Bass & Walleye Boats articles from April 2006

Bass & Walleye Boats archives from April 2006

The 300 Club.(Holeshot)
April 1, 2006... Congratulations to Suzuki, whose recent debut of the DF300 at the Miami International Boat Show in February made it the first outboard engine builder to produce a 300-horsepower four-stroke. And to Mercury Racing, I say, "Welcome back to the...

"Terrible" rumors.(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... While shopping around for a new bass boat, I was seriously considering powering it with a 250 Mercury Verado. Yet, in talking to boat reps at the St. Louis Boat Show--even those who sold Mercury outboards--I was told the Verado gets terrible...

No mo' tow vehicles, please.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... In my long-term enjoyment of Bass and Walleye Boats, I have not seen any requests for more information on tow vehicles. Much to the deterioration of boating articles, I have seen that you now have two associates pounding out automotive stuff. I...

Continue bay boat coverage.(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I am glad you had the BWB reader survey on whether or not you should have bay boat coverage in the magazine. As far as I am concerned, your magazine could/should be titled "Fishing Boats" because I'm interested in how different boats are...

What about kayaks?(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I'd like to see coverage of fishing kayaks, as well as aids for the handicapped covered in BWB. Bill Herold Victorville, California We'll pass on the fishing kayaks, but we appreciate the story idea on aids for the handicapped. An...

Pixels, color and power.(Electronic Fisherman)
April 1, 2006... Keeping up with the evolution of marine electronics is a full-time job. Unfortunately, most fishermen already have a full-time job, so they can certainly be excused for needing a little help when it comes to buying a new fishfinder. ...

New blood.(Seat Time)
April 1, 2006... Just last month, I was lamenting the demise of the carbureted outboard and whining about the dearth of true performance outboards in today's product offerings. Well, the annual Miami International Boat Show was held this past February, and two...

Looking on the bright side.(Fast Lane)
April 1, 2006... A couple of weeks ago, a buddy invited me to go fishing in his spankin' new boat. I was testing an equally new Dodge Ram 1500 4x4, so I offered to use "my" truck as the tow rig. Both boat and truck performed flawlessly in their respective...

Bass Cat, Honda and Mercury receive top honors for customer satisfaction.(Around the Dock)
April 1, 2006... Bass Cat, Honda Marine and Mercury Marine ranked highest in customer satisfaction in their respective segments in two studies by J.D. Power and Associates: the 2006 Boat Competitive Information Study and 2006 Marine Engine Competitive...

Ranger donates bay boat to devastated police department.(Around the Dock)
April 1, 2006... Good deeds continue in the Gulf Coast where last year's hurricanes hit, such as Waveland, Mississippi. There the town's police department received a Ranger boat for the officiers and their families donated by the Flippin, Arkansas boat builder....

BWB reader survey.(Around the Dock)
April 1, 2006... What class tow vehicle do you own? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] a) Compact b) 1/2 ton c) 3/4 ton d) 1 ton e) SUV Make sure your vote counts. Visit BassAnd WalleyeBoats.com and click on Survey Section. We will report...

Classic color: Humminbird 585c; The unit brings a new color screen to a classic case design.(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2006... Humminbird fans looking for a color display in a familiar package should check out the 585c. It uses an ergonomic case design that has spanned through several series of products. FAMILIAR SETUP WITH PRIME VIEWING The 585c continues...

T & R Marine's outboard lifting ring: removing your outboard is a snap with this inexpensive tool.(Cool Tools)
April 1, 2006... One problem a do-it-yourselfer has when working on his boat is how to remove and reinstall his outboard when that type of work is needed. Also, if the engine is not mounted to an adjustable jackplate, how do you suspend the engine to remove the...

Life jacket available for small and large dogs.(Finders Keepers)
April 1, 2006... For the canine in your life, keep 'em safe on the water with a life jacket by Paws Aboard (877/987-PAWS; pawsaboard.com). The company says the life jacket won't restrict the pet. Spot can wear this and still be able to take an afternoon swim...

Trailer Guardian helps prevent accidental de-coupling.(Finders Keepers)
April 1, 2006... DuraSafe's (866/544-5615; durasafelocks.com) Trailer Guardian safety device has a universal design to fit all ball and coupler combinations. Once it's installed, you place a lock in one of the spring pinholes to secure the trailer to your tow...

Post-style lights provide added visibility.(Finders Keepers)
April 1, 2006... Some extra light helps when you're at the launch ramp at night or if you need added visibility when trailering on the road. C.E. Smith (800/334-2490; cesmith.com) offers new, lighted post-style boat guides that come complete with all wiring and...

Fuel/water separating filter made for high-pressure systems.(Finders Keepers)
April 1, 2006... A new fuel/water separating filter by Sierra International ($12.50, 217/324-9400; sierramarine.com) is made for high-pressure fuel systems. It contains a high pleat count that provides 10-micron filtration and can handle 90 gallons per hour of...

Wheels of destiny: we test 19 props from eight major manufacturers on our E-Tec-powered Stratos project boat.(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2006... It's time for our biannual propeller performance story, heretofore known as The Propeller Shootout. But, we've decided not to use the word "shootout" for this piece because the name infers a "winner" and a "loser," which really wasn't the...

Bad attitude: Ranger's new 188VS brings a pro-level tournament bass boat into the "value-packaged" 18-footers.(Cover story)
April 1, 2006... Bad is good--and the Ranger 188VS, the largest of the VS series, is one bad boat for the money. I found that out during my first day behind its helm on Bull Shoals Lake just a few miles from Ranger Boats' factory. There's something about...

Home Shop Series Part 1: outboard engine removal and storage.
April 1, 2006... Today's society leans away from home maintenance and servicing prized possessions such as boats and tow vehicles. Our "Home Shop Series" stories are designed to show that even though many procedures are best performed by qualified...

Where eagles dare: Warrior's V1898 DC Eagle is designed to tackle the wildest walleye waters.
April 1, 2006... They say necessity is the mother of invention. When Tom LaTour couldn't find a walleye wagon with sufficient intestinal fortitude to endure the rigors of the continuing conflict between angler and quarry, he took matters into his own hands and...

Jacks of all trades: our jackplate buyers guide features the latest offerings from the industry's 13 leading manufacturers.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2006... So, you're trying to get better performance out of your boat and you've been thinking about putting on a jackplate. Or you already have a jackplate on your rig, but you're not sure if it's the right one. Either way, you need some answers. Well,...

Bay bomber: ShearWater's 2400Z runs like a bass boat, even on rough water.
April 1, 2006... We last visited with American Marine Sports, Inc. (parent company of Gambler bass boats, Sterling flats boats and ShearWater bay boats) back in the fall of 2004. At that time, we put the company's capable ShearWater 2200 Coastal through its...

Lady Elite.(Hot Rigs)
April 1, 2006... Diamonds aren't a girl's only best friend--for some, it's a Champion. At least that's the case for Lea Blake, who's on her third Champion--this time, an Elite 198--and enjoying every inch of it. In November 2004 the Virginia angler traded her...

Grading oils.(Shop Talk)
April 1, 2006... In 2004 you had an excellent article on comparing automotive oil vs. marine oil for four-stroke outboards ("Duke of Oil," March 2004). Because of your article, I have been running Pennzoil in my Yamaha F115. Yet, my mechanic recommends the...

Two-carb diet.(Shop Talk)
April 1, 2006... Love your magazine. I have a 2001 Mercury 125 hp Model 125EXLPTO. I have always been a Mercury man, but I hate this motor. It has always started hard and idled poorly. I am not a technical expert, but I am told that this is a "2+2" motor that...

Battery not at the ready.(Shop Talk)
April 1, 2006... I have what I would call an electrical leak. The battery that starts my boat's engine and runs all the electronics runs down in less than a full day of fishing. Recently it's been wearing down in three to four hours, even after being fully...

Blueprinting a walleye boat?(Shop Talk)
April 1, 2006... I recently purchased a new 2005 Ranger 620DVS with an Evinrude 225 H.O. I saw your article on blueprinting a boat and was wondering if this would help a multispecies boat like the Ranger 620? The boat's lower unit is an old version. Would...

Trolling motor drag.(Shop Talk)
April 1, 2006... Encountering the issue I have with my Glastron SX175 made me think of the feature Allan Tarvid wrote on engine-mounted electric trolling motors ("Trolling Solutions," February). I want to know if the installation of the motor I have has caused...

In friends we trust.(A Jones for Boats)
April 1, 2006... Friendship is a funny thing. We cultivate friends for any number of reasons, ascribing to the prevailing perception that acquaintances--unlike relatives--are somehow less problematical because we choose them. Unfortunately, this little nugget...