Ok so the names not real but now that I have your attention lol I just pulled my crawdad outta the garage to start upgrading her. I put a front deck on it the end of last year but I want to add a livewell built into it as you know fishing the tourneys with a cooler that spans the boat is quite annoying unless hidden under a deck. Has anyone built a live well out of rough materials? I was talking to Damon the other day about decking it but I'd still like to re enforce it( the boat ) any ideas? Plus I'm adding under deck rod storage to it and I know you guys are going to love it so I'm gonna post pics as I go. Thanks boys.
John
John
Have you used the crawdad with the front deck yet? They become VERY, VERY , VERY unstable when stand on a deck and try to fish. As far as a live well goes, Everyone I know uses a cooler, Neil aka Sinista had posted a link one time a year or 2 ago to a guy who built custom made live wells. I believe Neil has one in his Jon boat.
Yea I used the deck once so far I reenforced the bottem with some angle aluminum so it felt ok but keeping in mind there was no wind and the water was like glass. I just spoke to a guy out in Minnisota that custom builds livewells any size you want. But I was also at the pro shops yesterday and a 14 ft tracker last years model is only 600$ so I might just look into getting one of those instead of te crawdad. Because I think the crawdads max weight capacity is like 350 lbs so I don't know if I want o push it to its limits. Shawn how'd your boat do? I remember seeing you using it on oldham? Rich thanks for the input
Yea I used the deck once so far I reenforced the bottem with some angle aluminum so it felt ok but keeping in mind there was no wind and the water was like glass. I just spoke to a guy out in Minnisota that custom builds livewells any size you want. But I was also at the pro shops yesterday and a 14 ft tracker last years model is only 600$ so I might just look into getting one of those instead of te crawdad. Because I think the crawdads max weight capacity is like 350 lbs so I don't know if I want o push it to its limits. Shawn how'd your boat do? I remember seeing you using it on oldham? Rich thanks for the input
I was not talking about the deck being unstable, I'm talking about the whole boat being unstable. If you lean to either side quickly the boat can tip with your center of gravity high up on a casting deck. The crawdad is not built wide enough for that.
The Jon boat shawn. Rich so u don't think it's a good idea to put a deck on it? The last thing I want is to loose my gear in the water. Maybe it was stable because my 300 lb friend was in the back lol. I think I'm just going to get the tracker. They also had. A 1542 tracker anyone ever been on one of those?
Now what happens if i use the plywood floor and attach angle aluminum to the top aluminum of the boat it shod stiffen the boat up quite a bit and not allow the aluminum tube to float inside the plastic if I put enough tension on it to discourage the amount of flex in the plastic. Any thoughts?
I mean the boats 38 inches across on the bottem inside the boat there's got to be a way to make it stable and the only thing I can see is the aluminum frame rests inside channels in the plastic and floats around with the flex. Maybe ill add some center ribs as well.
The Jon boat shawn. Rich so u don't think it's a good idea to put a deck on it? The last thing I want is to loose my gear in the water. Maybe it was stable because my 300 lb friend was in the back lol. I think I'm just going to get the tracker. They also had. A 1542 tracker anyone ever been on one of those?
Yeah I do NOT think a raised deck is a good idea on a crawdad. YOU WILL TIP OVER eventually. I have had 2 crawdads myself. I just fish it the way it comes with the plywood floors. I remove the front flotation and plastic cover. I move the rear seat all the way back as far as it can go. I move the front seat back the same distance. My cooler live well goes between the 1st and 2nd set. I run jumper cable wires from the the front of the crawdad to the back. I put my batteries in the rear under the rear seat on either side to even the load. I use a foot controlled TM on the front. I mount either 2 pieces of angle iron or 2 pieces of 3/4 " plywood screwed together as wide at the TM bracket at aprox . a 30* angle from the side to the middle of the front.
If you look at page 4 in my profile pics you will see my older crawdad. You can see the TM and the way it is mounted with angle iron and you can see the seats pushed back and where the batteries go. Feel free to ask any questions if you want anymore info. My current crawdad is upside down right now in my back yard. I will try and turn it over and snap a pic in the next day or 2.
you should call damon again. check out dan's modified crawdad as well.
are there concerns about the weight limit in a crawdad? i know the max. is bogus for a topper jonboat for example. i would say with 2 guys, a livewell, and gear, i have at least 600 lbs. in my 12' modified tracker topper.
are there concerns about the weight limit in a crawdad? i know the max. is bogus for a topper jonboat for example. i would say with 2 guys, a livewell, and gear, i have at least 600 lbs. in my 12' modified tracker topper.
Yea I talked my wife into going to the pro shops tomorrow for a new boat now it's just deciding between the 1436 or 1542 it's like a 400$ difference sooo ill post a decision pic tomorrow night. Shawn I didn't know you lived in Everett and we've never gone fishing besides tourneys?? I live in Medford so lets go!!
Ok so here's the update. Went to the pro shops and desided on the tracker 1542. Figured I minus well go bigger and wider because well that's what she said. There havin a killer sale on fold up low back seats for 25 bucks I'd any one needs them. Bass boat build post coming soon
Have any of you seem the new live target schooling fish cranks?? They look insane.
John
Have any of you seem the new live target schooling fish cranks?? They look insane.
John