FMTuna

Ed from Margate NJ. Grew up on Long Island and now live outside Atlantic City after 28 years of moving around in the radio business. I write feature articles and a regional column for NJ Angler Magazine (Little Egg to Wildwood). Fish an average of 4 days a week in the back, out front, and all the way off. I run a 28' HS Vector with twin 250's... a greasy fast, gas 'n oil guzzlin monster.... And if there is something wrong with your boat, ask Jawz..... he is a opinionated SOB, but really knows his sh*t... and thats the truth.

On my old 24' HS Vector. I am drifting while fluke fishing near the 9th St bridge in Ocean City Nj and the current is ripping. Have a couple rods in the t-top rocket launchers, a spinner with a nice, new, sharp snagging hook for bunker in the rodholder behind the seat in my CC. Time for a new drift, turn the key on that wonderful Ficht engine... nothing. Try again, nothing. Turns out the computer has fried itself. Low clearence area of the bridge is getting closer, concrete abuttments looking more ominous. Run to the bow to throw the well advertised fortress anchor, it does not catch. Pull it up try again, no luck. Third try, let the rode go real long and head for the back of the boat to ward off the bridge abuttment. Spin the wheel on the way to change course a little and miss the abuttment by an inch, but the rods on the t-top are now scraping the underside of the 40 year old metal drawbridge, showering huge hunks of rust all over me and the boat. I make a move to get under the t-top to get out of the rust shower and bang the spinning rod on the way past. Snagging hook becomes unsecured from the rod guide, swings out wide, catches me sqaure in the right sunglass lens and deflects right into my forehead above the glasses. I am head-snagged. Got thru the bridge, unhooked my head, looked around for a second, and THEN the Fortress catches about 40 yds downcurrent of the bridge. I am bleedin like a stuck pig. Sat down, had a smoke, fixed my head and called SeaTow. Got to the dock, threw away the fancy anchor and got the old danforth out of the garage.... have not missed a hookup since.

I have strapped on an Edison on almost every boat I can remember owning and never thought to drill thru... just worked fine the way it was. Just be careful where the knob is when you are running in rough seas... if it is at 6 o'clock, a bump in the wrong direction can rearrange your.... eh... "package" in an abrupt and very uncomfortable way

I am on the Woody Wax wagon also. I use one of those square plastic paint pads that screw onto the end of almost any brush handle, and then toss the pad into a big ziplock baggie for storage so I can re-use it as it does soak up some of the wax... cost a couple bucks at any hardware store and is a breeze to use. A pad lasts a whole season then I toss it. The wax coating will not last that long and you will have to re-apply pretty regularly, but as far as keeping the gunk from sticking to the deck, it is totally worth the effort... especially in the fall after the marina shuts down the water.

So you were out "swampin" at night and your light kicked out? I'd be leavin a stain across the water at 70mph...

Yep... mine finally took the deep six dive... rechargeable battery is dead as a doornail. So, who has one they like? How long on a full charge, how bright, and will it operate while charging from the 12-v dc power cord (believe it or not, some do not!). Waterproof of course and an idea of how heavy would be nice. Let's have at it..

No no no... log books are only for people who forget to draw the big "X" on the side of the boat to remind them where the fish were last time.....

Live in Margate, fish from Cape May up to LBI and alllllllllll the way out!

My fishing notes are a mess. I was wondering if any of you characters have found a great logbook or even a computer program that I can get organized with. I was about to start my own Excel spreadsheet.... but thought I would run this up the flagpole first.

I got downcurrent of a rumor that there was new going on here... I was kind of hoping it was a newer version of something old Best of luck with the new board! Which way to the SandBar