basscat73

You could start by checking with the original manufacturer of the boat. Otherwise, West Marine sells a variety of bumpers (i.e. rub rails) for boats.

Is there any way to estimate the total weight of the boat, motor, and trailer that I'm towing? I have a '95 Ranger 481VS (19'3'"), 150hp Merc, single axle trailer. I can figure out weights of my gear and gas, but could use help on guess-timating the weight of everything else.

I had a 2 bank charger on my last boat with a 24v TM. I had both TM batteries hooked up to the charger. I didn't worry too much about the starter batter since it gets recharged when you run the big motor, which has an alternator. I do throw my portable charger on the starter battery a couple of times during the season just to give it a really good full charging. I used that set-up for three years without a problem. On my new (used) boat, I'm doing the same thing.

I've never done it myself, but I've read that roll-on is the way to go. You should get some advice from forums on iboats. They know a lot about that stuff.

Yes, I've heard that debate many times. It's an intriguing one, that I'm on the fence with it as far as whether transom savers are necessary. Right now, I'm the $30 for peace mind person.

If the battery ends up not being the culprit, then you should return the thing, if you you bought it new.

Shouldn't need to put it in water to make it spin better. Sounds like an issue with power. I would take the battery in and get it tested properly. That's the easiest thing to check and fix before you start thinking about other possible reasons.

Has anybody used this system for your boat motor or have opinions on it? It's called the "m-ywedge" and they have a web site you can check out. I need to get a new transom saver for my boat and this system seems interesting. Any thoughts?

ljmax, thanks for that tip on that Ranger. I just bought it!!! Let me know what your favorite soft plastic is. PM me and send me your address because I owe you. Since it was Easter Sunday, I got caught up in family affairs and I probably would've missed that ad, if it weren't for your post. Anyhow, overall the boat is in good condition. Just needs a little TLC (polishing, vacuuming, a few minor replacements, like the trailer winch, and some minor aesthetic things, and I'm sure I'll get it back into excellent condition. Bought it for $8200. One thing that surprised me is that it's actually 19'3" long. It's a bit bigger than I wanted, but I couldn't pass up the deal. I just kinda figured with the number 481, it would've been 18'1" long. The ranger trailer is very different from my old boat. It has a weird-looking, old boxy-shaped trailer tongue and it has a large, round six-pin (I think) plug. My tow vehicle only has a four-pin flat, so unfortunately I couldn't drag the boat home with me. He's driving it down this Saturday. Nice guy! The trailer has disc brakes, but I believe they do not hook up with the vehicle brakes. They will only help to stop the trailer if it comes loose from the tow vehicle. I'll have to figure out what to do about the wiring between my vehicle and that trailer. Hopefully, it's not too big deal. He did put brand new tires on the trailer, which is a nice bonus. Also, when I arrived to view the boat, his boat mechanic was just leaving after checking over the boat and engine for any possibles issues. It got a clean bill of health. I'll have to post some pics after I get it cleaned up. I'm just happy to say, that I'm a proud boat owner again. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/boa/308122116.html

front of the trailer was bent, interior was kinda trashed up, ripped seats, carpet well worn, fiberglass had chunks taken out of it, probably from ramming a dock. Trolling motor needs to be completely replaced. There are about 12 open screw holes in the fiberglass underneath the TM. I'm holding out for a boat that has a bit more storage capacity too. This boat had no storage in the back of the boat. It did have two large rod/storage lockers, which was nice, but that was it.

I'm still in the hunt for a boat. Went and saw the Cajun, but did not buy. Nice hull, but the owner just didn't take very good care of the boat. The TM was almost falling off! I'm not dropping hard-earned cash when something as simple as a TM mount is neglected. Who knows what else was neglected. It would've been great had it been in better shape.

Thanks for the opinions. I'm trekking out to look at it tomorrow. My wife thinks I'm crazy. I'm leaving at 4am, should get there around 9 - 930. I'll check everything out and see what kind of deal I can get on it. It's a bit of an upgrade from my 79 Bass Cat, so I'm just a tad excited.

I'm searching far and wide for a bass boat and came across this 95 Cajun. Seee website below. It's out of my price range, but I'm curious to know if you think this is a good deal. Also, any opinions about Cajun boats and Johnson Fast Strike motors would be great. From what little I know, those boats and motors are solid. http://www.millelacspowersports.com/site_page_3694/item_176100.html?listing_page=listing_sum_index_1.html

Hey, I I'd like to hear what kind of rod/reel set-ups you use for throwing lures such as flukes and rogues. Do you use the same or different set-ups for soft and hard jerk baits.

My condolences his friends and family. It's always good to hear reminders like this, namely, equipment failure as a possible cause for a boat crash. You can be the best, safest, most aware driver ever, but you can never be ready for the unexpected. Thanks for posting, and very timely as our boating season up in the midwest is just about to get underway. Take care out there everyone...

Anyone ever hear of this brand of bass boat? In general, are they okay boats? I've never seen one up here in WI. I am interested in looking at a Sprint 277 that is available.

Do you prefer one over the other? And why? I've read articles on balsa and plastic, but I'd like to hear some firsthand accounts regarding them.

The easiest thing to skip is a tube. Start with that. When you get good at it, you can skip it all the way back to beginning of the dock. Anything that's lanky, like a worm is going to be harder to skip when you're just starting to learn. A spinning rig is the way to go, IMO.

Skwerl, that idea works pretty well. Thanks for your help.

Assuming everything is in good condition, how do I determine if the price someone is asking for a boat is a good deal or if it's too high? I've heard of nadaguides.com, but I've punched in information about boats before and it always seems like a very low estimate. Boats last a lot longer, so it doesn't seem to be as easy as pricing out a car. I'd like to use more than a gut feeling to make a decision. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the tip Skwerl!

I was on a newr iver this past weekend that had many large open flats with less than 2ft. of water. Since I didn't know the river very well, I idled through these areas. I'm not used to being on water with large super shallow flats like that. I did see a couple nice bass boats coming out of the deeper channel and flying right over these shallow flats though. So, my question is, for an average bass boat, how shallow can the water be to be able to pass over it while on plane??

Here's a drawing I did a long time ago for a homemade trolling motor bracket for a canoe. Cost me just a few bucks to make (some wood and some hardware).

I used to fish out of a canoe when I forst started bass fishing. I used the Endura 30 and it had plenty of power for my 17' canoe. You'll definitely need something to recharge the battery when you're at home. Wind can be a real pain in the butt though! If you mount it at one end, it's difficult to control the other end unless there's two of you, one on the troller and one with a paddle when your canoe catches a gust of wind. If it's not very windy, a trolling motor can be a nice edition, but I ended up selling my motor and going back to just paddling and anchoring. If it's just you in the boat, make sure you balance the weight in the canoe. The trolling motor adds a lot at one end along with your own weight.

I'm looking for spinnerbait blades that have a durable paintjob. I want to replace the painted blades that have chipped and pelled paint. Any suggestions?