Millhouse2020

Looks good. Time to try it on the water...

Everyone here seems to be on point. Storage will have to be based on where you live. Gas and oil of course will depend on usage. You may also want to budget several hundred dollars a year for dealer maintenance. Depending on what you buy and how mechanically inclined you are, this may be a necessity. Newer outboards are like modern cars, they have just go more complicated and computerised. I havent tinkered with mine at all. But thats me. Liscencing is a couple hundred bucks overall since you will have to get the boat and trailer liscenced. If you buy used, remember you will have to pay GST but you only have to pay it on the trailer so get a detailed receipt. Also, transfer any warranties immediately since they have a short time frame to do so, like 30 days. Learned this the hard way...

Beautiful machine! I think you will be impressed with the E-Tec and its power. I would also have to agree to go with the most powerful trolling motor you can get as well.

I have never used a clicker but I can see how they would be useful for trolling. Until this year, I had been making due with one muskie stick, a Rapala muskie rod 6'9" heaving action with an abu 6500C reel. Overall, it had been great and landed several nice fish for me. It performed fine casting and trolling. It did everything except cast really large baits well. As such I wanted a new rod and my lovely fiance got me a St. Croix premier for x-mas which I have to decide on a reel for. I also recently acquired an assortment of muskie tackle from another fisherman so my collection has gone from one outfit to 7 very quickly. Two of the rods I got have reels with line counters and clickers on them which I expect to use exclusively for trolling. Im sure they will perform fine. I dont see a clicker being a must for me since I expect to use it only for trolling. When Im trolling, I have my left hand on the tiller and my rod is in my right hand, I dont use holders, so I will know when i have fish on or a snag regardless of whether the clicker is engaged or not. If I was trolling with a console steering boat and needed to be at the helm and or had several outfits out at one time, I could see how the clicker feature would be a much bigger asset.

The Tranx is pretty impressive. Still not sure what I will get. Not sure you can wrong either way...

I believe it is the Calcutta TE. I found the best price so far on Tackle Direct. I know the Tranx is brand new, unproven and more expensive but I figured I would see what others who may have one think so far. I know I would not go wrong with a Calcutta.

I am looking for a new reel to pair with my new St.Croix Premier muskie rod my lovely fiance got me. I have decided on either a Shimano Calcutta or the new Tranx. I am just wondering since the Tranx is brand new, does anyone on the board have any experience with this reel and if so what are your thoughts and how does it compare to the Calcutta or similar reels. I have several Abu Garcia's which are great, I just thought I would go with something different this time. I cast and troll for muskie's maybe 50-50 or close depending on the time of year and situation. Thanks, Millhouse

Congratulations to your son. My fiance is a physician as well so I have some sense of how hard it is to become one. That's a tremendous accomplishment. Well done! Millhouse

Hi everybody, I am wondering if anyone can give me directions/suggestions for launching my boat in the north channel of lake Huron. I would like to take my fiance rainbow fishing there, we went to southbaymouth last year and had a great day. I understand the fishing in the channel is even better and not as far a drive for us. Does anyone know where I could launch my boat off Okeechobee road? Also, anyone know how the rainbows are biting in the channel. Any suggestions or tips would be welcome. Thanks to all. Millhouse

Looks like an epic trip, wish I was there. Thanks for sharing!

I have to say not sure. Im not sure if it will matter whether people register or not as to the number of comments. I know for myself, I have limited time to spend on these boards. At times, they have been blocked by my employer so I cant view at work on lunch or break time. Many times, I would like to make a comment, but someone else got to it first so I don't bother so as not to be redudant. Lastly, I only try to comment if I feel I have something useful to contribute...

I have heard the same about small baits but can't say they have worked for me specifically in the spring but its worth a try. I would say one other thing to pay attention to in the spring would be to start your search near likely spawning areas as the muskies may not have moved far from where they spawn to feed and recuperate. Shallow warm water bays and or feeder creeks would be likely spawning areas in most lakes. I expect things to be excelerated this year by the time the season opens for them in my neck of the woods since spring seems to have sprung several weeks early and most of the spawning by other fish has been ahead of schedule. I believe muskie/bass spawn in water temps above 55F which we have achieved already here in my area so I think by the time the June 16th opener arrives, they will be well into their summer patterns. Just my 2 cents... I will be throwing and trolling safety pin style bucktails in the waters that I fish as my go to lures to start the season. Hope this helps.

Hello everyone, I have a question regarding charging batteries. I have a spare battery on board my boat which is dedicated to the trolling motor. I am wondering how long it should take, approximately, to recharge the battery while running the main engine. I know after several hours of trolling this weekend for example, the battery did not regain a significant amount of charge judging by the battery meter on the trolling motor itself. I would like to know what I can expect in terms of recharging ability when Im on the water and not able to use a plug-in type charger and have to rely on the main engine to charge the spare. I also have a 1-2 watt solar panel as well but Im sure that would take several days to fully charge a battery, if not longer. My main engine is a 60HP E-Tec if that impacts the process. Your feedback is appreciated, thanks to all. Millhouse2020

I have fished Nippissing since I was a kid and the walleye fishing has been on a significant decline for well over a decade now. They are a hard fish to come by in the areas of the lake where I fish traditionally. I have been experiementing with different approaches the last couple seasons but it has not improved my catch rate much. Lots of factors playing in here and not sure which is the main cause. Native netting, cormorants, chemcials in the lake??? Who knows. All I know is, it used to be a walleye factory and a much more productive lake to fish. Heck when I was a kid, there was a commercial fishery on the lake and we still caught large numbers of fish. I wish more was being done to restore it to its former glory. Last year on a walleye fishing trip, we caught a number of drum (sheepshead) and not one walleye. Still fun but disappointing to see the walleye fishing still at a low point. Its doesnt seem like the slot system has helped too much...

Nice machine, I'm jealous... I dont mean to paint all with the same brush, just an observation. Rural folks are more likely to have grown up around a hunting/fishing lifestyle therefore seem more accepting of it. Again just an observation.

I have definitely seen this disclaimer before HUNTING programs. I think the only one we have that is exclusively hunting on global TV is Canada in the Rough and I have seen it before that program. I'm certain its all about CYA with the network... There are lots of people out there who don't think much of our fishing activity and especially hunting. They just see it as barbaric and think that those of us who participate are mindless neanderthals and not brilliant enlightened individuals like them, sipping lattes at starbucks. This became all the more clear to me recently reading some of the comments on globe articles related to hunting and the gun registry. There are some pretty ignorant people out there. My oberservation is most of the people opposed to our activities are urbanites. I find people from a rurual background, even if they dont hunt and fish at least support the activity for those who do and don't want to see our priviledges taken away. I also believe that hunting and fishing is a great family activity and can bring people closer together which cant be a bad thing. I would rather have my kids in the woods with me or on the water then somewhere I can't keep track of what they are up to or playing video games. I think there is far more harmful content on TV and the internet than hunting and fishing programs.

I have to cide with the company on this one as well. We have had similar ongoing issues in my workplace as well. In the past, the company has tried too hard to appease employees and keep people happy so now when we try and enforce rules, its very very tough. The rules are there for their own health and safety. Accidents have all sorts of costs, first human costs, then of course monetary and other costs. Our company has some large clients who have some of the most stringent safety policies out there. They track our safety performance and if we dont make the cut, we loose out on contracts. For some reason, employees fail to wait to understand this, some think they can do whatever they want. Just recently, we have had to revisit a policy on face sheilds because a couple guys dont want to wear them. The policy has been in force for over 2 years and came about due to a rash of eye injuries and rising WSIB claims and rates. We have had people under the influence here too, it boggles my mind but nothing seems to surprise me anymore. Its frustrating from the employers/managments point of view when you are trying to get work done in the face of rising costs and more stringent compliance issues. I don't recall dealing with these kinds of things as often as few as 10 years ago but maybe Im lookig back with rose coloured glasses...

Thanks nightfisher. I will have to look into this option closer. I have not attempted any adjustments/repairs myself except to adjust the nut on the shaft which is supposed to tighten steering friction. Unfortunately it only works temporarily and loosens again. I joined an e-tec webboard in the hopes of the getting more info from owners of similar motors. One person suggested a product called a titantiller which is a hydraulic attachment. It looks like a nice product but the price tag may be steeper than what i can reasonably afford to do at the moment. For the record, I only took the boat out on Nip because I reported the problem to the same dealer earlier on when I started to experience it. They suggested I buy a number of different fuel treatment products since the likely cause of the stalling was carbon buildup. So after parting with my money and heading home with a handful of bottles of carbon cleaner, fuel system maximiser etc etc I used them according to the directions and it seemed to work, at first. So I continued to use the engine but it went back to stalling frequently in particular during my fall trip on Nip and thats when I took it in for a servicing and diagnostic test to the same dealership and they told me at that point one of the fuel injectors was done. The engine had only 226 hours on it at the time I believe so this was a surprise. For me personally as a professional, I have to admit and correct my mistakes. I expect the same from other professionals I deal with whether they are accountants, lawyers, contractors or mechanics. Maybe I have been lucky so far but the odd time I have had issues, people came clean for it and resolved it once I brought it to their attention. I think I am going to write BRP a detailed letter to explain how this friction kit part of theirs functions so poorly. It is apparantly the only option they offer for engines from 2004-2009. What bothered me most was the dealers attitude on the whole thing, no admission of responsibility whatsoever. First it was my motor, then it was my transom, then it was me not knowing what I wanted etc etc etc. In the end they said, "...we can't get it to work, what do you want to do?" I thought it was a rehtorical question but they were serious so I had to explain that I usually don't want or keep things that don't work so I asked for a refund which I had to fight for quite hard. It didn't leave me with a very good feeling about their work and I just hope the fuel injector replacement was done properly or I'm in for a lot more problems. I have not had it on the water yet this year but hope to this weekend. Millhouse

Gentlemen, thanks so much. I am going to pass all of this info along to him to get him started. Cheers, Millhouse

Looking for any tips and suggestions members are willing to share on fishing in the Toronto area. My brother recently moved to TO, Dundas street and misses hitting the water now and then. He does not have a vehicle so he is limited to where he can go on his bike or on public transit. Back home he was an avid walleye, pike and bass fisherman. Any tips for a northern ontario boy wanting to get out and fish in Toronto are very welcome. I'd like to get him on the right track, thanks. Millhouse

Im running a 2006 Evinrude E-tec 60hp. It ran great at first after I bought it however toward the end of the season last year it started to stall frequently. On my last outing it almost left me and my bro stranded on lake Nippissing in November. Not fun... When I took it in for service I was told it had a blown fuel injector and fortunately for me, I bought the motor with warranty coverage still on it til 2013 so the repair was covered, despite some hardships in getting the warranty transferred to me. The motor has not seen much use, the diagnostic test showed only about 250 hours or so of running time so less than 3 seasons of standard use as BRP considers a season to be 100hrs of run time according to the manual. Otherwise, the motor has plenty of power and being a 2 stroke great throttle response. Good fuel mileage too. I made sure to buy the highest grade of oil from BRP to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible. I just took it out of storage and am hoping to have it on the water soon. Will probably spend some time this weekend cleaning her up and getting things set back up for the season.

Thanks Drifter, My motor is a tiller model. It has an upgraded tiller handle with gear shift and trim control on the handle. It sounds like the system you mention may not be an option for me but I will look into it. I have the same issue wherebye, when trolling or helping others with lines or landing fish and i let go of the tiller handle the boat veres left or right. There is a nut on the shaft that I can tighten to adjust the tension but its not prescise and it loosens quickly. This issue with the dealer started last year and long story short we agreed to resolve in the spring so I just got resolution now. I still feel the dealer was pretty neglegent in this case with the friction kit in that they obviously didn`t test it once it was installed. All in all its a learning experience for me and I will be sure to ask a lot more questions in the future and inspect everything a lot more closely. I would still like to see if I can find something that will solve my problem. BRP does not seem to have anything but the kit that was installed for these older model engines. Newer models have a completely different and more effective set-up it seems. When I originally asked for the kit I asked for the same set-up on their show room tillers. No one told me I was getting something different until I picked it up. I`m not sure if there are other after-market type options for this outside of BRP but I will have to do some homework and check it out. Thanks for the feedback, Millhouse

Sounds like you quit and that you were not terminated. However, you gave a customary 2 weeks notice to your employer, even if it was verbal. This is called a "working notice". If they chose to send you home, which is their perogative, they do owe you the pay for that period. Also, they owe you accrued vacation pay. Its the law so dont let them side step that. Sounds like they have an HR office who should know this. Your accrued vacation pay is often calculated on your pay stub you receive with your payroll. Also, you should still be accruing vacation pay during your working notice at whatever your rate is. Essentially, one week of vacation pay equals 2% of your salary. The Ontario minimum is 2 weeks or 4%, unless of course you have an agreement or contract which entitles you to more. http://www.labour.go...e/severance.php When Severance Occurs A person's employment is "severed" when their employer: dismisses or stops employing the employee, including an employee who is no longer employed due to the bankruptcy or insolvency of his or her employer; "constructively" dismisses (please refer to "Constructive Dismissal" in the "Termination of Employment" section of the Guide) the employee and the employee resigns in response within a reasonable time; lays the employee off for 35 or more weeks in a period of 52 consecutive weeks;For the purposes of the Severance provision, an employee who receives less than one quarter of the wages he or she would have earned at the regular rate for a regular work week is considered to have been on a week of layoff. A week of layoff does not include a week when the employee is unavailable for work, unable to work, suspended for disciplinary reasons, or not provided with work because of a strike or lockout at his or her place of employment or elsewhere. Although the 52 weeks are consecutive, the 35 weeks are not required to be consecutive. lays the employee off because all of the business at an establishment closes permanently (an "establishment" can, in some circumstances, include more than one location); or gives the employee written notice of termination and the employee resigns after giving two weeks' written notice, and the resignation takes effect during the statutory notice period.

Nice work Slayer! Thanks for sharing. There is more to this story as well. I did have a servicing done to the engine along with the install of this kit and i did have a problem with a fuel injector which they replaced under warranty. Too many issues to discuss fairly and thoroughly here though. My concern right now was this issue of the labour. For the record, i did get refunded, but i had to stand there and debate/argue the issue with them for a half hour or so. I was told many things, like I asked for the kit, the issue is my motor, the issue is I dont understand what i want etc etc etc. They also did not answer my calls and emails about the issue until I contacted BRP customer service. They were piiiiiissed off I did that but they werent responding to me so I saw no other option to get things resolved. I really hate complaining and having to fight for this stuff but I am of the firm belief that with many, if you dont, you get the short end of the stick. My fiance and I are in the process of planning our wedding and doing home renos and its just one after another after another. I just wanted to make sure I was on point with this since I have never quite had an expereicne like this with a dealer/repair shop before in the past. I get the feeling recreational vehicles are just a different ball of wax compared to cars and trucks. Thanks again for sharing. Cheers, Millhouse