Disney World know-how lets angler net sun

Anglers have a way of looking like ordinary Joes, whether they’re rich or poor, ditch diggers or rocket scientists.

But it’s still surprising to ponder the amount of talent that’s idling away at area fishing waters on a given day.

Consider John Brackemyre, who might attract attention on a local lake only because of the solar panel attached to the back of the personal pontoon boat he bought real cheap last year at the White Elephant.

“I’d hardly used it when I got to thinking that I could put an electric motor on it instead of rowing with the oars,” he said at the Spokane River boat launch near the mouth of the Little Spokane River.

Then he got to thinking again — a chronic problem for some people — that if he ever quit thinking so much and actually went fishing he could stay out longer if he had a solar panel to keep the battery charged for the electric trolling motor.

So he went to work with the insight of a man who has engineered prototypes and done the machining and wiring for unique one-of-a-kind electronic gadgets all over the world.

His resume dazzles in the lights of jobs at Disney World, Caesar’s Palace, the World Expo in Australia and theme parks in China.

“I developed a simulated steam effect for the Roger Rabbit Dip Mobile at Disney MGM Studios Theme Park,” he said, singling out a project a non-industrial type might picture. His life is summarized in a six-page litany of similar contract jobs that require specialized skill with everything from a hammer to electronic components.

His solar-powered pontoon is the product of an idle moment in a brain that needs to keep busy.

“There was no problem finding the 25-by-20-inch solar panel,” he said, “but I had to work a little to find the right stuff for the decking to hold the panel and battery.” He eventually used sign board that’s light, strong and waterproof.

The kit is designed so that the entire boat can be assembled or disassembled in minutes without causing a traffic jam at a public boat launch. The design includes a comfy camp chair to make room for the battery under the operator’s seat.

“I made everything else from stuff I found in the hardware story and Harbor Freight, and I hold the battery in one of those cheap soft coolers from Wal-Mart.

“The solar panel allows me to use a small motorcycle battery and still be able to keep it charged all day. If I’m out for several days, I’m always charged.”

On a sunny day the solar charger requires three minutes to make up for every minute of use, he said. “In the time you spend fishing after every move, the battery is charged,” he said.

Brackemyre’s sending his ideas to Minn Kota in hopes the company will bring back their electric trolling motors with 10-pound thrust. “I got one before they went to bigger motors that need more juice, which you don’t need for these little pontoons,” he said.

The bad news for fish is that Brackemyre has stopped tinkering so much and has actually been fishing. He pontooned out for a limit of trout at Badger Lake just before the season there closed on Sept. 30.

“I’m looking at other places now, but I’ve got quite a few fish in the freezer for winter,” he said.

Anyone who’s charged up about the idea of building a solar-operated trolling motor can tap Brackemyre’s reservoir of knowledge, that is, until the next contract lures him back to some far-flung theme park.

“I don’t mind sharing my ideas,” he added. “A fisherman who wants me to walk him through building his own kit can give me a call.” The number is 362-5905.