today’s post

Posted by Greybeard on May 26th, 2011 in Fishing | 0 comments

Here’s the finished product.

3 coats of epoxy sealer,  then a good coating of VC-17 bottom paint.

Fully protected against the ravages of the nasty river water it sit’s in all summer.   From here it went to the boat launch and is currently floating at my dock.   I’ve got most of the gear installed and it needs a good clean up,  but it’s just about ready to hit the bay.  (today is COLD, WINDY, and Spitting RAIN).   NOw, I just have to locate some WALLEYE!

Lot’s of traffic

Posted by Greybeard on May 23rd, 2011 in Fishing, Technology and Music | 0 comments

I’ve been getting a lot of traffic on the blog lately and I can’t  figure it?

http://greybeard.igogg.com/2009/04/14/a-damn-shame/

Is a very old post I did  back in 2009,  about financial issues.   Totally irrelevent today,  but still getting hit’s like crazy,  Hmmmm?   I get a lot of hits on a lot of different older posts,  some irrelevant,  some that still have meaning.  It’s just puzzling how this internet thing works.

And on to today’s business,

Here’s a couple of pictures of the Walleye boat as she sat today.   The epoxy sealer is just about dry,  and tomorrow,  weather permitting,  the bottom coat will go on.  It should be in the water in a few days.

Au Gres river, mini-report

Posted by Greybeard on May 22nd, 2011 in Fishing | 0 comments

The big boat is still in the shop being bottom coated,  but the 17ft’er is in the river and we made a trolling run today.   A couple of hours up and down river brought us 1 nice sized Pike.   From what we could see from the other boats on the river today,  Pike were the fish of the day.   It’s still very muddy,  but the current has slowed considerably.   I -did- hear a rumor that out on the Bay,  some boats were doing quite well on Walleye,  in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Some times stupidity just builds up, until it really bugs me.

Posted by Greybeard on May 18th, 2011 in Fishing, News and weather, Technology and Music | 1 comment

A couple of days ago I read this article:

A recent FCC decision to allow high-speed internet and cell phone service to use frequencies close to existing GPS radio frequencies could disrupt GPS signals and cause severe interference to a wide range of GPS receivers, including those used by boaters. On January 26, the FCC gave conditional approval to a private company, LightSquared, to build 40,000 ground stations within the U.S. that would transmit high powered signals in the middle of the existing satellite band of frequencies.

Then today a BoatUS magazine arrived with an article about “Rescue 21”  the Coast Guard’s new advanced distress-comminications system.   (connects your GPS to your VHS radio,  for automatic transmission of distress location information).   To use this system you’ll need a compatable GPS,  and a new VHS radio with the connection port.    For a marine radio tutorial,  go to www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/dsc/player.html

Anyway,  the bugs are building.    On one hand the government is taking action that will reduce or eliminate a vital marine function (GPS navigation),   and with the other hand they’re rolling out an exciting new program that , TOTALLY RELIES ON GPS FUNCTION.   (the function the FCC is hamstringing)

If this didn’t get me riled enough,  this afternoon I was trying to get a TV to work.   Hooked up digital adapter box,  connected antennae,  turned out power,  scanned for channels,  THREE FOUND,  signal strength to low to receive.   Now you have to understand,  that before the FCC sold TV analog bandwidth to the phone companies,  we received about 9 channels reliably,  and another 3 or 4 on clear days.  Now that they’ve gone digital,  antenna TV is history up here.   It’s cable or Satelitte ONLY.   What was free before Uncle Sam got involved now cost me around $1oo a month.  Not to mention the money I laid out trying to get  the stinking antennae to work!

NOW THEY WANT TO CONTROL HEALTHCARE!   They’ve got to be kidding!

High winds today.

Posted by Greybeard on May 16th, 2011 in Fishing, News and weather | 0 comments

The wind was blowin’ today,  steady and strong,  out of the northeast.   About 3 pm we were surprised by seeing two larger boats heading down river towards the Bay.   We didn’t thing they were locally moored boats, so we drove out the mouth of the river to watch how they handled the wind and waves.

A reminder about high winds and rough sea’s was given.    The second boat had engine trouble just as he left the protection of the river,  then the wind overpowered his boat and drove him into the rocks lining the river.   His partner,  made a very dangerous turn around,  in the channel just out side the river mouth and came back to help his friend,   and immediately was driven into the rocks by the wind.    The boat were stranded and bumping rocks and each other for about a half hour,  before a small power boat from a local boat store (they had called him for help),  arrived and managed to pull the bigger boat away from the smaller one.   The bigger boat,  maybe 36 feet,  was able to get started and limp back up the river channel.   The smaller one,  about 30 feet,  wasn’t so lucky,   the little powerboat (20 ft) pulled it back up the channel to the docks for haul out.

All in all,  it wasn’t a good day for these guys,  but in actuality,  maybe it was a good day,,   no one got hurt and neither boat sank.    Both boats will likely need repairs, but both will return to the Bay,  (hopefully on a calmer day).

The amazing thing is, while the two boats were banging the rocks and each other,  a third boat came out,  this one another 30 footer.   He slowed for a few minutes, and talked with the stranded boats,  almost getting blown into the rocks,  then eased out into the Bay and was blown immediately out of the channel.  (I assume they told him help was coming).  Fortunately,  the must have lucked out and got back into the channel and continued slowly out.   The last we saw of them,  they were about a mile or so out,  doing maybe 5 or 6 knotts,  and throwing spray over the stern.

My boats haven’t been wet yet,  the 17 ft fishing boat is still in the barn,  but nearly ready to launch (when the weather breaks)  and the SportCraft is in the shop,  getting a few coats of epoxy sealer and bottom coated.     The Walleye were in the river a couple of days ago,  but,  seem to have scattered now.  Hopefully,  this year we can find them out on the Bay.