fishnkamp

I just replaced my fuel lines on my 2010 Lowe Stinger. The factory ran 3/8 line from the fitting in the tank to a thru deck fitting on the rear deck. From here the system has a Mercury factory primer bulb and two pieces of 5/16 fuel hose. The connection on the motor requires a 5/16 hose. So if your 3/8 hose is tight on your primer bulb it may be fine. I had to remove the hose from the motor and hand prime a lot to fill up the almost 10 feet of hose total until I had all of the air out. Then I hooked it back up and pumped till the carbs were full and I had a rock solid primer bulb. You may have been air bound a little. Next time after you launch the boat prime it and let it run t a fast idle for a little time then go run it and see what it does. Good luck.

I had the same problem with my Lowe trailer. My solution was to notch out an area just big enough to mount the bracket on top of the frame and bring the u bolts up from underneath. Those mounts are made to be installed on top or on the bottom of the frame. I them painted all of the metal black to match my trailer and it looks pretty good. By the way I notched about a 3 to four inch area out of the rear step using a Dremmel tool and their small cut of wheels. Tomorrow I will try to get dome pics if we ever get a day without rain!

Take a look at this Craigslist listing. I am not sure how far from you he is but if I really wanted a boat like this I might look at it in person and if he is not too far away i would bribe him with a great fresh seafood dinner somewhere or pay him to trailer it for you. Once it is there you can figure what to do to store it. Myself I bet it is pretty light and you could just pull it up on shore. http://westernmass.craigslist.org/boa/5544651244.html 12 ft aluminum fishing boat for sale!-2.5 HP -Mercury motor (less than 10 hrs)-New tires, rims, bearings-Swivel seats-1500$ The price fits your budget the boat looks clean and the engine means either you use it or sell it to finance your trolling motor needs. Win Win in my eyes! Good Luck.

Start with Center Hill I caught my pb a 7 lb Kentucky there. I will travel to Dale Hollow in three days, I am exited, it will be my second time there! You will only be a few hours from Chicamagua down near Chattanooga. Hire Rogne Brown, and hold on for a trip of a lifetime!!! He is the man down there. That lake kick it for sure.

RUN FAST!!!!!

Let me say this. I have fished the river since the 90's and there are a lot of things adding to the rivers decline. First pollution like the releases from coal ash settling ponds in Quantico should never been allowed. Things like waist treatment systems not doing their jobs, and heavy development and dredging of channels for things like the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and National Harbor. The river traffic used to run straight through the middle of the bridge now there is a huge amount of traffic coming into and out of National Harbor. That used to be a quite cove that a lot of bass spawned in. How much has that caused a decline in that huge grass bed tons of fish called home? Now as for "the one individual' that everyone refers to as "hating tournaments". If you ever fished in the Spoils, (that is the cove located on the right side of the river just above the WW bridge) and caught a bass you can thank that "Hater" for spending hours and hours supervising the placement of all of the old concrete which came from the old Woodrow Wilson Bridge back in the late 80's or early 90's. He has been a champion of the river for decades! What he has been objecting to for a long time is very visible post tournament fish mortality during the hotter months. Most of the larger sanctioned events try to do a pretty good job of fish management, but the river also had tournaments sponsored by local bars and fish health was not always most important. The other thing that I have seen is fish suffering from big holes around the mouth caused by the culling systems most often used in tournaments. If these holes are large enough it can affect the fishes ability to eat by flaring its gills and sucking in a bunch of water and food.. The simple solution would be to use a system like Glory bag makes. If tournaments would mandate their use it would go a long way to reduce the stress these fish are subjected to. Obviously I do not believe the tournament fisherman is the main culprit but we could easily do a few things to lesson our impact upon the fishery. He is not all wrong or right in his opinions. Just my 2 cents.

Another possibility is Little Seneca Lake in Black Hills Regional park. It is located over near Germantown in Montgomery Co. Check around Father Hurley Blvd if I remember correctly. It has been a while since I fished it.

Thanks for the reply. I had read the license part online but I will be covering more water that just that one arm. tbone1993 had my answer. All 5 arms of a typical A-rig can havr hooks on them in Kentucky waters. Thanks tbone1993. I want to be legal in all of the lake and not worry where I am if I am stopped on the lake either states ranger. The easiest thing to do is setup an A-rig with three Picasso jig heads with hooks and two jig heads with the spring locks. Now I am legal no matter where I am on the lake. I also will purchase an out of state TN. and an out of state KY 7 day fishing license. When I fish down around some of the islands like Goat Island, little goat island and also around Star Point it is just easier to have both because you can slip from one state to the other without noticing. Thanks again

Anybody know how many hooks per line Kentucky Fish and Game allows. I am going to fish Dale Hollow for only the second time and intend on throwing an A-Rig this time. I know the regs for TN say 3 hooks max, so I will run 3 Picasso jig heads with hooks and two with the screw locks. Since the two states share the lake and I will be in both TN and KY waters during my stay i want to comply with both states rules. Thanks

How will you be fishing? From shore, a small boat or bigger boat and what type of fish are you chasing? I fish out of a 17 foot aluminum bass boat and chase bass, catfish,stripper and panfish but all of them require a different approach. I fish in Middle River, and its surrounding creeks as well as up on the Flatts area. I carry a lot different tackle than if i was going to say Rocky point Park and shore fish. Give us an idea of how you intend to fish and we can help you better.

Lets take a moment and compare specs. Floor plan choice is up to an individuals preference. But here is somethings to look closely at. Your Tracker is 17'7" long, with an 89" beam and a bottom width of 60 inches. The Ranger is 17'8" long with a beam of 92 and a bottom of 64 inches which means the boat is wider. How far forward the boat stays wide can only be determined by sitting in it, but I can tell you I have owned a bunch of boats and when I was looking at them in 5 years ago I chose my Lowe Stinger 170 because it was wider than any other at the time. Its floor plan was my next big choosing factor. That extra width along with a deeper vee means I get a better ride than other boats I could have chosen. Mine has the Merc 75 on it as well. I would also look at the 17 TX from Triton. Good luck on the new boat.

Yes, Lowe made some really nice boats to fish out of. I know some guys on The Bass College that have the older ones. My current boat (boat #10 in my history) is a 2010 Stinger 175. it is 17 and a half feet long and is much wider than other boats in is size range. The mod vee is pretty deep and that along with the wide body gives a nice ride and big storage. It fits everything I carried on my 20 foot ProCraft. Here is a few pixs. As you can see I stopped fishing a hp restricted lake so I replaced my 25 hp Merc with a 75 hp Merc. By the way I removed the center seat.

I own several original series Veritas rods. For lipless cranks you want the 7 foot Medium. That model has the best tip for small cranks or rattle baits. For jigs the Veritas 2 7MHF would be fine, I use it for a frog rod. I know they brought out one for frogs but not until I got this one. i caught a terrific sale at Dicks all of the Veritas originals, they were on sale for half price plus the store had an instore 25 percent off special going on. I paid less than $30 for each!

You will come to love that Triton. i have two friends that have run them. I am looking for the right deal on a Triton TR 186 for myself and my wife. i like the way they run.

What engine is on it. I owned one for three years. It ran well with a Merc 115 inline six. If that is what it has on it, you should be able to get around 45-50, maybe a touch more. The ride was nice, but in a chop you can expect to get a good bit of spray blowing back at you. No problem I carried rain gear. I caught a lot of fish off it. Also a Turbo 1 stainless prop ran it well. I called Sanderson Marine. ( a very experienced dealer in VA.) I told him the boat/ engine combo and he spit the number off the top of his head. I knew not to doubt him and I loved that prop. Good luck with the new to you boat. One note, if you do have the 115 make sure someone has installed a working water pressure gauge and sorta pay attention to it. It will save you from damaging the engine. Check with the guys on the Merc board or your closest dealer for the correct water pressure specifications. i believe it ran about 15 psi. So as you trim up you want the speed and tach going up, if the speed stops increasing and the rpms go up trim down a little also if the rpm goes up and the water pressure drops trim down. You will find its sweet spots quickly.

Hey Jeff. I do not know how others do it, but do a yahoo search for Photobucket. Set up a free account. I did this for another board The Bass College. Once I upload my pictures to my account I can look in my library. I open one tab like this reply, write the body of text and then select the little box down below "Insert other media". Then choose "insert image from URL. I then open another tab in my browser, go to Photobucket, select my library, then scroll down to the picture I want. Below each picture is four links for that picture (e-mail, direct, HTML, and IMG.) I highlight the "direct" address and chose copy. Go back here and paste that link inside the the box and click insert. I know it sounds complicated but it is not. Also I use that account to add pictures here, on The Bass College, Ebay almost any website. It becomes simple. if you want to add more then just click over to the other tab, highlight another link and do it again. Dieselinc Here is a picture of the boat with the Merc 25 hp I originally set the boat up to fish a hp restricted lake. But a boat like mine needs very little upgrades and should easily fit in your budget with a 50 to 75 hp engine. Here the boat sits on Dale Hollow, a 60 mile long lake in Tennessee/ Kentucky. I added two gps/fish finders, an electric anchor, upgraded to 24 volt 70 pound MK, added a 2 bank charger and a few other goodies. A package like this would still fit in your budget if purchased new. Good Luck shopping.

Hey I did about 5 minutes of looking on Craigslist Massachusetts. There are about 5 different boards under craigslist Mass. In that time I found a nice 2002 Triton for $11000. It has a Yamaha VMAX150 on it. Here is the link http://worcester.craigslist.org/boa/5492801532.html I also found a 2004 Bass Cat Cougar FTD dual console ( passenger console removable) with a Merc Opti 225Hp for $18000. That boat looked awesome. Here is the link http://westernmass.craigslist.org/boa/5483019868.html. It was on the Western Mass board, it says it is Agawam/Feeding Hills. To find the perfect boat for your needs may require a little research. You may have to look within a 1 to 2 hour circle around you. Also if you want to look new check out Lowe and Triton aluminum boats. I run a 2010 Lowe Stinger 170 and fish on tidal Chesapeake bay, lakes in VA, MD. Tennessee and Kentucky. These two boat companies can probably give you a floor plan that works for you. Here is a picture of my present boat. It is the 11th boat I have owned during 40 years of fishing. This Lowe and a 20 foot ProKraft with a 200 hp Merc EFI were the only two ordered new. This boat is 17 foot 6 inches long and has a 75 Merc outboard. It runs around 40 mph and has almost as much storage as my 20 footer did.

This is great news as many hear respect and love your creations!

I live in Maryland, but vacation in Tennessee. When I am home I must endure running e-10. In Tennessee I can get non ethanol fuel for about 15 cents more then e-10. I run non ethanol as much as I can out there. My S-10 gets 6 mpg better fuel economy and pulls much better on the real stuff. I never worry about mixing them either. If there is fuel in the boat tank (which there is always some) I do not care. I fill up and add my StarTron and go on and have fun. I only run 87 octane in my boat and truck so there is no change there. Keep in mind I have an old 2000 Merc 75 Hp 2 stroke carbed outboard, so no Opti or anything. If you can avoid running any combustion engine on "corn" do it. The only people happy we have to run garbage E-10 or god forbid E-85 is the Agricultural lobbyist- meaning the corn producers! Even most eco freaks have come to the conclusion the the ethanol experiment does not help the environment. I am a mechanic by trade and have built and rebuilt engines for a living for the last 35 years. Just my two cents. Go read papers put out by engine manufacturers. None say anything favorable for ethanol. Also keep in mind the repairs regularly associated with running ethanol. It deteriorates rubber such as the inside of fuel lines, the diaphragms in the fuel lift pump and causes water ( from the air) to be drawn into the fuel. They seperate causing corrosion issues as well. This costs money to repair. So is that little cheaper fuel really cheaper in the long run? NO!!

Funny thing, I have read the label! Thank you. I found an interesting section in my old 25 hp Merc owners manual. It advised the operator to use either their fuel treatment or StarTron when using Ethanol. Now Mercury Marine is not in the habit of advertising for other manufacturer's, so I suspect Merc has some financial arrangement with StarBrite ( the manufacturer of StarTron). Perhaps they make the fuel treatment that Mercury sells? Anyway I have used StarTron in every tank of fuel I have burned thru that 25 hp and now every tank I have burned thru the 75 Merc hanging on the back of my Lowe Stinger. Both engines have performed well, so I am satisfied with the results.

I use both. I use StarTron with every fill up. It's purpose is to help eliminate the problems of ethanol fuel attracting water and causing fuel water separation. Ethanol causes all kinds of fuel line issues as well as carb/injection issues. The Sea Foam is more for keeping fuel passages clean. Both are great products but are designed to handle different jobs.

Go to http://greensboro.craigslist.org/boa/5487181648.html. Now there is a ready to fish 16 foot Tracker with a perfectly running 50 HP outboard. Includes a good trolling motor and electronics. It looks clean and as it is a 16 footer with a console you should be able to enter some larger tournaments. It will not be a 60,000 dollar glitter sled but as a first rig should be fine. Take a look at it. I also saw a lower cost option here http://greensboro.craigslist.org/boa/5468972175.html. These type of boats are out there. You just need to spend some time and look.. If you contact them ask to look at them, ride them, and then before purchasing it have the outboard checked out by a marine mechanic. I always offer to fill their fuel tank and I always pay to have the outboard checked out (but only on a boat I am sure I want to buy). Good Luck.

I did just what you want to do. i set a boat up and fished a lake with a 25 hp restriction. The Lowe I bought new and added my used Merc 25. I actually purchased it to replace a 9.9 Merc 4 stroke on a 15 foot PolarKraft. All that changed on the old boat was an adapter on the wiring. Anyway I fish tidal rivers now so I sold the 25 and the other boat and found a 2000 Merc 75 HP used from up in Rhode Island,had it shipped to MD and my dealer installed it on my Lowe, I am a fan of the old 2 strokes they were cheaper to repair and i know how to work on them. If you want my guys contact info let me know and we can e-mail directly. Good Luck

There are plenty of used Trackers, Lowe, Alumacraft etc around. Most any time I look on craigslist I see 14 to 17 footers going from $1000 to 3000. Most have livewells, trolling motors, outboards etc. I ran a 15 foot stick steer PolarKraft with a 25 on it. That thing ran maybe 5 gallons of fuel each day while fishing. I only paid $2000 for it used from a dealer. Tell us a little more, what can you pull with and what state you are in maybe someone on here knows of a deal.

Try and get a ride on boats with both. Last year at the Elite series tournament on the Chesapeake Bay rides were offered on Skeeters, Tritons and Nitros. Personally, I have not purchased a "new" outboard since 1998 when I purchased a Merc 200 EFI on a Pro Craft. For me I thought the Yamaha pulled stronger on the bottom end and I liked the quiet engine. I also asked the driver to run around a bit at 6 mph, 25 mph and at 45 mph so I could get a feel for it at speeds you will run at at times. I am actually looking at a Pheonix 618 myself and made up my mind it will be ordered with a Yamaha 175 SHO. The ProXS was nice, but did not impress me personally. If I order this boat early next year, as I hope to, it will my first non Merc engine. I have owned and run 9 Mercs so far. As for my opinion of the boat rides my favorite was the Triton, I just liked how it rode over the other 2. Good Luck on your purchase, the 618 is a wicked nice boat.