 Let me just start out by saying that you will NOT learn any useful tactics n this post that will be of any help to your Osceola Turkey hunting whatsoever. Yes, it's been a difficult season so far and no, we have not killed any turkeys. Ok, with that out of the way I'll describe a few of the problems we've encountered so far: The gobblers that we have heard were often a good distance away and difficult to reach. The gobblers only gobbled once on the roost then no more. We had one hunt where we pulled turkeys just about into range when a mature Bald Eagle came screeching in to investigate, putting an end to that set up. And to top it off, we had a couple trips were we did not hear any gobbling. Now that the pressure is on, we are resorting to all manner of turkey hunting preparations. Paul has been reading multiple books on the famed Osceola Turkey and has developed strategies for this coming weekend that will surely lead to turkey blood spilled. I have mostly been resorting to superstition and trying to develop shamanistic qualities in the hope that when I am pouring over google earth images I will be directed to the ancient roosting sites of trophy gobblers. And to hedge my bets I have been practicing with my mouth calls to the point where I am convinced that I have perfected the saddest, sluttiest and loneliest hen yelp ever heard in the woods. ........................those gobblers don't stand a chance! 
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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