The Carburetor Rebuild Adventure

This is for you Do-it-Yourself boat motor mechanics out there and I know there are a few of you, or at least I hope I'm not the last. As you may know from my earlier articles I have a new boat and it was having some issues.  These issues were a result of it sitting for almost 2 years with the new gas we have to buy with up to 10% ethanol added sitting in her carburetors.  If you have done any reading on this new ethanol gas you will know it can cause some big problems if the gas is not used quickly.  Point is the gas goes bad and if left in carburetors once it goes bad it will form a varnish that will clog up all the jets and ports.

My motor is a 1990 Yamaha 150 Pro-V and from all the research I've done on this engine I've found they are pretty bullet proof if well taken care of by the owner.  That the previous owner had taken good care of this engine was very evident in its appearance.  In fact when I asked to look at the boat

he even drained the old gas and put some fresh in the tank.  When we tested it on the hose she fired right up and idled smooth.  So I ended up buying the boat only to find out she wouldn't get on plane and wanted to die if you pushed her past 2200RPMs under load.  So my research began into troubleshooting this problem.  I did all the easy things first like changing the filters, fuel pumps and spark plugs.  This didn't help so it was time to dig in and rebuild the carbs.  This sound like it might be a big job, but it really isn't so bad at all for us Do-it-Yourself mechanics.  The fact is this isn't my first rodeo on rebuilding carbs as that started many years ago when I was racing stock cars. It continued on as I worked on all of my vehicles, well up until the time that you had to own a NASA computer to figure them out.  I also did all the maintenance and repairs on every boat motor I've ever owned including rebuilding the Johnson 88spl on my Cajun Bass Boat I still own. By the way my old Cajun is for sale and would make someone a great bass boat.

OK enough with my history of being a Do-it-Yourself mechanics and on with the actual rebuilding of the carburetors.  I started at about 7:00 AM Friday morning and had the carbs off and the first one disassembled by 8:00 AM.   I had taken out all the brass jets and other screws from the main body and removed the bowl, floats and valve assembly as well as all the plastic parts.  I then submersed themain body and bowl in some Berryman's Chem-Dip.   The Berryman's Chem-Dip come is what looks like a paint can and it has the solvent in it as well as a dip basket.  You just place what you want to clean in the basket and dip it in.   The directions tell you how long, but for what I was doing it would be 2 hours.   Now I must warn you there are two versions of the Chem-Dip, one is a California version that is also sold in some other states as well as on line, then there is the original version.  From what I understand the California version doesn't work very well, but I'm in Texas so I was able to easily find the original. I also have to warn you not to put any gaskets or plastic parts in the Chem-Dip as it will eat them. The original version does work awesome for cleaning carbs!!!  Now to clean all the jets and screws

that I removed I used Berryman's B-12 Chemtool.  I put them all in a glass jar with a screw-on lid then sprayed them down with theB-12 until they were all covered.   Then I placed the lid on the jar and from time to time over an hour I'd shake and swirl them around in the jar.  After an hour I carefully removed them from the jar and then took a copper wire brush and a small piece of copper wire to clean them out good.  Let me tell you some of these jets were completely clogged from that ethanol gas.  It took me some time to get them all perfectly cleaned. This process was to clean some and let them soak some.  Once I was happy with how they looked I blew them all out with my air compressor air gun.  I made sure that air could easily flow from all the jets.  I then started to dissemble the second carb.  When finished I put the second set of jets in the same jar with the B-12.  When this was finished it was time to get the main body and bowl out of the Chem-Dip. I removed them then placed them in a water bath.  Water is used to disperse and neutralize the Chem-Dip.  I then placed the second main body and bowl in the basket and lowered them into the Chem-Dip.
 
At this point I took a short break to go check to see if the mail had come and if my if my Carburetor Rebuild Kit was here.  I had ordered and aftermarket kit made by Sierra because I could get it here in time for Friday or so I hoped and also because it was about $40.00 cheaper than the OEM Yamaha Kit.  When I got out to the mailbox I found my kit inside and was very happy.  I took it in the shop and made sure it was the right 18-7759 part number and that all gaskets and parts were in the package.  Once I knew the kit was right I started putting the first carb back together.  Again I took my air compressor and air gun and completely blew out

both the main body and bowl.  I made sure that air could easily pass through all the ports on them before I started to reassemble the carb.  Once the first carb was back together it looked almost like a new carburetor. Then over the next few hours I completed the process on the second and third carbs.  Everything was going smooth or maybe it was too smooth so to speak.   I had the carbs back on the motor and hooked up by my planned 3:00PM and she was ready for a test.  When I was pumping up the bubble to push gas into the carbs it seemed to get hard faster than normal but I didn't pay much attention to it until after the motor wouldn't start.  It was then that I realized the gas wasn't flowing into the carbs.  I checked a few things and tried to pump the bubble some more but nothing.  I pulled one of the drain screws to be sure I wasn’t getting any gas and it was bone dry.  By this time it was after 4:00PM and time for me to get ready to take my wonderful wife out for our weekly "Date Night".  The motor and carbs would have to wait until Saturday morning which meant I'd likely not get any fishing in this weekend as Sunday was Mother's Day.

Saturday morning found me up at my normal 5:30 in the morning.  I got the coffee on and waited for it to get light enough to start work, but that was over an hour away.   I had finished 2/3 a pot of coffee by the time 6:45 rolled around and I could get to work.  I took all the carbs off the motor and into the shop to see if I could find out what was wrong.  I knew it had to be something with the floats and shutoff valves but what.  So I pulled the bowls off and did some adjusting to what I thought was right and put them back on the bodies.  Only way of knowing if this was the fix was to put the carbs back on the motor.   I had that finished by 8:00ish but my wife was still asleep.  Now most of us smart married men know that a happy wife is a happy life and so I didn't try to start the motor yet.  It was just an extended coffee break.  In fact it was going to be one of those two pot mornings as I got the second going.

My wife crawled out of bed about 8:30 and with the excitement of getting the boat going good plus all the coffee I had drink, I was wired.  I warned the wife what I was going to do and headed out the door.  I started by pumping up the bubble again and this time I could tell gas was flowing.   However this time is seemed to take longer than normal but I counted that to no gas being in the carbs at all.  When I started to smell gas though I looked and saw it pouring out of the front of the carbs.   So I had gone from the floats and valves not letting gas in carbs to them not stopping the gas once the bowls were full.  It was back to the drawing board or in this case work bench.  I took the carbs back off and headed back into the shop for more troubleshooting.  This time when I tried to pull the bowl off the first carb I found the float was stuck and the bowl wouldn't come off.  In fact I ended up having to break the one float to get the bowl off.  I also had difficulty removing the bowl on the other carbs as well.  What this told me was the floats were bigger than the original floats.  I was a little mad as there was no instructions in the kit that told me the floats might need to be sized and after paying $120.00 for the kit one would think all the parts would be right.   Well I was lucky as all the original floats were in good shape besides being pretty dirty.  I cleaned them up and put them in the carbs.

I got the carbs put back together with the old floats and back on the motor.  I pumped up the bubble and everything seemed to work as it should.  Once the bubble became tight, I turned on the water to the hose and then tried to start the engine.  To my absolute pleasure the engine purred to life at the first bump of the key.  It sounded really good and would rev up, but of course that was with no load so a water test was in order.  I knew I wasn't going to get a chance to put her in the water today as we were now babysitting our granddaughter.  Also my wife had plans she needed to do in the afternoon and so there would be no water test for the new boat.   However my wonderful wife knew I was disappointed and came up with the solution that I loved.   She asked for me to take her on a morning boat ride for Mother's day.  Hey what better way to test my carb job than with the woman I love, right?  

Sunday morning found us launching the boat about 10:00AM on Dickinson Bayou.  I could tell the motor had more power as I backed her off the trailer.  I watched with much anticipation as my wife parked the truck and trailer then headed to the dock.  She climbed aboard and secured her PFD in place before taking a seat.  I eased the boat towards the “No Wake” buoy as the excitement about what would happen started to rise within me.  I glanced at my wife and could tell she didn’t know what to expect either.  I was somewhat concerned as we did have 20mph winds gusting to 30mph out of the southeast and with Dickinson Bayou pretty much running east to west this meant a crossing wind.  I wasn’t concerned about waves as no matter how much wind we have the bayous really never get rough.  I was concerned with this wind getting under the bow once we were on plane.  As we pass out of the “No Wake” zone I stepped down on the “Hot Foot” and my girl jumped forward way quicker than I had expected.   She was on plane in a second and moving fast.  I didn’t get her wide open at this point as we need to cross under the railroad bridge first.  Once we clear the railroad bridge there is a pretty good straight and wide stretch that is fairly protected from the wind.  When we got to this point I opened her up and she responded by bringing tears to our eyes and the skin on our faces started to flap.  She quickly ran up to the 5600RPMs she was supposed to get with the new prop and was picking up speed fast.  At about this time the cross wind came into play and started to make her get a little squirrely so I backed off some.  Needless to say I was very happy!!!  We did spend the next hour riding up and down the bayou to my wife’s delight and mine as well.

Now as far as the Sierra Rebuild Kit, I’ll never get one again unless a Yamaha OEM kit is not available.  I don’t believe that you should have to make modifications to parts after spending that much money and if modification are necessary Sierra should have pointed that out in their sales description and also in instructions contained in the kit.   The Berryman products are top notch in my opinion but be careful not to get the California version of the Chem-Dip and you should be very happy as well.

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants

Killer Texas Bassin' Combos

Now why do I call these Killer Texas Bassin' Combos?  Easy answer is they really do kill the bass and they are combos made up of Santone Lures of Mt. Pleasant, TX and Creme Lures of Tyler, TX.  Also let me tell you that not only are these bass catching combos here in the Lone Star State they will catch bass anywhere they swim!!!  So where do I start as there are more then one of these combos.  Well I guess I have to start with my favorite and the combo I used to win that tournament back in January.

Santone Lures Rattlin' Jig and Creme Lures ST Beaver (Badd Bugg)
Now this is a very simple combo that is truly affective on those big ole hawg mommas.  You just take your favorite colors of each and mate them together to get a match made in heaven!!!

This combo can be affective anytime of the year that you find bass feeding on crawfish.  Now I do have to say don't for get the Liquid Mayhem Crawfish and soon to be out Garlic Crawfish or Crawlic.  I also have to warn you to keep a tight grip on your rod because when they hit this they really hit it hard!!!

Santone Lures Rattlin' Jig and Creme Lures ST Craw
Now when I still want to be fishing a jig but I'm looking for something with a little smaller profile then I go with this combo.   Now I do prepare the jig by cutting off the back of the skirt so that it is even with the back of the hook.

Trimming the skirt does two things for you, first it makes the bait appear smaller and two it actually gives the bait more action.   Once more don't forget to put on some Liquid Mayhem and hold on to your rod.

Santone Lures Rayburn Swim Jig and Creme Lures Reel Scremer
Folks I will say right now that this combo is my go-to bait a lot of days.  Heck there hasn't yet been a body of water that I have fished that this combo hasn't caught fish.  Again this is a simple combo to put together.

This combo is very versatile as it can be fished many different method.  Two of my favorites are slow rolling it down a weed line and a medium speed retrieve while twitching the tip of the rod.  It is also very affective in lay down timber and brush.  Heck I can't think of many types of structure that you can't fish this combo.  Once more don't forget the Liquid Mayhem but the Garlic Minnow is my favorite flavor with this combo.  Also once more keep a tight grip on your rod!!

Santone Lures Wobble Hawg and Creme Lures ST Beaver (Badd Bugg)
There are times when the bass just won't hit a jig and I really hated those times but not anymore.  That is because I've found when I know there are bass there and they won't hit a jig, 9 out of 10 times they will hammer this combo.

This combo changes up the action of the bait over a jig and there are time that action is what is needed to get bass to strike.  You really have to see this thing in action as it really does look awesome in the water.  I know I sound like a broken record, but don't forget that Liquid Mayhem Crawfish and hold onto your rod.

Santone Lures Football Piglet and Creme Lures ST Craw
Sometimes when the bass won't hit a jig it is because the jig is bigger than the crawfish they are feeding on. Don't worry this combo has that covered.

With the Football Piglet you can make that ST Craw shake and dance while sitting stationary on the bottom to give that bass something he just has to eat.   Fish this on your finesse rod and you really open up all kinds of new structure like skipping it under docks.   Hey you know what I'm going to say, don't forget the Liquid Mayhem!

Santone Lures Texas Finesse Jig and Creme Lures Scoundrel Worm
This combo gives you another option in your finesse fishing tactics.  You can fish this as you would a shaky head but the skirted jig gives you some added action that will cause strikes.

I've had some big ole bass come out from under docks and out of deep brush piles when using this bait.   Also you can fish it more aggressively than a shaky head, in fact play with your retrieve and find out what the bass want.  Yes I'm going to say it again, don't forget the Liquid Mayhem.

Santone Lures Football Piglet and Creme Lures Scoundrel Worm
On those days when the bass are really being tough then this is the combo you need to be fishing.

With the flat edge of the Football Piglet and the floating qualities of the Scoundrel Worm you can tease just about any bass into biting.   Work it really slow and make it wiggle that floating tail until it drives the bass insane and they have to hit it.  When the bite is that tough you don't want to take the chance of a bass hitting and spiting out your bait because it has a bad taste.  That is why it is so very important that you do not forget the Liquid Mayhem when you are finesse fishing.  You work hard for that bite, make sure the bass will hold onto your bait once they hit.

Folks these are just some of my favorite Texas Combos.  With the great baits from Santone Lures and Creme Lures there are really endless combos you can try.  Hey there might be a combo you come up with that even I haven't thought of trying.  You really owe it to yourself to give these baits a try as they will put more bass in the boat, well they will if you don't forget the Liquid Mayhem!!!

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants

Halls Bayou 5-2-2015

The plan was to go to Clear Creek Bayou to test the boat repairs and also practice for an up coming tournament, those plans changed.  It was my Son-in-Law Brett's birthday so taking him was his birthday present.  He was going to meet me at Walter Hall Park at 7:00AM and we would see how the motor ran and do some fishing in the process.  I got to Walter Hall about 6:30 and realized that this was the weekend of the League City Town Fair.  They had the ramp closed so I had to make a quick call to Brett so we could change plans.  He was almost there so I told him to just head to my house and I'd pick him up.  I knew this weekend was also the Strawberry Fest in Dickinson so the ramp on Dickinson Bayou would also be blocked, so we would be heading down to Halls.  We didn't make it down there until 8:00ish and the water didn't look very good.  It was the color Halls gets this time of year and the fishing can be tough.  Add to that it was a Blue Bird day and the tide never moved a lot so yes the fishing was tough.

Well I guess I should start out by tell you about the boat.  I did the maintenance I spoke about in my last article.  Replacing all the filters, fuel pumps and spark plugs.  I also decarboned the motor with a mixture of one can of Seafoam to one gallon of Gas.  I put this in a small 3gal tank and ran the motor for 5 minutes on the hose.  Then I let the motor sit for 10 minutes and then ran it for another 5 minutes.  I repeated this process 4 times before hooking the main tank to the motor and running it for 5 minutes.  It did a good job of cleaning all the carbon that had built up.   The motor continued to start with just a bump of the key and it idled really well so I had high hopes I'd fixed the issue.  Now it was time for the real test and that was in the water.  We launched the boat and soon I had her pointed south.  I eased her along in front of the Halls Bayou Bait Camp waiting to get clear so I can give her the gas.   As we cleared the Camp I eased into her and at 2200 RPMs she started to bog down and try to die, just like at Fayette.  This time to see if it was a carb problem I started bumping the chock and sure enough she would surge forward.  I did this until she hit 3200 RPMs and then she took off like a Scolded Dog.  We ran down the bayou about 3 miles in hopes that maybe the Low RPM jets might clear.   When we stopped it was at a spot that I'd catch some nice bass earlier in the year so we fished for an hour.

As we got to some structure that is off a slight point we were met with a good size gator.  This girl was in the 7-8 foot class and didn't seem to be the least bit worried about us.  We kept fishing and she hung around about 100 yards down the bayou.  She just swam around like we weren't even there.  Hey I don't have any problem with gators as long as they don't try and visit me in the boat.  Brett and I tried our best to get something to bite but either they weren't home or they were lockjawed big time.  We tossed them a bunch of different choices too, but nothing.   So after about an hour we decided to head back north where there are more lay downs and shade.  I tucked the trolling motor back in its riding position and took my spot at the helm.  The motor fired right up with a bump of the key just like it always does and I turned her and headed north.  I tried to see if she would go on her own but nothing doing.  She hit the wall again a 2200 and I had to bump the choke to get her to 3200 again.  As before once she got to 3200 we were off to the races.

We ran about a mile or so to a part of the bayou that is normally pretty good to us and stopped.  I got the trolling motor down and we started working the shore line.  We threw just about everything at them and still nothing.  We had worked close to a mile up the shore without even a bump.  It was getting a little frustrating to say the least.  It was Brett's birthday and someone had forgot to tell the bass they were invited to the party.  We weren't giving up just yet though.  We were talking about heading north of the Bait
Camp to give them a try when we saw our second gator of the morning.  This one wasn't as big as the first but it was still a 5-6 footer.  This one seem to want to race us and I was able to get a little closer to it  for a better picture as we were heading that way.  It was about that time we heard another boat coming down the bayou.  It turns out it was someone that reads these articles and recognized me even though I was in a new boat.  Les I did enjoy chatting with you and your wife for a while.  Sure hope the Liquid Mayhem I gave you a try helped you catch some more fish.   Chatting with Les kind of confirmed to Brett and I we needed to head further north.  Les had told us that he and his wife had caught some bass and he had lost a pretty good one earlier north of us.   So after they left I pulled up the trolling motor for another run.

The big motor once more started right up but I also had to use the choke trick to get her up on plane again.  Once we got to the Bait Camp I brought her off plane and idled up past the bridge at Farm Road 2004.  Once we were past the public ramp there at the bridge I shut the motor down and was back on the trolling motor.   Brett and I started working the shore line again with various baits.  It really seemed like all hope was lost when suddenly Brett set the hook.  It wasn't a very big bass but it was a bass none the less and it had hit a white spinner bait worked in the shade.  At the time I was working a Creme Lures ST Beaver so I put it down and picked up the rod with an Acid Perch Rayburn Swim Jig from Santone Lures.   I got a pretty good bump at some point after that but missed.  Brett had also switched to an Acid Perch Rayburn Swim Jig and soon after was hooked up again. Once more it wasn't a very big bass so we didn't take a picture.  Brett score one more bass before we called it quits and it was also on a swim jig.   As for me, well I'm sure hoping my new Dunamis Rods Swim Jig rod gets finished soon.   I was having a bad time of missing strikes and when I did get the hook in them they came off. 

We had worked about a mile past the boat ramp and turned around and worked the other side of the Bayou on the way back.   As we came to the ramp I told Brett that I was going to go under the bridge and skip my swim jig up under the bridge pilings.  This was a good call and I made a really good skip cast, maybe my best cast of the day.   As I worked the Rayburn Swim Jig back out of the pilings it got hammered hard.  I set the hook and the ole rod bowed up really nice and the drag slipped.  I knew I'd hooked up with a really good fish.  Now if you have read many of my articles about fishing these tidal bayous you will know that not every time you hook up with a good fish it is a bass.  In fact I catch some monster Redfish in Halls while bass fishing.   However today, it wasn't a Redfish and we soon knew that as a big bass came up and shook her head the first time.  There was a lot of hooting going on and Brett was headed for the net.  Finally we had a fish that was going to be more than worthy of a picture.  It was all for not though as she came up next to the boat with another head shaking dance and came unglued.   Rats and double Rats!!!   Well that was my day, I couldn't get a fish in the boat.  I was frustrated for not being able to set the hook good and not getting any fish in the boat, but I didn't feel the way I do when I'm normally skunked.  I guess that is because at least I had some fights.  Besides this was Brett's birthday and he did catch some bass so mission accomplished.  Well mission accomplished for Brett at least, but I'll be rebuilding some carbs this week to see if I can get my new boat up and running right in time for the next tournament.

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
YouTube - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures

Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants

New to Me Boat

I know it has been a while since we have had a new article here on the blog but I've got a pretty good excuse.  You see I've been busy shopping the used boat market here in the Houston area for one I could afford and also one that would suit my needs.  Since the wife and I will be retiring in a few years I didn't want to be strapped with new boat payments as we are trying to put extra money away for the day I can fish any day I want.  So I was looking for a good bass boat that was at least 18 feet.  My wonderful wife did put a limit on me in the funds department so I had to be really picky. The other problem I was having was the weather.  Heck we have had more rain and storms over the last month than I can remember ever having.  This has pretty much kept the Bayous all tore up and in a state where they are pretty much unfishable.  It also kept me from going and seeing a couple of boats I really wanted to look at, but before I could get there they were sold.  So mother nature can play a big role not only in our fishing but also in our boat buying.

I've always said everything happens for a reason and maybe those other boats weren't the right ones for me in the first place.  I finally noticed a really nice restored Skeeter 175SX, but the guy was asking more than I could pay.  I kept watching it and he came down some of the price, but still a little out of my range.  I still decided to contact him and see if my haggling skills were still as sharp as they once where.  He seemed like a great guy and we chatted back in forth on the phone and email for 3 day until Sunday evening we came to an agreement pending me looking at the boat.  So I arranged to meet him Monday afternoon.  When I got there I had the cash in hand just in case this was it.  I met him and started to crawl all over the boat checking out everything.  There were things I saw that I didn't like, but nothing I could fix myself.  I checked out the engine and it passed all the tests, but we weren't close to water so it wasn't tested in water.  I was impressed at how quick the old motor started and how good it sounded.  So, guess what I came home with a new to me boat.

Now one thing that I didn't mention was that the reason this guy was selling the boat was he was never home to use it.  The boat had been is storage for almost 2 years without being run.  When he told me this I was really impressed it started up the way it had started.  He had drained all the old gas and put new gas in her, but still after sitting that long she should have had some problems.  So needless to say I was excited and wanted to get her in the water the first chance I could get.  That first chance came two weeks after I bought her as there was issues getting the trailer registered to start with and also more rain.  I got the trailer registration worked out with the help of the guy I bought it from even though it took a week and I won't bore you with the full story.  The weather almost made me wait another week to get her in the water, but my Son-in-Law, Brett and I made a run to Fayette County Lake this past Sunday morning.  We knew there was a chance we would get run off the lake by storms but still took the chance. We made it to the lake just after first light.  Brett jumped in the boat and I backed her down into the water.  She fired right up for Brett and he eased her off the trailer.  I parked the truck and trail then joined Brett at the dock.  I climbed on board, secured my PFD to me and the kill switch then eased her from the dock.  We headed out and once out of the No Wake zone I gave her the gas.  She was a little sluggish getting up on plane, but once there she ran like a scolded dog to our first spot.

At the first spot I put the trolling motor in the water and started to use to using a foot control again.  I had gotten spoiled with my wireless remote FOB on the old boat.  I considered switching the trolling motors but the new boat has a 24 volt setup and the motor has more trust than the one on the old boat.  With this being a bigger boat I decided to stick with the one on her.  It was sort of like riding a bicycle and I got the hang of it pretty quickly.  The only down side is I can't control the motor if I have to leave the foot control for any reason.  With the old boat I could control it from anywhere on the boat using the FOD.

I had always had good luck at this first spot on Fayette but on this morning the bass were lockjawed.  I finally got a hit on a Throw-n-Thunder spinner bait and it felt like a pretty good fish, but it got in the grass and came off.  That was it for a while as we kept looking for something they liked.  Brett finally tied on a Rat-L-Trap and soon after had the first bass of the day.  It was a nice chunk for the first bass on the new boat.  With this fish coming on a trap I decided to switch to a Creme Lures Mad Dad.  The Mad Dad is a soft crank bait that is similar to a Rat-L-Trap in how it swims, but it doesn't have the rattles.  The rattles didn't seem to matter as I was hooked up with my first fish on the new boat in short order.  It wasn't as big as Brett's but hey it was the first one none the less.  So we thought we were on to something at least for a little while.  However we must have caught the only 2 bass on that point as there just weren't any other takers.  I decided it was time to make a move and see if we could find some bass that wanted to play with us.  The engine fired right up with a bump of the key and I eased her away from the point. Again I gave her the gas and again she was sluggish to get on plane.  Once she was up she again ran awesome and let me tell you she is the best handling boat I've ever captained.  She also is the smoothest riding boat I've had the pleasure to pilot as well.  Brett even commented about her performance and that I had gotten a steal.  You know I was smiling from ear to ear!

Well the second spot wasn't much better than the first.  I did have a really good fish chase my Creme Lures Scoundrel worm on a Santone Lures Piget Shaky Head up to the boat, but miss.  I didn't get a great look at the fish but will say it was far bigger than the first two we had caught.  We again were switching between baits and Brett had gone to a Tube Craw.  He tossed it into one of the trees and was immediately setting the hook.  The water exploded and at first glance I though he had hooked up with a really good bass.  However it became clear pretty quickly that it was about a 2.5 foot Spotted Gar on the end of his line.  He did have a good fight and just as he was about to cut the line the gar came off.  So in short that turned out really nicely.  It was about this time we heard the rumbling of thunder not far off and decided since we were as far away from the ramp as you can get on Fayette we should move a little closer.

There is a cove just around the corner from the ramp with some trees that has been good to us in the past so that is where we headed.   Once more my new girl started with a bump of the key and also once more she was sluggish getting up on plane.  Again once on plane we were off to the races for her longest run of the day.  I finally opened her up all the way and she still responded very well and the ride was unbelievably awesome.  I did notice that at wide open throttle she was only making 5200 RPMs which was low.  So that was something I wanted to check into with some research once getting home.

When we got to the cove, it didn't take long, I eased her off plane and to a stop.  Got the trolling motor down and we started fishing.  This was short lived as the storm was moving right on top of us and there was lighting and thunder way too close for comfort.  We decide to take the boat to the dock and then wait out the storm in the truck.  I fired her up with a bump of the key and we headed out of the cove.  This time when I tried to get her up on plane she didn't want to go.  In fact she would only do about 2200 RPM before trying to die.  So I made best speed to the ramp and once there we decide to put her on the trailer.  I was a bit upset as anyone would be, but I should have expected something knowing she had been sitting for so long and not ran.

Once we were home I started my troubleshooting research and decided what the course of action would be to get my new girl running.  After doing some reading on being sluggish to get up on plane I found that her Prop might be too big.  She had a 25 pitch Prop and I read were many folks having the same issues switched to a 23 pitch Prop.  From the standpoint of not being able to get over 2200 RPMs and trying to die, it is a fuel delivery issue.  In other words she just isn't getting the gas she needs.  There are a few thing that could be causing this and due to the fact she sat for so long I'm going to take care of them all at once.  The way I see it there is no since fixing one problem only to have another one on the next trip.  So I'll be replacing all the fuel filters, replacing the fuel pumps and also cleaning the carburetors.  While I'm at it I'll replace the current Prop with a 23 Pitch and also change the low unit oil.  I really should have done all of this before taking her out for the first time, but hey I was excited.  Also for good measures I'll be changing out the spark plugs. 

So I hope some of you may learn from my mistakes.  If you buy a used boat I recommend you start fresh.  By this I mean change out all the filters, the lower unit oil and spark plugs before heading to the water for the first time.   I also recommend if the boat has been sitting and not run to also check out the fuel pumps really good and also have the carbs cleaned before the first trip. Once I get all the work done I'll give all of you an update in my next article.

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!!

You can also Follow me on
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Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
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Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants

Clear Creek Bayou Report - 3-27-2015

A friend of my mine from Virginia was in town for work and I promised to put him on some bass.  We had been planning this trip for sometime knowing he was coming down.  In fact last year he was down we were going to go, but thunder storms put a stop to that trip.  This year the weather forecast looked a lot better for a trip. Initially I was going to take him out to Fayette County Lake but he wanted to fish the bayous.  The bayous are a lot like the rivers he fishes in Virginia and was hoping to pick up some pointers.  The conditions of our bayous hasn't been great with all the rains we have had the water has stayed muddy pretty much all spring.  However during the Bassmaster Elite Tournament on the Sabine River last weekend Pro Mike McClelland ran all the way from the Sabine River to Clear Creek Bayou to fish.  Not sure how long that run takes but it had to be close to 2 hours both ways by boat.  If an Elite Pro has that much confidences in a body of water, you know there are fish to be caught.  Mr. McClelland did catch bass, enough bass for an awesome 2nd place finish and was right behind the winner Chris Lane. Enough about last weekend and lets get into what happened during our trip to Clear Creek Bayou.

After that front blew through here on Thursday I was worried about taking Fred out on Friday.  There wasn't a lot of rain with this front but the water would still be muddy from all the previous rains.  What concerned me most about Thursday's front was the high northerly winds.  When we get really strong winds from the north it tends to blow the water out of Galveston Bay and in turn the water is sucked out of all the connecting bayous.  The winds had help as the tide was already due to flow out which meant we would likely face some low water conditions.  This was not our only issue though as we would also be facing the dreaded "Bluebird" day after a front with bright blue sunny skies.  What accompanies a "Bluebird" day is also a quick rise in the Biometric Pressure that can turn off the fish.  Well as I got to the ramp Friday morning all my fears about the conditions came true and in fact the water was lower than even I expected.  It was a good 2.5-3 feet lower than a normal low tide which meant a lot of the structure we would have normally fish would be totally out of water.  In fact the water was so low we couldn't use the dock at the ramp as it was close to 6 feet above my boat. The sky was also very clear and the Biometric Pressure was rising quickly as well.  So this was really putting pressure on me to put Fred on some fish.

We left the dock right at 7:30 AM and headed up the bayou.  A couple of spots I thought might be

holding spawning bass off the main bayou weren't accessible due to the low water so I continued our

run up the bayou.  We finally came to one of my favorite spots and though the water was really low some of the structure I fish there still had water around it, plus there is a good drop off and I hoped the fish might have pulled back from the structure to this drop off.   My guess was right and Fred soon hooked up but lost the first bass of the day.  However it didn't take him too long to get another hit and land his first Texas Bayou Bass.  After Fred landed this bass the pressure was off me big time.

Now how did I have Fred rigged up to catch his first Bayou Bass?  Well I went to an ole tried and trued bayou bait the Tube Craw.  The Tube Craw is very similar to a standard Tube bait but as you can see from the picture it has some craws added.  I can say that the Tube Craws have been a very affective bait for us and it is something about those added craws that really turn on the bass.  We have used them in the bayous for a number of years with awesome results but for some reason they are extra affective on Clear Creek.  I haven't asked the bass but I'm pretty sure that these Tube Craws presentation has to be very close to how the Crawfish move and act on this bayou.  The way I rig a tube craw is very different than most folks that fish tube baits.  So to make it easy here is a video of how I rig a Tube Craw that Fred will testify works really well.

Now what about me?  I decided to fish a little bigger bait in hopes of catching a big girl to impress Fred.  The bait I picked was a Creme Lures Same Thing (ST) Beaver or Badd Bugg as some of us call them.  I rigged the Badd Bugg similar to how I rigged the Tube Craw.  Fred had caught one and lost two fish when I had my first hit.  It was one of those classic thumps that generally signals a big girl and so I set the hook hard.  My rod bowed up under the force of the fish and then the unthinkable happened, my line broke.  Only thing I could figure was my line had become nicked or weakened some how.  Needless to say I was a bit disappointed as this was a really good fish.  I did catch a decent bass on the Beaver a little later but found the bass wanted something a little smaller. Going smaller was easy, I switched to a Creme ST Craw.  Now I rigged the ST Craw on a Santone Lures Football Piglet shaky head which really lets this bait stand up once the bait settles on the bottom.  Once it is on the bottom you can shake it slightly and it makes the craws move without moving the bait and gives it a realistic appearance that the bass just can't turn down.  I finished the day using the ST Craws and though I never hooked up with another Big Girl, I was able to keep pace with Fred and the Tube Craw in the numbers department.

Now if we had landed all the fish we had bite then we would have had an exceptional day on the bayou.  Really it was a surprising day for the conditions we faced.  In fact ole Fred was able to put one better than average bass in the boat and had another that was really solid. The bass seemed to turn on a little more after the tide started to flow in.  As we fished the water level did rise about a foot, but it never got to a point where it would be during a normal low tide.  So this day we basically fished areas I've found over the years with structure in deeper water during normal conditions.   In this case this was the only structure that was still in the water because the low water had all the normal structure along the banks of the bayou high and dry.  Again if you look at the picture of Fred with his biggest bass of the day, you can see where the water line is on the bulkhead.  This picture was taken after the tide had been coming in for about 2 hours.  You can also see the muddy water we dealt with on the day.  In this muddy water we fished darker baits to start with in the morning.  Black and Blue Black worked best.  However after the sun got up in the sky we found that a good Watermelon Red Flake was the color they wanted.  The red flakes really showed up well in the water with the bright sun.   Speaking of the sun, I believe that this "Bluebird" day actually helped us with the muddy water conditions.   It let the fish see our baits better, especially the Watermelon Red Flakes.

There is one more thing that I know helped us catch more fish too.  That is Liquid Mayhem  Fish Attractants.   We saw and talked to some other guys bass fishing and they didn't seem to be having the same good luck we were having.  I know that Fred is now sold on using Liquid Mayhem.  As we chatted during the day I found out that the conditions he fishes in the Virginia Rivers is a lot like the conditions we faced from a water clarity standpoint.  The bass we were catching all aggressively hit and held onto our baits and I have to give all the credit to Liquid Mayhem.  With the conditions we were fishing the bass shouldn't have been aggressive at all.  I know for a fact that Liquid Mayhem makes me a better fisherman and everyone that I've had use it continue to use it afterwards.  I know Fred will be ordering some as soon as he gets home.

So what is the moral of today's story?  That is simple, you can't catch bass unless you get out there and fish!!  So don't give up even when the conditions are totally against you.  Just because the conditions change doesn't mean the bass move to a different location.  No they will be very near the same locations as they are under perfect conditions.  Now all you have to do is find out what they want.  So you have to work out a plan for the poor conditions and first and foremost use a confidence bait.   I wanted Fred to have a good time and catch some bass and that is why I rigged him with a Tube Craw.  I knew the bass in Clear Creek Bayou loved Tube Craws and they would give Fred his best chance at catching something. So don't sit on the couch the next time the conditions aren't the best, get out there and get after those bass!!!

You can also Follow me on
Twitter - @BHOAdventures
FaceBook - Bounty Hunter Outdoor Adventures
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Also Checkout the great folks that help make my fishing adventure possible and the tackle I use and trust.
Santone Lures
Throw-n-Thunder
Creme Lures
Dunamis Rods
Liquid Mayhem Fish Attractants

Until next time, Tight Lines and Take a Kid Fishing!!

The Agony of Defeat or The Pride of Turning a Corner

                                   
The conditions for FLW BFL Gator division #3 on Okeechobee were not ideal. The water temperatures had dropped over 10 degrees all over the lake. The wind still wouldn't decide which direction it was going to blow. The wind didn't have any problem blowing all out (15-20mph) even if it couldn't figure out a direction. All reports from practice were the same. The bite is tough. Really tough.

The third BFL had us launching out of the north end of the lake on the Kissimmee river. This meant either very long runs to my known areas in the south, or really work hard at developing new areas in the north. I have never liked the north end of the lake like my beloved south. Give me Pelican Bay or South Bay well, any day. When my son and I launched for practice on Friday, I had basically laid out the north end in my head from map work. My plan was to work from the Kissimmee river south all the way to the Harney pond area. I wanted 3 to 5 big areas that would give me the kind of water that I like to fish in the south. As I said above, the conditions were rough. High cold winds, a very tough bite, and ugly water. However with persistence and moving ever farther south, Matt and I found some fantastic new water. I found all the right grass, all the right clarity, even found a spawning bay way way back in the junk that had about a thousand fresh clean beds in it. We got a few decent bites, but I was less concerned with bites. What I found was a mother load of really great water that given the warmer temps the next day should be just the ticket to an exceptional day. If only the weather once again would cooperate. My entire plan was based on the fact that air temps would be in the high 70's the next day. With mostly sunny skies the shallow waters of the great beast would warm significantly and I was pumped. In traditional Okeechobee fashion, the air temps did indeed rise. However the skies at least in my neck of the woods never cleared. The vast blanket of clouds never let the sun bake the waters. The water temps during the day only came up from 56 to 58. Let me spoil the ending for you. The guy that won ran straight across the lake to a big rock pile and worked it all day. His theory (way better than mine) was simple and well known. Rocks hold heat. He walked away with it. 

So flash back to the tournament day. I wanted to start on the area Matt and I found that had the most bites in the shortest stretch. It was a huge flat bay that had thick and many areas of scattered grasses. The water was a little more stained, but there was everything I look for. Lots of different grass, good quality water, and activity everywhere. The birds told me I was right on it. They were also everywhere. I pulled around the corner and sagged in my seat. Five boats were sitting in and around the flat doing exactly what I planned on doing. However, I noticed none of them were working directly toward the stretch that Matt and I had so many bites on. So I stayed out of the way of the boats who were already there and tried to get myself in position to work that stretch if nothing else. My co-angler caught a little keeper within minutes of arriving, so I felt good about our chances. We worked our way carefully along the far inside edge of the flat throwing a variety of moving baits. I was throwing my favorite Lock Jaw Jigs 3D eye jig with a Mister Twister bait that is not quite ready for prime time (its in production not released and still not authorized to share so shhhhh). My co-angler caught his little keeper on a spinner bait. I rotated between all of my standards. Even dead sticking a Mister Twister Comida (soft stick bait).  The bites weren't coming and we kept getting edged away from the best grass area by the press of other boats. I am very conscious of other boats and not being that jerky guy that runs right across someone else's line. We were all working the same area but along similar lines not interfering with each other. It was actually a very nice display on all of our parts. However, as the inside line guy I ran out of real estate way faster than everyone else. I knew the bite was going to stay tough for most of the day, so I was decisive and strategic and made a move to my second spot. My second spot was a dream in terms of perfect water. It had mats, hydrilla, lillys, scattered cane, and all manner of other cover including brush all in perfect water clarity. 

I started in this area throwing top water because the area screamed top water. I was covering water and as I pulled up to each of the mats in the area I punched them with my go to combo. I use a 1 1/2 tungsten weight a 4/0 Trokar flipping hook carrying a Mister Twister Poc'it craw in Okeechobee Craw color. I add a good line of Rage Fish Attractant to the craw and weight work it in good all over the bait. This gives me a good deal of confidence because, I truly believe and have seen in action the fish hold onto the bait a little longer that way. Within the first 15 minutes I got bit in a mat. I pitched the craw into the center of a small mat, saw the whole mat quiver (the dream of all flippers), got bit, and smashed into a really decent fish. Three cranks and I had the fish and half the mat at the edge of the boat, but lost it right as my co-angler went for the net. It was probably only 3 or 4 pounds, and the risk reward in mat punching is pretty high or low depending on your or the fishes perspective. I wish my co had moved quicker, but bottom line is I didn't land the fish. That's on me not my co. Once again though I knew I was in a decent area pretty quickly. I had two more decent flipping bites, but no hookups. My best guess on those was not letting them eat the bait. I was hitting them too quick. We worked all over this area remarking on just how perfect (but cold) the water was. We moved around a lot trying the far inside, middle, and far outside grass lines with everything but the kitchen sink. 

At this point in a tournament day I would normally be wound tighter than a drum and my mind would be playing dangerous games with my thinking. However I am extremely proud of how I handled the day to that point. I had moved around, thought on my feet, and was trying everything I had at my disposal to make something happen. This is the beginning of the true turning point in my tournament fishing as a boater. I knew I was being smart. I was doing everything right.

At this point, we decided to make a run to the big spawning bay I had found. There was a chance that some fish were still hanging around or with the warming air temps the fish might pull back in there. It's tricky getting in there, but I managed it like I've been doing it for years. Again a real turning point for me. Previously I wouldn't have done something like run on plane in 2.5 feet of water down a tight cut and maneuvering into a place like this. But I was fishing to win. There is a hard to describe difference I felt out there that day. I'm sure guys who have done this much longer than me already know this feeling, but it is new to me and part of my growth in the sport. I knew at a core level that I was doing everything right to win. I was fishing for big fish exactly like I needed to win. One thing I do have to make sure of in the future though is using a push pole in a place like that. Very thick and hard to manage the boat. There were beds everywhere and some fish movement. Because I couldn't be as stealthy as necessary, I fished the beds I couldn't see way out in front of me. I caught three little bucks back there who I think had early aspirations of being daddy's. They were all just shy of 12 inches so still no keepers. We worked all around this bay hunting some bedding fish that never materialized. The water temps in this shallow bay had improved to 60 degrees but still not enough to really draw them back in there. Again though, I was doing it right. I was trying everything that you should try. I had found very healthy areas, and I was working them methodically waiting for the bite to come to me. I continued to believe even as late as 3pm (ck in 5pm) that they would turn on and if I stayed working in my best areas, the bite would happen and we would get good real quick.

We left the little bucks behind to hit my first area one more time now that the boats had cleared out. We worked the best part of the grass line one more time but didn't waste time when the bite still didn't materialize. I decided to start heading back towards the launch ramp with three more good spots on the way back. Again all of this water was perfect in every technical sense and I was fishing with tons of confidence even though I still didn't have a fish in the live well. I was fishing with way more confidence than makes rational sense, but that is the part I am the most proud of.  I was not lost in my head feeling sorry for myself and making excuses. I was fishing hard fast and with purpose.

After trying my best remaining spot my co-angler suggested we finish the day on Kings Bar a community area very close to the ramp. He said its almost a guaranteed late afternoon bite which I had heard before as well. This is another one of those places on Okeechobee that just makes it one of the most special places on earth if you're a bass fisherman. There is everything here. Cane, lilly pads, mats of all kinds, hydrilla all over, penny wart, everything. Again, even with an hour left in the fishing day, I knew I could still win this tournament. One wave of big girls pulling in here off the main lake for a late afternoon feeding session, and I could win this tournament in a blink. The true turning point folks right there. Let me repeat that. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could still win this thing. I fished like a machine. I fished with confidence. I fished exactly how you have to if you ever expect to be a winner in this game. I am very proud of making that turn in the road. The best part. I was still having fun. I was still enjoying every sight sound and moment standing on the deck of my bass boat leaving behind all the rest of the world for those brief few hours living the dream.

Unfortunately nothing happened except my co caught a monster pickeral that for a moment made us think he was about to win big bass. I scored my first zero in the BFL's as a boater. But looking back I have zero regrets. I have zero shoulda, coulda, woulda's. I fished like I know what I am doing. I am proud of making this turn in the road. I wish the results had been better, but truly this was as gratifying a loss as I could ever wish for. I executed the day like you have too to win. This knowledge and this confidence is exactly why I will succeed. Tight lines everyone. Never stop learning. Never stop dreaming. Peace.

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