haggis57

Minn Kota 12 volt trolling motors are probably the most commonly available and Minn Kota have a decent Motor Size Selection document. This page has additional information. The Minn Kota Endura C2 30lb thrust with 30" or 36" shaft is their entry level motor and is available at Cdn Tire, Cabelas/BassPro, the Fishin Hole. They all usually have the Endura C2 on sale at some point during the Spring fishing sales. You can also pick up good used ones from Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. That's where I bought mine for 1/2 the retail price. Sealed lead acid(SLA) batteries are the most commonly used batteries for trolling motors. Lithium batteries have become more widely avaiIable in the last few years but are significantly more expensive than SLA batteries. If you can justify the initial cost, they weigh quite a bit less than SLA batteries and provide more useable power. Certainly worth considering since you haven't invested in an SLA battery yet. Battery capacity - Amp-hour (A-hr or Ah) - is dependant on whether you are going to the motor occasionally to changing location or if you are going to use the motor for trolling. Continuous use for trolling with will require a larger battery capacity. Keep in might that the weight of the battery is directly related to the battery capacity. A 35 A-hr SLA battery is probably the smallest to consider for occasionally changing locations. My 35 A-hr battery weighs 22 lbs. A couple of guys I fish with were concerned with having enough capacity for multi-day trips and rather than buy a larger battery they bought 2 - 35 A-hr batteries. They find it more convenient to move two small batteries around than one larger 50lb battery. Batteries this size are often sold for mobility carts, wheel chairs, etc. and are commonly available. I have a 7 ft Outcast Fish Cat Scout and I have an Endura C2 30lb motor with a 35 A-hr sealed lead acid battery. I just use the motor for changing locations or motoring back to the boat launch at the end of the day so the smaller 35 A-hr battery has been fine. I believe I can get over 1.5 hrs of motoring between locations if I keep the motor at speed 3 or less. Good luck with new boat! Ken

There was no comment made at all about the moderation here. Simply a comment that there are other well moderated sites as well.

Although not strictly local, try FlyBC.ca forums and Pacific NorthWest Fly Fishing forums. Both have more activity and are well moderated. I have found they have more activity during the winter when everyone seems to be kicking around looking for something to do or someone to talk to.

Can't help with moveable markers - I actually use fixed markers at 10, 15, 20 & 25 feet on my Type 5 and Type 7 full sink lines. A single orange at 10 ft; single white at 15 ft; two orange at 20 ft; two white at 25 ft. This YouTube video shows how to whip finish onto the line. I make the markers with two layers of thread, 1/2 to 3/4 in long and covered them with UV epoxy. Fixed hang markers I would then use one of my guides in conjunction with one of the markers as a reference point. Since the markers were 5 ft apart, there is always 1 marker somewhere in the guides of my 9 ft rod. The fixed markers really helped improved the consistency of casting the full sinking lines for trolling as well since I could always cast with the same amount of line out the end of the rod. Ken

Aquabatics usually has Aquaseal.

Washington State has closed all recreational fishing until at least April 8. https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/wdfw-closes-recreational-fishing-statewide-wake-governors-order-stay-home-stay-healthy

A few weeks ago, I saw both the Calgary Police and Calgary Fire boats on the river at the same while I was fishing. There was a very distinct difference in the way the Police boat was handled compared to the idiots in the Fire boat. The Police boat looked like it was being handled by adults and was travelling at a reasonable speed paying attention to the other users on the river. The Fire boat seems oblivious to other users and appeared to be intentionally driving at high speed by other users. Not very good PR for Fire Department.

I've got a Smith Creek Rod Holder as well on my sling pack. I was concerned the foam might get crushed down with use, but it is holding up great. Very effective gadget!

This is the net hung over the main compartment, from the d-ring, on the Patagonia Stealth Atom sling. The rod holder straps work great for my rolled up wading jacket. Ken

I've been using the previous generation of the Patagonia Stealth Atom sling for a couple of years and have been happy with it's flexibility. Lots of room to hang crap from the strap as you can see! I keep a small fly box in my left shirt pocket and between that and the fly patch, I don't end up having to swing the main compartment around very often. I like the fact that the water bottle pouch on the Patagonia slings are on the outside of the main compartment. I can get my water bottle without swinging the main compartment around. The Smith Creek rod holder is convenient for fly changes in the river and releasing fish. I hang my net from the d-ring using a magnetic holder at the top of the loop, not from the end of the handle. That way the net nestles on top of the sling and doesn't swing around at all. I don't find re-attaching the net any more awkward than with the vest I previously used. Ken p.s. I am left-handed. A right-handed person may want less junk hanging on their right side.

What a pleasant change! Not as dramatic as the reduced numbers of people/quads in the West Castle - Carbondale - Lynx area, but a huge step in the right direction. Ken

I've been using Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit Orthotics in my boots, but I don't know if they are sophisticated enough for your issues. I just rince and dry when I wash off the boot felts after fishing. Ken

I bought a 13 year old Outcast Fish Cat Streamer 8 ft pontoon a couple of years ago and did not have any problems. I used a 30 lb Minn Kota on it with a smaller 35 A-hr battery. The smaller battery lasts 1.5 to 2 hours at med. speeds and is fine for changing locations. I'd get a bigger battery if doing a lot of trolling. I didn't have any issues at all using the motor. I had to order a few replacements items from Outcast and the turnaround was very quick - exchange rate sucked! I found Outcast to be a great company to deal with. I also put a Launching Gear wheel on the pontoon which was really useful in moving the pontoon, motor, battery from the truck to boat launch as a single unit. Another option to consider is a frameless inflatable pontoon like the Fish Cat Scout or Stealth Pro, both from Outcast. Scadden has some nice looking models as well, but I had the same concerns mentioned above about service if needed. I got a great deal on a barely used Fish Cat Scout last spring and sold my Streamer. The big attraction for my 60 year back was that the frameless Scout is 1/2 the weight of the Streamer with its metal frame - 30 lbs vs 60 lbs. I have seen guys using the Scout on the Bow although I haven't tried it yet. If you have to inflate/ deflate the frameless pontoon each day, you might want to consider a 12 vt high volume pump. You can buy an optional motor mount for the Stealth Pro. I fabricated a motor mount for my Scout from 1-1/4" PVC pipe/fittings and that has worked fine the last 2 years for lake fishing in Manitoba. I using the same Minn Kota/battery that I had on the Streamer. I made a simple steering systems from a couple ropes attached to pipe hanger on the motor shaft. I've used the same strap-on mounts for my ODC 420 float tube, Fish Cat Streamer pontoon and now my Fish Cat Scout pontoon. Scotty make a nice strap-on mount that can be used for a rod holder or an anchor lock. I have a separate strap-on mount for each. I use a Humminbird Fishin Buddy sonar and Humminbird's strap-on holder seems to be the best for that unit. I've been using my 2 lb Outcast Float Tube anchor for all three boats as well. There are lots of cheap anchor solutions including a simple bag you fill with rocks. I ended up getting a cheap Lucky Strike landing net from Canadian Tire that had an extendable handle. The extra length has worked great on both the Scout and the Streamer. Fishin Hole would be a good place to start for the strap on mounts, anchors, etc. Scotty mounts, etc. are also available on Amazon. http://www.outcastboats.com/accessories/float-tube-anchor.asp Ken

Aquabatics across from Canada Olympic Park behind Shell Gas Station usually keeps some.

I've had the 120 for 3 years and wouldn't be without it. I use it on a float tube. As mentioned, the side scanner and temperature gauge are very useful. I find the down scanner most useful for sorting out structure.