Wimbelton white fenders, silver (galvanized) trailer, pivot tongue, step only.
I have used the PTSV for almost 2 years now and here is my opinion. Pluses:1. It will track depth pretty darn well and it creek tracks well too! Shore is just ok, too many variables in shore topo. to track consistently.2. In windy conditions, it is nice to be able to fish with BOTH feet on the deck, I can go for extended periods without touching the foot pedal and you can also fight a fish without the motor moving when you take your foot of the pedal (if you are using the motor in the manual mode). I have been out in 20+ mph winds and to have the motor drive you around is wonderful. Thats about it for the positivesMinuses:1.Reliability!!!-my first motor was a lemon and never worked right. Would turn off for no reason, tracked poor, my replacement (under warranty) has worked much better.If reliability is a major issue, stick with a cable tm.2. RELIABILITY!!!- Cant stress this enough, if you are a big tournament guy and push your motor hard, you will have problems most likely.3. Will never in the manual mode be as quick to respond or have the feel of a cable model. The pinpoint pedal is close, but there is no substitue for a cable pedal. If you are a dock fisherman, you will HATE this motor.4. When the motor is in constant “on” manual mode and you put the pedal in its “center” position, it almost every time causes the motor to “rock” slightly which generates a back and forth click-click-click-click ect. If fishing shallow or calm waters it make an audible sound that may alert the fish and if you are a sound “nut” while fishing it will drive you crazy!! There is a fix for it though (ie. never use the constant “on.” If you stand on the “on” button the motor does not “rock” in the center position.)5.PRICE-no explanation neededOverall, If you are a shallow water flipper/dock fisherman DO NOT BUY. If you want to sit back relax and let the motor MOST of the time drive you at 15 ft while you concentrate on your presentation, it may be the motor for you. I say may because if you already are good at boat control in windy conditions, probably not the motor for you. It is nice for deep cranking points ect. but most bass fisherman would be better served with a cable tm. I hope this helps, if you have any more specific questions, I will do my best to answer them. Good Luck-Joe.
Mike, the 997 will fit in dash on the Cougar FTD, Puma and PIV. I dont know the “plan” on mounting in the other models.-Joe
Good luck. The depth and creek track on my current unit work well, but keep in mind for creek track must be a fairly well defined creek (or canal). My biggest gripe is the rocking deal now. Please give me a follow up after you take it Through its “paces.” If you have any problems or questions just ask, I may be able to save you some time.-Joe
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sideimaging/ they will help you. Also try a search there I know this problem has been adressed before. Good luck.-Joe
Sam, I noticed that AFTER I posted, but I still think the “bird” guys there (ie. Mark Gibson and Greg Walters) will still be able to help, and you will be able to e-mail them directly.-Joe
About all you can try yourself is to reset the unit to the factory default by hitting the “0” key ten times untill the unit turns off. Good luck-Joe.
I have a 06 PIV and all I can say about the rough water ride is WOW!!! I have taken this boat out in the head of stuff that I would have not attempted in my old boat (30 MPH++ winds) and the ride in the PIV is amazing for a 19.5 ft boat. I have NEVER been wet or felt that the boat was “in over its head.” In addition the PIV fishes HUGE!! The front deck is massive for its length, much bigger than most 20 footers. Unlike other boats, the beam appears to have been carried forward more so that the width of the front deck is second to none for a boat this size. The only down side is that it is not a speed demon, but I didnt care about going 75++, I wanted a 19 ft boat with a large front deck, lots of storage and a great ride, and the PIV fits that to a “T”. Good luck-Joe.
I have had many Cabelas AGM batt. all group 27. I first ordered 3 of them, one arrived shot (0 volts, would not charge). Cabelas replaced pronto. About 1.3 years later a second battery died. Again Cabelas replaced pronto. Now a third battery will only charge to about 75% and its my cranking battery, so Im replacing. One of the original three is still going strong. I first received the batteries about 2.25 years ago. Now AGMs are supposed to last much longer than a wet-cell battery, so I am disappointed. I take great care of them as well, so it is not a “user”problem. I think Cabelas has a quality control problem, so If you receive a good set you will love them, but I have received a few “duds” so Im going to try something else. The positive is they are a good price for AGMs and Cabelas has been OUTSTANDING in service. They replaced them with no problems and when I called just to let them know I thought they had a quality control issue, even though the battery is now out of warranty, they gave me a much reduced price on an Optima D31m. They are a great company and will always stand behind their products. I order from them whenever I can. Good luck-Joe.Last edited by Joe P from MO on March 5th, 2008, 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I dont know for sure. Have never used Optimas, but most people love them and say they last a very long time They are rated for only 155 reserve, but they are supposed to have a higher capacity over time. Whether it will make up for being lower initially (200 rc vs 155rc for optimas) I dont know. Having a maintenance free battery is nice. No adding water, nice clean terminals and my first set in my old boat (power trolls) lasted 4+ years. But they do cost more than regular wet-cell batteries. Overall MOST have had a good experience with the Cabelas brand but there are a few who got “duds” like me. They are much cheaper than optimas, and if they die early Cabelas will make it right. One thing to keep in mind, If you go with an AGM, you must use a charger that will not over-charge them. The pro-pak charger does a great job. The Lester that BC sells WILL OVER CHARGE THEM!!! It is designed for wet-cell batteries and will ruin an AGM battery. I didnt really help with your decision, you have to decide if you want to “roll” the dice with Cabelas.-Good luck-Joe.Last edited by Joe P from MO on March 5th, 2008, 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yes it does, you have to crank the boat up as high as it goes after you engage the pop axle, but then it will move as a single axle. An alternative is to get a pair of go-jacks.-Joe
Here they are http://www.toolrage.com/prodView.asp?idproduct=1042 The pop axle works great, but if you are looking at a dual axle without that feature, the go jacks would be a good alternative.-Joe
A few years ago on BFHP I saw a post where a guy took a minnkota prop and just modified it so the shear pin would fit on a motorguide. It looked very easy to do, and if I fished the weeds much I would have tried it. I cant recall what MK prop was used. He said it worked great.-Joe P.S. I was surprised that BC mentioned this because not using a motorguide prop may void your warranty.
It is on the next page.-Joe http://basscatowners.yuku.com/topic/4970
Have fun and you wont need any rods, the SI is soooo cooool that you would forget to fish anyway. Just keep in mind that to get the best Si images you need the transducer to be level both front to back and right to left. I had to “play” with my transducer a few times until I found the “sweet” spot.-Joe
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