Day 2...

[bshaner]

So the previous night I couldnt get the TM battery to hold a charge...  fitting.

0630 -  I'm on the road headed for my second day on Portage Lake and buy a battery on the way.  Put the battery in, test it - TM works.  New battery so it should last me the day.  On the way I'm running down my mental checklist based on my vast experience as a boat owner....

10 ft Nylon rope?  check.  I'm good to go!

I'm on approach to the ramp and EVERYONE is looking at me again.  Pretty sure I heard one guy whisper, "here he comes again."  I shrug it off and put the boat in the water flawlessly!

I get out on the water, battling a 19 mph NW wind beating the tar out of me when the TM stops working.  Well it cant be the battery, it's brand new.  I check all the connections, wiggle the cables play with everything I know to play with and still nothing.  Ok so maybe I got a bad battery.  I load up, go back to the store and try to exchange the battery.  The elderly lady at the customer service desk gets out this new fangled battery tester thingamabobber, spends the next 10 minutes trying to figure out how to power it on.  Finally figures that out, connects the cables with a bit of guidance from me on which is the positive and which is the negative.  The battery tests good, she cant and I stress WILL NOT take the battery back.

Heck with it, I buy the second one, what's the worst that can happen?  I get 2 good batteries I can run in parallel.  I push the batteries out to the boat with the help of the shopping cart.  I'm not the biggest guy and not too ashamed to admit that carrying two batteries to the opposite end of the parking lot would kill me.  Of course I test the battery with the TM before I leave the lot just to save myself another trip.

I'm on approach to the ramp again, dang I'm getting good at this if I do say so myself.  The guys dont seem to be staring at me so much.  Go down my revised checklist...

10 ft nylon rope, check.
TM battery that works, check.  I'm good to go!

I get back out on the water with a 100% working battery.  I'm out on the water long enough to land a couple keepers and a 6 lb muskie on a white double willow spinnerbait, so I'm feeling pretty good when that stupid TM stops again.  I dont remember the ride back to the camp grounds.  It's just a blur.  I park the boat, cussing and screaming, the woman runs inside hoping I wont notice she's there.  I'm really about to give up on this boating thing.  It's starting to be more work than I ever imagined.  I lift the back storage box and begin troubleshooting again.

Just then this really old guy who happens to be the owner of the campgrounds walks up and introduces himself.  "Got a sick kitten there?"  He matter of factly says.  "Ya"... I can only assume he could sense the tension in my voice with that one short syllable.  I relunctantly tell him my story with probably the saddest puppy dog looking expression on my face and he again, matter of factly says, "Let's have a look at 'er".

I'm watching as he does everything I had already thought to try, with the exception of one tiny little detail.  About 8 inches down the positive cable there's a zip tie holding 2 cylinder type plastic pieces in the wire.  He's got his back to me and is a pretty big ole guy so I cant see what he's doing as he fumbles around with it.  After what seemed like an eternity he turns around, holds this little cylinder up so I can see it and declares, "Bad fuse, that's your problem."

At this point I can only manage a "sigh".  Seeing the frustration in my eyes the old timer pats me on the back reassuringly and tells me not to fret, he's got an extra in the back of his truck.

So, this story, like any other story worth telling has a happy ending...

I finally get back out to the lake...

10 ft nylon rope, check.
TM battery that works, check.
TM cable fuse functioning, check.  I'm good to go!!

By the end of the day I actually manage a limit, I'd say about 15 lbs for my best 5 fish.  Not too shabby for my first full day fishing in 6 years!

Day 3 went without a hitch.  Caught another limit and some dinks.  Decent 12 lb or so limit.   

[djkimmel]

Yay! Welcome to the joys of boating!!! Luckily, there are more good stories than bad, but you will learn a lot along the way...

[smbassman]

Good deal on the fishing and welcome to the boat tinkering.  Just a suggestion - buy a thermal breaker for that TM and carry a spare. Threaded posts on the breaker are much more reliable for keeping contact than press in fuses and if you over load the system you just have to wait until the breaker cools off unstead of digging around to replace a fuse.

Again - congrats of the fishing.  It doesn't sound like you lost your touch in the past 6 years!

[spinninbug]

You are fishing in South Central this year aren't you?  I'm thinking now there are more reasons I'm going to miss fishing the club,  however we still might make a tournament or two I think I have got to meet you,  you kill me!!!!  LOL.... You are going to fit right in with the rest of the crazies!!!!

[bshaner]

HAHA Thanks Spinninbug!  I've been to the last two meetings.  I'm going to try and make all the tournaments.  Which ones are you fishing?  I'm going to fish the ABA tournies as much as possible too.

Thanks for the advice Smbass!

Thanks DJK!

Brian

[joshimoto son]

Nice Story B,

I'm looking forward to Saturday.

That'll be my first time out since May 7th.

joshimoto son

[spinninbug]

We are undecided as yet but maybe Hardy the first day.  Just maybe and don't tell Kathy Maurer cuz I'm not making any promises.  We have just talked about it.  She will kill me if I tell her maybe and then we don't.  We have a tourney with our other club the next day so I'm not sure yet what we are doing.  We have to wait and see.  I just know I miss seeing everyone!!  And now with your stories I can't wait to meet you too...

Hubby really wants to fish Michigan Center seeing as he won that one last year but I don't know.  We will just have to wait and see how everything works out.

[bshaner]

Nate took me to Center a couple weeks ago.  Wow, stumps.  Summer patterns will be a blast on that lake but I couldnt navigate it on my own yet.  I'd hit every stump in there with my luck.  That lake was already completely weeded up nearly to the surface back 2 weeks ago as well.  I should practice fish it but I'm scared... I'd have to troll the entire lake.

[spinninbug]

Oh you can do it.  Kathy and I fished it together and I drove our boat,  I wasn't scared!!!  We even had fish,  our husbands fished together that year and didn't have any that was pretty cool.

[Duke]

I'm a high school English teacher and I give you an A for story telling.  I can't wait for the prequel!

Duke

[bshaner]

This post is the sequel   Day 1 is already posted!  And thank you for the grade!!!  i never did to good in skool. 

[djkimmel]

The education never really ends...

[bshaner]

The education never really ends...

So true..

[spinninbug]

Hey Brian,

Just wanted to let you know that it is a diffinet go for Hardy,  we will be there Friday night around 8.  Can't wait to see everyone!  Oh and the fishin will be a bonus too,  I love fishing Hardy!

[bshaner]

Is Hardy the actual name of the lake?  I cant find it on the topo CD I have.  I look forward to seeing ya there!  I'm not going to center, I'm going to fish Devils Lake ABA this weekend but the woman and I will be at Hardy for the weekend next weekend.

[spinninbug]

I think it's called Hardy Dam backwaters maybe but I'm not sure maybe someone else on here will know for sure.  I'm looking forward to meeting you and your significant other...we aren't doing center either.  3 weekends in a row is just to much $$ if you know what I mean.  This will probably be the only one we are able to do this year.  Maybe the fall open but not sure about that one either.  I'm just glad we just got our boat fixed yesterday!!  Our first thursday nighter is tonight and I can't wait.  45 more minutes of work and then let the fun begin!!