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Post by strippitman on Jul 11, 2024 12:50:45 GMT -5
It's hard for me to even say this but boat has not been in the water since fall 2019 ![:o](//storage.proboards.com/2607807/images/ZYqpIyAx3lNqj7KQWnJE.gif) ! I have several excuses...errr, reasons, for not getting my boat out for several years. First of all, back when I was using the boat regularly I always kept the boat at my dads house and the last time I used it I got home well after dark. Usually when I would bring it back me and my dad would put the cover on it either right away or within a day or two. The last time I used it I thought I would be using it again within a couple days so we didn't bother putting the cover back on it. Then the weather turned crappy and then the boat filled up with leaves, etc. My dad kept telling me that once the leaves dried out he would get them cleaned out. We didn't want to put the cover on with all that debris in the boat so we left it uncovered. My dad ended up passing away unexpectedly in late December 2019 and I spent 2020 trying to deal with his estate since he didn't have a will. I also ended up doing a full renovation on his house starting in late 2020 and sold the house in late 2021. That basically ate up 2 years of any free time I had to go fishing. Meanwhile, the boat still remained uncovered. Then in 2021-2022 I ended up building a houses for 2 of my buddies. Once again, very little free time to get the boat out. Also, after being a die hard golfer many years I quit playing golf for close to 10 years and then I had a neighbor move in next to me who loves golf as much as I do, so I started golfing pretty regularly about 3 years ago and that has also gut into my fishing time. I know, excuses, excuses. Last summer I decided was going to get the boat out and start fishing again. When a boat sits that long unprotected there are bound to be issues. When I attempted to get the boat out last year the motor wouldn't start and then I fell through the deck on the front because it had rotted out ![>:(](//storage.proboards.com/2607807/images/0eQFNsDio2kTiijTJbRe.gif) I ended up replacing and recarpeting the front deck but I never got the motor running. This past Sunday I started messing with the boat again and after a few hours (and a new battery) I was able to get it running! From there I discovered pretty much non of the electrical components were working. I went through all the electrical on tuesday evening and got everything operating again (bilge pump, aerator, both sonars, lights, etc) I'm pretty stoked and I'm looking forward to hitting the water this weekend! Sorry for the long post but there has been a lot of history with this boat .
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Post by Greenedog on Jul 11, 2024 20:43:43 GMT -5
Yay! Glad to hear this. Man oh man I know how it is. I'm going on 2 years of fixing crap on houses and I'm over it lol. Ready to simplify things and just go fishing.
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Post by daybreak on Jul 12, 2024 6:42:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the update. I have wondered about what you have been up to. Living in Goshen, I thought I might run into you sometime on the water. Your story seems very similar to mine. I sure don't fish as much as I used to, but still take a trip up north every year. Golf, gardening, bike riding and grandparenting has been keeping me busier the past few years. Good luck with the fishing.
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Post by strippitman on Jul 12, 2024 8:09:56 GMT -5
I forgot to add that this year my boss started doing a complete, major renovation on his huge farmhouse. Of course, I am doing a ton of work on that project that has also kept me away from fishing. I finally told him that I wanted to cut way back on the amount of work I'm doing there so that I can do more of the things that I have missed the past few years (fishing, hunting, etc.) Thankfully, he is not in any hurry and is allowing me to just work when I can or when I feel like it.
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Post by spainy79 on Jul 13, 2024 22:16:54 GMT -5
I always tell people if I'm playing golf; I'm not fishing. If I'm fishing; I'm not playing golf. Lately...I've been playing a lot of golf. I haven't wet a line since August '22. I still bought my license, park pass and launch sticker for the yak last year and this year but I haven't been in almost 2 years. I think it was in 2011 I didn't play golf 1 time. That was the first full year that I had my Lund and I was on the water a lot. I think I went from September 2010 until April 2012 without playing golf. Somehow I remember that...
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Post by strippitman on Jul 15, 2024 8:18:32 GMT -5
I always tell people if I'm playing golf; I'm not fishing. If I'm fishing; I'm not playing golf. Lately...I've been playing a lot of golf. I haven't wet a line since August '22. I still bought my license, park pass and launch sticker for the yak last year and this year but I haven't been in almost 2 years. I think it was in 2011 I didn't play golf 1 time. That was the first full year that I had my Lund and I was on the water a lot. I think I went from September 2010 until April 2012 without playing golf. Somehow I remember that... Yeah, it's hard to find time to do both. It's so much easier just to grab the clubs and head to the course than it is to hook up the boat, load up all the gear, get bait, put the boat in the water, get the boat out of water, clean fish if you keep some, etc. What's really crazy is I actually like fishing more than deer hunting but I a deer hunt way more than I fish because of the same reason. It's much easier just to grab your weapon and head to a stand than it is to go fishing. I could shore fish and it would make it much easier but the shore fishing opportunities where I live aren't that great and there aren't many of them.
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Post by Chase on Aug 17, 2024 8:21:11 GMT -5
Every spring I think this is going to be the year I really get back out there and boom, summer is almost over. All the fishing I do anymore is when I am taking the kids out to try to catch something.
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Post by Greenedog on Aug 17, 2024 20:45:54 GMT -5
Yeah I was excited this spring and ordered the Indiana lake permits for the old pontoon and 2 kayaks. They're still in the drawer. 🙄
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