LET ME RE-INTRODUCE MYSELF

[mikemicropterus]

Let me re-introduce myself…
For those who don’t know mikemicropterus is Michael Lynch-Staunton…
You might ask well who the hell is that and what does that have to do with me or fishing..
Well let me answer that question….
I own and operate ML-S SMALL ENGINE REPAIR and ML-S GUIDE SERVICE…
Well I still say what has that got to do with me….EVERYTHING
DO YOU LIKE TO FISH?????????? YES…
DO YOU OWN A BOAT????????? YES…..
DO WANT TO CATCH MORE FISH??????? YES….
DO YOU WANT TROUBLE FREE BOAT OWNERSHIP??????? YES……..
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR ENGINE????? YES…….
We have a few things in common…..
I own 2 boats and want to catch more fish and want a trouble free boat, I also want to know more about my engine so that in the event, heaven forbide or should I say ML-S forbide, I do have a problem I maybe able to do something….


That is one of our goals, to equip the consumer with the tools necessary to know when it’s a good deal, when to take my boat in for repairs or maintenance, what I can or should be doing as an owner to make my boat run better, when to fish top water, when to fish deep weedlines…

Well who the hell is ML-S…….

I’m just the same as you, nothing special here
Just dedication to my trade and the desire to pass on some of my knowledge so others may benefit…
Am I interested in making money …YES ……. BUT not at the cost of my own integrity…..
I have worked for three dealerships in this region over the years and have seen a disturbing trend with respect to how MOST dealers view their service department. I think if the consumer really knew that the level of competency is much lower than it should be and that the tech working on your boat has at times fewer than a years worth of experience they might question the dealers intentions….more on this later

ML-S SMALL ENGINE was developed to meet the needs of TO-DAYS consumer…
I have done away with the old way of doing business in the marine service industry and the small engine repair service industry for that matter…. Call for details

What does that mean?????????

I have seen the problems for more than 20 years and have developed procedures to avoid a lot of the headaches boat owners have been subject to in the past…

A little about me, Michael Lynch-Staunton…..Born of humble means in the quiet hamlet of MORDOR.. no no no no no no nooooooo That’s another story….
A little about me ML-S…..Graduated high school 76
RACE 250 GP 7th place Castrol/Canada series 82
Motorcycle License MOT ONT 84
Master Tech Johnson/Evinrude 87
Bassmaster Ont Federation Qualifier 96
BAOO 6th place classic 96
Renegade Bass top ten finish Charleston Lake 97
Renegade Bass classic qualifier 97
Bassmaster Ont Federation Qualifier 97
Master Tech Johnson/Evinrude 98
Renegade Bass classic qualifier 98
Rengade bass 9th place classic 98
Renegade bass 8th place Newboro Lake 05

This just a brief glimpse of some of my major events…..there’s more but I forget…

I have always been a motor head…. I didn’t just fall into this in the past few years….

My first motorcycle I took apart at 16, to make it BETTER…FASTER….

That is another of our goals to make your engine run better, faster, longer than it has ever done before …we have the technology…


What can I offer the average Fish-Hawk reader….KNOWLEDGE from EXPERIENCE not ANECDOTES or MARKETING mumbo jumbo dogma….

Also, a way to save money on purchases and service work….

ML-S deals with the following brands 3M, Meguiars, Bouy-o-Bouy, Teleflex, Hummingbird, Strikemaster, Boyesen Reeds, Mayfair, Rule, Starbrite, Pettit, Johnson pumps, Aitrhead, Keel Guard, Perko, Michigan props, Attwood, TH marine, Bearing Buddy, Faria, Tempo, SOLAS, Capt. Phab, MTD, Tecumseh, Briggs& Stratton, Kohler, Sierra marine parts, Interstate batteries, Tru-Tungsten Weights, Picasso Jigs, Poulan, Murray and more I don’t know of, each day I get access to more and more products, its like Christmas all the time….

I am passing on the opportunity for Fish-Hawk readers to save on marine purchases…PM me for details…..

I will also post monthly specials as they are passed along to me…

My goal is to better educate to-days consumer, so he will know that when the sales guys says, “Yes sir that 18 ft boat with a 40 hp on the back will do the job of pulling your son on skis while your wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law and two other kids watch, is full of it” or when the service manager of questionable experience says you need $2000 worth of work when the problem could be fixed for $25 if he had read all the service bulletins..

These problems are not fictitious, they are real and I keep hearing them more and more and that is disturbing….it was $8000 not $2000 but I didn’t want seem like I was exaggerating…..

I work out of my house, lower overhead, I have one shop I built and another I just bought and will be up in April or May to better display parts and accessories….

Each year a service customer gets a chance to win a day fishin with me…. Good or bad it’s better than working….
For those who don’t get service but still want the chance a separate contest is run for them… As you can see, any chance to go fishing…..
Also I have membership packages that are structured to save you money…
So it could be a live changing experience having your boat serviced by ML-S..

I also set-up boats that MOST dealers don’t have the time for….I can say this, from experience, the addition of a set-back plate to a boat has and will improve the performance of any boat…. I have extensive experience setting up bass boats to get the most out of them…..I can get you the right prop for your needs and make the boat go fast as well… The vast majority of boats are not set-up properly. .How does a dry land marine dealer set-up a boat in April or May.. I worked at two DRY dealers and it was a guessing game when it came to boat set-up…How does a DRY dealer do boat set-up????????? THEY GEUSS and the customer is the guinea pig……NICE
I documented each boat and it’s prop and had tables to know what prop to put on which set-up, before that it was whatever prop came in the box… CRO-MAGNUM, I always thought outside of the box(sic)

I also am the president of BAOO, for those of you who don’t know that is Bass Angler’s of Ottawa….see website
A bass tournament series geared for the novice or just want to have some goodtimes….while learning to fish better….

I have fished Ottawa Bass, South Ottawa Valley Bassmasters, Bass 2000, Quebec Bass and Renegade Bass… but I like to fish for walleye, crappie, trout, pike, muskie and when I can gar-pike…..

I want to thank Bobber and Fish-Hawk for this opportunity to help by passing on the knowledge I have gained from my more than 25 years of working in the marine, motorcycle and small engine industry. By me becoming an information partner we both can benefit and that’s what this forum is for I think…… If I don’t know much on a subject I will get better info before post an answer…. I will give you the readers the best answer I know how to give to their questions…. Got a question post it on the boat, motor forum and I will respond or PM me……..

<<<<<<<<<<<<<NEWS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ML-S GUIDE SERVICE IS NOW IN THE BUSINESS OF ROD AND REEL REPAIR ….Yes you heard it here, I am now set up to repair Quantum rods and reels, I have been repairing my own Shimano and Abu Garcia reels for years and now have started using Pfleuger reels.
I clean and repair my own reels each year…
I am also repairing rods and making custom rods, my first is a G Loomis jerk bait rod, I will let you all know how it goes….I am also making my first fly rod….Sage

I am retailer for FISH HARDER products that include Tru-Tungsten Fishing Weights and Picasso Jigs. Check out their website. For those who pitch and flip, Picasso makes the best jig in my humble opinion, drop by and see……

So one can see that an ML-S experience can and will be very eclectic and that is a good thing……..

Give me a call 613-284-2761, drop by the shop 1558 Richmond Rd 3kms north of Franktown or PM me or email see profile………


Did I mention I like fishing

At ML-S we say WORK is for those who don't know how to fish!!!!!!!!!!


So here’s the scenario, it’s November and it’s time to put the boat away FINALLY, but you have already done part of your winterizing because since October you have been stabilizing you fuel just for this event and that saves you money. So you drop off your boat and broken rods and when you pick them up in the spring all is good with the world and you’re ready to go for another year, you find a few jigs and some other goodies and you depart a wiser fuller angler, fish and repeat…………..NIRVANA
Another goal achieved…………ZENNNNNNN



FISHIN IT’S NOT A MATTER OF LIVE OR DEATH
IT’S MORE SERIOUS THAN THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thank-you for your time Michael Lynch-Staunton aka mikemicropterus, Fish-Hawk information partner………

[Erie-Eyes]

Hi Mikemicropterus.
I appreciated your above resume as it provides a good background and history of experience. One aspect of boating maintenance that you did not mention, and one that I find most dealers are lacking is trailer maintenance, specifically brakes and bearings. Is this an area that you also service? If so please let us know as I'm sure there are other boat owners with similar concerns in finding good qualified technicians for this very important aspect of boat/trailer ownership.

[JP]

Hey EE. Most marinas offer a traile maintenace package if you ask them. Some places offer it as part of their service and others just ask.
You are right that to many people neglect their trailer sevice and they find out the hard way on the side of the road broke down.

Cheers
JP

[mikemicropterus]

Erie eyes yes I do trailer maintenance but as JP stated the problem lies with the fact you have to ASK your marine dealer to do this service as they don't see it as NORMAL maintenance...

I do my trailer bearings every 2 years no matter what...


Had a boat in 2 years ago, customer asked me to drop off boat as he was close by and I was heading that way, not something I do as a service but what the hell. After it had been dropped it off and I had only moved it once in the yard...

Hooked it to the truck and on the way to the customers place one of the tires let go, I mean it came loose from the axle and exited the highway stage right, found it after 15 minutes of searching 200 yards off the road in the cat tails. The guy behind me thought I was going to loose it. When I checked the trailer the other wheel bearing was in the same condition, about to let go. His son-in-law had done his bearings 2 seasons ago, he said, HUHUH I said. I no longer trailer customers boats and every boat that comes in my yard gets the bearings inspected.

In my shop you don't have to ask for that type of service and thanks for the question as it is a very important subject that as you can see is neglected, you shouldn't have to ask for this service....

[JP]

Mike you would be suprised how many people do not want to have their trailers attened to. Most marine shops do ask when a work order is made out. I know we do, but the fact is that either people don't want to pay for the trailer inspection/service or want to wait even if advised not to with the common phrase;
"I only use it a couple times a year."

JP

[mikemicropterus]

Don't mean to dispute your FACTS but call around and find out...

That's the OLD ATTITUDE of customer service and remember it's called SERVICE not ADVICE...It's called preventative maintenance which is pro-active thinking not re-active which most shops work from

I don't know why your customers question your motives but my view and that which my customers adhere to is pay me now to save alot more time and frustration later...I know it's a paradijm shift and some people don't like change but the customer is taking the abuse of poor quality dealers and thats the OLD ATTITUDE..

It comes down to this JP.... Is it a servicing item them why not figure out how to address the situation, to say "I only use it twice a year" then you are trying to sell this service to the wrong customer and the ones that need it may slip through the cracks...I'm sure you have customers that use trailer their boats more than twice a year...


If been a service manager at 3 different marine dealers and not one had any service designed for trailers, even at the biggest marina in this area, we checked air pressure and lug nut torque BUT THAT WAS IT.
NOT ONE OF THE TECHS CHECKED WHEEL BEARINGS. In fact I got to be the trailer tech as I was the only one who had experience doing bearings and brakes because I made it a habit of asking customers if they had their bearings cleaned and repacked....

And if most shops ask about the trailer service when the W.O. is made then why does erie-eyes ask the question....

[JP]

Mike I don't want to get into a pee pee match with you about this and I am sure their are many places that do not check out trailers.
I agree that it is one of the most neglected issues and just because you worked at a number of marinas does not mean that all marinas have the same policies.



JP

[Gottaluvfishin']

Thanks mikemicropterus for all the info... most of it was news to me!

I don't consider it 'preaching' at all. I consider it very helpful and I'm certain that that was your intention in posting it. I hope to read more informative articles in the future!