Project "Livin Large" (update July 19 - rocket launchers!)

[BaitCaster]

Nice ride bait caster! I once had the same boat with the trolling mtr mounted on the bow like yours except i bought some thick metal angles from home depot that i put side by side and a 2x4 behind for gapping.never let me down, yours is really nice! now you need a stereo maybe for while your cruising to the sweet spot at full throttle. I forgot i wanted to ask about that reward sticker on transom whats the deal with that looks like its from bass.

Thanks. I'm planning on adding some reinforcement to the trolling motor mount this week. I'll post up some pics.

Yes, the reward sticker is from B.A.S.S.

 

[pajam]

Nice ride bait caster! I once had the same boat with the trolling mtr mounted on the bow like yours except i bought some thick metal angles from home depot that i put side by side and a 2x4 behind for gapping.never let me down, yours is really nice! now you need a stereo maybe for while your cruising to the sweet spot at full throttle. I forgot i wanted to ask about that reward sticker on transom whats the deal with that looks like its from bass.

Thanks. I'm planning on adding some reinforcement to the trolling motor mount this week. I'll post up some pics.

Yes, the reward sticker is from B.A.S.S.

I dont understand why and whats the reward about is it real?

 

[94silverbeast]

where did you get that lid for the bow of your boat and how much do they run?

 

[BaitCaster]

Nice ride bait caster! I once had the same boat with the trolling mtr mounted on the bow like yours except i bought some thick metal angles from home depot that i put side by side and a 2x4 behind for gapping.never let me down, yours is really nice! now you need a stereo maybe for while your cruising to the sweet spot at full throttle. I forgot i wanted to ask about that reward sticker on transom whats the deal with that looks like its from bass.

Thanks. I'm planning on adding some reinforcement to the trolling motor mount this week. I'll post up some pics.

Yes, the reward sticker is from B.A.S.S.

I dont understand why and whats the reward about is it real?

If you are a mmber of B.A.S.S. you get a sticker for your boat that says B.A.S.S. will offer a $1,000 reward for information on anyone who steals your boat. So the sticker is a warning to any would-be theif that a reward will be offered for someone to turn him in. It is real.

 

[BaitCaster]

where did you get that lid for the bow of your boat and how much do they run?

It's a "Jim Black" hatch and I got it for $50 at Great Lakes Skipper - https://greatlakesskipper.com/category-1/22_23-hatches-port-windows-deck-hatches.html

I'm really pleased with it. I plan to install another one in my rear bench seat one of these days.

 

[BaitCaster]

Some new pics on the water.

 

[BaitCaster]

I re-did my trolling motor mount on the bow. The reinforcement worked and she is now as solid as a rock - no play whatsoever.

 

[BaitCaster]

So, I now have bilge pump, switch panel and livewell aerator pump sitting in the garage waiting to be installed. I picked up some wiring from Paul down at Klause Marine but also had to order some further wiring.

I'm not going to have any time this weekend (house guests all weekend for Thanksgiving), but I am hoping to get some time before the end of October to complete the install. Otherwise, I may be waiting until spring, which is fine.

I also got a small 12v battery from Cabelas which I will eventually be using as a dedicated power source for the fish finder I am hoping to get for Christmas! It's a great little battery that has received rave reviews on the Cabela's website. Hooked it up to the aerator last night in the kitchen sink and both units worked like a charm. I'm thinking I should also get a timer for it.

Here are some pics of the switch panel, batt., aerator :

 

[franner11]

sweet setup!

 

[BaitCaster]

sweet setup!

Thanks and welcome to the forum. Have you modded your Tracker at all?

 

[SaltyBuckster]

Great boat.Very nicely done.I've just gotten a 16 foot flat bottom and it will pretty much look like yours.When you put the rubber on the floor inbetween the ribs,did you have to add anything to raise it up?

 

[BaitCaster]

Great boat.Very nicely done.I've just gotten a 16 foot flat bottom and it will pretty much look like yours.When you put the rubber on the floor inbetween the ribs,did you have to add anything to raise it up?

Thanks. No I didn't put anything under the rubber. I just put the tiles together and cut them to size.

 

[franner11]

sweet setup!

Thanks and welcome to the forum. Have you modded your Tracker at all?

Not much at all, except to add a couple seats, put down some rubber carpet, installed a fish finder, and a few necessities like rod holders & cleats.
Not sure if I'm gonna mod much at all for now. Will probably take it slow, but man there are some awesome possibilities and great inspiration on this site!
I'd like to graduate to an outboard, but I want to get the basics completed first, fish for a few months (or longer) and see if it's in my budget.

 

[BaitCaster]

The stars aligned this weekend and I managed to steal a couple of hours to install an aerator in my livewell.



The first step was to remove the lid by drilling out the existing rivets. I didn't know what I was going to see once I got the lid off so I also removed the through-hull drain fitting at the bottom of the well thinking I may need to remove the whole tank.

Once the lid was removed I was pleasantly suprised to see that I was not going to have to remove the tank or drill any more holes to wire the aerator unit. It was also apparent that I didn't need to remove the through-hull fitting.







I used my Dremel tool to cut a small notch at the top of the tank for the wire. After a few tries I was able to fish the wire down the side of the tank and out from under the bench seat through the floor chine.







I then ran some 10 gauge wire back to the rear storage hatch where the switch panel will be installed - which is the next project. Finally, re-riveted the lid back onto the bench seat. I need to get some touch up paint for the rivets.

 

[Troutman3000]

Nice.

 

[DaveInGA]

Looking good, keep up the good work.

 

[SaltyBuckster]

Everytime that you do something I have to change my mind,lol.I was going to take the center bench out of mine,but now I think that I will leave it and put my livewell inside of it.How many gallons is that livewell?

 

[BaitCaster]

...How many gallons is that livewell?

I have no idea!

 

[tccanoe]

Hay BaitCaster. Nice job. Great one-off. I've got my trolling motor set up much like yours. I like the hand control over the foot. You can hit it with your foot, knee, hand, rod butt, ear, or anything handy and you'r not standing on one leg all day. What I did was add a Big Foot switch in line. That way as long as the motor is pointing in the general direction you want, you can just tap the switch with your foot to keep moving. Best of both worlds. They run about 12bucks and last for yrs. Keeps up the good work and the good posts.

 

[BaitCaster]

Hay BaitCaster. Nice job. Great one-off. I've got my trolling motor set up much like yours. I like the hand control over the foot. You can hit it with your foot, knee, hand, rod butt, ear, or anything handy and you'r not standing on one leg all day. What I did was add a Big Foot switch in line. That way as long as the motor is pointing in the general direction you want, you can just tap the switch with your foot to keep moving. Best of both worlds. They run about 12bucks and last for yrs. Keeps up the good work and the good posts.

Thanks for that, I also prefer hand controlled to foot controlled. I think I will add the bigfoot switch for a little more convenience.

Cheers,
C