Photos above were different fish on the same day from the GSB's maiden voyage in the salty waters of Middle Bay--and she proved to be a lucky vessel in both fresh and salt water, though perhaps a bit of a Jonah on duck trips. Also, her speed, range, carrying capacity and comfort on even moderately exposed bays and lakes was less than desirable.
A search for a replacement engine--even if repairable, that old Yamaha had been abused before it got to me; it's days were numbered; and the quiet and low fuel consumption I noted as all my fishing and ducky friends upgraded to 4 stroke motors had me thinking about repowering--led me to a 14' boat with a 2020 Suzuki 4 Stroke 20 hp. The boat appeared to be sound; the motor had fewer than 15 hours on it; and boat motor and trailer were available for only a bit more than I expected to pay for the motor. So desperate to get back out on bigger water and snottier days when fish bite and ducks fly, I bought.
Unlike the GSB, this vessel's initial sea (and lake) trials did not indicate a fishy vessel. Two spring trolling expeditions to Maine's famed Rangeley Lake yielded a few smallish brook trout and salmon. A sunset cruise with my wife on a local lake was greeted with a biblical downpour that blotted out the sunset and thoroughly drenched the wife. A sturgeon leaping cruise on the Kennebec saw lots of sturgeon, but no striped bass were broght to hand. And initial salty striper trips were similarly fishless. I don't think the boat is at fault, but still, things were dire.
Sunday I took a friend out and finally broke the skunk (poor choice of metaphor, I know) with this fish, caught not more than 200 yards from the spot I took the two fish above last year. It was the only one we got in the boat, but I also broke off a larger fish on a poorly tied knot, and had an absolute pig follow a fly to the boat before turning away.
