jbrooks9

Here is a pic of where I want to mount the motor. As you can see the front has a lip I can bolt to but the side does not. I was going to attach rivets to the rim of the boat as well as the front deck.

I see alot of people using pop rivets on their boat to attach things. I am still trying to figure out how I am going to mount a bracket to my boat for my trolling motor. Someone suggested I rivet a .100 aluminum plate to the front of the boat. I like the idea but am concerned about using rivets. I can bolt it to the bow but will have to use rivets along the side of the boat. What kind of holding power do rivets have?

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to look for some aluminum to mount the motor. What do you think about where to position the motor. I can't see how mounting it to one side will make a big difference in how it performs. Is it important to mount it dead center?

First I must say this is a great forum. I have been lurking for a few weeks now. There is alot of great information on jon boats here. I recently purchased a jon boat with the intentions on modding it into a bass boat. I have done a bit of research including purchasing the Hydrilla guide to jon boat conversion. I must say that it was not what I thought it would be. Probably the most helpful part of the ebook are the photos of the boats. The search button is my friend and I have put it through it's paces. I do have a few unanswered questions though. Here goes: 1. Some of the conversions I see on the net use alot of wood in the boat. These boats have to be pushing their weight limit. I am going to try and get some aluminum angle for my support but in the mean time It is plywood and 2x4s. Aside from taking your boat to a scale, how do you know how much weight you have in your boat? 2. I will try attach a picture of my front deck. How would you recommend mounting a trolling motor? I have a Minn Kota edge 5042. There is about a 5.25 drop from the front nose of the boat the the deck. I have looked at alot of photos but in most of the photos the mount is carpeted not allowing me to see what it is made of. What are you guys using to raise the mount flush with the top of the boat? 3. The directions that came with the trolling motor recommend the nose of the motor be in the center of the boat. Some of you have yours this way and some do not. I would prefer to mount mine on the left side to keep my deck clear. How would this effect the performance? 4. I picked up some outdoor carpet adhesive for my deck. Unfortunatly it seems like it is beginning to melt in the Tennessee heat. What do you use to glue your carpet? I have heard it recommended to use contact cement. Time to get back to work. More questions to come.