Further North

I tow an '05 Crestliner CMV with the same vehicle...it's probably closer to 2800 lbs. most of the time. Zero problems. That said, I wouldn't exceed the Mfr's tow rating, so per the original post; no way I'd go past 1500 lbs...and I'd probably try to stay at least 10% short of the rating. 1000 lbs seems heavy for that trailer - the trailer for my 1850 Crestliner is about 800.

Cabela's has some St. Croix Rage rods on sale on-line: http://www.cabelas.com/product/St-Croix-Rage-Casting-Rod/1253428.uts?searchPath=%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FcategoryId%3D734095080%26CQ_search%3Dst_p%252520croix%252520rage%26CQ_st%3Db Might be something there that'll work. ...I stopped in one of the stores to look at the rods, asked the price and was told $149. I drove home, ordered it online for $50 less....

I use a Temple Forks Tactical Cast Rod 7'9" Extra Hvy http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/TFO_Gary_Loomis_Tactical_Casting_Rods/descpage-TFOTC.html The last rod on that page... It works great for this - I chase a lot of pike and musky and use this rig a lot with 1 1/8 oz. Doctor Spoons. I have it paired with a Shimano Calais DC...but any decent reel should work. I use the DC because the speed I get with a moderate cranking effort on that reel seems to set them off.

The 600 lbs above sounds about right. My single axle for an 1850 is right around 800 lbs, but It's heavy duty (probably overbuilt) it has metal fenders you can stand on it has metal walk-on plates on moth sides of the fenders.

There are some kayak/canoe folks who short shaft them - I've seen videos on YouTube as a "How Too", and there's a step by step photo guide out there as well...but I've long since lost track of where it is.

I've run a 101 lb Terrova on my last three boats: '91 Lund Pro-V 1800 '97 Crestliner Pro-AM 1750 '05 Crestliner CMV 1850. All weigh within about 100 lbs. of your boat. I just upgraded the CMV to a 112 Ulterra. No way would I go back to a 24 volt system - there's always room for another battery, somewhere. I have never, ever wished I had less power... ...but to be fair, it's a good idea to tell the guy on the back of the boat you're gonna pop it at max speed...unless he needs a bath.

...I kinda left a part out: Most electric steer bow mount trolling motors have a long enough cord on the foot peddle to get at least near the back of the boat, so that's where this would work - you stand near the back and steer, then cut power to the front TM first. My Lund Pro-V was rigged this way when I got it...and it's ugly, but it works. FYI: I immediately upgraded it to a Terrova...that's how ugly it is...by "immediately", I mean I picked up the boat on a Saturday, had the Terrova installed by the end of the weekend...

Boat weight is here: http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/1997/Tracker-Marine Looks like 680 lbs. Motor is here: http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/1997/Mercury/Outboard-Motors Looks like 177 lbs. Gas is 6# per gallon, batteries are about 70 lbs, I always figure the trolling motor as a match for that to be safe. I figure 200 - 250 lbs for gear, again I'd rather be safe than sorry. Don't know what your trailer weighs...but it should be on it someplace. I got about 1270 with an empty tank, off the trailer, including gear.

I know a few people who love hand controlled front mounted trolling motors - Minn Kota offers a hand controlled version of the Edge for very reasonable money: http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Trolling-Motors/Freshwater-Bow-Mount/Edge/ As I've posted here often, I don't think there's such a thing as having too much power to your trolling motor, that's why I run a 36 volt, 112 lb thrust Ulterra (I just upgraded from a 101 lb thrust Terrova) on an 18 1/2' ft aluminum boat. That Terrova was on three different boats - trolling motors are easy to move. There's a good chance you can use your transom mount Endura on the bow as a hand controlled unit - you should be able to carefully remove the screw where the head connects to the shaft and rotate 180° - make sure you don't put the screw through the wires when you put it back on....don't ask how I know about this... I know this works on the older units. I don't like transom mounted trolling motors - lack of control and the bow getting batted around in the wind turned me off them years ago...but here's another idea: Hang your Endura on the back, use the front mounted unit to steer. Yeah, it's a cobbled up mess, and you'll have to move from the front of the boat to the back in a hurry a lot...but it might get you through this year until you upgrade the boat, and it'll increase the speed you move through the water a bunch; 37 + 50 would be 87 lbs thrust through two props...that'll get that Tracker moving right along.

If that's not the simple, unvarnished truth, I don't know what is.

Nice job on that FG! About one in 3 of mine look that good.

Much more than visibility here in NW WI. We have a lot of the abrasion issues road warrior brings up as well as pike and musky that will shred strait braid before you can fishing yelling "Fish on!". We have plenty of sharp rock edged here...but when I go to Canada in the summer that factor increases two or three times...my direct ties to braid were getting beat up quickly...and the number of pike and musky increase about tenfold. Back to the original post - any chance you can post a picture of that FG knot livemusic? I had that problem a lot when I started with the FG too...I found one thing that helps is matching line diameters more closely...not always possible, but I tend to go heavy on my braid on the theory that I get the benefit of greater strength at the same (or slightly less) diameter...it works for me. The "...trim close and add a dab of super glue..." method works too, as does Loon Outdoors UV Knot Sense. https://loonoutdoors.com/product/uv-knot-sense/ ...another product I learned about through fly fishing.

I bought some in 24 lb. and 40 lb., but have not had time to spool it up or try casting it. Initial impressions are favorable - I can see why some folks have compares the lighter lines to floss.

Tyger Wire. Be spendy though...

Thanks folks, I appreciate your patience. Next question, I have an Abu Garcia MGX, is that suitable for this kind of casting? I stopped at Cabela's on the way back from the Twin Citeis today, and the MGX looked like it compared favorably to the Daiwa SS SV as far as spool depth. I was also looking at a St. Croix Rage, info below: RC610MXF 6'10" A X-Fast 1/8 to 5/16 4.5oz

tbone...thanks - now another stupid question: How do I identify a shallow spool? I do probably 99% of my shopping on-line. A search for "shallow spool" on Cabela's turned up two Abus, one spinning reel, some line and a bunch of fly fishing gear (which I already have a ton of). Thanks!

What kind of casting reel handles the light baits best? Any specific suggestions or recommendations? I know there are reels out there that will do this, i've just never figured out how to identify them.

For pike and musky, I tie the wire directly to the main line using and FG not. Never had one slip. Dunno how that can happen... I do use tieable wire, I can recommend some if you are interested. For all non-toothy critters, I tie the line (Mono, fluoro or co-poly) directly to the leader using the FG knot. Again, never had on slip. It's a good knot, smaller than the Albright or Alberto, much easier to tie than it is often presented. I've never had one properly tied fail, all failures have been in the leader or the main line. That's pretty solid performance in my opinion.

Agree.

Sweet rig - congrats. 31 hours...somebody didn't fish much...

Boat dealer/marina for me on both. Someone who was had more time or interest...and the right equipment...could do it themselves. It's not complicated, but it's got to be done right.

lIvemusic, I have found that I could replace my Johnson branded Suzuki DF140 for around $11 - $12K A Suzuki DF150 would be a little more, and a Yamaha F150 a bit more than that, plus replacing the controls.

For me I'd make the decision based on how much I like the boat, and what the economics look like. If I were to blow the motor on my current boat, I'd re-power it a heartbeat - I love the size, the layout and how it works for me, and I can re-rig with a brand new motor for less than $15K, where a new boat is going to push $40K. I could look around for another used rig, but that would at best split the difference and the odds of finding another boat that wouldn't compromise something are not good...especially if it was mid-season and I wanted to get back on the water. I think I'd also use the opportunity to jump up to a 150 instead of the 140 I have now.

I get paranoid about disconnecting alarms...I'd run pre-mix until the new tank gets here, even if that ment I'd have to disconnect the oil tank. Not much can ruin a motor faster than lack of oil.

Regarding "...someone elses problems...": Good way to start thinking about it, and to be on the look out for. That said, there's lots of reasons why boats get sold; not getting used (that's how I got mine), upgrade to bigger/better, some kind of problem in the family. You can pretty well tell by how the seller acts how well a boat has been treated...but caution is always a good thing. Have the boat checked out. Mine was one of those "too good to be true" deals...until I had it inspected at a marina of my choosing...and I found out it was exactly what the seller said it was: Virtually unused, 8 years old, stored in a garage it's entire life. Doo your "Due Diligence" Don't be afraid to check out the seller on line once you hove their name. Check Facebook, look for lawsuits, anything you can think of. It'll al give you insigt to the seller's character and help you get an idea how he treats his stuff. I bought three in a row like that, sold two of them, and the folks that bought them didn't get any problems either. On that Stratos: I went from a Lund PRO-V 1800 to a Crestliner 1750...and it was just a little bit too small for me. An 18+ ft. boat seems to be the sweet spot for me...20 is probably too big, 17 too small...My 1750 had a Suzuki 140 on it...it performed well...not sure a 115 would get it done for me...a friend has that same boat in an 18 footer...his has a 150...perfect for that size.