Spruce Run - Maiden Voyage on New Boat this Friday - Advice Welcome

[logs22]

I recently purchased a 12' flat bottom jon boat that I am currently storing at Spruce Run and plan to take it out for her maiden voyage this Friday. The weather is looking good, light winds, partly sunny in the afternoon. Was wondering if anyone had some tips for me since I have never fished Spruce Run (either from the Bank or a boat). I am also somewhat new to boating in general so I plan to stick somewhat close to the launch for the first trip (just in case the motor conks out). The boat is equipped with a bow-mounted foot controlled trolling motor (24v, 65 lbs thrust - Minn Kota All Terrain). Unfortunately the directional indicator on the top of the motor is not working so that could prove challenging.

Eventually I would like to take the boat out for some night missions and target Hybrids, but for now I am just going to stick to what I know - Large & Smallmouth Bass. I do have a fishfinder (Hummingbird Piranha) and also the Navionics App which I can use for GPS. Any suggestions as to what depths I should be targeting? Points and coves? I realize there is no substitute for practice and time on the water, but any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

I will probably be out there again Sat. morning and then going to head to one of the Shed lakes in the afternoon, so if anyone else plans to fish SR either of those days or the 'Sheds on Sat. send me a PM and maybe we can meet up.

Wish me luck!

[NJSquatch]

Nice Boat!

Be careful with the 24v TM at > 70% thrust....it could easily throw you out of the boat especially if your slightly off balance...

Is the indicator missing or broken? replacements are cheap...
regardless you will get the hang of it pretty quick..i don't even look at the indicator any more... with the pedal flat and parallel to the deck the motor will be facing straight ahead, press with your toes and you go right, with the heal it goes left....

With such a light boat the TM batteries will last you all day and then some...i have an 80# 24V with group 29 batteries and have yet to run out of juice pulling around a 17' deep vee loaded with all my crap and 2 fishing buddies....

sounds like you have the necessary gadgets to find the structure...i would try and cover as much water as you can and focus on transition areas....cant go wrong with swim baits....

Oh and wear your PFD!!

Good luck

[Hookmanski]

Have an awesome time! Beautiful new boat on a beautiful body of water. Enjoy it!

[Jigman13]

Herring under slip floats

[waynedane]

I recently purchased a 12' flat bottom jon boat that I am currently storing at Spruce Run and plan to take it out for her maiden voyage this Friday. The weather is looking good, light winds, partly sunny in the afternoon. Was wondering if anyone had some tips for me since I have never fished Spruce Run (either from the Bank or a boat). I am also somewhat new to boating in general so I plan to stick somewhat close to the launch for the first trip (just in case the motor conks out). The boat is equipped with a bow-mounted foot controlled trolling motor (24v, 65 lbs thrust - Minn Kota All Terrain). Unfortunately the directional indicator on the top of the motor is not working so that could prove challenging.

Eventually I would like to take the boat out for some night missions and target Hybrids, but for now I am just going to stick to what I know - Large & Smallmouth Bass. I do have a fishfinder (Hummingbird Piranha) and also the Navionics App which I can use for GPS. Any suggestions as to what depths I should be targeting? Points and coves? I realize there is no substitute for practice and time on the water, but any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

I will probably be out there again Sat. morning and then going to head to one of the Shed lakes in the afternoon, so if anyone else plans to fish SR either of those days or the 'Sheds on Sat. send me a PM and maybe we can meet up.

Wish me luck!
Sent you PM

[Eskimo]

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Nice boat. Good luck with it.

I see a lot of sail boats stored at SR, but I assumed it was members of their sailing club. I didn't realize they offered storage of regular boats to the general public.

I have no useful advice since I fish from a kayak. It appears most of the boats are slow trolling live herring.

Watch out for those ghetto rental boats at SR. Most of those boat-renters have no idea that they are doing. Eventually somebody is going to get hurt.

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[Sleeper-6]

Wish I could give you good info on where the fish are, but I haven't been out yet this year. When I do get out, I'm better at fishing than catching. However, I am only about 10 mins from my driveway to the ramp, so if you have any teething issues with the boat or need any tools I could swing by and give you a hand.

[jimmythegreek]

indicator is easy to fix on those motors. i think the bass are on beds this time of year, and the window for night hybrids is rapidly closing, u got about 2 weeks left. If ur a bass fisherman just fish like u normall would from shore just the opposite way. As said that motor will flip u if you juice it and its turned hard in that little boat. I would make sure those batteries are holding a charge for long term power as thats your only form of propulsion? SR is kinda big and u gotta search usually to find fish so make sure the motor and boat are sound before you go too far. Id get a 12v cheap trolling motor for backup in case or a cheap gas motor, and 5 or 6 hp will push you over 7mph in that thing and if you look you can find one under 500. just wear your pdf and take your time getting used to it, the smaller the boat the more it lists and the less stable it is

[Skunk City]

Bring everything you'd need in case of an "oh sh*t" situation. Some essential tools, zip ties, maybe a tube of JB Waterweld, some extra wire/electrical fittings, duct tape, flashlights , batteries and a first aid kit. I too am a new boat owner, but despite having plenty of buddies with boats that I could call for a tow if needed, it's better to have the stuff with you than be screwed out there!

[logs22]

I would make sure those batteries are holding a charge for long term power as thats your only form of propulsion? SR is kinda big and u gotta search usually to find fish so make sure the motor and boat are sound before you go too far. Id get a 12v cheap trolling motor for backup in case or a cheap gas motor, and 5 or 6 hp will push you over 7mph in that thing and if you look you can find one under 500. just wear your pdf and take your time getting used to it, the smaller the boat the more it lists and the less stable it is

So I headed out to SR last night to check on the boat (I dropped it off there almost 3 weeks ago and wanted to make sure it was still in one piece and nothing stolen). The boat has an onboard charger (which is a pain since there is no place to charge it at the Spruce Run Storage lot) and it was fully charged when I brought it to the lake but I still wanted to check and make sure the charge had held. The boat had faired all the storms we have had ok, just a little bit of water easily drained through the plug. I dropped the motor and turned it on and it seemed fine, but it is hard to tell with an electric motor not in the water. To make a long story short, I couldn't help myself and despite it being 11 pm I decided to take her out for a midnight spin. The water was smooth as glass and air temp was about 55. This was my first time launching a boat so I was happy no one was around but I managed ok. As soon as I got the boat out though I noticed the motor seemed very very weak. I had it cranked up to five and was barely moving. It took me a while to get used to the foot pedal control but once I did it was great, sitting up in the captain's seat controlling everything with my foot. My fishfinder is a piece of junk but it managed to provide depth, water temp, and marked lots of fish in the 25' range. Topwater blowups were everywhere. I stayed pretty close to the launch because I really didn't trust the motor and sure enough, it conked out completely around 2 am (as did my headlamp). Thankfully I brought my kayak paddle with me and had a lantern as backup so I paddled back to the launch (not to difficult since the boat is so light).

I am praying that the batteries had just lost their charge during the 3 weeks or so the boat was sitting idle. It could also be the connections which I am going to clean this weekend since they are all pretty corroded. I don't think it is the motor itself (at least I hope) but my fear is that both batteries may need to be replaced as they are god knows how old. Any suggestions on decent priced marine batteries? Minn Kota suggests 2 12V deep cycle marine batteries with at least a 105 AH rating, which based on my research seem to be pretty pricey.

I also had about 2 inches of water in the boat by the time I got it back to the storage spot. It drained easily out the plug but I was wondering if this is something I should be worried about? I was out for a solid 3 hours so I would think a cheap bilge pump could solve the problem since it doesn't seem to be a serious leak. Otherwise I guess I would need to try and seal any leaks? As you can tell, I am clueless when it comes to boats so any guidance greatly appreciated.

I think it goes without saying I got skunked. I was fiddling with boat so much though that I don't feel like I even really had a chance to fish.

Thanks for all the great suggestions/pointers everyone, much appreciated!

[Jerseydix]

Maybe try it out in some smaller ponds until you get the real feel of everything. Spruce Run is a pretty unforgiveable lake if something goes wrong. Good luck, and as others said, wear you PFD.

[jimmythegreek]

take the batteries out and have them load tested, batteries plus will test for free. Its either the batteries which is likely, or the motor is going bad from water in it. Walmarts group 29maxx r good batteries and theyre 100 a piece, bring the old batteries for core deposit. Ur boat should have NO water in it, ur plug is leaking of theres a leak elsewhere, test in daytime to see where what.

[Offshoreafflicted]

I always remove the plug from the boat when storing it to let rain water drain from the bilge. I disconnect the batteries and take them in the garage to charge. Just remember to put the plug back in before you launch or it will be a short trip.

Water in your bilge is a concern. Small leaks tend to grow into big leaks. Find it and fix it.

The way I was taught to check for leaks is to fill the bilge with water when it's nice and dry on the trailer. You will see the water leaking out a lot easier than you can see it leaking in.

[Jersey Charlie]

Life jacket is a must. Set of oars and a GPS in case the fog sets in.

[Ken Lyons]

A bilge pump is a poor remedy for a leak. You should not have any water in the boat.
I also respectfully disagree. If you're using deep cycle batteries they should not be load tested. They are not designed for short burst of large current flows. That's for starting batteries. Deep cycles are designed to be drawn down down slowly. You should buy a cheap digital voltmeter and keep track of the voltages. If you let wet cell batteries sit for weeks they will self discharge. A fully charged battery should read at least 12.60 volts. SR is a big lake. You want to be sure you can get back.

[tycomps]

I'm using one of these for my 12v 55lb Minn Kota Endura Max (supposedly more efficient motor) and I push about 400lbs of stuff all day with it. It's a bit pricey being a deep cycle AGM, and heavy, but at 100ah it's a good match for MK's recommendation. I charge it overnight after each trip and the lowest it's been is 40% after a whole day of heavy use (fighting wind). The motor has a 'gas gauge' and so does the (cheap) MK battery box I have it in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S1RT58C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ps- If you're looking for a smaller place to test the boat and fish Furnace is nearby.

[logs22]

I'm using one of these for my 12v 55lb Minn Kota Endura Max (supposedly more efficient motor) and I push about 400lbs of stuff all day with it. It's a bit pricey being a deep cycle AGM, and heavy, but at 100ah it's a good match for MK's recommendation. I charge it overnight after each trip and the lowest it's been is 40% after a whole day of heavy use (fighting wind). The motor has a 'gas gauge' and so does the (cheap) MK battery box I have it in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S1RT58C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ps- If you're looking for a smaller place to test the boat and fish Furnace is nearby.

I ended up buying a cheap 30 lb transom clamp-on troller as a back up as well as two new 105 ah batteries. I would be fine with just the 30 lb motor, the 65 lb bow mounted motor is definitely overkill. With it hooked up to the two new batteries the little boat flies! I spent the entire day Sat. On the lake, the weather couldn't have been nicer. After a few hours I found a spot that seemed promising and I was marking tons of fish. I hooked into something fishing a rattle trap deep, probably about 20-25 ft and the fish started ripping drag. I didn't want the line to snap so I took my time getting the fish close to the boat. When I finally got him within 10 yard of boat I went to grab the net. For just a moment while I was grabbing the net I failed to keep tension on the line and the fish spit the hook. I actually never even got the fish to the surface so I have no idea what it was only that it was powerful and heavy. Maybe a hybrid? No more bites for the rest of the day. I stayed out until dark and watched some fireworks from the middle of the lake then headed back to the launch. Seems like I was only one getting out rather than getting in, there was at least five boats waiting to launch at 10 pm. All in all a great day! Very pleased with my investment in a fishing boat!

[Eskimo]

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I spent the entire day Sat. On the lake, the weather couldn't have been nicer.

Did you get caught in the rainstorm that evening? I couldn't believe it. The weather radar showed New Jersey was completely free of storms except for one tiny rain storm moving in from the West. That little storm headed straight for Spruce Run and soaked me. I felt like Charlie Brown with the rain cloud over his head. :(


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[logs22]

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Did you get caught in the rainstorm that evening? I couldn't believe it. The weather radar showed New Jersey was completely free of storms except for one tiny rain storm moving in from the West. That little storm headed straight for Spruce Run and soaked me. I felt like Charlie Brown with the rain cloud over his head. :(


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All I could think of was the movie white squall, that thing came in so fast and then was gone in 20 minutes and sun came out.....and so did the flies! I honestly felt like I was caught in the biblical locust plague, clouds of flies
So thick I had to stumble around with my eyes half closed trying to find where I packed the 99% DDT. That swarm also lasted about 20 minutes then tapered off. It was definitely an interesting day to be on the water:-)