fishinwrench

Well nobody pounced on her quick enough 😅 Upon further examination the motor is NOT blown.....it seems that a dealer told them it was, in order to sell them a new rig. Imagine That ! She just needs head gasket seals and to be freshened up/tuned properly. See the broken O-ring? Cylinders all look great 👍 I'll be selling at a slightly higher price once I go completely through it. 😊 Or if you'd like to do it yourself I'll take 3500.00 before I start ordering parts. Act NOW if interested.

Yep, things are starting to fill up around here. Seems that I'm the only guy in this 3 state area that can do good service on the older 2-Stroke outboards. The manufacturers aren't teaching it anymore, and all of the old techs are either dying or just going away 🤷‍♂️ Thankfully I'm not quite ready to do either of those things. 😊 "Retired" doesn't mean that I get to QUIT WORKING".....It just means that I get a bonus check every month 😉

I'm convinced that 90% of it is related to TIMING. I know that up here where I do most of my White/Hybrid fishing the fish can be there and just not chase or bite.....until all of a sudden they decide to turn on. There's no doubt that they are present, BECAUSE I CAN SEE THEM, but I can't even get a sniff, or might catch one or two sporadically. Then all of a sudden something inside them changes....and I can literally load the boat in 30 minutes. I used to think that the angle of the sun was the factor.....but it is the same during cloudy days. Even in the creeks during the spawn, fish can visibly be everywhere but the bite will be very slow....until suddenly for a couple hours (usually an hour or two before dark) it's practically one every cast. I call it the "Witching Hour" 😉 There may be a Witching Hour in the morning too.....but everyone that knows me realizes that I don't get up early enough to find out. 😅

Boat & trailer is in really good condition, motor has issues. Going cheap (2500.00) Holler, or post up if you want any details.

The Whites & hybrids will respond to continued releases of water during any time of the year. The longer and more generous releases will result in more fish. Timing is the most critical thing, typically the best action occurs an hour or so before dark IF they are running water during that period.. If the water level is receeding you might as well go grab a sandwich somewhere.

Yeah I've always thought that name was pretty ignorant too. Just another Mutt ! 😅

About 2 weeks..... providing that the weather continues to improve. Just FYI: If you attempt to disassemble the Pop-off valve assembly, to inspect it, you'll need the 2 cork gaskets (at a minimum) because they will tear and won't be reusable.

Here's a good place to start. You can throw it a mile, and it's a great fish finder. Rip&pause, Rip&pause, Rip&pause.

Possibly an issue with the water pressure "Pop-off" valve, or its diaphragm, (lower starboard side of the powerhead).

When Bill Butts and I fished together he mentioned fishing a crease fly with a sink-tip line.....so I had to try it. The action of that fly sub-surface is really cool, but the concept just seemed like sacrelige to me, so I never stuck with it long enough to make it happen. No doubt that it would/could though. I think the saltwater guys do it frequently. For me, beings as how it's a dead ringer for a shad..... it's strictly a top water offering. With a little practice, and a well balanced fly, you can make it "spook-walk" side-to-side and pop (spit water)......It really is a killer.

JFTR too much foam, or too light/small of a hook, will cause it to float sideways. It takes a little experimenting to get them right.....but not too much.

Pretty much, yeah. You gotta experiment a bit with foam, hooks & epoxy to get them perfected.....but it's worth it 👍 I caught my biggest flyrod LM on a 1/0 version. Just barely shy of 6#

The lower unit gear lube needs to be changed.....or at least inspected..... before winter every year. Typical water pump service should be done every 3rd year.... unless you are having overheat issues. Service centers will tell you "every year", but honestly that's excessive.....they just want your money. Do not buy a boat (especially a toon) on a hoist that doesn't have a TRAILER. That boat needs to be pulled out at least once/twice per year for maintenance/service. And locating someone with a trailer that fits that specific toon can be a pain, and costly.

Just for you ! 😅 And yeah..... it's a killer! It's fun to see them clobber it !

Here are my personal top producers. Sizes= 6-4-2

Pfft. If this is the worst little spell we get this winter, then I consider us lucky 👍

Weather forecasters are such extreme exaggerators. 🙄

I dare ya ! 😅 The timing of this is impeccable.......Just yesterday at our local DG they had the Valentine cards & candy right next to the Band-Aids and denture cream. I assume for those of us preparing to get injured or to get our goddam teeth knocked out!

If you think you can cast & control a lightweight jig, in current, with 4lb. as well as you can with 2lb....... you're also delusional 😊 Some folks might be surprised how much .002" of line diameter can make a difference.

How much for the old Merc ?

"We appreciate the publics trust & patience" As if the "public" has a choice 😅

Here are the RIO weights, if anyone is curious.

Lines that cast good, and lines that fish good can be two separate things. Piscifun has a 30.00 line that casts and floats like a dream..... but it is as stretchy as a rubber band. Ok if all you do is fish glo-balls at the outlets in the trout park I suppose......but a definite hindrance otherwise.

Rod blank construction has improved, overall, to the point that IMO there's no longer an advantage to owning ultra high-end rods. Ditto with reels. Line, on the other hand...... not so much. You still have to spend 100.00+ to get a truly decent line.