Does the trolling motor mount have the door that opens and then you tighten it down around the t/motor shaft? If so, try to put a bicycle tube or other piece of rubber around it before you close the gate and tighten it up.

thanks, I don't think it has a "door" of any type.
pretty simple, a setscrew with a friction pad, and the depth collar. I have the depth collar at the top, and the
screw going into a hole in the shaft.

I went with the 12" sq., 1/8" thick fiberglass plate.
Think the water will cover the top of the rudder by 6+ inches. Shaft is not real long.

Put it all together. pushed against the rudder pretty hard, it held

I will stay close to the ramp/shore on the maiden voyage.

Thinking about the Johnson branch ramp on Ray Bob. Have not been there before.
If not there, then Buck Creek.

Have not made a dolly yet, but everything else, except a finder is done for now.
including replacing the Pelican fuse with a resettable breaker.

maybe..able to back the trailer down far enough to "launch" it.

Forget about Raybob. Try to Take it where the boaters can't. You will catch more fish and have a much better time. Change your thinking to bodies of water under 300- 500 acres and you will have a blast.

If I lived where you do I would focus on coffee mill and Davy Crockett, Bonham state park, Big Creek, etc.

I do plan on Crockett, Lake Bonham (but not the State park), Coffee mill, and want to try them out soon. Longer drive though.

Have had OK luck on Ray Bob at bucks creek, but that was when water level was better.
Got some sandbass and one largemouth.
I bet it is fairly shallow there now.

Wussing out... woke up 4-ish am. tired and sleepy. set clock for 6.. woke up at 7..
still very tired feeling.
went outside, oh look. look at the clouds! feel the wind!
legs feel like I ran a few miles.
Wuss out time. stupid boat. lol.

Haha.

lol, not a total loss... went to coffee mill and crockett and wet some lines from the bank. got to see what was there.

By the time I got there (60 mile trip), the water was looking rough. Glad I did not try it.

Fished Chaney Branch at Fork yesterday. Totally weird. Not a hit during the minor or either major Solunar period I fished, but boated one at 11:18 a.m, which was in none of those periods. The 5-02 hit an old T-rigged STP Green Mister Twister 6" Super Liz that I've had since 1976. Hit on a 10' deep point with standing timber. Nice fish, and put up a terrific fight. Unfortunately, the only one I boated in 12 hours of hard, hot fishing. I did take the bait away from 3 frog-hitters, though. Still a good day.

Today was the Big day ! and no pics! and no fish! except for a drum that somehow snagged on the hook, lol.

And I only lost one rod&reel overboard, turns out it was on the ramp under water, and now the reel needs repair.

But had a good time, everything worked well, and I learned what to do to make it better next time.

thanks for the thread to post about it in

Ah ... the maiden voyage of the USS Timbertoes.

And you didn't get any pics.

lol, nope. I did have a camera though.

Aww, it would probably be a picture of my thumb.

And not enough sunscreen applied just above my knees. which are now like boiled lobster and hurts like heck

Coffee Mill Lake.

PS I did have a witness that I was really there. The owner of my previous boat. A Fisher 17' I bought here on the forum. It was a nice boat when I sold it,
and it looks like h*ll now. But at least he is using it a lot!

Skunked again on Ray Bob!
Oh well, it was a fun time out on the water, zig-zaging in the trees.

So, how do you like your new boat?

liking it real well And took sunscreen this time!

got more practice standing up in it, and hooking up to trees here and there. I am a good bit un-coordinated...but managed not to fall overboard.
I wear my PFD 100% of the time anyway. if nothing else, one less item on the boat floor.

Did not lose any rods this time! Attached some plastic "hooks" from Lowes on it, using the double sided tape and Goop Marine Adhesive. So I can put bungees over the rods.

Wind picked up just a bit, so towards the end of the trip I drifted for catfish along a dropoff.
Saw "fish" on the lowrance...but no bites at all.

thinking about where to go tomorrow.

Come Monday, its going to feel like a long week to the next fishing trip

Also meet another TFF'r who was Crappie fishing in his ProGator big boat.