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After spending more time working on my boat than at home in the last week, Reel Therapy made her first splash of 2024, and in freshwater!  Took her out with my friend, John, on a shakedown run Monday out of Doyne's Marina.  I bought this boat in East Maryland late last October and brought it home to transform it into a Salmon boat.  Monday was my first time behind the helm since the test drive on the Chesapeake Bay prior to purchase.  The boat handled really well in the waves and for once in my life, all my shit worked for a change!  I literally making this boat into My Personal Watercraft with the installation of:
1) Radar
2) secondary Garmin ChartPlotter
3) ball mounts for both ChartPlotters
4) NMEA network 
5) double trumpet horn on the roof (the in hull horn was WEAK)
6) New Anchor and anchor rode
7) Quick release mounted Cisco Planer Board motors

Only 1 issue and that was at launch.  As the boat rolled off the trailer, the claw anchor caught on the trailer mast on the rollers.  Not sure if it was the steep drop off at Doyne's, but the angle of the trailer was pretty steep.  Clipped the strap to the bow eyelet and cranked her back up a ways, let out 4 ft of anchor and bungee'd it to the bow pulpit until we got underway.  Don't think I'll have this issue at Portage Marina with the even, concrete ramps. Never had any issues launching there with other boats and I won't have to fight the river current getting the boat trailered; so I purchased my Season Launch Pass and Port Authority stickers today.  Going to keep the boat indoor storage at Doyne's, but being it's a 1/4 mile down the road, Portage Marina will work for better me, as I need to be able to launch and trailer by myself.

We did troll a few lines, but really weren't aggressively fishing and caught a Coho on an Orange Brad's Thin Fish w/ flourescent yellow stripes in 35 FOW going 1.9 mph just East of Bailey.  We also stopped the boat to view the eclipse from the water and take in some nourishment.  She was a fishing machine on the Chesapeake, and hopefully I can continue to add to her lore.  Was hoping to have her ready for the Coho Cabin Fever, but I wasn't completely done with the installs and clean up and most importantly, I did not want this first outing to be in a tournament.  I had no idea what to expect out of this boat and still have so much more to learn. Working on getting my ABC boater's course finished and have some light reading ahead with the Art of Seamanship, which is expected to arrive in a couple days.  Until next post, tight lines and full boxes!   

Sweet looking Steiger craft, looks like a tank, ready to take on the great lakes.  Congrats on a successful first trip. 

Glad it went well! Looks like a sweet ride

Thought you were someone else!

www.facebook.com/ReelTherapyIL

Fantastic

OH NO! Not another boat out there with the same name! LOL! Thanks for stopping by!