clay62

I haven't posted here in a while but I do check the site on occasion. I rescued a lawn cart that was rusting away, and bought new wheels for it. The tires were dry rotted but the rest of the cart was ok. I made a small platform to bolt to the frame of the cart to serve a dual purpose when needed. This platform has guides to center my boat and can be removed easily by taking out four carriage bolts. I made the platform from left over treated wood I had from another project. I'm going to modify the handle that is a little bouncy, but otherwise this cart will serve to haul my boat in to small ponds that don't have a road for my trailer. I admire all the modifications and ideas presented here. Hope this gives someone else some ideas about a cart. This cart can be managed by one person without much trouble. I will try to post some pictures.

That's a neat setup. I made some 'guides' out of 1 1/2" treated lumber to center my boat on the trailer. I also used the same size stock lumber to build a battery containment area on the front of the trailer during transit. The TM battery fits nicely between the pontoons and I strap it down with a bungee cord. I had an older Bass Hunter used boat that the previous owner had busted a hole inside the boat from his battery sliding around during transit. Also, if you were to have an accident, the battery is secure and won't fly out of or across your little boat. My trailer is 5' x 8', and fits my 10 foot Bass Raider fine. That's a nice rig you've got there...great times ahead...Check my previous post above about my new anchor system. They worked great the other day, and allowed me to stop and concentrate more time on some fish holding structure. I caught several fish that I would have normally passed up because of the hassle from the ever present wind... My new DI (down imaging ) FF worked like expected, and revealed some underwater trees that produced seveal bass for me and my brother. I can't wait to go again...I love my little boat and current setup. My next purchase will be the foot controlled TM mentioned in an earlier post...Good luck, and stay safe...

Today I installed two Attwood Lift N Lock anchor control systems on my Bass Raider 10 E. I've had these for a while, and finally got around to placing them on my boat. I used the aluminum transom and bow plates to attach them to. I checked to see if I would have clearance on my rear transon, beside my endura TM. I was able to move the TM to one side, and still have clearance for complete up and down movement of my mushroom shaped 10 lb. anchor. The front / bow transom plate is not as wide, so I will probably have to attach the front anchor pulley assembly on the side later when I get my foot controlled TM ( Motorguide Bulldog 40 ). I don't have enough clearance on front currently to allow the anchor to 'store' or deploy beside of my older Bottomline Fishin' Buddy II FF. The anchor system is installed, but there's not enough room beside of the the telescoping shaft on the FF, to allow clearance. I will just have to use the anchor lock on front until I get the rest worked out. I also plan to test out my new Humminbird 570 DI PT (portable ) tomorrow. The anchor pulleys work really well, and should save me a lot of trouble when trying to anchor. I can actually operate both anchors from my seat. I just leave the ropes close enough to grab them, and 'lift and lock' or deploy... These boats get moved around a lot by the wind, and two anchor points are very important, if you want to stay in place, back away from a target area. I usually try to anchor away from crappie / bass holding areas, and take some time to fish those areas slowly and carefully. I've had some crappie bites recently that were so subtle, that I had to be completely still to detect their movement. I used a 1/8" drill bit to pilot the holes for mounting the pully brackets, and used size 8 x 3/4 " sheet metal screws to attach them with. This worked really well, and made a strong bond to the aluminum plates. If anyone has any further questions about these anchor systems, feel free to ask. I enjoy making modifications to my little boat, and hope to share some of my findings to make you guys' time more productive. I will try to post a couple of pictures of my project. Also, I installed a rod holder today that turned out nicely...More to come later ...take care, and good luck fishing...

I'm about to make the decision to order the motorguide bulldog 40 transom / bow mount TM. It's the only one I've found that appears to work on small boats like ours without mounting to a deck, etc. I've read good reviews about some guys who have them on a 10 foot Raider. Read some reviews on Cabelas. I think I will get this for the front, and add a 'rudder' on the back. I may even use my endura 30 on the back as well....so much to do, too little time...LOL.

I've had a fishin buddy for over 10 years, and it's a great tool. I have one of the original Bottomline models and I use it every time I go out in my little boat. It helped me to locate a creek channel the oher day,where I found and caught some crappie. Mine still works well, and I plan on using it along with my new Humminbird 570 DI PT (portable) unit that arrived today. I could use some ideas about how to mount the suction cup transducer in a neat fasion, if the side of the boat isn't adequate. I will let you guys know how it works out for me. You will get much use out of your fishin buddy, and I would highly recommend it. I especially like the side finder on mine, and it does mark fish out ahead of you. Also, the temp gauge works well to let you know where the fish may be hanging out in early spring, etc. I started to buy the color model fishin' buddy (model 140, I think) before I made the final decision to get the down imaging model. I hope to be able to 'see' and study the bottom of my favorite ponds soon. Congratulations on your purchase. I'm sure it will increase your productivity.

Wow, you got the best deal I've heard of on your boat! Seems things are going your way...congratulations! I too need to get one of those three prong adaptors that plug into the 'female' recepticle on the front. I have seen several places to buy them, and they shouldn't be too expensive. I was reluctant to splice my TM cables, but that seems to be the answer. Let me know how you install yours. There is a image of one of those adaptors somewhere on this thread. Great deal on your boat!

I checked the pelican site to see the exact specs for this boat. The length is 10 foot, 2 inches. The beam (across the widest point on top) says 50 inches. The wieght is 145 lbs. They don't state the 'depth', but it is approximately 20 inches. I liked your idea about standing the boat upright and strapping it to the wall. I saw where you stated the 'ceiling' height at arond 9 foot, 6 inches. I'm not sure if that is to a finished, sheetrock ceiling, or to the exposed joist. It may be possible to fit the front tip of the pontoons between the joists, which would typically be another 8 to 12 inches of 'depth', if they are exposed. If necessary, you could neatly cut out a section of the sheetrock with a razor knife or sheetrock saw, to obtain the additional height needed. I hope this makes sense...LOL. You will of course want to consider the clearance of the depth and width before making that final decision. I can imagine your next trip with the camper and boat all in toe, and the pleasure / advantage of having your boat at many waterways. I absolutely enjoy every outing with my little boat, and it's always a new adventure. I had another similar boat, a Bass Hunter, and I used to balance it on a wheelbarrow, along with my gear to roll it to ponds. Once there, I would have the whole pond to myself. Anywhere you can launch your boat, even through thick brush, etc., gives you such an advantage over bank fishermen. There's another thread here about the Bass Raider, and I encourage you and others to add their input to the many ideas / mods, to help others. Once again, let me know if I can be of help in the future. Take care, and good luck with your planned purchase...

I understand your situation. Maybe you could consider a hoist type set-up above the veicle you're going to transport the boat on. The boat weighs around 150 lbs. and could be lifted and lowered from the ceiling. If you mount some strong hooks (similar to those used on a porch swing, etc.), into the ceiling joists, and use a pulley system, you could possibly have an ideal storage situation. You could actually have the boat loaded and ready to 'drop' into your truck ang go...If you wish to utilize the 7 foot rack, you could possibly slide it off and into the truck with some help. These boats will fit between the wheel wells of a full size pickup, but not between smaller trucks like my Ford Ranger, so keep that in mind. Not sure about how it will fit into the bed of your Tacoma...I used to slide my boat over the wheel wells and let it rest on the tailgate on my Ranger before I bought my utility trailer. It looked kinda strange, but got the job done...LOL. I do believe your efforts will be worth the time spent, once you have the pleasure of using and maintaining your investment. The inside storage would be ideal if that could be obtained / utilized. I have left mine outdoors, turned upside down, on the back of my trailer over the winter, with no adverse effects noted. I just keep it on clean gravel to keep it out of the mud. I would ideally like to have a storage shed, with a rack to place mine in during long periods of storage. Let me know what you decide, and I will help research some ideas about overhead storage, etc. I'm a pretty good handy-man / carpenter, and enjoy coming up with solutions...Take care.

The 10 E means it's pre-wired to accept a trolling motor or other electronics on the front of the boat. I found mine about three years ago at the local Dick's Sporting Goods for 499.00. I saw it in the weekly ad, and it was much cheaper than the online price! I went back into the stock room with a salesman, and it was brand new, and had just been shipped from Pelican Boats out of Canada. I asked the guy why the price online was different, and he said the online company was separate from local dealers, and usually higher...I was very surprised to get the new 10E for that price. I told him to bring it to the front, and I loaded that boy on the truck that day...Keep an eye on the new local flyer coming out in upcoming weeks. They have some great deals at times, and if they plan to discontinue selling those, they might have a sale on the 10E. I love my little boat and have a great time on the water. I agree that the 8 foot boat is too small even for one person, with all your gear onboard. I think you will be well pleased with this purchase. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns...

I'm new here and have been following this topic for about a month now. I too have a Bass Raider 10E boat that I bought about two years ago. I had another small pontoon boat, a Bass Hunter, and I used it for several years. I like the inexpensive pleasure of using my small boat on small lakes and ponds. I'm still trying to make a decision about what new trolling motor ™ I want, as well as a fish finder (FF). I'm about to make the decision to purchase a Motorguide bulldog series TM (40 lb. thrust) and mount it on the front transom. It's a foot controlled motor that mounts on either end of the boat (transom / bow mount). I appreciate the input about the 'rudder' ideas and will be building one of those as well. I am within a few weeks of ordering tne FF and TM. I think I will go with the humminbird 570 DI portable unit and try to figure out where I will mount the suction cup transducer. I currently have one of the first 'fishing buddy' portable FF that was originally made by Bottomline. It has served me well, and still shows depth and water temp., and the side finder has been a great help over the years. I had almost bought the 140 color series of the fishing buddy recently, but have decided I want the Down Imaging (DI) unit to study some small lakes that I fish in. I will also mount the old Bottomline portable unit to have the advantage of the sidefinder (it still works..). I bought a utility trailer to haul my boat on and have a removable rack that I bolt down with carriage bolts and wing nuts. I cut some small square holes in the bed of the trailer to allow the ramp / gate to fold flat and install the rack when in use for boat transport. I also fashioned an area in front of the trailer to carry my TM battery, and it fits nicely betweeh the pontoons during transit. I will try to post some pictures of my current set-up, and follow up with my upcoming mods. Thanks everyone for the great ideas, and I will try to contribute as well...