Another new project!

Going to start another project soon. We are buying this barge and will make some changes to the setup. We are going to pull the front bench seats off to make more room. Going to add a grill, ladder, fish finder and rod holders. I would like to learn how to night fish for crappie and will use this boat to do it. We will use it as a swim platform during the summer. I'm going to borrow a trailer and pull it to Magnolia to do the changes. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears! We have a slip @ SWAHA on Lake Greeson to store it, so it will be available for crappie camp, if anybody wants to teach me how to night fish.

And I will be selling the last project boat, to help pay for this one. After everything I did to the boat and trailer, I have $500.00 in this project. New 2" hitch,lights, tires and rims, chains on the trailer. Replaced the transom and floors in the boat. Has a 4 1/2 Evinrude, nor sure about the year.

http://www.crappie.com/crappie/arkan...w-project.html

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Originally Posted by Brad Merry

Going to start another project soon. We are buying this barge and will make some changes to the setup. We are going to pull the front bench seats off to make more room. Going to add a grill, ladder, fish finder and rod holders. I would like to learn how to night fish for crappie and will use this boat to do it. We will use it as a swim platform during the summer. I'm going to borrow a trailer and pull it to Magnolia to do the changes. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears! We have a slip @ SWAHA on Lake Greeson to store it, so it will be available for crappie camp, if anybody wants to teach me how to night fish.

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Brad I am in the process of rebuilding my toon also. If I were you I would remove the back bench and the right front then move the left front bench back enough room for a fishing chair in the front corner. Then you could have a fishing chair at each corner and also a couch to relax on. I also use an aluminum 5 1/2 foot side rail tool box to store my rods and lights in. I will post some pictures when I get it back together. Right now all I have is 2 logs and the floor cross members.

Brandy wants to leave all the seats in at the back except the driver's seat. It's broke, so it has to go and is really a waste of space. Here's a shot of her leaving SWAHA for the test drive.

Leave all the rear furniture in the second picture where it's at. Replace the drivers seat. Remove all the front furniture (so you can haul brush) and install 2 front fishing seats a comfortable distance from the front railing. In between the two fishing seats mount a removable (so you can haul brush) big cooler made into a livewell with a removable divider , for friendly competition, and either make or buy rod holders for the front corners and down the sides a little. If you tie up to fish stumps I stole a great idea from a friend on standoffs to keep the toon from swinging into the stumps or back and forth so much. If your interested i could take a picture of the poles and livewell set up and rod holders Papasage taught me to make. Ferdi aka Fred

Sounds like you'll have a nice fishing and fun time rig when your finished. I fished with creekslick on his toon last year and thought it was great! I'd have one but I couldn't chase green heads through woods with it and the wife only allows me to have one boat at a time....lol

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Originally Posted by Ferdi

Leave all the rear furniture in the second picture where it's at. Replace the drivers seat. Remove all the front furniture (so you can haul brush) and install 2 front fishing seats a comfortable distance from the front railing. In between the two fishing seats mount a removable (so you can haul brush) big cooler made into a livewell with a removable divider , for friendly competition, and either make or buy rod holders for the front corners and down the sides a little. If you tie up to fish stumps I stole a great idea from a friend on standoffs to keep the toon from swinging into the stumps or back and forth so much. If your interested i could take a picture of the poles and livewell set up and rod holders Papasage taught me to make. Ferdi aka Fred

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Thanks for the info and some pics would be great. Going to use camp folding chairs on the front and will be adding rod holders as well. With the boat being water locked (no trailer) on Greeson, I won't be able to tie off to any stumps(none there). Anchoring will be my only option. Not sure if I'm going to mount anchors or just throw them.

I may add two of these. One front and one back on the left side. I can't take up too much room or Brandy will start calling it a fishing boat. She agreed to buy a pontoon boat.;):D

Looks like you're eat up with the boat remodeling bug. That should be a great project boat. After nightstalking off Gooch's pontoon, there's no better way to do it...except when the steaks are sizzlin' and the bs is flyin', you tend to not watch your poles quite as much...

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Originally Posted by ceb

Looks like you're eat up with the boat remodeling bug. That should be a great project boat. After nightstalking off Gooch's pontoon, there's no better way to do it...except when the steaks are sizzlin' and the bs is flyin', you tend to not watch your poles quite as much...

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Bar-B-Que grill is the first thing Brandy wants to add.

You asked for advice, so here is mine. I have a 24' Premier with almost identical seating as yours. I have a problem (when I load it down with people) with it listing to the port side. I simply make the heaviest guy sit behind me/captain's chair in a folding chair to help or eliminate the problem. The list makes it hard to steer and hold course.
But, my biggest problem and it sounds like you might run into this too, is it is "MY WIFE'S BOAT". There will be no modifiing for fishing. I used it to place some brush with Nimrod a couple of years ago and placed some condos in Ouachita. My sins were explained for some time after. You have probably heard me cry about my fishing boat becoming a storage bin;...that is different.
We do have plans for some re-upholstering and a new bimini for this summer. We love to cruise the river to sand bars for an afternoon of grilling and swimming.
DP

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Originally Posted by DRPEPPER

You asked for advice, so here is mine. I have a 24' Premier with almost identical seating as yours. I have a problem (when I load it down with people) with it listing to the port side. I simply make the heaviest guy sit behind me/captain's chair in a folding chair to help or eliminate the problem. The list makes it hard to steer and hold course.
But, my biggest problem and it sounds like you might run into this too, is it is "MY WIFE'S BOAT". There will be no modifiing for fishing. I used it to place some brush with Nimrod a couple of years ago and placed some condos in Ouachita. My sins were explained for some time after. You have probably heard me cry about my fishing boat becoming a storage bin;...that is different.
We do have plans for some re-upholstering and a new bimini for this summer. We love to cruise the river to sand bars for an afternoon of grilling and swimming.
DP

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DP, I don't know if you need frame and cover but this guy's price is hard to beat.
eBay Motors: Pontoon Boat Bimini Top 8' x 10'!! (item 220355312143 end time Feb-09-09 13:10:18 PST)

You're gonna really enjoy your rig when you are finished.

My wife Virginia and I bought a 21' Sweetwater (fishing edition) that has fishing chairs in all four corners, electric anchors fore and aft, two live wells, the grill and a removable 8'X8'X7' enclosure-complete with a Lil'Buddy propane heater--for those really cold winter crappie days and nights.

We just love the boat. Even though it is a handful on windy days, that's okay. I'll just stay home. But when I DO go, I have plenty of room and can fish comfortably.

One thing I would do differently if I had it to do over again: I would not go with the electric anchors. They are incredibly noisy!! The letdown pullys you are installing are more the ticket. I expect I'll be selling the deck hands if I can't quieten them down some. I never would have thought that a free-falling anchor system could make so much noise-and I can't deal with that while fishing.

Otherwise, we will grow old(er) wearing out this boat. I use it 2-4 times a week and the little Yahama 90 on the back and the 101 Minkota on the front do all I ever wanted it to do. The 4-stroke 90 just sips fuel and is super quiet. So much so that I surprised eight mature gobblers while just idling along, the other day.

It is a good all-around combination pleasure/fishing rig. Virginia can take her buddies out this summer when they come to Hot Springs and have a blast doing it. She can drive that thing and load it back on the trailer like a pro!!

Enjoy your project and post a few photos along the way.

See you at crappie camp. <><

aj

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Originally Posted by creekslick

DP, I don't know if you need frame and cover but this guy's price is hard to beat.
eBay Motors: Pontoon Boat Bimini Top 8' x 10'!! (item 220355312143 end time Feb-09-09 13:10:18 PST)

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Thanks.
That is a good price. I am emailing to see if he has a buggy style.
DP