raise the motor

My Ranger Cherokee 207 has a max HP of 120 but is commonly run on engines from 90 to 120. I rarely run full throttle and am willing to sacrifice hole speed and top speed for a quieter, lower RPM trolling speed. Yes the switch to 4 stroke is for fuel economy and idle trolling. My 115 does not seem to operate well at minimum RPM. I have a 25 Mariner 4 S on my trout boat and it will idle well at low RPM for drifting.

I was looking for a used motor. I hope to find a low use engine that someone is upgrading for more HP.

Yes I will sell the Johnson 115 when replaced. It is model J115PLEEM.

Looking to replace my Johnson 115 HP 2 stroke with a 4 stroke from 90 to 120 HP. Would prefer one with controls or one that would match my existing Johnson controls.

Thanks for all the advice. I learned a lot in researching the rods mentioned. Gotta get some of those rods later when I retire and fish full time. Now I know why a serious bass fishermen has a half dozen rods on deck. Called Jim at Sportsman's and he recommended I start with a close-out Lews Team TL76MHFC. He said it would be a good compromise like some of the rods recommended here. He is closing out his $199 line of Lews Team for $100. Rod is on its way. Jim is indeed a great guy. He would have liked to match me up in person but felt the Lew's would get me started. I'll go see Jim when I retire and move down. OAF has lots of great and helpful fishermen. Thank you all! Joe

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will be looking at all the rods suggested. Joe

I need a general purpose rod to match a new Shimano Curado 51E reel. I will be using jigs, crankbaits and tubes from 3/8 to 3/4 oz using 12lb flurocarbon line (mainly casting). For those familiar with the reel, what rod would you suggest in the $100 to $150 range (new or used). Suggested rod type, length, weight and speed would be appreciated. Joe

Nice fish Ham. Were most of the fish good sized? How much water was flowing? Joe

Wow, 9 for 34. Shows the type of fishery that Tanneycomo is. The lagest was a Brown Trout on a trout magnet. Surprising? Joe

Welcome John. You will be a good addition to a great group. Joe

I built a funnel shaped cage of sorts using limbs and wire. Brush was wired to the cage and rocks added until is would sink. I used my pontoon to tow the mass to the desired site then added rock from shore. At one location I used a dead sycamore tree (6 inch at stump) to which I tied a cage, then added rock. The problem at Bull Shoals is that all of the larger dead trees are well above the waterline and therefore difficult to manually move to the water. If there were a way to get a large tree to the water it could be sunken. I build the mass on a trailer, then backed it into the water to be towed. Joe

Three years ago I was issued a permit to cut small live cedars (below 6" diameter 12 inches above ground) or dead trees from CORPS land to sink in Bull Shoals. The permit only allowed rock for weight and only aluminum spool wire for binding. No wire mesh or other wire. Only trees, brush, rocks, and wire could be used. The CORPS uses other materials that the permit did not allow. I belivie the permits are issued every two years upon personal appearance at their office on the announced issue date. They were cut and sink permits. Joe

Welcome. Walleye is something I love to catch. I look forward to learning more. We fish Bull Shoals in the Oakland area. It sure is tough to throw those shorts back. Joe

If correctly identified, one fishermen netted some small fish while collecting shad and another fisherman identified a small one in the belly of a fish. I believe both were in the upper lake/river area. I would love to see a stocked population but realize the zebra problem must be handled carefully. The experts will come up with the best response. The resulting toxin problem is another concern for any who eat fish from the lake. Joe

Update on zebras in Gulley Spring area. In December I visited the same shoreline that had a large mussel infestation in November. The water level was down about one foot and all of the mussels on rocks previously in the water, but now exposed, were dead. The nunber of mussels now evident on rocks at the lower shoreline was greatly reduced. Perhaps as few as 20% of the previous number. Hopefully the fluctuating water level will curb population growth somewhat. Mojorig will fluctuating water levels diminish the ultimate density, or only delay the inevitable? The posted pictures of worst case conditions are alarming. I have no interest in fishing for the Drum that eat the zebras but it would be nice to see an expanded yellow perch population in Bull Shoals. Joe

Glad you're in. Your experience will be valuable for many topics. We all are interested in the health of the school. Did you happen to notice the report of the 14" bass found in a large walleye? Lots of discussion here about the effects of walleye on the bass population. I also will soon be moving to the area to enjoy the wealth of fishing. Good luck on Beaver. Joe

My wife went for a walk today on Mountain Creek. As the temp went up she took off her green jacket and hung it on a bush at along the lake. She heard one boat come into the cove. When she returned to pick it up on her way back home the jacket was gone. It was her deceased Dad's and had special meaning to her. If you picked it up for safekeeping, PM me. We would very much like to get it back. Joe

I am looking forward to seeing guest fishermen give it a shot. Doty nailed his. Phil, choose your day carefully. LOL Could you post the names with the cast. This could turn out to be quite a competition and a chance to observe different fishing styles and lures. Fantastic idea. Joe

Got a late start due to forecast of freezing rain that never arrived. Put in around noon and fished until rain became steady around 3:00 PM. Not much water at first but flow picked up around 2:00. Fishing was slow at first and did not seem to pick up with the increased flow. Caught 9 trout with the largest at 16 inches and the smallest a 7 inch brown. Started with brown/orange jig with full overcast skies and later swithced to black, which seemed to work better. Slow fishing but fun none the less. Joe

Wow, quite a start with the Zig Jig in less than ideal conditions. It reminds me of our first time walleye fishing with our son in law on BSL. Within two minutes of the first drift he says "theres sonething on my rod, I think it is stick" It was a keeper walleye. He was really excited. He had hardly ever fished in his life and hooks a keeper walleye right of the bat. He is now sold on walleye fishing. It must have been fun with your son. Priceless! Joe

Ham what were the conditions today (water, sun, wind)? Where did you fish? Joe

I enjoyed your stroy. Thanks for sharing it. Wow, two giant bass in one day. There is nothing like catching a large bass on a slow fished worm. They must have been elated! Too bad one wasn't one oz larger for bragging rights. Could you post the photo? I'm curious about what your Dad and Uncle thought about the lake project. Around 1990 a 7,700 acre Mo. lake was proposed for the Whitewater River in Cape and Bollinger Counties. A referrundum vote was held and many voters were suspicious that the real intention was to create a new tax. The proposal was voted down. Too bad, a lake could have been great for the area and the Federal government may have funded most of the cost. Joe

Al I really enjoyed learning of the life span of the American Eel. Thanks for posting. Joe

The winter spawning run up-river should be the ticket for bank fishing. The upper White/Bull Shoals headwater provides bank fishing opportunities this time of year as should Greer's Ferry. You may want to search the forum for prior reports on upper end walleye. Joe

Sounds like you may have put your Uncle onto something he will really enjoy. And you have lots to teach him. Should be lots of fun. And he already has the tippet! LOL Joe