Bozz

Hey CMaher, As for the line through your text...if you mistakenly had the button ticked up there in the menu...the one that has the S with a line through it... it makes that line through your text until it's unticked. :-) As for turning the head around...Yes. On my 50 MinnKota, there is one bolt that has to be removed and lift the head up carefully and reverse it. Don't yank too hard on the wiring while working it up. You could wear through the insulation. Don't ask me how I know this. You'll have enough to lift it up and turn it 180 degrees. Enjoy!

Just a silly observation that I haven't seen mentioned...those horizontal ridges in the bottom of the Pelican Bass Raider...they are actually a lower seating position by rotating the seat rails. That's just one of those "duh" moments I had today. Not that I care to sit lower but maybe a kid or the wife would. I have personally cancelled out that option with my new carpeted floor.

Just a thought for attachments to the hull for various non-stress items. I really wouldn't have a problem drilling holes in my boat well above the water line but I understand some might. There was an early post in this thread about the RivNut tool and that's a great idea. I picked up a bag of these well nuts at Lowes the other day and have used them for other things in the past but haven't installed them yet in my Raider. I will once I get the rod holders, etc and figure out exactly where I want them. They will seal the hole required to drill for install. I got the smaller ones which call for a 3/16" hole and they use a #6 - 32 screw but there are many sizes. http://www.lowes.com/pd_427027-37672-3319_0__?productId=4189131&Ntt=wel+nuts&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dwel%2Bnuts&facetInfo=

k9, I came across this previous floor post from Bill Porter with some dimensions. He did some really nice work on his: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/25442-any-pelican-bass-raider-owners-out-there/page-30#entry1124252

I took the advice...twice...here in this thread about the BigFoot TM momentary switch. EEEEE-Bay. I found a pair of them new and have them here, just not installed. Checked em out...simple wiring...splice in on the negative side only and it says if you want to run 2 switches...wire the same as one. Reason for 2 is I have got all the materials together to make me a casting deck like in a previous thread. Thanks to the poster. Great idea. Sometimes I go solo and a lot of times I've got a buddy along so I'm making the casting deck for my solo trips. Butt seat and pole and deck will make my little Raider convertible in a second by either laying the deck in or taking it out and leaving it home. For those casting deck days..one of the BigFoot switches will be mounted on the deck with quick detach plugs on the underside. The other BF switch will be in the carpeted floor all the time for when I go 2 up. With casting deck and the BF switch...all I needed was a good way of bumping the handle to steer without bending over and reaching too far. The extra factory collar/sleeve from the used MK mount for the rudder came in handy here. I like the gent that made the statement about PVC pipe being grown man Legos. I have yet to get the boat off the table where I'll make the final adjustments to length and height on the PVC steering handle but I will finish it with camo tape or black paint and slide a handlebar grip over the end when I get it where it needs to be. Very pleased with it but will have to do the final tweaks on the water I guess. In the pic, it's up high...I just haven't set it yet until I get to climb aboard and see where I'll be with the deck installed when I get it carpeted and in. Enough typing...my finger is worn down to the nub. EverStart Maxx group 29 battery, 8 lb navy anchor red/green LED, pole light in the back, rod holders, paddle & mount, etc etc etc...yet to come. Oh...then there's this nice little dual jetski trailer down the road...

So I read a lot about the rudder idea and running the TM on the bow. I have always had mine on the transom and just thought that was the way it was. Yep, I endured the aggrvating wind maneuvering but thought that was the price of admission to my little pond crawler. Thanks to the previous posts, I have now turned my MK Endura 50 head around (one single bolt/nut) and she's mounted up front. I studied the various rudder ideas here and came up with my own little piece of custom. I had this 24 volt battery weedeater in the storage shed for a few years after it had died after the first season of use. I just can't stand throwing something like that away when I just got one season out of it. Maybe I can do something with it someday, methinks. I dug around and found it and studied it for a cigar or 2 and I come up with this. I've ordered a small section of black ABS plastic sheet 1/4" thick from McMaster that will fit in a "keyway" slot that runs the length of the telescoping aluminum tube at the bottom. I'll use 3 stainless band clamps around the 1 1/8" tube tightend through a few holes I'll punch/drill in the ABS. I took all the components out of the top housing retaining the outer case only...including the little padded handle. I found a gent locally that had a MK mount on Craigslist for cheap $ so I drove over and picked it up. It came with a couple extra factory collars with the thumb tightener, one of which I saved for my TM extension handle on the other end of my boat. Later on that. Kinda cool that I still got the adjustment on the length of the tube section...not that I'll ever need it once I set it where it needs to be. In doing this, I was keeping in mind a good place to mount a transducer and I believe I have created the perfect spot here on the bottom of this tilting, telescoping, adjust-o-matic super dooper Raider rudder. Also I am eyeing the top of that rudder for a pole light or other accessory mount. Maybe a cigar holder??? :-) Rudder tilted up...sans the actual rudder material at the moment: Next...

My first cast into these waters. Bear with the old guy. Would anyone believe I have read (and re-read in some cases) this entire 53 page expose' on my favorite little boat? This has been somewhat of an education and the ideas contained in this section of the forums has been inspiring to me, to say the least. I'll just start by saying a big Thanks to those of you that have posted and shared all the great ideas thus far. I have owned a Pelican Bass Raider 10 since 2007 but life got in the way and I didn't use it much. Moved closer to the grandbabies a few years ago and left it with my brother...he used it a little and it sat outside. So it's faded a bit but never took on any water inside as we raised 'er up on end and took the plugs out...no H2O. After a little shellcracker excursion this past month, I decided to bring the striped Raider back home and apply some of the ideas, with my own twists, to my boat in anticipation of using it in the rivers and lakes near me in central Bluegrass. I'll start with an image or 2...or 3. I ordered a pair of padded high-back camo seats for my tired nether regions. I'm a cheapskate and I like bang for the buck so I shopped quite a bit before pulling the trigger. I'm happy with these Wise seats so far. I made a floor using 1/4" ply but I did mine in 2 sections, meeting in the center. Shoulda went with gray marine-backing but I thought I wanted green. Glued and a staple or 2 to keep it put. Angled the rear corners to match and wedge in the boat. Before laying it down, I ran a pair of 8 gauge cables from one end to the other...mine is not the "E" wired model. It is now. The center ridge down the floor worked well for this to keep the floor sitting right on the raised ridges. I had anticipated placing 12 volt receptacles in a couple or 3 spots along the inside kick panels and I can tie into this cable just about anywhere along the length of it should I decide to do so later. Haven't cleaned the floor yet cause I'm in the middle of several other mods. Continued...