dave524

Saw a buddy have that problem with one of the early Crestliner weldeds, maybe 1990, started cracking immediately adjacent to the welds in several spots. Didn't get any satisfaction from the dealer, said he ran it too hard in rough water which was possibly true to some extent. Luckily he was a welder at a steel mill with lots of tickets and repaired it at work on weekend and sold it to a duck hunter with full disclosure of the problem. Since then welded boats scare me

For Erie and Ontario, Smokercraft has got a couple of models in their " West Coast Flavoured " American Angler Lineup, that to me would suit those lakes better than the usual multi species boats. Never seen one live but the layout looks hot for a Great Lakes angler. http://www.americananglerboats.com/boat-models.php?model=Osprey+162-172 http://www.americananglerboats.com/boat-models.php?model=Phantom+162-182-202

Lots of good info and stories about rebuilds on iboats.com, check out some relavent rebuild threads http://forums.iboats.com/forum.php

Just the wife and I here too, my bills are right in the same ballpark as Billy's when you look at the cost of the actual electric, gas and water used it's all the extra add on charges that drive it up

I agree with Skipper and Spough here, I've fished Erie and Ontario from everything from a 14 tinner with a 9.9 to a 40 foot Post Sportfish a charter buddy had, including my own 18 1/2 aluminum centre console with a v4 OMC and a 9.9 kicker for over 20 years. If I had your 3500lb tow restriction and budget I'd be looking at something like this rather than an open multi species boat. New listing and nicely equipped http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-boats-watercraft-powerboats-motorboats-Awesome-Lake-Erie-Walleye-Boat-W0QQAdIdZ342872786

Not really worried about the braking but sway with the short wheel base, everything I've read seems to say that when you could get a bad case of tail wagging the dog .

2012 will be my 30th anniversary of towing a rig identical to what you are anticipating. 18 1/2 Sylvan aluminum, V4 OMC, built in gas tank , 9.9 kicker, riggers and other gear for a 2500 lb total. Started towing it with a 79 GMC 3/4 ton van and a 4 bbl. obviously no problem next were a pair of 4.3 L GM vortecs, a 88 Chevy full size pickup and a 97 GM Safari, both did admirally . Now I've just retired and down sized to a Jeep Liberty 3.7L. The Jeep is fine at this weight, it is rear wheel drive with a solid rear axle and the 2 speed tranfer case makes a slippery ramp a breeze, rated to tow 5000 lbs. That being said, I live a couple of hundred yards from my usual launch ramp here in Grimsby and only several times a years will go to Lake Erie at Port Colborne or Port Maitland and that is all regional roads at 80kph/50mph. What I will not do with this combo is go on 400 series highways at 120+ kph, personnally I don't like the idea of a short wheel base on a tow vehicle at high speeds, just saying edit: Oh that $30 thousand rig was less than $10,000 including taxes in 82

nice chrome, you could try some 6 lb mono

Think it is "finders keepers" we had one hit here a couple of years ago, the fields were abuzz with searchers. Biggest chunk took out the windshield of a car so it was and easy find, but wasn't identified till later. They found 13 pieces in total but up there where this one fell don't think they will get as lucky. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2010/pdf/2716.pdf

thanks for the Matt incredible guitar player too <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jLsye_LJ_Ks" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Another track from an the old CHCH 11 Hamilton " In Session " show, Canadian blues don't get any better than this <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6FEq9B1oOuo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

See in the Hamilton paper it is the aniversary of this show from back in 83, it is available on DVD <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bYbk777br_o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> It was recorded at the CHCH channel 11 studios in Hamilton

Hubert Sumlin passed yesterday, Honeyboy a couple of months ago. Pinetop Perkins in the spring. The last 3 of that era as far as I know. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1fKMQlYN_TQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

If at any time you want to put a kicker on it for trolling, I think you will appreciate the almost 100 pound weight advantage of the E-tec. Over 500lbs. for the Verado plus a kicker think you will find a 18 1/2 foot tinner too heavy at the stern. I'd go the E-tec and put the weight and I assume cost advantage into a 4 stroke kicker, electric start, alternator and something like a trollmaster of control king for speed adjustment. Just my 2 cents as a predominately Great Lakes troller who has got a stern maxxed out weight wise

Nice Aurora

Maybe ??? http://www.google.ca/search?q=love+lies+bleeding&hl=en&rlz=1T4GZGN_enCA451CA451&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=_hHZTszCJMbb0QHN-qzjDQ&ved=0CGMQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=878#hl=en&rlz=1T4GZGN_enCA451CA451&tbm=isch&q=love+lies+bleeding+flower&revid=1442388289&sa=X&ei=ChLZTuaUN4nr0gGtzbjqDQ&ved=0CDwQ1QIoAg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=65bfae40614b2953&biw=1920&bih=878

Interesting colouration on that fish, if not for the place and time I would have guessed it was a Laker backcross Splake of 20 or so years ago on one of the Georgian Bay Tribs in the fall.

For sure, if I knew it would crack the 70 lb barrier, putting to rest all the controversey over fish by Louis Spray, Art Lawton and others, I would have kept it.

As far as I know the Seaforellen strain are not genetic mutants but simply a strain that remains in the lake an extra 2 years before making their initial spawning run. Same reason Chinooks grow larger than Cohos. Also those extra 2 years they did not undergo the rigours of a spawning run which makes them even larger than a same year class fish of the more coomon strain.

The ones we want are the Seaforellen brown trout strain, they get bigger than Chinooks as of lately anyway

Correct Bill, we used open cell and it took a lot of searching in the housewares depts.to get the right stuff, a shiny translucent foam worked way better than the more dull opaque stuff. Never went to the extreme of vaseline impregnating it, just ran balls of foam maybe some sent and like I said when yarn came out it was abandoned.

This guy was a prolific writer on steelheading back in the 70's and the first place I heard of sponge vaseline balls many years ago, haven't touched sponge since yarn became popular with all the pretty colours in the 80's, lot less hassle FWIW here is a link for making sponge balls straight from the original horses mouth. http://record-eagle.com/daverichey/x75049104/Dave-Richey-Vaseline-balls-for-steelhead

You light it and drop it in the jar while still lit quickly put the lid on while still burning, it will burn until the oxygen is all used up and go out. If done correctly when the air inside the jar cools the lid will snap and seal with an audible snap and seal . No oxygen = no spoilage

I treat water hardened eggs with a boric acid solution, about a tablespoon to a quart of water, let dry without rinsing and store in bags or glass with air removed. They will keep months this way with just refridgeration. Boric acid is a non toxic antiseptic, fungicide and preservative that is used to treat everything from an eye wash to yeast infections and preserve everything from milk to urine samples, guess it works cause the eggs are sterile and free from nasties that will cause them to go bad when treated this way .

No advice on your purchase but let me congratulate you on selling a 4000 dollar atv with a plow to the significant other in the snow capital of Mississauga while I sit here with a stupid snowblower that won't haul ice fishing or hunting gear or get into the back country when it is not needed for the 6-8 times it actually snows enough to use it A gold star for your mancard