mercury89

Yeah thats a newer one, you should be fine. trying it with someone elses boat first is a good idea too.

What year is your Jeep? If its an older one I would avoid getting a glass boat unless you want to overheat. Those XJ Cherokees have a history of overheating and weak brakes. I had a 1989 Cherokee that I towed a 16 foot glass skeeter with for 6 months. Overheated every time I towed the boat. Bought a 1/2 Ton Chevy with a 350 and havent looked back!! With that rig I would recommend staying with Aluminum unless you know that the cooling system is up to it.

Very Nice! Nothing quite like a new boat to put that silly grin back on your face

Definitely go with the aluminum if it is guaranteed that everything is working. A 16 foot aluminum is a pretty stable boat so I wouldnt worry too much about the stability of it. The aluminum is perfect for poking around in cover and it sits higher in the water than the fiberglass=shallower draft. IF you were to poke a hole in the fiberglass it would not be easy to fix it. Also the aluminum is cheaper and has a larger engine, the 16 fiberglass would be a dog with the 25 horse on it. I have a 15.5 foot bass boat with a 75 on it and wouldnt want anything less. Overall I would definitely pick the aluminum but that is just my .02....

Sounds like you re overpitched for that setup. Do you have a jackplate or anything else on that motor? What kind of RPM's are you getting? You should be getting 5500+ RPMs at the top end. You should try a lower pitch prop, maybe a 21."

Bow, I can completely relate with your situation as a 17 year old junior in high school. I only wish I had the time to fish every day after school. With homework and a two jobs I am pretty much working 24/7. I go to school, go to work, go home, do homework, and go to bed hopefully before midnight. I dont do much outside of school because I dont have the time and try to get out and fish as much a I can. I work so that I can pay to keep my truck running, and pay for boat gas and fishing supplies. I dont have to worry about my mother stopping me from fishing because she doesnt live with me. So I dont have that problem. But in my opinion there is definitely no such thing as too much fishing.

That sounds great, I might try that on mine. Post some pics up so we can see!!

Very sharp, its amazing what you can do with an older boat.

Jigs can be fished in a variety of ways besides flipping and pitching. Alot of guys like to flip and pitch with a jig because it is very effective and it targets big fish. Other ways to fish jigs include swimming a jig, hopping along the bottom, dragging, etc. I fish in California in a very deep reservoir without alot of cover so I rarely flip or pitch at my home lake. But I do often utilize a jig in hopping down rocky points/steep banks and on flats. Use a jig wherever you need a slow presentation on the bottom, usually to imitate a crawfish. Hope that helps.

Wow, thanks Tpayneful, those pics are really great. They really gave me some ideas for my deck extension. You did a great job, it looks darn good, just go and catch some fish.

When you look at the boat just check the transom for flex, or water drip marks around the motor mount bolts, and the thru hull fittings. Make sure to look from the inside too. Take a good look into the bilge and feel around to see if anything is particularly wet, look at the floatation foam, and check the floor for soft spots. If everything checks out then the boat is probably ok, the stringers have to be wet to rot so as long as the boat was well cared for the and previous owner didnt let water collect in it then its is probably a great boat. Also take it for a test drive, if it performs poorly then the hull might be waterlogged. Good luck with your inspection.

Here are a few pics of mine

I have the exact same boat, Skeeter SS-1 Fisherman, except mine is a 1984 with a 1984 merc. on it. I want to do exactly what you did to yours: recarpet, deck extension, rubbing compound/glaze/buff gelcoat. These boats are darn fast, I have a 75 horse on mine and it goes 45-48 with just me in it. I really like the job you did on the deck extension back to the console, do you think you can post some more deatails on what was needed to do the extension? Thanks.

I would try a 24 volt on the transom, something a little more than the two 30's give you, then put a 12 volt bow mount on the front for fishing. Just my .02......

Long Mike, that is a great little rig for a small boat. I should make one for myself. And when you're done fishing just through that in the truck and you're all set ;D