laker1

This is an outside comment. I do not fish on the great lakes. However these are some observations when my little fishing club tried to hold a "professional " tournament. 1) The entry fee was outrageous. 2) There was no sharing of information after the tournament. 3) It was not self supporting . Non participating members were expected to support the tournament financially (using club funds raised for fish stocking) and to volunteer all day during the event. 4) It seemed that the most ardent supporters of this event had a problem keeping their feet on the ground,(swelled heads). 5) There was a lot of self promotion. As a result my club split and to this day barely operates any more. I miss the comraderie we once had when we all fished together for fun not profit. And our membership has declined. My apologies for being negative but maybe seeing this you can avoid some of the issues we had to deal with.

Thank you JTRCNC for the offer of assistance.

Thank you Sk8man, this is one of the adaptations I had in mind.

Thank you mr 580 and Sk8man, great advice. I am getting close to making a decision. Though I am surprised that some manufactureres charge extra for end caps. I would have thought that end caps as a locking system would be included. Hopefully if I ever lose one I can substitute a 1/4 inch bolt or something. Covid does not help either with the current shipping restrictions either.

Thank you guffins fisherman and DoubleTrouble1 for taking the time to get back to me. I have been monitoring Amazon and will continue to do so. Part of my problem is not being able to see the track close at hand . Its good to hear that all the rod holders and related equipment will fit into track made by different manufacturers.

Thank you Fishnut but I am too far away to attend the Toronto or the Chicago sport shows. The pandemic does not help either. Our local sport show is too small and lacks the variety I would expect to find at a genuine sports show. So I have to buy online. This is why I am seeking recommendations. I wish to make an informed choice.

Ok , I am getting ready to pull the trigger on some 24 inch mounting track. I intend to use it for Down East Salty rod holders for musky fishing. I would also use dipseys when fishing for lake trout. I will be bolting the track to my Lund's gunnel. My question is there a marine tackle supply house in either Canada or United States that people recommend with reasonable pricing? ( I can't believe the difference in pricing that I have found so far! Don't these companies ever have sales?) And is there a manufacturer or brand that one could recommend? Thanks Jim Stay safe everyone,

OK, for us in Ontario we have sometimes limited access to gas without ethanol. In addition at fueling up we sometimes receive gas from the bottom of the tank that has been there for a long time. It seems to me and others that overall our gas has been reduced in octane quality so it deteriorates quicker than ever before. Plus we believe that the service tanks themselves at the gas station should be cleaned out periodically. Yes I do use Sea Foam or Stabil. Local boat dealers here also have concerns about gas quality so they always suggest premium fuel.

I also have a Honda 8hp in longshaft after using either an OMC or Mercury kicker. More weight in the longshaft model BUT the control and the ability to turn on a dime while trolling is superb. It does not stall when you tune it to run extremely slow. I Like how the little motor charges my cranking battery. My boat is 17 1/2 foot Lund Pro Sport with a 90. The fuel lines have the same connection so I can come home using either my inline tank or that of my trolling motor for either engine. Both engines are Honda, solid and dependable. My 8hp Honda is easy starting and has brought me back a couple of times when the main motor failed. Because bad gas has become an issue here in Lake of the Woods I also now run like many others with an additional aftermarket fuel filter. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you Bozeman Bob and Sk8man. I think I am a poor writer. I am thinking of moving my 1197 to a second boat. I should have added that! Its been 10 years since I bought my 1197. So I was curious if anything had changed regarding transducer placement. One thought was whether or not a transducer could be mounted further away from the boat. Or are there transducer designs not as affected by turbulence? Hope this hasn't been a waste of everyone's time.

Hi, I would like to know with all the recent amazing advances in electronics, is there a new requirement regarding transducer placement. Currently i have a Humminbird 1197 and I am serously looking at the Humminbird Solix. Two different systems/generations which I understand will have two different styles of transducers. I fish for lakers ,walleye and musky . I use a downrigger from time to time. I have an 8 hp trolling motor hanging over the transom of my aluminum boat. Any input would be most apprecated - thank you. jim

Hi, I fish for both lake trout and musky in Lake of the Woods. I use both a down rigger and a planner board mast system plus at times in line boads. I would like to try using dipsey divers also. Have been considering having track installed to use either salty down east rod holders or cannon rod holders. My boat is a 17 foot Lund. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks in advance.

I realize that this post is about your second amendment. And that some of you are concerned about this being under attack. As a Canadian I note that we have a similar situation ongoing due to the same circumstances, too much gun play due to drugs. In our country the party in power is now suggesting confication is the answer. This process is to be enacted at the local municipal level at their "enlightened "discretion. Ultimately anyone who owns a firearm who likes the great outdoors such as fishermen and hunters or likes to target shoot is at risk. As a Canadian I would like to say God Bless America.Your country like no other has kept us all free from global war. Your generousity as a nation is well known. And on a more personal level , Thank You America for that destroyer captain in WWII who pulled my Dad and the rest of the crew off from HMCS Skeena. The Skeena a Canadian destroyer had its back broken on a reef in Iceland due to an Atlantic storm. The American captain placed his destroyer RIGHT next to the Skeena and rescued the whole crew. THANK YOU AMERICA ! jim

I have a 8 hp Honda long shaft with 6 amp alterator to charge cranking battery. The long shaft gives you great control while trolling compared to short shaft. Using a 17 ft Lund. The Honda has an aftermarket tiller extension which works well. The trolling speed can be adjusted to reduce speed minutely to your taste / conditions. I like a trolling engine that starts easilly.

I realize that this topic " Boat Leaks" is concerned with caulking and sealant . However I would like to share my experience. We almost lost our boat due to aerator failure. The aerator being plastic developed a small crack which shattered over time (years) underneath the rubber piping. I suspect the pipe was over tightened at the factory and vibration from daily boat use did the rest. We just caught it in time! You can never fully trust plastic. Hope you all have a great New Year!