Adding weight to bow of boat

Ok guys, torn between buying a new boat or doing some work to mine... I'm looking to weigh down the bow of my boat while rigging, but want to be able to offload the weight to get back on plane, so no easy solutions for me.... I know some of the hardcore tournament guys pump their rigs full of water, but that's not the route I would ideally like to go. Other than lead or sand bags, anybody have any good ideas on adding weight with water that doesn't require flooding my boat? I've looked at the wakeboard ballast bags, but not real sure how easy they are to empty.

The reason it needs to be removable is to get the boat on plane. I just moved all batteries to rear of boat, and that helped it out a good bit, but adding more weight to the front will put me right back where I was before. Maybe I need to just move all batteries to the front and spring for a 150

How bout a plastic tank plumbed with a pump


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What's the purpose of weighting down the front of the boat?

can't you trim motor to light front of boat while getting on plane

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Originally Posted by FurFlyin

What's the purpose of weighting down the front of the boat?

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Cut down on bounce when fishing in high winds


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Originally Posted by Bassing_53

can't you trim motor to light front of boat while getting on plane

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20ft boat with a 115, almost underpowered.


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Most boats plane out a little better with some weight up front. Helps them lay down quicker.

My 190 tracker planes out fine with 150# of sand on the bow and my batteries in center of boat. 90hp. But the 150 wasn’t near enough weight to hold that tracker down. I tried strapping down my 150qt cooler in place of my boat seats and rigging off of it but the butt and back didn’t care much for that. 150qt of water would weigh over 300lbs if you don’t mind mounting some seats to a nice cooler. Only tested that one Time but I believe not being able to put my legs and feet back under me would wear on a feller too??? Never no though.

I used to have a 20' Stratos with a 225 hp outboard. I also wanted more weight in the front. I ended up putting a container in the foremost compartment with about 200lbs of logging chain. I had plenty of power with the 225 so getting on plane wasn't an issue.


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I may just need to get some cup added to my prop, I just can’t get the bow up in the air, and then add sand or lead so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Torch, may holler at ya this week and check out that prop you got


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kinda like that old saying "no replacement for displacement". sounds like you would be a lot happier off with a glass boat. A glass bay boat may just be exactly what you're looking for bc I know you like the lay out of that xpress.

Mo I still got that Basscat hull, if you gonna buy a motor put it on glass and get rid of the tin. I know a nice SeaArk is too

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Mo....did you ever get your jack plate and motor set right ? That may be your problem.

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Originally Posted by MO' MONEY

Cut down on bounce when fishing in high winds


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I have still got rod bounce in my 20.5' glass boat. Its not a Ranger but it's a 3400lb rig plus all the other stuff and my big butt.
Keep it simple seems to come to mind in this situation...

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https://www.wakemakers.com/wakeboard-ballast-bags

Ballast bags work great. They fold up for easy storage when not in use.

Get a real Ballast Bag. Like this one then move her to the back to get on plane.

Attachment 284711

Would trim tabs help?

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Originally Posted by wilbur

Get a real Ballast Bag. Like this one then move her to the back to get on plane.

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Attachment 284715

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Going to need more than a 115 with her aboard. :yikes

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Originally Posted by kycreek

Going to need more than a 115 with her aboard. :yikes

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and a lot Trim tabs too !!!!:Rofl:Rofl:Rofl:Rofl
that's a lot of trimming best to push it back over in the water !!!!:Rofl:Rofl:Rofl:Rofl

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Originally Posted by "G"

Mo....did you ever get your jack plate and motor set right ? That may be your problem.

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I finally got weight distributed, then got water in my fuel, ran all that out and dinged my prop bad so now I lost all my lift, but gained 2+ mph with weight move... can’t win for losing. But yes, I moved motor all the way down on the jack plate and seems to be pushing it a lot better.


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Originally Posted by SeaRay

Would trim tabs help?

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Probably, but if I’m going to add something like that, I would probably spring for the bigger motor first. The boat fishes well except when I get in borderline high winds.

Guess I need to be content, it’s not going to fish like a 21ft Ranger. But for price and my setup, it fishes dang good. My wife keeps asking why i want a new boat when i catch fish out of mine, she’s starting to make sense [emoji15]


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Originally Posted by MO' MONEY

Probably, but if I’m going to add something like that, I would probably spring for the bigger motor first. The boat fishes well except when I get in borderline high winds.

Guess I need to be content, it’s not going to fish like a 21ft Ranger. But for price and my setup, it fishes dang good. My wife keeps asking why i want a new boat when i catch fish out of mine, she’s starting to make sense [emoji15]


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150 makes more sense to me. Gotta add hydraulic steering if you do tho.


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that Suzuki 140 ain't no bad choice of a motor either and would run real good on that boat !!!!my:twocents

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Originally Posted by MO' MONEY

Probably, but if I’m going to add something like that, I would probably spring for the bigger motor first. The boat fishes well except when I get in borderline high winds.

Guess I need to be content, it’s not going to fish like a 21ft Ranger. But for price and my setup, it fishes dang good. My wife keeps asking why i want a new boat when i catch fish out of mine, she’s starting to make sense [emoji15]


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This is very scary, wife making sense, who ever heard of such.

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Originally Posted by strmwalker

that Suzuki 140 ain't no bad choice of a motor either and would run real good on that boat !!!!my:twocents

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Nah Im 1mph slower than Doug from Kentucky with a 115. Except I have the special BRM tune up.

Try this https://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-...SABEgLBe_D_BwE

Pump water into bladder when you need weight empty it when your done

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Originally Posted by wilbur

Nah Im 1mph slower than Doug from Kentucky with a 115. Except I have the special BRM tune up.

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Wilbur, you are just special period! Lol

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Take $300 and send your prop to someone that knows what they are doing and explain exactly what you need. When they get finished and send the prop and $100-$150 back, put in the envelope with a thank you note and mail it to me.

Wannabe...


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I didn't hear mention of an anchor!


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Originally Posted by wilbur

Nah Im 1mph slower than Doug from Kentucky with a 115. Except I have the special BRM tune up.

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is that running the boats with no gear in them ??? or you have your boat loaded and Doug has his boat loaded with all the gear and stuff he carries ?????
same loads ???

Well you can beef the front end up however you like (getting a Wilbur ballast, umbrella, sun protector, anchor etc.) aboard, but it may present seating capacity problems. I don't think there is a perfect fishing boat out there that will completely eliminate pole bounce on the front deck, if there is please let me know, I'm in the market for it and all ears or should I say eyes are on here.. think we have and always will suffer from the "there has always got to be something better" complex. It has served mankind well so far, not sure if the torch will be carried very far with the Millennial's though :Rofl

Find a 300lb fishing partner?

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Originally Posted by strmwalker

is that running the boats with no gear in them ??? or you have your boat loaded and Doug has his boat loaded with all the gear and stuff he carries ?????
same loads ???

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3 people in mine and all the gear. Of course Dougs is a little heavier with them 3 cart batteries.

Live wells up front full of water really make a huge difference. We also move our yeti cooler up front on rough days for additional weight. Sorry for sideways picture, not sure how to flip it.

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Originally Posted by Wannabe...

Take $300 and send your prop to someone that knows what they are doing and explain exactly what you need. When they get finished and send the prop and $100-$150 back, put in the envelope with a thank you note and mail it to me.

Wannabe...


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This is dead on, I was having same problem then I dinged my prop real good told the prop guy some issues I was having getting on plane he suggested a totally different prop and it worked just fine, lost a little mph but I wasn't concerned about speed.