Bass & Walleye Boats articles from October 2006

Bass & Walleye Boats archives from October 2006

The price of admission.(Holeshot)
October 1, 2006... Boaters who are relatively new to the sport look at $3.15 a gallon gas prices (West Coast average at press time) and figure that the cost of boating and fishing have more than doubled over the last five years (based on $1.50 a gallon West Coast...

Short shafted.(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... Loved the "Put Up or Shut Up" 250 shootout article in your August issue. It was very informative, but you guys did not do your homework very well. First of all, there is one bass boat with a 25-inch transom that would have suited the shootout...

Weighty issues.(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I just finished reading the June issue and found it very helpful. I used to hook up stereo systems, trailer wiring, and the like 30 years ago. If someone had asked me to wire a trailer a month ago, I would I have had problems using my old...

Low-carb diet.(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... John Tiger might have been a bit premature when he bid a sad "goodbye to carbs" (Seat Time, March). After paying a premium for what I was told by my local Mercury dealer was the last of the classic 50-horse, two-stroke Mercury outboards, I was...

Title fight.(Backwash)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I read the letter entitled "Keep It Pure" (Backwash, August) and I agree 100 percent with the reader. Bay boats do not belong in Bass & Walleye Boats magazine. Next thing you know, you'll be covering cabin cruisers. Bay boats belong in ocean...

Get fused.(fuse systems in boats)
October 1, 2006... A thread of posts on an online marine electronics forum recently reminded me of a problem that has been around for about as long as electricty itself. A fisherman was looking for help in solving an erratic operation problem with his fishfinder...

Winds of change.(Seat Time)
October 1, 2006... For me, my duties at Bass & Walleye Boats have slowly, but certainly, begun to change, especially during the past year or so. And they will continue to do so. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I am one of the few "charter writers" at BWB, having...

Switch-change artist.(Fast Lane)
October 1, 2006... Boat owners appreciate a tow vehicle that not only has the power and comfort to make towing their fishing rig pleasurable, but one that does the everyday duties equally well. After all, we spend the majority of our time driving around without a...

Mercury unleashes the 250 Pro XS.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Unbeknownst to the staffers at BWB at the time of our recent 250 shootout, Mercury was in the final stages of production on its new 250 Pro XS, the engine that will replace the 250XS, which won our shootout hands-down in terms of overall...

Web watch: NauticExpo.com narrows down boat company searches.(Around the Dock)
October 1, 2006... Searching online for a bass boat is now easier with NauticExpo.com. Calling itself the "virtual boat show," the site allows users to find the catalogs of hundreds of marine manufacturers by clicking on a link on the homepage or by entering a...

Products that innovate awarded at MAATS.(Around the Dock)
October 1, 2006... Thousands of marine aftermarket products were on display at the sixth annual Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show (MAATS) held in July in Las Vegas. The show also honored five products with its Innovation Award by the National Marine...

BWB reader survey.(Around the Dock)
October 1, 2006... How many boat miles do you run on an average fishing trip? a) 0-10 b) 10-25 c) 25-40 d) More than 40 Make sure your vote counts. Visit BassAndWalleyeBoats.com and click on Survey Section, We will report the results in an...

Sophisticated mirror provides clear view while towing.(Finders Keepers)
October 1, 2006... Schefenacker Vision Systems (877/888-6472; ttt-mirror.com) offers a state-of-the-art Telescopic Trailer Tow (TTT) Mirror ($400-$550) that consists of two mirrors and LED turn signals. The first is 7.25x8.75 inches; the second is a wide-view...

System alerts of low tire pressure.(Finders Keepers)
October 1, 2006... The right tire pressure helps maximize your vehicle's fuel efficiency. The new portable PressurePro monitoring system ($190 monitor; $50, individual sensors) by Advantage Pressure Pro (800/959-3505; advantage pressurepro.com) displays tire...

T-shirt depicts fishfinder "Redneck style".
October 1, 2006... On your next fishing trip, forget the plain white T-shirt and go with the Redneck Fishfinder T-shirt ($16.98) by Buck Wear (410/646-6400; buckwear.com). From the company's Redneck series, the 100-percent preshrunk cotton shirt honors down-home...

Lightweight sheath holds various-sized fishing pliers.(Finders Keepers)
October 1, 2006... Now you can store your fishing pliers in XTOOLS' (941/894-0040; xtools.us) new sheath ($8.99), made from a durable, corrosion-proof composite material. Like other XTOOLS items, the sheath comes in a bright color for high visibility. The sheath...

Mercury outboard lifting ring: this ring quickly screws into Merc engines that have only a threaded hole in the flywheel.
October 1, 2006... In the April issue we featured an engine-lifting ring for Johnson and Evinrude outboard motors. So we don't let our Mercury enthusiasts down, we found a flywheel-style lifting tool for the Brunswick crowd to use for hoisting their outboards or...

All the trimmings: charger's 496TF delivers all the style, performance and amenities of a top-tier bass boat.(Cover story)
October 1, 2006... When BWB Editor Steve Quinlan and I met up with Charger Bass Boats' assembly foreman Jim Hughes on Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri, Hughes was towing a beautiful dark blue Charger 496TF bass boat rigged with a new Mercury 225 Pro XS. Since...

Watt's new: 2006 battery buyer's guide; Today's higher price tags make choosing the right battery more important than ever.(Buyers guide)
October 1, 2006... Increases in the cost of lead, labor and fuel for transportation are three of the reasons replacing marine batteries will make a bigger dent in your fishing budget this year. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Bring it on! Princecraft's GL 196 stands up to anything Mother Nature can dish out.
October 1, 2006... It was one of those rare occasions when I actually hoped Mother Nature would serve up her nastiest walleye weather: a brisk north breeze carrying bone-chilling rain and pushing 3-foot seas and clouds the color of charcoal. I had no doubt...

The history of bass boats, Part III: in this final installment of our history of bass boats series, we take a look at how a common-sense marketing approach changed the business forever, and we visit with one of the influential pillars of the marine industry.(Industry overview)
October 1, 2006... Way back when, sometime shortly after dugout canoes went out of vogue, but before the Internet age, buying a boat was a heck of a lot more difficult than it is today. You had to find a hull that you liked, pick out an outboard (both brand and...

Home shop series, Part 4: installing a swingaway trailer tongue; This is another installment in our "Home Shop Series," stories designed to show that even though many procedures are best performed by qualified professionals, there are still plenty of jobs home mechanics can do that'll save them a bundle.
October 1, 2006... Buying a new boat and not being able to fit it in the garage is a problem for more boaters than you think. Today's bass and walleye rigs are longer than ever, thanks to extended running surfaces and transoms, extra setback jackplates and long...

BWB propulsion test: middleweight contender; Mercury's new 115 EFI four-stroke packs a wallop.
October 1, 2006... The 115 outboard, the subject of this test, has been a mainstay in every manufacturer's lineup for many years. Once at the top of the horsepower heap, the application of more and more power, particularly in the bass boat field, has left the 115...

Stainless or not.(Shop Talk)
October 1, 2006... I run a Northwood Paser 168 deep-V tiller with a 2001 70 hp Evinrude four-stroke. I recently clipped a rock in a bass tournament and am looking for a new prop. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I was wondering if...

Intentional blocking.(blocking holes to get water pressure)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Your reply to Mike Sherman's letter in the March issue ("Re-raising the Bar") got my attention. I run my boat in skinny river water five inches up on a jackplate. My water pressure gauge shows 4 to 6 psi with a nice, steady stream of water...

Vacuum-packed.(Shop Talk)
October 1, 2006... I've earned my living as an auto mechanic for over 30 years, and every time the cost of gas goes up, I read the boat magazines hoping to find some editorial on vacuum gauges. Yet, the closest I've found has to do with fuel flow meters. In...

Running ethanol.(Shop Talk)
October 1, 2006... I have heard a lot of bad things about running ethanol-laced fuels in outboard engines. Can you give me a heads-up on the potential problems? Gary Lawler Via e-mail Ethanol is an oxygenate used to make gasoline burn more...

Bolt-on power?(upgrading motorboats engine)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I have a 2003 Mercury 150 hp (saltwater) carb outboard with a 14x19-inch-pitch stainless prop. I believe I can up my power to 200 hp with bolted-on parts because displacement is the same. What do I need to install/modify to get to 200 hp? The...

Priority report.(Hot Rigs)
October 1, 2006... Now that David Moyer and his wife Kathleen are retired, they spend a lot of time cruising and fishing in their 2004 Stratos 290 Ski & Fish that's powered by a 2004 Evinrude 200 H.O. This combination is ideal for the Pennsylvania couple since it...

Man Law.(A Jones for Boats)
October 1, 2006... In a world that seems to be embracing the misguided concepts of "political correctness," I've found myself applauding the folks at Miller Lite and their "Man Law" commercials. With the likes of Burt Reynolds, Jerome Bettis and Ty Murray taking...