Bass & Walleye Boats articles from December 2005

Bass & Walleye Boats archives from December 2005

On the horizon.(Holeshot)
December 1, 2005... In 2005, we saw an end to the production of most "old technology" engines and the introduction of wide-body boats designed to accommodate the bigger, "new technology" engines by three more major players in the fiberglass boat industry--Bass...

Battery not included.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I am a longtime subscriber to your magazine. I generally appreciate your diligent and comprehensive product comparisons; they are the strength of your magazine. However, I have yet to see or hear mention of EverStart batteries in your annual...

For all you do ...(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... My compliments to you and your staff on such a great magazine. I live 30 miles east of San Francisco on the Sacramento River in a town called Pittsburg. I'm 67 years old and I've been involved with boats since I was nine. I've fished the Bering...

Integrity first.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... I am not only a new subscriber to your magazine but I am also a new boat owner. I can't tell you how excited I am to have found your magazine. In today's world, it's so refreshing to find someone, anyone, on this planet who not only tells it...

Need for speed.(Electronic Fisherman)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... Fishermen need to know how fast they are going. The best way to measure boat speed depends on where you are and what you're doing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Anglers can use GPS as an aid for optimizing their rigs' performance (i.e.,...

Is bigger better?(Seat Time)
December 1, 2005... I've been watching the automotive and marine markets closely for the past 25 years, but never as carefully as I have for the past six months--especially the last 90 days. These last few months have seen a rapid rise in fuel prices, due in part...

Marine industry has its ups and downs in 2005.(Around the Dock)
December 1, 2005... The first half of 2005 brought an increase in net profits for boat dealers, according to Spader Cos., the training and consulting firm that tracks large and small boat dealers in North America. According to its most recent report, marine...

B.A.S.S. begins women's series in 2006.(Around the Dock)
December 1, 2005... There's a lot of excitement surrounding the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society's (BASS) tournament series for women, which includes big-name pros like top-rated angler Penny Berryman and amateur anglers alike. The inaugural event was held Oct. 20...

Prop guide now online.(Around the Dock)
December 1, 2005... If you missed the August issue or, heaven forbid, you have a fishing buddy who doesn't subscribe to BWB, we've got good news: The prop guide we featured, with more than 300 models from 19 manufacturers, is now online at BassAndWalleyeBoats.com....

Have you properly winterized your boat?(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... After having processed its insurance claims and reports, Boat Owners Association of America, an insurance provider and advocate for recreational boaters, offers this list of the six most common mistakes people make when winterizing their boats:...

BWB reader survey.(Around the Dock)
December 1, 2005... NAY OR YEA ON BAY BOATS [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What do you think of our recent inclusion of bay boats in the mix of BWB tests? a) Love it! Was wondering what took you guys so long. b) Good to include, but one test each issue...

Hitchball cover kicks some tail.(Finders Keepers)
December 1, 2005... Make towing more interesting by placing a Hitch Critter ($24.99) on your truck's hitchball. Two models are currently available, both of which fit over most hitchballs. Bass fishermen will enjoy the Flopping Bass cover. Once it's placed,...

Waterproof shelters cover your boat, vehicle and anything else.(Finders Keepers)
December 1, 2005... Protect your boat and tow vehicle with all-weather shelters from ShelterLogic (800/932-9344; shelterlogic.com). ShelterLogic, which was created when Montauk Capital acquired North American Outdoor Products, offers a full line of multipurpose,...

Power-lift jackplate now comes in black.(Finders Keepers)
December 1, 2005... Cook Manufacturing Corp. (800/654-3697; cook-mfg.com) has introduced a black, anodized Power-Lift jackplate, available in 5 1/2- and 10-inch setbacks. Its patented roller design helps eliminate the chance of binding and provides less friction...

BWB field tested: Frogg Toggs' Pro Angler rain suit keeps you covered.(Finders Keepers)
December 1, 2005... Bass, walleye and many other gamefish bite best in low-light conditions, which include rain, sleet and fog, so a rain suit is pretty much standard equipment for anyone who's serious about fishing. In fact, for the last three years I've been...

Six-hundred horse stampede: the Big 3--Evinrude, Mercury and Yamaha--vie for braggin' rights in our 200 DFI shootout on Missouri's bull shoals lake.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... The hotly contested results of our recent 225 DFI outboard shootout on the transoms of three near-identical Bullet 20 XDC bass boats ("The Main Event," June 2005), set the stage, or better yet, set the parameters, for a 200 DFI shootout. This...

Paper or pixels? Are digital on-screen maps all we need or is there still a place for paper maps? We take an in-depth look.
December 1, 2005... For me, pushing buttons on a chartplotter is less embarrassing than trying to properly refold a paper map in front of my fishing buddies. I think the greatest advantage of electronic mapping is marking your present position on the map with a...

Twice the sting: powered by twin Yamaha 150 four-strokes, Skeeter's new ZX 24 Bay boat is a remarkable all-species machine.
December 1, 2005... Have you ever sat around thinking about all the neat things you'd like to have on your next boat? Maybe you'd like a deck you could run laps on, wide-open spaces to fish, gobs of storage or a hull that'd draw mere inches of water so you could...

Little big block: Suzuki's new 150 and 175 I-4 big blocks are strong, lean and everything in between.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... Suzuki's new inline, four-cylinder four-stroke is an engine we knew was coming for quite some time. First shown at the Miami International Boat Show in February, we finally got to test some of the late-version, preproduction models. It's hard...

Part myth, all legend: Legend's LE 21 lives up to its name in every capacity, from performance to fit and finish.(Product/Service Evaluation)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2005... The Legend LE 21 is an amazing bass boat, by anyone's definition. Sight down the hull sides and you won't find a ripple or warp anywhere. Grab a flashlight and stick your head in the bilge or the rod lockers; the LE 21 is as perfectly finished...

50 Top Guns: here are the hottest freshwater fishing boats available for 2006.(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2005... WHAT'S YOUR IDEA OF THE PERFECT RIG? Maybe a rock-solid aluminum walleye boat, rigged to take the battle to OI' Glass Eyes wherever he lives, or perhaps it's a high-performance fiberglass hull that gets your heart pumping the moment you turn...

No Smoke and mirrors: paired with Yamaha's F150, Smoker Craft's 19-foot Millentia is the real deal.(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... We were extremely impressed with this rig--let's get that on the record right away. This package did just about everything very well, from trolling at a dead 700 rpm idle to its excellent holeshot to its dry and easy ride at top speed. Even in...

Playful cat.(Shop Talk)(motorboats)
December 1, 2005... I recently purchased a Bass Cat Pantera III with a Mercury 200 OptiMax, and I am having a heck of a time driving it at wide-open throttle. There seems to be a lot of play in the steering. How tight should the collar (with the set-screw) be on...

Hobby horse.(Shop Talk)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... I have a 16-foot 1991 Lund Renegade II that was originally powered by a 60 hp Evinrude. I recently repowered with a 90 hp Suzuki four-stroke (much heavier) and now the boat seems very prone to "hobby horse"--or pitch--at part throttle....

Unlively well.(Shop Talk)
December 1, 2005... I have a 2000 Champion 191. The aerator for the livewell doesn't work, although the pump that brings the water into it does. This particular arrangement has a dual function built into one switch for continuous or intermittent operation. I can't...

Venomous handling.(Shop Talk)
December 1, 2005... Recently I changed my manual 6-inch jackplate to a Detwiler 8-inch hydraulic on my 1997 Stratos 201 Pro with a Johnson 225 Venom. I now cannot get it to run on the pad, and the top speed has dropped from 65 mph (GPS) to 60 mph (elevation is...

Starts when it starts.(Shop Talk)
December 1, 2005... I have a 1995 Merc 200 XRI EFI with a problem I've battled for almost a year. The motor starts fine most of the time, but when I shut it off--sometimes after just idling to the dock and sometimes after a run--it doesn't want to restart. It...

Pike ride.(Hot Rigs)(motorboats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2005... Kirt Hedquist enjoys fishing for 'eyes on the Mississippi River and for bass and muskie at local lakes with his two sons and Mr. Pike. The Minnesota angler says his 2001 Lund multispecies boat is a very stable fishing platform with abundant...

Hitched.(A Jones for Boats)(Column)
December 1, 2005... Satchel Paige, the legendary baseball pitcher, once said, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." In the literary sense, it's great advice. When it comes to the literal translation--especially for those of us pulling boats--it's a...