Meangreencj7

[meangreencj7]

Meangreencj7

I just happen to notice that I never introduced my self properly on here, so here goes.

I try to fish at least once a week from April to November and I take two to three week long trips per year, doesn't mater what. I fish for Bass, Walleye, Perch, salmon, Northerns, etc.... pretty much anything I can catch, but mainly the first 4.

I fish Ontario, Erie, Conesus, Pymatuning, Chautauqua, and  Canandaigua. are the main lakes that I fish.

I Troll, Cast, Drift, and poke around docks. 

I have owned 7 different boats (hopfully I am on my last, Probably not :-)) Boston Whaler, 2 grumans, Imperial, bass tracker, starcraft, and then a Polar Kraft. I know the ins and outs of most of these because The first 6 were torn down and rebuilt at some time That I owned them. (the Polar Kraft was new when I bought it, (of course that dosen't mean I haven't taken it apart...at least a little) 

The Polar Kraft that I own now is a 2015 frontier 179 WT, it has a 115 yamaha 4 stroke motor (best motor I have had by far), a 9.8 tohatsu 4 stroke kicker and a minn kota ulterra 24 volt (best trolling motor I have ever had). the boat is 17 ft 11 in long and 99 in wide. I have done a lot of mods on it already and have more planned as I go. It has a lorance chirp 7, a hummingbird helix 7, and a fish hawk x4 for electronics. I have built all of my own mounts for my rod holders, downriggers, and accessories that mount to the rail system that is on the boat (saved myself at least a $1000 doing it all my self). 

I am always looking for new places to fish and new people to talk to, That's why I like getting on to the LEU and the LOU web sites, to see what everyone else is doing. And if i can't get out, I can vicariously live through your stories and trips, and maybe learn a few things along the way.

 

[BlueEye]

59 minutes ago, meangreencj7 said:

I have built all of my own mounts for my rod holders, downriggers, and accessories that mount to the rail system that is on the boat (saved myself at least a $1000 doing it all my self).

I bet you saved a lot more than $1000 doing this yourself. 

What was your favorite boat of the 7 you have owned?  I own a Starcraft Superfisherman 18' myself. 

[meangreencj7]

The Polar Kraft is my favorite, The starcraft I owned was a 170 superfisherman, it was a little too narrow. I would love another Boston Whaler but I don't have that kind of cash just laying around. (50k+ for one like mine)

Here a a few pics of what I did as far as the mounts, Down rigger, rod holder tracks, cross over brace for trolling, and the bumper holders. I have a few more but no pics yet.(anntena mount, and trolling motor stablizer for trailering)  

 

[Nalod]

Absolutely awesome!  I enjoy my "boat tinkering time" and have been thinking of getting into some aluminum work for some new bases/rod holders on my boat.  Yours look great!  Do you mind me asking where you get your materials from?  It is not something the big box stores carry.

Thanks for sharing!

--Joe

[meangreencj7]

Ebay, Its 1/2" thick by 6" wide for the down rigger bracket, and 1/2" thick by 2" for the rod holder track. I use my tablesaw to cut it all. just need a special saw blade ( TENRYU AC-25560DN 10" Carbide Tipped Saw Blade ) is the one I use, cuts like nothing. also u will want to make a cross cut sled to do it. Its a easy thing to do.

[BlueEye]

Wow - that is really impressive! 

[meangreencj7]

a few more of the mods I have done,

The first one is adding shelves to the underside of the console (do not know why the manufacuter didn't) I also added a  cargo net afterwards and that's were all of the life vest go, easy access, and they stay dry.

The next two are a drain for the hatch plates, keep getting the items in my compartments wet. my starcraft had something simular but it had to be at least 1/4 inch of water before it would drain. 

The next one is may favorte mod, my smooth move seats, my back used to hurt everytime I would go out in anything above 1-2 foot waves, now 4fters aren't a problem

then my side doors would slam on me while fishing in rough water, now they don't

Next is my trolling motor mount, I did not like the way it jumped around while we were under way in waves or the way it bounced during trailering, now it dosen't

wife and daughter like it ride on the tube but don't like to get splashed by the tow rope, so I got a kit for a ski pole, works great, with some modifications ;-)

next one is my mounting block for the transducers (there is acually three on there now)

the last four are of my kicker mount, I needed another inch on the side of the transom so it was not touching the deck so i added a block of starboard to the top rail, and since I take the motor off when bass fishing, I made some stainless plates on the front and back of the transom to keep from scratching up the boat.

I am still in the process of doing a few more mods and improvements to my boat, always tinkering during the winter months but it is almost there as far as what i want (until the next new thing comes out)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2017 by meangreencj7

[BlueEye]

Very cool stuff

[Nalod]

I really like that bow trolling motor mount.  I have had a few friends have their trolling motor deploy on them while on plane which caused some big (and expensive) damage to the trolling motor...looks like that would keep it locked down no problem!

--Joe

[meangreencj7]

I built it because I was told that the gps unit is in the head and its not good for it to bounce around to much, never heard of one deploying while moving.......ouch!  I have forgot to unlock it from the motor once or twice and it will not deploy at all ( once I was sure that the battery in my remote was dead) Keep hitting the depoly button and my buddy goes why is it making that noise? what nosie? OH S@#% !!!!

[J. Sparrow]

x2 on the electric trolling motor mount..... when trailering, I usually transport the motor in the back of the truck, and then install it just prior to launch.