Flaming Gorge trip

[dubob]

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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Day 1[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]While this may be a few days late in posting, I hope you enjoy the report. I made my first trip to Flaming Gorge in way too many years. While there weren’t any real reports on any of the boards I monitor daily, I was hearing by word-of-mouth that the kokanee were hungry. So I loaded the camper, hitched up the boat, and left home for the Gorge on Monday, 2 June.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]When I arrived on Monday afternoon, the afternoon wind was whipping up the water too much for an adventure that day, so I took my time and off-loaded the camper and set up camp at Lucerne Bay Campground. There was hardly anybody there and site choices were many. I set up in Loop D, Site 4; right next to the showers.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Day 2[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I took my time getting up and about on Tuesday and drove over to Sheep Creek Bay for the launch. I headed around to the channel on the east side of Kingfisher Island and had my lines down at 9:45 AM. Fifteen minutes later it was FISH ON. It turned out to be a healthy 18” koke at 2 lb, 3 oz. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]The next fish didn’t come to play until 12 Noon and it was a 13” rainbow that was immediately released.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]At 1:10 PM the final fish of the day was hooked and boated; a respectable 16” koke at 1 lb, 11oz. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]At this point in time the afternoon wind was starting to get its speed up so I called it quits for the day.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Day 3[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]On Wednesday, I woke up at 5:00 AM to the smell of freshly brewed java and got breakfast and lunch preparation done early. I launched at Lucerne and headed for the pipeline. I had the lines down at 6:50 AM. A little over an hour later at 8:05 AM it was FISH ON with a chunky 18”, 1lb, 11oz rainbow. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]This one went into the box. I kept trolling in the pipeline area for another 2 hours and had nada hits. I didn’t see any retrieves on the other 2 boats working the area either.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I could see several boats working the big bay south of me, so a little before 10:00 AM I headed down that way along the cliff wall along the east side and south of the pipeline. As soon as I got to the point that turns towards swim beach it was FISH ON with a 18”, 2 lb, 1 oz kokanee.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]This was at 10:10 AM. The next koke came at 10:53 AM off that same point: 18”, 2 lb even. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Then at about 11:30, BANG, BANG – a double on. Picked up the right rod and landed number 1 at 11:32 AM; 18” plus and 2 lb, 7 oz. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]After pictures and measurements, I picked up the left rod – fish still on – and landed number 2 at 11:35 AM. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Took his picture and released without measuring, but he has pretty much like the first 3 caught.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]At this time, with my full limit of trout/kokanee in the box, I changed lures and went deep – 90 feet – to try for whatever was showing up on the sonar at that depth. At 1:05, I had a hit on the J-plug/dodger set-up and was thinking ‘mack.’ Nope! Kokanee #5 – on a J-plug no less.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Released and continued for about another 30 minutes when I noticed the wind was REALLY starting to blow and making it very difficult to control the boat at trolling speed. Called it quits for the day and made the very wet return to Lucerne.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Day 4[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]On Thursday, I again awoke to coffee smells at 5:00 AM and was launched at Lucerne and headed over to Horseshoe Canyon for a look see. Lines were down at 7:10 and the only fish came at 8:45 AM – a 13” mack at 13oz. Since there didn’t seem to be any more reason to stay in Horseshoe, I pulled the lines and went back over to the east side of Kingfisher Island. This time, I just stayed in the channel entrance near the dock on the east side of the island and landed my biggest koke of the trip – 19” at 2 lb, 9 oz. [/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I had two more hook-ups and LDR’d both of them. I called it a day at 11:47 and headed back to Lucerne.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]On the trip back to home, I had the left wheel bearing on my boat trailer disintegrate on me just coming into Evanston. Damnit! I made it to the Big-O in Evanston about 4:30 and they said they could get to it sometime on Friday. So I dropped it off there and headed home. They were able to get it fixed good enough to get me home, but I have a scored spindle on the left side and the drum on that side was warped by the excess heat caused by the bearing failure. I drove back up to Evanston on Saturday and got it back home with no further problems and I have it scheduled for a complete evaluation by TJ Trailer in Ogden on June 16[size 3]th. But I should be able to use it for a couple of local trips (like maybe Willard or Hyrum) before then.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]So there you have it; a very nice adventure at the Gorge with a not so nice ending. Life is STILL good.[/#800000][/font]
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[bassrods]

Looks like you had a great time..
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[wiperhunter2]

Nice report and pics Bob, too bad about your trailer but at least it did not happen on your way to the Gorge. Did you have bearing buddies on your trailer?
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[dubob]

[quote wiperhunter2]Nice report and pics Bob, too bad about your trailer but at least it did not happen on your way to the Gorge. Did you have bearing buddies on your trailer?[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]No BB, but the Chinese bearings in there were 9 years old and probably due to self destruct anyway. I'm thinking oil bath replacements.[/#800000][/font]
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[wiperhunter2]

Oil bath replacements, what is that?
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[SBennett]

I have been tempted for years to go oil bath.
The one thing that keeps me from doing it is that as soon as a cap comes off an oil bath set-up, you could have fried spindles in just a couple miles. At least with traditional grease you could get many,many miles and hopefully notice the missing cap in time to avoid a spindle issue.
Someone needs to start an oil-bath thread and get out as many opinions as possible. Hint,hint!
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[liketrolling]

I think grease is the best you need to repack the bearings at least every three years. it is not that hard to do, just buy new seals. I have a grease fitting on my trailer.
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[PACKFAN]

I repack my bearings every year before my first trip to the lake.
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[altizerbd]

Awesome pics, awesome trip. Shame on the trailer
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[mtncat1]

the oil bath conversion replaces the grease in the bearings with oil , but like the oil adage says oil and water don't mix. the thing about boat trailers is you put them in the water,and if the hub is hot it will suck water right past the seal into the hub. that's why they have the grease zerks on them so if they are full of grease no water should get in. on a regular trailer oil bath would be a good option . not on a boat trailer.
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[Fishry]

Go with the oil baths and don't look back!

I've only had oil bath hubs on the two boats I've owned. The first nine years (single axle trailer) I performed zero maintenance, not even changing the hub oil, and had zero issues. This was with towing upwards of 7,500 miles per year. The next six years (dual axle EZ Loader Trailer @ 7000 lb towing weight) I had no hub failures and one set of China-made bearings that failed. That was this spring. I noticed a burnt oil smell from the trailer, but couldn't see the leak/issue/heat until after I towed another 300 miles. Once home I disassembled the hub and found it nearly empty with metal shavings and loose bearings in the hub. Surprisingly, no hub or spindle damage and it made it home fine. Replaced with Timken bearings.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I seem to have way less hub/bearing issues than my boating buddies that don't run oil bath hubs.

Also, I've never had an oil bath cap break, come off, or leak. On the bearing failure issue, the rear seal was compromised with metal shavings. Rebuilding the oil bath hubs is a piece of cake. I now carry a spare hub, ready to go and a bottle of gear lube, and can change a failed hub in about 5 minutes more time than it takes to change a tire.

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]No BB, but the Chinese bearings in there were 9 years old and probably due to self destruct anyway. I'm thinking oil bath replacements.[/#800000][/font]

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[dubob]

[quote mtncat1]the oil bath conversion replaces the grease in the bearings with oil , but like the oil adage says oil and water don't mix. the thing about boat trailers is you put them in the water,and if the hub is hot it will suck water right past the seal into the hub. that's why they have the grease zerks on them so if they are full of grease no water should get in. on a regular trailer oil bath would be a good option . not on a boat trailer.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]No disrespect intended MC, but [/#800000][#800000]I guess Ranger Boat Company (and EZ Load for that matter) didn't get that message. They have both been built with oil bath systems for years. My buddies Ranger Boat trailer came from the factory with the oil bath system. I think he said its a 2001. He makes at least 20 trips a year to Powell/Sand Hollow and has yet to have an issue with any of the 4 hubs on his trailer. Larry at TJ Trailer told me he has them on his boat trailer and hasn't had any issues with water leakage either. The key is to get the SEALS installed correctly. If they are installed correctly, there should be no leakage - in OR out.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]There are some cons to them for sure. But they do have a place on boat trailers for some folks (but not everybody), and I am leaning in that direction. I won't know for sure until TJs completes the inspection and evaluation of my specific situation.[/#800000][/font]
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[mtncat1]

I am not trying to tell people what to do, if you want oil baths get oil baths, but in my thirty plus years of working as a professional mechanic both on light and heavy trucks. bearing failures occur all the time ,and with any kind of lube . so there are no hard fast solutions to failures or I would have been out of a job years ago.that being said there are reasons why most boat trailers are running grease in stead of oil . just do your maintenance and run what makes you feel comfortable . and have fun fishing.[cool]
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[DKStroutfitter]

Good to see you had a fun trip to the Gorge.
Too bad it was marred by the bearing problem though.

This has me thinking that I may want to replace my bearings now.
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[bobco]

actually Ranger no longer uses oil bath hubs, they use UFP vault hubs, they are lucus grease/oil double sealed hubs , no service for 5 years. allot of Ranger owners I know had failures with old (tie down engineering) oil bath system . look up the vault system not real bad price fot change out hubs to it. [url "http://www.pacifictrailers.com/The-VAULT-Hybrid-Lubrication-System/"]http://www.pacifictrailers.com/The-VAULT-Hybrid-Lubrication-System/[/url]
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