- Joined
- Oct 20, 2002
- RO Number
- 10503
- Messages
- 3,677
I put a "rolling rowing seat" in my 12' Skiff. I finally got it finished and ready to go.
jtybt15 made a dandy set of Stainless Oarlocks for my oars, and after some searching for 'stuff' I have the oars ready to go. All this looks good but is untried.
Last night I followed my urges I got it all in the boat and went out fishing in the dark.
Except for two other guys I have the whole lake to myself. They both left about midnite.
Beautiful, nearly moonless and dark as the inside of a forest.
As the trip turned out, I'm glad it was so dark that nobody could see what was going on in that boat.
First thing I notice is that I gotta 'free fall' down into the seat. It's waaaay too low. My knees just don't have the strength to do those deep knee bends any more.
Worster than that, when I'm down in that hole, I cant get up without help. I had to grip the sides of the boat and pull to help myself up.
If one hand should slip, all that weight would lurch to one side and over she'd go!
Not to mention the damage I'm doing to the sides of the boat with all that weight pulling in one spot.
Next thing I noticed, the back of the seat is so low, it grounds on the sliding rails if I lean back a little too far. I gotta put some more time into that seat again some more.
Fine!
We are on a fishing trip and we'll live with what we have as long as the water don't get too high inside the boat.
Now, about them Oars.
I gotta move this boat away from the end of the Ramp, so I load the new Stainless oar locks into the silent wooden oar lock sockets and lo and behold, I'm sitting so low I have to raise my hands above my shoulders to get the tips of the Oars in the water.
Criminy, my engineering needs some assistance.
I look like a Biker out of the 70's working with "ape Hangers"!
It was a chore. I rowed at least two miles with my hands above my shoulders. I just didn't find anything to stack on top the cushion I had for the seat. I always wear my PFD so I wouldn't take that off for a seat.
So I went over to the other side of the lake. Of course! Who would think there'd be Catfish on your own side of the lake.
I got the Baby Chicks out and put seven of them on hooks. Found my bricks, floats etc, got it all going over the side and snapped on the Ganions as the weight went over-side.
Owing to the Rowing difficulties, I was a bit confused as to where I dropped the Anchors and floats.
Later on in the evening that became a problem.
So I let the Chicks soak and went on trying for some Crappie or Bass.
Catching neither, I went back to the Ramp. Both the other boats were gone, so I left my boat in the water and slept in the pickup for a couple hours.
Woke up groggy, about 3 Am and decided to pull up the Cat's and go home.
The Rowing difficulties came in as I was sitting too low. Each stroke caused the oars to slip inwards.
Soon I was having to push the oars outward as I row.
Jeemeneetny that is hard on my shoulders.
Adding to that, I lost my Floats.
In the Dark I just couldn't find them.
The Mist was coming up off the water pretty thick too, so the lights just reflected off the mist.
I'd already Rowed about two miles, trolling and occasionally casting. Then back to the Ramp, Then back out on the lake.
Now I couldn't find my floats. I went up the lake a mile to the bridge, nope!
Back that mile to some coves, then back to the Ramp. Still no sign of them. I began to imagine all kinds of things. Kids, other fishermen, Beavers... So I decided to wait for first light. It would be after five though, and I was ready for bed.
Then I decided to abandon them. Nawwww, I began to row along the shore line. In 4-6' of water and went nearly to the Bridge again.
By now that rowing from over my shoulders is getting burdensome.
Disgusting.
So I put out an anchor in a dark place where the occasional wind didn't bother me.
The Misty slow air is cool, but occasionally you get a little blast of air about 80 Degrees.
I had a snack and a snooze in the boat
When your asleep in the dark near the woods, is when "Murphy" begins to make noises. Like that little bump bump bump that your mind's eye tells you is a Moccasin trying to get up into the boat.
No Mosquitoes, but the Bats were 'whiffering' by and chirping.
I finally put all the rods down in the boat and took off my hat. Those bats were coming after something and it was keeping me awake.
Beavers will come close, but if I were to move, they'd slap the tail and scare the crap outta me.
Those big Blue Herons go by making little noise but after they go on by, the do that "Squaaaakkkkkk" that will raise the hair on your ears.
I got to thinking about snoozing in the boat in AK. Some Curious Bear might come out of the woods to check out the new guy in his lake.
After a while I decided I'd go the shore line all the way back to the Ramp. That's a long ways, but I'd catch every cove and creek on the way. By now my shoulders are aching. My legs are cramping from rowing in a 'scooted' up position.
I actually have a blister on my hand from keeping the oars in position. I have not had a blister from rowing since Puget Sound in the 60's.
I found those floats about 1/4 mile from the Ramp.
I musta been a little woozy when I put them out. I'd never have done that other wise.
No fish at all.
Apparently the Catoma Cats don't like Baby Chicks as much as the pond cats. Of seven hooks, I got 5 pretty soggy Chicks back.
Oh well, I guess it's back to Chicken livers.
But it was a good trip and I learned a lot.
jtybt15 made a dandy set of Stainless Oarlocks for my oars, and after some searching for 'stuff' I have the oars ready to go. All this looks good but is untried.
Last night I followed my urges I got it all in the boat and went out fishing in the dark.
Except for two other guys I have the whole lake to myself. They both left about midnite.
Beautiful, nearly moonless and dark as the inside of a forest.
As the trip turned out, I'm glad it was so dark that nobody could see what was going on in that boat.
First thing I notice is that I gotta 'free fall' down into the seat. It's waaaay too low. My knees just don't have the strength to do those deep knee bends any more.
Worster than that, when I'm down in that hole, I cant get up without help. I had to grip the sides of the boat and pull to help myself up.
If one hand should slip, all that weight would lurch to one side and over she'd go!
Not to mention the damage I'm doing to the sides of the boat with all that weight pulling in one spot.
Next thing I noticed, the back of the seat is so low, it grounds on the sliding rails if I lean back a little too far. I gotta put some more time into that seat again some more.
Fine!
We are on a fishing trip and we'll live with what we have as long as the water don't get too high inside the boat.
Now, about them Oars.
I gotta move this boat away from the end of the Ramp, so I load the new Stainless oar locks into the silent wooden oar lock sockets and lo and behold, I'm sitting so low I have to raise my hands above my shoulders to get the tips of the Oars in the water.
Criminy, my engineering needs some assistance.
I look like a Biker out of the 70's working with "ape Hangers"!
It was a chore. I rowed at least two miles with my hands above my shoulders. I just didn't find anything to stack on top the cushion I had for the seat. I always wear my PFD so I wouldn't take that off for a seat.
So I went over to the other side of the lake. Of course! Who would think there'd be Catfish on your own side of the lake.
I got the Baby Chicks out and put seven of them on hooks. Found my bricks, floats etc, got it all going over the side and snapped on the Ganions as the weight went over-side.
Owing to the Rowing difficulties, I was a bit confused as to where I dropped the Anchors and floats.
Later on in the evening that became a problem.
So I let the Chicks soak and went on trying for some Crappie or Bass.
Catching neither, I went back to the Ramp. Both the other boats were gone, so I left my boat in the water and slept in the pickup for a couple hours.
Woke up groggy, about 3 Am and decided to pull up the Cat's and go home.
The Rowing difficulties came in as I was sitting too low. Each stroke caused the oars to slip inwards.
Soon I was having to push the oars outward as I row.
Jeemeneetny that is hard on my shoulders.
Adding to that, I lost my Floats.
In the Dark I just couldn't find them.
The Mist was coming up off the water pretty thick too, so the lights just reflected off the mist.
I'd already Rowed about two miles, trolling and occasionally casting. Then back to the Ramp, Then back out on the lake.
Now I couldn't find my floats. I went up the lake a mile to the bridge, nope!
Back that mile to some coves, then back to the Ramp. Still no sign of them. I began to imagine all kinds of things. Kids, other fishermen, Beavers... So I decided to wait for first light. It would be after five though, and I was ready for bed.
Then I decided to abandon them. Nawwww, I began to row along the shore line. In 4-6' of water and went nearly to the Bridge again.
By now that rowing from over my shoulders is getting burdensome.
Disgusting.
So I put out an anchor in a dark place where the occasional wind didn't bother me.
The Misty slow air is cool, but occasionally you get a little blast of air about 80 Degrees.
I had a snack and a snooze in the boat
When your asleep in the dark near the woods, is when "Murphy" begins to make noises. Like that little bump bump bump that your mind's eye tells you is a Moccasin trying to get up into the boat.
No Mosquitoes, but the Bats were 'whiffering' by and chirping.
I finally put all the rods down in the boat and took off my hat. Those bats were coming after something and it was keeping me awake.
Beavers will come close, but if I were to move, they'd slap the tail and scare the crap outta me.
Those big Blue Herons go by making little noise but after they go on by, the do that "Squaaaakkkkkk" that will raise the hair on your ears.
I got to thinking about snoozing in the boat in AK. Some Curious Bear might come out of the woods to check out the new guy in his lake.
After a while I decided I'd go the shore line all the way back to the Ramp. That's a long ways, but I'd catch every cove and creek on the way. By now my shoulders are aching. My legs are cramping from rowing in a 'scooted' up position.
I actually have a blister on my hand from keeping the oars in position. I have not had a blister from rowing since Puget Sound in the 60's.
I found those floats about 1/4 mile from the Ramp.
I musta been a little woozy when I put them out. I'd never have done that other wise.
No fish at all.
Apparently the Catoma Cats don't like Baby Chicks as much as the pond cats. Of seven hooks, I got 5 pretty soggy Chicks back.
Oh well, I guess it's back to Chicken livers.
But it was a good trip and I learned a lot.
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