13 hours ago, Zeppelinthecat said:

So using a bullnose rudder on an active trolling motor wouldn't be enough? You're suggesting build a rudder for the stern would be the best option?

 

Correct.  Without a rudder (or engine) on the back of any boat, when you steer with a bow mounted electric, the back end will swing.  Their is no resistance on the back as the front moves.

 

To get a visual of the difference, take a pen or pencil and lay it down on a hard surface in front of you.  Use your finger to push the pen one way or the other & you will see the back end swing out.  Then to contrast, place a finger against one side of the rear of the pen and use your other hand to push the front of the pen the opposite way.  The front steers while the back stays in place.

8 hours ago, OCdockskipper said:

 

Correct.  Without a rudder (or engine) on the back of any boat, when you steer with a bow mounted electric, the back end will swing.  Their is no resistance on the back as the front moves.

 

To get a visual of the difference, take a pen or pencil and lay it down on a hard surface in front of you.  Use your finger to push the pen one way or the other & you will see the back end swing out.  Then to contrast, place a finger against one side of the rear of the pen and use your other hand to push the front of the pen the opposite way.  The front steers while the back stays in place.

Wow that's actually a super helpful way to think about it.  Thank you! I'm gonna put together a rudder and I'll be posting the results on this thread. 

Here is my set up in transport:

 

So I have been following this thread for a couple of years. I would love to have a Bass Raider. Where I live, a lot of small lakes/ponds where this boat would be perfect. So about a year ago I finally decided to buy one. Only problem I’m having is I can’t seem to find anyone who carries them. Are these boats still made? Or am I just having bad luck at tracking one down? 

As far as I know, they still sell them at Academy.

 

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/pelican-bass-raider-10e-102-pontoon-boat?sku=10-beige-or-khaki

 

They're out of stock in my store.  Do you have one near you?

1 hour ago, gunsinger said:

As far as I know, they still sell them at Academy.

 

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/pelican-bass-raider-10e-102-pontoon-boat?sku=10-beige-or-khaki

 

They're out of stock in my store.  Do you have one near you?

My nearest stores are showing out of stock. But when I say nearest it’s a couple of hrs away. But the website always says out of stock when I check. It’s the same way with Dicks Sporting Goods. Always showing out of stock. 

Nothing on FB Market Place or Craigslist?  I bought and sold the one I had that way.

4 hours ago, Dclagg1 said:

So I have been following this thread for a couple of years. I would love to have a Bass Raider. Where I live, a lot of small lakes/ponds where this boat would be perfect. So about a year ago I finally decided to buy one. Only problem I’m having is I can’t seem to find anyone who carries them. Are these boats still made? Or am I just having bad luck at tracking one down? 

I was looking for my raider for about a year before I finally bought mine brand new at a bass pro shops. Greatest purchase ever, I have a summer house on a private lake that's 350 acres and it zips me all around.

10 minutes ago, gunsinger said:

Nothing on FB Market Place or Craigslist?  I bought and sold the one I had that way.

I tried looking there aswell, one guy was selling his in my area but tried scamming me, i wasn't paying 1200$ when I could go to a store and buy mine for 800$ 

3 hours ago, gunsinger said:

Nothing on FB Market Place or Craigslist?  I bought and sold the one I had that way.

I did look there as well. Nothing was listed in my area. I did have my brother-in-law check his local Academy, which is a few hundred miles away from me. His does have it in stock. So maybe next time we go for a visit, I could pick one up from there. So I guess that answers my original question. Just having bad luck tracking one down in my area. Thanks for the help.

On 5/5/2021 at 6:49 AM, Zeppelinthecat said:

Wow that's actually a super helpful way to think about it.  Thank you! I'm gonna put together a rudder and I'll be posting the results on this thread. 

If you can find an old "roached" trolling motor that is has a functioning mount/bracket, remove the handle, slide the mount/bracket off the shaft and replace the shaft with a wooden paddle.  You'll probably need to shave off some of the paddle handle to get it to fit but it makes an excellent/adjustable keel.  (It's not REALLY a rudder because you won't be steering with it but it will keep your boat tracking straight).

If dicks or academy says online that your local store is out of stock then either go check yourself or call up there and make them physically check.  Online my academy near me always said the bass raider was out of stock, I went up there to buy some tackle one day and boom there it was. 

On 7/9/2021 at 11:25 AM, TriStateBassin106 said:

I was looking for my raider for about a year before I finally bought mine brand new at a bass pro shops. Greatest purchase ever, I have a summer house on a private lake that's 350 acres and it zips me all around.

I tried looking there aswell, one guy was selling his in my area but tried scamming me, i wasn't paying 1200$ when I could go to a store and buy mine for 800$ 

Was reading through and saw you had some delivery delays. How long did it take before you finally got your Raider and was it delivered to your house? 

On 7/19/2021 at 8:36 AM, NoFro904 said:

Was reading through and saw you had some delivery delays. How long did it take before you finally got your Raider and was it delivered to your house? 

Well mine was delivered today by ABF straight into my garage. On the exact date Bass Pro listed when I purchased it. 6 days after purchase. 

 

For anyone that does get the home delivery you will have to contact ABF after you buy it and provide your name and address. They will give you tracking information. 

 

No dents, major scrapes or holes. Really smooth process 

Can't wait to hit the water now 

I bought an old one on Craigslist, and the guy threw in a trolling motor. Looks a little beat up, but it floats, and now I can get on water that I can't get my bassboat on.  Caught some nice pike and bass on my first outing.

There was absolutely no paper trail with it, so I thought I was going to have trouble registering it, but fill out enough forms, and you can register anything.

8 minutes ago, billmac said:

I bought an old one on Craigslist, and the guy threw in a trolling motor. Looks a little beat up, but it floats, and now I can get on water that I can't get my bassboat on.  Caught some nice pike and bass on my first outing.

There was absolutely no paper trail with it, so I thought I was going to have trouble registering it, but fill out enough forms, and you can register anything.

Where are the Serial or ID numbers at on these things? 

On my 10E the lower shell serial is at the rear, up near the seal strip on the right pontoon.  The serial for the upper shell is under the seal strip at the same location.

Yeah, under the seal strip on the back (right I think) pontoon.  Should start with a Z.

That is the HIN.

What are you guy's using to add drain plugs to the back of the raider and what size plug? I see amazon has multiple drain plugs in different sizes. 

What exactly are you using to drill through the plastic?

 

. I tried to search but couldn't see anything specific.  This is my first "boat" so I am nervous about drilling and overall just inexperienced so I would appreciate specifics and links.

Just about any size drain would work.  3/4" or 1". 

I used a hole saw and a battery drill. 

Note that there is about 3/4" gap between the upper and lower at the drain plug location. 

I cut a short length of PVC pipe, slotted it, curled it in to fit in the hole then expanded it so the plug would fit.  Thin gasket top and bottom then tighten against the insert. 

Otherwise you will be pulling on the top and bottom. 

 

Posted this in another thread:

Draining the pontoons.  Carbon arrow shaft and CLEAR hose.

 

19 minutes ago, Rocketvapor said:

I used a hole saw and a battery drill. 

 

Thank you. I had the hardest time figuring out what the actual drill attachment was called. 

Seems pretty simple to do. 

Go slow and you'll get a fairly round hole. 

I used a 3/4 inch 'Spade' bit for the pontoon drain plugs. 

 

31 minutes ago, Rocketvapor said:

Just about any size drain would work.  3/4" or 1". 

I used a hole saw and a battery drill. 

Note that there is about 3/4" gap between the upper and lower at the drain plug location. 

I cut a short length of PVC pipe, slotted it, curled it in to fit in the hole then expanded it so the plug would fit.  Thin gasket top and bottom then tighten against the insert. 

Otherwise you will be pulling on the top and bottom. 

 

Posted this in another thread:

Draining the pontoons.  Carbon arrow shaft and CLEAR hose.

 

Is that the West Marine Brand Navigational light mounted on the back? I have the same exact one on my raider but I lost my piece to tighten the mount and the pole. 

On 7/20/2021 at 12:51 PM, NoFro904 said:

Well mine was delivered today by ABF straight into my garage. On the exact date Bass Pro listed when I purchased it. 6 days after purchase. 

 

For anyone that does get the home delivery you will have to contact ABF after you buy it and provide your name and address. They will give you tracking information. 

 

No dents, major scrapes or holes. Really smooth process 

Can't wait to hit the water now 

Last year I ordered mine from cabelas but after 3 months of waiting they canceled it. This past April a friend from a bass pro that works there reached out and told me they had a few 10ENXTs in stock and I decided to to go for it. Payed 800$ for it. 

Decided to change motors.  Getting one with a REAL reverse.  Flipping the tiller requires me to be way in the back. 

To recap, the shelf is two layers of 3/4" ground contact ply, bolted to an angle bracket at the bottom of the transom plate with 3 through bolts through the ply and 3 through the transom. 

Aluminum stock is bolted to the inside of the upper shell with slotted capture nuts (loaded in shear, not tension).  Raised the mount about an inch and added an aluminum angle to stop the mount from creeping upwards.  Mount clamps are at the top of the original transom.  Added two more diagonal braces.  The wife and I usually run pretty loaded down and the prop gets lots of water even raised an inch or so. Little black arrows show the loading direction (in forward gear).

Does anyone have any chair ideas for the raider? Both my aluminum brackets that hold my seats are starting to bend down and soon won't be able to fit in the roller on the boat. I'm a big guy at 6'1 and 305 and I heard other big guys had this problem in the past but I don't know what they did to fix it. 

Spit balling here,

If you are handy, A 3/4" ply shelf, pop rivet to some tubing along the sides to hold in place and a pedestal.

If the tubes are a little shorter than the factory ones (cut to about 22.5") you can rotate the frame 90 and set it on the bottom for a low position and a high position.

I cut down the tubes on the wife's seat (front) for less wind resistance at speed and so I could see over her shoulders.  Just lift and turn 90 degrees and it's in the rails again.