer. Bait caster reel bearings are shielded not sealed.

I find baitcasters more accurate, better fish control and overall superior to spinning for every thing except very light lures (below 1/8 oz and 8# test). The disadvantage is it takes a lot of practice to be really proficient. I have used baitcasters for a lot of year and still haven't found a reel I can't backlash but it is worth an occasional snarl.

My boat is having its 20th birthday this year and I have used many different battery tupes. While I haven't kept the data I think when I have bought more expensive batteries they last longer. However, the others cost less so my gut feel is that cost per year is about the same. Right now my TM batteries are Wally World and they have been just fine. Good maintainence is the secret to longer life.

I wouldn't be without one nor would I buy a rig new or used that didn't have one.

I come up to Canada for a two week fishing trip every year. In past years I have bought all of our groceries and like items in the area where I'm staying. This year I plan to bring most of what I need the Canadian and US dollar at par is fine with me but not coupled with the much higher Canadian prices.

TomC Fish is often over cooked. I cook many kinds on the grill on a piece of aluminum foil shiny side towards the heat and never turn it over. When the fish flakes with a fork it is done. I broil tuna the same way and serve it medium rare to medium and it is delicious. Other fish done this way is usually sprinkled with some dill weed, a bit of "Old Bay" spice and a little lemon juice. Some time I put a bit of chopped onion on the filet. Salmon and lake trout I don't remove the skin. When the flesh flakes with a fork just slide a spatula between the skin and the meat and the two seperate easily.

My spool control setting is changed daily if not more often and I've used a bait caster for more than 60 years so my thumb is pretty well educated. The biggest reason I change is wind and cast direction. I don't care for the internal adjustment although I have several reels that have internal controls including a Curado. If I was thinking of a new reel I'd be sure to include Pflueger in my search. The adjustment is external and I think it combines magnetic along with centrifugal. My Quantums have also performed very well and they are externally controlled. I don't have a newer Pflueger but I bought a BPS Prolitefiness two or three years ago that I believe has a similar system and I like it just fine.

hungupagain, refer to my earlier reply if you would like more details shoot me an email. NBR

I have gone to Ontario for close to 30 years for smallmouth. I used to go to Namakan Lake but when I was transfered to New Hampshire I started going to eastern Ontario. Lake Simcoe and other eastern Ontario locations are too far from Kansas and way to far if you are going to pull a boat. The lodge I went to has closed. If I were you I'd look at Rainey Lake as first choice, Lake of the Woods second and the Antikokan area third. Small mouth season has been open year around in western Ontario and as far as I know it still is. I prefer a boat in lodge, cooking for ourselves and you can find several on Rainy and Lake of the Woods. Rainy (I haven't fished there in over 30 years) gives you a great chance for 4 pounders with 5's or 6's not out of the question. New regulations have been imposed on some of the border waters with a maximum size on SMB's of 13.4". The last time I was up we weren't catching any walleyes and needed fish for dinner. Our biggest problem was getting a few smallies small enough to keep and eat My favorite weeks were the second and third weeks in June with the first week following closely behind. I don't know where you are in Kansas (my wifes family was from Smith Center and a brother in law worked at K State in Manhattan) but the trip is as easy as getting over to I35 in KC MO and heading north. When you get near Duluth you can cut off a few miles by going through Cloquet to Rte. 53.

A few years back I wouldn't have considered the Humminbird but they are much improved with many pixels. If I was buying today they would get my attention. I would think about the wide cone vs narrow. I believe with a wide cone on moderately steep drop you get the average depth from one side of the cone to the other so you don't get a true bottome picture. I don't really look for fish on inland lakes. I am much more concerned about bottom change, cover and bait.

If you are following the above directions on spooling the reel you might be cranking against the drag. Nothing twists a spinning outfit faster or worse!

Having lived in the Detroit area for many years my team is the Wings but near or at the bottom are the Ducks. So I was rooting for the Sens big time.

With a manual start you might be able to get by with one deep cycle for the TM and electronics but some times the TM will screw up the readings on your depth sounder. I would buy 1 deep cycle with the most reserve amps that would fit in the space in the boat. If the depth sounder doesn't work right add a marine cranking battery for the electronics and run the TM off the deep cycle. You will need to charge every time you come in to be sure and to extend the batteries lives.

I fish in very clear water and change mine every 3 years. When I fished in more turbid water I changed the impellor every two years.

I don't want any of my boat bottom behind the bunks. Actually the bottom of my transom is about 2" forward of the bunk end. This provides maximum support for the motor weight on the transom. Besides loosing transom support getting the weight too far back can cause a lot of sway going down the road. I'm not sure of the number but I seem to remember that you should have 10% of your rigs weight on the tongue. If the rig was sold as a boat, motor, trailer package it was probably set up as a balanced package.

If you put a collar on a puppy and try to lead it the puppy jumps, runs, turns, spins and so on but you aren't hurting it. I believe the study was done by a University of Wyoming professor.

It could be that the gasket or o-ring around the fill screw is leaking. If that is the case no big deal. Is the oil milky in color? If so and the boat was stored exposed to weather you might have a damaged lower unit casting and that can be a big deal.

Good luck Tony. When we built our house I had to extend two walls so my boat would have the 25' length required for a 19' boat. Since I did that I heated the thing also and my boat rests in 55 to 60F comfort all winter. You might be able to convert your trailer to a swing away tongue and fit in a smaller garage.