For you Florida bashers

[Frankie the Fink]

Just cleaning up the pontoon boat yesterday morning and had some fun visitors:

YouTube

[vettemed]

Otters are a ton of fun to watch. Assuming you've got riverfront property somewhere?

[Frankie the Fink]

Originally Posted by vettemed

Otters are a ton of fun to watch. Assuming you've got riverfront property somewhere?

On a fresh water lake right across from Disney....every day is a nature show; this morning its bald eagles (called "fish eagles" locally). Otters make a high peached squeak but can also bark like small dogs as a warning...a bit strange.

[Frankie the Fink]

Someone PM'ed me about my trolling motor mount after seeing the video (first few seconds) and this is the read out on that.....I replaced the trolling motor battery with a lithium version since the video and saved about 42 lbs of weight:

YouTube

This is the mounting product and the total install was about $1200 "all in"; motor, mount wiring and plugs; the motor doesn't take up space inside the "playpen" when stored and no special "half door" required to use it:
https://riderestyle.com/

[Yadkin]

Lithium battery around all that water? "Florida man..."

Nice to see wildlife there other than friggin alligators.

[Frankie the Fink]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

Lithium battery around all that water? "Florida man..."

Nice to see wildlife there other than friggin alligators.

Specifically designed for trolling motor use and sits in a sealed "battery box" underneath a flip down seat. IMO, safer than a Tesla in a Florida drenching hurricane that our fire departments can't extingquish.

If the boat goes down I'll be dog-paddling for shore while calling my insurance company.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

Specifically designed for trolling motor use and sits in a sealed "battery box" underneath a flip down seat. IMO, safer than a Tesla in a Florida drenching hurricane that our fire departments can't extingquish.

If the boat goes down I'll be dog-paddling for shore while calling my insurance company.

You'll be wrestling gators all the way to shore

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

Specifically designed for trolling motor use and sits in a sealed "battery box" underneath a flip down seat. IMO, safer than a Tesla in a Florida drenching hurricane that our fire departments can't extingquish.

If the boat goes down I'll be dog-paddling for shore while calling my insurance company.

Well, if it's sealed...

[Big bob]

Great job on the trolling motor! I am doing the same thing to my pontoon. My motor will be here Monday. I went with the Minn Kota Terrova 54 12 volt with advanced GPS. It's a few more bucks but it is totally self driving once you program your tracks.

[Frankie the Fink]

Originally Posted by Big bob

Great job on the trolling motor! I am doing the same thing to my pontoon. My motor will be here Monday. I went with the Minn Kota Terrova 54 12 volt with advanced GPS. It's a few more bucks but it is totally self driving once you program your tracks.

Good choice - I'm on a 2400 acre land-locked lake (hard to get lost) and seldom stop for more than a few moments so I couldn't justify the extra $$$ for the GPS guidance and "station keeping" features. The company that sells the mount I used has custom Minn Kota motor mounts including the "self-deploying" versions.

My Lowrance electronics provide the normal GPS functions if needed.
Self-guiding GPS not a good idea on my body of water; there are several underwater "mountains" where you can go from 14' to 2' in a few seconds...

My 55-lb thrust motor works well and pushes my small pontoon about 3mph, a bigger boat and I'd have hade to step up in models, cost and voltage (requiring dual batteries).

[Big bob]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

Good choice - I'm on a 2400 acre land-locked lake (hard to get lost) and seldom stop for more than a few moments so I couldn't justify the extra $$$ for the GPS guidance and "station keeping" features. The company that sells the mount I used has custom Minn Kota motors including the "self-deploying" versions.

My Lowrance electronics provide the normal GPS functions if needed.
Self-guiding GPS not a good idea on my body of water; there are several underwater "mountains" where you can go from 14' to 2' in a few seconds...

My 55-lb thrust motor works well and pushes my small pontoon about 3mph, a bigger boat and I'd have hade to step up in models, cost and voltage (requiring dual batteries).

My lake is not nearly that big and have been totally lost when the fog rolls in. Main reason I got mine it is to hard to drive and troll by myself. I saw that self deploying one. I was at the ramp and saw a guy dump his boat and parked his truck as the boat floated away I though he lost it. It was fun to watch but not needed.

Try tossing the Eagles a fish. I have one that will catch one in the air from me now.

[Onebadcad]

I have lived in my home for 23 years and saw an otter, only one, a couple weeks back.
Dood was entertaining, did some breakdancing in the yard across the water, he must have been out there for at least 30 minutes.

[Anjdog2003]

Nice otters, Floriduh sucks

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by Big bob

My lake is not nearly that big and have been totally lost when the fog rolls in. Main reason I got mine it is to hard to drive and troll by myself. I saw that self deploying one. I was at the ramp and saw a guy dump his boat and parked his truck as the boat floated away I though he lost it. It was fun to watch but not needed.

Try tossing the Eagles a fish. I have one that will catch one in the air from me now.

What's the name of your lake, Bob? Is it freshwater?

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

What's the name of your lake, Bob? Is it freshwater?

Joliet toilet.

[dvarapala]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

What's the name of your lake, Bob? Is it freshwater?

I believe the name is "Farm Pond."

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

Joliet toilet.

YouTube