Further North

Have you been driving the boat on the trailer?

Geez...I loved my '76 IH Scout II! 345 V8, lockable hubs, two speed transfer case...that thing'd go up a cliff sideways... ...of course it'd rust so fast on the way up you'd have to replace the rear window when you got to the top, and again when you got to the bottom...

What's been suggested so far is under $30K for the boat, motor (115) and trailer for the 1750m mid-$30s for the 1850. That's doable for a lot of people.

That's one of the things I figured out about braid the first year I used it. Pretty obvious it was going to last multiple years. I have some that hasn't even made it to the swap point yet that's been on 5 years. That's really a big part of "You get what you pay for". I've got Smackdown on two reels, I put it on at the beginning of last season. Good stuff, so far.

Stuff happens. Made for along day, but it's all better now.

Boy...does that look familiar... My 2005 CMV 1850 Before: After: I think the hatches are even in the same place... I've updated it since then to a Helix 12 MEGA at the console and a Helix 10 DI at the bow. Very cool...I like the Lund Pro-V Bass a lot...and this is a twin to the old CMV 1750...I hope they are on a path to build an 1850. More and more choices if something bad happens to my CMV. ...just went and looked...there's an 1850...

You mean too expensive? It is what it is, and like most things...you get what you pay for.

Agree. I also have very little, if any issues with Sufix 832.

Long story involving lightning, tripped circuit breakers, blown fuses and the deadest batteries I have ever seen, but I haven't been back out yet. Tomorrow if all goes well.

I've had both brands, and while I'm not going to join the "bash tracker" crowd (I liked mine, shoulda kept it for a river runner), there's little question in my mind that Crestliner is better built, uses better components and has much better fit and finish.

An often un-mentioned benefit of using a higher thrust trolling motor is that you use a lot less of your maximum capacity to do what you need to do. That'll mean longer life for the motor and your batteries.

Do it. With a custom cover, very little if any debris will trapped between the cover and the hull - look at the picture of AJ's covered boat. ...and the amount of crap that will wind up in your boat on a long trip will take you hours to clean out. Lots of stuff gets past the tow vehicle, and a bunch more gets kicked by the tow vehicle.

How similar is the Protrack system to the Crestliner system? Sounds very close and I love the Crestliner cover I have. Goes on fast and snug.

If I were buy a boat new, I would absolutely buy the cover. It's cheap at twice the cost...and I store my boat in a garage. I use my cover on any trip other than short local runs to stop the boat from getting soaked and/or filthy. I made the mistake of not using a cover twice...call me a slow learner. I won't do it again.

I had a similar thing happen a few years back...but in my case it was a recently serviced hub that let go...and in my case, the wheel came off at 70 MPH. Because of conditions (dry, sunny, not a lot of traffic) and experience (I've been towing trailers for almost 40 years) I was able to keep it under control and get it off the road safely, but things could have been a lot worse. Just like the OP, the axle would have needed to be replaced, but I was "fortunate" in that the cost of doing so exceeded the value of the trailer...I was able to find a new old stock trailer for less than the cost of the axle replacement, so with the help of a great dealer and top notch insurance rep, I was back on the water before the next weekend for the cost of a deductible and an extra tank of gas to go pick up the boat on the new trailer. Could have been a lot worse, and I'll back the advice above: Do the maintenance, or have it done. Not worth screwing around.

Deliberate flaws? I don't think so... probably more an issue of trying to get a product to the customer for a price they will pay. Just looked at Newport Vessels trolling motors, I see that their gear is all sub $400 and designed for smaller boats...I would say that what I wrote above is even more applicable in that price range. If I had to guess, I would say probably made in China or someplace overseas like most products in that range, with similar quality. Sidebar: That gal they use as a spokes-model sure won't hurt sales...

OK...great stuff, thank you! ...some questions: Does 10# braid (same brand) really cast further than 30# braid? This might be a subset of, "How far do we really need to cast?"* Do we really need more line on the spool...or does more unused line just get trashed when we replace it? Does "digging in" still happen with the newer, rounder braid? What is the benefit to being able to break off lighter line?** *I catch a lot of fish (largemouth, smallies, pike and musky) on fly gear where 70 ft. is a long cast. **I'd rather get the lure back.

That'd be a great question for another topic I've got a bunch of reasons, but I'm more interested in learning why folks use lighter braid in case I need to adjust some tactics. Your info was good, thanks! ...probably on sinning tackle...

It does, thanks.

Overloading in terms of using a lure/bait that's too heavy, or having a line on that has the potential to snap the rod if you hook the bottom (or a huge fish)?

Thanks Andy...by "handles amazing", what does it do that 30# doesn't do?

Another topic I saw here this AM got me thinking: Having tried low test braid (Let's call it anything under 30# for the sake of discussion) and not liking it much, I am wondering what it is people use it for, and why. I don't want to poison the well with why I don't care for it, I'm more interested in the positive reasons for using braid under 30#. I figure maybe I'm missing something?

...and 1/3 the weight...and probably with a better drag...

I tried heavy fluoro like 80# and 100# for muskies...didn't really care for it...jut too stiff...went back to 50# Tyger Leader and similar Surflon. ...At this point I'm using the heavy fluoro for weed guards on musky flies... I'll use 50# fluoro on a fly rod for pike and muskies and not feel undergunned...but check it really well after every fish...

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