mr 580

I checked my reel parts box and I don’t have any Great Lakes 47 parts left.  I used to have several of these reels and updated them several years ago so my parts probably went with reels.  I did find an invoice from 2013 from Tuna’s that had a carbon fiber 47GL drag kit for $12.99 on it.  My guess would be they stopped offering drags when normal wear parts supply was gone. To check bushing wear hammer drag shut and then reel in with load- if spool is catching and difficult then bushings are worn.  With carbon fiber drags and new bushings, these reels were ok.  That being said they don’t compare to a current LC3 IMO.  

Several years ago Daiwa stopped supplying parts for these reels so by now parts are likely limited.  If you are having issues reeling in that is a sign of bushing wear.  The spool was bushed on these instead of a bearing.  You may find drag washers on eBay or an aftermarket supplier like smooth drag.  But unless you replace bushings you’ll probably still have issues.  You might call some other reel repair shops too for advise.

Not a lake I’ve fished myself, but DEC offers some basic info and a map.  Based on map with max depth of 36 ft and pretty limited structure, I’d work weed edge or pull sticks.  Snap jigging would also probably work.  Pretty small lake so not surprising info is limited (boat traffic probably an issue so start early).  Have a good trip.

I forgot to mention that out of Barcelona you need to watch for perch net buoys.  Ask the harbor master when you launch and keep an eye out as you want to steer clear of them.  Small commercial fishery from that harbor.  Not a big deal once you know what they are.  

Fishing Barcelona would be a good choice-deep water and usually fish right out front.  There is a campground nearby.  With an open boat like an Alaskan you’ll want waves less than 2 ft.  -wind direction to avoid west or southwest that comes up the length of the lake.  If it is rough from Barcelona, you can hop over the hill to Mayville on Rt 394 and fish Chautauqua.  Most days you can fish out of the wind there and walleye fishing has been good.  If you have riggers bring them likely by 27th fish will be quite a bit deeper than they are now.  Lake Erie United is starting to get more reports so that is a good site to check as well.  Enjoy your trip to Chautauqua County.

I had a 1984 Mercruiser 260 that ran on regular gas for the 20+ years I had it.  Shouldn’t be any problem to run 87 octane non ethanol in an 1987.  Don’t think you’ll notice the lower octane rating.

Beyond setting your zero at waterline, I don’t remember any calibration.  Check and see how much cable on your spool-if you have lost cable that could cause reading to be off because your spool is not full.  Fresh spool of downrigger cable should correct the readout issue.

Look for a 1RXY5 Mini Cam Lock - available from several sources.  Goes in mounting then flips up to lock rigger.

That is a sign to pay attention to.  There was and apparently still is a big hole at the end of the ramp.  If you drop your tandems off the end you will need a tow truck to lift the end of your trailer out.  The guy that lifted my trailer out years ago said he was there several times a week and at that time there was no sign.  That was an experience I would have liked to skip!

White perch-very aggressive Chautauqua Lake has plenty-they get so bad we switch from real worms to plastic on walleye.  If you don’t you blow through 100 nightcrawlers in a hurry.

Cannon Digitrol II were made in the 80’s so many of the parts are no longer available.  The keypads haven’t been available for at least 20 years.  They could be converted to a Mag 10A to get around the keypad.  Parts availability  and how old they are limits the value.  Fish 307 does show what parts are still available for these on their website.  They were a decent rigger years ago-it has been 15 years since I updated the two I had.

Charter/guide boats receive different inspections and decals.  USCG does federal and NYS does the inland guide PV (public vessel) inspection.  Both are annual and NYS charges a small fee.  Some small differences in the requirements for each as well-another detail and expense to deal with.

I’ve used 4 ft fluorescent tube protectors cut to length with a piece of foam pipe insulation to wrap leader around to store flies.  The plastic protectors run about $3.50 at Home Depot so you get a few tubes out of each section.  Then they store in a covered plastic tub.  Pretty economical .

Yamaha has 3 shaft lengths- 15” short, 20” long and on some models an extra long or sailboat 25”.  You’ll have to make sure by measuring your transom mounting height and the lift stroke of your kicker bracket to sure you can clear the water line in the upper position.  Different kicker mounts depending on make and model have different lift specs.  With a 25” shaft you’ll likely need a bracket with a long lift stroke.  All the pieces need to “match” for everything to correctly work both up and down.

I have a 8hp Yamaha on my Lund Pro V- quiet, smooth, max about 5 mph and gets down to a little over 1 mph.  Long shaft non-high thrust.  8 hp should work fine on a 18 Targa. 

X2 with Whaler-no new news on this story.  I kept my boat in Braddocks from 1983 to 1988.  Channel was always a challenge especially in a NE wind and you had to pull early.  With prices going up and the lake access issues, I decided to get out and trailer instead.  When I was in Rochester for Easter, I drove through the marina.  Scratched my head then about the investment going on without any major changes to permanently remedy the depth and silt issues for lake access.

It’s a good idea to check the fasteners used to secure the rod holders.  If they are screws, a change to a nut/bolt fastener along with washer and backer should help protect things.  I had a buddy have a gimbal mount pull loose and he ended up having to add bracing to secure it better.  Worth checking how the rod holders are installed.

All three lots  sold pending payment

Lot 3

Lot 1 - $65.00 inc US shipping.   3 sets of doubles.  Singles MT Dew CG, Purple CG, Green Dot CG and Two Face Pro Troll  All are 8" flashers

Lot 2-  $65.00 inc US shipping    4 sets of doubles- 3 sets Spin Dr's and one set Pro Troll.  Singles Purple Bolt Chrome and 42nd w/Gold back  All are 8" Flashers

Lot 3-  $45.00 inc US shipping     10" Spin Dr's- Qty 2 Black Dot w/flies and Qty 2 Green Dot (1 NIP)

PayPal best method of payment.

I just drop one end of ratchet strap down through handle with tiller handle then tighten up.  Not a big deal.  I’ve always used a safety strap on my kickers and I’ve had kickers for 15+ years.  Last thing you want in rough weather is gear flopping around -good way to have “bad” things happen.

Have no issues-I just lay motor towards big motor then ratchet strap to boat transom.  Been running that way since boat was rigged in 2008.

They were at Hamburg Show last Thursday to Sunday.  Email might be better than calling during show season.

Maybe using smaller level winds and short rods would help a younger person with a rigger rod?  Spinning reels are prone to line twist when downrigging among other issue’s.  IMO big boards with releases are easier for less experienced people to deal with and land fish vs in lines.  I find for young kids that more hands on options are best-my four year old grandson is going to visit me from Washington in August and I’ll have him on a weed line with worms.  Trolling trip we’ll wait.

On my Chautauqua trips I get kids, woman and some men with limited fishing experience.  These trips are primarily for walleye and I use light spinning gear.  I use “rod in hand” tactics so they can feel the bite.  I jig, use blade baits and slow troll worm harness.  I use quite a few artificial baits but always have worms on board so kids can get action.  For walleye and bass on inland water IMO I’d use other tactics than downrigging especially for folks with limited experience.  There is nothing like seeing a kid land their first walleye.

I have the PR-300’s and bought a kit a couple years ago to upgrade them to the APR-300’s.  Big difference between the plastic reels vs the aluminum reels.  The plastic reels and the handles were a bit awkward to operate.  They  were a struggle to bring boards in at times.  Aluminum reels work well for my boards which are homemade to fit in my rear live well for storage.  I’ve not used Otter Boats or Amish boards so I don’t know how my boards compare on pull.  I was considering going electric, but have been real happy with the APR-300’s.