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Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Water temp was 79.5 to 80 degs all night long.

Tourney starts at 6pm. I'm anal about being early so I leave at 3:15pm. Driving through NW CT admiring the views of the rolling valleys taking my time. Checking my mirrors and tires as I go. Passenger tire looks funny so I pull over! Awe Chit! Blew it out. Sweltering humidity I get it changed. Off to the lake. I arrive! Fall to the ground. Kiss mother Earth and say an hallelujah. Everbody's looking at me like I'm crazy. I explain the flat. A response comes from the crowd Good Thing You Made It Before All The Air leaked Out! "WHAT" The spare I just put on is going flat! Ahhhh Double chit. Launch the boat even with the flat. Now It's time to fish. I'll worry about the flat and no spare later.

Head left outa the launch to the double boat house and Whacky Rig. (5 In The Basket Theory) Well that only took 20 minutes. Largest 4lbs smallest 2lbs. Got my limit. Bam! It's gonna be a good night.

My assigned non boater has one Pickerel. What are you using I ask. Tubes. Try a whack Rig. "I Will."

OK ten fish later I ask again how the tubs working! Not good!

I'm culling fish left and right. I'm up to about 25 fish, all keepers except two with the Green Pumpkin Red Flake Whacky Rig.

I suggest the whacky rig again. He tries it. First cast pulls in a 3.5 pounder. "Did I tell ya Or What." What does he do next? Goes to a jig! I look in the live wells and under my five fish are nothing but regurgitated craw fish. OK! I gotta go for quality now. I'm sure I have 12 pounds in the well. Fished a jig for an hour over and under every bit of structure I could find and notta.

I switch to top water about 8:30pm. Nothing but blow ups by barely keepers. Land one about 14 inches. Switch back to the Jig.

Bam! Definitely a five pounder. Line Zzzzzzzzzzing out, rod tip bent I'm playing the fish on all sides of the boat! As my non boater is fussing with a snag I grab the net and boat the fish. Get the hook out, go to stand up and my Diawa Zillion attached to my Loomis rod goes over board.

I'm lipping the fish debating which to save. Rod or fish. I go for both. Rod just outa reach and fish flopping all over I manage to grab the rod butt while hanging over the boat. Ecstatic I go to stand and with one last breath that only fish I got on a jig breaks free, flops across the bow deck and plops into the water. Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

Over all awesome night just couldn't land the quality but the quantity on the other hand were 24 Large Mouths. My non boater 1 Large Mouth. 7 Red Eye's on steroids. (Twin has the biggest Red Eye' I've ever seen). Actually caught one on a Buzz Bait.

9 PM the bite totally shut down. Fishing near the launch I hear a "Oh Chit" in the pitch black over cast lake and see the Fourth of July on the bow of a boat about 100' away. Minkota Trolling Motor Foot Pedal Fire! Dejavu all over again. Wow! 2 Minkota TM's with foot pedal fires in two weeks! Hmmmm!

$300 later for two new tires the Skeeters on the road ready to fish again. I can't stress the importance of pre checking your rig before leaving the driveway. I know for sure as heck mine will never leave again with out a 200 point check before it hits the water. One trolling motor and two tires totaling $900 was enough to convince me.

No picts! Didn't have enough time between fish.
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Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

I love the report. And I agree with you about the rock bass in East Twin. I'm sure there's a State Record in there.
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Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

My good friend John and I went back to Twin Saturday afternoon to get the boat. Put the new tire on. While there another Bass Club was coming off the water. They reported the 2lb fish were killing everything they threw. They launched at 6am and departed at 1pm. Said bite was awesome early morning but shut off like a light switch once the light came over the hills.

Got the tire on and left the launch. Driving town that God Forsaken Pot Hole, Bump tattered road my partner starts telling me how his boat loses something almost every time he rides on it. Now I'm tire shy and checking all three mirrors.

Suddenly I see a black floppy thing flying through the air. I stop and pull over to investigate. Ahhhhhhh! The "HEAVY DUTY" Transom Saver Jaw broke off! Arrgghh. Did some McGivering and we're back on the road.

Definitely was an interesting two days of fishing.
_________________
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

bass tracker · Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 84

Just wondering, what caught fire on the trolling motor pedal? I have one and would like to know what to look out for. Also... where is the double boat house?

Thanks,
BT

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Directly under the foot pedal you'll see two wires in the center. Red and black/yellow or just Red and Black. One wire is the power wire and the other is the speed dial controller. These wires are rubbing against each other and over time are wearing out the insulation. Eventually the insulation becomes thin enough the short occurs. Both motors, mine and my teammates made what sounded like potato chip bags crinkling before the sparks and flames occurred. 24 volt systems put out a lot of amps. Neither motors tripped the circuit breakers and continued to fry until the plugs were pulled.

The boat house is left of the launch. Looks like a small cottage with two garage doors on the water. You pass it on the street about 300 yards from the launch if the water is on your left.
_________________
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

You got my curiosity going so I went and checked my new Minkota Edge 24V 70Lb. I'd like to meet the electrical genius who wired these things.

My brand new Edge was wired the same way as my Minkota All Terrain 70Lb 24V. That was another fire waiting to occur. The power wire was wrapped tightly around the controller clip connection. A little weather and rubbing and fire #3.

Now I'm gonna get some Liquid Electrical Tape and insulate them myself.

What a bunch of idiots.

I was gonna sell my old motor but now I may need to keep it as a spare.

See the 10 Guage Black/Red Wire directly above the 2013 in the date in the picture? That is what is shorting out causing the fires.

_________________
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

jjbassfishn · Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 209 Location: Northwestern CT.

Sounds like an interesting trip to say the least! I'll be checking and adding some isolators to my MK(Fortrex 80) trolling motor wires. Brand new still under warranty but a fire on the rig just doesn't sound like something I wanna experience!

Thanks for the tip!
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Can't catch em sittin on the sofa! Wink

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

What are isolators? I need to get some. My new MK Edge is wired the exact same way.
_________________
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

bass tracker · Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 84

I'm glad I read this thread, good info to know. Thanks for posting the picture too, seeing it helps to understand the cause. I will be checking mine out before I hit the water again.

BTW... the boat house is to the left of O'Hara's launch?

BT

jjbassfishn · Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 209 Location: Northwestern CT.

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Thanks I know exactly what your talking about. Just got the first TM back from Reynolds today. They replaced all the internals on the foot pedal. Thank God for Warranties.

Now I have a spare TM or I may just sell the old one.
_________________
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.