Monday Brings a Hint of Fall
NORTH TEXAS
We finally had a certifiable cool front come through last night, after I spent a day boiling in the driveway – replacing my old trailer hubs and rewiring the boat to clean up the rat’s nest of wires that came with the skiff. Both of those, the hubs and the wiring left something to be desired from day one, and after seven years, it’s about time to do something about those weaknesses.
SALT SHOWS WEAKNESSES
I have said it before, and like an old grandpa, I’ll say it again: Salt will show every single weakness you have, if it has long enough to take hold. Replacing the hubs with the newly discovered (newly by me) Vortex boat trailer hubs (another company bought out by Dexter), took a lot of doing just to get the correct hubs for the trailer. The Continental trailer also brand new when I took possession, has always had inferior hubs that I have kept on life support by taking extreme care of them. They have been thousands of miles, and probably in the first 100-miles they spun the grease cap off the hub. Only later did I learn (on my own), the rims were so cheap they needed mega weights to balance them and my new tires (2-years-ago). That vibration, along with CHEAP hubs off the manufacturing line, lead to a lifelong fight with the hubs and bearings. No more. I will be putting out a video on these Vortex Hubs, and you can see for yourself, and decide for yourself, if Vortex is what you need for your skiff.
WIRED
The wiring? Well a boat maker who does wiring and trailering, and all the rest that goes with a skiff package? There will be weaknesses. It is just that simple. My skiff came on a budget, and it shows in some places, but it is still my ride, and it is going to salt for an extended stay – next week. There isn’t a lot of wire that needs replacing, it’s all good. It is just time it was cleaned up, organized and made secure and safe. In this case, it means relocating the battery and rerunning a loom of wires … just another day in paradise. And now that I think of it, the trailer wiring fizzled out after six months … but was completely replaced by Continental.
FISH UP
Don’t forget to look for the bass coming shallow, and the carp headed down for the season! There may be a “last gasp” for me before I abandon North Texas waters, but time is short. For those of you still here, look for bass on the shallow eat, and laying in wait on edges of points or submerged roads with enough wave action to disorient bait. AND THERE IS BAIT! The bait on Ray Roberts was making for jittery water when I was out there last week, and I will definitely get an evening out on my Old Town Sportsman 119 this week, while it is still gripped on top of my ride.
OLD TOWN SPORTSMAN 119
Speaking of the CanYak. I am amazed by the performance characteristics of the Sportsman 119. It is very fast, and there is so much room I could lay down inside and take a nap. The sides are high enough to catch wind of course, but it also provides a standing opportunity (although my balance is currently shaky). This will be my resaca ride for sure, and it will have to suffice as my bay kayak for a little while, as I regroup into another saltwater kayak. Does anyone have recommendations? I will never have a a pedal drive, or until after I turn 70 anyway! I have bought and sold two Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140’s now, and that was the best salt distance kayak I could ever imagine owning … far, straight and long.
Category: Culture on the Skids, Equipment, Fishing Reports, Flats Boats, Kayak, North Texas, Technical Poling Skiffs, Texas Skiff
