Andy Z

[Jan Van Bennekum]

The TV-18 has lived up to all my expectations. I'm genuinely happy I made the purchase. Thanks to you and the many others on this board, I have had no problems operating the boat. My feet are dry, I haven't locked the keys in the truck, or embarassed myself at the launch. I think I'm walking on thin ice, my day will come!!



Unfortunately I have not had as many oportunities to get out as I had planned. In fact I have yet to use up the first oil-enriched tank of the big motor's fuel. As winter approaches I wonder what problems that might lead to!



My biggest frustration is controlling the boat. I seem to spend 90% of my time concentrating and tinkering with the TM. Windy days are a bear! I do a lot of loop-de-loops and zig-zags moving down a shore line. My expectation is the picture created by Bill Dance, calming sitting there chatting with the audience and pulling in the big fish.



I'm still smiling and I'm getting better.



From what I read 'Yo da man' when it comes to fishing. Considering a career change?



Jan

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Soon it will become 2nd nature. You just need seat time. I had a horrible time learning the trim/holeshot routine but it gets easier everyday and don't worry, we ALL embarass ourselves at the ramp someday. Just last week I forgot to set the wench back to lock and when I came up the ramp, it sounded like a pack of firecrackers going off and the boat was headin/ back to the lake. You just gotta laugh and keep going. Now as for launching things (quiet Carlos).............



TOXIC

 

[fatrap]

First of all I hear Bill D only fishes private Flordia phosphate pits for bass and is surrounded by scuba divers to keep the camera happy.

Real people just have to practice practice pratice with the TM, backing down the ramp, driving and obeying the rules of the waterways etc.

A lot of times I will pick a nice day and drive the boat around and use up as much gas as possibel before storage. I leave some for running the engine prior to fogging and winterizing it. Then use Stabil in the rest of the gas left in the tank. I,ve never in thirty years of running boats had a problem with my gas. Before built in tanks I just used the left over gas in the six gallon cans for the snow blower or just got rid of it. With fixed tanks stabil in the best bet. Don't forget to service the lower unit, this should be checked often for fishing line anyway.



fatrap

PS Maybe it's just me but, does anyone else find Bill Dance's teaching presentation type program BORING!! Reallly enjoyed it when he featured celeberties like Mel Tillis, and Terry Bradshaw.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

fatrap, it gets boring when it's STAGED. I heard him slip up one day and say to a guest on the show that the fishing might be slow because they just dumped like 300 pounds of shiners in the lake (his private lake BTW). Might as well go fish with Ken on the tank. At least you don't have to cast as far!!



TOXIC

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

Jan,

You need to visit toxic and myself. We will show you many things to not do and to top it all off, you will laugh for days after you get over the shock

Tox, nice one. I made a tackle box holder in my deck extension, so now I have no excuses to launch lures anyway. I sure would like to have the pair of glasses that is now on the Maryland side of the Potomac back though......



Carlos

 

[fatrap]

Toxic

I wasn't born yesterday but sometimes I wonder If I'm a bigger guppy than the ones that swim in the water. Kinda like when I found out there really wasn't a Santa Claus. I always figured those shows might have been edited to weed out the slow places and such, ........but staged! I went to seminars featuring the big names and believed what they said was gosple. Now, late in life, I find that some tv fisherman have some things in common with tv evangalist.

The things I have heard!!!!!!!!!!

fatrap

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Hey Fatrap: I don't have cable anymore but the best pair I saw was Bill Dance and Jerry Reed when he through Jerry's fish back. Staged or not it was a great laugh.

BF

 

[Staci Matheis]

If you weren't on the board a year and a half ago when Marke first joined and you want to read some GOOD ramp stories.....



Go to the "Search" function.

Type in: really dumb

Click "Match all of these words".

Click "Titles".

Hit the Search button.



Now reasd Marke's thread.....



me!

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Glad to hear that you like the boat Jan!

As someone else said, you'll get better with that trolling motor with more time using it...I learned to use one on my buddy's Procraft...He would get tired of driving and put me in the front (at the time there was no worry about me catching any fish!!!). So, by the time I got my first bassboat I was good to go! Could not justify a career change...I did start looking at the NBAA website last week...maybe a step up next year...just don't want to get to the point where its not fun...

Better get out on the lake and use up the oily gas before winter...make an excuse at work and take a day off!!!



keep enjoying that TV-18,

az