Re: FM165 with Bimini Top
Ya, my cleats were to far forward too. The Lund has what they call a sport track system which they sell accessories for that fit in a slot all along the rail.
I found this cleat style. They are not cheap something like $17 each, but they are well worth it. Stainless steel and you just pull up on the middle and hook the fender line with a knot in it. They just screw into the gunnels with two screws. Along with the sport track piece that I screwed them into it allows me to slide the cleat where ever I want. These cleats allow me to swap sides with the fenders in seconds at any height, where I put a lose knot.
Many times though since my boat is so small I also hang two red throw cushions over the side for when a jerk flys by and throws a big wake against the dock.
Here is a pic:
Here is a pic too for that other poster on how I came up with a way to keep the bimini frame from scratch my grey painted gunnels, that foam piece is on the bottom tube only and it stays on all the time and goes up when the frame opens. Also protects my plastic windows from marring against the frame when they are zipped in place.
Sorry to have hijacked this thread talking about local fishing spots . . . .
We are on LG pretty much several times a month. We usually stay around Plattsburgh for a couple of days and hit LG on the way back. The state launch in Ticonderoga is free and the state launch is also free on Champlain. They are only 5 minutes apart so sometime we stay in TI and hit LG one day and Champlain the next.
The launch for LG in TI is about 1 3/4 hrs fr Albany so I prefer to go on Champ. on a Fri and this leaves us Sat and Sun to catch another nice day. If not we hit LG in TI on Sun. We have to play the winds cause Champ or lower LG can kick up to 3 footers in a heart beat.
I troll with a downrigger from time to time once they go deep in LG. Around this time of year they are too easy to catch around the tributaries until the water warms up.
I've never fished for strippers on the Hudson even though I'm on it like once a week. To me there is no sport in it. They are heading North to spawn and it's like shooting fish in a barrel. I don't like the idea of just sitting in one spot all day hanging a herring over the side. Reminds me of when I was a kid and used a bobber from the shore.
But even though I'm only moving at 1 mph trolling for Lakers I could do that for 10 hours at a time. Sitting in 1 spot is boring to me. That's why I like "the hunt" for Bass on Champ or LG.
A friend of mine said I should try that restaurant on Glen Lake. Ever eaten there?
So that's our stomping grounds depending on the weather and the wind. From Champ to LG to launching south of Albany at one of the free ramps from Bethlehem down to Newburgh.
When the weekends are sunny, since my Wife loves boating as much as I do, she is usually with me. She goes bonkers trolling for hours on LG so I'd meet up with you when the weathers good for fishing, but not a great boating day.
I can also go during the week. I like that the best cause the boat traffic on LG is quiet.
I troll to the East of Dome island in 150 feet of water over that big deep trench that runs from Dome to Pilots Knob.
The strippers are first plentiful around Saugerties and every few days they have moved a little farther north. All the ramps and parking lots are jammed for those few weeks and there are like 200 boats on the river around the launches, so that's another reason stripper fishing is not that exciting to me.
here is a pic of the small Porta Potty I found. Sanipottie model 962. I see them on sale at West Marine from time to time for $59. You can find them for around $50. They come in Grey (Platinum) and Putty (Parchment). Search around cause some sites sell them for $155 (that's funny) Amazon gets around $73. It's real small at 2.8 gals, but it's great for a boat as it takes up very little room on board.
