Master Bait'r

Yes that will work. Got everything and I mean everything painted up. Before After It's all glossy gray now! Hope the shine doesn't make me crazy out on the water. Anyways, she's going to sit and cure for 2 days before I lay the carpet but she's pretty much done save for some small cabinetry-type work up in the very front. Exhausted but very excited. Can't wait to get this beauty wrapped up!

I got 'er fully prepped, flipped over and the hull cleaned completely and it's all set for paint. I'm heading back tonight after dinner to paint everything that needs painting and then she's going to sit for a 48 hour cure with about 10 fans. I won't be back until Sunday evening so that will be plenty of time to harden up. I'll make sure I take some pics before I leave for the night. I'm going to have a hard time naming the boat after all this.

Big day today. Conduit completely ran Laid down the foam in two stages, the second of which I bolted down the floor so it could all press out into the voids properly and stick it all together like glue. Makes the floor super strong too! Front seat/ battery hatch is completely installed as well. All that's left to do today is prep and paint the hull, the front platform and the edges of the floorboard. Then she will be ready to carpet and that's the last step. Carpet's going to look so nice! A smidge more monochrome than I was hoping for but no big deal. (The front platform is going to be the same gray as the boat.)

Carpet work has begun Kids really kickin in a hand on the details "Science experiment" with the foam to test expansion... They were amazed that we could stand on it 30 mins later or so.

I believe I went with 11/32" ply if I'm not mistaken. Seemed to be the best mix of weight and stability. There will also be foam under the floors too so not worried at all. It has also been waterproofed so I didn't need the uber heavy PT ply. The plywood is around the same weight as if I had used 1/8" dp alum flooring, maybe slightly heavier but I think the dampness of the wood will be nice. Too much aluminum on aluminum and it's just a big clangy loud mess- So a little bit of everything- I didn't have enough and now I'm glad I didn't. I think the wood floor is where it's at. Overall it's still going to be really easy to carry though, the weight I took out with the old seats was surprisingly high and the weight of the things I'm putting in is generally very low. Just the plywood, seats and front hinge platform add weight. **battery and motor of course but for basic dry weight purposes, it's surprisingly close** Fwiw to the guy above, the store didn't have a lot to choose from so I went with a light gray. It's going to look killer!!

Yeah I am going to get carpet now, thinking a dark gray might be best. We will see what kind of selection the boat building supply place has. I'm headed over there now. Just finished painting the interior. Man, it looks so good!!!

Also I mounted the battery tray, rearmost floor supports and power brushed the whole thing. I am going to soap 'er up after lunch and scrub it good, wipe it down with acetone tomorrow morning and then paint it. Planning on skipping lunch just in case. Here she sits before scrub down.

The seats are a little higher but I wanted them that way. All of the extra weight is mounted dead center though, and the battery and floor will also lower the center of gravity. I'm not anticipating issues but there's always sitting in the middle on the cooler while we move if it's less sketchy.

Bronze all the way. That lower light brownish tint will really keep eye fatigue down and they will be fantastic on spotty or overcast days- or even rainy days behind the wheel. I have a pair of lighter brown polarized tint lenses now and they are by far my favorite I wear them all the time just to cut glare and such while driving. I shall never stray away from that lighter brown tint though. It's just so versatile, and doubly so if you have separate lenses for the mega bright days.

Wow 80# oughta just about get 'er up on plane!

Ya killin' me Smalls!! I'm trying so hard not to buy my favorite frog and color, which I can never find and just found one. I already have two, but one is getting pretty beat. Yeaaaaaah I should just get it. You never know when they will be out for real.

Front platform is finished but I can't mount it until I paint everything (platform will be the same gray as the rest of the boat btw). Going to skip my lunch break and get the battery tray welded in so I can be ready for my weather and work window when it appears out of the fog of the work week. If these T-storms come in this afternoon, I will keep working on it. If not, I'm going fishing. I need it BAD!

I was thinking that would look at home next to the $300 jobbers at Ocean State Job Lot.

Agreed. $12 for 600 yds all over the place. Killer deal IMO I don't mean to describe the line's stretch as a negative, but going from braid to YZH requires a mindful approach to hook sets haha

It works great, as the current imparts its own action and you have to do even less. I'd just up the weight a bit, either 3/32, 1/6 or 1/8... Somewhere in there will work but if you go 1/8 I'd upsize to a half or 2/3 of a zinkerz. I actually really like downsizing the bait in smaller rivers and bigger streams- I have far better success with things like the Ned and a weightless t-rigged baby slug-go in current than I do with other types of rigs like spinners, worms etc. That simple dying minnow or foraging grub action seems to drive the fish insane whereas the action of say an inline spinner etc. may not incite a strike. Something about the way those fish sit in a rock hydraulic and wait for prey just jives most excellently with those two presentations in current.

Yo-Zuri is probably my favorite rubber band line. If you need stretch and clear, it's a great line. Predictable, manageable, cheap and pretty darn tough. It's all you can really ask for in a copolymer.

Look around terminal tackle sites. Really any similar variation will do about the same, but all kinds of stuff from weighted weedless wacky hooks to other sizes/weights/shape heads will work. The shroomz are indeed pretty perfect when you tie them on but they also bend quick, snag easy, are expensive and are sold out all over. These are all good reasons to just flat out try stuff. They aren't a new concept at all, just do yourself a few favors- a) get them with the same style wire keeper and use a lighter to heat the hook before you texpose as with any z man Elaztech bait

SX1 is probably the strongest and toughest but is kind of loud FX2 is strong like cable, but sounds like a zipper. PP is the most supple and limp but it gets fuzzy/frayed easily and loses color very fast 832 is like PP + SX1 had a baby that bleeds green... quickly. Smackdown is probably my favorite tho. It feels more like SX1 in usage but is nice and quiet. Also comes in awesome finesse sizes that daddy likey. Bigtime.

Y'know, the one good thing about every Joey, Jimmy and John out there buying up all the stupid shroomz finesse heads is that it makes you experiment. I don't even think I'll ever go back to the shroomz finesse heads tbh unless they come out with tungsten ones.

I'll take a bunch tomorrow after I get painty with it for sure. I can't wait for it to be all shiny and one color!

Finished the diamond plate portion of the front platform and the battery tray today. Tomorrow morning I'm welding in the tray and she's ready for paint! Can't wait. Also poly-sealed the deck plywood so that will be ready for carpet hopefully tomm or weds. Motor showed up too, right while I was on lunch break. Perfect! This might actually be a boat by the weekend!

I am actually really really really considering selling a few things and getting the 11.5 That boat is so sick and I want a rudder.

I would never spend a grand on that, just my .02 though.

Nice work gents! Love a nice day out on the Q!

Putting the Rick Clunn jerkbaits next to the Megabass is the best idea I've ever seen haha... Ya got me Rick. Ya got me.