Can we reopen the cartopper discussion?

I understand that I am a new guy here and my vouice may carry no weight, but I am making the arrangements now so that I can fish 90% of the tournys next season, including the cartoppers.

The cartopper debate

Must fit on or into you vehicle (no trailers?)
Electric motor only
live well

Here's the question I want to open: why not allow a small gas motor no larger that 2.5 hp? They are light, self contained (no gas tank), easy, slow & reliable. I have experienced a day where we ran out of battery power 2 miles up the river but we were saved by the gas motor. they're really not much faster that a fully charged trolling motor and can save your battery for when you really need it?

I dont think its that much of a speed advantage using a 2.5HP motor...so why not?

this topic has been beat to death...one reason is sometimes we have car toppers at places where gas motors are not allowed.

You answered the question yourself. You lost power up river. Now if there was a cartopper on such a place ONLY the guys with gas motors could access "up river". The rest of the field would have to worry about not having enough juice to get there and back.

Cartoppers tournaments are meant for just that "cartoppers".
Trailer issue is not a big deal (it more the size of the boat).
But, the gas motor is. Like Kman said some of the pond/lakes are electric only. Besides, cartoppers are welcome in big boat tourneys which has its obvious disadvantages (that doesn't stop all of us right Kman!) There is no limit on how many batteries you can carry. Also, I think it forces you to manage your fishing time & locations to save on battery power too. The angler with the better strategy = angler with more $$$$!

Can a full size boat fish with trolling motor only seen trailers are allowed? They have to move that big platform with just a trolling motor. Shoot, take the prop off for formality like the quabin if needed.
I might be able to make a car topper that way and that be cool.
Sorry didn't see the size of the boat rule. nvr mind

kman is 100% right this topic has been discussed over and over and over, last year was a success with what the rules were. i think they should stay the same, if its a pond/lake that has a ramp and has access for trailers by all means trailer your boat. im not sure how the guys feel about an actual "bass" boat just using electric. i personally dont mind, i used my 15ft tracker last year for most cartoppers tourneys and i have to trailer it. i think it should stay electric only no gas just to keep everything fair. no rules saying you cant have 2 trollers and a spare battery! be prepared guys if you wanna make a troop somewhere.

Has anyone ever considered running some kind of "Charging Station"....If enough of 'you' put you nuggets together I bet ya could come up with some kind of plan using 'spare' batteries and an inverter/converter system to make it so if anybody's batteries are running low 'they' can pull back to 'weigh in' and charge back up...
OR maybe an exchange program where "you" can head back before DISASTER strikes ---ya know leave a 1/2 dozen "donated" batteries @ the launch --- ALWAYS charged for EMERGENCIES !'Team pays a fee for having to be "SAVED" my brain NEVER STOPS ! hahahahahaaaaaa

Has anyone ever considered running some kind of "Charging Station"....If enough of 'you' put you nuggets together I bet ya could come up with some kind of plan using 'spare' batteries and an inverter/converter system to make it so if anybody's batteries are running low 'they' can pull back to 'weigh in' and charge back up...
OR maybe an exchange program where "you" can head back before DISASTER strikes ---ya know leave a 1/2 dozen "donated" batteries @ the launch --- ALWAYS charged for EMERGENCIES !'Team pays a fee for having to be "SAVED" my brain NEVER STOPS ! hahahahahaaaaaa

It takes a minimum of 4 hours to fully charge a deep cycle batter that is drawn down enough that it needs replacing/charging
(12 guage shotgun)

if you only have one battery you should bring a solar charger with you.i don't think they cost that much.or bring a second battery(duh)or buy a 24 volt with 2 batteries hooked up in series,this system uses less voltage but costs a little bit more.we had a tourney this past sunday with full size bass boats.gas motors were not allowed,electric only.we fished from 8 till 2 and no one had a problem getting back.of course we all have 24 volt motors which use less voltage from 2 batteries.the car toppers also see a disadvantage of bass boats being higher up for better casting,sight,electronics and so on and so on.i would have no problem going electric only in my 17 footer for the day.sinista and chevin have 15 foot boats,whats 2 feet?i also have a car topper so i don't push the issue.looking forward to next season.see you all soon.

OK...why not have them charged and waiting for "issues" and the team that needs the spare(s) pay a nominal price--20 bucks or something
It takes a minimum of 4 hours to fully charge a deep cycle batter that is drawn down enough that it needs replacing/charging
(12 guage shotgun) [/quote]

maybe you should start your own business of fully charged batteries at the boat ramp.rental $15 a day fully charged and ready to go.$100 deposit incase they don't bring it back.you get to hang out at the boat ramp see the weigh in,collect the money,make jokes and write lyrics.hahahaha

I paddled my 15 foot trailered topper for the last half hour at Lake Winthrop and Won it! Angling is about right place right time right presentation, you can win a big boat tourney on a floating sheet of plywood with a push pole! Speaking of push poles, ill have one next year!

-x-

Last edited by riverrat82 on Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

if you only have one battery you should bring a solar charger with you.i don't think they cost that much.or bring a second battery(duh)or buy a 24 volt with 2 batteries hooked up in series,this system uses less voltage but costs a little bit more.we had a tourney this past sunday with full size bass boats.gas motors were not allowed,electric only.we fished from 8 till 2 and no one had a problem getting back.of course we all have 24 volt motors which use less voltage from 2 batteries.the car toppers also see a disadvantage of bass boats being higher up for better casting,sight,electronics and so on and so on.i would have no problem going electric only in my 17 footer for the day.sinista and chevin have 15 foot boats,whats 2 feet?i also have a car topper so i don't push the issue.looking forward to next season.see you all soon.

If I'm being 100% honest (and I know I'm not going to make any new friends here after this), I personally think that the 15 footers plus have an advantage being higher up and having better sight/casting/whatever lines and shouldn't be part of a cartopper tourney. As others said, what differentiates them from a boat 2 feet longer? If that's the case, why have seperate tourneys then at all, other than if a certain body of water is by law electric only? I don't care what anyone says to the contrary, Cartoppers have an absolute disadvantage against boats of these sorts. A cartopper should be 12ft or less and a pontoon, john, rowboat or raft period and nothing else. Those of us with those styles of boats have talked about it many times over in private, whether or not I'm the only a***** who speaks up about it now or not.

We personally have been fortunate enough to keep up with the bigger boats, only because I have an outstanding fishing partner who knows how to get them in the boat regardless and has kept us up in the ranks as a result. With only maybe a very few other exceptions (any boat with a Team Landlord or Halo member), the top teams are and always will be the big boats 15ft and above. Yeah you still have to put the fish in the boat, but the playing field during cartopper events can only be even if all boats are true cartoppers (whether you trailor it for convenience or not). If you have something bigger but just run electric, there is still a big advantage.

How about the two seperate divisions period? If I'm going to open my big mouth, I'm willing to say I can't have my cake and eat it too and it's one or the other. Although I like going against the big boats sometimes, part of me doesn't even want to bother trying because we simply don't have the power to keep up or move around as you guys do, despite a great fishing partner or not! That includes the bigger 15 footers too, even though I love all you guys personally (not in a freaky way of course). If a change is made and I want to fish the big boat tourneys, then I have to get a big boat, pure and simple. If not, than I can't fish them and that's life. Just like we have plenty of guys who don't have Cartoppers, don't fish in those tourneys because of that. I can accept that too!

If people don't agree with that, than so be it and sorry. I didn't call anyone names or anything, just gave my opinion and hopefully nobody gets offended. Maybe there is no solution (or problem for that matter) and if you want to just fish, then just show up and fish. I had to get that off my chest though. Sorry for the rant boys.

I can't completely disagree with you pocket, I have a 15 ft and just like Neil I have a deck on it, yea we might have a slight advantage when it comes to control and casting but like you said you have to put em in the boat the boat doesn't do it for you.

I don't think we should start making boat length and small hp restrictions, I think people are starting to make a huge deal out of this. What we did last year worked electric only and if there is trailer access game on for sinista, halo and myself. I don't see the big deal and last year when we discussed this there was no Problem with that.

I will say though next tourny at dudley I will not have my boat that was a mistake and I appologize again to everyone who helped me and my partner lift my rig back on the trailer. Fyi for dudley "tight" launch lol