Madhouse27

Dobi, thanks for posting your project. This should be fun to watch.

I have the same set up. Two trolling motor batteries running a 24 volt tm and a starting battery that runs all the accesories. That is the right set up. If you don't have one, the addition of an onboard charger would be a nice touch. Get a three bank and then all you'll have to do is plug your boat in at the end of the day and you should be good to go the next morning. As far as your batteries go, did you check the water level in them? I think 2-3 years is probably the normal life expectancy for trolling motor batteries. Perhaps yours have seen alot of use and they've reached the end of the trail. There have been some great threads about batteries, maintenance and set ups. A quick scroll through this section will bring you some informative reading. Ben is the master of boat electronics. Hopefully he'll weigh in and lend a hand.

Heck, while we're shopping why not throw a G3, Lund and a Polar Kraft into the mix. All five of these manufacturers make great boats that will fit your needs just fine. It's probably going to be a tough choice deciding which one you like the best. Each has a slightly different take on storage layout and they all have their own sense of style. In addition to comparing the actual construction of the boat take a good look at the various components on each one. Sometimes a manufacturer might skimp a bit on fish finders and trolling motors. Also look at the trolling motor wiring in case you want to upgrade to a 24 volt system down the road. There may be subtle differences in fuel capacity and livewell size. Compare the trailers as well. You may want to do some research about the actual dealership itself. You may find that one has a better reputation for service after the sale than the other. Buying a boat is fun and stressful all at the same time. Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

Looks like we have another celebrity on our midst. Way to go!

Those Lonestars are tough boats. We used to rent a big Lonestar aluminum cabin cruiser for trolling on East Grand Lake. We always called early to make sure we got that one particular boat. It was a real classic and could really take the rough water. Had some of the best times of my life in that thing. Nice job on your project.

The Lindners have certainly taught me the most. For sheer watchability I like Mark Zona.

I'm getting ready to swap trolling motors and decided that I want to mount the Minn Kota on the right hand side of the bow. Because of the cockpit, the left side of my front deck is a bit longer so that is where I'll be laying my rods when they're not in the locker. I thought having the trolling motor on the opposite side would keep the rod side less conjested. Any holes left from the Motorguide will be plugged and then covered with some of that black rubber decking stuff that I've been talking about. Before I did it I figured I'd run it by you guys in case there is something that I'm not thinking of. If this is a bad idea talk me out of it.

Well I broke down and ordered the stuff from Cabelas. It was 36.99 but it was exactly what the doctor ordered. It is thick and durable without being toooo think. It has an adhesive backing and the diamond style pattern. It's grossly overpriced but I was tired of searching. I'll be posting some boat pics once I'm done changing some stuff around and doing a little customization.

Well the season started today and I was right there at the crack of dawn launching the Skeeter that I had purchased over the winter. There were quite of few guys out trolling for salmon but needless to say I was the only one bass fishing (as usual). The ice had just gone out mid week so the water was ice cold but today was more about getting to know the boat than really fishing hard. Other than the stock fish finder everything worked great. The old Lowrance appears to be missing a pixel or two.....or eight. I was blown away with how perfect that Yamaha outboard ran. What an incredible upgrade over my old 68 Mercury 500. It just purrs and effortlessly goes about its business. The layout/storage of the boat worked and I had fun just bombing around in it. Another big improvement in my life is how smoothly the boat loads and unloads from the trailer. It practically did it for me. Now that its warming up I'll be able to switch my tm and ff from the old boat. The wind was blowing 20 mph today and I was kind of missing my 24v Minn Kota AT 65 but I will say that the stock 12v Motorguide 43 on this thing held its own better than I'd expected. Aluminum is a little different animal but it handled pretty well even running in the whitecaps I didn't catch a thing today but it was an awesome day on the water. It's going to be a great season!

I'll give a run down of my enemic performance over in the tournament/outing section :-/

I definately agree about looking for the warmest water. If there is a section of the lake that is a bit shallower sometimes that will help it warm up faster. I have this situation on my home lake. There is an arm of the lake that warms first and produces first but after the beginning of june is it less productive than the main part of the lake. I hit it hard early then it kind of peters out. I have pretty good luck with tubes in cold water. Another good approach is a drop shot set up if you find some fish on your electronics and need to work them slow. Water temps are approaching 40 degrees here so we are kind of in the same boat.

Falcon, that's a great idea. Probably be good chemistry between the two of them.

I kind of consider Velvick more of a TV personality than a professional fisherman. I dont know about this west coast schtick of his either. I live on the coast of Maine so I guess I'm down with east cost thang. At some point the man needs to start catching a few fish or simply give up the tournament scene. In all honesty I find the other guy on Bass Center more irritating then Byron. Maybe they could just get a couple of babes to do the show.

Abel, it's friday did you bring the new boat home yet?

I'd definately grab it for 250 bucks. If after digging into it a little deeper you change your mind you could probably sell it and make a nice little score toward your next boat. Even if it's no creampuff, at that price you almost can't pass it up. The old motor guide has to be worth a hundred bucks and jstyles was right about the trailer alone probably being worth the $250. Post a pic if you can.

My first boat was an ancient Appleby 14 ft aluminum with a 4.5 horse Mercury outboard. While no speed demon by any stretch that boat always got up on plane and buzzed down the lake just fine. At the time I was a teenager working at McDonalds so it was all I could afford. In your situation I would certainly be looking for a used 25 horse. If finances or availablility of a 25 are a problem you can certainly get by with less.

Man, we are in the final countdown to fishing season and I am really jonesing. April 1st is three days away and it falls on a saturday! Everything I own is ready to go. I've literally run out of things to prep. Ice is out on most lakes which is a good two or three weeks early this year. It's going to be tough early conditions with frigid water temperatures. Many of the bass guys up here don't even get started until sometime in May. I am going to get myself into a Rick Clunn-like zen state of mind and go battle with some monster bronzebacks. You guys have all helped get me through the winter and I thank you for that. Now it's time to go fishing!

In that price range you are going to be able to get a sweet ride regardless of what it's made of. What's your tow vehicle situation. That could end up being the deciding factor.

I need to get a some of that adhesive backed black rubber diamond matting (I think that is what it's called) to put up on the top of the front deck. It's not real thick and I think that is what is used on casting decks. The pieces they sell in Bass Pro are too small, probably better suited for sticking on trailer fenders. Cabelas has a larger size but the price is $36.99 which seemed a bit steep. Any ideas of another place to try and find this stuff. The spot is kind of triangular shaped, I think about 24 inches long and maybe 8 inches wide at its widest spot. Thanks gang.

Abel, good thing you saved some money on that rig...sounds like the wife has some plans on what to do with it. Congrats on the new ride. We're looking forward to seeing some pics of it.

I removed my Minn Kota AT65 from the old Mckee Craft and I'm planning on moving it over to the Skeeter. Bass Pro and Cabelas have these "isolator bolts" that I guess are made for installing a trolling motor. Are these a good idea or simply a waste of money (they are like 20 bucks for 8 of them). On my older boat I had to run long bolts with a nut all the way through because of the design of the hull and I haven't uncovered the winter wrap off the Skeeter to see what was used to mount the Motorguide that's on it now. Has anyone used these type of bolts? Anything I need to know? As usual thanks for any input.

Abel's got it right. Most of the debate has been about the fisherman...not the fish.

Pscarbor, you've made some interesting points and I enjoyed reading your post. While I don't think it would take very much research regarding the reliability of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord over the past 10 years to debunk your "import myth" theory we are all certainly entitled to our own opinions. I've had some American made vehicles that were standouts in the long term reliability department. The star of the domestic show being a 1990 Ford Taurus that I am sure is still alive somewhere. Ford never should have discontinued this car. On the other end of the spectrum the least reliable vehicle I ever owned was an import....a Land Rover. The three best that I have ever owned in terms of reliablilty, design and resale value were all Toyotas...two 4Runners and a Land Cruiser. I've never had a major repair on any of them. I replaced an alternator on the Cruiser when it was 17 years old. It cost 40 dollars. I just don't see this level of quality with my friend's Explorers and Blazers. My Ford Windstar van is on its third transmission and it's the newest vehicle in my yard. About Japan, I too would like unfetterd access to their market. Some would gripe about American jobs going overseas but it would certainly help the bottom line at General Motors and Ford. Damler/Chrysler seems immune from the slide in American car sales. I think it is because they are creating vehicles that people want to buy. No one wants to see GM or Ford in chapter eleven. Unfortunately neither of them are bringing a mid sized suv to market that will stimulate me to help them out with a purchase.

Used is definately the way to get into a bass boat with your shirt and wallet still intact. The next few years of boat shopping should be great as a good selection of these new age aluminum bass boats hits the market. They have gotten so wide and well layed out in the past few years. It's going to be awesome to buying a two or three year old G3 or PolarKraft boat for about 60 percent of the new price. I like my Skeeter alum but back in 98 they were a bit on the narrow side compared to todays rides.

I think it is easy to end up spending more on a boat by purchasing it piecemeal instead of buying a complete set up that is ready to go. That said, I think the 400 dollar estimates on this one are a bit on the low side. This boat looks pretty solid and the trailer looks good. I don't think his asking price is out of whack. Buying the boat for 700 bucks isn't the problem. The problem is by the time you buy all the other stuff it needs to get it set up you are going to have 3 or 4 times that into it. I think you would be better off spending a little more initially and getting a boat that is pretty much ready to fish. I've done it both ways with boats and vehicles. There may be satisfaction involved but there is rarely true monetary savings in buying a boat a piece at a time.