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Random Quote: Just a thought. I never said it was a good thought.
I bought a Thompson 240 Fisherman hardtop this past spring and have used it for Lake Erie walleye fishing several times. Love the boat for walleye fishing, it's unique in that you can get the boat to drift side to the wind or transom to the wind just by turning the wheel. When fishing with 4 guys it is just better to fish with the transom to the wind and we seem to hook up with a lot more fish.
Last week 3 of us used the boat for perch fishing, talk about uncomfortable! Does anyone have their Thompson set up for perch fishing? If so, how do you have the boat set up?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Not sure what you are asking; what was uncomfortable about it? Did you anchor off the stern or the bow. How big were the waves and how much anchor line did you have out?
We had to anchor off of the bow because it was pretty rough. The problem is there is no comfortable way to set your rods while sitting down because the freeboard on the boat is so high. I like to sit when I perch fish but sitting on the cooler or anything else that is normal height makes you feel like you are sitting in a hole. Also when fishing with two rods the rod slide all over the place because they are not sitting flat on the side of the boat.
I was hoping someone had a suggestion on how they have their Thompson set up for perch fishing that I could do also.
Now I get it; maybe adjustable rod holders would be the key. The depth of a 24 Thompson is part of its allure for many people. The motor box should make a decent prop up point for you though, or lay your rod across the transom being careful not to set it in such a way as it will fall over.
As to roughness at anchor; most people make the mistake of not enough anchor rode onboard. On Lake Erie, you should have a minimum of 200' on board, and use most of it when it is rough especially. Also make certain you have a decent length of chain attached so the anchor will lay at a better angle.
Skipper- thanks for the advice I will try some rod holders. As far as anchor rode I have 250' w/ another 100' coil in storage. I also have 20' of chain and rarely have a hard time anchoring. The only place I always seem to have a problem anchoring is behind Kelleys in the trough >45'. I have tried two different anchors and used all 350' of anchor rode and my anchor just won't hold.
Skipper- thanks for the advice I will try some rod holders. As far as anchor rode I have 250' w/ another 100' coil in storage. I also have 20' of chain and rarely have a hard time anchoring. The only place I always seem to have a problem anchoring is behind Kelleys in the trough >45'. I have tried two different anchors and used all 350' of anchor rode and my anchor just won't hold.
Well, you have plenty of chain and rode, must be your anchor or a very rocky flat surface over there. Anchor off the airport from time to time and rarely have a problem. By the way, have your Thompson inspected for transom and stringer rot as soon as possible if you havent already They are notorious for problems
I did some core drilling on the transom and stringers on the Thompson before I bought it. It also had a survey done on it 3 years before I bought it. I found a little wet wood in the transom, high on the port side. Everything else on the transom was good and I found nothing wet on the core drilling I did on the stringers.
This is the first season I have owned the boat and so far so good for the entire season. I have a lot of upgrades I want to do for the 2010 season which will only make it better for next year.
I did some core drilling on the transom and stringers on the Thompson before I bought it. It also had a survey done on it 3 years before I bought it. I found a little wet wood in the transom, high on the port side. Everything else on the transom was good and I found nothing wet on the core drilling I did on the stringers.
This is the first season I have owned the boat and so far so good for the entire season. I have a lot of upgrades I want to do for the 2010 season which will only make it better for next year.
Russ
Glad it was mostly dry and you did all the right things. You didn't say what year the boat was. Be diligent on the stringers and transom and keep them dry--and you'll have a nice boat for a long time.
The boat is a 1989 but was not used for several seasons. When I first looked at it it was covered in bird dung, filthy dirty, tires flat, etc. It was sitting inside an old barn and really looked like crap.
I heard about the boat from a friend of a friend and the boat wasn't advertised for sale anywhere. The guy that owned it was an older guy that had a big motor home and really couldn't handle the boat any more. He was tired of paying the $450/year for storage and mentioned to a couple of people he wanted to sell it.
I checked out the boat without even knowing what he was asking for the boat. The boat has a hardtop and it had an aft cover so the interior was dirty but not bad. The seats were in average condition, the floor was dirty, and the electronics were 1989 vintage except for a really nice Lowrance 19C color graph/GPS that he said he paid $1395 for back in 2005 or 2006 when they first came out.
The boat was sitting on a trailer that was obviously to small for the boat but at least I could easily get the boat to the lake. I thought he was going to be in the $8K-$9K and I was prepared to offer him $6K for the boat. How shocked was I when he said he would like to get $3,500 for the boat! I offered him $3K and we settled on $3,200. I have used the boat all season and I will have to say it is probably the single best deal I have ever made. I am very happy with the boat, it starts and runs great.
The boat is a 1989 but was not used for several seasons. When I first looked at it it was covered in bird dung, filthy dirty, tires flat, etc. It was sitting inside an old barn and really looked like crap.
I heard about the boat from a friend of a friend and the boat wasn't advertised for sale anywhere. The guy that owned it was an older guy that had a big motor home and really couldn't handle the boat any more. He was tired of paying the $450/year for storage and mentioned to a couple of people he wanted to sell it.
I checked out the boat without even knowing what he was asking for the boat. The boat has a hardtop and it had an aft cover so the interior was dirty but not bad. The seats were in average condition, the floor was dirty, and the electronics were 1989 vintage except for a really nice Lowrance 19C color graph/GPS that he said he paid $1395 for back in 2005 or 2006 when they first came out.
The boat was sitting on a trailer that was obviously to small for the boat but at least I could easily get the boat to the lake. I thought he was going to be in the $8K-$9K and I was prepared to offer him $6K for the boat. How shocked was I when he said he would like to get $3,500 for the boat! I offered him $3K and we settled on $3,200. I have used the boat all season and I will have to say it is probably the single best deal I have ever made. I am very happy with the boat, it starts and runs great.
Any Thompson 240HT owners out there?
