The New Pike and Muskie Boat
Who woulda thunk, that a duck boat could be the ultimate inland lake fishing boat? Well after a six week wait, the boat arrived to the Triton boat dealership in Hebron, Ohio. Thats just east of that much hated city of Columbus.
In the areas of the Upper Peninsula where I like to fish for pike and muskie, most folks have never seen those nice cement boat ramps that we have down here. Its mud ramps or nothing up there. The shallow draft of the duck boat should make unloading and loading a piece of cake compared to the days when we use to have submerge the rear truck tires just to get the v-bottom boat off the trailer.
There are some thrills that were ordered to make the hunting boat a little more fishing friendly. We had a livewell installed, its that square looking thing on the middle right of the boat. It looks to be the perfect size for suckers and creek chubs for some live bait fishing. If not, then a few cans of my favorite soda pop will do nicely on a bag of ice.
Also, from the factory we had the boat wired for an electric trolling motor. In this case its a 55 lb, 48″ shaft, Minn-kota Power Drive, V2. The shaft length is bit long for the boat, but will have it pulling double duty on other boats. For 40 bucks, I picked up a plate to install on the bow, that allows for quick removal. You can either use on another boat, or simple remove for storage when not in use. The foot control pedal allows for easy navigation while casting shorelines for those toothy critters.
The feature that I really like the best is the casting platforms. Ok, fine, so they aren’t really casting decks, but look at all that room that a guy can have when chucking out 5 oz muskie plugs! Back by the motor, and up in the bow…tons of space. At 17′ long and almost 7 ft wide, there is ample room for a third angler in the middle. 
The gun locker on the left will be used for storing all the muskie and pike plano tackle trays. That just leaves, more free to move around floor space.
Just need to get the motor greased, lubed and oiled and this baby will be getting a trial run on Lake Hudson next week! The only problem is that my duck hunting buddies actually expect me to take them out this fall during waterfowl season. I knew there was a catch to getting a camo coated boat!
June 1st, 2007 at 8:13 pm
the husband has a camo flatbottom boat too…come fall, he is getting all kinds of friends, cousins, uncles wanting to go ‘fowling. it didn’t take him long to start working on deals (he provides the boat and decoys, they provide gas or shells or whatever).
congrats on your new boat!
June 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 am
Its not that I probably wouldnt enjoy the hunting, or the experience. Nor that I dont have a pair of shotguns that will perform for hunting waterfowl. Its not even the fact that in order to have a good duck hunt means that there has to be crappy weather; windy and wet often equals cold! Or the fact I probably have the only lab in history, that doesnt like water!
The basic fact is, I do not need another hobby right now. You probably can appreciate what I have tied up in my fishing equipment, ugh you wont know the half of it until the ice season starts. I have a short window in the fall to squeeze in taking bonnie (the lab) pheasant hunting, then a lil deer hunting in the Upper or Atlanta, then chasing some bunnies with Shelby (the remaining beagle).
Then the ice better form shortly there after or I go nuts up in the shop working on rod/reel combinations, getting the shanties ready and testing out the augers, cameras and flashers!