Any Pelican Bass Raider Owners Out There?

[Defreshone]

Anyone use their raider in a tournament? Curious about how functional one would be minus the obvious about range on the water.

[musky]

Anyone use their raider in a tournament? Curious about how functional one would be minus the obvious about range on the water.

I'm sure you'd get absolutly swamped on the take off. They're not made for fishing the size of lakes that most tournaments are held on, last time I was at the launch when a tournament was blasting off the smallest outboard I saw was a 115hp... that should tell you something

[dman]

I'm sure you'd get absolutly swamped on the take off. They're not made for fishing the size of lakes that most tournaments are held on, last time I was at the launch when a tournament was blasting off the smallest outboard I saw was a 115hp... that should tell you something

This is very true. However, in my area we have some smaller lakes 125-250 acres that are electric motor only that have a few tournaments a year. I'm sure you can do something like this and possibly have some advantages but dont forget, you will have to rig up some sort of livewell

[jaaron01]

I'm thinking of changing the blade on my trolling motor with a 3 bladed prop from Kipawa. I know that using this "High Performance" prop will void the warrenty on my Minn Kota, but was curious if anyone else had used these, and what were the results?

http://www.kipawapropellers.com/

[Defreshone]

This is very true. However, in my area we have some smaller lakes 125-250 acres that are electric motor only that have a few tournaments a year. I'm sure you can do something like this and possibly have some advantages but dont forget, you will have to rig up some sort of livewell

I'm sure you'd get absolutly swamped on the take off. They're not made for fishing the size of lakes that most tournaments are held on, last time I was at the launch when a tournament was blasting off the smallest outboard I saw was a 115hp... that should tell you something

Yeah, I agree. There is a bass club in Jacksonville, Fl that seems to hold 3-5 of their tournaments on smaller lakes. The tournament coord. said his son fished one of their tourneys out of a 10 ft jon boat and took 2nd place. The club is a family driven club it seems. It might work out! Thanks for the input though. I will attend their next tournament in June to see what its all about. I may enter or not enter. Haha.

[Defreshone]

I picked up my 10e off craigslist yesterday along with a 50 lb minn kota (which I got for $70). The boat came with a smaller marine battery (this was not included on the craigs listing so I was surprised) and I had purchased a 29/125 amp battery already prior to picking up the boat.

For the big guys, this thing is sweet! Im 5'9, 240 and this thing was stable and smooth with 2 batteries in the boat, large trolling motor and gear. I was able to get accustomed to it very quickly. I have a friend who is 5'10 and 260. I'll report how the boat holds up with both of us and gear loaded. I suspect that there will be no issues with ALL of the weight in the boat.

I had first attached the used battery and it worked ok but I wanted to see what the larger battery would do. So, I switched them out. That 50lb minn kota had me cruisin! Out of the 5 speeds, 3-4 are super nice and 5 is just haulin rear (for a trolling motor that is)! Reverse worked nicely as well with its 3 speeds.

I have always been a land raider while fishing. It's really nice to get out on to the water and get the most out of my gear. I started off in a nice, clear pond that wasn't too deep for safety reasons. After building my confidence yesterday, I'm ready for all of the areas that i have been wanting to go.

If you are wanting one then get one! Great buy all around.

[musky]

I picked up my 10e off craigslist yesterday along with a 50 lb minn kota (which I got for $70). The boat came with a smaller marine battery (this was not included on the craigs listing so I was surprised) and I had purchased a 29/125 amp battery already prior to picking up the boat.

For the big guys, this thing is sweet! Im 5'9, 240 and this thing was stable and smooth with 2 batteries in the boat, large trolling motor and gear. I was able to get accustomed to it very quickly. I have a friend who is 5'10 and 260. I'll report how the boat holds up with both of us and gear loaded. I suspect that there will be no issues with ALL of the weight in the boat.

I had first attached the used battery and it worked ok but I wanted to see what the larger battery would do. So, I switched them out. That 50lb minn kota had me cruisin! Out of the 5 speeds, 3-4 are super nice and 5 is just haulin rear (for a trolling motor that is)! Reverse worked nicely as well with its 3 speeds.

I have always been a land raider while fishing. It's really nice to get out on to the water and get the most out of my gear. I started off in a nice, clear pond that wasn't too deep for safety reasons. After building my confidence yesterday, I'm ready for all of the areas that i have been wanting to go.

If you are wanting one then get one! Great buy all around.

You're lucky to find one on craigslist, I've been searching for about a month now and I'm about to break down and just buy a new one. Do the seats move around at all when you take off at full speed with that 50lb thrust trolling motor? I've heard that can be a problem but maybe thats just with gas outboards...

[bighoss]

Okay! After about 2 weeks of searching every single day (sometimes multiple times a day on weekends) I've finally found a deal on one of these boats to call my own!

I had a couple Craigslist deals fall through and a couple where the boat wasn't in very good condition or very old.

The one I broke down and bought, was listed for $700

I decided to call the guy anyway, and ask him about what kind of total package I would get for that price.

After it was all said and done, I ended up with a 3yr old Pelican Bass Raider 10E (garage kept, super clean) 40# Minn Kota troller, OptiMax Deep cell battery (not 100% sure on specs but a year old - guy said on 2/3 speed, you can expect 6+ hrs on the water) Sears 2A battery charger, Battery box, Paddle, 2 life vests, fire extinguisher <- lol & (2) seat upgrades. The seats aren't the plastic kind that come with it, these are like real boat seats. I closed the deal for $580.00 delivered. (That's right delivered) This guy lives 60 miles away from me, and I told him tonight after looking at it I would be back tomorrow possibly after thinking about it and he offered to load it up in his pickup bed and deliver it. LOL!

Needless to say, I'm excited. I got him to come down $120!! Only downside? Not currently registered, and I need a way to haul it around as I drive a van, not a truck. I'm already thinking of things I want to do to it.. hoping the weather is nice this weekend, might have to take it for a spin at my local lake. (Father-in-law is my fishing buddy, and he has a Jeep Cherokee w/ 8ft utility trailer in meantime for transporting it around)

So I'm officially in the club!

-BH

[bighoss]

Also, wanted to let you guys see this..

In my search for a Pelican package in my budget, I came across this guy's setup.

Basically he used like 1" PVC pipe and fittings to create a boxed-frame inside the boat floor and you can see two arms coming up in the front that hold a piece of steel stock that he mounted (4) rod holders to.

I thought it was pretty d**n cool, and when we couldn't come to an agreement on his boat (was in very rough shape) I offered to buy just this off him for $25.00. He almost considered it, but decided it would help him sell his boat.

Seems like this would be out of the way (for the most part) and not take up too much room on the floor. I was also thinking that the bar could be used to mount other things to, without having to screw stuff into the hull and gunnel.

What's your thoughts? I liked it!

EDIT: Actually, I was brainstorming on how to make this better.. how about a couple T-brackets near the rear of it, and have two side-mounted bars (much smaller - maybe 4-5inches wide) and instead of having 4 holders at the front of the boat, just have 2 for front person, and have two at the rear for the guy driving the boat or something. All modular without having to screw anything into the gunnel.

-BH

[Defreshone]

No problems with my seats, Musky. However, my boat is in like new condition and the seats are still a lil stiff on the swivel with no weight in them. They turn real nice with weight but not outta control.

You're lucky to find one on craigslist, I've been searching for about a month now and I'm about to break down and just buy a new one. Do the seats move around at all when you take off at full speed with that 50lb thrust trolling motor? I've heard that can be a problem but maybe thats just with gas outboards...

[jaaron01]

For the seats, they do like to slide around, but that can be good sometimes. I was wondering if I bought a rubber waterhose, and cut about 16 inches, then split longways to slide over the seat metal rails. If the seat would still "seat" properly in the rails, but not slide so easily around? You can get the replacement hoses for hose carts at walmart for like $7.00, so would be much of an investment if it didn't work.

I decided agaist the "high" performance prop after reading some reviews. Seems they cause TM's to overheat if you run them on high, and burn out the motor. Think I'll stick with my factory prop. As for the seat's sticking when swiveling, i used some of that white grease in a can, and sprayed on the bearings in the swivel and that loosed things up alot.

[jaaron01]

Okay! After about 2 weeks of searching every single day (sometimes multiple times a day on weekends) I've finally found a deal on one of these boats to call my own!

I had a couple Craigslist deals fall through and a couple where the boat wasn't in very good condition or very old.

The one I broke down and bought, was listed for $700

I decided to call the guy anyway, and ask him about what kind of total package I would get for that price.

After it was all said and done, I ended up with a 3yr old Pelican Bass Raider 10E (garage kept, super clean) 40# Minn Kota troller, OptiMax Deep cell battery (not 100% sure on specs but a year old - guy said on 2/3 speed, you can expect 6+ hrs on the water) Sears 2A battery charger, Battery box, Paddle, 2 life vests, fire extinguisher <- lol & (2) seat upgrades. The seats aren't the plastic kind that come with it, these are like real boat seats. I closed the deal for $580.00 delivered. (That's right delivered) This guy lives 60 miles away from me, and I told him tonight after looking at it I would be back tomorrow possibly after thinking about it and he offered to load it up in his pickup bed and deliver it. LOL!

Needless to say, I'm excited. I got him to come down $120!! Only downside? Not currently registered, and I need a way to haul it around as I drive a van, not a truck. I'm already thinking of things I want to do to it.. hoping the weather is nice this weekend, might have to take it for a spin at my local lake. (Father-in-law is my fishing buddy, and he has a Jeep Cherokee w/ 8ft utility trailer in meantime for transporting it around)

So I'm officially in the club!

-BH

Hey for hauling it around with a van, I'm in the same boat. However for about $90 bucks and free shipping, I ordered a Curtis Hitch online from either autoaccessoriesgarage.com or etrailers.com, don't remember which one, and installed it on my van myself. Came with the stinger and ball, all one package deal. Took me about 1 hour to install, but the local shop wanted 250.00 for everything, then an extra $116.00 for wiring a trailer hookup on the van, when it already came with one.

Then your only looking for a trailer, which there again, Craigslist comes in handy.

[fishcat]

I'm new to the board. Great to read all the helpful info about plastic bass boats. I took my 8E out for the third time today. I use a 40 MK on the rear transom, and small AGM battery from Cabela's, and check it with the little MK meter. Using the stock plastic seat. I store the boat vertically against the back wall of the garage in a "cradle." The cradle is two 2x4's standing screwed to two 1x4 feet. The 2x4's support the boat on each side of the raised seam, as it stands up. I back my '02 Ranger up to boat and release the strap. I built two 2x6 bunks to fit across the molded bed liner to slide it in. They are covered with IO carpet. I use a plastic milk crate for my rope, tackle, etc. Also carry a plastic urinal. Need advise on rod straps for the gunwales. Lastly I use Fishin Buddy 130 in the stock clamp-on cradle, with a short 1x4 for support against the boat skin.

[jaaron01]

So we had some strong Thunderstorms last night, and the wind somehow overpowered the cover on my boat. So if any reports of a crazy guy out using a mop and bucket on his boat at 5:50 in the a.m. come in, it was me. I couldn't stand the thought of the boat being full of water while I was at work. Took the carpet out, and the lifejackets, and started mopping and rinsing.

At least the inside of the boat is nice and clean now, and the lifejackets got a good cleaning. I'll be rigging up some additional bungee cords this evening to help keep the cover from blowing off in gail force winds this evening.

[Defreshone]

I liked my raider since I got it this past sunday. I have taken it out the last 4 days in a row. The first 3 days were filled with getting use to it, setting it up, maneuvering it in the wind, and taking family out for a ride. Last night, things were totally different.

All of the "getting use to" was over. My fishing partner was finally able to go with me out on the water in the boat for the first time. The boat performed like a dream. I'm 5'9, 240 pounds. My friend is 5'11 and 260 pounds. We have a 29dc battery, 50 lb minn kota TM, 15 lb anchor weight, and 2 medium size tackle bags with a total of 4 poles in the boat. i was nervous about all of the weight at first. We unloaded everything and pushed off into the pond/lake. Amazing. Having all of the gear and human weight this trip was just like being in it by myself. If you are a big guy then the bass raider is for you.

Fishing wise: This pond/lake (15-20 acres) we went to is not well known. By the looks of it, there are no fish of great size. It looks like some of the other ponds/lakes in the area that are fairly new and the bass might reach 3 lbs at their biggest. All of the ponds in the area are manicured and kept up well. This means high fishing pressure because you can pull your vehicle up, walk 10-20 ft and cast out. There are only 2 spots to fish from land on this pond and they are in the super shallow (as we came to find out later) areas. I have fished this pond from land twice and caught nothing. not a bite.

Well, we decided to take the raider out on it hoping for some better luck last night. The first thing we noticed was the depth. I dont have a depth finder on board (yet) but the anchor line was indicating that this pond that looks like the rest of the shallow ponds in the area was actually between 15-25 ft deep! I have never fished anything deeper than 10-15 being that i have always been on land. It is good to be able to find out the actual depth of the water to make better lure/placement selection.

Long story short, my friend caught 1 that was over 5 lbs and some smaller ones on a frog. I didnt catch any but I had two take the frog and bend me all up and around before spitting the frog out. These fish literally made me muscle up and they were still beating me. One made me jam my rod in my chest to get leverage. They were huge fish.

Point to my story is that fishing from a raider has greatly enhanced my fishing skills. Fishing from a boat is a lot different than from land but the opportunities are def. there. Neither of us had caught one fish in that place before. In reality, there are some monsters that are now within range in the raider!

[Docktercolin]

I have been watching this thread for awhile since picked up my bass raider 10e and all the ideas on here are great. Thought I would share a pic or two of my rig with the new floor. The floor is made from .25 luan plywood with .5 inch cleats that fit in the ribs in the floor. I covered the ply with a single layer of fiberglass mat then some cheap indoor/outdoor carpet from HD. The floor feels really good under foot and doesnt move around at all.

[bighoss]

I have been watching this thread for awhile since picked up my bass raider 10e and all the ideas on here are great. Thought I would share a pic or two of my rig with the new floor. The floor is made from .25 luan plywood with .5 inch cleats that fit in the ribs in the floor. I covered the ply with a single layer of fiberglass mat then some cheap indoor/outdoor carpet from HD. The floor feels really good under foot and doesnt move around at all.

How much did this floor project cost you? Also, where did you find the .5 cleats? And what configuration did you mount them in on the underside?

I'm very interested in how you did this.. I was brainstorming about how to do a floor in mine as well.

[Docktercolin]

All in all it would probaby cost about seventy bucks. I allready had a gallon of resin. the cleats are just half inch plywood cut into three quater inch strips. If i remember right I cut them nine inches so the center channel would be clear to drain any water and i'd have a place to run my wires. I laid down the cleats in the channel and used a straight edge to make sure i wasn't going to hit plastic. I only had one inch drywall screws so I just got them started then pulled the floor out and tightened them up. Used a grinder to cut the extra off the screws. The best thing about using the quarter inch ply and fiberglass is at the most I have only added 10-15 pounds.

[vizslahunter21]

I've been following this topic for a few months now and finally found a Bass Raider 10E on craiglist. I was able to purchase the boat, trolling motor (Endura 30), Fishfinder (Bottomline 2235?), 2 expandable oars, 2 mushroom anchors for $500.00. It was a little more then I wanted to spend, however the boat is in fantastic shape and they are very hard to find out here in SoCal.

My question is which battery should I buy? I went to Walmart and they have several versions, can someone help me narrow down my choices?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Bryan

[bighoss]

I'm going through this myself right now. Just bought the same boat last week, working on trying to track down a nice battery for a good price. After some research locally in Central Ohio area, I came across this little gem: Duralast 685 @ my local Autozone for 87.99. 140 RC coming in about $40.00 cheaper than Bass Pro's "wet" offering.

Some say that the Walmart's deep cycle is another way to go: Everstart Maxx 29 - Don't hold me to this, but I'm thinking these can be had for sub $100 and are made by Johnson Controls. (Good product) & 12 month replacement warranty

Lastly, you should know I'm very new to this. Don't take my word as an authority on the issue, just someone that's in the same boat as you.. looking for a great battery on a budget.

EDIT: 12 month replacement on the Walmart offering, not 24 months like I previously stated. Sorry :/

[jaaron01]

^{I'll tell you I got the Everstart Maxx 29, and never had a problem with it. Think I paid like 79.00 for it at walmart. Biggest thing with these batteries is don't run them down and let them sit a long time. Soon as I get off the water, I hook that thing up to the charger and get'her charging. Lead Acid batteries don't like being run down and left in that condition. Put a charge on it as soon as your done, and your battery will last much longer.}

[Defreshone]

I have the evermaxx 29 from walmart and it's a beast. I used it all this past weekend and it was still running just as strong. 3-4 hours Friday, 4-5 hours Saturday and the same on sunday. I do suggest hooking it after using it to charge.

[mtdoramike]

I got one of the Walmart Everstart batteriesfor $68.00 from my local Walmart about a month ago. But be aware to check the fluid level on your new battery. I charged mine and ran it a couple of times and then decided to check. The fluid level in the NEW battery was LOW. So I had to add water to it.

[Morgan44]

I have a 10e, and got a 29 battery from SAMs. It's a Duracell brand and it really kicks butt so far. I think it's like 85 bones. I also bought a minn Kota 10 amp charger and it is too easy. I Got a minn kota traxxis 55 pound thrust trolling motor and Fabbed a rudder up ( a must have in my opinion). I'm looking into fish finders now, what are you guys using on these boats?

[bighoss]

I'm thinking of grabbing this depth finder.. Humminbird 570 PT DI

It's 250.00 from Walmart site to store or shipped directly to your house. The reason this one interests me so much is the rechargeable 12v 7aH battery system that comes with it & it's portable. Also, I want to study the ground underwater "structure" in my local areas, so I can make informed decisions where the fish might be.

Actually, that last part is the most important to me.. this thing has double or sometimes triple the pixels on the screen as the others in the sub to 100.00 category. Check out the Pirannamax series and see how the floor looks with those pixels.. the difference is night & day.

I am interested in what others are using as well. I'm primarily in the market for something "best bang for the buck" but the down imaging of this unit looks really helpful.