Misty IV

Nice job & report. Good to see boats out on the water this early in the year doing great!!

I'll see you there, Brian. Yes, Pete has always had a lot of valuable information to give to the audience.

Anyone headed to Cabela's this weekend in Hamburg, PA to see Ron Jacoby or Pete Lahosky's seminars? I'll probably be there for both tomorrow, Saturday 3/17. Hope to see some familiar faces there and, perhaps, some new faces. Ron's seminar is scheduled to start at 10am with Pete's immediately following at 11am. ************************************************************ Pennsylvania Trout Fishing Techniques Join fishing pro Ron Jacoby as he explains the tips and techniques required to be consistently bring home a stringer of trout in Pennsylvania. Saturday & Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Location: Second Floor Conference Room Salmon Fishing on Lake Ontario with Captain Pete Lahosky Captain Pete Lahosky, owner of Prime Time Sportfishing Charters, specializes in Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Trips. Captain Pete is also a six time Lake Ontario Challenge Cup champion with over 20 years experience fishing Lake Ontario. If you have a passion for lake salmon fishing then this seminar is for you. Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 a.m. Location: Second Floor Conference Room

Just following up with my experience. After countless weeks of calling them and being promised they would get right on it, talking to the shift supervisor and some "higher-ups" there, I finally got the unit returned to me in early November. Paid to have the internal battery replaced at a cost of $159.....only for the unit to NOT be repaired. It is still doing the exact same thing as before. After a weeks worth of calls to their tech support line, I was told I need to send it back and have it looked at again. I inquired about the $159 I already paid and if any additional fees would be incurred for them to "look at it". Their response was that "they wouldn't know until they bench tested it and diagnosed the problem". They said it could be the Navionics card, the antenna, any number of things. An antenna is around $300, a new card is $200. It's almost worth replacing it with a new unit. So, the unit is sitting in my basement with the rest of my gear, waiting for the 2012 season to start. I've heard Raymarine's service is hit-n-miss. Has anyone else had it this bad before?

Great, thanks for all the replies. Looks like I'm switching filter styles, too!

Are there any differences in the marine & automotive oil filters? I've noticed the MerCruiser oil filters specified for my 4.3L have gone up significantly in cost. The oil filters for an automotive 4.3L (look identical to the marine, just different color and sticker) are quite a bit less expensive. Are there any internal differences, such as relief valve pressure, filter material, etc.) that require me to use the marine units? Does anyone use a standard Purolator, WIX, etc. automotive filter on their engines? Thanks for the input!

Ditto!!! My kicker is a 1971 Johnson 6hp 2-stroke and it runs like a dream. Has never let me down.

We'll be getting ours shortly, too!! Do you still have the Islander, Bob, or did she sell?

BOTH!!! I have both a fixed and a handheld radio. If one fails, battery in the handheld goes dead, etc., it's always nice to have a back-up if and when you need it the most. The small added expense could save your life, IMO.

I work for a company which specializes in emergency vehicle warning lights, but also handles scene illumination for construction companies. A manufacturer's product we have been selling a lot of and have been extremely happy with is Maxxima. Their LED lights are very bright, come in a durable housing and have a great warranty. I attached their link below should you want to look at their products. I use their products for interior cabin and cockpit lighting on my boat and couldn't be happier. http://www.maxxima.com/

I tend to switch things up, too. It all depends on the day, but I typically run a variety of spoons from DW and Michigan Stinger. Every now and then I will put the NK's out. All do well for us.

While I fish the LOC, I also enjoy doing the smaller 1 and 2 day tournaments. Alot of what I do depends on the availability of my crew. We live 4.5 hours from the lake, so we have to pick and choose where our interests lie during the season. Never done any of the Pro/Am's. Would like to sometime in the future.

Another vote for the Islander! I had an 18' Starcraft center console before buying my Islander. Great boat with lots of room for people and gear, but as many have said, they are a WET riding boat when the lake gets snotty. That was one of my main reasons for upgrading. I wanted to be out there and not have to turn around and head in when the winds picked up and I was suddenly in waves as small as 2 footers. I've had the Islander since 2005 and have been out in some pretty nasty stuff, but never once felt unsafe or that we'd never make it back to shore. I think for your purpose, any aluminum cuddy would be fine. I use my cuddy to store all the gear. I've never used it to sleep in. Lockable door keeps everything secure when I am not around.

We ate the salmon we caught this year and it was the best tasting fish I've had in awhile. Nothing beats a freshly caught fish. Restaurant stuff can't compete!!

Thanks for all the input so far. I found a well-recognized and USCG approved online training course which would allow me to study the material from home with the availability to contact an instructor with questions, then when I am ready, go to a certified exam center to take the test. Because of my limited vacation time at work, I am thinking of doing the online thing, then traveling on the weekend to take the exam(s). Does anyone feel doing the online has any disadvantages over the classroom, other than not having the "hands-on" time with the instructors? I would love to sit in a class with a group of people after the same thing, but to need to use up a week's worth of vacation time could be an issue with me this year with the plans I have with the family. Thoughts?

I have been considering going after my OUPV license for some time now. My girlfriend is really pushing me to do it, as well. Of the captains here, how many of you have gone for your Master's Upgrade after receiving your Six Pack license? I'm trying to look ahead and determine if the Master's is something I should consider down the road, as well. Input, opinions, why to get it/not to get it, etc? Thanks!

In addition, I would strongly suggest getting a handheld VHF for use as a backup should your main fixed-mount VHF fail on you. Yes, they may not have the range of a fixed-mount unit, but I'd rather have something than nothing when you really need it.

I got mine last year at Cabela's. They were having a blow-out sale on them. [ Post made via Android ]

Merry Christmas everyone, and best wishes from my family to yours for a prosperous and healthy 2012. Is it time to put the boat in the water yet?

Another vote for the Islanders!

Are the bases swivel or non-swivel units? [ Post made via Android ]