Paulywood

I'm not sure Randy. I'm going to monitor the condition of the oil next summer and log the hours. We'll see what happens.

I know guys that run the Ams oil in Mercruisers, they swear by it. That's why I decided to try synthetic. I'm going to see if it holds up better to the trolling than the Mercruiser oil.

What do you guys do with your fuel when you put the boat away for the winter? Some guys fill the tanks up, some empty them out. Do you use Stabil or another additive? If there is a reason for what you do feel free to let the rest of us know. I always used to fill the tank up completely to avoid condensation. Then I added Stabil. Last year I used the new marine Stabil. I was reading an article that stated it might be better to leave the tank low on fuel (less than 1/4 tank) and then fill it up in the spring with new gas. After you run a tank through change the fuel filter and you should have must of the water and crud out of your tank. So that is what I am going to do this year. I also decided to use Seafoam instead of Stabil. I'm hoping it will help clean out the fuel system in the spring.

I just got done winterizing the boat and was curious what oil other people use. I decided on Mobil 1 synthetic. I used to use the Mercruiser oil but decided to spend my money on a better synthetic. So what do you use?

That would be ideal but I just don't have the room. I was hoping my brother would build his pole barn this year but it didn't happen. We've talked about rasing the roof on the garage when we reshingle and reside but I'm not sure when that will be. Needless to say I was happy that storage only ended up being $125 when I had budgeted $600.

What does everyone do for winter storage? I just found a great deal in St. Johns. Indoor cold storage for $25 a month for my 22' boat. I had planned on doing heated storage this year because I have a few things I'd like to work on but it was to good of a deal to pass up. Upgrades will have to wait until spring, but the money I save can go toward more boat goodies.

I'm not doing much this year. I need to get the headlight working on my sled. And I'm going to replace the doors and locks on my shanty floor with Starboard as the slush sticks to the wooden doors and the plastic tabs that keep them in place have broken. I also need to repair the rod I use for my Slammer, the eye broke that triggers it. Other than that, I should be good to go except for some new line.

I use the same box as Jim. Except with my custom harnesses. I store mine down below under the floor, next to the wife's porta-potty. I do like the paper clip idea but don't feel like tying that many harnesses. I have a lot of plugs.

As far as I know Simrad is making the AP 12 and 14 again. They discontinued production for a short period of time last year or 2 years ago. But when Raymarine came out with the new Sportpilot (or announced it) they put them back in production. This was the last I heard this summer so I might be wrong. Either way, there are still plenty of them available brand new. If you purchase them off ebay I believe the warranty is void. I will be installing an AP 14R in the spring.

I use a couple of crankbait boxes. They look like this: http://www.cabelas.com/p-0030980120897a.shtml I only keep the plugs in these. As far as harnesses I started tying my own last year. I use 80# braid and a single treble hook tied to end up just behind the rear of the plug. I keep 5 or so of each size in my "Terminal" box down below.

Welcome! This was my first year of walleye fishing so I'm far from a pro but there are many knowledgable fisherman here. Look forward to your questions and contributions.

Great job guys! Sounds like a great time.

Went to change the oil in the boat today as I'm getting ready to put it away. I have never changed the oil in this boat. It looks like there is a rubber hose coming from the drain plug that I can use to change the oil. However, I can't really get below the level of the drain plug in my bilge. Also, when I removed the plug at the end of the hose nothing came out. Is there a valve at the pan that needs to be turned? Do I have to use a pump to pull out the oil? The boat is a 2001 Sportcraft with a 4.3 Mercruiser. Thanks for your help guys.

This is what I use also. I have been meaning to try the Chamberlain releases but have been to cheap/lazy to do it. On most days my hook-up ratio is excellent. I have had bad days though. But I think that has more to do with the fish than the releases.

I was thinking the same thing. I had a 20' fiberglass speedboat that was on a single axle trailer. It towed fine but all the years of sitting on the trailer bent the axle a little. Just make sure you block under the axles for winter storage and you shoudl be fine. I wish I had done it. Either way, looks like a heck of a boat Ken.

I run the Walleye boards but have changed the clips that I use. I use this clip form Offshore in the front: http://www.offshoretackle.com/OR18.html And I use this clip from Offshore in the back: http://www.offshoretackle.com/OR16.html I will take some pictures and post them up later. I like these clips because there is no chance of the board releasing. And if somehow the board does release it won't slide back at break-neck speeds. I have tried a few different combinations over the years and like these the best. I also use these boards for flatlines and walleye: http://www.offshoretackle.com/OR12L.html I have the Tattle Flage kits on them and they work great.

I guess I was mistaken. They are nice boats.

I think that the Penn Yan's might be too wide to trailer though. I believe they have a 10' beam.

Sounds like a serious upgrade Ken!

I've never used it but I use Cabela's Ripcord and have had no problems. The price is a lot better than PP.

Congrats Ken! Must have been all of that time riding in the Nailer Limo spoiled you:)

Both the Albemarle and Grady are great boats but were out of my price range. That is another consideration. I tried to get the newest boat in the best condition for my price range. Ended up with a 2002 Sporty instead of a 1988 Pursuit. Same price range. Less than 1/10 the hours. And as always, get a survey.

Lot's of good choices. I know I love my 22' Sportcraft. I trailered it close to 3,000 miles this summer and had no problem. Rides real nice on the tandem axle aluminum trailer. Fishes bigger than 22', 4 people are very comfortable and could easily fish 5. And I don't like to be crowded. I mounted 5' of tracks on the gunnels. The oversized 4.3 (210 hp) pushes the boat over 40 mph, cruises real nice at 30 mph and only turns 2700 rpm's. I thought it was very economical to run. I looked at a lot of boats last spring and for me it wasn't the brand, but the boat itself that sold me. There are a lot of boats out there that haven't been taken care of. It doesn't matter how good of a boat it is to start with if it isn't taken care of. That being said, we looked at a 25' Sportcraft with an outboard on a transom bracket that I really liked. The wife vetoed it as she wanted seating in the rear. So we ended up with a boat with a doghouse. The seating setup on the Sportcraft's are nice, though. The cushions snap off and the seats fold down. They are made out of Starboard. There is also a large cushion for the doghouse that snaps off. So when it is in fishing mode the only vinyl on the boat is the 4 front seats and the padding on the gunnels. Easy to keep clean with the washdown pump and self bailing cockpit. One boat that we missed on was a 25' Trophy that had twin outboards and a cabin with stand-up head. By the time I called it was already sold. Some other boats we looked at were Pursuit's, Pro-Line's and Striper's. All good boats. One thing to watch with the boats that come with full hard tops. Some of them are very low, like 6'. If you are taller or fish with people who are taller keep an eye out for this. I had a lot of fun looking for a new boat. Just be patient and be willing to look at a lot of boats and you will find a good deal.

Sounds good Frank. It is going to be an expensive winter for me as I will be adding a Simrad autopilot and a Depthraider. Not to mention upgrading the transducer for my sonar.

I agree with everyone else. Offshore makes great products.