Bass & Walleye Boats articles from May 2005

Bass & Walleye Boats archives from May 2005

Fan casts.(Holeshot)(Editorial)
May 1, 2005... Typically, we stick to one topic for Holeshot, but this month will be an exception. There's just too much stuff to cover in so little space. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BARRON MOVES TO FLORIDA You might have noticed that John Tiger,...

Big Tiger fan.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I used to get Hot Boat, Family & Performance Boating and other magazines, but most of them have gone to nothing but articles about $200K-plus, big cruiser boats. BWB has the best technical articles and comparisons in the world. Hats off to John...

Friends in high places.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I just wanted to say thank you very much--especially to Bill Grannis--for your interest in my prop problem. As a direct result of your interest and influence, I just received a new prop from Bombardier. Bill Grannis and BWB are both true assets...

Leaching out.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... In March's Shop Talk, Danny Noonan asked a question about water and fuel filters. His question was in regard to a filter that was galvanized inside the filter housing. This used to be common when marine engines were carbureted. With the...

Up for hop-ups.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I really enjoyed the article in your March issue on increasing the horsepower of a 9.9 Mercury ("Po' Man's 'Pro Max"). Not all of us are into big-water fishing with large boats and outboards. Is the same thing possible on a 9.9 OMC product, and...

Down on hop-ups.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... Regarding the story "Po' Man's 'Pro Max'" in your March issue, I'd like to point out that this article instructs your readers how to do an illegal act. While goosing horsepower is an age-old trick, we believe it has been illegal to change...

'Rude remark.(Backwash)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2005... I just finished reading the 300 hp shoot-out "Title Bout" (December 2004). I really liked the article, but you left out Evinrude's 300. Of couse, including the Evinrude would have been unfair to both Mercury and Yamaha. You and I both know the...

Taking it with you.(Electronic Fisherman)(marine electronics)
May 1, 2005... Most anglers don't give much thought to taking out their electronics when trading up to a new boat, perhaps because they believe removing them lowers their old boat's trade-in value. Actually, leaving a fishfinder and GPS unit in place probably...

Race boats or bass boats.(Seat Time)(Sport fishing boats)
May 1, 2005... This may come as a shocker to some of you, but I don't own a bass boat, and never have. When the idea for BWB first hatched in founding editor Bruce Smith's mind back in 1993, he didn't hire me for my bass boat knowledge. He hired me because of...

Annual physicals.(Fast Lane)(boat trailers)
May 1, 2005... Weather, vibration, water and wear all take their toll on boat trailers and tow vehicles. But since their effects are only noticed over time, many of us don't realize that there are problems brewing until something fails while we're heading for...

Bass face extermination in Japan; U.S. industry responds.(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... In March, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) urged the Japanese government to "rethink" the eradication of black bass in its country and conduct further scientific evaluation before moving forward with such a decision. Despite...

Allison Owners celebrate company's 50th anniversary.(Around the Dock)
May 1, 2005... Allison aficionados will unite June 18 at Louisville Point Park to celebrate Allison Boats' 50th anniversary. The Allison Owners Association will host a community-wide party to toast the Louisville, Tennessee-based company's founding by Paul...

Golden State tops boat registrations in 2003.(Around the Dock)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Two Midwestern states, two Southern states and the Golden State rounded out the Top 5 list of the highest number of registered boats in the United States in 2003, while regional rankings fluctuated reflecting the state of the industry at the...

Cool tools: Precision Manufacturing's Probe Light; The small flashlight helps illuminate hard-to-see nooks and crannies in a modern outboard.(Fishfinder Test)
May 1, 2005... One thing a do-it-yourselfer needs while working on an engine is a lot of light to see what he is doing. Most of the time, a single bare bulb in the garage doesn't offer enough illumination, and working one-handed while holding a trouble-light...

Competent performance: the Bottom Line; Bottom Line's Tournament 5100 combines impressive automatic performance with easy manual control.(Fishfinder Test)(marine electronics)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Bottom Line (208/887-1000; bottomline fishfinders.com) units are known for being easy to use and having few buttons on their keypads, and the Tournament 5100 is no exception. What we did find exceptional was its ability to show fish arches...

BWB field-tested: B & W Tow & Stow adjustable Receiver Hitch.(Finders Keepers)(boat trailers)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Just recently, we read a press release from B & W that claims its new Tow & Stow Receiver Hitch is not only the most versatile ball-mount hitch on the market, but that it's also the safest. Naturally, we ordered one to check it out. ...

Powermovers' trailer dolly can move 30 tons with ease.(Finders Keepers)
May 1, 2005... The DC8 ($1299) by Power-movers (888/366-3511; power moverinc.net) is a trailer dolly that uses a 24-volt motor boasting a torque rating of 379 lb.-ft., turns 92 rpm and can handle a tongue weight of 1850 pounds. The DC8, or otherwise known as...

BassBoatOutlet.com lists new/used bass boats--and nothing else.(Finders Keepers)
May 1, 2005... Are you in the market for a new or preowned bass boat? BassBoat Outlet.com lists nothing but bass boats, both new and preowned. Visitors won't have to filter through for-sale lists that include other kinds of craft. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

XTOOLS' floating fillet knife gets the job done quickly and accurately.(Finders Keepers)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Quick and accurate is what you strive for while fishing; the same thing applies when you're filleting your catch. Last month, our "Lake Z fishing expert" Josh N. Around field-tested XTOOLS' (877/4XTOOLS;xtools.us) new 8-inch floating fillet...

Jim Dorris.(Leaders of the Industry)(Interview)
May 1, 2005... If you've been a performance boater for any appreciable' length of time, you know that today's boats are faster, safer and better built than rigs of the past. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1974, Jim Dorris and a business partner founded...

Triton true: Triton's Tr-19X has the stature of a middleweight, but the guts and heart of a heavyweight tourney hull.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2005... Before the Verado, four-stroke outboards weren't exactly popular among bass fishermen. Heavier than DFIs and much heavier than EFIs and carbureted engines, four-strokes simply didn't fit into the "less weight equals better performance" mindset...

Shining armor: lookin' for a boat that requires less power, less babying and less dough to own? Then it's time to take a closer look at aluminum.
May 1, 2005... A lot of anglers are discovering that aluminum has definite advantages when it comes to choosing a tournament-ready boat. Because aluminum fishing boats typically weigh less than their fiberglass counterparts, less horsepower is required to...

Spin out: what to do if you find yourself up a creek without a spare prop--or a paddle.(boating)
May 1, 2005... Ten minutes into a bass tournament, running flat-out up the Pascagoula River in southern Mississippi, the engine of my partner's 20-foot bass boat started bouncing off the rev limiter and the bow began to drop. A minute later, we were dead in...

Fit for a king: Princecraft's new 198 SC Special Edition delivers lavish amenities and a royal ride.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... I am often asked: "You test all these boats, so what would you buy if you had X amount of money to spend?" In fact, that decision often is the benchmark I use when summarizing a review of a particular boat model. "Would I buy this boat?"...

Electronic biathlon: top walleye pros Scott and Marty Glorvigen reveal their tournament-winning prefish strategies using sonar and GPS.(Sport fishing boats)
May 1, 2005... Uilson Frazier works the tournament trail as a traveling tech for Lowrance Electronics. Dubbed "The Professor" by some of the pros, he sums up the use of electronics as well as I've ever heard it: "Sonar lets you see what's under your boat and...

Beemer of the bays: Ranger's 2300 Bay Ranger center console is solid, sleek and reliable.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... It seems like every other issue of BWB features a Ranger boat test: in January, it was a bass boat, in March it was a fish 'n ski, and in this issue it's a bay boat. But it's inevitable: Ranger just happens to make a lot of really nice boats....

Hard brakers: we retrofit a trailer with a pair of Kodiak disc brakes and a Demco actuator for superior stopping power.
May 1, 2005... When you're growing up in Louisiana, getting to the water is not a big deal, since there's water just about everywhere you look. But, once you're on the water, the going gets a little tougher--particularly when negotiating cypress-studded,...

Four strokes and you're out! Blazer's Pro-V 180 offers a smooth ride with exceptional handling, yet, it takes a two-stroke to extract its full potential.(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Blazer Boats has had a longstanding relationship with Yamaha, so it was a quick call to President Keith Craft to ask if he'd mind pairing his Pro-V 180 with a new Yamaha F150 four-stroke. We wanted to see what a clean-and-green, budget-minded...

Thumbing your nosecone: the art and science behind making the world's fastest stock gearcase even faster.(Sport fishing boats)(Buyers Guide)
May 1, 2005... Readers with good memories and a bent for speed will remember a story we published in the mid-1990s about Jerry Gossett of JC's Prop Shop, the drag-race propeller and gearcase guru who made fast boats faster with the prop and lower-unit magic...

The top cat.(Hot Rigs)(Sport fishing boats)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2005... Todd Matherne owned a Skeeter 190ZX with a Merc 200 EFI because he enjoys catching black bass in various lakes in Texas and Louisiana. But he opted to change his boating ways since he also likes fishing for redfish and speckled trout. "I...

Propping kicker motors.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)
May 1, 2005... I have two small outboards (3.3 and 9.9 hp) that I have used for trolling. They are both geared and propped to plane small boats. I would like to increase prop diameter and pitch, or use a four-blade prop to increase performance and...

Weak torque steering.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... I am a new subscriber but purchase your magazine over the counter when I am able to find it. It's great. My question is about proper torque steering. I have a 2003 19-foot fish 'n ski Triton with an Evinrude 200-hp outboard. It came equipped...

Prop quiz.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... I have a 1988 Bayliner 18-foot Bass Trophy. It has a 1990 Force 120 hp engine. I have a three-blade aluminum 12 5/16X21-inch prop. The boat runs 44 mph at 4700 rpm. Should the boat run faster or should the engine run at a higher rpm at...

Sound decision.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... I'm considering buying a new boat and can't decide between a 225-hp, direct-injected two-stroke or a four-stroke outboard. I have heard that the four-strokes are very quiet. What is your opinion on which engine would be the least intrusive? ...

Alarm sound off.(Shop Talk)(Sport fishing boats)
May 1, 2005... I have a 1999 90 hp Evinrude on my 44-foot houseboat that was installed by a factory-trained tech. For the first three years, it worked fine, except that the tach stopped working. Another tach was installed under warranty. I was told it was not...

A thong thing.(A Jones for Boats)(fishing boats)(Column)
May 1, 2005... There was a time on fishing shows where having nonendemic television commercials (ad-speak for big-time advertisers, not just fishing-related stuff) was a big deal. When I first saw them, I thought we had finally arrived. Then, I realized that...