2012 Alumacraft Competitor 175 with Yamaha 4 stroke 70 hp
I’ve never been so excited for a fishing season to arrive. We’ve upgraded the 2002 Alumacraft Navigator 165 with Suzuki 40 hp to a gently used 2012 Alumacraft Competitor 175 with Yamaha 70 hp equipped with Minnkota Terrova 80 lb with iPilot and Lowrance HDS 7 on the bow as well as a Lowrance HDS 8 at the back complete with the Structure Scan module.
The ice literally can’t come off the lake soon enough. I have watched countless videos on the Lowrance structure scan and all that’s left is to get it on the water and start marking fish. I’ll be bringing fishing reports from the eastern Iowa area to my fishing blog that I like to call my “flog”. I’ll be out on Pleasant Creek, Lake McBride, Lake Belva Deer and Coralville Reservoir as much as I can this year with the occasional trip to the Mississippi River and a couple trips up north to the Brainerd Lakes Area in Minnesota this summer.
I’ve read so much about the Minnkota iPilot and the “spot lock” function that holds the boat on a specific spot using the internal GPS technology. This may not be new for many people, but for me, I can’t wait to try this out and sit on prime structure and focus on fishing, rather than controlling the boat. It also has the ability to save up to six different tracks, each of which could be two miles in length. And all you have to do is put the boat anywhere in the vicinity of one of the waypoints on the track, and push a button to navigate either to the beginning or the end of the track. At that point, it’s hands and feet free, and all you have to do is catch the fish.
If you have any interest in the fishing in the eastern Iowa area, subscribe to my blog, and I’ll be sure to share my reports as I am able to get out on the water. I prefer to fish for crappies and walleyes, but when it comes down to it, I’m an equal opportunity fisherman. Feel free to share your fishing reports in the comments section below.
I’ll be blogging about fishing gear reviews and my favorite lures, and life lessons related to fishing.
Thanks for reading.
Johnse