New Member with New boat to me!!

[BassMaster_17]

Been a bass fisherman my whole life this is my 6th boat but my first with over 10hp Motor (fished mainly small lakes and ponds). Its not much but its nice but needing some work here and there Already got most the carpet repalced. I need to do the floor carpet yet but i wanted to wait untill i got my leak found and fix as i didnt want to flood it right away......LOL. The leak is found and fixed now( was livewell outlets). The Front deck will be extended back to the console also. The Merc is a 92 model and runs like a top. Just wish the boat was a 16 footer so i could fish some tourneys, but it will alow me to get some experience and be a another stepping stone to a bigger boat. For now i am Happy. Just wish it had some space for a Rod Locker .


When i Brought her home.



After a Wash, Wax and some new carpet (went with grey & Black for some contrast). Looking at some grey and black seats also. LMKWYT






Thanx in advance for the looks and comments!!!

More pix if ya want to look http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v2...oat%20Project/

[Jim80]

welcome to the boards man theres a lot of great guys here

[WTL]

If thats not 16', its not off by much. I have a lame question, but if you added a pole to the front or back would you be able to claim it as being 16'? You know, like adding a radio antenna to a skyscraper and claiming the skyscraper's height as the top of the antenna.

Besides, going to big means more gas money. Looks like you have a good deal going.

[BassMaster_17]

Originally Posted by WTL

If thats not 16', its not off by much. I have a lame question, but if you added a pole to the front or back would you be able to claim it as being 16'? You know, like adding a radio antenna to a skyscraper and claiming the skyscraper's height as the top of the antenna.

Besides, going to big means more gas money. Looks like you have a good deal going.

I dont know 4 sure... Looking into adding a jackplate to see if that will count then or if its tip of the bow to the furthermost point of the transom. There is probably someone here with alot more knowledge than i have on it. The boat is titled as a 15' 4" boat.

[WTL]

Or hell, move the TM up 3 inches, then add a poling platform that goes over the outboard. They would have to count a poling platform.

[skeeterman]

Welcome aboard i have the same exact boat they are very nice boats here is a pic of mine

[zooker]

hahaha welcome to the short bass boat club.. only tourny's i ever heard of with a boat lenth limit was bfl,flw,or pro series tourny's.. wild cat tourny's here pretty much state "sea worthy craft" with livewell.. i have a 15'11'' stratos packin a hammer.

see below



the thing i have found you can do with a short boat that a bigger boat can not is fish the uncharted areas of the lakes and the low pressure locations..

i fish rather large lakes all though i do avoid the 100,000 acre jobs-norman,bugs island- i do run 10+ miles to the first spot at times..

only a hand full of times has the water been rough enough to stop me fishing.. one thing you did not mention is troller thrust pounds.. these lil guys sit higher in the water than many larger boats there for i recomend a 50+ pound thrust 12 volt troller..i have been messin with my stratos for 6 years..

zooker

[BassMaster_17]

Originally Posted by zooker

one thing you did not mention is troller thrust pounds.. these lil guys sit higher in the water than many larger boats there for i recomend a 50+ pound thrust 12 volt troller..i have been messin with my stratos for 6 years.. zooker

Thanx for the welcome!!!!! I also have a 17ft Grumman Outlaw sx That was stripped of everthing when i got it except for the console and steering wheel, & to top it off the previous owner cut out the transom to fit a small motor (got it for $650 though pretty cheap for a 17 ft boat heck a 10ft john costs u that without a trailer). In a way it worked out ok as i had a 10hp Johnson to put on it so i could definatly get back to the dock (as we have alot of no wake lakes around here that are great fishing so not alot was needed) if i had electrical problems or drained the batts.

The skeeter was bought for the motor to put on the Grumman after i rebuilt it, but the skeeter is nicer than i though it was so for now it will be my main boat at least for this summer anyway. On the gruman i have a 24v Minnkota All Terrain 70lb thrust with a 48 in shaft, so that will get put on the Skeeter. along with my other electronics.

Which leads me to another question will the existing wiring in the Skeeter be enough for the 24v system?? As running new wires is gonna be a pain in my ARSE. I am hoping i can just wire a plug on my 24v and use what exisits but someone on the boards should know more abt that than i do. LMK please.

Btw B.A.S.S requires a 16ft boat dont they?? Even on the club and federation side? I am sure they do, but have been known to be wrong b4.........LOL

[BassMaster_17]

Originally Posted by skeeterman

welcome aboard i have the same exact boat they are very nice boats here is a pic of mine

sweet boat!!!!!!

[skeeterman]

Thanks im having some engine problems.Hopefully in the end everything will work itself out so i can really enjoy it.

[1FASTLASER]

As stated the only tourneys that I know of are the ones with the big money. If you are trying to fish others I would contest it highly. THAT boat is marketed as a 16ft boat and should fit there rules. Doble check if they are persisitent and measure the way they want to. READ the rules is what I am saying.

On a side note if they have left out the way it needs to be measured and they are still saying it's under 16 holler at me. There are a couple of things you can do not only to lengthen the boat but as well enhance performance. I LOVE those style mercs. Some serious horsepower can be gained and VEY little work and money to do so. Those 60,70,80.90 models engines like you have are GREAT and with the modifications I am talking about start pushing there boats fast enough that a 150 catches h@@@ trying to outrun ya.

Gues I should tell ya thats one of the reasons I am running a V4 OMC. Once I get the performance of these V4 up to the point they can run with the big boys and not becoming a ticking time bomb I am gonna post up a LONNNNNGGGG list of things you can do to the Merc's OMC's and of course the Hammer's as well. Nothing in my book makes me smile more than when I am running across the lake and outrun a 150 or 200 and later on here at the ramp

"Man this lil bote eat my lunch and he was only running a 90"

BasMaster if ya can scan the ruling on the length issue and we can go from there.

[zooker]

6 man federation tourny's only state you must have insurance on the boat and it must be sea worthy...one of the guys that fished the same 6 man federation tourny as i did fished from a lil 15'6'' hydra stream. he was part of the rowan county bass club..

zooker

[BassMaster_17]

Cool, i have info coming in the mail to get the specifics, i dont want to fish the boat on huge waters just B.A.S.S club tourneys and some opens. Btw got the floor carpet in last eve and working on the trolling motor today.

[joecnc2006]

Heres mine...

http://www.bassfishin.com/bassfishin...ad.php?t=15662



Joe

[Carpetman]

Wiring? What gauge wire is in the boat?
If we didn't like the wire size, around our shop, we'd try this: We'd attempt to use the old power wire as a snake for the new wire: Attach the new wire for at least a foot with tape, grease the tape and use the old wire to pull the new wire to the bow.
NOTE: We normally do not replace the ground wire unless it's really thin. The power runs in the power wire. We would also replace any of the circuit breakers on the power side. Most 24's call for at least a 40 AMP but see what the motor mfgr. calls for and use that AMP.

[WTL]

Welcome to the site Carpetman, and stick around and make yourself at home. You are already throwing out good information.