Boat trouble at Lincoln Beach

[fast_randy]

This was my first time on the water this year. I hooked water up to it, and it fired right up in the driveway. But when I got to LB it would not run. Last fall I filled the gas tank up to the top with unleaded non ethanol and gas stabilizer. The key switch might be part of the problem. It says push in for choke. But the choke part won't work. It has always fired right up instantly. I just don't know anything about these new 4 srokes. It is a 40 hrs. Merc. Anyway it finally started and I left to fish the shallows. I used my electric trolling motor for three hours,  I got one 26 inches, 25 3/4" and a 24 but then nothing. so I went out to Bird. My motor fried up ok. I tried to get in the north side of Bird but I got hung up in the rocks. So I decided to go to the south side. And my motor would not start. So I had to make it all the way back with just my electric motor. There was no other  boats on the water. I made it to the north side of the LB channel when my battery died. It was shallow so I walked my boat as close as I could. And went and got my other battery in my truck. 

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That Motor Guide electric took a beating. I tore the transducer for my Helix 5 off the bottom of it in the rocks.

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The motor might be sucking air because I pump the squeeze bubble hard, and then crank the motor and the bubble gets soft and empty again.