laker1

Some thoughts and questions

Can’t you switch your Perko from 1 to 2 or to both while running? Please advise.

The suggestion to colour code your battery leads is a great idea.

My 8hp Honda charges my main battery thru a circuit block that connects to my electric rigger while trolling. Seems to work really well.

How or what do I need to change my manual planer board mast system to electric? Getting tired of cranking. 
And lastly I am using an older Minn Kota battery charger to charge my trolling motor batteries from inside the boat. Should I trade in this charger for one of the new Minn Kota precise charger series? Is there an advantage?
 

jim

thank you 

jim

Thank you,

Looking forward to the pics

jim

Greetings all dog lovers,

It looks like Lake of the Woods will be low this year and our dock will be high. So our Lab is going to have difficulty getting in and out of boats. Does anyone have any ideas? Have you built something like a gang plank? 
if so could you post a picture. I don’t want to lose my fishing buddy.

Thanks 

jim

Thank you, very happy with two spin n glows received from you.

jim

Does any one know the pound test line size used in Gambler Rigs?  Also is line flouro or mono

This memory still bothers me. I am fishing for lakers on Lake of the Woods. It’s a blue bird day with only one solitary black cloud far off in the sky. There is lightning being sent straight down from it. It’s coming closer , straight at me. I start to feel a bit of a headache. The water seems to change colour to a gray green. The lightning is coming closer, too close, so I decide to flee. The cloud followed me all the way home (a couple of miles) spitting lightning and then it just disappeared.

I have mentioned this before but I think it bears retelling. Bob and I were in a musky tournament on Lake of the Woods. We were trolling, long lining 10 inch Jake’s. All of a sudden my line went skyward - then Bob’s  followed. We looked up and there was a huge eagle with our Jake’s singularly hooked in each talon. We reeled and pulled it in and then somehow turned it upside down and it quieted down. Bob released the Jake’s while I kept a paddle in front of that beak. The eagle flew off half in the air and partially bouncing on the water to perch later high up on the tallest tree nearby. Quite an experience!

Lake of the Woods, Ontario is now a real concern also for walleye. A problem created by politics and neglect.

I second the suggestion made by Cody191. Your kicker should always charge the main cranking battery. This is what I have done. I intend in the future to run a line from this battery with an isolator to either my electronic battery or to my trolling batteries. I expect this will have minimal effect because I usually go on short runs in Lake of the Woods. However I have been stranded and never again! Last year we had a famous musky hunter get stranded for 3 days in November in an open boat with daily snow living on bread and peanut butter.

My battery storage method in cold Canada is to pull them all out of the boats and charge them all one final time inside the insulated cottage upon a swimming float mat. The plastic in the mat keeps the batteries warm all winter. Then I cover the terminals with dialectic grease and the whole battery with a garbage bag. Dust on your terminals is your enemy.  Periodically I check the batteries fluid and charge them thru the winter. Come spring my engines all start . (I also change all the oils every fall whether they need it every fall and fill the gas tanks with premium and Sea Foam to fight condensation.) It can be time consuming but the system works! 

Thank you L & M and Sherman Brown. This has been an education.  I have an old Humminbird 1197c that I just love.

I bought it in April 2010. I thought I could move it to my second boat, but after a brief shakedown cruise I think it is ageing. My GPS no longer works etc. So rather drill more holes I am going to place this machine on the floor and continue to use it until it really dies. The other functions I use still work. 

Hi,

I am reluctant to drill thru my Lund Rebel consol. The consol appears to be hard plastic over aluminum. I wish to instal a Ram mount. Does anyone have any advice as to method and type of drill bit. I do not want to crack  the consol. Just drill straight down and bolt her in. Probably with a wood base underneath. I wonder how do the professional riggers do it?

Thanking all contributors in advance.

jim

I have been told releases can damage my line. I would like to hear if anyone agrees with this (or not) and what they have done to protect their line. Currently I am using off shore releases with rubber bands fishing with either mono or braid.

Couple of things,

Cannon sells an additional bottom tracking system. I have it but haven’t tried it. It has received mixed reviews due to response time when faced with sudden bottom changes. 

When my Digitroll failed and kept failing,  everything failed! 

Good luck

Cannon Digi Troll

I had the first model which looks like this one. Just loved it until one day it failed. It kept turning itself off after the ball was out and down. Imagine pulling in a 10 pd ball attached to wire w/o gloves! Then having a kinked mess in the boat because it couldn’t wind up. I tried to have it repaired professionally many many times but no go, it always failed. If you want a scanned copy of the original Computrol Manual I can send it the next time I am near a scanner . But I can’t say when exactly being on the lake right now.

jim

Thank you, I have a circuit block. But this is good to know.

Do any of you use this?  And does it make a difference?

I never have but do have a Cannon rigger which will allow me to do this. Not trying to be controversial here but want to do a little fresh water research. My boat by the way is aluminum and I wonder if this is a factor?

RE SLOW LEAK

Sometimes its something simple like a worn out old bilge plug. The rubber wears out !  Try a new one in its place.

Good luck,

A suggestion for the singing.

In Florida some charter boats cut av tennis ball in half and then wrap it around the down rigger wire with plastic tape.

Thank you Andre,

I like the automatic charge concept. I will be in contact with Blue Sea. Hope they have a dealer in Canada.

jim

Hi, I have in my Lund a circuit block connected to my cranking battery.  I wish to connect my new sonar to a dedicated RV battery that is also connected in parallel to the cranking battery thru the circuit block. I am trying to have my Hondas first charge my cranking battery and then because I am using a parallel circuit charge the RV battery. Again the circuit block would be where I would connect (start) the parallel circuit. Now the question is where I should locate an isolator in the circuit to the RV battery? Should the inline isolator be close to the RV battery near the bow OR should the isolator originate at the stern after the circuit block at the beginning of the parallel circuit? I hope my request for assistance makes sense. Thanks Jim

Thank you Polishcannon. 

I also have a Lund Rebel.  Why not mount the mast on the bow deck?  I haven’t done this yet. But if there are concerns

please tell me now before I drill and bolt  my Cannon mounting plate.

jim

Kicker Suggestions

Have your main motor and your kicker both use the same gas line connections so if you have bad gas in one tank you still can get home.  Ask me how I know!

Can you hang your kicker on the Stanley transom next to your main power plant? I do this with my 17’ Lund.

There are transom mounts made for four stroke kickers.

Consider attaching hydro fins to your main power plant to assist you getting out of the hole. The fins help offset your kickers weight. 

Canadian gas quality can be very poor. An inline gas line water separator mounted before the main engine is used all the time around here.

My kicker (Honda 8 hp ) also charges/maintains my main cranking battery.

A circuit block is also a good idea - safe,  to connect your accessaries with individual fuses.

Good Luck