On my third try I was finally able to get my Bass Raider out for more than a half hour. first time I got called into work and the second time I blew the inline fuse 10 feet from the dock. I could not be happier with this boat. As a newbie to bass fishing I caught a little guy but it made me even more excited to stay on the hunt for a monster. I'm sure I could find a post related to my question but thought I would ask it here anyways. What do you guys recommend for fishing in an area with a lot of lily pads?I caught this one with a Berkeley shad but I kept getting hung up on pads.

 

When I fish lily pads, I pretty just fish topwater.  Tossing a frog out on the pads, reeling, and waiting for that monster hit is awesome!

When I fish lily pads, I pretty just fish topwater.  Tossing a frog out on the pads, reeling, and waiting for that monster hit is awesome!

Awesome. I inherited a tackle box of stuff from my grandpa and dont even know what half of the stuff is. There is a frog in there that I'll try this weekend. Thanks

Paddling will get old QUICK if you have to go any distance or against the wind. A trolling motor is well worth the investment. The bigger the better. I have a 32# and it's going in favor of a 55#.

 

I did notice that it didn't take more than a breath of wind to send this thing moving pretty quick. I haven't been out on a windy day yet, so I'll see how I can handle it. 

 

Right now I'm using a small anchor tied to the seat bracket, as others have suggested. My son built a short spud pole out of pvc pipe for his kayak in the marsh, and I'll think I'll move to that method. His is only about 4 ft long, so mine will have to be a bit longer.

I bought the khakis 10E (used).  My family has a cabin along the brandywine river, so it will be used there.  I got a 40 lb trolling motor and mushroom anchor.  I'll be taking it out for the first time (well, I had a test run last weekend) this coming weekend.  I'm totally psyched!  It will be so much easier to fly fish in it than the canoe.

On my third try I was finally able to get my Bass Raider out for more than a half hour. first time I got called into work and the second time I blew the inline fuse 10 feet from the dock. I could not be happier with this boat. As a newbie to bass fishing I caught a little guy but it made me even more excited to stay on the hunt for a monster. I'm sure I could find a post related to my question but thought I would ask it here anyways. What do you guys recommend for fishing in an area with a lot of lily pads?I caught this one with a Berkeley shad but I kept getting hung up on pads.

like Denea said a top water for lilly pads - frogs seem to worked best for me.

 

as far as all that tackle - check out some of the instructional videos on this site - there is a world of info they share that I still find something new or I didn't know. 

+1 on top of water.  The files I use have anti-weed things on them too.  Like this: http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=12a7

One modification that the previous owner made was to add a bilge pump in the bottom of it.  I'll have to take a pic this weekend- it's a really cool idea.  I have read all of the pages in this post and think there are a bunch of great mod ideas.  I have the mod bug (I also have a mustang that I mod, so this isn't a big stretch for me...lol)

I just bought the 8' electric model yesterday, and I have a couple questions. 1) Is there any way to use an anchor with it? The 2 handles don't appear strong enough. 2) Can the standard seat be replaced with a different padded seat? 3) Is anyone able to post a pic of a dolly/cart that works with the Bass Raider? Thanks very much.

Take a look at this for cart ideas.....

 

http://youtu.be/LjlK1IshnUc

Hey guys I was cleaning my sportsman out today and I could hear water slushing inside of it. Is that normal?

I took my Bass Raider out for the first time today.  I Love It!  Everything went perfect, except for the fishing.  I caught a 14 incher on my third cast and that was it,  I'll try again next week.

 

P.S. What are warning points?

Hey guys I was cleaning my sportsman out today and I could hear water slushing inside of it. Is that normal?

not sure if it's normal cause I have had mine for over a year and haven't had that issue but there is a drain plug on the front of the Sun Dolphin Sportsman if that is the one you have - you can pull that out and stand it on end - it should drain pretty quick.

Thanks Bomber7

Hi, here are some simple improvements I've made. Just

Bought this boat a few weeks ago at dicks for like $550.. Well I guess when I figure out how to attach photos from my iphone. Keeps saying file to big. I built a floor and a box in the middle that holds everything so your floor is all clean for you to fish. Also built a cart. Gonna build oar holders next week, and a casting deck. Any help with the pics would be great. Thanks

I just got my Bass Raider and tried it for the first time on a small reservoir/lake.  I read the first 30 pages of this forum so far but plan on finishing it.  I will try to cover what a lot of people are probably wondering about this boat including what I was curious about before I bought it.

 

My experience with boating goes as this.  My dad used to have a ~18 foot Kenner with an 88hp outboard that we used to take to the bay a lot.  My brother and I own a 14' john boat that we decked and carpeted into a bass john with a 15hp motor.  I've owned 3 different kayaks one of which we mounted a 30lb thrust trolling motor to.  We also own a canoe.

 

I chose the eight foot model Raider as it fits perfectly in the back of my f-250 with the tale gate shut.  This thing rides great in the back of the truck and even had room on the side of it for coolers, battery, trolling motor and tackle.  I think it's 4' wide.  I set my trolling motor on some floating vests to hold them down and prevent the motor from bouncing directly on the bed of the truck.  I laced rope like a shoelace on my bed over everything but it was almost unnecessary as nothing bounced or shifted at all.  I tied the seats to the boat at the front of the bed.

 

I weigh 160 lbs and have a twin brother.  We both fit and rode perfectly on the boat with plenty of space to swivel around and even stand up in front of our chairs.  The boat was extremely stable until later in the trip when wind picked up.  It was a little scary for a second but the boat didn't rock much at all, it just sort of blew in the wind. 

 

I chose a 50 lb Minn Kota trolling motor.  It had quite a bit of power.  We mounted it to the back transom of the boat as I don't have a rudder yet but it worked really well.  This thing spins like a fork lift, really nice.  We were chopping through lily pads and moss all day long and only got stuck in serious moss once which we used a paddle to clear it off the motor.  We also got stuck on a submerged stump once but were able to get off of it after a good while of rocking and shifting our position and revving the trolling motor in reverse.

 

My very first cast in the lake I caught a 3lb 7ounce bass which my brother netted.  Someone else on a similar boat as ours was nice enough to give us a bass he caught as well.  He said he got his boat from someone for only 50 bucks! and gave us some good pointer on the lake.

 

The battery lasted the whole trip approx. 7.5 hours though half the time we were drifting or anchored.  I got the battery for 80 bucks.  My battery box has a battery level indicator on it and a breaker.  Cost almost as much as the battery but it's nice to have.  Next time we go out we'll take two batteries.

 

I highly recommend these little boats and it is more than ample in size for two average size guys imo.  The ten footer might be nice but I like how light and convenient the eight footer is not to mention my shut bed.  If I had a bed cover you wouldn't even know I had a boat on me which would be nice for making stops at the store on the way to the fishing hole.

 

At first I thought the seat brackets were ugly and I preferred a center shaft but the side shafts are nice because you can fit medium sized coolers and tackle under them.

 

I will probably build a deck in the boat but may not as it will add to the weight.  if I do I will probably only build it out to the ridges around the inside of the standing area so that the outer compartments will remain.  The only small downside is that with compartment you need a fire extinguisher but that's not a huge deal. 

 

 

 

 

Sorta figured it out. Email these

To myself and downloaded them as under 150kb

Here is a quick pic of my 10e bass raider set up! Had a good day in North Texas until the rain hit. I absolutely love these boats. Thinking about putting carpet down, and adding a ruddder. Does a rudder make that big of a difference? Also does anyone know any ifnormation about any tourneys using these boats? Thanks guys!

Wormz, that carpet rocks!  Where'd you get it?

Does anyone have advice for a new battery for a min kota 40lb thrust trolling motor?  I need a new one.  I'd like it to last a long time.  I know I need a marine deep cycle battery, but don't know what other options there are.

From what I've seen, most people recommend using two batteries.  With a 40lb thrust motor your battery should last a pretty long time though.  My brother has a 30lb thrust motor and the battery powers it all day long.  My 50lb motor ran on one battery for 7.5 hours off and on.  Just get the biggest battery you can afford.

Howdy, new here and this awesome thread is the reason I am here

 

new pelican 10E, still in shipping wrap!

 

my first question is about trolling motors - features ..

( I will get a 50 +/- 5 lbs depending on whats available in Minn Kota at the local stores)

 

these features:

more money : folding handles
a bit more money : variable speed
basic:  fixed-multi speeds

 

What have you guys found that was really the best for you ?
Any regrets ?

I'll start Transom mount, and then move to bow mount.
Am 6' 4" tall , will that mean something when it comes to reaching for handles/steering ?

thanks very much for any advice.

The only regret I had was buying a smaller trolling motor in the beginning. I have a minn kota 55 now and I really like the extra speed I get. Being 6-4 You probably wont have any trouble reaching the motor, if you do you can buy an extension.

thanks, went with the 55 variable speed. Hope to get it wet this weekend

Rudder time...

 

on hand, I have a nice piece of Aluminum, perfect thickness.  But only 8-7/8" square.

 

Would that be large enough ?

 

 

And here is what I am going to try...

 

I cannibalized an old trolling motor. Has a Plastic mount.  Removed the head and motor.

Drilled 4 holes to mount a rudder plate.

 

Not sure if the shaft can be tightened enough - do you think the rudder will move left/right under normal use ?

 

thanks for your thoughts

Timbertoes, this is what I did and used - piece of metal from an old road sign, mounted it to a steal pipe I got at Lowe's, got the MK TM bracket off e-bay ($30) - it works great, I just tighten the screw down real tight and it doesn't move.  Hope this helps. 

Well, I got a really good deal on the 40lb motor, and it seems ample enough for now.  I'm sure it's not the last motor I'll buy. Thanks for the battery advice.  I'm going to pick one up this weekend.