Thomas Hill Hybrids

[sms_alum]

Just wanted to thank you guys again for the info on Columbia Bottoms area. Went out on Saturday and checked it out. Did not have much luck fishing, but did more boating than fishing. Pretty cool area that I had never checked out. I will have to try it again sometime and try the fishing a little closer to chain of rocks. Did see several eagles and had no idea there were such nice houses on the Missouri up that way. It was good to get the boat running since it will have to sit in garage till after the holidays. This brings up my question for fishinwrench,

If I use my boat all year and store it in a garage is there ever a reason to winterize it? I am always a little scared headed back from a trip in Jan/Feb if the temps are dropping on the drive home.

[fishinwrench]

No, I don't "winterize" mine either. Just make sure when you pull it out at the ramp that you let the motor back down (vertical) to let all the water drain out.

If you have a water pressure guage and,/or pitot type speedometer on the helm it's good to unhook the hose(s) behind the guage(s) and blow the water out of them.

It's also a pretty good idea to splash a little RV anti-freeze into your livewell drains and leave the drain valves OPEN.

And last but not least.... pull your bottom gearcase oil drain screw and get a small sample of the lube, if it is milky white or there is any signs of water go ahead and pull the vent plug and drain it completely until you can arrange to have the seals checked/replaced.

[Mitch f]

Just throwing out options. If navigating tight turns and irregular courses weaving through boulders or deadfalls is a primary concern then a hull narrower than 52 would be a better choice I think.

The advantage of a wider hull is a shallower draft and more stability (and space), the disadvantage is overall weight and less maneuverability.

The best setup IMO should play to the strengths of the hull chosen.

Totally agree, When you boil it down, the 1650 is a good design for most Missouri ( ozark) bigger streams. Zipstick has an 1848 ( I think) or very close to that, and definately navigates more tightly than my 1650. When it comes to moving thru shallower water, my 1650 can go much shallower. There's always a trade off with the hull design. One of the things I like about the Express 1650D is that it has a totally open floor ( I dont have any fixed seating ), therefore I have a big cooler for the passenger to sit on and adjust his position as needed. The farther back he slides the faster I can go, the farther up he slides (within reason) the shallower I can go. Just my opinion but I'm so used to a tiller I would have to re-adjust for a counsole. But I am willing to learn!