Priority1

I would still put it near the sonar. The helmsman can always yell back to bump the speed one way or the other. Put it on the dash, and I'm 95% sure you will like it there. If you don't like it there say "Dog Gone it Frank". If you don't like it move it next season.

WTG Roger and Teresa.

I would install it near the sonar. You need all that information at quick glance. With my setup I never troll alone. I expect the helmsman to relay all the information. When I have a rookie driver, I'll sometimes check it myself. But as stated above the helmsman needs the speed information to vary the throttle.

What makes the Flatfish less speed tolerant is where the line attaches. This attaching point creates a very large bill, that will make it dive. I have a few of the large flatfish. I was thinking about trying to drill one or two holes down from the attaching point. I thought I would put a bead chain swivel through the drilled hole with a split ring to keep it from pulling through then attach the line to the bead chain. Even using the original attaching point, these holes should make them more speed tolerant. If the holes don't work, I can always plug them. I'll let you know how this works. If I can get these flatfish to perform @ our normal Salmon speeds, I think they will work as well as a J-Plug for Salmon. A lot of the NW anglers uses these flatfish with Herring and Sardines on them. It may be that tweaking these plugs will not work. Some things just were meant to run SLOOOOOWER. But I'm going to try a lil tweaking. The flat fish my also be a good bait for drift boat fishing and back trolling where a slower presentation is required. I know they are used in River Fishing in the Pacific NW.

Some boat tags expire also, mine did. Ya gotta pay to play.

The higher the better for Boomerang.

Has anyone tried running a large Flatfish for Salmon? I know it's a popular bait on the West Coast. The Luhr Jensen Kwickfish is one brand. I also noticed that Dan Keating mentions a Flatfish as one of his top 10 Body Baits. I don't think the Flatfish would be as speed tolerant as a J-Plug or spoon.

Has Anyone tried using 2 single hooks with the bead chains? I have heard of people doing this. I had fantastic results with Glow Js on the riggers this past year. The only thing I don't like about the double treble hooks on the Js is the net tangles.

Ya know I'm a HT man. I like to be out of the sun. I spent too many years working outside in all kinds of weather. The Hardtop gives you a place for rod storage GPS antenna etc. Mine is open more than most HTs, but the side curtains go in quickly. I mounted an 8 rod rocket launcher, along with two 55 W Halogen lights for fishing, and my all around aft light. I'm building SS Bird Trees that will go from the HT sides down to the gunwales. The HT with a camper canvas or just a regular canvas cover from the top to the stern makes a great shelter when you have the boat slipped over night. Lot of options with a HT. One drawback is trying to dock in a cross wind. You do get pushed around a lot more by the wind. If I notice a cross wind I will dock on the up wind side of the dock. Another drawback is you need at least a 10 ft high door to get it inside.

Welcome aboard WalleyeMagic. Just holler if you need anything. I fish Lake Huron and it's Saginaw Bay. I do make a few trips West to Fish Lake Michigan.

GJ on the perch. Be careful out there. I think the Bay has claimed another fisherman. Someone went out of Pinconning and hasn't returned. Stay in the very shallow water if you do go out.

Check out some of the plastic and plastic composition Deck Material. If you build your own don't go cheap on hardware. Deck screws will not cut it. Drill through with S.S. bolts washers and locking nuts. I used some 7/8 SS OD tubing to support it. If you decide to go this way I have found some sources for the SS tubing. I used std SS Bimini top hardware to help support it. There are a few tricks to doing this, that don't involve much time or $s, so if you decide to go this way PM me. here is a pic of my boat. If you save the pic to my pics you can enlarge it and get a better view of the platform. If you need any close ups I can probably get some. PS It seems that anything that has boat or marine type applications the price quadruples.

A friends boat (21 ft FG) with a 9.9 2 stroke would use about 2-2.5 gallons for about 4 hrs of trolling. We never ran the 3 gallon tank completely out. That was at Walleye speeds. Fire up the 200 2 stroke on the same boat and a way different story. With the four stroke 15 you will get similar results.

Some where around the first of April.

These were Sold on another site.

Thanks for the replies Jon and Rich. I'll bet they do go twang with a Dipsy load and fish releasing from the out rigger. I never knew that outriggers were used for Dipsys. I'm building a couple of HD SS Trees. I could stick a couple of 15 foot outriggers out each side and use them like curb feelers along the piers. Yes the Planer Boards have come a long way in the past 10 or so years.

GJ Roger. I wish my wife would join me fishing once in awhile.

There is some open water in the AuGres River @ US23 in AuGres. The DNR Launch is still iced in. 7 degrees and snow up here this morning. Will Old Man Winter let go soon?? I saw one trailer at the DNR Launch, and 4 wheeler tracks going out on the river. Be careful out there the ice is going fast, and deteriorating from the bottom, especially in the rivers.

I noticed some open water at the bridge in Omer. It wont be long and the banks will be full of sucker fishermen. There is still a lot of ice on the river.

Welcome aboard Dan. You will like it here. Let us know if we can help in any way. I fish from a 22 Starcraft Islander HT, mostly on Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay. I do make a few trips a year to Lake Michigan for some Salmon Slammin. My bro Marty fishes the Boles Harbor area. His handle is Fishhook.

(Three) OR-18 Snapper Adjustable Tension Inline Planer Releases. These are new but out of package. $18 for all 3. These are not in the pic. SOLD In the picture (Six) new OR-14 black medium tension releases these were taken off inline planer boards. $6 The pic shows 5 but I found another 1. (OR14s are SOLD) (Two) New OR-1 Medium Tension Downrigger Releases. $7 for both. SOLD (One) New OR-2 Medium Tension Stacker Release, and 2 used ones in good condition, and one used unknown one in ?? so so condition. $18 for all the stackers. Note these can be taken apart and made into singles. PM me

The whole kit and kaboodle. $20. A lot of these were never used. The rigging should be checked and retied to your specs. PM me. I will mail for actual cost.

Technically you both are correct. Spring started some time on the 20th, but the first full day of Spring was on the 21st. Now hows that for being politically correct. I must be watching too many politicians on television.

Yep, always a good plan to change the impeller. Mine will get changed next Winter. I do mine every 3 years. Cheap insurance. Boat that get a lot of shallow water use and churn a lot of dirt should probably change impellers yearly or at least every other year. I use my boat a lot, but I'm most always in deep water. It's not rocket science but like take six points out there is a procedure that needs to be followed.

Some very interesting Easter Trivia. Early Easter Trivia Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. Based on the above information, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) that is rare. Here's the interesting information. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here's the facts: 1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!). 2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year! Interesting!