BigBendFishing.Net

To Paraphrase Jimmy Buffett: Boat Trades, Boys on the Forum Luv Boat Trades..I gotta go fishin Saint somewhere....

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 More Jack.

Got a free used Christmas tree that is very nice Thanks again BD and Mrs BD- yes I'm a cheap bastard Chalk, just ask my kids

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 Sold!



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 Got the 70 yamaha with 215 hours, does 37 with 4 blade as propped.

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

Suweeeet Xmas . That will work around these parts for sure!

I heard Chalk would double your money...

Looks like SWEET

Very Nice.....You bastage

very nice Bill. Merry Christmas

Bill,
If it's ok with you, I'm going to have my wife contact you next year when Christmas rolls around...that's one sweet boat and sound like an interesting trip.

That's great and all Bill. But I want to hear about the chicken running through the parking lot....

chicken = Keys "state" bird...there every where down there

Sweet boat. Looks like fun

Sweet boat. You will enjoy it.

Reel Slow wrote: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....

Tunnels are pretty much the same, just a few notes of interest....

Reverse is almost an afterthought. It helps if you figure this out before beach your boat on the dock at the ramp.

If your boat will run in 7 inches of water, that rock at 6 inches still hurts. A lot.

If your 200 + pound buddy gets on the front deck to look for rocks in skinny water while idling, and you have the motor tilted any amount, you will pull the water intakes out of the water. Big guy on the bow = motor trimmed all the way down or you get alarms.

Tom Keels wrote:That's great and all Bill. But I want to hear about the chicken running through the parking lot....

As Chalk said, they are everywhere down there...even smelled like a chicken coop in certain places

Eerman wrote:If it's ok with you, I'm going to have my wife contact you next year when Christmas rolls around...that's one sweet boat and sound like an interesting trip

I consult on these issues @ $80/hour. Mon-Fri unless there is no wind... * $320 = + Maverick


Thanks all, and thanks for the tips Grim Reeler ... Good thing BD has been on a diet

Awesome story and boat...I'm jealous. What a Christmas present!

Top notch flats ride 4 sure The maverick boats forum is an excellent info source that you can tap into.

For Christmas my wife got a GMC Yucon and you got a flats boat what is wrong with this picture?

What a mess wrote:For Christmas my wife got a GMC Yucon and you got a flats boat what is wrong with this picture?

Seems about right to me WAM?