borderline 350

Dear TT What year and Volvo engine number? .....Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Another item to think about, Cannon Digitrolls for the first few years were notorious for inaccurate counter readings. The magnets in the wheels and the Hall sensor (counter) were off approx. 30 ft PLUS. That is, the counter read 100' and you had 130' of cable out! I know several Charter Captains who lost many dollars in weights and tackle. It is best to get a 100" steel tape and check your rigger counters. It will open your eyes up! It is best to only believe part of the radio talk unless you personally KNOW the person. Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill P.S. A lot of Charter Boats run Cannon Digitrolls!

Dear Bad Habit, Deep cycle or Starting batteries will not make a difference in electronic noise levels. LOW WATER level in the battery cells will produce all kinds of interference! Also any cable or wire connection with small amounts of corrosion will set up high resistance and produce electronic noise. The best tool is a good quality volt meter that you can read volts in .1 volt increments. Method; With the ignition key off, check the posts on the battery. You should get approx. 13 volts with no load (no equipment on). (If the battery was just charged)Turn the ignition key on and you should get at least 12.5 volts at the switch, gauge or equipment plug + side. What ever reading you get (at the equipment) should be no less then .5 volts lower then the battery voltage. If you get a 2 volt drop, the wire, terminals or fuse is suspect. I have seen corroded fuse ends cause problems. Bad grounds are highly suspect in most cases. Small amounts off green salts in your electronics plugs will cause interference. Look very close at all terminations for traces of green salts. If interference is still there, wrap EACH transducer cable, radio cable or fish finder cable for a ft. or two with aluminum foil near the equipment source. Also remember that most marine electronics work very poorly @ 10 volts and will even shut down! This is not good for your personal safety if your GPS quits in minimum visibilty! Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Dear HJ, Use ONLY a Palomar knot with flurocarbon leader or line in our cold water fishery. Impact strength of fluro is dramactically reduced when using excellent knots (for mono) like an improved clinch knot. Fluro also has less stretch (elasticity) then monofilament which is made from nylon. The use of fluro leaders will increase your strikes on the slow fishing days. The Charter Captains went to fluro more then 10 years ago. Fishing in gin clear water dramactically lowers the catch rate. These salmonids have excellent eye sight! Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Dear J, Excellent tow setup with the Z-71 (3.73 axle ratio) for up to a 24' cuddy cabin. Now here is my opinion on the best boat for Lake Ontario. The mid 1980's up to about 1990 SeaRays with a fiberglass liner will handle almost any waves and bring you home safely with the least amount of hull pounding in a head-on sea. The Penn Yanns are excellent also for handling and seaworthiness. Tiara is equal or better then a Searay and holds its value well. Grady-White makes a good seaworthy hull also (but overpriced). At this point you must ask yourself what is your budget? and how much are you willing to pay out? This is the best time to buy a boat, the used market is full! Stick to a fresh water boat in the Great Lakes Area. Look long and far and always do a in-water test before you buy the boat. Buy something with low hours (less then 500). A 24' cuddy cabin will sleep two with some comfort, different mfg's have varying cabin sizes. Climb into one before you buy it! If you have some mechanical ability, an I/O can be serviced reasonably well at your home. The new 4cycle O/B's and Evinrude stuff require dealer service intervals that get very pricey. Ask (a dealer) about these costs before buying one! I/O's are quiet, The new O/B are very quiet! (approx $17,000 for a 200 Yamaha) As long as you stay in Fresh Water, I believe the I/O is the best choice. A new replacement 5.7 can be put in for less then $7500! Don't forget that you will need an electronics package and downriggers etc for this fine boat. a few more dollarsssss! I won't list the other mfg's such as 1985 & 86 24' Thompsons that experienced hull failures under normal use and resulted in their failure. Great boat for the Great Lakes with big cuddy cabins and floors that delaminated within 5 to 7 years. And the list goes on..... When you find a particular model, E-mail me direct for my comments My above comment on the Thompsons will probably get me a bunch of flack. But the history of these failures took place right here in Upstate NY! Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Dear J, What type of vehicle, engine, tire sizes etc. are you towing with from Pa to Oswego (265 miles)? I need to know this before giving you a good recommendation on a particular boat. I have experience towing fishing boats from 19' to 27' thru out the Great Lakes and to Florida (SAFELY!). Please let us know. Sincerely,.............Jet Boat Bill P.S. Bigger is better for Lake Ontario, but sleeping aboard requires a young flexible body and the ability to withstand constant motion and noisy neighbors. Sail boat halyards make a lot of noise when the wind comes up. If your the right size, it can be fun, but what do you do with all the fishing stuff in the cuddy when it comes time to get some shut eye? A 24' boat with a cuddy cabin is the best size for sleeping but eats fuel by the gallon coming up those huge hills from Pa! (A respectable 24' weighs 5000 lbs (PLUS a 1100# trailer!) This translates to 9 MPG with a gas tow vehicle or 15 MPG with a diesel)

Dear Big Easy, Try E-Basic Power in Harkers Island, North Carolina. Spend the $ on a phone call.1-252-504-3355 for info and availibility. I know they have the primary (seawater pump) JOH10-35098-3 for $159.00. fits AQ 125 A/B four cylinders. But I believe you asked for the engine circulation pump. I found them thru Google for $350 to 400 range. Have your serial number ready as Volvo parts do vary from year to year for no apparent reason. Just type in Google...Volvo AQ125 water pump as take your pick. Their are big price differences! Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill....Webster, NY

Spent 4 1/2 hours fishin with Capt Linda Lou & Skip. 7 miles NE of Olcott in 500 ft. of water(9:30 AM Start) Rainbow fishing was as good as "The good old days". 30 to 70 down with a 15 ft. lead and sliders. Bows ranged from 4.5 to 12.5 lbs. Constant action for 4.5 hours on the "bows". Picked up three nice Chinook from 13.5 to 19 lbs. 70 ft. down with a 30 ft. lead. NK28's Super Glo Wonder Bread, Super Glo Fire Tigers, and various green and gold tinted NK 28's worked all the time. Never did get the Magnums in the water. Wire dipsey out 150, 160, 180 & 200 went off several times. 10 color lead core went off twice also. Basically everthing we put out worked!. GPS speed was 2.8 knots, quick trolling! Stomachs of the large fish contained large alewifes! 6 to 7 inches long. (one to four found in each stomach) Our limit is filleted and who said there is a shortage of Rainbows! Most everyone out today caught a few rainbows in 100 to 500 ft. of water. High Sun, flat water did not slow down the fishin! Pearl colors midday/high Sun produced the best. Tired but happy....Jet Boat Bill 10:05 PM Tuesday

Please note! Price Reduction TodaY! $275.00 for a pair of good electric riggers!......Jet Boat Bill

Looks very close to the shape of a Sutton West River but many copies have been made over the years. The paint job is definitely this century. Or it could be a far east (CHINA) reproduction. Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Dear IRWORKMAN, Sent e-mail with picture. Two stainless booms, 6' length, one 6' polymer boom and two stainless steel 2' booms...Jet Boat Bill, Webster, NY....Friday 7:55 PM

Dear BPS, A true east wind of 10 KNOTS or more has always destroyed catching success on the south shore of L.O. However, a three day east blow in mid August will put a huge slug of fish off the Salmon River! And the Canadian NW L.O. catch quickly evaporates! The only place where I have had good success in an east wind was between Port Hope and Oshawa, Ontario after a reverse current set up. An east wind sets up a westerly water flow (Reverse Direction within 1 mile of the shore!) That is the shallow water is running directly into the wind @ 1.5 to 2.5 knots. We had to troll at less then 1 knot into the current and 4.5 to 5 knots with the current in order to get the proper lure action and the largest fish of the year!......Jet Boat Bill 8:20 AM Friday

Dear Bob's Boy in Pa, Let me try to explain what is important about UpGrady's water temp. statement. The cold core of L.O. (39F) exists year around on the bottom of LO. The biggest core pool is NW of Oswego @ midlake. The NDBC buoy is roughly on the west end of this core pool (20 miles NE of Rochester) and displays SURFACE TEMP! The warm water on the surface of LO is on the move today because of the 17 Knot NE wind. When the surface water starts moving, the cold water on the bottom starts moving with it. Being 39 F, this water "upwells when approaching shore". The angle of the wind, speed and duration determines these cold water upwellings and how far inshore the cold water will come. I have seen 39 F water off Braddocks in 40' of water after a 24 hour blow. 10' down!!! 39 F. Also causes huge fog banks on the shoreline!! Their are several books published with data going back to the early 1940's (for use by Air And Sea Rescue personell) both here in the US and Canada. Knowing the currents, their direction and movements will make you a better fishermen too!.....Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Dear FM 77, Your 81 Searay should be a Mercruiser I drive. At idle you will hear a click/clack...click/clack from each exhaust riser. This sound is the anti-reversion flapper valves (located just below each riser) .If they are working properly (and not damaged from overheating,age, etc.) water entry will not be a problem UNLESS you overload the back of the boat!! Open the engine hatch and be sure you can hear the flappers working! If jammed partially open or damaged, YOU WILL NOT HEAR them! If you are trolling down wind in large following seas, you can also take water up the exhaust WHILE IDLING!. You can take water up the exhaust and into the engine by backing hard in reverse and stalling the engine while at fast idle! Such as a panic reverse when docking. Fortunately most of the better boat mfg's (SeaRay)install the engine at the correct height to minimize water entry into the exhaust. But I have started to see corroded exhaust risers on these early 80 boats that have seen high hours OR BEEN IN SALT WATER! The source of water entry thru the exhaust has been a major problem for many years and can usually be traced back to overloaded sterns and operator error. Just another problem to add to the long list of "Boating Fun"!! P.S. Thats why you see the go fast boats with exhausts above the swim platform. Long duration race camshafts will allow water to enter at idle due to the pulsations present from the increased valve overlap. Don't worry about this unless you see hard starting and engine skips at idle. Then be concerned. HYDROSTATIC lock can bend rods and break cylinder walls, been there, done that. Go fishing and enjoy!......Jet Boat Bill

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Dear RM 77, My first salmon fishing boat was a 1966 19' PY. I believe they called the model "Imperial". I had to rebuild the entire boat including replacing the floor and long grain balsa core. (That was in 1978!) I find it hard to believe there are a few running. These early outdrives (Mercruiser) had some problems with longevity. Parts are hard to find and not in very good condition. Be carefull and check the steering cable closely. AND everything else! This was the most economical trolling machine that I ever owned. Great on the big water and survived several big blows!! Excellent in four footers, but head seas produced lots of green water over the bow! If this boat has been kept indoors and taken care of, you will have a fine fishing machine. BUT do look over all mechanical and wiring before venturing out into the Great Lake Ontario!....Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

Six Shimano 2000 CS lever drag reels. Six Daiwa EL787GL Special graphite 8 1/2 ft. downrigger rods. All spooled with fresh 30# Cortland Flea Flicker line. ALL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. $70 per set-up or all 6 for $350 Contact via E mail [email protected] Thanks to the several respondents! Sold to Capt. Chuck V. today Jet Boat Bill Tuesday 10:50 PM EST

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Dear TT, 90% of the US boat mfgs. went under in the early 90's due to the economy. Even Trojan went bankrupt. This boat would be excellent as a Big water trolling boat with the 4.3 Merc. , excellent fuel sipper! However, a 23ft. boat with a 4.3 is underpowered. They were sold with the 4.3's because the price was right! Many mfgs. did this to maintain a market that was rapidly dying. If you put some of your effort/labor into this boat and clean it up, you won't be sorry. If the U-Joint bellows is leaking, get it replaced. Best guy around is Bob Cario @ Pugsleys in Ontario, NY. The unknown parts that are in suspicion are the U Joints & gimbal bearing. he will advise you on what condition they are in and is HONEST! This can get expensive in a hurry. $4000.00 is a high price right now for the boat. If only the bellows needs replacing, I would say $3000 is a fair market price. If this boat has been stored a long time, beware of the fuel tank gremlins! Just remember that an I/O requires more maintainence $$$ in its lifetime and is the most expensive way to propel your way thru the water!.....Sincerely Jet Boat Bill P.S. You didn't see Mercruiser go belly up! Wait to you see their prices for parts! They have survived all these years based upon the parts business!

Dear ExtraTrimmer, The "gibberish" you hear on the VHF is probably a scrambler transmission. Don't let that bother you. You have all our fish on the "North side" during the summer months. Learn your bottom structure and wind effects on current & temperature. and you will be successfull. I spent several years fishing from Port Credit to east of Darlington. Shoot me some questions and I will try to answer them. ....Lead core is a braided line with a lead core. Comes in two ??b. test sizes and is EXPENSIVE. Tying terminal knots is an art. Also very hairy to run around boat packs!(If crossed by another guy with downriggers!) Small Dipseys off a planer board will do a better job, since you will be fishing the top 60' of water due to temps being much colder on your side up high in the water column. Good Luck Eh!....Jet Boat Bill

Dear Emptynet, Let us know what year & model please. Most of the Penn Yann's are excellent boats for the chop on Lake Ontario and handle very well in rough seas. As a former owner of a 1975 22' tunnel, the docking of these single screw inboards must be PRACTICED just like any single screw inboard. You must have a QUALIFIED operator teach you the actual method of using reverse as only a brake or achieving stern swing. The rudder position has no effect in REVERSE. The rudder position only will give you control in forward gear. The stern will swing port when the gear is in reverse. After you practice a few times, practice some more! The biggest advantage of this setup is you don't have to spend buckets of money on I/O parts anymore! The shallow water operating ability is excellent for spring time shoreline fishing. And you can get a dock anywhere in shallow water! These bioats steer very easily @ trolling speeds and launch like a dream off a roller bunk trailer. Boat condition is important when looking @ these old timers. The wood engine stringers and floor stringers must be examined carefully. Steering cables are very suspect along with the fuel lines and fill hoses. If this boat has steel tanks, be very cautious! Also the older engines are prone to dislike the new unleaded fuel and usually need modern heads and valves. Now the good news! These older boats have very attractive prices! Look @ them carefully and make notes! KNOW what you want to spend! Repairs to these old timers can get very costly. I.E. a pair of aluminum 12" X 72" tanks will run you $1000.00 (parts only) #1 My best recommendation would be for you to have a prof. marine surveyor look at the boat(Std fee $500) #2 See John Love at Arnies Marina for his examination/opinion(He also has some nice PY's for sale) #3 Have this writer examine the boat and report! (approx.$100 or less depending on distance from Webster, NY When you get more particulars or close up pictures, feel free to E mail me. lcornell@ frontiernet. net Sincerely Jet Boat Bill

Dear T.D. 50, Have 10 lb. Fish style Weights, 10.00 each. Have mold too, 40.00. You will have to pick up! Too bad, I went thru Lindley last week on the way to the PA. State Shoot in elysburg! Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill/Webster, NY

Dear John R, I have a 5.7 Vortec Engine circa 1998 (4-bolt mains)built from Super HD parts. GM Forged Crank, Forged Coated Pistons, Forged Rods, balanced, flywheel, new hyd roller cam & new hydraulic roller lifters. Alum. Vortec Intake, mercruiser thunderbolt IV ignition (Std. Rotation Engine) suitable for I/O applications. 3500.00 (4000 in parts alone) June Price. call me if you are interested. I have done a few of these in my lifetime and at least can give you some valuable tips. Bill L. @ 585-265-3082.

Dear Ray/Auburn, Send me an E-mail to [email protected] and I will send a picture via E-mail...Jet Boat Bill Friday June 8th...8:38PM

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