Out testing on a Bassmasters and Phish concert day...

[digitroll (ron)]

My day started out solo out of the Winooski anticipating a crossing at 8:30 am. I was greeted by whitecaps from the Northwest and it was steadily worse as I made my way slowly 3 miles right into the building seas. At this point I turned around and rode 2-3 footers back into the safe confines of the river without wetting a line. Did some testing of my new X-4 probe in the calm river. The probe matched the surface reading at the surface. No adjustments needed. The next part was playing with the new autopilot and doing some fine tuning. About an hour later I decided to put the boat on the ramp as it was still windy and head to the Bassmaster's day one location at Mallett's Bay. Still hadn't wet a line yet.

Launched at Mallett's bay around 11:00 am. I marveled at how great it was that all the guys in this tournament parked in the upper parking lot with pin point accuracy that looked like the Honda parking lot at the Automaster. They left the lower parking lot open for us Rec. guys. Thank you Bassmasters!

With no one at the ramp I headed out and started in front of the Lamoille and dropped the probe down to 70 ft. where it read 62 degrees. Lots of perch on the screen as I set two riggers and caught a few perch. I picked up after 30 minutes and tried to run out to the broad lake but it just wasn't going to happen as the closer I got to the causeway it looked white near Stave Island. So I turned around and trolled in the middle from where I came from. Did some more playing with my autopilot and read the manual. Looks like everything was dialed in nicely! Ready for frostbite season! I now felt comfortable with the new toys and there performance. The wind came up pretty strong from the northwest and I picked up and went into the bay for some protection for another hour. Decided at 1 pm. to pick up as some of the bass guys started coming back to weigh in.

The Malletts bay police boat was near the 5 mph buoys watching things. A bass official helped me at the dock and held my boat when I went to get the truck. Love the new 2012 bunk trailer. The Digitroll drives really nice and straight and loads every time nice and straight.

It was an uneventful ride thru Essex at 2 pm with no Phish heads in sight!

Took some photos and video:


Fishhawk X-4 and Raymarine X-5 demo video:


http://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh20 ... 0148-1.mp4


45 minutes before the Bassmaster pre-weigh sound check video:


http://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh20 ... 0154-1.mp4






These are one of the first returning boats getting ready to weigh in a big bag!







There was two of these pontoons they use to put the fish after weighing. They are filling them with fresh water prior to weigh-in:

















The Digitroll is out of place here!




30-45 minutes before the first bag of fish to be weighed as the MC does some final checks!

[browntown]

Great photos. Those are some sharp looking rigs.

Wish you good have gotten into a few. Next time.

[JK47]

Sounds like fun. Also sounds like some good folks fishing the bassmaster!

Thanks for sharing.

[Reelax]

Great shake down cruise for the new toys Ron... Sounds like you are ready for some serious fishin.... I am thinking of buying the new x4 probe for my fishawk480. I hear it works on the old 480 units... How do you like yours?

[raz]

Very cool Ron...
I especially liked your Fishhawk X-4 and Raymarine X-5 demo video. Great stuff.
I'll have the X-4 installed for next year...I "know" it's on one of Cathys lists.
Thanks for the informative post!

[digitroll (ron)]

Great shake down cruise for the new toys Ron... Sounds like you are ready for some serious fishin.... I am thinking of buying the new x4 probe for my fishawk480. I hear it works on the old 480 units... How do you like yours?

Matt / Raz

The X-4 temp / speed device is awesome! Very steady and I have had it out on two trips now and various currents and conditions. I am very pleased with the readouts and how stable it is.

The X-5 digital autopilot sets a very lofty benchmark for excellence with the course computer. Again, it's the second time out and both times I take a deep breath and say: Wow! Whatever course you set it, it is dead nuts whether trolling or on plane. There are several forum members that have recently installed the X-5R sport model on there boats so we should have plenty of data on this must have toy!

[dreamcatcher]

Really nice Ron; like the autopilot, cool video also!

[Flashpoint]

NIce Job Ron! Love the video's! You will love the X-4...no doubt!

[odysse68]

Ron, Does your 115 merc. has an hydraulic steering install on it or you can run the new raymarine X-5 on a standard mecanic system like I own on my 2008 tracker.

[digitroll (ron)]

Luc,

It's a mechanically steered boat. The nice thing about the Ray Marine X5-R is it will install over a rotary or rac steering system. It will fit all mechanically steered boats. They added ball bearings to the drive system for 2011 and it's now bullet proof!

Hydraulic steering is typically standard equipment on new boats today with engines 150 hp and up. For an extra $1,000 I could replace the mechanical cable with a Sea Star hydraulic system, but budgets are limited by what we want and reality. I am very happy with the new toys and have used up 5 years of budgets.

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Thanks Ron for the report and the autopilot video.

I am also looking into getting one, but I cannot afford the $4000+ price tag for the X10 model.
I was told the X5 had issues before. It was noisy and causing wear on the cables, but I guess it is now resolved with the new bearings.
For half the price, it looks like a good investment.... more money left for other toys.
And YES... I also checked for hydraulic steering, upgrading goes for around $1000.

[digitroll (ron)]

Thanks Ron for the report and the autopilot video.

I am also looking into getting one, but I cannot afford the $4000+ price tag for the X10 model.
I was told the X5 had issues before. It was noisy and causing wear on the cables, but I guess it is now resolved with the new bearings.
For half the price, it looks like a good investment.... more money left for other toys.
And YES... I also checked for hydraulic steering, upgrading goes for around $1000.

Gerry,

I heard they had issues with the initial design about 3-4 years ago. Improvements have solved those issues like the ball bearing drive system in the new improved model this year. As far as cable wear I haven't heard of that before that is interesting. I don't rely on it all the time. Probably use it about 10% of the time fishing as I drive or have a driver it's just the time when fighting a fish and you need the driver to net or setting lines solo. Great tool! Noise is minimal a little less than my old analog sportpilot plus I noticed. My 115 Mercury 4 stroke EFI is so quiet that I hear every creak in the boat for the last 5 years I have owned it.

Ron

[Shortstop]

I upgraded my fishhawk 840 to the new X-4 (probe and display). I was having issues with
probe using up batteries....... The new probe is still on the first set of batteries (75+ hours so
far). This is very stable temp readings and the display can be read easily. You will love this
new unit.

Capt Bob

[Dockside]

Love it! Thanks Ron.

[Brian]

That is certainly one of the more interesting "sort of fishing" posts! Thanks for the filmed report of Mallet's. Phish on.