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Author Topic: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?  (Read 9810 times)

Perchbait

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Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« on: Feb 28, 2017, 09:29 PM »
Looks like the ice season is coming to a close. Who's excited to get the long rod's out and hit the liquid stuff?
perch bait on IS, if you couldn't figure that out on your own. ;)

big_guy_13021

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #1 on: Mar 01, 2017, 05:42 AM »
Here in NY at least where I fish it was over before it started so ive been playing in the liquid already..

mudchuck

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #2 on: Mar 01, 2017, 11:26 AM »
I'm almost there with you PB.
Hoping to get one more hardwater outing in this weekend if the weather allows the edges to firm up again, otherwise it'll be breakout the long rods.
In the meantime getting to the work needed on my boat so as to at least be ready for walleye opener, maybe even get in some early salmon trolling.

dickbaker

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #3 on: Mar 01, 2017, 04:04 PM »
PB  ::)  Registered my boats today.  One is already parked in Grand Isle ;D    Has your dad registered his boat and trailer?
Dick

Perchbait

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #4 on: Mar 01, 2017, 07:11 PM »
PB  ::)  Registered my boats today.  One is already parked in Grand Isle ;D    Has your dad registered his boat and trailer?
Dick
Nope, haven't even got it out of it's winter home yet. We're looking for a long stretch of promisingly warm weather before we decide to break it out.

I'm almost there with you PB.
Hoping to get one more hardwater outing in this weekend if the weather allows the edges to firm up again, otherwise it'll be breakout the long rods.
In the meantime getting to the work needed on my boat so as to at least be ready for walleye opener, maybe even get in some early salmon trolling.

I'm not sure if Crayfish2 and I are going to hit the hard stuff this weekend. My Mom saw all of the open water and broken up ice in Malletts Bay today and I think she would have a heart attack if we went ice fishing. We'll be keeping an eye on the long term forecast, looking for a stretch of 40+ degree weather to head down to converse for Salmon and Lakers.  Good luck with your boat and let me know how you make out this weekend. Where you headed?
perch bait on IS, if you couldn't figure that out on your own. ;)

zwiggles

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #5 on: Mar 01, 2017, 09:57 PM »
I am. Come on salmon season. April 1 can't get here soon enough (in NH at least).

Fish Farmer

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #6 on: Mar 05, 2017, 08:58 AM »
It's been open water for me all winter....I've been out on Champlain at least once every month since November. I think I ice fished about 3 days total this winter. I have plans to go out on Champlain next week. My winter salmon partner gets busy in April so I'll have to find other options.

My boat is still covered, but needs work to get it on the water this spring. I have the first week of April off before opening day to tinker with it. I'm waiting for the bit of ice in Dunmore to thaw so I can at least run in open water. I haven't had it on the water for two years.

There are also steelhead options in streams as well.

crayfish2

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #7 on: Mar 07, 2017, 02:15 PM »
Good luck with the boat, Fish Farmer!  Looks like winter isn't ready to release it's grip just yet ... I'm ready for some salmon fishing any time now.


mudchuck

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #8 on: Mar 13, 2017, 01:12 PM »
Boat hull is sanded and primed, now just need a little warmer temp to get the finish paint on it, then can get the floor redone and motor back on.

dickbaker

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #9 on: Mar 13, 2017, 04:11 PM »
Boat hull is sanded and primed, now just need a little warmer temp to get the finish paint on it, then can get the floor redone and motor back on.

 ???  Looks like the first of May for you?
Dick

mudchuck

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #10 on: Apr 19, 2017, 09:32 AM »
Boat hull is sanded and primed, now just need a little warmer temp to get the finish paint on it, then can get the floor redone and motor back on.

hull epoxy and painted, now doing floor.

dickbaker

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #11 on: Apr 19, 2017, 04:27 PM »
Boat hull is sanded and primed, now just need a little warmer temp to get the finish paint on it, then can get the floor redone and motor back on.

Can we get a picture when its done?   Need to know how to recognize you?
Dick

mudchuck

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #12 on: Apr 26, 2017, 08:02 AM »
This is what it looked like when I bought it back last May.
Floor was rotten, motor needed carb tune up, but otherwise no leaks and good condition for a '69 deep V
Transom is okay, looks like it was replaced recently, but a hack job nonetheless...silicone caulk everywhere and the wood wasn't even spar varnished or sealed at all.
I'm going to leave it for this year as I'm running low on funds and out of time to get on the water by opening day of Wally season.


The tapered main stringer. I'm replacing this with dual stringers since this was right down the middle and didn't leave any room for water to flow to the backend.
My idea comes from other pics I've seen of mid-sixty's Starcraft Jet where they have dual stringers, should help with load earing on the plywood too.


Old crap ripped out, was in bad shape, all the foam, what was left of it was waterlogged.
Pressure washed and scrubbed, putting new tapered 2" XPS boards in this weekend with the new aluminum .065 gage stringers.


New 3/4 ACA plywood floor all cut and dry fitted, sealed with 2 coats of spar varnish on bottom side, will be doing primer then non-skid porch deck pain on exposed side this weekend



After leak testing, I sanded the hull in my house garage over the winter, then used GOOP Coat-It on the hull, then primed it, and painted.
That 1 day in February when it was mid-70's, I pulled the wheel bearings on the trailer and replaced them along with the the lights


I'll post some more when I can...trying to beat the clock, hoping to get a lot done this weekend.
Will focus on motor overhaul and replacing the transom after I put it up for the season.
Just enough cash left to buy my fishfinder/GPS/chartplotter and I've got some gear to start trolling with. Need to save up for downriggers and more gear down the road...such an addiction!!!



dickbaker

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #13 on: Apr 26, 2017, 08:39 AM »
 ;D ???  mudchuck ?  PB and I always thought of you as an old fuddydud with a row boat.   I'm really impressed with your work on the "new" boat!
I hope for lots of stories when you get it on the water !   If I lived close to you I would be happy to give you some of my redundant rigger stuff and get you into salmon trolling!   Before I retired on SS I got a bunch of  trolling stuff for my son but he likes to chase warm water fish.   Get your boat on the water and follow PB and crayfish up the river for the walleye opening day??
Dick

Perchbait

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Re: Who's Ready for the Open Water Season?
« Reply #14 on: Apr 26, 2017, 10:38 AM »
Looks like your boat is coming along great Mudchuck! Hope to see you on the water soon.
perch bait on IS, if you couldn't figure that out on your own. ;)

 



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