Finally got the call.......

[Ltrain]

Finally my 2024 Starcraft Fishmaster has come in. I got off work early today to go over the new boat with the guys doing the rigging and made sure we were all on the same page. They are going to be going to town on it as i leave for Erie one week from today. I was extremely impressed what Starcraft did for this model year- going with the flat dash and extra rear livewell. I will be going all out in adding extras as I believe I will have the sweetest Fishmaster in the country, lol. I will post some pics as it sits getting ready for it's makeover. I will also show a pick of the old dash with its raised instrument cluster to compare with the new one.

[7 Mag]

Congrats, that’s awesome!

[Eyesore]

Heck ya, beautiful boat! Congrats,

[That Minnesota guy]

Looks big. Have fun with her.

[Cover Dog]

Beautiful, hope your able to keep this one longer than the last 2. I couldn’t have taken the hit you must have taken trading in only after a year. You were treated wrong with the tri-toon.

[Ltrain]

Hey guys- thanks for all the positive comments- I'll posts pics when all the goodies are installed and also a report on our Erie trip.



Cover dog- Angler Qwest did do me a disservice but luckily my marina is run by a great guy. I actually made just shy of 20k getting out of the Tritoon and into the first Fishmaster. I am hoping to keep this one for awhile

[Cover Dog]

Originally Posted by Ltrain

Cover dog- Angler Qwest did do me a disservice but luckily my marina is run by a great guy. I actually made just shy of 20k getting out of the Tritoon and into the first Fishmaster. I am hoping to keep this one for awhile

Glad to hear that turned out to be a positive experience. That flat dash is excellent.

[Ltrain]

Originally Posted by Cover Dog

Glad to hear that turned out to be a positive experience. That flat dash is excellent.

In the end, everything turned out well.... the journey though.....ugghh...gutwrenching.


I agree, the dash is awesome

[muskyman73]

Had a tohatsu for many years, the TLDI version. Boy did it just plain run. And trolled like a charm. Excellent engine.

[last chance]

your new boat looks absolutely gorgeous. the first thing you should do is thank God for blessing you with the means to be able to buy a boat like that.

the 1st thing that came to mind when you said you were going to Erie in one week was the break in on your new motor. then I don't know the requirements for the break in period.

but if you are adding a kicker for trolling all is good. but then again I'm clueless on the type of fish you are going after and how you will be fishing for them.

I know you will have too much fun using your new awesome boat. I started working in a canning factory when I was 14 by fibbing about my age. mom needed help raising her 7 children. so the extra money coming in was a way I could help. my dad died young at 39 but left mom with 4 kids. She remarried and had the other 3. he was crazy on rot gut moonshine and tried to beat her to death with a 22 caliber rifle. her skull was busted in the front and her brains were hanging out.

She would surely die but God seen fit to give us a few more years with our mom. her left arm was busted from the elbow to her wrist and had to have a pin in it from elbow to wrist. she never was physically able to work but she wouldn't quit. and working minimum-wage jobs just wasn't enough. so I started helping her out. She did manage to see all of us grown before she went back to God. I worked until I was taken off work by my doctor.

I only had a 6th-grade education as I quit school in the 7th grade. I never got any good jobs because I only had a 6th grade education. I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 72 after I was pre-tested at the recruiter's office. I did so well that he said if I did near this well on my entry exam I would pass.

my scores were high enough to choose what I wanted to do. I chose aircraft as a structural mechanic. I got my GED in the Corps. when I did find a job that paid decent after I was discharged. at some point, I was bumped to midnights. with my afternoons open I started going to IVY TECH for a photography class they offered. I was already doing photography on my own. but I also had my other classes. after some time went by I was bumped back to the afternoon shift and had to quit school.

by this time I had a wife and 2 sons. I did manage to support my family and keep a nice rebuilt car I got from a close friend who owned his body shop and rebuilt cars and always sold one to me for a little of the value of the car. but was never really able to buy a new boat and motor. I started salmon fishing in Lake Michigan the year I got released from the Corps.

some friends and I fished it hard every chance we got. then sometime in the early 80s we started fishing in the western basin of Erie. we started by drift fishing with our spinning gear and leaned our rods against the side and let the rocking of the boat do all the work. most days we had our limit before noon. when the zebra mussel cleared the water the fish scattered making trolling a better option. we kept using the same spinning gear for trolling. our go-to baits back then were the 2" hot-n-tots and the standard-size wiggle wart. but we tried everything we had at different times.

I have no regrets or complaints about going to work young or always buying used boats. I have fished as much or more than most 10 people together. I have fished WI on Lake Michigan up north and south to below Marathon key in the keys. and so many places in between. the only thing I really regret about everything is all the money I've spent on gear and going fishing that I should have used on my family. but then I have made a huge effort to get my 2 sons to go fishing and deer hunting with me.

now my oldest son and wife try to make a 1 week trip to Geneva Ohio each year walleye fishing the last part of July.

good luck with your new awesome boat, and may this season treat you much better than any of us deserve. AND SORRY ABOUT HIJACKING YOUR THREAD.