Gerry

Ugly! Here's the way I see it. Lund is trying to explore a new market by using their popularity with the fishing boat crowd. This version however, has a bland appearance. If this is geared to the family man which I think it is, (i.e. family runabout) then wifey will have a major influence and my guess is she won't like the paint job. Buyers in this market (runabout) care more about price and appearance. It's like the commercial where guy likes the fuse panel and wife doesn't care, while wife is in awe of the walk-in closet and guy walks away. Back to work.

I agree with Lew, those old, carburator 2 strokes, spewed a lot of smoke and it wasn't pleasant to troll with them. The new 2 strokes (DFI) are entirely different and emit 'no smoke'. And I don't believe that the plugs get as fowled as they used to because the new DFIs' get little lubrication at low RPMs. I can't be absolutely sure about this however, because I don't run mine like that (i.e. at idle).

Pooch, changing to a smaller prop isn't the answer because, yes, you will lose some top end speed. But more importantly, you'll risk over revving the engine which can cause it to detonate. As for a trolling plate, I'm just not sold on those things. When trolling for walleye, sometimes you need to slow to a crawl (i.e. 1.0 mph or less) and a 115 will probably not go any slower than 1.8 to 2.0 mph. That lack of flexibility will, in all likelyhood, see your catch rate go down. I now when I'm fishing for walleye up north I use my electric motor to pull me along at speeds as low as 0.2 mph. Obviously, I can't put a kicker on my bassboat so when I go to Quinte I jump in with a buddy who is properly equiped, Ranger Fisherman, 200 Opti & 9.9 Merc 4 stroke kicker. Hope this helps.

As Fisherman pointed out, I should have said in a 12 hour period. I'll agree with Wayne that it will slow down the discharge rate of the battery. I use solar panels at my cottage (I don't have electricity) along with a generator and propane, they are 2'x4' in size (2 of them) and I have 4 deep cycle batteries, 2 12 volt and 2 6 volt units. This system almost never requires me to fire up the generator but I still cannot charge my boat batteries in a 1 day time period. I tried the smaller panel, ( Seimens 1x3 ft) for my boat. I would hook it up whenever the boat sat at the dock and it proved to be inneffective. But as Wayne pointed out it may have given me an extra day on occasion but it didn't prevent me from having to pull the boat out to take it to town for an overnight charge with the on-board charger. I've since loaned the small solar panel to my sis-in-law for her small 20ft trailer and it seems to keep her batteries charged, although she uses very little power .... 1 small light for short periods of time.

Saw one for the very first time in my life while approaching Red Cedar Lake (Temagami area) last summer. It was nightime but I got a very good view of it with my headlights as got I got closer. Wife was with me and she saw it too. I'm still awestruck.

I concur with Taper. A solar panel large enough to charge a deep cycle battery (overnight) that has been run down (which occurs often) will cost you around $1,000. An on-board charger is the way to go (much cheaper) but you will need an elctrical outlet nearby. If you're going camping for a long period and don't have elctricity available, a small generator is a better option.

Well, I'm scratching my head trying to decide which side of the fence to fall on this one, but here goes. In this HP range, probably 4 stroke would be better especially if you'll be using it for trolling. The Optis' don't like to run at idle speed for long periods because they get little lubrication at this RPM range. Now if you're going to add a kicker motor then that is irrelevant. The main problem you'll encounter with both engines is that you'll find that they troll too fast. So, if you're adding a kicker then the weight issue becomes important and I would then recommend the Opti. Hope this helps.

Well, this is a good read in today's news: Global Warming Report Released

It's good of you to ask these questions because, as others have said, the launch ramp is definately not the place to learn. And there's nothing more aggravating than to see someone tying up the ramp because of inexperience or ignoring the 'rules'. I would add that you should perhaps visit a few ramps to see how the more experienced guys/gals handle the launching and retreiving procedures. Experienced people take about 1 minute when launching and about 3 minutes when retreiving. I would recommend that you go there when there is a tournament; there you'll see how fast things go. Others have given some good advise on procedures and you should practice to develop your own set so as to be efficient and thorough, i.e. not forgetting to put the plug in. 'Not putting the plug in' will happen, it has to most of us and for some of us, more than once. Good luck and rest assured it's not all that complicated.

Tony, I would be quite frustrated too. I guess the Toronto market for new houses is so hot that the builders don't give a s$%t. A couple of suggestions: 1. buy the lot and hire another builder to build a custom home. 2. look at an older subdivision to find a house that can be renovated to suit your needs .... an added bonus is that quite often these lots are bigger then the current ones. Charles made some good points and I would like to add to them: 1. Storing the boat in winter. I tried that and it didn't work. The salt dust from the wife's car pitted my trailer after just 2 winters so I gave up on that idea. Not a problem if you have a galvinized trailer though. 2. The total length of the boat is much more than the advertised length. My 21 footer becomes 26'3" when you include the motor and jackplate which is why I requested 30'. I have 28'3" which gives enough room to walk around it. 3. A swing-away tongue is indeed a great feature and although I don't have this, I would get mine retrofitted if I ever need it. My next boat will definately have this. I still can't believe you're having all this trouble with builders. The first thing that came out of my builder's mouth was "no problem, let's see what we can do". As someone mentioned, garage doors is something to pay attention to. Most new houses come with 7' high doors, only good for cars. My previous house had 8 foot doors and that wasn't high enough to clear my Optimax when trimed up for towing. I had to get out, remove the transom saver and trim it down some .... a PITA and I'm lazy. So, 9' door(s) is a must if you have a boat or a pickup in my opinion. Keep looking and posting. We might have a builder on here who would be willing to help you.

I had a similar issue a few years ago and I decided to ask a builder to modify an existing house plan to give me the demensions that I required. I have a 21' bassboat without a swing tongue so I asked for 30' inside length. He was able to give 28'3". I also asked to have the garage widened and he gave me an extra foot. I then asked for a larger door, single door (for a 2 car garage) but 9' high. I got it and I'm in heaven. The wife says we built a house around a garage ..... works for me. We had to give up some interior space but that was OK. The builder was very good about it but he had an in-house architect which helped with the mods. So, perhaps you need to speak to builders again. If you're serious about it and willing to absorb some additonal cost he should be willing to accomodate you. Good luck.

Brookieman, bears are very unpredictable and dangerous. One swipe across the stomach with one paw and all your intestines are on the ground. If there are plenty of berries then the danger deminshes somewhat but it's stiil dangerous if you happen to be positioned between a mother and her cubs. Last year was a year with plenty of blueberries yet I saw a very, very large one standing on the side of Hwy 11 entering North Bay in broad daylight. No sir, I wouldn't wonder in the bush without some sort of protection, be it a gun, a dog, or pepper spray. I always carry my .308 calibre with me. As long as you have a valid licence all you have to say is that you're carrying the gun for protection ... you shouldn't have a problem. As a matter of fact, last May a cottage owner near me had a bear wondering around his place for a few days in a row until he shot it. He had called the MNR about it and their statement was: "shoot it if you feel it's endangering you". They also stated that they are getting so many calls that they are overwhelmed and can't deal with all of them. Enjoy the bears? I say from a very long distance.

On a 50 HP engine there will be no improvement in performance so don't waste your money. A different matter on higher HP machines, i.e 115 HP and up. The greater the HP the greater the difference in performance. The improvement is achieved because of the stiffer blades, they will not flex. You need to be running at 50 mph + to notice this though. The other improvement comes from having thinner blades. This permits a different pitch to achieve the same performance, i.e less resistance. The downside as mentioned is if you hit something hard. The aluminum will absorb the shock and protect those brass gears and prop shaft, not so with a SS prop. Anytime you hit something with a SS you should have the propshaft examined.

Yeah, it was a memorable finish especially with Boyer crossing the finish line upside down and on fire. Too bad for Mark Martin, he certainly was the sentimental favorite.

Wayne, you would have to rup that in, huh? Now where's that voodoo doll?

I agree Misfish. When it comes to whiners, Gordon is the king! I just can't warm up to that guy. Actually, with restrictor plate racing anyone can win. It's largley a matter of luck, being at the right place at the right time, having a good pit crew, and making the right decisons about pitting and tires. I sure miss #3.

My pick is Tony Stewart.

Yeah, I've had it too. Booked a flight to Florida in March .... gonna do some bass fishing, have a few wobblies, and walk the beach to check out the scenery while the wife goes shopping.

Hey Carp, a nice dinner with a good red wine, then back home, light the fireplace then open a 2nd bottle of red and Voila! Works every time. My motto is that a house is not a home without a baby. Congartulations Kirk.

Taper, I'm not familiar with Polar Kraft but I'm assuming its a 17' to 18' aluminum boat, which is probably a deep hull boat. In that case I would opt for the long shaft. Yamaha is a good choice but if it's a 4 stroke I'd get it with electric start. The 4 strokes are "cold blooded", ..... they don't run well when cold and at low RPMs'. I had a Johnson 9.9 4 stroke and the thing almost gave me a heart attack every time I used it from pulling on the pull cord. I also had a Yamaha and it was the same. A buddy has a Merc and his has to be restarted a few times before it warms up but the good thing is, it's electric start.

... that statement is hogwash. Of course you can. The better system is the one that you connect in front vs the EZ steer which is a rear mounted system. They are both simple in that a rod is attached to both motors therby allowing you to steer the kicker with the steering wheel. With the front mounted unit you don't have to stretch out over the motors to connect them. As for the long shaft vs short shaft question, usually long shaft is better in these situations. But that would depend on your boat. What kind is it?

Tiony, Why would you want to trade the 60HP, 2 stroke? That boat, albeit somewhat underpowered, is a good deal. The ProVs' are very good.

It's been a while since I've seen this as a topic. Let's hear about your favorite recipe, be it for walleye, salmon, steak marinade, chicken wings, baked beans, etc.. And if we get enough perhaps our admin guys can set up a special section to hold them.

Stay away from magellan is all I can say. After spending approx. $700 on one I had to have it repaired/replaced 4 times because of moisture entering the unit even though they state that it is 'waterproof' or 'water resistant'. I got so fed up I ended up throwing mine away. The company really don't give a #$% about consumer products, they are more interested in their other ventures. Go with Lowrance.

"a shakey old 2 stroke " You won't see that on an Optimax Hookset, they are as smooth as a 4 stroke. As to fuel efficiency, several mags have run tests that show quite clearly that the new DFI's are as efficient or even better than 4 strokes. Frankly, I see no benefit to owing a 4 stroke in this HP range. As to statement that 2 strokes will disappear and that all outboards will be 4 strokes ..... ain't gonna happen in my lifetime. Old carburated 2 strokes, yes I'll agree, but that won't happen with the DFIs' because they are as clean. If memory serves me correctly (there' no guaranty on that), I recall reading an artcile in Bass and Walleye Boats magazine that claimed the DFIs' are cleaner than the 4 strokes; I think it was because the DFI's have a more complete fuel burn, if that makes any sense. I'll try to dig it up. A few guys have the Verados on the bass circuit ( a supercharged 4 stroke) and they all report that are less fuel efficient than the Optis' at WOT.