New member from New Mexico, USA

[Rover310]

Hi,

I've been frequent visitor to the site for the past few months, and decided it was time to join up. Having read quite a few threads, it looks like you've got a great community of knowledgeable RIB/SIB owners here.

Although I'm not new to boating (previous boat was a 1990 Alumacraft MV Angler, powered by a 1990 Evinrude 48 SLP), I just recently purchased my very first SIB. It's a 2007 Avon Rover 310 Aero... I bought this from the original owner, who bought it new in 2008, and apparently only had it in the water twice the entire time he's owned it... never even mounted a motor to the transom. For all intents & purposes, it's still a brand new boat...







Also picked up this clean 1991 Evinrude 6 HP a couple weeks ago...





I'm looking forward to participating here on the site, and getting this new boat out on the water for some fishing soon...

Regards,

Mike

[ncp]

Both look brand new!

[Rover310]

Originally Posted by ncp

Both look brand new!

Yeah, they really are that clean. On top of that, I think they were pretty fair deals... the boat was a local find for $800, and I picked up the motor for $600 in Arizona.

It actually took quite a lot of searching to find a motor I was interested in, as all of the small outboards I was seeing in the 6 to 10 hp range on CL around my area were old mid '70's and early '80's stuff.

[jyasaki]

Nice little boat. Are you a lake guy (I'm assuming you must be, given location...)

Anyway, Welcome to the forum.

jky

[Rover310]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Nice little boat. Are you a lake guy (I'm assuming you must be, given location...)

Anyway, Welcome to the forum.

jky

Thank's jky... yeah, lakes (technically, most are river fed reservoirs with dams and are US Army Corp of Engineer projects). One of the largest (over 30 miles in length) bodies of water in this area is Navajo Reservoir, up in the Four Corners. It's fed by the San Juan river and straddles the state lines of Colorado & New Mexico. Another nice one, called Abiquiu lake, is about 5200 acres in surface area and is only about an hour from where I live. Pretty good fishing at both of these reservoirs... just below the dam at Navajo, that part of the San Juan river is considered to be some of the very best "quality" trout waters in the U.S.

We also have some small, natural mountain lakes in the area as well. Many of these are often restricted to non motorized boats.

[jyasaki]

Well, yeah. I understand the pollution problem limiting propulsion in natural lakes. I have no problem with that.

What do you fish for there? Trout, I'd assume?

jky

[Rover310]

Yeah, some of these lakes are just so small (some are less than 50 acres in surface area), the PPM from outboard emissions would be pretty high. But many of these non motorized lakes are pretty shallow, so electric trolling motors aren't allowed either, so I think it's also about not stirring up sediment on the bottom.

One of the reasons I wanted a small SIB is to be able to put in on some of these small lakes, many of which don't have boat ramps... which is fine, means better fishing for me.

As for fishing, I'm happy for anything that will take my lure... Crappie (IMO nothing beats a mess of Crappie fillets for a shore lunch), Brown Trout, Walleye (2nd best eating fresh water fish IMO), and Northern Pike are the main species I go for.

How about you... are you into fishing?

[office888]

Welcome!

Are the planning on installing transom wheels so you can easily manipulate the boat by yourself?

[Rover310]

Originally Posted by office888

Welcome!

Are the planning on installing transom wheels so you can easily manipulate the boat by yourself?

Yes, I've been thinking about getting transom wheels.

Any recommendations (without going overboard on cost)?

[office888]

Originally Posted by Rover310

Yes, I've been thinking about getting transom wheels.

Any recommendations (without going overboard on cost)?

I do not have much personal experience with them...however, I can tell you that the pneumatic wheels are usually cheaper, but they float so they are harder to work with. When you are pulling the pin to hinge them up, the wheel assembly is working against you.

Plastic hubs with airless tires or no tires are the best option since they are not buoyant.

Just make sure your option can support the boat + equipment.

Also, New Mexico has pretty intense sun! Be sure to store your boat under a breathable cover, or indoors to preserve it. Regular application of 303 protectant will help as well. Tarps can retain moisture which can create mold. The hypalon is porous, so you have to be careful with mold/mildew. I like scrubbing my whole boat down with a cream or gel type bleach like Soft Scrub every couple of months to keep it clean & fresh (Light colored Hypalon can get mildewy quick!).

Enjoy it! Inflatables are the best for fishing.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Rover310

How about you... are you into fishing?

Not hook and line, though I've been known to shoot (spear) a few fish on occasion. (Though I'd like to get into fly fishing for trout. Maybe.)

When I make it out on the boat, I usually drop a couple of crab traps before diving and pick them up afterwards. And I usually do a couple of trips a year for abalone.

jky