 With less than three weeks before our first quota hunt, there is no the to waste. Yes it is hot, the mosquitos thick, snakes and gators abundant, tropical storms brewing, but also the early acorns are maturing and the bucks are beginning to rub and patterns beginning to emerge. And this is is very valuable time for archery hunters, especially on public lands where there are no feeders, food plots or high fences to ensure game patterns and movement. This is difficult scouting with no assurance of success, or as my grandfather would say, "if was easy, everybody would be doing it".  The first acorns are falling from the Post Oaks or Iron Oaks as they are also called. with the swamps filled there are clear "edges" and hogs and deer moving along them.  Bucks are beginning too mark there territory with rubs and scrapes.  And yearlings are loosing their spots.  Even the young bucks seen to be acting more deliberate these days. 
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January 2020
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Repair notes:
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A marine grade filler was applied
Then sanding and multiple coats of cloth, resin and sanding
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Then a final light sanding and spay can / palmetto paint job
The first trip we put in near Cedar Key and worked our way up a couple creeks that would have been inaccessible in a larger boat. We found 15 or more Redfish and a couple nice trout.
Gear used:
- Old 1980’s Gheenoe, classic model purchased at a garage sale for $150.
- Trailer assembled from parts
- Yamaha 6 hp purchased new
- Gheenoe’s are excellent backwater boats. Their shallow draft, excellent stability and maneuvering are boats you can take just about anywhere in relatively protected waters. And you can pull, push or paddle them if needed.
- The Yamaha 6 hp 4 stroke is a good balance between weight, portability, economy and power. The engine is not yet fully broken in, so it hasn’t been run a full throttle but I’m guessing it will move the loaded Gheenoe between 10 and 15 mph. The 6 hp is not a speed demon but seems fast enough and in the rocky backwater creeks, speed is the last thing you need. Easy to tilt up, shallow draft, and easy pull start are more important to me. As far as fuel economy goes, I don’t know how many hours I can expect from the 3 gal. remote tank because after a two or three hours running time the gauge hadn’t budged from full.
- The ride of the Gheenoe is great in smooth water and fair in a chop. The boat and motor are sensitive to load distribution and the loads should be adjusted to be when heading into the wind and waves to keep the boat dry. I expected and did notice some hull cavitation when in rougher water. The hull could be strengthened in some areas but I doubt I will make many hull modifications.
Paul with a couple nice trout from the first trip