Finally got the year started off...

Last week, I took the cover off the boat, emptied it out and turned it
over in my son-in-law's barn to redo the keep where it was worn through
and patched (from using our crummy CT ramps without docks) and then
install a keel guard.

Anyway, I finished it up on Friday night, then yesterday I got the boat
back on the trailer and brought it home, and started reinstalling stuff.

Today, I took it out for a shakedown cruise, and naturally couldn't do
that without putting rod in the boat. Put it in Zoar right by the house
and ran it a few minutes, then pulled out and went 10 miles south to the
tidal Housatonic. Within 10 minutes of launching, I was hooked to a
schoolie striper, and in less than an hour, I caught 14 of them, all on
4" & 5" Fin-S Fish on 1/4 oz heads, just dead drifting them in the
current. There's so many 15" to 25" stripers in there right now it's sick.

Anyway, boat worked great. I should be in business for a while.