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Keep your rod tip down so the fish has a harder time launching out of the water.

Does it start and idle without a lot of choke manipulation? Can you troll with it at idle speed? Are the results the same after replacing coil packs? Do you start it and have to give it throttle to keep it running? The fact that it turns over is good. Just need to invest a little more time and you can probably have it running like a top.

Check all your fuel lines and fittings. If the primer bulb won't stay firm, you have air entering the fuel line. Motor will run but performance will be hampered.

I just went through the same recoil problem with my 1997 20 hp mercury 2 stroke. Take the recoil assembly off the top of the motor. Underneath there will be a few keys that engage the flywheel. Make sure they move free. They should lock in place turning the motor over when you pull. If they are worn or dirty they could be locking in a position that prevents normal function. It's an easy check. 5 minutes to remove 20 minutes with a q tip and some wd40. 5 minutes back together. You'll know on the first pull. Also sounds like some carb adjustments might help.

Grab some 1/8 x 2" aluminum from princess auto or Canadian tire. It comes in 3 foot lengths. Easy to drill through and cut with a hacksaw. Works great as backing and won't rot. Add stainless hardware and a couple drops of loktite and you will have a permanent mount that won't budge.

If you want a ford ranger or a Mazda b series you better start looking. The 4 litre 4x4 is a solid little machine that can be beat on for years. A very popular model that is only available used now. Why did ford/ Mazda stop making these trucks? I just did some serious searching for a small truck and all I could find in the 4L 4x4 category was old high mileage at $6000 - $12000 or 5-6 year old trucks selling for $15000

Tying direct to the split ring is probably the best way to attach jerk or crank baits. I trust a knot that I tied an hour ago a lot more than one I tied 2 hours ago. I use a Palomar knot with 10 pound power pro. Tie it on the doubled portion of the ring. Pull tight then slide it into the gap portion. Pull even tighter and trim off the tag. Every few casts I check that it's in the gap. Every time I catch a fish or pull out of a snag I check the knot. Every time I change lures I tie a new knot...

Just head out and try. Talk to other anglers that you run into. Spending a few hours scouting is never a waste of time. Who knows, you might have some success. If I were to try either of those spots I'd be casting jerk baits or tubes hoping to catch a bass or two. Could be some eager salmon poking around in low light conditions. Good luck.

To avoid the tangles wrap your line around the rod a couple times and catch it on a guide. In my tinny rods are stored in a bracket that's made to hold planters from a railing. Try a google search for deck rail planter brackets. Select "images" and look for the bracket that looks like it's made of thick wire. Hang that from your boats gunnel and you can hang 4 or 5 rods from that horizontally.

For your very first boat, a basic used tinner with a small outboard is a good idea. Add fish finder trolling motor etc down the road as budget allows. Use it for a year or two and decide if you want a bigger boat or maybe a better small rig. Or maybe you'll be satisfied and can invest some time and money to fine tune your rig so it's perfect for you. It's amazing what you can do with a 14 or 16 foot aluminum boat with bench seats. Lots of potential at minimal cost. Take your time and really plan out any updates and you can have professional results.

Light colored clothing. Smoke. Deet.

If they have a loop at one end and are kind of hollow at the other, I have used them before. Your line goes into the hollow end and tension is supposed to lock in your line. If you can't get your line to go in very far, put a pin in the tube end and roll it back. Remove pin, insert line, and roll back. For security, a couple drops of crazy glue.

They look great. Two suggestions. Paint them with the brightest orange paint you can find. And figure out a way to make slip floats for fishing deep water. Drill a 1/8" or smaller hole through and glue a plastic tube in there. Put some super size chamfers on the tube and you are in business. Take a look at ravens balsa slip floats. I like them. But the plastic tube is too soft and line cuts it... I found putting a chamfer on the tube made a huge difference. Sail sells another brand of slip floats with a brass collar at either end. They work too but the tube method is probably best for DIY float making.

I picked up an O'Neil brand uv protection hoody at sail last year. Not flashy at all and very comfortable. the hood is quite roomy. When wearing a ball cap I can keep my entire face in the shade by pulling the hood down over the brim of my cap. even on the hottest days I stay cool.

Don't worry about your flies. Pack them in your suitcase and you will be fine. If your rod won't fit in your suitcase you will have to check it in as oversized and you might end up paying some fees. Check with the airline.

Buy both. Counting on just one rod is always a gamble. I doubt you'll be disappointed. And if one breaks you won't be without a rod

Shimano makes quite a range of reels. The more you spend, the more abuse your gear can take. I've wrecked Saharas using braid. My stradics have held up to abuse for several seasons. If you're using mono or light braid with loose drag you can probably get away with cheaper gear. Not saying a cheaper reel won't do the trick. I believe the higher end gear is made to last. Smooth on day 1 still smooth on day 1000

No offense iron maker... but keep in mind you are trying to get people to discuss the morals behind why this guy or anyone else would keep a trophy fish. A discussion about morals will bring out a lot of opinions. Now there's guys saying that sport fishing is a waste of time. Who in their right mind would even suggest such a thing? People who say things like that should have their opinion taken away. Then people who agree that fishing isn't a waste of time can comment on whether they agree on someone's decision to keep a legal catch. They should start a petition to ban people from eating any fish that is deemed morally wrong.

Does that mean they replaced them all free of charge?

Just feel good knowing that it really was as big as you say it was. Whether you decide to keep it or let it go depends on how badly you want to get it certified. With musky in particular, keeping extremely large fish doesn't sit well with a lot of folks. Most other species don't seem to get as much attention in this regard.

Detented pin?

Tough to really nail down a specific trip. For me it would be a tour that involves deep sea, inshore/ coastal for a week followed by a few days of R&R and then move inland and sample some freshwater species. Most likely south America. Obviously need to narrow it down a bit.... Then again I could probably spend a month touring Ontario and not get bored. Lots of places in other provinces to see too. We have it pretty good here.

Nice recap. The pic of your daughter with the flipping stick cracked me up. I can just imagine "hey old man, watch me flip that log over there and pull out a 4 pounder... yep gott'em!" I have a tip that might help with your sons sea sickness. Take a paper bag in the boat. Get him to tuck it into the waste band of his shorts so the bag is against his stomach. It will be a bit uncomfortable. But the discomfort of the paper bag is supposed to distract your mind from the motion sickness. Definitely worth a try.

Husky jerks are good baits but I find they don't cast as well as some of the newer baits on the market. Many of the new designs have internal weights that shift to the rear of the lure when casting. Old style baits have a wilder uncontrolled flight when cast. The new generation of baits all fly like bullets and pull the line off the reel. Tail first with very little wobble. I'd suggest trying out some xraps, live target smelts, even vision 110's or the rc stx 110. They might tangle from time to time but nothing like a husky jerk.

Guys in the local tackle shop said it was great. I tried 10 lb and didn't like it at all. Back to the original for me. Maybe its better in higher pound test??