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Finally got me a boat!

3K views 33 replies 19 participants last post by  brocat 
#1 ·
Vehicle Boat Water transportation Naval architecture Skiff
After years of dreaming and missing out on the best fishing spots I have finally evened the odds a little. After months of scouring Craigslist and Boat Trader the stars aligned and I found me a big water boat. It needs a little tweaking such as GPS fish finder, rod holders, rod racks, Bimini top and some LED lighting but aside from that a good bath and I’m ready to go. I plan to have it all pimped out soon.

It’s a 1995 Sea Pro/ Pro Line 21 footer. It has a 2003 Evinrude 225 on it so it should get me where I need to go. It is set up for a kicker motor but I’m not sure if that is something I would use much and honestly don’t know how they work.

If anyone has any suggestions on rod holders, electronics and etc I look forward to the advice. This is my first boat beyond the world of paddling and aluminum.

I will get better pics as I go. Vehicle Water transportation Speedboat Boat Boat trailer
Vehicle Water transportation Speedboat Boat Boat trailer
Water transportation Vehicle Boat Skiff Speedboat
 
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#10 ·
If anyone has any suggestions on rod holders
That's a fine boat! Wish I'd had that bad boy when I went out the jetties at Port A, instead of my 17' bass boat~ how far are you from your coast? That spare engine mount would be good for an aux. motor for those issues you may have with the biggun.
Far as rod holders, I'm a big fan of Monsters; they are heavy duty and come in various configurations with a variety of bases and Steve's one of our sponsors.
 
#19 ·
I have ordered the Garmin Striker Plus 7SV fish finder/GPS. Now back to the rod holders. My concern is finding holders that will accommodate my massive spinning tackle. Will the monster holders do that?

I don’t want to risk hearing a splash with what I have invested in several of my rigs. I have two more custom rigs in the works which are both being fitted with the Shimano Stella SW 30000 reels. They would make a painful splash with a small fortune in each.
 
#20 ·
Really nice boat you have, congrats! I use Monster rodholders and like them with casting reels but wouldn’t think they’d be effective with spinning reels, others on the forum will know I’m sure.

Really don’t want to slow you down but even more don’t want you to deteriorate a great fishing boat. Most fiberglass/wood/composite boat fail because of water intrusion. Once water seeps in it never drys an over time-rot. According to boat surveyors it’s the holes that dealers and owner drill in their boats that cause the problems. Typical sealing like silicone caulk ect doesn’t cut it. Proper use of 3M 4200 or 5200 will work but looking at your pictures I think you can adapt catfish rodholders to fit, mount or extend from the existing rod holder/tubes. Maybe use the boat a bit, temp some catfish holders to the boat mounted to 2x4’s etc and you’ll figure it out.

Again, great boat!
 
#21 ·
I use Monster rodholders and like them with casting reels but wouldn’t think they’d be effective with spinning reels, others on the forum will know I’m sure.
I use Monsters with both casting rigs and spinning and can't see any difference. They hold both rods equally well. Not aware of any stronger holder out there, due in part to the excellent bases.
 
#24 ·
Rod Holders: I am convinced on getting the monster holders but I have a question on the mounting. I saw they offer mounts that utilize the versatrack system that comes on the tracker boats. I like the concept of being able to relocate the positioning of the holder at will. Here’s the question, does anyone know if you can buy the versatrack rail or does someone else make track that will work?
 
#26 ·
Personally, after using both the flushmount holders and driftmaster/monster style I'd choose the flushmount all day long. You can pull your rods out with minimal hangup and you don't have to worry about getting your line snagged or pants hung up as you're getting off the side of the boat resulting in a femur fracture as you fall 6 feet onto the loading ramp. (You know who you are)
 
#29 ·
Thanks. I am already wide open on the set up process. I am spending every waking minute working on it or doing research. The worst part is when you get into going through something in fine detail you find bugs and more stuff you want. At this point I am about 2-3 weeks from being finished providing Murphy doesn’t show up and kick me in the shorts any more.

I would love to have some sort of canopy on it but finding one may not be so easy. We will see as it progresses.
 
#30 ·
I am finally getting to the bottom of my repair and set up list for my boat. When I went and checked the boat out I checked all of the structural and mechanical aspects. That only showed one issue. The trim/ lift system would leak down when raised if the motor wasn’t in the lock position. All research show the manual relief valve to be the likeliest culprit on that. The big surprises have came once I got into getting it ready to fish. The electrical system has been a nightmare. Most of the switches were shot and someone had done a lot of mindless mangling on the harness. I have had to sort through a rats nest of wires and re run about every circuit that was butchered.

While trying to get power to all of the essential points I found the bilge pump, marine radio, boat leveler/ trim pump for the tabs and the wash down pump were all bad. Most of those are ordered and set to deliver today and tomorrow. I have also replaced 4 of the flush mount rod holders that were damaged. I am hoping to get a chance to get on the water soon.

I still have a few items left to order including the Bimini top, rod racks, a few more rod holders, bait net and an aeration system for the bait tank. I think I am going to have a few weeks off so it may be ready and on the water pretty quickly.Hopefully the fishing is going better on the lower James by the time I get down there. I hope to also detour to hit Buggs Island while I am down that far.
 
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