bighoss

+1

How stable is that rear seat on the 6" mount? I was thinking of adding one to mine, also planning on upgrading my seats to these: http://www.walmart.com/ip/WISE-Big-Man-High-Back-Folding-Boat-Seat/10913401

Okay, it's been awhile since I've last posted an update. Basically this project is about 90% done. I found a homemade trailer I bought for $300 to haul around my boat in. Put a new harness, bearings, wheels/rims & paint. In the end, I decided I needed some storage, so I built a front end out of wood to hold a TSC black diamond plate truck box to store my 4-way, wheel chalks, tie downs, tools, etc.. etc... for the boat & trailer. I like the way it turned out. The trailer is about 5" 5" wide & 8ft long. I like how the boat slide in "under' the toolbox Also, tossed in a picture of my battery I went with, along with my charger. Charger is a 15amp Schumacher "Ship & Shore" XCS15. Plans in future include: Wood floor & 6" seat pedestals w/ higher backed seats. Also painting the wood frame the toolbox sit on to match the trailer (I'm open to suggestions on a higher backed, comfortable seat - Keep in mind I'm a very large guy @ 300lbs) Love the setup, sadly I've been working too much overtime at work at the moment to enjoy it. Although, that OT has helped me get the project done a lot quicker

Looks very nice! I like the idea of the tie downs, what are they connected to on the outside of the boat? The lip? Don't they slide around? That khaki color looks very nice.

(Sorry to the reply, this should have been a multi-quote in retrospect) Thanks dman for the PM on the rudder, and that would be fantastic if you're able to track down someone that can make a replica of the you bought (or able to locate one online) I have had ZERO luck finding any company, ebay or craigslist for one of these so far.

I'm not really interested in the scales or the color of the eyes myself. What I am interested in, is seeing more detail than a 100.00 unit and was looking for others to chime in with their experiences with the mid range units. I appreciate the deal you got, and very happy that it's working out for you. I'm leaning towards yes on it's worth it for as much as your budget will allow. I can see the DI & GPS proving to be very handy features, especially if I upgrade my boat down the line (can always take it with me)

I'm pretty handy with Google I wouldn't have posted help here for the rudder if I hadn't at least already checked Google, wouldn't you think? Bass Hunter is apparently out of business.. I don't mind paying the $$ to buy one if someone is able to lend a good lead on where to track one down. I don't want to make one.

Where would someone buy a rudder for this boat? I'm not really interested in making one. I would like to have a style like the Buster boats use or like dman posted. Something with a couple bolts that can tighten down real good on the transom (my troller is up front already)

I'm thinking of grabbing this depth finder.. Humminbird 570 PT DI It's 250.00 from Walmart site to store or shipped directly to your house. The reason this one interests me so much is the rechargeable 12v 7aH battery system that comes with it & it's portable. Also, I want to study the ground underwater "structure" in my local areas, so I can make informed decisions where the fish might be. Actually, that last part is the most important to me.. this thing has double or sometimes triple the pixels on the screen as the others in the sub to 100.00 category. Check out the Pirannamax series and see how the floor looks with those pixels.. the difference is night & day. I am interested in what others are using as well. I'm primarily in the market for something "best bang for the buck" but the down imaging of this unit looks really helpful.

I think I might buy a can of this to keep on the boat: Whoop-ass in a can

Thank ya Boss Love the site, you have excellent information here for a newcomer to this sport!

I'm going through this myself right now. Just bought the same boat last week, working on trying to track down a nice battery for a good price. After some research locally in Central Ohio area, I came across this little gem: Duralast 685 @ my local Autozone for 87.99. 140 RC coming in about $40.00 cheaper than Bass Pro's "wet" offering. Some say that the Walmart's deep cycle is another way to go: Everstart Maxx 29 - Don't hold me to this, but I'm thinking these can be had for sub $100 and are made by Johnson Controls. (Good product) & 12 month replacement warranty Lastly, you should know I'm very new to this. Don't take my word as an authority on the issue, just someone that's in the same boat as you.. looking for a great battery on a budget. EDIT: 12 month replacement on the Walmart offering, not 24 months like I previously stated. Sorry :/

Thanks!

Howdy all! Bighoss here from Central Ohio area. I just picked up my first boat this season & basically new to fishing in general. I used to fish when I was a teenager, but never really fished anything other than worms off the bottom. I paired up with a couple of crazy addicted fisherman from work & now I'm on the fast-track to becoming an aspiring Bass Angler. Over this summer I plan to go out with them on their bass boats & learn the "tricks of the trade" and take all that info back to my small boat to fish with me and my 12yr old and teach him all the tips I've learned. Glad I've come across this forum, seems like tons of useful information.. I just wanted to take a few moments to introduce myself and say Hello. So "Hello" EDIT: So far my PB is only about 3/4 of a pound, around 12". But I just started this season.. so that's not saying much. LOL (Also, there wasn't an option for anything smaller than 1-2lbs on the PB drop-down menu on the profile.. so that's why it's not showing correctly on my nametag) -- Forgot to mention, but the local lake close to me that I'm mainly fishing is Deer Creek State Park in Pickaway County.

How much did this floor project cost you? Also, where did you find the .5 cleats? And what configuration did you mount them in on the underside? I'm very interested in how you did this.. I was brainstorming about how to do a floor in mine as well.

Also, wanted to let you guys see this.. In my search for a Pelican package in my budget, I came across this guy's setup. Basically he used like 1" PVC pipe and fittings to create a boxed-frame inside the boat floor and you can see two arms coming up in the front that hold a piece of steel stock that he mounted (4) rod holders to. I thought it was pretty d**n cool, and when we couldn't come to an agreement on his boat (was in very rough shape) I offered to buy just this off him for $25.00. He almost considered it, but decided it would help him sell his boat. Seems like this would be out of the way (for the most part) and not take up too much room on the floor. I was also thinking that the bar could be used to mount other things to, without having to screw stuff into the hull and gunnel. What's your thoughts? I liked it! EDIT: Actually, I was brainstorming on how to make this better.. how about a couple T-brackets near the rear of it, and have two side-mounted bars (much smaller - maybe 4-5inches wide) and instead of having 4 holders at the front of the boat, just have 2 for front person, and have two at the rear for the guy driving the boat or something. All modular without having to screw anything into the gunnel. -BH

Okay! After about 2 weeks of searching every single day (sometimes multiple times a day on weekends) I've finally found a deal on one of these boats to call my own! I had a couple Craigslist deals fall through and a couple where the boat wasn't in very good condition or very old. The one I broke down and bought, was listed for $700 I decided to call the guy anyway, and ask him about what kind of total package I would get for that price. After it was all said and done, I ended up with a 3yr old Pelican Bass Raider 10E (garage kept, super clean) 40# Minn Kota troller, OptiMax Deep cell battery (not 100% sure on specs but a year old - guy said on 2/3 speed, you can expect 6+ hrs on the water) Sears 2A battery charger, Battery box, Paddle, 2 life vests, fire extinguisher <- lol & (2) seat upgrades. The seats aren't the plastic kind that come with it, these are like real boat seats. I closed the deal for $580.00 delivered. (That's right delivered) This guy lives 60 miles away from me, and I told him tonight after looking at it I would be back tomorrow possibly after thinking about it and he offered to load it up in his pickup bed and deliver it. LOL! Needless to say, I'm excited. I got him to come down $120!! Only downside? Not currently registered, and I need a way to haul it around as I drive a van, not a truck. I'm already thinking of things I want to do to it.. hoping the weather is nice this weekend, might have to take it for a spin at my local lake. (Father-in-law is my fishing buddy, and he has a Jeep Cherokee w/ 8ft utility trailer in meantime for transporting it around) So I'm officially in the club! -BH

Looking for a trailer for mine real soon. Every trailer I see is either made for a V-shaped boat or is just a straight up utility/landscaping trailer. Yours looks to be the perfect size. What size is it, and where did you locate it? Thanks in advance for the info!

Hey! Thanks for the reply! Can you also stand up to cast/fish if you prefer anywhere on the boat solo? Love this thing, perfect for a first boat.

Alright, sounds good. He's offered up some other gear to close the gap after some negotiating. He's willing to include a Humminbird Portrait (used) w/ transducer & a Sears Diehard trickle charger. He's pretty fixed on his price. I also quizzed him about the troller and it's a Motorguide that comes with it. Seems like a decent little package now. Only drawback is I'm also out of pocket for the registration but can't have everything and that's cheap. So when buying a used boat, do I need to get anything from him in writing since he lost his registration paperwork? I don't want to close the deal just to find out I need him with me or something when I attempt to re-register it in my name. I'm not sure why he has a title for this thing. This is copied straight from Ohio Division of Natural Resources Watercraft Division: Titling of Watercraft & Outboard Motors (ORC 1548.03 & 1548.01) No person is permitted to sell, purchase or otherwise acquire any of the following without a certificate of title: (Exempt from the titling requirement) *watercraft less than 14 feet in length with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion of less than 10 horsepower

I'm currently talking to this guy over email, and I'm considering setting up a time to go check it out in person. CL Ad link: http://columbus.crai...2961839635.html Just a few quick questions regarding this used Pelican.. #1: I can't find this boat anywhere in this color to verify the age and estimated value on what it would sell for nowadays. The seller says it is around 9yrs old. Was just curious if anyone knew if they made them in this color and if the age is correct. It looks like a light blue, and I've yet to see a Pelican in this color #2: Seller says he has a title, but says he's lost the registration paperwork. Can I just call the local ODNR/Watercraft division field office & have the reg numbers ran to make sure it's on the up & up? #3: What all do you need to fully transfer a boat purchase over from one person's name to another? On the back of of my registration for my canoe it says to "sign and hand over to new owner" but with a title this might be a stickier subject of getting a notary, etc. Appreciate the info in advance, this is my first watercraft purchase and Craigslist can sometimes be a jungle out there! LOL -Hoss

Wow! I'm glad I came across this thread! Sooo much information here. Hello to everyone, this is my first post. I'm in the market (Craigslist) looking for my first Pelican. I'm a big guy though (6'4" @ 320lbs) and I can't seem to find any decent information on how stable these things are when you're solo fishing and no real counter weight on the opposite end. Any other big guys here that own one of these in the 8' or 10' that can speak to stability on the water and moreover the stability of the stock seats w/ aluminum frames? Total capacity looks like 600lbs, but I'm sure the manufacturer was intending that weight to be spread out. Ideas? Thanks in advance!