Check this site out. Etec owners You may find an answer there. I’d check fuel lines, filter, battery connection and water pump. Did you get any alarms?

Dielectric grease will help prevent the corrossion but it is tacky so it may attract debris when the harness is not plugged. The grease is available almost everywhere like auto stores, walmart, etc.

Thanks everyone. I am checking with Ranger on Monday and will also check out the repairs shops you all suggested.

Thanks. I’m planning to head out tomorrow so it should be okay. With an inch of rain expected this weekend and the warm weather it could get ugly very quickly! Let’s hope for the best.

Thanks for everyone’s input. Does the clamp put too much clamping pressure on the window? On my boat there’s a short post on the bottom of the console glass that holds the folding window off the glass about an inch and my concern is that the clamp may bend the frame of the folding glass if it holds it right up against the glass.

Wake restrictions? What are you talking about?

I was amazed that so many boaters either ignored or are not aware of the restrictions. I bet more than half the boats I saw on the water yesterday were not observing the restriction. On the Croix at Stillwater the normal stage is 75-76′ (600′ is base line) and when it hits 83′ a river wide no wake goes into effect. Besides the deadheads floating all over could do some damage to a boat.

Here’s s site I visit for reference:
Rivergages

Have you been treating the fuel with additives or ever had the injectors cleaned? Before spending thousands try a cetane boost and injector cleaner. I use Gold Eagle Diesel Power Complete all year round to keep the fuel system clean. The cetane will help improve power and should bump your fuel economy up. FYI, Gold Eagle makes Stabil and Heet. Sorry for sounding like a commercial.

http://www.goldeagle.com

I noticed the transducer is close to the screen for the livewell. Perhaps there is cavitation or interference from that.

Here’s a pic of the tire that went last week.

My experience with Carlisle has been awful. I’ve been on the side of the interstate too many times changing tires. Sometimes twice on a single trip. I can’t recommend Carlisle. To be fair, it may not be the tires but the load on the trailer. But I check pressure, bearings, tire wear each trip. I am going to weigh my rig to what the GVW is on the trailer. I’ve had a boats all my life and never had tires blow the way these are. So I blame the quality more than the application. If I make the rest of the season on Goodyears and do not have an issue then I know where the problem lied.

Thanks for everyone’s input. The comments you all made were similar to those I read from a google search on Carlisle. I did contact them with the first 2 failures and they paid for progressive damage to the fender on the first failure. But I’m tired of the headaches and will change tire brands with hopes of fewer problems.

i wouldn’t try it yet, not sure i will at all. Just doing some homework to see if this area has had reliable ice in years past given the right conditions. And the fact it is a river makes me nervous. A fish is not worth a life.

Here’s a link that may help. Also check with any of the guides for help.

LBD reports

I was fishing Poop 2 last fall and there was a mess of waste all around the 494 launch. It really stunk from the launch to around the airport. I thought a sewege line busted. I wonder how much waste those paddle boats carry and dump at a time. Anyway, here’s a link to the Padelford Company. Maybe they will change their ways if enough people tell them what we think of their practices.

Padelford

May not be relevant anymore but…I was out this past Saturday. Fished walleyes for a while, got bored so I switched to smallmouth. I dragged crawlers and minnows on a lindy rig in 18 – 30′ ow. Caught a few nice fat smallies and several channel cats. I was south of Afton and north of Kinni fishing on WI side wherever I saw rocks. I didn’t have much time to chase around. Try fishing off the nature preserve just north of Hwy 10 bridge on the MN side. I’ve done good there in past. Water temp was 71 degrees. Tons of baitfish. My graph was nothing but clouds especially near 94 bridge. I also saw a lot of surface activity – baitfish being chased to the surface. I should have casted a crank to those areas.

Normally the less of the lower unit in the water the better the performance. There is less drag, so hole shot and top end speed usually improve. Generally, the cavitation plate should be even with the bottom of the transom. The more of the lower unit in the water the greater the drag and typically slower performance. However, your boat may run best that way. If you raise the engine one or two holes you may improve hole shot and top end speed. But be carefull, if it is mounted too high, at higher speeds, you may not get enough water pick up to cool the engine.

I asked my dealer to raise the engine one hole and the performance was noticably better. Faster and quicker.

If you are having porpoising problems try moving weight around in your boat. One way is to fill the front livewell and see if that reduces the porpoising.

Also, four strokes typically have slower hole shot and top end when compared to two strokes.

I’m curious – do you store your boat indoors or out? I also have an Eagle and have not had any problems but keep mine in the garage where it can dry out.

What is your concern with the moisture? Are you talking about moisture on the power and transducer cable left on the boat? Not sure there is much reason to worry. The unit is sealed and corrosion is not likely. Also, that dielectric grease works to prevent corrosion and reduce moisture at the connectors but dust and dirt stick to it like flies on fly paper.

When I head to the BWCA I usually go at the season opener. Typically I pack in a flat of crawlers and wear walleye out on a simple split shot rig. I have done well casting cranks at river inlets and also trolled Shad Raps. Then in the evenings at camp I’ll toss a lighted slip bobber out with a crawler below. I’d start shallow and work deep if you don’t pick shallow fish up. Good Luck!

Are you sure it is the fitting? Maybe the hose connected to it is loose and the clamp needs to be tightened. Is the livewell cracked where the fitting is attached? Maybe just replace the fitting or get some rubber gasketing you can cut to fit the opening in the livewell.

here it is
Right Here!

When I trun on my LCX 15 I turn the sensitivity up until the screen is black with clutter. I then turn it down until it is mostly clear.

What kind of boat do you have? Is there in-floor battery storage or tackle storage? I mounted mine in the battery compartment and had another boat that I mounted the charger on it’s side in a bow storage compartment. I basically looked for a convenient, easy to reach yet out of the way spot to mount the chargers. If the cables aren’t long enough to reach the batteries you could probably buy an extension. Good Luck!

Instead of investing in line counter reels you can buy a clamp on counter made by Shakespeare. I think they run around 15.00 bucks and work on most rods. They seem to be fairly accurate.

You read my mind. I have only targeted smallies and eyes on the Croix and caught crappies at that time. I was thinking of fishing for the crappies around the calmer waters, boat docks and small bays where there is plenty of cover. Any other suggestions?

I went out of the 494 launch yesterday and it was great. Just a little snow along the edges of the ramp but it was ice and snow free to launch a boat. After today most the snow will be gone.

Here’s a link to Alumacraft performance tests. alumacraft
Should help get you in the right direction. I agree, stainless is the only way to go. I run a Michigan Wheel Rapture and am happy with it.

I also have an Eagle trailer and have replaced all the standard lights with led’s. Led’s use 1/10th the amps that standard lights use and have 100,000 hour life rating. Most manufacturers offer a 10 year warranty but some less expensive led’s do not. True, they should last forever especially on a boat trailer application.

The lights mounted in the grommets are industry standard sizes. The round Stop/tail/turn (back of trailers)are 4″ diameter, the oval stop/tail/turn (also on back of trailers)are 6 inch and the side markers are usually 1×2 or 1×3 and mount either in a plasctic base or rubber grommet. The side marker lights mounted in the plastic base are more difficult to remove. To to so, use a small flat edge screw driver to pry the plastic tab away from the light and then lift the light out. I had a Shorelander with these bases and broke a couple while trying to remove the light. You can also buy that base – many Marine dealers charge more than mass retailers or auto stores. Once you get them out, leave the gromment in place on the trailer and simply insert the new light into the grommet. It may help to moisten the inside edge of the grommet to help slide the light in.

Word of caution, some of the lights on the market use different connectors than what is on your trailer. It will cost a few more bucks for the jumper. So make sure you ask for the standard 3 pin or 2 pin lights.

Through local distributors I sell a brand of LED’s that work and look great. If interested Send me a PM and I’ll let you know part numbers and where you can get them at very good prices. You shouldn’t spend $30 on a LED tail light and LED side markers should cost no more than $7

I’ve got a couple of them and thought they were too much of an info-mercial for their sponsors such as Lowrance.

Thanks for the input Steve. I’m leaning towards the Panther unit but just blew the money I had for it at Gander Mountain in Duluth. They are expanding into a new building and had lots of goodies on clearance/moving sale – 20% off rods and reels, 30% off tackle, etc. Great time to pick up a few new St. Croix rods!

Should I buy the Trollmaster or wait for yours to hit the market? I’ll wait – I need the remote steering more than the throttle control.

Are you on pool 2 tomorrow (Thursday)? I’ll be there in a black 1800 Fisherman.

I want the remote steering not for speed control but for ease of operation. Here’s the problem – The kicker is a T8 remote (no tiller) and I control it at the console. The T8 is tied to the main engine with a metal tie-rod. If I have the main engine trimmed up for running in shallow water such as around boat docks, and the kicker trimmed all the way up the steering locks up when I turn all the way left. I have bent two tie rods and loss steering control (at idle speed) and unfortunately found the only metal plate at the dock. The 1500.00 repair bill to patch a hole in my gunwale still stings.(FYI – Look out for the tips of the docks at St. Croix Bluffs, there is a sharp plate at each corner and they will scratch and puncture!) The tie rods have quick disconnects so now I just remove it if I am not going to use the kicker. But that is inconvenient.

The Panter remote would steer the kicker independently of the main engine and eliminate the tie rod connection. I’d still control speed at the helm.

Thanks for everyone’s input!