Frustrated with the new boat

Jeff G
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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:18 am

dirt nap giver wrote:
Jeff G wrote:we caught a few crappies last weekend on open water in WI. water was 56 in the shallows, fish were really slow, not aggressive yet.

I have a deep V lund. i don't think that is your problem. my boat is blue, i would actually prefer the white over the blue.

a heavier boat will be more stealthy (less rocking, better noise dampening, etc.)

give the water a couple weeks and you will slam em!

Your water temp comment has me reflecting upon last season and when I actually started fishing with this boat.
After getting it ready for the water, I fished by myself quite a bit. I had a musky follow a top water till it was 12-15' from the boat, then turned and bolted.
I did catch some fish casting, but trolling for any species has struggled.

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bed fish in the spring, as water temp warms, fish become active, i don't start trolling for the big stuff until the middle of june, after july 4 the water is hot, big stuff is deep, drift with shiners and sucker rigs for the big pike. in WI the best month is may and first half of june. 60 degrees seems to be a magic number.

I'm no pro, this is my observations


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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:22 am

Buckshot20 wrote:
dirt nap giver wrote:
Buckshot20 wrote:I would leave the white bottom. White bottom looks more like a cloud in the sky compared to dark colors. The fish could definitely feel the difference in the boat depending on how much water you are in. In deep water it is not as noticeable but on shallow water the fish can feel the pressure of water displacement in their lateral line. This is super common down here on the saltwater grass flats. The flats down here are between 2-4ft of water though so if you are much deeper than that it may not be the issue. Also I assume you are using a trolling motor to fish. With the new set up there may be more vibration coming from the boat or trolling motor. Just a couple things to look at.

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Interesting that you would say that about boat surface and pressure.

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The pressure is real and it's magnified the shallower the water. Also trolling motor vibration can make a difference. I've seen the redfish down here adapt to trolling motor vibrations, water slaping on the hull and I think they can sense a push pole in the mud. I think they can tell if its a motor guide or a minnkota. If I change settings on my trolling motor I will send fish get up in the flats. I think if it's steady they don't mind but variable trolling speeds changes the vibrations.

On pressure I've noticed a serious difference on how close I can get to fish depending on the boat I'm in. My flats boat is fine in deeper water but in the shallow flats I can't get within casting distance of fish anymore but in a canoe or kayak I can get much closer and if I Wade I can nearly step on them.

Also check your jig colors. I try to match the water color or white. Fish bellies are white so if fish are coming up that is a natural color. Prey animals are always camouflaged so I try to follow that.

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Hmmm,
Same trolling motor as what I had on the flat bottom.
I just can't help but think that the size increase and pressure difference in the depth of water I am in has some effect.

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:25 am

just like hunting beds….confidence is the hidden gem
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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:26 am

post a pic of your boat
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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Thu Mar 17, 2016 3:39 am

Image


Image
Just for gits and shiggles
Image

Image

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Jeff G » Thu Mar 17, 2016 4:00 am

nice set up. you should have no problems in shallow water with that.
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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:45 am

I would suggest that you take a good look at the electrical system on the boat. I know that it makes a difference for me when I am using downrigger strolling for lakers and salmon.

http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/ ... -6831.html

http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/an ... tric.phtml


Bob

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Mar 19, 2016 4:26 am

Horizontal Hunter wrote:I would suggest that you take a good look at the electrical system on the boat. I know that it makes a difference for me when I am using downrigger strolling for lakers and salmon.

http://www.bcfishingreports.com/forums/ ... -6831.html

http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/an ... tric.phtml


Bob

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This post really had me thinking for a couple of reasons.
1) I am a contractor and I do have some knowledge of electrical hook ups. In residential and commercial applications.
2) I have rewired this boat and trailer, other boats and trailers, campers, utility trailers etc.
but after asking myself, what do I really know about boat electrical? The boats I have rewired were aluminum which weren't loaded with accessories like this fiberglass boat has. So, I started researching.....

I had no idea what electrolysis was, what zinc and magnesium was used for.

I had no idea what it meant to bond your boats electrical system.

Or how important your hull was to the electrical system. Finding out what hot hull was and how the electrical energy carried through a boat.

What about positive and negative energy? Does it exist? Where does it go? Can it travel through objects on the boat?

With living here on the shore of Lake Michigan, I am blessed to have at my disposal, a multitude of good friends, family and acquaintances that are very wise and knowledgable when it comes to freshwater fishing and boating.

I am no electrician by any means, let alone a boat electrician. And come to find out, there really isn't a trades course for marine electrical. Your average Jo the electrician isn't qualified to wire a boat. Things are different when your dealing with water, marinas and your boat.


Has anyone ever experienced fishing days where the boat next to you is catching fish, while you, using the same lures, depth and terrain catch nothing for the day?

Do you have any input on this?

Do you believe there are jinxed boats out there?

Have you ever owned one or experienced boats that you believe had bad mojo?

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sat Mar 19, 2016 7:43 am

My experience has been on aluminum boats only. The boat is garaged so it is out of the elements which keeps corrosion to a minimum. After adding the down riggers the voltage was high; several volts. IIRC it was 2.37V.

Cleaning the zinc anodes brought it down some as did loosening and re-tightening all of the connections. The connections can look fine and still have a fine layer of corrosion so the best thing to do is to loosen, inspect, and re-tighten.

The voltage was still too high so we ended up using a black box to get it the rest of the way there. We fish a large local reservoir for lake trout and land locked salmon. Some say it is hocus pocus but it put more fish in the boat last summer.

Bob

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Mar 19, 2016 8:00 am

Horizontal Hunter wrote:My experience has been on aluminum boats only. The boat is garaged so it is out of the elements which keeps corrosion to a minimum. After adding the down riggers the voltage was high; several volts. IIRC it was 2.37V.

Cleaning the zinc anodes brought it down some as did loosening and re-tightening all of the connections. The connections can look fine and still have a fine layer of corrosion so the best thing to do is to loosen, inspect, and re-tighten.

The voltage was still too high so we ended up using a black box to get it the rest of the way there. We fish a large local reservoir for lake trout and land locked salmon. Some say it is hocus pocus but it put more fish in the boat last summer.

Bob

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Any tips or links to testing the current on the boat?
I haven't gotten that far yet.
I just bonded the negatives this morning and am now wondering if I need to connect the magnesium to the ground as well. Currently the sending unit for the fuel tank is connected to the magnesium. Magnesium it thru hull

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Mar 19, 2016 8:03 am

As far as the hocus pocus, I likely would have said the same thing before my experience with this boat.
after fishing the same water doing the same thing just in 2 different boats, I really could care less if that's what others call it. Something is wrong, very wrong.

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:10 pm

This is the guide I followed:

http://romppais.com/Catalog/BLACK%20BOX ... NOLOGY.pdf

I expect that you saw it In your searches. Chapter 3 is really good.

I wouldn't measure the currents. What I did was to loosen the connections, clean, re-tighten, and then I measured the voltage drops across the connection points to verify good contacts. There should be 0.0V dropped across a good connection.

I would make sure that the magnesium is connected to ground. It may already be connected via a ground on the sending unit. You should be able to verify it with an ohmmeter. If not I would connect the magnesium as well. It will complete the path for the electrons to level out the charge. The sacrificial anodes on the motor are bolted to the motor which is grounded to the boats battery. You should be able to verify this with an ohmmeter.

I was lucky in that I have a very strong electronics and electrical background. I used to teach electronics many moons ago.

I don't believe in a jinxed or cursed boat. There is something wrong and I expect that you have already taken care of some/most of the problem by bonding the negative terminals.

A boat has an electrical system that isn't connected to earth ground so everything has to be referenced back to the negative terminal of the battery. By bonding the grounds you are making sure that everything is running off of the same reference.

I hope that this is some help.

Bob

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby Wlog » Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:02 pm

Horizontal Hunter wrote:This is the guide I followed:

http://romppais.com/Catalog/BLACK%20BOX ... NOLOGY.pdf

I expect that you saw it In your searches. Chapter 3 is really good.

I wouldn't measure the currents. What I did was to loosen the connections, clean, re-tighten, and then I measured the voltage drops across the connection points to verify good contacts. There should be 0.0V dropped across a good connection.

I would make sure that the magnesium is connected to ground. It may already be connected via a ground on the sending unit. You should be able to verify it with an ohmmeter. If not I would connect the magnesium as well. It will complete the path for the electrons to level out the charge. The sacrificial anodes on the motor are bolted to the motor which is grounded to the boats battery. You should be able to verify this with an ohmmeter.

I was lucky in that I have a very strong electronics and electrical background. I used to teach electronics many moons ago.

I don't believe in a jinxed or cursed boat. There is something wrong and I expect that you have already taken care of some/most of the problem by bonding the negative terminals.

A boat has an electrical system that isn't connected to earth ground so everything has to be referenced back to the negative terminal of the battery. By bonding the grounds you are making sure that everything is running off of the same reference.

I hope that this is some help.

Bob

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Sounds spot on. Same reason we bond a copper water line, sprinkler pipe or building steel back to grounded conductor (neutral) in a building. AC not DC but same concept. Electrons will leak out anywhere you give them an opportunity.

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Mar 19, 2016 2:25 pm

If the magnesium is through the hull with bronze nut and bolt and the motor which is grounded to the cranking battery and is bolted to the hull, wouldn't that be grounded already?
Sending unit grounded to the magnesium which is through bolted to the hull.
2 deep cycle batteries for trolling motor and accessories is ground bonded to the cranking battery which is grounded to the motor which is bolted to the hull.
Same thing isn't it?
Or are you telling me to bond the batteries to the magnesium as well?
One of the research pages I read stated that the reason for bonding the negatives to the magnesium is essentially a security blanket should there ever be a short, doing so acts as a double protector.

I have an appointment with the lead boat set up mechanic/marine electrician for a subsidiary company of bass pro set for next Saturday. I am a little concerned because in speaking to him, he seamed completely oblivious to terminology and definitions I was referring to.
I expressed those concerns to him and he said "we connect every boat the same way, and we set up over 6,000 boats a year with zero issues"
So far I'm 50/50.
I get to work along side him in his personal barn, so I'm sure I will learn a lot.

I will continue to read and study this even after I have met with him. This has had such an impact on me, that I WILL figure this out in its entirety.

Thanks for the replies, and keep the thoughts coming.

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Re: Frustrated with the new boat

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Mar 19, 2016 2:27 pm

Wlog wrote:
Horizontal Hunter wrote:This is the guide I followed:

http://romppais.com/Catalog/BLACK%20BOX ... NOLOGY.pdf

I expect that you saw it In your searches. Chapter 3 is really good.

I wouldn't measure the currents. What I did was to loosen the connections, clean, re-tighten, and then I measured the voltage drops across the connection points to verify good contacts. There should be 0.0V dropped across a good connection.

I would make sure that the magnesium is connected to ground. It may already be connected via a ground on the sending unit. You should be able to verify it with an ohmmeter. If not I would connect the magnesium as well. It will complete the path for the electrons to level out the charge. The sacrificial anodes on the motor are bolted to the motor which is grounded to the boats battery. You should be able to verify this with an ohmmeter.

I was lucky in that I have a very strong electronics and electrical background. I used to teach electronics many moons ago.

I don't believe in a jinxed or cursed boat. There is something wrong and I expect that you have already taken care of some/most of the problem by bonding the negative terminals.

A boat has an electrical system that isn't connected to earth ground so everything has to be referenced back to the negative terminal of the battery. By bonding the grounds you are making sure that everything is running off of the same reference.

I hope that this is some help.

Bob

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Sounds spot on. Same reason we bond a copper water line, sprinkler pipe or building steel back to grounded conductor (neutral) in a building. AC not DC but same concept. Electrons will leak out anywhere you give them an opportunity.

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Right! Electrons will even follow your fishing line down to the lure in attempt to return to earths ground or the ground in which it is linked to. Such as the battery they came from.

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