With fuel prices high, time to thing about boat-pooling

The Hunker Down crew — (front row from left) Doug Geis, Hamp Tanner, Scott Geis, (back from left) John Tanner, who owns the boat, and Cliff Thrift — won the annual Amelia Island Bluewater Shoot-out Saturday, May 10, 2in Fernandina Beach.

Due to the continually rising cost of fuel, anglers are searching for different avenues to conserve fuel. There are ways to make every ounce of fuel burn effectively.

Anglers are going to have to boat-pool. Carpooling has been around for years; now we have to begin to look at boat-pooling. The days of seeing a lone angler out enjoying a day on the water may be over, as anglers begin to share rides to help with the ever-rising fuel costs.

You also will need to take your engine into your mechanic for a tune-up. A tune-up will help your engine save on fuel. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of guy, you will need to change your spark plugs and fuel filters.

You also will have to be more load conscious. Carry just enough fuel for your trip. If your tanks hold 200 gallons and you are only spending a day on the inland waters you will not need a full tank of fuel. Fuel weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon.

If you keep your boat docked in the water, make sure you have a clean bottom. A boat with a whole eco-system growing on the bottom will decrease your fuel efficiency. Make an appointment to have that bottom job done.

Learn how to use your trim-tabs efficiently. Trim-tabs are for leveling your boat on the water. I'm on the water almost daily, and I'm always seeing a boater on the water whose boat is not running with the trim-tabs set efficiently.

Bluewater Shoot-out 

The Amelia Island Bluewater Shoot-out had an awesome turnout, according to tournament director Capt. Allen Mills.

Many of the crews reported sporty seas in the early morning with the seas lying down beautifully during the day. Plenty of big game fish were caught, with dolphin taking the center stage.

First-place honors went to the Hunker Down fishing team, which caught and released a sailfish and weighed in a 31-pound dolphin. The Pay Dirt team captured second, also with the catch and release of a sailfish.

The Lady Angler award went to Dawn Stevens aboard the Paradocs, weighing in a 25-pound dolphin. First place Junior Angler went to Capt. Mills' daughter, Alex, with a 26-pound bull dolphin aboard the Wahoo II. Congratulations to all the participants and a job well done.

Until next time ... Capt. Jim.