Ray K

I thought the cover that came with my pre-owned Nitro Z7 Sport was waterproof or at least had decent water repellancy. It doesn't. Uncovered the boat to go fishing over the weekend and it was soaked everywhere from several days of rain. (Florida, you know). So, I'm in the market for a decent waterproof cover. Id like for it to have breather vents if possible and also cover the Mercury 150 outboard if possible. Needs to fit with the MinnKota installed on the bow. The leading criteria is, it has to be waterproof and stop UV rays. Who makes good ones?

I'm using 50 lb. Sufix braid which is about the same diameter as 12 lb mono. I had Gander Mountain wind it onto a Lew's Tournament MB and had 4 other reels wound with mono. Total was about $50 so I can't say how much the Sufix was. My rod is a #*** BlackOut, 7 ft. medium action fast taper. Hope this is helpful.

I researched this same question several months ago when considering switching to braid for heavy cover fishing and the responses were mixed. But, so many said they tied directly to the lure with no negative affect on catching fish that I decided to go the "direct tie" route. So far, I too have seen no problems with catching bass so, I'll just keep doing it.

+1 Same procedure I use. Spray with hose, dry, lube every 5 or 6 trips or once a year, whichever comes first.

So, you mounted both transducers to the trolling motor? Or, are you using the thru-hull transducer for the cockpit unit?

Really appreciate your thoughts. I just bought the boat home and haven't fished out of it yet so no chance to use the Mark 5x Pro. If it's as bad as you say, I will replace it. One question you might help with.................Was there power wiring up front in your Z6 for the bow mount fish finder or did you have to run wiring from the fuse panel yourself? My Z7 Sport has a flat panel up front and I'm hoping there is a power wire behind it. I presume you mounted your bow finder with a trolling motor transducer? Thanks again for your comments. Another question..............Why would I want to put an Elite 5 or 7 up in the bow? I'd be paying for a unit with GPS that I don't need up front. Is there another Lowrance finder you'd recommend for the bow without GPS?

Yes, it has a Blauplunct Blue tooth stereo/MP3/USB unit. That's probably the tool to unlock the unit in it's mount.

Just thought I'd post that I finally found a great boat. I bought a 2014 Nitro Z7 Sport that had only 24 hours on the 150 OptiMax Pro XS and had been garaged since new. Came with a MK 24 volt TM, Lowrance Mark 5XPro Fishfinder and full canvas plus two additional fishing seats. I had to drive all the way to Guntersville Alabama to buy it but, it was worth it. I appreciate all the good input and suggestions. This is a marketing pic but my boat is identical.

Every fish finder I've ever had and all that I've seen lately begin the scan on the right side of the screen and move left. So, the farther left the scan moves, means the boat is moving away from the returns. So, I'm wondering if it wouldn't be more user friendly if the scan started at the top of the screen with the top being directly under the boat and the symbols moving towards the bottom meaning they are being left behind by boat movement. What's wrong with my logic?

Just bought home my new (to me) 2014 Nitro Z7 Sport. Going thru all the documents and stuff that came with the boat, I came across these two items that were in with the factory paperwork. Can anyone tell me what they are for?

I have a Ford Escape Titanium with the 4 cylinder 2.0 EccoBoost motor. It has the factory tow package which is rated by Ford at 3500 lbs. My rig pushes the spec at over 3300. My Escape is not the all wheel drive model and only drives the right front wheel. I have had no problems launching or retrieving as long as i don't stab the throttle when pulling the boat out. If I do, it will burn a bit. I can also select 2nd gear manually in the 6 speed auto and that gives more steady power.

I just bought a 2014 Nitro Z7 Sport that has the factory installed Lowrance 5X Pro in the console. (no GPS) I want to buy a new Elite 5 or Hook 5 to install in the console and move the 5X Pro to the bow panel. So, several questions: 1) Can I use the power and transducer connections currently in the console for the new Elite or Hook 5 or do the GPS units use different transducers? 2) If question 1 is true, can I buy the Elite or Hook with a bow mount transducer that I can then use to hook up the old 5X Pro unit to my bow? 3) Does anyone know if the console panel on my Z7 Sport is wide enough and high enough to go with an Elite or Hook 7 instead of the 5? Thanks for any help, fellas.

Is that the FX1850? Looks like a nice one.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I use the term "fish n ski" synonymously with Multispecies and the Stratos, Nitro and Tritons are three I'm considering. I just wanted to see if there were any more Multispecies I should consider.

The 1850 and 1950 are a bit hard to find in late model used and they are a abit pricey. I want to try to keep cost below $25K and the Ranger won't get down there.

I've been servicing and lubing some of my 80s baitcasters and note that I could use to replace the brake blocks (collars) on several of them. One is a Daiwa Procaster PL-1000 from the mid 80s and brake block collar P/N is B35-2901. The other is a Ryobi AD4000V. I couldn't find a parts list for that specific reel but, looks like it is almost identical to the Lew's Speed Spool BB1L. The brake block P/N for the Lew's reel is P306153. So, where can I obtain these parts? Or, can I just buy any old brake blocks that look close since the spool pins they fit on look to be the same diameter for both reels as well as other baitcasters I looked at.

Definitely fiberglass with seating for three behind the pilot and co-pilot and as much front fishing platform as possible. Must be a single axle rig so an 18 or 19 footer.

I finally got clearance from headquarters to start looking for a new bass boat. Since we do a lot of pleasure boating and my wife doesn't fish, we've agreed to buy a combo boat (fish 'n ski?). We currently have a Sea Reay Fish n Ski that is 19 years old and was one of the early combination boats on the scene when we bought it. So, I've looked on the web at some of the offerings like the Nitro Z7, Stratos 486SF, and Skeeter SL190. Our budget keeps me from looking at the Rangers. So, I'd be interested in hearing some opinions of F&S boats. Rather than buying new, I'll probably be most interested in late model pre-owned rigs. I prefer one that leans a little more towards fishing and a little less cruising as my Sea Ray is the other way around, more cruise than fish. As long as it has a walk-thru windshield and can be canvased in. Thanks for any input. Since I'm fairly new to this forum, I hope I haven't violated any forum rules by mentioning brand names of boats. If I have, let me know and I'll remember for next time.

There is quite a difference between the normally aspirated 2008 Escape and the Turbo charged EcoBoost models. They weigh about 400 lbs more and have about 50 more HP. They also offer all wheel drive now. FYI

Well, you might want to start buying that a Ford Escape will tow an 18 ft. boat and get 19 MPG. I also have a 2014 Escape Titanium with the 2.0 Turbo EcoBoost motor. It has the factory tow package that is rated by Ford at 3500 pounds. I have a 180 Sea Ray Fish 'n Ski that has a towed weight (verified at a truck scale) of about 3100 lbs with a full tank of fuel and gear. I've been towing that rig all over the State of Florida for almost 2 years without an issue of any kind. We just returned from a trip to South Florida from Orlando of about 200 miles each way and we averaged almost exactly the same as Further North gets, actually a few 10ths better for the round trip. I drive about 65 MPH on the interstates. The Escape weighs about 3900 lbs and my Escape tows my rig effortlessly. Braking is very satisfactory. You know you have something back there but, it feels very controllable and power is very adequate. It has almost 46,000 on the clock and no problems yet. I'll get off my soap box now.

Got it. I'll answer back this evening. I really appreciate your willingness to help with bringing me up to speed after such a long time away from the bass scene.

I located this site several month ago and am reading it page by page. A wealth of good info, thanks.

Is it the Boating USA app for $9.99?

Perfect, thanks. Is that Garmin lake software? I have a GPS plotter in my boat but, it only has salt water and the St. Johns River software in it and they want about $200 for the freshwater lake package.