[VW TDI or Prius?]

Chevrolet Volt all the way, I drove one and it was fun to drive

Yeah, i'd go with the Volt, i hear they're....... "on fire" right now!

[Proline Boats]

I absolutely love Proline's 23 Express.

[I'm guessing I should be hearing about my FID soon ... what are some nice guns legal in mass]

Any suggestions for me to check out? I probably will need to learn how to hunt some skeet.

You guys hunt skeet??? We hunt deer and ducks in these here parts.

I think you guys in Mass are allowed to own cap guns............no high capacity cap rolls though.

[Geese sitting on my gunwales and in the cockpit.]

Personally, i'd shoot em, breast emn out, and make a good stew!!

[Are there to many forums out there?]

I personally do not Facebook, Twitter or any of that other stuff. Not knocking anyone that does but, I simply do not have the time/interest to do so. I opened a FB account to see someone on it and then forgot about it. I started getting friend invitations from people I did not even know and some from people I knew from high school that I didn't like then (30 year ago. I really like this site but there does seem to be a lack of traffic and I don't know why. I do get on another site (Charlestonfishing.com) but that is because it is local to me. Don't give up Wiley. I think the reel boaters/fishermen (I put myself in there loosely) will keep coming here and you will see growth, it just may take a little longer.

Lol, i'm with you on this, i just can't get into the Facebook, Myspace, Twitter stuff, seems more suited to kids. I much prefer to take part in forums where i can discuss my interests, such as fishing, boating, hunting, politics, etc....

[what cleaner / wax do you use]

I have used Collonite, Rejex, Meguiars Flagship, and most recently Starbrite polish w/PTEF.

They are all good waxes/polishes in their own right, but the Starbrite was to easiest to apply and remove. It also left the fiberglass really slick and shiny, but it hasnt't been long enough to tell how long it will last yet. If it lasts through the summer into the fall, i will likely use it exclusively from here on, considering the ease of applying/removing.

It is my understanding that the carnuba based waxes will not last nearly as long as the polishes that have some form of PTEF, but the polishes are only intended for gelcoat that is in like new condition.

If your gelcoat is in good condition, i don't see a need to apply more than one good coat, and i have seen claims that is does no more to protect than a single coat. I can't imagine applying 2 or 3 coats like some of these guys claim, considering it takes me nearly a full day to put one coat on my 22'CC.......that's inside, outside, and entire bottom of hull (no bottom paint). Waaaay too much work!

[My Take on the Boating Industry]

I feel new boat buyers are finally accepting the realization of which size and price category they belong to. Where once the majority of the offshore fish boat owners used to flock toward the 26-32' size class I am now seeing this size class as a dead zone.

Affordable boats in smaller sizes (18-24') seemly have gained interest as have larger boats 35+' in size.

It's even worse up here in the northern areas. I went to a local show last weekend, and the dealers seem to be predominantly pushing the smaller boats. In years past the niche was for mid-size boats in the 22'-26' range, but this year there was very little of those sizes and the majority fell in the 18'-22' category.

I think in our area the smaller boats are the only thing keeping some of the dealers afloat.

[Thanks again Ludicrous]

Thanks to both of you. Us guys up here in the mid-atlantic have been hammered this winter, and these pics are the closest thing to a real boat show we will see.

It's gotta be alot of work taking, posting, and resizing all those pics.

I hope to get down there some year to see the show in person.

[How to spot Wiley at the Miami Boat Show ...]

Those shirts are sick!! I want one.....no, make that two. I'll even take a third if you can get one in yittle baby sizes.

[Scout 2009]

I like Scouts about as much as anything i've ever seen. They have beautiful lines, and great layouts. Absolutely love the big express model in the pics above. Since there's no drool emoticon this will have to do!!

[He's here!]

Congrats Chris!! I had my first back in March, nothing else like it in the world!

[Boat covers]

I think you meant a real pain in the ass to put on with 1 person..

No, it's not that bad. I can do it with no problem by myself, just takes a little longer.

[Sea Hunt 24 Gamefish]

Got to have it.

Looks alot like mine, only 2' bigger!!

They are nice rigs, don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Boat covers]

Here's the cover i bought from BoatCoversDirect.com, it ran about $600 for my 22' CC. T-topcovers.com makes a nice cover too, more expensive though, and it does not cover the t-top if your boat has one.

Overall, i am happy with mine, can be a bit of a pain to put on by yourself if the wind is blowing.

[Yamaha Gauges - Trim Display Not Working]

Mine hasn't worked since the day i brought the boat home from the dealership.

Never really worried too much about it, always check the trim visually anyway.

Where exactly is the trim sender cam on the new F150's, i may try to fix it myself.

If not, will the yamaha warranty usually cover the repair?

[Kick-off]

Lower DE. Fish the mid and lower Chespeake, De bay, and inland Md, De, Va bays.

Especially love the Tangier Sound area.

[Waxing a fiberglass boat below the waterline?]

A waxed bottom actually creates more drag by increasing the "seal" between the boat and the water (think suction cups on a smooth vs rough surface.) Hence the stepped hulls that introduce air to create turbulance and separate the hull from the water. That being said, I wax the bottom of my 23 Sea Hunt because clean up is more important than .2 mph on a fishing boat. Also note that if you take the effort to wax the bottom, and then clean it with an acid hull cleaner, you've probably wasted your wax.

Good post, that is exactly why i wax the bottom of my hull too, even though i hate every second of it.

Then i just wash it after i use it with one of those boat wash/wax soaps and everything cleans up real easy.

[WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!]

Just signed up, also a member of THT and Tidalfish and look forward to contributing whatever i can here.

I am a new boater, just bought my first boat last year, a Sea Hunt Triton 22' CC.

I have learned an enormous amount from alot of you already and highly appreciate it.

I fished alot as a kid, my dad took me often, and the great memories are many.

Got into hunting, girls, and fast cars in my teens and didn't fish much through my teens and twenties, then started getting back into it a few years ago.

Went out on a few charters flounder fishing and started to think it might be nice to have a boat, plus i really enjoyed being on the water and thought it would be an enjoyable family activity now that i'm married.

Kicked the idea around with my wife and dad and started going to boat shows looking around. Narrowed down our choices and found what we wanted and bought last spring.

My dad retired earlier this year, so now i'm trying to pay him back for taking me fishing as a kid.

We have probably caught more fish since we bought the boat than in the previous ten years combined.

This year, on opening day of striper season (which was also my birthday) i caught my first real striper, a 38 incher, and my dad caught his biggest and first keeper a 39 incher, as well as two 36 inchers caught by my crew. It made all the expense ad hassle of owning a boat worth it, and that's why i'm here.

[Chesapeake Bay boater ignored]

One of the most dangerous sources of pollution that is choking the Bay is runoff from Chicken waste products: manure, feathers etc. The chicken producers have been very good at killing any legislation that would force them to do something about cleaning up their act, so the Bay continues to suffer. This is just a part of the problem of course. With a Watershed that extends from the Adirondacks to the Blue Ridge across 10 states, the effort to coordinate between all interested parties is staggering.

I was only trying to be glib with my previous statement.

It truly is sad, the bay is in bad shape and it needs to change, it is a national treasure that all surrounding states should be working together on in order to improve its condition.

It reminds me of a day trip me and my wife took a couple years ago to St Michaels maritime museum. One of the exhibits was on John Smith, and there was a plaque with one of his quotes, i believe this was the one....

“A few Bevers, Otters, Beares, Martins and minkes we found, and in divers places that aboundance of fish, lying so thicke with their heads above the water, as for want of nets (our barge driving amongst them) we attempted to catch them with a frying pan: but we found it a bad instrument to catch fish with: neither better fish, more plenty, nor more variety for smal fish, had any of us ever seene in any place so swimming in the water, but they are not to be caught with frying pans.”

Captain John Smith, 1608

He also had this to say about the bay....

"Within is a country that may

have the prerogative over the most pleasant places of Europe, Asia, Africa, or America. for large

and pleasant navigable rivers: heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for means of

habitation . . .”

I can only imagine the beauty and abundance of the bay as Mr Smith saw it 400 years ago.

[Just signed up]

Just signed up, figured if Wiley started the site it will be a good one.

I'm a member on THT and Tidalfish too, lots of familiar faces here.

Site looks great Riley, good job!!

Great emoticons too!!