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Posts: 11
Location: Litchfield, MN | Hey All!
I've been thinking about doing this for quite a while, but now that I've become a full blown musky hunter (even though I have not caught one yet), I AM going to do it! I've got a 1984 Lund Pro Pike 14 tiller that I would like to add some features to. As of right now the boat is pretty bare bones. It has a plywood floor (no casting deck), 3 seats, two rod racks that seem to take up a lot of room and that's pretty much it! What I would like to do is add a casting deck with storage and hopefully a livewell underneath. I would also like to get rid of the rod racks that are currently in there and add some rod lockers. I would like to add a mounting spot for a bow mount and some more storage in the back, too. The big thing here is that I have no storage except for a small 1' x 1' compartment under the driver's seat and lord knows musky anglers need storage!
I'm wondering if any of you have attempted or completed a complete modification of a boat of this size (or possibly even this boat). How did you go about it? Did adding a casting deck make the boat extremely unstable? Is there a way to add more stability to a boat that you've added a casting deck to?
If any of you have done this, know where I could find any information on it, or just plain think I'm an idiot and that I should buy a new boat, your input would be much appreciated! I will hopefully upload some pictures as soon as I remember to take them!
Thanks.
Jeremy
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| First of all - WELCOME! I'll answer one of your questions by saying that if you think it is a better investment to upgrade this boat than buy another one, we'll leave it at that. You know your boat and financial situation, so let's go! EsoxLazer did a really fine job modifying his 16 ft. BassTracker, so I hope you can get some advice from him on the actual 'hows'. Try sending him a PM. One thing he added was a strip of LED lights along the back deck for no-glare night fishing. If you do night fishing I'd recommend his set up.
If it was me, I'd use materials that will last - pressure treated or marine grade plywood with water seal, you only want to do this once. Figure on this taking twice as long and costing twice as much than you anticipate right now, take your time, you'll do great. m |
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Posts: 152
| I have done a couple of boats and the good part is you can set them up the way you want. The bad part is that if you don't have above average woodworking skill and you don't have good stationary power tools, you will probobly waste your money. If you do decide to do it here are a few tips. Use only stainless screws, use contact cement to glue the carpet, make the ribs and framework from western red cedar. Get carpet that hooks won't get stuck in. Concrete form plywood is half the price of marine grade if price is a factor. If you don't have the tools or skill, find someone that does and take him fishing. I would give you a hand, but you live to far away. |
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Posts: 11
Location: Litchfield, MN | Thanks everyone for the tips. Keep them coming if you've got anymore! |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Some things to keep in mind.....
Since your boat is pretty short don't go overboard on casting deck size. A couple of reasons why, 1) the boat will become increasingly topheavy as you add deck, 2) you also need flat surfaces in the 'bottom' of your boat for storing things out of the way such as tackle boxes and lunch. Stowing things low helps stabilize your boat. On my 1st boat I used vertical rod holders and was suprised to find that they did not impede my casting. It was so convienient to switch rods and it utilized my limited space nicely. The boat was a 14 foot tri-hull with about a 5 foot beam. Awesome to fish out of by yourself. A little crowded with 2. Managing your stuff so you won't have trouble landing the big fish is essential. Trip and snag hazzards are bad news when you need to get a big net deployed. Work through it in your mind before starting and make notes. Run them by your fishing friends. It will all pay off. Here's a pic of my little boat. Cute ain't it?
Edited by stephendawg 9/19/2005 9:07 PM
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 Steury tri-hull.jpg (86KB - 246 downloads)
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