Bass & Walleye Boats articles from August 2005

Bass & Walleye Boats archives from August 2005

Suzuki re-enters the bass market.(Holeshot)
August 1, 2005... Just a few years ago, when all of the outboard manufacturers were planning their strategies for complying with tougher emissions regulations, Suzuki opted to forgo DFIs completely, and switched its focus from EFIs to four-strokes. Yet, unlike...

Tainted test results?(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Have I missed something? In your "250 Smackdown" (February), the big differences were engine function and weight as both had the same hp and rpm rating. So you put one on a poorly built boat with a hooked hull and other hull "imperfections" and...

Stone-cold facts.(Backwash)
August 1, 2005... EDITOR'S NOTE: We picked up the following excerpt, as well as Technical Editor John Tiger, Jr.'s response to it from screamandfly.com. It was not written as a letter to BWB. Bass & Walleye Boats continues to be the magazine for...

225 shoot-out correction.(Correction Notice)
August 1, 2005... In the June issue's 225 DFI shoot-out ("The Main Event"), we stated that the 225 Pro XS "is a hand-built engine from the Mercury Racing stables," when in fact, it is a production engine built by Mercury. Also, in the Bullet 20XDC spec box, we...

Curing the black (screen) plague.(Electronic Fisherman)
August 1, 2005... 'When I go to wide-open throttle from a standing start, my fishfinder's screen picture gets covered with pixels as my boat planes. What gives?" I hear this complaint a lot, and its solution can be as simple as reducing the fishfinder's...

Outboard evolution or revolution?(Seat Time)
August 1, 2005... Recent engine shoot-outs have had me thinking about the current and future state of performance outboards. It's a subject worth being concerned about; after all, outboards are the heart of the performance fishing boats we all love. Judging by...

Fuel for thought.(Fast Lane)(fuel economy for SUVs pulling boat trailers)
August 1, 2005... With gas selling at more than $2 per gallon, those of us towing boats are starting to take an enthused interest in getting better fuel economy from our tow rigs. Go to any vehicle dealership and you'll hear pickup and SUV buyers automatically...

Triton boats now under Brunswick umbrella.(Around the Dock)(Triton Boat Company)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... THE BRUNSWICK BOATING GROUP announced in late May that it had acquired Triton Boat Company, one of the world's largest freshwater fiberglass fishing boat builders and a dominant force in the aluminum fishing boat segment. The Brunswick Boat...

Minnesota enacts life-jacket law for children.(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Minnesota anglers who take young children fishing will now have to make sure their little partners are wearing life jackets. In May, the state enacted a law that requires children ages 10 and younger to wear life jackets while boating on state...

Protect your boat from pesky critters.(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Many BWB readers are all too familiar with this scenario: You end your fishing day and park your bass boat in your backyard or in open wilderness near the lake. Then, the fishy smell from your boat's carpet, decks and livewells lures raccoons,...

BWB field-tested: Pelican's M6 LED lithium flashlight could save your marriage.(Finders Keepers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... It was the perfect ending of a weeklong stay on the island of Ambergris Caye for our 20-year wedding anniversary. We fished for barracuda from a canoe in the morning, ate an authentic Belizean lunch, reef snorkeled in the afternoon, rode a...

Sporty jacket's liner inflates into a PFD.(Finders Keepers)
August 1, 2005... A warm and stylish way to ensure the safety of your family and friends while they're aboard your boat is to have them wear a life jacket anytime the boat is underway. Float-Tech Inc.'s (518/266-0964; floattech.com) life jacket ($395) is...

Cleaner/degreaser works on engines and clothing.(Finders Keepers)
August 1, 2005... So you don't want to fuss with a number of products when it's time to clean your boat, engine or anything else. The new Oil Eater Cleaner/Degreaser by Oil Eater (800/528-0334; oileater.com) dissolves grease and oil on engines, tools, concrete,...

Waterproof, portable case protects GPS/PDAs.(Finders Keepers)
August 1, 2005... The Armor 3600 ($99.95) by Otter Products (888/695-8820; otter box.com) is part of the company's line of rugged portable cases for GPS/PDAs. With mounting options available on your boat, you can take your unit aboard without ruining expensive...

Skeeter's ZX24Bay modified-V hull provides stability, lift in shallow or rough waters.(Finders Keepers)(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Skeeter refers to its ZX24Bay as a brand-new version of saltwater bay boats. This 24 1/2-foot craft is one of two new models from the company's ZX Saltwater Series and has been redesigned from the running surface on up. It offers a modified-V...

Cat scratch fever: Bass Cat's Puma delivers strength, durability and excitement. One ride in this explosive machine and you'll catch the fever.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... We're blasting across the lake in a hot-coal-red, single-console Bass Cat Puma. I'm riding shotgun and the console is not on my side. My right foot is jammed against the bulkhead. The numbers on the radar gun in my left hand are a blur; the...

Maximus performance: we bolt 30 extra hp and 6 mph onto a Yamaha 250 VMax HPDI, while trimming 1 1/2 seconds off holeshot, for just over $1300.
August 1, 2005... Last year, we recorded the test results as Hydro-Tec, our favorite Yamaha outboard hop-up shop, hot-rodded a then-new 3.3L VMax 225 EFI. We also installed a set of the company's new carbon fiber reeds on a 3.3L VMax 250 HPDI, for the first...

The answer is quality ... ask John Greviskis.(Sport fishing boats)
August 1, 2005... "Quality products are a necessity to make any boat 'Ship Shape'. Trust Attwood for superior parts and accessories." Q: John, I am tired of continually replacing my boat cover. I trailer my 19 foot boat a lot and the covers just don't seem...

Summertime ice-fishing strategies: summertime scouting with sonar and GPS can boost winter fishing success.
August 1, 2005... One of the best ways to prevent ice-fishing success is to hit a lake cold--that is, with no idea where the fish might be and no mental picture of the lake's underwater layout. The best way to get this information beforehand is to do some...

Light fantastic: Bass Tracker's PT175 Special Edition is easy on the wallet, strong on performance.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Nowhere is it written that you have to spend big bucks on a bass boat to fish competitively nor that fiberglass boats outperform aluminum boats. Truth be told, Tracker builds boats that perform like the more expensive fiberglass models and have...

Power trip: what's new in outboards for 2006.(outboard motors)
August 1, 2005... In 2006, we will see several new high-power engines from Evinrude, Mercury and Suzuki, as well as some major modifications on existing engines from Tohatsu and Nissan. Evinrude filled out its E-Tec line with engines ranging from 115 to 200 hp,...

The X factor: we put PWT pro Dan Johnson's new, high-profile Triton 215X to the test.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Having cut my boating teeth aboard saltwater hulls in the Florida Keys before relocating back to the Midwest, I was looking forward to testing Triton's new hybrid: a walleye deck matched to a saltwater hull, a multispecies combo the Tennessee...

In hot water: replacing your water-pump impeller once a year keeps your cooling system--and engine--in tip-top form.
August 1, 2005... Boaters do the darnedest things, from starting and revving up their engines in parking lots before launching to trying to power their way off sandbars. Don't laugh; we've seen guys run their engines dry for as long as 30 seconds, more worried...

Hot wheels: our prop buyer's guide features more than 300 wheels, complete with model numbers, application and pricing.(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 2005... If you believe the scuttlebutt on the docks, choosing a propeller is one of life's great mysteries. Some would even say you have a better chance of hitting the lottery than you do of selecting the right prop. Nonsense. Although it's true...

Back to the bay: Bumble Bee's new Back Bay 20 offers fresh- and saltwater anglers plenty of versatility and bang for their buck.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Bumble Bee's latest entry into the bay boat market, the new Back Bay 20, was so new when we arrived at the Bumble Bee plant in Tullahoma, Tennessee, this past April that it still needed a few tweaks and a general cleanup before we could hit the...

Out of hibernation.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... I am a longtime subscriber and have a 1995 Gambler intimidator with a 1996 Mercury 200 EFI that has been in storage for the past year. I relocated last year and stored my boat in my father's basement with the intention of leaving it there for...

False alarm.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)
August 1, 2005... First, I want to say thank you for a fine magazine. It's the best I've seen on bass and walleye boats. Now I have a question for you. I own a 2000 model 19-foot Javelin fish 'n ski powered by a 175 Evinrude Ficht that I bought new in January...

Trolling-motor upgrade.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... I have a Fisher 17-foot fiberglass bass boat with a 12-volt, bow-mount trolling motor. Is there a way to rewire the boat or to change the existing wiring so I can upgrade to a 24-volt electric motor? Gary Farigalli North Kingstown,...

Hijacked by Hydro-Tec?(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)
August 1, 2005... A while back, you did a hop-up on a 115 Yamaha with the help of Hydro-Tec. I've purchased most of the stuff that you had put on your test boat from Hydro-Tec, including its recreational heads, the 130 tuner and the 130 exhaust plate they...

Cold as ice.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)
August 1, 2005... I own a Tracker Grizzly jonboat with a 25 hp Mercury two-stroke. I use the boat mainly for duck hunting and I am having a problem with the water exhaust on the engine. The piping is freezing up for the cooler. The intake does not freeze because...

Black beauty.(Hot Rigs)(fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Over the course of about five years, Chad Boggs' life has changed drastically. Having completed studies in surveying land, he moved from New York state to Georgia to become a professional bass fisherman. And as any serious bass angler knows, to...

The gas man cometh.(A Jones for Boats)(outboard motors)
August 1, 2005... Growing up, I never worried about gas. I'm referring, of course, to the fossilfuel variety, not the gas generated by a chili-encrusted beef chimichanga (although some fishing partners might argue to the contrary). No, I have to admit that I am...