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"Well Buc, you should be getting used to that new Triumph 150 CC floating toy of yours," I said. Now that you know what it feels like to have water under you, what are you doing on the fishing end?
"Not so fast," Buc said. "There are a few more things that need to be covered. More things that are all make-good on the boat, motor, and safety I've discovered  in the past few weeks. Gotta share these things yaknow."
"Okay Buc. It's your boat and your audience. Have at it."
Well, first of all, Bro-In-Law Max Grommet was following Lucy and I down a chuck-hole filled old dirt road the other day (lots of times I won't let him ride with us) when he started honking and flashing. We were just about to the secret launch at the secret lake.
"What's his problem?" Lucy asked.
He came running up to the window with that crazed look in his eye. "Buc, the motor is abouncen' like crazy back there!" he said.
It was something I hadn't really thought about before. Because we were traveling on roads where more clearance was needed, I had the Merc 60 tilted up using the outboard support lever. Well, when you have 250 pounds of motor riding the transom of an 800 pound boat, bouncing is NOT good for any of the equipment. The first thing I bought when we returned was a transom saver. This metal devise is extendable to fit any outboard-to-trailer situation. On one end is a clam-like clamp that supports the lower unit of the motor and the other end extends out to the trailer crossbar, thus transferring the motor weight onto the trailer and away from the transom. A retaining strap then wraps around the ends of the unit. Results – no bouncing and no transom damage. From here on out, every time my boat leaves my boat barn, that unit is gonna be attached and secure!
I also picked up some electronics. The first thing goes back to the safety aspect; that is, a VHF Radio. I went with the Lowrance LVR-850 DSC VHF Marine Radio. This unit has Digital Select Calling which allows instant distress calls and delivers all the information direct to the Coast Guard just by touching a button. It has a large channel/function screen and easy keypad which makes it nice for my squinty eyes and fat fingers. It's filled up with the full 25 watts of transmitting power but has a 1 watt low-power mode. I can talk two way on 54 of the 84 receiving channels, listen to eight U.S. or two Canadian weather channels, and scan all channels. It also has a priority key for emergency channel 16/9. The fact that it's sealed and waterproof is a big bonus.
Since I was doing the Lowrance thing I also talked to the boys there about a fish finder and GPS. After answering a few questions about what I felt my needs were they suggested going with the M68c S/Map unit. Man-o-man am I impressed. My boat is compact I wanted to keep the electronics compact too, but still get my best bang-for-the-buck with all the bells'n whistles. Well, this unit delivers darn near everything the "big-boys" deliver but is small enough to ride comfortably on the dash and still be easy to read. Here are some of the features Lowrance promotes with the M68c:
- Striking 3.5" diag., 320Vx240H pixel, sunlight readable 256-color, active matrix TFT display for superior sonar and mapping detail.
- 800 watts peak-to-peak power with depths up to 600 feet.
- 200 kHz Skimmer transducer with built-in temperature sensor and up to 60 degrees of fish detection coverage.
- Newly advanced internal GPS+WAAS receiver antenna.
- Special built-in Lowrance high-detail hydrographic maping of U.S. coastal waters, lakes and rivers with navigational aids plus inland detail of major highways and cities.
So what does all of that mean? Well, I've got a small high-powered fish-finding unit and GPS mapping unit in one package. I can look at either the fish or the map on the full screen or I can split the screen and look at both at the same time. And, both are in COLOR. Waaay cool. It's the next best step!
Because the Triumph 150 CC is so compact I found it important to have the "valuable" fishing tools readily available rather than in the tackle box or sliding around on the seats and deck. I did some more research here and found something called the Snap-N-Trac organizing system from Gotcha Fishing Stuff (www.gotchafishingstuff.com). Never heard of them? Neither had I until I did a little searching but boy am I impressed now. This is a poly-molded organizer and utility racking system that you can arrange to fit your boat and personal fishing needs. The base track attaches with stainless steel screws and then you arrange the components as you wish to hold knives, pliers, hook sharpener, lures and it even has snap-in drink holders. You can make it as long or as short as short as needed to fit. I installed two of the units, one for each side of the boat.
Now I'm just about ready to get into the serious fishing stuff. New rods and reels and everything that I need to go with them. Thank goodness Christmas is coming. Lucy couldn't believe my "wish-list." I told her it was the next best step and picked out some of the best units for the money. Shoot, I don't expect to get everything on the list – has something to do with being bad or good, for goodness sake. 
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