New member with 1998 Parker 1800 on the Potomac

[CobbFisherman]

I’ve had my 1998 Parker 1800 for about a year, but I just joined the site. I keep the boat at my house on Cobb Island in the Potomac River and primarily use it for fishing.
It was recently re-powered with a 115 Etec and I added a MotorGuide ix5 with spot lock, trim tabs, and a new Garmin chart plotter with side scan.
I’m looking forward to learning more about these boats from this community!

 

[Puck-n-Fish]

Welcome! Regarding the learning, pretty sure your now anchored in the right spot! You will grow to love that boat even more!

 

[Andy]

I’ve had my 1998 Parker 1800 for about a year, but I just joined the site. I keep the boat at my house on Cobb Island in the Potomac River and primarily use it for fishing.
It was recently re-powered with a 115 Etec and I added a MotorGuide ix5 with spot lock, trim tabs, and a new Garmin chart plotter with side scan.
I’m looking forward to learning more about these boats from this community!

Hi CobbFisherman, Welcome to ClassicParker! I like being one of the many who welcome new members to CP, as I remember how pleasantly surprised I was when I was welcomed when I first came on board... this group has an amazing wealth of boating-related knowledge, especially as it applies to Parker Boats...

 

[DanLovingood]

Welcome to CP CobbFisherman! I'm down at the southern end of the bay. I can tell you from experience...you're gonna LOVE your 1800. I have had mine for 25+ years & she still gives me a thrill every time I take her out!

Cap'n Dan

 

[tomc585]

Please share your experience on the performance of the trim tabs. Which and what size did you go with. I've been putting it off for some time now. Been eyeing the Bennett electric 189 with joystick control

 

[CobbFisherman]

Please share your experience on the performance of the trim tabs. Which and what size did you go with. I've been putting it off for some time now. Been eyeing the Bennett electric 189 with joystick control

I installed the Insta-Trim Boat Leveler kit with 12x12” tabs. they say bigger tabs are better, and I’m sure that’s true, but I have no problems keeping the bow planted and the transom up with the 12x12”s at any speed or sea condition. Going wider than a 12” tab will make the transom crowded if you have a big transducer mounted back there and need to leave room for trailer back straps.
It’s amazing. It makes the boat ride so much better into chop.
With the tabs all the way down I can stay on plane as slow as 16 mph and just go slow and level into a 2’ chop.
I have a 115 E-Tec with a 14.75x17” Viper prop and it launches hard. It’ll pop up on plane in about 2 boat lengths without the tabs, but it didn’t want to stay on plane below about 22 mph without the tabs.
Tabs are worth the money on an 1800/1801 for sure. It has to be the best bang for the buck upgrade out there.

 

[pelagic2530]

Welcome! I’d be interested to see any pictures/details of your TM install. Where did you mount the batteries and how did you route the wiring?

 

[CobbFisherman]

Welcome! I’d be interested to see any pictures/details of your TM install. Where did you mount the batteries and how did you route the wiring?

The boat lives at my weekend house on the Potomac, so I don't have access to it for photos at the moment.

On the older 1800's the front console seat flips up for dry storage (i think some newer ones I've seen have a livewell here) so I mounted both batteries under the front console seat. I also installed a charge controller inside of the console. I routed the wires down the main wire tunnel in the console, which goes to the battery compartment at the stern. From the stern battery box, i then ran the wires up to the bow under the gunwale cap. It's probably about 30' of battery cable, so I used 4 gauge wire to avoid any resistance based voltage drop.

The trolling motor GPS Pinpoint (what Motorguide calls Spot Lock) is SWEET. No more getting out the anchor and trying to figure out the current when you're getting set up to fish over top of structure. Just hit the anchor button when you see the structure / fish on the sonar screen!

 

[DocSavageJr]

Good morning CobbFisherman!

Welcome! I don't often post on this forum, but I own a Parker 2520 XL and am located on the lower Potomac, Virginia side. You are just up the river on the Maryland side. I love my Parker as it handles the big water you will sometimes find on the river as well as fishing shallows if you are careful and know the water. I find it to be very versatile and allows me to fish from spring through Dec 31 if I want to tolerate the rough conditions.

Lastly, you are the member of another shrinking club I belong to. I just repowered mine with a 300hp ETEC G2 despite the company ceasing production as I was buying the engine. The motor is fabulous, replaced an older generation ETEC that I had very few problems with, and has such great technical innovations that I was sorry to see them stop making them. I love the 5min winterization process, the long service intervals, power, and mpg/kpg the engine achieves. I'll bet you also know Francis over at Guy Brothers, great guy to deal with.

Just wanted to say hello. My handle on the river is "Saralex" or "Alarien" when I am in my smaller skiff. Hope to see you or hear you out there.

Pat

 

[CobbFisherman]

Good morning CobbFisherman!

Welcome! I don't often post on this forum, but I own a Parker 2520 XL and am located on the lower Potomac, Virginia side. You are just up the river on the Maryland side. I love my Parker as it handles the big water you will sometimes find on the river as well as fishing shallows if you are careful and know the water. I find it to be very versatile and allows me to fish from spring through Dec 31 if I want to tolerate the rough conditions.

Lastly, you are the member of another shrinking club I belong to. I just repowered mine with a 300hp ETEC G2 despite the company ceasing production as I was buying the engine. The motor is fabulous, replaced an older generation ETEC that I had very few problems with, and has such great technical innovations that I was sorry to see them stop making them. I love the 5min winterization process, the long service intervals, power, and mpg/kpg the engine achieves. I'll bet you also know Francis over at Guy Brothers, great guy to deal with.

Just wanted to say hello. My handle on the river is "Saralex" or "Alarien" when I am in my smaller skiff. Hope to see you or hear you out there.

Pat

Nice to 'meet' you!

Have you had any luck so far this season with Puppy Drum or Spanish Mackerel? I bottom fished around the Heron Bar with shrimp for drum and trolled the channel edge along St Clements Island for macs... and got nothing. With Striper season closed, I'm trying to learn how to catch other species.

 

[DocSavageJr]

I haven't had the chance to get out as much this year as I would like, but haven't seen the Spanish yet nor tried for drum. I have mostly taken grandkids out to catch perch. In the process we have caught quite a few small spots and a baby flounder. Hope to be able to get out a bit more late summer to early fall as I suspect there might be some keeper flounder out there.

Pat

 

[CobbFisherman]

I've neve caught a flounder in the Potomac. Are you running down to Point Lookout or Smith Point to find the flatties, or are you finding them farther upriver?

 

[DocSavageJr]

I was fishing with grandkids for perch. We use ultra light rods and mini rattle traps as I enjoy fishing for sport more than for meat, although I won't turn down a fresh fish dinner. We were just fishing a shoreline around docks in shallow water when low and behold about a 5-6" flounder came aboard. I haven't fished for them specifically for a while as I mostly have spent time top water fishing for rock fish . . . . but in the past we have caught them in a number of areas of the river from Nomini Bay on down to the Oil docks. Look for flat areas, bars near drop-offs and just drift, some people troll, with minnows and squid strips. One year we caught them in the middle of Nomini Bay for about 3 weeks in a row. Another hot spot used to be the Hog Island area down the river below the oil docks. Haven't seen it like that for a while, but I haven't really fished for them. You might want to join the PRAC board or Tidal Fish as both of those are where people talk more about fishing than boats, although the PRAC board has been pretty quiet for the last couple of years. Best of luck to you.

Pat