jhoffman

Does the spool travel? Are you sure its not defective?

Id make it well known I was jacked.

Someone bought my kid that rod(shes 4). We used it once and then I hid it...she forgot all about it. STUPID IDEA!

I look at it like this. I have an ultralight - Good For Small Lures and Bait I have a fat ugly stick (spincast) - Heavy Baits for heavy fish.(Think Live Trout) I have a baitcaster for pretty much all the bass fishing unless its finesse time. I dont use it to sling bait. In fact... I cant remember the last time I fished bait. Even on the spincast rods catching crappies and what not I always throw jigs/spinners... you get the picture.

Finally tried it on the water, its a nice unit. Im thinking about buying the speed sensor

I just pitched a piece of junk eagle that came with my boat and installed the 525. I havent had it on the water yet but I fired it up to make sure all was well and the display was nice. If it works as expected, money well spent.

Not sure why you would attach the transducer to the TM. Mount that thing permanently. I just put a new fish finder in my boat two days ago. I didnt want to drill through the transom so I used epoxy to affix it. Its not going anywhere. I don't even know why they recommend that attaching to the TM as an option. If you clearly read the install directions they want the transducer a MINIMUM of 15" from any kind of prop wash. I think you will get all sorts of mixed signals. What I would do is epoxy the transducer to the back, find where you want your screen and epoxy it to the side by your seat. There is enough adjustment on them you should be able to get it to your viewing preference with the mounting bracket being vertical. ... ZERO screws!!!!!

I have a feeling these rods arent made by the same company. I went out and tried it again. With the brush and it worked fairly well. Im going to give it a try vertical tomorrow and then grind it off before i make my final decision. I bought them at a sportsman show.

Ill try your methods and I hope you are correct but it was CLEAN and no, the grinder never touched steel. Ive seen how its done with a brush. That wasnt enough so I went the other route. The only thing I didnt do was clean the rod. Like I said.... I hope youre right!

Pin point size hole... MAYBE ok... but drill out a rivet and try it, hes talking about a CRACK! I cleaned the surface with a grinder, preped it with thinner and held the torch to it for about 5 minutes, no go padro.

Im going to advise against the brazing rods unless you have an oxy acetylene torch. Those guys do those demos at sports shows on thin aluminum like pop cans. I bought some, tried it on my boat.... a mapp gas torch isnt hot enough to heat the boat to the point it will bond. And the hole I had was very small. Dont waste the money, you WILL regret it.

Im in the market for a bow mount myself, infact Ill prob order it this week. I was doing some research and one of the reasons I ran across people using those is that the cables and such can be dangerous, especially on a small deck. Maybe they are a afraid of going for a swim. I however, will take my chances.

Unless previously titled, once they are titled they have to remain titled and you can have a major pain if you dont have the guy around and its titled.... trust me!

Yeah, good catch, definately need that. Plan to pull the hubs and repack or replace the bearings too.

Get a big needle and go at it yourself, if it looks like crap, cut it and start over. If you just cant get it, hire someone.

Oh and since you bought the dipsys, you need about another $800 worth of spoons, crankbaits, crawler harnesess and everything else under the sun that catches fish. DO NOT tell your wife/girlfriend how much money you spend on the boat unless she tries to sell it, then shock her and you can keep it.

I just dished out $160 last week. Add to that the $1000 for the boat and trailer, the new decking, transom, carpet, seats, fish finder, bilge pump, livewell pump, lights, extinguisher, horn, battery, oil, lower unit oil(never trust it was changed), rod holders.... then of course, you gotta have line counter reels with dipsy/planer rods for when you just feel like being lazy. Life vests, capacity plate(worn out), wiring, conduit, paint, primer, new trailer tires and fenders, new trailer wires and lights.... Put it like this, ill have this little 14ft aluminum boat till i DIE, ill never get what I put into it money or time wise back out of it.

Heres how im doing mine. I know someone is going to say... thats draining into the bilge.... no, just a one dimensional drawing, the exit pipe exits the boat. The only one going to the bilge is the pipe on valve four to be used as backup bilge in an emergency.

Wild looking, i wouldnt stand up in that baby on a cold day.

No bilge pump for under all that flooring? Arent you worried that foam will trap water? I notice you guys do these decks but I never see anyone fasten them, arent you affraid they will slide? How would you fasten them and hide the screws? Nice job!

You're doing your layout EXACTLY as I had planned. Planning to carpet the sides in the center? I unfortunately dont have a garage/windproof shop. I did however brave the elements on sunday here in PA (about 30 degrees) to rip the transom out of the boat. 22 rivets and 8 bolts. Completely rotten, falling apart in my hands. As a side note, I tried to patch some holes from the previous owners with aluminum brazing rods. Little advice, forget it, doesnt work. Those guys demonstrate that stuff at the sportsman shows on pop cans and make it look slick. Well, good luck heating a boat with mapgas to 745 degrees, aint gonna happen. Pretty much gave up on that. Im so busy for the next two weekends I dont know when ill get back to it. Fly tying show to tie at this weekend, gotta help my pro team stock the brook trout retreat next weekend. Anyone in Erie this weekend stop by folleys... ill be there tying.

Ive never even seen an aluminum bolt. Where do you get them? Any benefit over stainless?

I had to to some transom work in my boat last year. Had to drill out about 12 rivets. I replaced them with 1/4 in. aluminum bolts, lock washers and nuts, and sealed them good with Marine Silicone. Never once has leaked and looks good too. Aluminum bolts... wouldnt they be soft?

Can I ask... are those rivets the same size as the ones they use in making the boat? I gotta replace a transom and a lot of rivets have to come out. Id rather not bolt it. I see they sell 1/4" air rivet gun on the site, if thats the same size, ill be having that tool.

Just picked this up in January, it was 3degrees the day I bought it. This picture is from the previous owner. We got a warm day here a couple weeks ago and I ripped out EVERYTHING you see. Starting from scratch. Ive got a pile of stuff waiting for it to warm up some. Its going to be decked, carpeted, painted, new seats, full livewell setup(incoming and outgoing). New wiring, new trailer - rims, tires, fenders, wires. I got about $1000 or more in stuff sitting in my basement waiting for this weather to break. I plan to fly fish off mine in the rivers here in pa. Oh... its a 14' 1976 Terry