Bass & Walleye Boats articles from June 2005

Bass & Walleye Boats archives from June 2005

The future of two-strokes.(Holeshot)(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... Our 225 DFI shoot-out among Evinrude, Mercury and Yamaha (in this issue) features the creme de la creme of today's two-stroke technology, but more importantly, it features the cleanest. Yet, with stringent, new 2006 legislation by the...

Not-so-silent 'partner'.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... Just out of curiosity, I picked up my husband's copy of your April issue and thumbed through it, and I've gotta tell you, I took exception to your thought-less choice of terminology in the feature article titled "Silent Predator," where you...

Dialed-in bay boat.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I just wanted to say kudos for your coverage of bay boats in recent issues. There are a lot of bay-boat owners out there, and I'm seeing more and more of them on large freshwater lakes. They're not generally as fast as bass boats, but I know...

Talkin' trailers.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... I just read Bruce Smith's Fast Lane column in the May issue ("Annual Physicals") and he gives lots of good advice in his refresher course on preseason prep of tow vehicles and boat trailers. In the bit about trailer-wheel-bearing maintenance,...

How to spot invisible fish.(Electronic Fisherman)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... A fishfinder doesn't measure depth; it measures the distance from its transducer to echo sources such as the bottom and fish. Imagine two fish suspended 20 feet deep, one directly below the transducer and one at the edge of the transducer's...

Blueprint for speed.(Seat Time)(Sport fishing boats)
June 1, 2005... Last fall, a racing buddy approached me and asked if I would help him blue-print his hull to improve its acceleration and top speed. Once snowmobile season ended, I told him to hustle his rig on over to my shop so we could turn it over and get...

Something about etiquette.(Fast Lane)(boating)(Column)
June 1, 2005... Where has basic boat-ramp etiquette gone? Have we somehow become so full of ourselves that we've forgotten about everyone else? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I was as at one of the local boat ramps with a fishing buddy who wanted to take his...

BRP receives EPA's Clean Air Excellence Award for Evinrude E-Tec.(Around the Dock)(Bombardier Recreational Products)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The reputation Evinrude E-Tecs have for being clean burning and exhaust-emissions compliant has just been backed up by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In April, the EPA awarded Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) the Clean Air...

Sales report shows mixed results for boat dealers.(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The first part of this year showed gains in new boat inventories, sales and total dealership sales, but also losses in dealers' gross margins and net loss. Financial reports by training and consulting company Spader Cos. report that new...

Cobia boats to join Maverick family.(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... It won't be long before you see the Cobia family of boats with the Hewes and Pathfinder brands under the Maverick umbrella of fishing boats. Maverick Boats recently announced it will purchase Cobia boats from C & C Manufacturing, which also...

Rapair's ignition encyclopedia; This complete reference guide helps you troubleshoot spark problems.(Cool Tools)(Practical Outboard Ignition Troubleshooting )(Book Review)
June 1, 2005... Ever since the late '60s, various outboard manufacturers have used a number of different electronic ignition systems. Early ignitions used battery-powered systems, with alternator powered systems later coming into favor. However, unless you had...

Peripheral pinging: Humminbird's 987c SI; This new unit combines high-resolution color sonar views with the best side-looking scans we've seen.(Fishfinder Test)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... The Humminbird (334/687-0503; humminbird.com) 987c's most striking feature is its wide, high-resolution color display, but there are other attractions inside. Dual microprocessors deliver fast, full-screen sonar and mapping updates, and help...

Oxygen edge injection system keeps your bait and fish alive.(Finders Keepers)
June 1, 2005... Tournament anglers: you might be concerned about dead-fish penalties and livewell problems during the summer months. Be prepared and prevent these situations with the Oxygen Edge ($365 to $566) by Oxygenation Systems of Texas (409/267-6458;...

Portable floating cooler can accommodate a 12-pack.(Finders Keepers)
June 1, 2005... If you find your boat's often full of gear with little space to store snacks, drinks or even additional bait, consider the new Big Bobber ($45) from Creative Sales Co. (866/869-8115; creativesalescompany.com). The Big Bobber is a unique...

Lock prevents trolling motor from theft.(Finders Keepers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... You don't want to give thieves even the slightest opportunity of stealing your trolling motor. Yet removing it from your rig is time consuming and can also damage it, so what do you do? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Protect it with the...

Cameleon sunglasses adapt to various light conditions.(Finders Keepers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Your confidence while fishing improves when you know where the fish are, but also when you can clearly see the lake and all of its crevices. As any fishermen knows, polarized sunglasses are the way to go. One option is the Cameleon Typhoon...

The main event: E-Tec, OptiMax and HPDI go toe-to-toe in a 225 hp brawl.(Sport fishing boats)
June 1, 2005... The long-awaited, highly touted 225 shoot-out has finally taken place, and what a weekend it was! As loyal BWB readers would expect, there was no shortage of excitement, intrigue, controversy, "kitchen bitchin'" and, of course, good ol' bench...

High-tech towing: the sophisticated trailers of today consist of strength, brains and beauty--a combination that helps maintain the life of your boat.
June 1, 2005... The trailers that haul today's high-end bass and walleye boats are built as well as and have nearly as many features as the boats they carry. It used to be that the trailer was considered a commodity, something you had to have to get the boat...

Smooth as silk: G3's new V185F can tackle a multitude of gamefish on virtually any body of fresh water.(Product/Service Evaluation)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2005... The G3 V185F is a broad-shouldered, high-sided, deep-V boat that makes you want to go out and find rough water just because you can. It feels comfortable and sturdy and has the features you need to power fish for walleyes. Plus, it not only...

Rust busters: a new electronic rust zapper helps prevent trailer corrosion.
June 1, 2005... Trailer manufacturers have been at war with corrosion since the first rust spot popped up like an ugly pimple on a painted trailer. Corrosion had the upper hand in this battle for many years thanks to gravel roads, U-bolt scars and the use of...

Leaking the truth: leakdown tests can reveal an outboard's true condition.
June 1, 2005... You just installed that "new to you" Mercury 2.5 EFI you bought, and even after firing it up on the hose and hearing it cackle menacingly, you still can't believe your good fortune. Imagine, a 1995 2.5 EFI for just $6000, and you did the entire...

Beauty and a beast: from fishing to running, Xpress' new X19TS offers bass anglers top-notch performance in every capacity.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... Under some of the least favorable conditions for squeezing optimum performance out of a bass hull, we tested Xpress' new-for-2005 X19TS on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas late last summer. It was mid-day and the temperature was 95 degrees, and...

Lift and separate: this combination flywheel puller/lifting eye is a must-have racer's tool.(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... While many of the new outboards don't allow for much "shadetree mechanic" work, there's still labor to be done on the hundreds of thousands of older models still running, whether that be routine maintenance or performance modifications. In many...

Battle horse: charger's BC 2230L enables anglers to take the fight to the fish wherever they live.(sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... Merriam Webster's New World Dictionary defines "charger" as a horse ridden into battle. The Bay Charger 2230L truly lives up to its name, offering speed, dependability, strength and honor to those who ply both fresh and coastal waters. ...

Liquid gold: we replace a trailer's grease-style hubs with oil-bath hubs in less than an hour.(HOW TO)
June 1, 2005... For years, most boat-trailer wheel bearings have relied on grease in the hubs for lubrication--but, more recently, a new genre of wheel hubs has emerged that uses gear oil instead. Intrigued about how well these work, we called Atlanta-based...

Lip ripper.(Hot Rigs)(sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2005... About five years ago, walleye and multi-species fisherman Chuck Ross had a 14-foot MirroCraft with a 25 hp Mercury tiller. While that rig kept him afloat on the Lake Winnebago chain and Green Bay, Ross hungered for something more. So,...

Should I wait?(Shop Talk)(sport fishing boats)
June 1, 2005... I'm in the process of shopping for a new bass boat and have largely settled on a Triton 175 with a 115 hp of some kind. I have a 1998 Stratos 273 VR with a 115 hp now. Choosing a boat is easy compared to selecting an engine! Whether the engine...

Plane Jane.(Shop Talk)(sport fishing boats)
June 1, 2005... I purchased a 2003 Sylvan 1650 SC Expedition new with a 2003 60 hp Mercury four-stroke. I mainly use this rig for fishing and have been pretty satisfied with it, but I have one issue with its performance. With two people aboard, it jumps up on...

Pumping us for info.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... I have a 2000 50 hp Johnson outboard and I have had VRO pump problems ever since it was brand new. My local dealer indicates this part is a problem on this engine. My owner's manual also indicates that the pump can be removed, allowing me to...

Fuel shelf life.(Shop Talk)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... I have a Stroker with a 280 hp Mercury outboard and I am thinking of putting in a 250-gallon gas tank in my boat myself. I will have 93-octane gas put into the tank. If the gas sets up for a while, will it lose any of the octane? Michael...

Set up to fail.(Shop Talk)
June 1, 2005... I have read articles on jackplates, props, weight distribution, pitch and height, but I'm still confused about how to determine what is best. Then I read an article about the formula to compute the expected speed of a rig. If the wrestling...

The sum of our fears.(A Jones for Boats)(Column)
June 1, 2005... When we were kids, a lot of stuff scared us. If it wasn't the dark, it was the unknown or, worse yet, facing down a steaming plate of lima beans at Aunt Rosie's house. Stupidly, we all thought things would get better. By the time we reached...