GooseBoots

70GameFisher, I did mods on the same boat. Looks like your doing a great job. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1207827196/0 Bruce

Maiden Voyage was this past sunday. Everthing went well. We were out for a couple of hours late in the afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised at how well my Min-Kota 36 performed. However, we did a lot of crusing checking out the lake, so it ran the battery all the way down. I'm probably going to go with another battery for back up on a full day of fshing. Wind was the only problem. I dropped the anchor and caught my first Crappie. 6' or 7" and was probably a white Crappie. The fish tangled our line and pulled my friends around my prop. I was extremely pleased with the advice from my local tackle shop. They helped my choose a very good St. Croix rod, a Daiwa Reel and the jig I caught my Crappie on. Most interesting was they advised me on was catching the fish instead of everything in the store. I'd like to give a shout to Susquehanna Fish and Tackle for the Great Advice and Free Seminars they conduct. Check them out @ http://sfttackle.com/ Oh, I have no arrangement with Susquehanna Fish and Tackle. They are a Mom and Pop shop with the sons George Jr. and Mike, who are semi-pro tournament fishers. Thanks, Bruce

Home Depot indoor/outdoor cheap crap carpet, and indoor/outdoor carpet glue. Bruce

Gatorblazer, If your thinking about something like this take into consideration the screen size and heft of your fishfinder. My fishfinder is a Humminbird 343C. It has a very small color screen, so I do need to have it quite close to see it well (screen size and I wear glasses). Say for instance a unit is heavier, I would have to use a 12" or 18" gooseneck which is stiffer and less flexible. Seat height is also another consideration. Bass Pro sells a real nice Ball Joint type pedestal. I bought one and found that the fishfinder sat to low for my neck as I can keep my neck bent looking down. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_98437_200001006_200000000_200001000_200-1-6 http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_98612_200001006_200000000_200001000_200-1-6 Both these products will accomplish what I have done both cheaper and stronger. Good luck in finding your solution. However, be prepared to do some jury rigging unless you specifically match products to your fishfinder unit. Bruce

Gatorblazer, My fishfinder is very adjustable. It can be moved lower and out of the way easily. I can lower it using a multiple sweeping bends. The goose neck is 24". An 18" is to short and doesn't flex as much. I don't see that the setup is inhibiting, but more as less strain on my neck due to my implant restricting rotation of my neck. My neck issue caused me to another also go with the swivel seats. Bruce

Here is my own design for my fish finder. The GooseBoot's Gooseneck. I have a steel rod in my neck, and where glasses. I wouldn't see or enjoy my fish finder if I mounted it on the carpeted seat base. Well, I knew I would need to bring it closer to my eyes so I thought of the gooseneck like a lamp I have. Luckily the gooseneck supports the weight of the fish finder. Any heavier it wouldn't work. There is more than enough adjustment to move it out of my way when needed. That's all the photo's I'll post unless someone ask for a closeup of a detail. Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. Being honest this is my first boat and first time I've done this sort of work. My best advice is that you do what you want. However, keep it light and keep it sturdy. Expect to run into snafu's. Bruce

Here is the rear seat in relation to my trolling motor. I've decided to keep the seating installed on center line. To reach the tiller, I just swivel my seat to 45% and I can reach the tiller look forward and still be comfortable. Bruce

Here is a Photo looking from stern to bow. Bruce

Good Morning, Here is a Photo of my forward seat and casting deck area. Note I've decided to leave the forward mini bench uncarpeted so it can be used as a step off and step on. Also the use of the anti-slip stair thread will allow me to use a camo boat cushion as a third seat. Bruce

Here is an overall shot of my finished boat. The only thing I have left to do is to touch up my Gunwales. However, I will have to wait for an extremely calm day so I can spray them. More Photos tomorrow. Bruce

Another but better shot of the Rustoleum paint is where my forward casting deck is located. Bruce

Well after a few rain delays I'm Finally Done... I have taken Photos and will begin to post them tomorrow morning. Most photos are overall shots with some close shots. First to catch up where I left off is a Photo of the Rustoleum Paint. This is the Transom and battery compartment. I'm not sure if I'm going to leave this area exposed. Bruce

MCHammer40, I just got my first boat last month. I live down the street in Lancaster and share the same fustration. I don't plan on fishing 9.9 restricted lakes. I would keep the Outboard Motor. You'll need it to get out on the Susquehanna or other rivers. The Susquehanna is a fantastic smallie fishery. In my case, a 15 HP Mercury Tiller weights only 115 lbs. so it would be easy on and off. I guess it would be a little more of a difference in the ease of removing with remote steering. While on the electric motor lakes. I plan to keep my outboard safe at home. It's my understanding you don't want to be seen with an Outboard any where near an EMO lake. Bruce

MA1232 and friends, I called Rustoleum Tech Support about my issue with the Factory Paint. What happened is I did a 2'X2' area as a test using the Rustoleum Topside paint. It didn't turn out well, at first I thought it was because I didn't prep very well. In fact, I only power washed the factory paint. Since it was flat green I thought it was a primer. The Rustoleum Topside didn't stick well. Rather it did or didn't stick. During my second call to Rustoleum, we both agreed I probably should have taken my boat to bare aluminum. So the steps I'm listing is exactly how Rustleum instructed me. 1) I stripped with Kleen-Strip (?) from home Depot. It's the liquid with the spray bottle. At first I stripped with a plastic puddy knife. Next,I used my power washer with the lowest pressure nozzle it has. Then I stripped a second time using a scotch-brite pad. Again I power washed. 2) I spent a couple hours cleaning around crevices and rivets with an old window putty tool a scotch-brite pad and another quick wash. 3) I was supposed to do a paint thinner wash to remove stripper residue but it wasn't needed. The power washer did a great job. 4) Next you sand to roughen the surface. However, I had found some extremely rough scoth-brite pads at my local hardware store. They really saved me alot of time and elbow grease. 5) I did a quick rinse with the garden hose to get rid of the knats and scotch-brite particles. At this point I looking at a shiney new hull because in fact it is a new boat. 6) The final step before paint was to do a denatured alcohol wash. According to Rustoleum, your rags have to come off extremely clean with no black residue. Luckily I got away with one white T-Shirt with almost no gray residue. 7) I used my air compressor and blew out the hull. 8) Using a premium sash brush and those new fangled foam rollers my paint guy sold me, I put on 2 coats, 1qt. each of Rusoleum Topside Primer. I'm not sure if it was just sales or I really needed it, but Rustoleum Tech Support was adamant that I used it. 9) After a couple days of drying, and I mean between each coat also, I painted with my Rustoleum Topside Paint. Now I realize it sounds like alot of extra work with all the power washing, but without it I would have struggled with the stripped paint debris while painting. I am glad I did so because I didn't have any dirt to contend with. Although, I did have a knat swarm ticking me off to no end, and a couple missed paint drips which wet sanded off. And of course I could skip the paint thinner wash...Yeah. How well is this paint going to hold up? I don't know. So far I've been installing all my pre-built decking, banging tools around and climbing in and out of my boat without damage to the paint. It took me 2qt. Topside Primer 1 per coat, and the same for the Topside Paint for a total of 4qts. @ $12.49 per qt. = $49.96, 2gal stripper @ $22.00 per gal. = $44.00 about $25.00 brushes and supplies for a total of $118.96. This in for the interior of my boat only. My boat is a Tracker Topper 1436 LW. Good Luck, Bruce

LBH makes a very good practical point "let's remember,...it's paint on a jon boat, they are made to be beat up". I would not have painted with rustoleum if my factory paint job was a quality job. Hell, even the touch up paint didn't match. I'm more concerned with getting an adequate amount of paint protecting my hull instead of a micro thin coat of paint. I bought my Jon Boat to double as a bass/duck boat. And if you think your Jon Bass boat will get banged up, you should see some of the Jon Duck boats I have seen. Even still I want to keep my boat as Maintained, Clean and Comfortable as I possibly can to enhance my enjoyment. There is nothing wrong with wanting a highly polished manicured look like some higher end bass boats. But in that case, it demands higher skill and product quality etc. I grew up painting every ugly bike, chairs, chainlink fences and every piece of sh@t metal known to a teenager with Rusto, so again I looked to Rustloeum. Hey, so If I have to repaint or resurrect my Jon Boat after X number of years, so be it. And one thing we can't loose sight of is the number of neglected aluminum Jons we've seen brought back from the dead. So I were to ever screw it up or neglect it, I can strip back to the brght and shiney. Thanks, Bruce

LBH, Not to worry, I'll take plenty of nice pictures of my completed project which will showcase the Rustoleum Paint quite well. Remember as I mentioned, I have not raised my decks to the GunWales so there is plenty of the Rustoleum Painted interior to see. Thanks, Bruce

Finsihed my Rustoleum also. I was so excited, I neglected to take a photo of the final paint job, and went right into installing my decking and seating. I have the bow deck to build yet. Then I'll take several photos of the finished boat. Thanks, Bruce

Paint is coming along fine. Below is a photo of 2 coats of completed primer. My boat worked out to a quart for each coat. Today I finished my final coat of finish paint in Sand Beige. I am really happy with the paint so far. After a couple of days of curing and hardening, I'll do my install. All my deck and seat panels are finished and carpeted. However, the very front deck area will be completed last, since it has a slope from the bow. It will be flat for use as a casting deck. I will keep it aa low as I can as with the main deck. I'll post a photo of finished interior paint tomorrow. As far as the exterior in a camo pattern, I have been reading about different techniques for painting one. I would really have to sit down anput some time into practicing spraying one. This will have to wait. I'm anxious about getting out on the water. Thanks, Bruce

I used KleenStrip stripper liquid with the spray bottle, purchased at Home Depot. It took two gallons. I sprayed it on and removed with a plastic scraper. After the first go, I went back with a Scotch brite pad and stripper to remove the residue. Make sure you use heavy rubber stripping gloves. Next I powerwashed/degreased the boat carefully. When dry, I roughed up the aluminum with a very course scotch brite stripping pad. These pads did a really good job. Final step was to completely wipe out the hull with denatured alchohol. Your rags need to come out with as little gray dirt as possible. Then prime with Rustoleum Marine Topside Primer, then finish with Rustoleum Marine Topside Paint. I'm stalled at the first coat of primer due to weather, so I can't report on the entire paint job. Don't rush between coats, and the best price on the paint and primer was found at www.doitbest.com. Good Luck, Bruce

Ahh... The boat is finally and completely stripped. I mean stripped...hand me my sunglasses stripped. I took this photo before the first coat of primer (white). It will need second, very light coat of primer to afford a solid even coat. I'll take another photo of the primer before the finish coats. The interior finish coats will be the same, two coats (sand beige). All the subassemblies are built. Once the interior finish coats are done I'll need to touch up the gunwales, then bolt everything in. Ultimately, I'll do the exterior in Mossy Oak Shadow Grass, or a create my own camo scheme. Bruce

I saw one of these at BPS. Cabela's also has them. The regular bracket looks like what you're looking for. Personally, I have my transducer mounter on my trolling motor. When I get an outboard motor, I would give this bracket a try be fore drilling holes in my transom. http://www.cabelas.com/hprod-1/0000844.shtml Bruce

I am in the middle of my own build presently. I didn't consider anything used, as I orginally thought I would spend $500-$600 on a 10' new Jon Boat that I could toss on the top of my TrailBlazer. However, after browsing this forum, and talking to a salesman at BPS I came to the realization that I would have to upgrade my roof rack $$$. After I priced those custom component racks I almost died. Then, something to small would not give me the weight capacity I needed to make modifications. So I brokedown and bought a Tracker 1436LW and Trailer. This model had the thicker guage metal and greater weight capacity. Just somethings to think about. Bruce

This second pic is the same panels with the main deck showing it's carpeted side and the seats I have chosen. I will have two seats on the same short economy pedestals. Bruce

As promised I took couple pics today. The first one shows a couple of completed (carpeted) panels. On the left is a seat and panel that will lift via Butt Hinges and fastened by Swivel Hasp. This with mount over and provide access to the LiveWell in the front bench on the Hull. Bruce

LB Hooker, I can't wait to paint. Even so, I'm getting the other details done in the meanwhile. Actually, I'm glad I ended up having to strip. When I did the test patch, some areas had almost no adhesion while other spots were good. That was in a 2X2 foot area. So I wonder if it's the product line compatibility more than procedure. OH...go to www.doitbest.com for your Rustoleum. They'll ship it to your nearest DoItBest participating hardware store for free. Bruce