Bama John

What did you use for the clear coat? Nice job on the refurb.

I bought "fit overs" as I need bifocals. Since they fit over your glasses they are not the most fashionable item but they work fine and I am happy with mine. Be sure to get polarized and a Google search will lead you to many providers. I paid in the $25 range if I recall correctly.

I used the wifish app on a tablet once and it displayed fine. The issue is seeing the tablet screen in the sun. I was thinking of fabricating a big shade but never tried it out. I'm planning on buying side imaging unit so I will not have as much us for a tablet screen.

So I'm taking the cranking battery out to clean up the compartment and a hose from the livewell to a through hull runs nearby. I put a little pressure on the hose to pull the battery and the end at the through hull was loose! The fitting was broken just behind the part you see on the outside of the boat so the threaded part was being held in place by the old stiff hose. Glad I found this when I did rather than on the first fishing trip. Give your through-hulls a little tug to confirm they are still good.

I am replacing the TM that came on a used Pro Craft 16' bass boat. I calculate about 2,000lbs when I am alone so less than 2,500lbs even with a big friend. The existing motor is a 36lb Bill Dance / MotorGuide and it does OK unless I get in the wind. I wanted to go to a 70-80lb thrust motor until I realized that meant a 45" shaft. I have a 36" now and have whacked a lure off the head more than once so I am concerned having another 9" of TM sticking up is not worth the 15lbs of increased thrust. It seems to me increasing from 36lb to 55lb would give a good performance increase and avoid a higher TM head sticking up but I am new to bass boats and wondered what some experienced people thought. Thanks in advance for your help.

I used the WiFish feature on the Raymarine Dragonfly depthfinder for the first time yesterday and I think it has a lot of potential so I wanted to see what others have already discovered. I connected an old tablet to my console unit and experimented using the tablet at the console and took it to the front seat also. I have a Dragonfly 7 and a 4 so I put the 4 at the front and along with the tablet I think it will be a good solution. For the cost of a tablet I may get another for the console or just move one as needed. I left the tablet connected to the dash unit so I was seeing data from the rear transducer and saw several good brush piles and breaks that the trolling motor transducer did not see. Any tips or recommendations from your experience?

Can you install a lift in your slip? Then you can easily raise the boat and lower it when you want to go fishing. Also remember some thieves arrive by boat, so don't leave things where they are easy to steal.

I bought an old boat with a Bill Dance trolling motor and the lift rope is very frayed so I am replacing it. My question concerns routing the rope (cable actually). There is a hole in the bracket close to the latch (the sliding part) where the rope currently exits. This causes a sharp turn and an obvious wear point when it seems the rope/cable could simply route straight out of the back of the bracket and avoid this sharp edge. I have no experience with foot controlled trolling motors having just given up on saltwater fishing and going back to fresh water after 40+ years. I can't find a picture or info on the 'net due to the age of the trolling motor and since the boat has been through a couple of owners I am not certain it is routed properly now. Thanks in advance for any help.