In Michigan you are never farther than 6 miles from a lake, river, or stream which means if you are a boater or fisherman, you don't have to travel far to find a body of water to enjoy. Our state is fortunate to be surrounded by four of the Great Lakes, thousands of inland lakes, and countless miles of winding rivers and streams that support recreational and fishing opportunities. Basically our state is perfect for activities focused around water and whether your a avid boater or not, you really should take full advantage of our fresh water paradise before summer is over.
Tagged UnderI've been an avid fisherman for most of my life, which means I have spent my fair share of time around boats. Being around boats for so long, sometimes I forget that other people may not have had as much practice or know the same tips and tricks I have accumulated over the years. Which is why it can be frustrating for me at times watching someone struggle at the ramp or have no clue what they are doing out on the water. That is exactly what I ran into yesterday at the launch as I was trying to load my boat for my weekly Tuesday night bass fishing league. So today when I got to work, I thought I would take some time and write on the blog to share some boat launching tips in hopes that it will help some novice boater out.
Tagged UnderTa-Who? Half the time this is the typical response I seem to get when I mention the Tohatsu line of motors to a customer looking to repower. Just because you may not have heard of them before or seen an advertisement for them on your Saturday morning fishing programs doesn't mean that they aren't one of the big dogs in the outboard game. In fact they are one of the larger manufacturers and make quite a few motors for some of the other outboard manufacturers in the industry. With all of the Tohatsu outboards that we sell, and we sell a lot of them, the MFS40AETL and the MFS50AETL would have to be the most popular models. Heres why.
Whether your heading to the lake to wake board with friends or to pull your kids around on the tubes, we can all agree we do it because its fun. But a fun day on the water can turn into a serious situation faster than you think. Now that summer is in full swing and the launches are packed on every hot day there is, you will need to keep safety on your mind even more now. Here are a few tips to follow that will not only keep you and your passengers safe but the other fellow boaters around you as well.
Tagged UnderIt's no lie that things can get pretty quiet around here when the Michigan winter hits. Once winterizing starts to slow down, our mechanics turn their focus over to used motors. We use the winter months to stock our used motor room and shelves with various, dependable, and thoroughly checked motors. Here's a little glimpse into the steps we go through to get these motors back onto the shelves and water-ready for boating season:
So your looking to replace your propeller. Maybe you busted it up on some rocks when you were a little too shallow or you feel your a little over pitched for your payload. For what ever reason, your in the market for a new one. But what pitch propeller should you get and what exactly does the pitch of a propeller do to the performance of the motor? I'll tell you.
Tagged UnderWhen your on the hunt for a new outboard this spring, I would suggest giving Vans Sport Center a look. We have a large inventory of new outboard motors from all of the top brand names in the outboard industry. Having such a large inventory allows us to stock our showroom with a diverse variety of motors for our customers to have side-by-side comparions of the different brands and models offered. We find this benefitial for the customers who may not know exactly which motor they are looking to purchase. What really sets us part from other dealers would have to be the fact that we have an impressive used outboard motor inventroy as well. So whether your looking to start fresh or just upgrade to something a little newer, Vans Sport Center has the motor for you.
Tagged UnderAlong with their recent brand update late last year, Tohatsu decided to expand their Electronic Fuel Injection four stroke lineup. Before now, there was only one of the major outboard manufacturers making an EFI motor as low as a 9.9hp. Now that Tohatsu are manufacturing EFI 9.9's, they are definately going to be a game changer in the smaller horsepower class. Their newest members to join the EFI family this year are the 20hp, 15hp, and 9.9hp four stroke portable outboards. Im sure the other brands wont be too far behind in the EFI game, but for now its pretty cool to see another option on the market.
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