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| I'm looking to put a mast system on my rig. The higher up the mast sits, the better spread you'll get is what I've read. I've also been told not to get the seat pedestal model as it is most likely too far forward on the front deck and lines will be hitting the rods. So, I'm looking at mounting it on the front bow, next to my minn kota. Have a couple of questions.
Anyone done this on the bow of a 620? There's plenty of room but I'm wondering if I'll need to reinforce the bottom of the bow there with a steel plate or something. The bow seems pretty strong enough but the pull of the boards on the mast could be quite a bit and I wouldn't want to tear the screws right out of the bow. Thought about using nylon coated steel lines and attaching to the front winch tie down and then to the mast to keep the pressure off.....
To that note, anyone use a mast system where there's a lot of weeds? St. Clair probably? How is it using a mast set up where you have a lot of floating junk weeds? I'm assuming it can be a real pain when a big clump of weeds builds up on the boards and then you have to reel em back in and clean em. Thoughts? As much as a pain as I think it would be?
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Posts: 295
Location: Southern Ontario, Detroit River and Lake StClair | I've been running boards for Muskie for close to 25yrs now. I was part of a group of guys that started using them here on Lake St.Clair back in the early/mid 1980's. First of all......higher isn't always better. A good set of boards doesnt need a high mast to cover ground. If they pull right they will go out now matter how high the mast. If you go too high you end up with problems when you outside rod's line gets draped over your inside rod's line. You want you lines to go from your rod tip to the release clip without rubbing on anything or having the chance of snagging up on a release clip. I would deffinantly re enforce the under side of your deck at least with some 3/4" pressure treated plywood. You don't want the washers digging into raw glass, there's a lot of pressure on a mast. You said "tear the screws out"....bolt it.....don't screw it unless you like problems. As far as the weeds go......I don't have to much problem with them on my boards. I've tweeked my design over the years and the shed weeds well unless it's a small floating island. I don' reel them in either. It's hand over hand to get them to the boat then the reels are for storage. Don't forget a tether line as well when setting up. Its makes reaching the planner line a lot easier.
Good Fishin'
Tim
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| I have a 620 and I run a mast. It is on the bow bolted in. I use a winch strap around the mast which also goes around the nose of the boat. It is pretty solid. I do not have a plate underneath the cap but wouldn't mind having that extra insurance.
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| Thanks for the info guys.
So Rouchneck, if you have a great set of boards that plane well, why would rail mount reels on the front deck work just as well as a mast? I'm assuming your lines would be draping over each other in that case as the height of the board lines is pretty low?
Speaking of reels too, I was also told that the retracting reels are the one's to get as they keep the slack up when making turns and such.
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Posts: 295
Location: Southern Ontario, Detroit River and Lake StClair | I know guys that use rail mount reels and do fine with them. Your line are fine with it low like that. Your outside rod is mounted fartherest forward and almost verticle and your insde a little farther back and on a 30 degree angle. No tangles. I would go with retracting reels. More to break. Besides I cant even begin to count the number of fish I've caught as a planer line goes slack and the bait takes a dive or it tightens up and the bait rockets forward.
Tim
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