Decided I wanted the ability to fish shallower than I have been in my Scout. I have had my eye on Maverick's HPX series for sometime. Alot of good things fell into place last week that all started with a puppy sale that netted some big jack - Thanks BD

Sold my scout 177 without advertising

Got a free used Christmas tree that is very nice


Headed down on Friday afternoon to Big Pine Key to look at a Maverick HPX-T 2002 that had been on Florida Sportsman Boat Store. I won't go into the hotel from hell. but I got there Butt early Saturday morning with high anticipation. My first trip to the keys...amazingly nice considering how close to wacko world....
The sunrise shot:

Stopped by a beach and took a stroll, ran into a keys snow man:

In case you didn't see him:

Made to Big Pine Key and Action Marine where Marshall showed me the boat..it was dirty as crap after sitting 5 months...which is not what you want to see when you go on a blind date...but I towed her to a marina where I got ripped $20 bucks to launch (5 each way plus parking):

Took her for an hour tour and me like. I have been on two HPX-V with 90's and they are sooo damn sweet, but wanted to experiment with a tunnel which I have never owned before. Its ride was very different but still nicer than I expected in the 15 mph winds that day and some decent wakes by boats passin by....Found a few flaws not told about, owner agreed to pay for fix, threw in a nice Garmim GPS with sounder, xm weather, and maps loaded


Met up with a nice drunken 300lb Cuban crabber on the dock on the ride up the canal, he kept shouting "flats maun", luv polin the flats... you luv the flats, yeah, flats maun...polin maun yeah...." He did not stop when I told him I had owned the boat 1 hour...that is the keys I guess. Wished I got a pic.
This guy couldn't give me directions to the bank which was located right in the door of the grocery store he worked at, just kept sayin "no no, no no...dunt know no state bank, no no .." Guess I looked like a tourist


Cleaned her up and gave her a wax over the weekend....Can't wait to test her out on some reds real soon...in 8" of water or less

Here are a few picts (sorry didn't realize camera was set on low resolution):




Anyone that has seen Location X and the inteview with Captn Hank, I ran into him at the pro shop in Islaromada and chatted a while...very nice gent still "learning each time I go". Fun ending to the trip..home 12:30 Sunday morning not a bit tired

Merry Xmas everyone.....more boat trades comin...stay tuned
