Splash Down 2021 January 14th Thursday Solo (Video)

[digitroll (ron)]

Felt like mid November yesterday for 3.5 hours in the afternoon air temp 37F. Surface temp. 40.7 F down to 90 ft. Screen looked great! 1 LT and a knockoff with two rods on riggers running 92 ft with a cheater at 50 ft and another at 60 ft with cheater at 40 ft. No trailers at Converse at 12:30 pm. One solo driven 16 ft open utility boat with a tiller motor flat lining around Split rock.

40 second video from yesterday click on the You Tube link:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6zjI083WYs

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Looks like a beautiful day to be on the water, so calm. Enjoy as much as you can.

[digitroll (ron)]

Thanks Gerry! It was even nicer today! Report to follow.

[Detritus]

Ha! what happened to putting the boat away for the year, first day of spring, all that?

Glad you bailed on that resolution Ron. Dilly and I are going to be out there Sunday morning I think. Got a couple new pieces of gear to try out. Maybe we'll see you out there.

It's a rare day that it isn't beautiful out there when it's calm.

[digitroll (ron)]

This mild January the first 2 weeks is unprecedented Jack!

Had to get out the last two days. Dry roads temps in the mid thirties and calm water!

[TruViking]

I have said this before, but it seems warranted to repeat myself after watching this video and reading the specifics "Digitroll/Ron"........."Detritus/Jack".... "Reelax"...."Crazy Ivan"...."Dilly"...."Tamiron"'....."Fishy1.......(I could go on and On!) and all of the Great Anglers who share on this forum, keeeping everyone in the mix and up-to-date.......

You are all a Great group of Fishermen and Fisherwoman and the fact that everyone posts, in detail, to help other anglers out and keeping things lively.. It really is a unique and (as corny as it sounds) kinda heartwarming when you have people so willing to help out their fellow fish fanatics! The Lake Champlain United forum is a part of my everyday routine now. I appreciate everyone for the incredible knowledge and experience that is brought to the table.

Ok, the Groveling is over now. Great Videos Ron! Keep em Comin'. I look forward to meeting you all someday out on the water and hopefully will have some pictures to share myself of my Son holding one of those monsters, much like those in this post, soon!!!

Thanks again for the posts everyone.

Best,
TruViking (Ej)

[digitroll (ron)]

Good luck EJ! Some nice fish out there! Thanks for watching! I am sure we will see you again at the ramp or on the water.

[Reelax]

Ron, really enjoyed your video and congrats on a hog who put up a great show for all to see...

Love our lake! We are all blessed..

Nice work on the release.

[digitroll (ron)]

Thanks Matt. What do you end up doing for more aggressive tires? That icy ramp and going uphill is a challenge at Converse now with my GMC Sierra all season truck tires. Spins like slicks trying to pull 3,000 lbs of boat and trailer uphill. Town Fair Tire?

[Reelax]

Thanks Matt. What do you end up doing for more aggressive tires? That icy ramp and going uphill is a challenge at Converse now with my GMC Sierra all season truck tires. Spins like slicks trying to pull 3,000 lbs of boat and trailer uphill. Town Fair Tire?

Ron, I had priced tires on a few sites on the web till I found the best price. Once I had chosen Goodyear winter commands and they would take studs, I brought that info/price to the Chevy dealer in St Albans and they matched price and had them in stock! 275 65 r18 is a crappy size to have to buy, but they work! I pulled my boat up my steep driveway with a hard pack snow base, and 2” of powder on the last trip and never spun a tire on the way up. With my Goodyear duratracs I would have come down backwards, again.

These tires have extended my frostbite season, they were worth it. 300 lbs of sand bags in the back with a 450lb plow on the front make it like a tank in the snow...

[digitroll (ron)]

Good combination studs / Winter tread!. Having the plow on the front and adding 300 lbs of sand in the rear bed helps them get a good bite!



Thanks Matt!

[Detritus]

Ron, if you're looking for dedicated snow tires, I recommend Studded Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT2's. I run them on both my Excursion (Country Angler Tow Rig) and my Express Van 3500 (2wd).

I've run Cooper Weathermasters, Firestone Winterforce, Goodyears, and a few off brands. Being a plow guy as part of my winter job, there's kind of no opting out of driving because the weather is bad. Nokian's are $100-$200 more a set, but theres a few things that make them worth it.

For one, they're from Finland. It's always snowing in Finland!

But seriously, They have a very soft rubber that grips the road better than anything I've run in the winter, but, because of this, they do wear out fast in warm temperatures like other snow tires, but I would say even faster, so you definately have to change them out as soon as it warms up.

There is %wear indicators in the rubber in 10% increments which is kind of cool.

The tread pattern doesn't look super aggressive, but, they have a ton of sipes which splay out when you're applying torque to them. And that, more than the lug pattern, is what bites into the snow.

The combination of the above and the next thing I think is what sets them apart.

If you opt for a studded tire, they have to be ordered studded. They do not stud them at the tire shop, because the studs are square, made of carbide instead of steel so they don't wear out as fast, and believe it or not, are oriented. So driving down the road, they are basically a diamond shape, not just poked in any old way, or round. There is also some special rubber compound under each stud that has something to do with cushioning it driving down the road in normal conditions.

Regardless of all of this tire mumbo jumbo above that may or may not contribute to a superior snow tire performance, they really are the best snow tire I've ever run, and in my opinion, are worth the extra money I paid for them.

Do that, and throw two 5 gallon buckets of salt and sand mix from your local town shed in the back. If you can't get up a ramp, a little sand goes a long way.

Nobody asked me, but there's my take on snow tires anyway, haha.

[digitroll (ron)]

Thanks Jack. My Goodyear highway all seasons that came new on the truck and on my 2nd set now at 57,000 miles just don't have the traction for snow and ice on the ramp with that steep hill approach at Converse. Looking to replace them this upcoming Fall. Some good options out there. And Nokia tires are amazing! Good idea on a couple of buckets of sand/salt mix from the town garage!