And finally here is a few shots of the machine today - all finished up and wedged between Rudy and Fred. Even though this doesnt have the topper ( because I cant stand toppers ) - I believe its an excellent example of this game.

The game has a pretty nice translite with a few little hidden names and subtle jokes that you will see further down the page

Here is a close up look at the Boat Ramp - shots to the right orbit Long Cast increase the amount of rewards available - then, hitting the captive ball so that it hits the target at the top of the boat awards that value. A shot to the captive ball can often mean a STDM drain so you have to hit it correctly.

No - not a ballsack shot ! This is one of the tiny hidden names on the translite.

This is the reel located on the middle left of the playfield - when you lock a ball in the Casters Club it is flung across the playfield and stored here until you have all 3 balls locked for Multiball.

The balls are then fired, and I MEAN fired fast up and around the top wireform and back down to the tip of your right flipper.

A nice custom card that is one of many available at Kens Custom Pinball Cards

Here is a balls-eye view of the game from the flippers Stringers Targets on extreme left, left orbit shot to the top hole and L-I-E lanes, the Boat Ramp left entry, Captive ball, the Boat Ramp Right entry, the most difficult Extra Ball shot ever, The Casters Club, the right 'Long Cast' orbit.

2 x White LED's under this PF plastic make it look sweet.

The Canoe plastic that covers the Reel exit.

Just a nice shot of the top of the Boat Ramp plastic, any ball that doesn't go all the way through to a ramp and falls down the other side of the Boat ramp lane is awarded a U-Turn and points.

Some more translite detail, I am unsure if this guy is meant to be one of the game designers as sometime happens on many pinball games.

A close up look at the often overlooked BUT important Long Cast right orbit shot.

Below are the Stringers , each Stringer is body is lit by completing the appropriate bank of targets on the lower left and right of the playfield - after all 4 are lit you start a Feeding Frenzy in the game which is a timed mode to complete the 4 purple fish shots, 1 in each orbit and 1 in each side of the Boat Ramp entry.

Some more tiny translite humour

There is an eject hole at the very top of the playfield reached by the left orbit shot, when you have the Fish Finder lit this hole score random awards and drops the ball back into 3 rollover lanes where spelling L-I-E adds to your X Bonus - the L-I- E lights in the backboard to help you see it.

An OK video mode is available in the hole as well. Which involves firing torpedoes at passing boats and sometime an Extra Ball 'floats by' as well.

The graphics on the speaker panel - this is mirrored on the opposite side.

A different look at the Boat Ramp showing the wire cross-overs.

In Multiball you get awarded large points for a 'Double Cross' - that is IF you can manage to get 2 balls to go up opposing sides of the Boat Ramp and 'cross over' at the same time.

The BLUE award is Rock the Boat and it is a timed mode to score 10 million points for each successful Boat Ramp shot during the mode, it's a cool part of gameplay and there is a Rock The Boat Champion retained on the DMD as well as the High Scores

This board indicates how far you have 'Stretched the Truth' - you increase your fish size by completing the L-I-E rollover lanes - a succesful shot at Stretch the Truth awards a Tales Told in the Stringer Fish tail.

There are 3 Jackpot awards available in Multiball , they are Tropical , Freshwater and Deep Sea Champion  as indicated in the tackle box below , they are TOUGH to get - I have never got all 3 in one game.

Top right corner plastic in the game - red glow from bumper that sits under it.

A close up look at the small cabin on the translite

The School of Fish can be seen below, by hitting the Boat Ramp entries consecutively you are awarded a fish here for each successful shot, when you complete the School of Fish you get a Monster Fish 'Hurry Up' at the left orbit, through the spinner and into the top eject hole.

Overall - a pretty sweet game.

I hope you enjoyed my Fish Tales pages