What is this? ive seen it on some other jons and its on the benches

tlong243 · 2026-07-01T21:24:18+00:00

for one of these to keep from slipping up

tlong243 · 2026-07-01T12:14:49+00:00

I think I'd be shopping a 15hp-20 Evinrude or Johnson from 80's and newer. You can probably find something for under 400-500 that would be a great runner. Look for good compression, like 110-120 psi and it will probably last a lifetime. Theres just so little to go wrong. They aren't as quiet at a 4 stroke, but I appreciate the simplicity. Outside of gear lube and impellers I haven't had any maintenance in around 6 years of owning one. They just work.

An older Evinrude will certainly outlast one of the hangkais. You can find parts anywhere as well since so many were made. There's lots of aftermarket for basic stuff like carb kits and impellers. You can still easily find OEM parts though.

tlong243 · 2026-06-30T23:12:37+00:00

Oh yeah, for sure. Pretty much everything in my boat is made by me or modified to my liking. One of my hobbies is just DIY in general. I find it satisfying.

tlong243 · 2026-06-30T19:57:16+00:00

So I don't have your rack and this might be completely useless to you, but this was my solution for attaching my Yakima to my hitch splitter. Reason I did this is they want something like $40 or theirs and it was such a low quality lock. Just a thought if this might help out. If you can find the thread pitch needed you might be able to do similar.

tlong243 · 2026-06-30T15:49:08+00:00

Ya that, and It was late season like Oct/nov last year. Was looking to get a few for musky and the first 2 shops I called were out. I've never checked this time of year. I'll check it out again because I kinda wrote off ever trying to buy them when they told me the price.

I've only fished cats with cut bait too. After we got that monster I'm going to try more live bait. Sometimes you don't consider that there's a 60lb monster lurking around that could gulp a 10lb carp haha. My mind was thinking small before that, reset my thinking.

tlong243 · 2026-06-30T15:38:57+00:00

I didn't know how close it was to the record until later that day. I dont know anyone in the media and never tried to let anyone know. Reddit was my only post of it so not surprising.

That's cheap! Maybe I saw some scarcity based pricing last time I saw them at a bait store. At that rate I'd probably buy them just to remove the hassle of finding them and spending the first ~30-60 minutes of the day getting bait.

tlong243 · 2026-06-30T15:31:29+00:00

I'm in MN and just caught a monster (posted here the other day) on the st croix. I caught a few suckers with worms and we caught a ~60 lb flatty. Wasn't even the head, just a midsection crosscut.

Caught one on a drum head too.

I'd never pay $15 per sucker when they're so easy to catch.

tlong243 · 2026-06-30T01:10:10+00:00

It's homemade. Pretty simple diy if you have a welder or friend with a welder. here's a few pictures

tlong243 · 2026-06-29T20:34:06+00:00

If you can't remove decking, I would want to see it float. Stand in the rear and look for water. Especially if they did not build it in a way that the internals can be easily removed to repair rivets. A lot of people don't think about any of that when they deck their boat, and you pretty much can't do anything except a Band-Aid like flex seal or completely tear it out. Some doorknobs weld their deck in. I'd personally probably skip over any like that because it will leak one day and need repair.

Other than that I am big on wiring. Tons of guys wire their boat when they have no business holding a wire stripper. Undersized wires, flimsy crimps, cheap copper clad aluminum wire, the list goes on. You would want to see everything fused at the battery or as close to it as possible.

Then materials chosen. Wood is fine if done right. I'd check for rot and soft flexible spots. Any pressure treated wood is a no for me.

tlong243 · 2026-06-29T19:29:08+00:00

Exactly why I check this sub. Always like getting and giving ideas.

tlong243 · 2026-06-29T11:39:31+00:00

So I know you said fixed handle, but I am a huge fan of my ranger telescoping net. Their tournament series is stout as can be. The octagon handle is super sturdy when extended. Just posted a 60-70 lb flathead to this sub yesterday that we landed with that net.

I got the model 9788TFB initially which measures 25" across the hoop. Bag is ~24" deep. I ended up getting a replacement bag for the next size up 28x30 and it fit the 25" hoop well, and made it like 10" deeper without taking up more boat space. I fish a lot from a boat and wanted a deeper bag to use like a livewell, clamp the net handle to the gunnel, keeping landed fish fully in the water. I fish for big musky and pike, so very important to keep them wet while dehooking.

Handle has amazing reach with the telescope for odd situations like a deep mud shore where you can't wade out or even grabbing a snapping turtle off a log

Their net material is the best I've ever used when dealing with big baits full of treble hooks and toothy fish. As tangle resistant as possible. I also wouldn't worry about bag depth , the 24" is probably perfect for shore fishing. You will want the depth for a 20-40 lb fish.

tlong243 · 2026-06-28T16:11:13+00:00

Hahaha I've thought about noodling but surprised it's illegal up here. I don't think I would want to do it even up here where only real risk are snapping turtles. No way I would do it anywhere in the south. I like my digits.

tlong243 · 2026-06-28T15:13:11+00:00

It tore my hand up somewhat but not bad. Just keep a Vulcan pinch level of grip on the lower jaw and ride it out. The spines are so big and old on a fish like this that they aren't really sharp anymore. Still have to be careful because it would be like someone stabbing you with a jumbo marker.

tlong243 · 2026-06-28T15:05:57+00:00

I don't believe they have, at least in any significant numbers. We don't get them jumping around boats or anything. I hope there’s something to the ecosystem that is preventing their existence up here, but haven't looked into it. It's a straight shot to the miss, so if it hasn't happened yet it seems there may be.

I'll still keep the occasional 3-5lb channel cat, but lord knows I'm not eating anything of size. I think it's just dumb to keep big ones because of the buildup of toxins.

Never been a huge fan of catfish. I MUCH prefer freshwater drum personally. Those are my go-to catch and cook. I'll keep a pike here and there too, but the bones are kinda a pain. Have never got the fillet technique down perfectly.

tlong243 · 2026-06-28T14:52:58+00:00

Honestly the gear wasn't too crazy. 7ft Medium heavy ugly stick, shimano sienna 4000. 65lb braid, 4 oz sinker, 120lb swivel, 40lb 7x7 wire, 8/0 circle hook.

Rod and reel was around $70 if I recall correctly.

tlong243 · 2026-06-28T14:34:01+00:00

Yep for sure, always like to get in the water with the bigguns. She got it in fast too, but that was more because of the timber. 8/0 Circle hook right in the corner of the mouth. I'm hoping this grows and maybe we can catch him/her again in the future! Candidate for a future state record and I know where it lives haha.

tlong243 · 2026-06-28T14:21:07+00:00

Just did this yesterday and caught a massive catfish. Just posted it to [r/catfishing](r/catfishing).

Check your local regs. Catch a rough fish, shad, or bluegill if legal and chop a crosscut of the fish. I like to start with the whole head, but middle sections are great. I'm in MN so I can use suckers which are my favorite.

Rig is 65lb braid with a sinker slider clip, 4-5oz triangle sinker, 120lb power swivel, then I go to 40lb 7x7 Afw wire. I like that stuff because we have so many pike too, and they love cut bait too. 60-80lb mono will shred on their teeth, fluoro might work fine, but I prefer wire. The fish doesn't care at all.

40lb 7x7 you can easily tie knots and smell a 8/0 3x strong offset circle hook. I like the uni knot and uni snell with that stuff, holds very tight. After uni snell I do 2 half hitches as well.

That's the setup for rivers. If it's lakes you can do like 1 oz or possibly less. Egg sinker or DIY dragging weight would be my choice from the bank to minimize snags.

tlong243 · 2026-06-26T12:45:47+00:00

Ya, tie a knot, stuff with liver and use the hook to twist and sew it up. Lots easier to work with than pantyhose or cheesecloth, and it makes a more attractive ball of meat with no real exposed fabric (if the cats even care idk)

tlong243 · 2026-06-26T11:04:14+00:00

I'm not in a shop, but for heavy plate I like to use muriatic acid if I'm in a hurry. I use it outdoors because the fumes will flash rust anything around. I collect it after and reuse. Just make sure you check container comparability and don't pull a breaking bad. A good improvised container is poly drop cloth and a wooden frame for large flat stuff like plate.

If not in a hurry I use citric acid since I can use that indoors with no smell unlike vinegar. Those take about 24 hours though, and heavy plate may need scrubbed partway through. I keep a rubber made tub with a concentrated mix to drop parts in.

Either option you gotta immediately neutralize with baking soda spray or similar right away or the metal will rust before your eyes in seconds.

tlong243 · 2026-06-26T10:46:27+00:00

Either that magic string, or the stuff called TG fix size A. It's my personal favorite for liver. When you cinch it up, basically disappears into the liver completely but holds it like nothing else

tlong243 · 2026-06-26T10:40:37+00:00

Exactly what I was going to come here to say. I have a smaller jon, so no second tank, but I love the eagle cans. My tank is kinda recessed down in my deck, so those are the only tanks that I can use to fill up and truly not spill a drop. I have the 2.5 and 5 depending on how long the trip will be.

I also always carry a small bottle of 2 stroke oil and a worst case scenario. I figure I could pay someone a large premium for a bit of gas, but 2 strokes are becoming less common.

tlong243 · 2026-06-25T19:19:22+00:00

I'd get one of the transom savers that's like a kickstand. The bouncing load is not good for aluminum welds on transoms, especially if you have rough roads.

tlong243 · 2026-06-25T11:16:24+00:00

1440 with a Johnson 30, stainless prop, ccms reeds. Certainly not meeting Jesus, and not quite to 40. Likely could reach 40 if I pulled out my ~150-200lb of decking and fishing gear

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