thomas15

That is correct. When the motor starts it should then be at high idle, sat 2500-3000 RPM. You don't want to keep it there for long, just long enough to get the motor running, about 5 seconds then back down to about 1500 RPM for a short while, to get it warmed up.

I think you said that your boat has a console. Could you post two or three pics of the throttle at the console at different angles? There should be some way to give the motor some extra RPM at start up.

When you start the motor, do you have it in neutral but have the throttle at more than idle? Does anyone know if that motor has a butterfly choke or an enricher?

Welcome to the forum jbass33. Just make sure you are fully informed regarding property taxes and any other fees imposed by any association. It can get quite expensive fast. Also, some of the school districts have this little trick of accessing property values for tax purposes based on the selling price, not the accessed value (or 50% of the accessed value). It is not that unusual for two identical town homes to have very different tax bills. Next time you are in the area, take a drive along Beltzville Lake on Pohopoco Dr. A few miles north of the Pine Run Boat Launch is a place called (I think) Lakeview Lodge, it's on the right side of the road. The Palmerton School district had the place accessed at about $900,000 This is why the place is not being used the builders couldn't afford the taxes. This is just an example, not to scare you just be aware. When you refer to Towamensing, is this Towamensing Trails?

I cannot address your specific question re: are the private lakes around here any good? I'm a transplant from the Jersey Shore. I can tell you that it is a wonderful place to raise a family and it's quiet as can be. The taxes and real estate prices are lower than NJ, way lower. I'm in Carbon County live within a mile of Beltzville. I gave up fishing the Jersey Shore for raising my kids in the Poconos. For me it was worth it but recreation was not a part of the decision process. I went from a 1000 sq. ft. ranch home on a 100x100 foot lot to a 2000 s/f home, 2 car detached on 4 acres of trees right down the street from Beltzville. However, the area is somewhat of a LMB hades. Fishing for Bass is a challenge no doubt about it. It is a fact that Beltzville is packed with nice sized Bass but the lake is so pressured that it's hard to fish. The Pack is easier but it's also crowded. But your asking about a private pond near the slopes. Lets say you have access to a 10 acre private pond that you simply slay the bass. How long before you start pining for a change of scenery? The Lake at Lake Harmony may be stuffed with fish but Big Boulder isn't that big and Jack Frost is packed on the weekends. As someone that could ski Blue Mountain every day it's open I don't think I would buy or long term lease a property around here to both fish and ski. The last several winters have been good for the ski areas but there is no guarantee that snow will fall and temps will stay low. The Lehigh River has good whitewater when they are releasing water from upstream but again the river is clogged with NYers. If I wanted to invest in a place to fish/ski but not reside full time, I would take a serious look at upstate New York or western VT. My brother lives in Plattsburg NY, he has fantastic NY and VT skiing and Lake Champlain which is one of the premier freshwater fisheries in the eastern USA. Prices are lower than the Poconos. If that is too far, why not consider the Catskills? Just my opinion.

Very interesting video and I appreciate the effort. But I have to ask the question..."why"?

I just started giving some thought to line. I tried the Seaguar Red Label Fluorocarbon Line which is one of the least expensive fluoro available and I was really disappointed. Really had problems with my baitcasters and birds nests, really stiff line. Perhaps it's my fault. Although I usually don't keep trying the same brand when disappointed, I bit the bullet and tried Seaguar AbrazX Fluorocarbon Line. Huge difference. A lot more money but really worth it. Another thing to consider with mono, try some line conditioner, the KVD brand is about $4.00. My experience with it is positive.

As mentioned I really like my boat but there are things that I would like better. Rod storage is a problem but I think I can with a little work fix that. I understand where another poster mentions min of 90 HP. My 50 HP moves my boat at about 34 MPH which is as slow as I want to go but in reality it's faster than many boats I see locally and so I get there a minute longer than the next guy, so what. I have about 5K in my boat/motor/trailer so when the times comes to upgrade I will have definate opinions on what I want. Since I'm 1.5 hours from the Jersey Shore my next boat will most likely not be a bass boat, rather it will be something for big water and will keep my present boat company for fresh water lakes. For two people it's fine, three can fish but it's crowded. I have two sonars and a live well and bow mounted TM. I can fish local tournaments with it no problem. My motor is a 2005 Mercury 50 HP two stroke. It probably sat for a year before I got it. I mention this because it took me about 4 boating months to get all of the kinks worked out of it. It was worth it though because now it's really running great and I have a fairly good grasp on how this thing works. Although we had several boats when I was a kid it's been many years since I've had a powerboat and the need to trailer a boat. A 16 foot aluminum seems to be a good place to start, easy to tow, easy to operate, and a good learning (or re-learning) platform. I have over the years tried to convince myself that I got having a boat out of my system when I was a kid. My wife actually got this whole thing started. Believe it or not she mentioned several times over the course of about 6 months that having a boat might be fun. I tried ignoring her but over time she wore me out and so here we are! I have a friend that has a 17' fiberglass with an I/O drive. It's not an intended bass boat but he has modified it to work as such. There is a definate difference between the ride quality between our boats, his is quieter and smoother on the water. But his also cost much more to buy, maintain and the run. Bigger motors have bigger gas tanks for a reason. I know guys that have 12' jon boats and they both love them and can out fish me any day of the year. Simple is sometimes better. Whatever you do get something you can afford, something that is seaworthy and mechanically sound. If that is a jon boat then good, if that happens to be a 21' bass boat with a 250 on the transom then better. You don't want to be a slave to your boat but you also don't want something that leaves you 3 miles from the ramp due to a breakdown.

I agree but having read everything on this forum regarding wacky senkos and everyone says weightless. I guess I have to start experimenting and try a bunch of different things, since I usually drop shot I'm gonna try that first then the nails. I guess i'm lazy but my time on the water is at a premium and usually at a time when "thinking" is not an easy task. I will let you know how I make out.

Nice to meet you brother. I'm over in Carbon where the LMB have a bad case of lockjaw but it still beats a day at work! Keitech baits are responsible for getting me interested in swimbaits in general. In a recent TW order I ordered a few Spro BBZ-1 Shad Swimbait 4" which are about $20.00 each. This is no little thing as I hate to lose a lure that costs $3.00, never mind $20.00 But since getting my little boat last year I really haven't lost much compared to bank fishing but the overall cost of fishing now is something I really don't want to think about!

On the subject of the senko, I tried a wacky rigged one for the first time a while back. I used a 4" senko, an O ring and a light finess hook in about 78 degree water. The worm dropped very slowly and had no action at all. I want to get obviously some wiggle action, so would a heavier hook make a difference or what about putting a small lead worm nail on it?

TW has Strike King Bitsy Bug Jig for $1.69 For that price get a selection of colors and weights. Also usually Walmart has them at about the same price. With these you can add a trailer, for example Berkley Havoc Skeet's 4" Pit Chunk 8pk for $2.99. These jigs have brush guards that make them weedless. At anyrate, read the articles here on Bassresources about setting up and fishing jigs. For example you might want to trim and/or thin out the skirts and trim the weedguard. Do you fish mainly for Largemouth or Smallies?

Try fishing at dusk into dark. Try using a strip of raw bacon all balled up on a long shank hook. Try both bottom and suspended with a bobber. Those lighted bobbers make night fishing easier.

My vote is to get a bunch of Keitech Swing Impact baits and a bunch of Kicker Fish Hightail Holeshot Shakey worms (various colors). A collection Booyah Blade Double Willow Spinnerbaits 3/8 # and some Strike King KVD 1.5 cranks and some Cavitron buzzbaits. If you still want to shop consider some Roboworm finess plastics. Don't forget to get some terminal tackle (Jig heads and bucktails) and some JJ's Magic. Love that free shipping!

try: boats (dot) net Put the s/n of your motor in, it will tell you exactly what parts you need along with showing you a diagram of the motor. This is of course mercury parts, aftermarket parts are generally not shown on that website.

I have nothing but good memories about the Mitchell 308 and the 5 star. I drew a total blank on the cost back then but at the time it was a lot of money. I was in 7th grade at the time I bought it and was very proud of it.

As a kid, I had a paper route and mowed grass. This allowed me to buy myself a Mitchell 308 and a 5' Garcia Conolon 5 Star. This was for trout, panfish and I used it in the salt water marinia near our house for snappers and blowfish. This was about 1970 ish. My brother also had a paper route and he had a Quick 110 and a Conolon 2 star. These were quite the rig at the time, especially for kids to have. I don't know what ever happened to that rod/reel. Lost track of it, I think someone took it from our garage but really not sure. I'm in the market for a reel for a 5'6" medium rod and think I'm gonna get a new 308.

After getting stung the first time I started clipping off my hook barb so that I can unhook easier and reduce the chance of getting stung again. I use long shank hooks and raw bacon when I fish for catfish.

^^^^^ you are saying exactly what I'm thinking. Being addicted to LMB fishing and living in PA is an exercise in frustration on many fronts. My brother lives in Plattsburg, NY. For many reasons I cannot imagine moving from PA to NY. But he lives minutes from access to Lake Champlain which Bassmaster magazine rates #14 this year.

I don't have any boat recommendations but simply share in your frustration. I live literally 1/4 mile from the Pine Run launch on Beltzville Lake. As you know Beltzville is unlimited HP so my 50 HP outboard is small compared to what is average. The downside is all the boat traffic and the pressure placed on the fish. So I have this ongoing argument with myself on what to do about it. The Nox is about the same size (it is actually bigger) than Beltz so an electric would be slow going. Mauch Chunk in Jim Thorpe is electric only but the bass are all dinks. I don't want to spend a huge amount on a platform boat with 20 HP and I don't want to get rid of my present boat. So I tough it out on the Beltz, and have the Pack as an alternate also I think Blue Marsh is unlimited HP. There are several in Wayne and Pike Counties that are unlimited. Granted that is far for you but the pack is only 1.5 hours drive for me. I'm always keeping an eye out for a jon but I cannot seem to pull the trigger when one comes across my path. I guess there is no such thing as a perfect boat.

If you are referring to anything I said then please know that my intention was not to burst your bubble but rather to make you aware of what might be wrong and to make it clear that problems can be fixed. It really comes down to making an honest evaluation of what you have to start with and how much you are willing to commit. In your opening post you made mention of upsizing the motor. What you have is plenty of HP. But the real issue is finding out if the boat is seaworthy. Few things in life on this earth suck worse than planning a day on the water with your new boat only to have the motor quit or the transom split when you are miles from the launch ramp. Most people that do a boat rehab work on the hull during the spring, summer and fall and leave the motor for a winter project. If the motor was left outside and neglected for two years than it would be a good idea to put some time and money into it. A great place to find answers to the literally one million questions that will come up is: iboats (dot) com. This is a commercial website that has fantastic user forums. The two forums that would be of interest to you are the restoration and repair forum and the Yamaha and Suzuki outboard forum. Lots of knowledge and encouragement on these forums. I highly recommend that you browse the 100s of threads showing restorations and you really should join that forum and let them know what you have and what you plan to make of it. OK, again, I'm not trying to discourage you at all, infact I hope you make something out of this. If it were me I would have sold the boat if I had an offer but also in a year or two I'm going to take on a full resortation project myself. BUT, not knowing the situation (so no offense to anyone), having an offer to buy for $2300.00 something you got for free and actually having the money placed in your hands are two different things. So don't feel bad about not taking that offer. What I have in mind for my future restoration is something in the 19-21' range, fiberglass, with with a I/O drive. Something that I can fish off shore but still pull with a half ton pickup truck. I would consider myself very lucky to get my project boat for free so you have that going for you. Right now you have nothing invested so you have lost nothing. BTW, I have no financial interests in iboats in particular or the boat industry in general. Probably the best place to find parts for outboard motors is: boats (dot) net. Again I really hope that you do something with this boat.

I wash you the best of luck with this project. Allow me to say this, getting the motor to run is only the beginning. You should do a detailed examination of the hull. Fiberglass boats have some major structural components that are wood covered with fiberglass/resin. Also, most boats have some sort of foam in the inner hull that gives the hull strength and flotation. The deck that is generally covered with carpet is wood or glass covered wood. If you have soft spots in the deck, replacing the plywood deck generally solves only part of the problem. IF the deck has soft spots then underneath the deck the foam is most likely waterlogged and the stringers perhaps rotted. Also, the transom core is wood and of there is rot there it will not support the motor over the long haul. You may be able to get a look at the stringers or the condition of the hull when you inspect the fuel tank bay. You may also get an idea of the condition of the transom by checking for flex or cracks in the glass in the transom. Core samples may be required to confirm. The main thing though is all of this can be repaired, it just depends on how much of a project you want. I'm not trying to discourage you, just trying to let you know that a lot of problems MIGHT be hiding in the cold dark nooks that are not easy to get to.

I have been doing a lot of pistol shooting in the last 3 years. Started handloading my ammo almost 2 years ago. Right now I have 3 presses (a single stage Rockchucker, an RCBS turret press and a progressive Hornady LNL). I load and shoot about 600-1000 rounds per month (depending on if my wife and/or son joins me). And have a lot of reloading components. I'm lucky, my club has an indoor range and we get together every week for fun/practice, regardless of the weather. I shoot in 2 or 3 matches per month on average. Between that, fishing, work and school, I'm busy.

This thread is the additional encouragement I've been looking for to master swimbaits. And I'm gonna do just that, right after I master spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, topwaters, plastics, jugs and crankbaits.

One thing to consider is what are the rules for the lakes you intend to fish. A lot of the water around here have either horsepower restrictions or they are electric only. I happen to live 1/4 mile from one of the few unlimited horsepower lakes in the area. This lake is about 1000 acres and there is a lot of boat traffic. There are a lot of big boats and many paddle boats also, a real mish-mash of watercraft. Those who have jon boats with 5 hp motors can spend half the day getting to the place where want to fish. But those same boats are better if you mainly fish very small or restricted lakes. Ideally it would be best to have more than one boat! So i guess in my opinion any boat will be a compromise unless you only have one or two places to fish. I'm always keeping a look out for an inexpensive jon with electric motor but for now one boat is enough. I got my boat last year. It's a 16.5 foot aluminum. I grew up with boats but it has been many many years. The day I brought it home I thought it was big enough now it's too small. Still, I like my boat and after working out all the kinks, it's become a pleasure to operate. Take your time and set a budget. Then buy something that is twice your budget! Just make sure it's seaworthy. Just remember that fishing is fun but fishing from you own boat is funner.