Catfishing Boats

[Surreal Deal]

Basically, if someone is taking you with for a ride, don't just go along for the ride. Pay attention and try to learn while you are out there.

Ha.... Any "Takers"?

[Shack]

If you can, make sure you keep your tilt on your motor unlocked, so then when (notice I say when and not if) you hit a log or whatever, the motor will hopefully tilt up and minimize the damage.

Originally Posted By: Hanson

My 60hp Johnson is on full time unlock. I'm actually not sure if I can even lock it down. I don't have tilt/trim either.

Yes! A very good call . It may bite the big one when you go into reverse with a bigger motor (pulls the lower unit right out of the water and slams it back down if you do not know how to prevent it), but I always run with mine in the unlock position. It will not save a prop, but I know I have saved my self from major lower unit catastrophe a couple times over the years now The skeg might look like Swiss cheese, but at least the lower unit housing is not cracked or blown apart.

Like Tom said what gets my props is sand and gravel bars that finger out in to the main channels, but the wingdams of Pool 2 are a close second . With the motor and prop I have I can repair one a minor mishap with a file, but when the second one occurs I need to get the prop redone, or risk the chance of an out of balance prop taking out the inner workings of my lower unit.

Last year I figure I would give a skeg guard a try. I figured what is the harm in trying one. My skeg is about 45% less than original and I had just burned up another prop on the MN river. What I have found with my motor has been very positive. It did not affect the top speed much at all, I have hit a couple wingdams now with the prop being untouched, and it saved me the cost of having the skeg rebuilt:

Down side is I have heard from others on here that small HP motors get robbed of top end and power when using one of these. The two things I have experienced with this skeg guard on my motor, higher RPM at WOT, and an almost jet like cavitation during middle band speeds with the trim raised up. The higher RPM at WOP throttle mean more gas is consumed when buzzing up or down the river. With my motor (being a gas hog to begin with) I have noticed a little bit of an increase in fuel consumption since installing the skeg guard. The RPM increase is a direct result of the cavitation cause by the skeg guard and I feel will no effect on the engine's life (only 300-400 rpm).

The other issue I have noticed is when I am on bigger lakes and there are large waves. I used to be able to trim up the motor and lift the bow of boat right to the sky. Now if I do this the motor rev's out and the bow is limited on how far it can be brought up. I am not kidding you, with that happy troller and this boat before the skeg guard, tilting the motor way up would result in the bow blocking my view straight forward . I pretty much had to pear around, off to the side of the boat when under power, and the tilt way up. It was very slow going (10mph or under), but I could plow threw 3’+ waves if needed before. Last fall with the skeg guard on Mille Lacs, I could almost not pull the bow up enough to clear 1.5’-2’ waves .

(IMO) For the river it is great, but for a large lake it is not.

Good luck, and like everyone else has said, get out and learn by mistake or find a capt. To ride along with. It is the only way

[Surreal Deal]

I see the guard on the skeg (Looks like a Mac's River runner), is the flat thing behind the prop a troller plate?

[Shack]

Yes it is. It is the only way I can get this motor down to a point of trolling at a couple miles per hour.

It acts like a hydrofoil when in the up postion and works well on my style boat. Way better than the side fins did as far as lifting and control.

[fishinJohn]

I saw an alumaweld boat yesterday, looked like a guide and client and that thing sat oddly in the water; the back end was just above the surface of the water and the front was pretty high (bow stern yah) and they were putting down a creek at very low speed. If I won some cash I would take of long look at wooldridge boats. I may end up getting a hand me down jon boat this summer though, and that will satisfy me for the long years of saving ahead.

[Slowhand]

Just speaking from my experiences a person can get TOO COMFORTABLE with a stretch of river as far as knowing where every deadfall/rockledge/sandbar is. The water I normally run(Minnesota River) can change from season to season....theres something to be said for reading the water as well not just going off memory. I wasnt in the boat, but I bet Ed felt comfortable on that run of river when he cracked going what, 26 mph?. I'm sure this is preaching to the choir; what I am saying is you always have to be vigilant. And yes I have bent 1 lower unit shaft and cupped many a prop-blade even though as stated above the Minnesota is a forgiving river compared to others. The farther upstream you go its not a matter of if your gonna bottom out, its when.

[catfishkid]

Hey

EC 30-06 where did you find those 100watt lights that are on the front of your boat? they look great. thanks

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I always see boats in Mankato with the two lights on the front. Looks like a car driving down river.

[ec30_06]

I got them online

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Went out on the river in a boat for the first time tonight...and I gotta say it was awesome. Definitely blows shore fishing away and it really makes me want to buy a boat. Thanks Kyle.