Hey All,

Just seeing how everyone is doing. I hope everyone is doing well!

 Been sidelined for a while needing a knee replacement.  Too young according to my Dr.  So, it is injection after injection.  GF and I got married last March, bought the house we were renting after the landlord wanted to sell it to fund his purchase of a home on island in Puget Sound.  Picked up a beat up 1st gen Hobie Mirage.  No drive unit, and the rudder lines had been removed.  Had the rudder re strung, still looking for a 1st gen drive unit that people don't want a excessive amounts for.   I wanted it as a quick throw in the back of the truck for some light fishing. I also installed the cassette plug and it paddles pretty well for what it is.   Still have the Stealth.  On the motorcycle front I found a 1992 FXRS Low Glide.  Needs work, a lot of work, more like a rebuild may be in line for this one. Summer projects will include building a Kayak Rack and stand for my Weber Q100. Love that little Grill. No longer made, now they are Q1000, and really well made units IMHO.  Fishing here is still heavily regulated, and most likely always will be.  Fishing for Flounder/San Dabs and other small flat fish open up last year in Hood Canal, the fish are small so for me it is more catch and release.   10" Flatties are not worth trying to filet, too much work for too little fish, I know I have tried in the past. Oh and work still sucks!  But hey it funds my activities.  Well, that is all the news that is fit to print! Squidder K out!

I wish I lived closer, of all the Hobies the 16 foot one was the one I always had eyes on.  I tested one at a HoW event many years ago, (It was at Kelsey Bass Ranch, and I brought the VA mobile Medical Unit out there) it was rocket compared to everything else on the water. I doubt NCKA delivery come up to WA state.

There is a huge following for these old penn reels. I went down the rabbit hole a while back and upgraded both the penn 500's that I run for sturgeon and yellowtail. You can get these things to work butter smooth, swap out the drags, replace with custom cut stainless parts, you name it.

If you got time check out alan tani's site ( i think he was from san jose but people all over the globe frequent the site). Tutorials, vids, parts, upgrades, repairs, etc

https://alantani.com/index.php

Also you can get upgraded stainless parts here:
https://www.prochallenger.com/

Smooth drag carries all the drag washers and whatnot:

https://www.smoothdrag.com/wp/

Then you can dump your wallet on aluminum frames and spools:

https://tiburonfishingreels.com/

I am going to Second the Alan Tani referral.  Take that old green one, find one of Alan's tutorials and take it apart clean it, lube it, and then set it aside. The greenies are not common and if you should damage a side plate you will play hell finding a replacement. The red one you could fish if you want to.  Restore and hot rodding Penn's gets expensive fast, you can sink some heavy money in them.  I know I have done a few.

Update to this, look at some of the PNW Setups for trolling, 10-20 once weights on the mainline just above the flasher.  No release.  Simple an effective, weight varries on conditions depth and current.

Nice rig!

There is guy on Youtube who salmon fishes off the WA coast in a sit in, he uses these fish looking weights that get him down to where he wants to be.  Honestly I don't see the need for a down rigger on a stealth, but that is my humble opinion.   

Awesome. You make me want to move to BC

Yeah I used to think the same thing, don't do it.  Fishing restrictions are worse here in WA, I can't say for BC.