Disillusioned with Big Block V-8

[CW]

From afar, I've always thought the C-Dories were charming. Now I'm seriously considering joining your pack, pod, gang, flock... and re-boating. I thought (and bought 5 years ago) a 23 ft. Thunderjet Aluminum jet boat with 3/4 hardtop and raised stern fishing deck with a Ford 460 (340 hp) to fish the lower Columbia river (and Cowlitz and Lewis rivers) for salmon, sturgeon, steelhead and skiing etc. would fill the bill. It has, sort of, at 2 miles per gallon. My 3 kids aren't interested in skiing. 90% of the time it is me with just the big labrador for company, fishing within 8 miles of the local marina where we have a covered 25' slip. I don't fish the shallow water as I'd predicted and bought the jet for (my boat can plane in 6") but find I'm a dedicated "deep river" fisherman in 11 ft. to 90ft. pursuing big chinook salmon. We do beach on the numerous sand islands frequently. A more fuel efficient propeller sounds good as do more reliable, newer outboard engines. I anchor many times in what we call "hog lines" and back bounce big chrome spoons behind the stern for "hog sized" chinook salmon. My wife wants something we can more readily camp in - to include dinette and bed we don't have to take down. I want something I can still operate alone. Glass will have less electrolysis than metal. Love those Skagit Orcas and Sea Sport pilot house boats but they are very spendy, a good condition, used Cruiser 22 seems to fit the bill. comments?

[TyBoo]

Yep, the CDs are good CR boats. Here's a couple of them on the Puget Island beach.


But I've watched a lot of those guys in the upriver hog lines and have wondered how easy it would be to release anchor quickly. The few times I have been fishing up there it's always been with a few others of us and we make our own line knowing that none of us would drop and drift. You might have to think on that one a bit.

Late last night I was coming home past Alston Corners on Hwy 30 and pretty sure I saw a CD 22 sitting in Bill Scholten's used car lot. He usually has some pretty steep prices on his stuff, but maybe he doesn't realize what he has with the CD and priced it reasonably. Might be worth a check. Quickly, though, because if it is a good one at a good price it will go fast.

Oh, and welcome to the Pub. If you're still unsure come spring, bring your family to the Cathlamet gig in early April and there will be plenty of CDs to look over and some great folks to meet.

[starcrafttom]

I have hog lined my Susan E on the big C a few times but never caught anything so did not need to drop and drift. If I was going to do it again I would use the same set up that the canadians use for halibut in the straits. It goes kind of like this. Have a line running from your bow to the rear cleat at your stern. rig your anchor line to have a large clip and a buoy. now you run the bow to stern line thru the clip and let the anchor line and buoy slide to the bow. Now you are set up to drop your anchor from the back and let line out . when you get to the end of the line let go and you will be anchored up. When you get a hit and have to drop out of the hog line just untie the bow line from the rear cleat and let it slide thru the clip as you drift back. This way you do not have to get on the bow to drop anchor or drop off from the anchor. Much safer. if you retie the bow to stern line all you have to do is pull up grab the line with the clip and clip back in to the bow to stern line. You would not be able to use a anchor windless with this set up but a windless is not for hog lines. hope that made sense.

[CW]

yeah I set up a quick release system for my current boat years ago and would do the same for any boat I fish out of. A Seaswirl Sport Cabin would be a good boat too, but most are I/O s and I'm not interested in those. CW