plad99frc  06/09/2010 - 14:43  Boating  Monocacy    Gonna do some fishing out of my jon boat this weekend on the monoc for the first time. I was gonna put in at the walmart and go to Pinecliff. Anyone thinks theres a better route in the frederick area? Also, if anyone who has taken a similar rig out on the monocacy got any advice. Ill be using a small trolling motor. Thanks!

muskalungee  03/23/2010 - 20:21  Boating    Well, I'm back from my sabbatical. I typically use the Winter to work on my boat, but I decided to pick up a new hobby this fall/winter...bow hunting. But I guess that's a story for another board, but here's the result:

Anyway, The Duder and I spent the last few weeks working on my boat. It started with the purchase of a new trolling motor and turned into a complete overhaul of the front deck. We decided to pull the front deck off completely to clean up the wiring and I decided that instead of putting treated plywood back on there I would endeavor to test my sheet metal skills and go with an all new aluminum deck. Then, I decided that I wanted to incorporate some real storage in there...so I bought some hatches on clearance at Cabella's....then of course I had to re-carpet the front deck. So, we're done and just in time for the river to be down at a reasonable level.
Here's the original front deck & trolling motor:

And the new look front deck with hatches & 80# Minn Kota Fortrex:

Are you ready? I am!
-Mike

Steve826  10/09/2009 - 20:55  Boating    Hi guys,

I'm planning on getting a trolling motor soon to use on boat rentals (14 ft jon boats) at Clopper and Black Hills next year. The year after that, I'm planning on getting a small boat, either a 10 ft Pelican or BPS Pond Prowler, or a 12 ft riveted jon the year after that. I'm leaning towards the Pelican/Pond Prowler style though...more stable, higher weight capacity. Only drawback is less room for gear, but I think the stability and weight capacity is more important, I can always bring less gear. I know 2 people with this style boat and they both say it suits them well, so I'll probably end up with that style.

Steve826  04/27/2009 - 20:13  Boating    Ok guys, here goes.

So back in September as some of you probably remember I posted on here discussing options for buying a boat. I had originally intended on a small Pelican style jon boat until the advice I got here made me decide on a canoe. Well...I've thought it over for the last several months and I decided I don't want the canoe anymore. I really just want the stability that a jon boat brings. I talked it over with my parents and we agreed that if I wait til I graduate high school in 2 years they will help me pay for it as a graduation present. I know there is no way I could cartop it so when I get my license and get to pick out a used vehicle, its definitely gonna be a truck so I could put a jon boat in the back of it. I know it's not for two more years but obviously I'm really thrilled at the idea of having a boat instead of being tied to the shore. So I've been researching different boats. Now, what I'm wondering is, which is better: a true riveted jon boat, i.e. a Lowe 1236 such as this:

muskalungee  04/24/2009 - 10:12  Boating    I woke up two Saturday's ago to head to the river with theDUuder, and before I got dressed to head to the river I decided to look out my bedroom window to see how hard it was raining. It was raining really hard, but I was excited to hit the river again this AM. After all, I had caught my first C class smallie the day before. As I look across the front yard something just didn't look right. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Then I yelled, "OH NO, my boat is at the bottom of my driveway!"

You see, I have a very steep driveway. And last night after returning from the river I pulled my truck up to the level area at the top, but the boat was on the incline. I've done this countless times before, so it isn't a big deal. This picture was taken from where I parked the boat, you can see where it was when I woke up:

Here is a closeup of where it was when I woke up:

Fortunately for me, this tree is at the bottom of the hill:

If the tree wasn't there, the boat and the truck would have gone right over the bank and down onto the road:

Here's some of the damage: (the trailer)

(my truck)

As you can see, this could have been MUCH MUCH worse. The worst part of the whole thing is I can't figure out how it happened. The first thing I checked was to see if it was in gear, and it was. My E-brake doesn't work all that well, but the truck was still in gear. We had a wicked wind and rain storm that night, so the only ting I can think of is that the wind rocked the boat enough to make it start sliding the truck down the hill.

-Mike

REB9  02/22/2009 - 13:00  Boating    I've been tweaking my boat over the past two weeks. I bought some plastic fins for the boot, straightened the grates, changed the plugs, etc. Yesterday, I lowered the motor 1/2 inch to see if I could get a little better performance.

So, off to the reever this morning. Cold, spitting snow, water temp 37 degrees. The motor fired right up and up river I went. I started tilting the motor a tad to see if I could get a little more speed. After a tweak or two, I got her running as well as she would go.

I have a 1654 James River Jet with a 60/40 MERC 2 stroke. After I decided that catching a fish or two would be tough, I headed for the ramp, loaded the boat and headed for the ranch. When I got home, I decided to check the impeller clearance. She was set perfect at 1/32 of an inch clearance from the boot sleeve. I figured I had some time, so I dropped the boot to check the pump bolts in preparation for the spring feed..

REB9  09/29/2008 - 18:00  Boating  Essays  Potomac    Hello fellow Potomac River runners.

Looks like we will get a good flushing out of this weekend's rain.

The Hancock river gauge is still climbing. She was steady at 3 feet on Friday and she is now climbing through 5 feet.

The Williamsport gauge was below 2 feet and she is climbing through 3.5

The Point of Rocks gauge was below 1.5 and she is climbing through 2.6 feet.

Hopefully, with the surge, the grass will flow downstream with it!. Now, not that I don't like grass, but.....

I think I will plan a feeshing trip for Friday..... Any guesses on where the reever will be at POR??

Steve826  09/22/2008 - 17:24  Boating    After countless trips of getting skunked, and never catching more than a few fish each trip, I am seriously considering buying a small boat for me and my dad to use. The key is, it must be small enough to cartop and relatively inexpensive. I've saved up a bunch of money and I should have enough for it by next summer. Both boats cost around $600. My dad said I would pay for the boat and he will pay for the trolling motor and all the boat's acessories. I have pretty much narrowed my choices down to two boats.

Choice 1: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2131684

Choice 2: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1733925

jackson  07/25/2008 - 03:47  Boating  Impoundments  Roll Your Own   

My Granddaughter Kaylie, Jacob's sister, wanted to know why she is never in photos I posted here? I then realized I'd not taken her with me this year! So we took off for a local "large pond". Due to gin clear water, bluebird skies, and significant grass growing out to 20' deep, not to mention the wind, catching brim was not in the cards. Enough excuses?? So after significant "discussion" we decided who was going to drive or rather do circles back to the ramp! An hour latter, normally 15 min., we arrived. What a ride! I;m still dizzy. Today, Friday, I'll be taking Her to a local stream. Hopefully I can help her hook up with her first smallie & first photo with a fish!

smalljaw  11/24/2007 - 17:02  Trip Reports  Boating  Potomac   
Fished the UP with Spothogg (Dan) today. On the water about 11 and back off around 4 something. Was a cold day but definitely not as windy as yesterday so it turned out to be the better choice. I landed 2 on 4 hookups. First one was really chunky and the second was a decent fish. Big surprise...all my fish were on Beavers with the slider head. I tried to help Dan get on the board by giving him the same setup. I think he might have LDD or something. He kept wanting to fish a tube...then the beaver...then something else. Things got really strange when he started burning the hair jig. Didn't seem like a cold weather pattern to me but he said that's what he always catches them on.

Good day with lots of laughing and that's what really counts for me. If you ever fish with Spothogg ask him to tell you the Park Mills hunting story. It is one that cannot be put to paper. It just has to be told verbally.

Smalljaw
PS: Air temp 42 degrees water temp 42 degrees.