Thread: Rigging the Ranger

Another member and I were discussing a rod holder issue tonight and he suggested that I create a thread to document setting up my boat that may potentially help other members embarking on a similar venture.

Several west KY guys know that we’ve been looking at different boats for about a year and a half or so. My wife wanted a boat that was more stable in choppy KY Lake waters than our Triton aluminum, one with carpet or lighter color interior than our camo boat and a built in boarding ladder. We looked at several possible types of boats but she found a used Ranger 619VS walleye boat for sale locally on the internet. We made the drive over, took a test ride in 1.5’ Barkley slop and could immediately tell this was the boat for us. It’s a 2006 that needed some love and we felt we were up for the job at hand.



Immediate needs on our to-do list to make this a crappie trolling machine:
•upgrade the 24v TM to a 36v system
•swap out existing Lowrance units to our HB graphs
•come up with a rod holder system that fits our style of trolling
•other issues as they arise


While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Maxxum on the boat, she had to go. First call of this project was made to Brian at BBG Marine and I ordered his last MinnKota factory reconditioned 36v 60” 112lb Terrova with iPilot. I didn’t want the US2, but was stuck with it as an option. Within three days, the UPS man was at my door with the 80lb box. When I inboxed it, I immediately noticed how much more robust the 112 is compared to the 80 on the old boat. Also the new Bluetooth iPilot remote seems much larger-review to follow on that.

To mount the TM on this boat I wanted a removable mounting bracket that I can also slide back when launching on steep ramps. We all know that the design of the Terrova and Ulterra require the TM base to extend past the bow in order for the shaft to deploy. Many reports on walleye forums speak to knocking the TM on the trailer when launching on steep ramps with this boat. MinnKota discontinued the great MKA-47 bracket and I wasn’t paying $250 for one from France. Enter the R&R trolling motor bracket made in Texas. They manufacture them for Skeeter to be sold as an option on their line of fiberglass walleye boats. It allows a good 6” of rearward travel and the plate is SOLID. Machined out of aluminum, this thing is clearly made to last the life of the boat and then some.


This thread will continue to grow as I get more parts in and time to work on our new ride.