Wizumz Posted September 21, 2021 Report Share Posted September 21, 2021 New here, acquired a '99 Hewes LT 18 I was looking at for most of the summer after selling my Mako. Boat has been very fun so far, I've been able to fish some very shallow areas and reefs with greater peace of mind knowing I can just pole out if I get too tight. I fish mostly the Norwalk Islands in CT, protected area where we see zero swell unless there are East winds (no one really fishes East winds here, it ***). Looking forward to the fall and spring when I can get my sightfishing juices flowing, we have a handful of untouched flats here that I've been able to wade-fish in the past with good success. Also, we may be spending a month down in Northeast FL in winter going forward, will definitely have to trailer down if we do that. Anyone here fish St. Augustine area and want to help me learn redfish? Went last year kayak fishing the ICW down there and found a motherload of reds, could not for the life of me catch one though, found there was a big worm hatch that may have put them off the usual prey. Friend whiffing on a nice bass in 1.5ft of water His reaction after it charged the fly and ate aggressively (my favorite photo from the boat so far) Getting my buddy in close to a reef. I later stuck a nice 30"+ Bass on a popper fly, dropped the fish next to the boat, no pic. Would have been the best bass on the rig thus far. As I love to futz, few things I'm looking into for next season... - I wish the platform wasn't black, I like but don't really love the black/grey trend going on now, anyone want to trade painted black for a polished aluminum (ha)? Or any tips on how I could remove the paint and polish it? I may embrace it and go all black accents and do black/grey dekit under the gunnels (carpets are looking old) but I would always wish I had that white/polished clean look - Need a suicide knob wheel, I have to stern dock at my marina and making quick adjustments in wind is tricky without a knob. I've used a budget A-Marine wheel in the past with good results, but considering asking for an Edson for xmas (are these really worth it?) - Push Pole is slightly bent from sitting in the sun in its locked-in position, feel like this is unavoidable since I don't trailer and can't remove the pole after use. Maybe it was due to the PO not assembling it properly? It looks a tad separated in the last section of the pole which is where the warp starts (I'll post pics later), a little bit of water gets in too, likely through there. I may have to contact the company and ask for a new third section and re-do it myself if possible (I have epoxy/fiberglass experience) - Looking for grab rails for side of console as passengers I've taken out have complained they feel like there's nothing to hold on to. People up here are not used to riding in skiffs/small boats. Found some on eBay that may fit the bill but curious to hear other options/opinions. - I have this odd white contraption on the top of the console that PO didn't know what it was. I can't tell either and haven't traced the wire to anything yet. Can anyone tell what this may be from the markings on top of it? Overall, love the boat! People think I'm crazy for having one up here, but there are actually a good amount of flats boats in my area and it suits my favorite type of fishing so I'm happy! Trailered it up to Rhode Island and fished the ocean front the other day, no problems except for the fishing being horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polliwog Posted October 19, 2021 Report Share Posted October 19, 2021 I just saw your thread here,I'm a little slow with my move back to FL for the winter. I might say glad to have another LT in LIS. You might consider getting a grab railing made to go over your console, I did this for my little maverick in FL and it makes moving around the deck much more comfortable and I don't have to worry about grabbing the GPS by mistake.. My 20 LT came with one. I have no idea what that white thing is on the console. Enjoy the new ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polliwog Posted October 26, 2021 Report Share Posted October 26, 2021 I wouldn't consider trying to pole my 20,you would have to be young and in great condition ,neither of which describes me. BTW try rotating the pole around 180 degrees after each trip. I do it to even out the ultra violet rays on the graphite pole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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