We fished the Mississippi river and i will keep it at that, they were stacked up in shallower water away from the deep water ledges/breaks we were used to, they were on darker colored sandy flats just outside of weeds, maybe 3-4 FOW which is rare for me this time of year. We were using swimbaits as you have to make it look as real as you can this time of year!!

Hi Everyone,
Good news, (other than a fisherman with kids who love to fish and a wife who loves time on the water are out a boat, the insurance company totalled the boat out for $700 less than I paid for it from a dealer 4 yrs ago. I did not return any calls a week later when I got back from vacation to news stations to give the criminals any glory and I don’t care to be on the news really, so I am waiting for the small amount I will clear after deductible and loan being paid off, with cover and GPS you really don’t come out ahead much as they are gone but figured into boat value, when you pay for them after buying the boat. Anyways, i appreciate the support, now to continue waiting on insurance $$ for personal items and rods/lures etc. that won’t be recovered.
take care
-Jeremy

Everyone,
I have some good news and not so good news! First I want to thank the outpooring of help and concern for me and my family from all of you, especially you Steve!!

They found our boat on Bryant ave in MPLS trashed with 2 flat tires and the 4 stroke 115hp motor hanging by 2 bolts!!
I have NO IDEA of what is left of the custom cover and all the fishing equipment inside along with the kids clothes and bikes and everything else as we still decided they couldn’t take our vacation away from us and we are up in Walker, MN at Leech Lake. When I get back I will figure out all of those details and I already have made claims for homeowner’s insurance to replace anything that is damaged or missing alltogether. I am sure the boat and trailer will need major repairs or replacement all-together.

My best piece of advice is video-tape and write down eveerything you keep in your boat, cuz WOW we are still coming up with stuff that was in there and it adds up fast!

Thanks again, look for a possible News story later this week.

-Jeremy

My Hull says MN 0968 JN

Authorities have it registered with DNR and you know drill, if something shows up Yeah, otherwise working on replacing it all with Insurance!!

One annual vacation for one week, those memories don’t happen this year for kids!!

I live in New Hope, MN
License plate on Boat trailer is 4868CDT

I will try to figure out photo!

Thanks to all of you who replied, I greatly appreciate it. It sounds like the only thing that isn’t super easy to do if your not familiar with it is the fogging part, otherwise the only thing I am paying for at Crystal Pierz marine is for them to do that. Last year I paid over $200.00 for them to stabilize the fuel, change the lower unit and fog the cylinders, I had already changed the oil in the motor, doesn’t sound like it’s worth it to pay them to do those three things at all. I will probably just do the stabilizer, change oil and change lower unit and call her good.

Just curious as to how you watched day 3 of the weigh in before 8 pm when it wasn’t aired until 9pm-11pm on Espn2, did I miss something?? Or did you just check out the winner online? Just wondering, cause I was waiting all day to watch it.

None of you must have cable I take it, or I know you would have been watching Espn2 from 9pm-11pm with day 3 of the Bassmaster Classic. Too bad they show 3-4 highlights of someone catching fish, then the two stooges in the studio talk for a minute or so, throw in a special feature on an angler for 1-2 mins, and then we get to watch the same freakin Purolator commercial every single commercial break. You can tell how much sponsorships and $ play in to it all, cause I saw the Purolator commercial more than I saw fish caught. If it wasn’t winter and my other choice the oscars, I wouldn’t have even watched it due to the amount of commercials and lack of fishing highlights, but still pretty interesting to see Terry McWilliams from the federation nation place in the top 5 and then Boyd Duckett land that 6 lber with 20 mins left to win it.

This is very informative and interesting information, but this is for about 5–10% of the fishing world. I am not planning on owning a 225 horse motor for awhile, nor do I plan on racing a boat ever!!! I would love to see a test of 90-115 horse motors which most of our 17-19 foot fishing boats have out there, and also which pertains to the vast majority of fisherman around the country. Don’t get me wrong all I fish for is bass, and if money were no issue I would love to have a bass boat with at least a 200 hp motor, but you can still get to the same spots, fish just as much and catch all the same fish with half the boat and motor and price, but that is not reality for most of us. I would just like to read the same testing on boats and motors that more people care about, and also in the four stroke category.
Still a great read, thanks for the info.

The first thing you do is change the oil so that fresh oil sits on all of the components all winter while it sits. The next thing you do is take it somewhere to get it winterized, they will drain and change the lower unit, fog the motor, and stabilize any gas you have in it. If you only have a little gas, keep it that way, they will stabilize whatever you have and that way there isn’t much sitting all winter, then you fill er up with fresh stuff in the spring. Being that it is freezing at night now, get er in and get the lower unit drained as fast as possible to prevent any damage from the water that could be in the lower unit.
Hope this helps, I have a efi Yamaha F-115 4-stroke and got it done at Crystal Pierz marine, I do the oil myself (AMS Oil).

-Jeremy

Last one!! I promise

Here is one more that went exactly 20″. Thanks for reading, I was very blessed to have enjoyed this day that I will always remember!!

This is the other 21″ when no one could snap the photo, notice it has only to spikes on it’s back and then is smooth all the way across the top, kind of unique, if you look closely at the board it is covering up the 21″ mark.

Sorry, I was having trouble adding the other photos, so I will try this way, this is the one that went around 20″.

Thanks everyone on your feedback, I already have my boat back with the custom cover with snaps on and North Country Canvas in Robbinsdale did a fantastic job on it. He said he repairs the bungee system covers that go down to the trailer all the time as the wind and moving of the cover from traveling saw the loops open eventually on a lot of them, plus I like the fact that you can keep it covered and tied to a dock at the same time. Again I appreciate the feedback.
-Jeremy

The reason, I believe, is that in MN we don’t have bass opener till later to protect them as they are so vulnerable to catch as they are spawning up in the shallows much later than the other species. They are even up in the shallows into much of June especially up north in the crystal clear lakes, they don’t even spawn until June up north of Mille Lacs and the like as it takes the clearer water longer to heat up. Hope this helps a little.

DP,

I too have a crestliner, and although it is a fishhawk 1850 they require atwood bases with that little black Knob insert type post. Well at Cabela’s they carry springfield with the black lever that sticks out which doesn’t work, UNLESS you spend $20 and replace the base, which I did, and now I have a casting seat that I just went out and sat in to look at the brand name for you. The actual post and extension was 69.99, the seat was 19.99, and the base plate 20.00. Derek will probably get you the best info and tell you where to get the post that will work with your current set up, but at least it gives you another option and you know the price to compare it to. I am anxious to hear from Derek how much it all costs the route he went and where. Can you pm me and fill me in after you find out? Any other questions on what I wrote, let me know. Good luck.

Sorry to call you out on this Scott, but you are dead wrong with your comments. I do not have any other insurance from American Family, my home and auto is through Horace Mann insurance in St. Cloud. I AM getting a stand alone boat insurance policy through American family on an 18.5 foot boat with a four stroke 115 horse motor, both 2003 models for exactly 146.00, I got that for an initial quote, and I just sent the signed paperwork back to them to commit to that with a check. Please be 100% sure on policies as to not discourage others from shopping for the best deal. If anyone wants to call it is the American family office in Plymouth near cty rd 24, pm me and I can go find his name and actual phone number. And YES I did get quotes for the same coverage I have currently on my two vehicles and home owner’s insurance that would save me big $, but it has no bearing on my boat insurance that is already in effect. Hope this helps some of you save some money like I did. By no means do I want to come across as negative or to create hostility, only to help others out and give accurate information. Thanks.
-Jeremy

You will love the SpiderWire Stealth, it prevents digging into the reel, and when you reel in a fish, the next cast is just fine and it does what it says. Like Lil Ripper said, I like the 10lb for spinning gear cuz it is actually 2lb diameter, I use this for my plastics for bass. I use 12-20lb stealth for other bass aplications. It is just great line, nothing negative to say at all, I love it for both casting and spinning, never get backlashes with casting rods with this stuff. Good luck

Riverrat,

I am sorry for all of your guys’ frustration’s and losses, but you have given me a great idea and could possibly help out others. We all need to lay out our rods/reels, and all of our plano lure container, opened of course, and take pictures of everything so that we have proof of what we have worked so hard and paid so much for. I just bought a G-Loomis bronzeback spinning rod for $210 this winter, I have a $80 okuma spinning reel with it, that is one of 8 rods and reels (curado’s and St. Croix’s) that would add up pretty fast. Now imaging 4-5 plano’s full of 5-6 dollar rapalas, you can have plano boxes alone with $100 in cranks in just one of them. Lure’s are too dang expensive today to not know what our inventory is. Thanks for the valuable lesson.
-Jeremy

Quote:

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and by the way your boat looks a little “deep V”. Are you sure you aren’t planning on chasing other fish besides bass?

dd

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It was a compromise, we have 3 kids and we didn’t want them walking around the deck of a bass boat with 2 inches preventing them from falling in. I absolutely love the layout of this boat, they put a lot of thought into those fishhawks, tons of room up front, big flat rear deck for others, and a nice wide ledge around the boat for kids to lean on when fishing. They even left about 4-5 inches of room on the side of the passenger console to lay rods flat on the deck and slide back along the side for traveling. This will be great for all species, That is Smallmouth bass, and Largemouth Bass

Wtail

This is my first boat this year and it has the exact motor, same year too, on it and although I haven’t had it in the water or started it yet, let me tell you how sweet they are. Everyone I have talked to about them have said nothing but praise for the durability, the fuel efficiency, the quietness, just everything about them. They are car engines basically. These things are easier to change oil on than a car, it is all right in front of your face. They look cool and sleek too. I am just so glad I didn’t get the Mercury 2-stroke 90 horse on a brand new 17 foot boat, but instead got a 1850 fishhawk with the Yamaha 115 four-stroke, both 2003. Read the links that Steve or whoever want to add yours to, very helpful and confidence building comments on the Yamaha motors. Good luck and enjoy!!
jlbassin “Jeremy” ><((((>

Sorry, I meant to reply to fishingscout, not SteveO. It looks like you are getting rid of all of your best stuff, other than the curado, your boat is up for robbery I saw in the boat classifieds. Man I wish I could take that off your hands. Someone should take it and wait till boat show time and pocket the difference huh? Sweet, sweet boat though. Are you upgrading from that?1? Why are you selling? Take care.

SteveO,

In all due respect to Quantum and in your case the curado, If you use braid like I do (spider wire Stealth) I guess you are supposed to spool up with a little monofilament and then tie on and fill the rest with the braid. I don’t think I was doing that before, not 100% sure anyway, but I guess this is what can happen if you don’t, the slipping we are talking about. I guess it’s like cars, we all know someone who loves certain ones, and others who hate em. I think the curado in the regular model is awesome, I probably won’t even buy the superfree again, (I have one of each), just because I like the regular so much. I will stick to my curado’s no doubt, you will probably get the accurist and love it just as well. Good luck.

WOW!!!!!

WOW!!!!!

SteveO

I agree with Alvinmack, the only casting reels I use are Shimano Curado or Curado sf (super free). I will never buy a Quantum reel again in my lifetime. I have had 2 and they have slipped when I set the hook on 2 very nice bass, causing me to lose the fish, (I even had the drag tightened all the way). You get what you pay for, and the Curado’s are around the $120 and $150 for the super free model I believe, and worth every dollar more than the Accurist in my mind. They cast flawlessly and have never had any problems of any kind. My buddies I fish with, guides I have fished with and many a bass fisherman are known to use these reels because of their value and quality. For spinning reels I use shimano or Okuma brand spinning reels. The Okuma brand gives you 10 ball bearings for a pretty decent price, and they operate flawlessly, I found out about them at web page , a pretty cool website from a trophy bass hunter in California. Check out some of the pics in his gallery of 15-22lb bass, yes that is not a type-o, 20 pound bass and all he uses is Okuma spinning reels. One of his buddies who is known as “Swimbait” only uses Curado casting reels. This website is pretty cool. Just my $0.02 worth.

big fish,

You have a pm!!

This is just the 2006 model ski boat with an extra big ski tower and that rope is the new tow rope for extra large people!! I feel sorry for the skier they were pulling.

Bill,

I went to Cabela’s and picked up my first St. Croix. It is a 6’6″ med/heavy fast action for bass fishing plastics. I plan on getting 2 more spinning rods and maybe one more casting to have all St. Croix for next year. I just don’t know if I can wait all year to use them now, but look forward to next year for sure.
-Jeremy