Any Pelican Bass Raider Owners Out There?

[clay62]

hey guys do ya know of the lil foot controlled trolling made specially for the 2 man bass boats ?

I'm about to make the decision to order the motorguide bulldog 40 transom / bow mount TM. It's the only one I've found that appears to work on small boats like ours without mounting to a deck, etc. I've read good reviews about some guys who have them on a 10 foot Raider. Read some reviews on Cabelas. I think I will get this for the front, and add a 'rudder' on the back. I may even use my endura 30 on the back as well....so much to do, too little time...LOL.

[Poney]

Hello guys. I recently joined after finding this thread.

Lots of great ideas and tips on the great boats.

Im just about to begin construction on a movable "rack" to mount a fish finder. Im making it out or pvc pipe.

imagine the seat bracket, with a plate mounted on top, instead of the seat.

it will fit in the grooves the seat bracket fits into, and can slide forward and backward, depending on if im fishing alone, or with a buddy.

ill post pics when im finished. it looks good in my mind..hope it looks good once its finished. lol

[Tego]

This site is great! I recently purchased the Bass Raider 10e after a lot of research and help from the folks on here.

[clay62]

Today I installed two Attwood Lift N Lock anchor control systems on my Bass Raider 10 E. I've had these for a while, and finally got around to placing them on my boat. I used the aluminum transom and bow plates to attach them to. I checked to see if I would have clearance on my rear transon, beside my endura TM. I was able to move the TM to one side, and still have clearance for complete up and down movement of my mushroom shaped 10 lb. anchor. The front / bow transom plate is not as wide, so I will probably have to attach the front anchor pulley assembly on the side later when I get my foot controlled TM ( Motorguide Bulldog 40 ). I don't have enough clearance on front currently to allow the anchor to 'store' or deploy beside of my older Bottomline Fishin' Buddy II FF. The anchor system is installed, but there's not enough room beside of the the telescoping shaft on the FF, to allow clearance. I will just have to use the anchor lock on front until I get the rest worked out. I also plan to test out my new Humminbird 570 DI PT (portable ) tomorrow. The anchor pulleys work really well, and should save me a lot of trouble when trying to anchor. I can actually operate both anchors from my seat. I just leave the ropes close enough to grab them, and 'lift and lock' or deploy... These boats get moved around a lot by the wind, and two anchor points are very important, if you want to stay in place, back away from a target area. I usually try to anchor away from crappie / bass holding areas, and take some time to fish those areas slowly and carefully. I've had some crappie bites recently that were so subtle, that I had to be completely still to detect their movement. I used a 1/8" drill bit to pilot the holes for mounting the pully brackets, and used size 8 x 3/4 " sheet metal screws to attach them with. This worked really well, and made a strong bond to the aluminum plates. If anyone has any further questions about these anchor systems, feel free to ask. I enjoy making modifications to my little boat, and hope to share some of my findings to make you guys' time more productive. I will try to post a couple of pictures of my project. Also, I installed a rod holder today that turned out nicely...More to come later ...take care, and good luck fishing...

[Midnight Splash2]

How do you plan on keeping the wires from wrapping around the chair mount when you do a 360 degree swivel?

[jaaron01]

So got my trailer all set up and ready for this weekend. No more lifting this thing up and out, she's ready to slide right in the water. Got the 4X8 trailer from a guy on craigslist for $100.00. Added $40.00 worth of treated 2X6's, and the carpet was free. Perfect size for what I needed.

[clay62]

So got my trailer all set up and ready for this weekend. No more lifting this thing up and out, she's ready to slide right in the water. Got the 4X8 trailer from a guy on craigslist for $100.00. Added $40.00 worth of treated 2X6's, and the carpet was free. Perfect size for what I needed.

That's a neat setup. I made some 'guides' out of 1 1/2" treated lumber to center my boat on the trailer. I also used the same size stock lumber to build a battery containment area on the front of the trailer during transit. The TM battery fits nicely between the pontoons and I strap it down with a bungee cord. I had an older Bass Hunter used boat that the previous owner had busted a hole inside the boat from his battery sliding around during transit. Also, if you were to have an accident, the battery is secure and won't fly out of or across your little boat. My trailer is 5' x 8', and fits my 10 foot Bass Raider fine. That's a nice rig you've got there...great times ahead...Check my previous post above about my new anchor system. They worked great the other day, and allowed me to stop and concentrate more time on some fish holding structure. I caught several fish that I would have normally passed up because of the hassle from the ever present wind... My new DI (down imaging ) FF worked like expected, and revealed some underwater trees that produced seveal bass for me and my brother. I can't wait to go again...I love my little boat and current setup. My next purchase will be the foot controlled TM mentioned in an earlier post...Good luck, and stay safe...

[jaaron01]

I was thinking now that "lifting weight" isn't so much an issue, that I might go ahead and add a piece of plywood on the floor. Sand all the edges really good so it wouldn't rub any holes in the bottom. And somehow strap my Battery down to that. Also seen were a previous poster had added a pedestal seat up front, once he had a plywood floor. I was thinking of making one of those for the front and leaving the back standard like it is for when I have my fishing partner with me. My only concern is those seats add stability to the sides of the boat, and keep them from caving in when the weight is in the center of the boat.

Haven't added an anchor yet, as most of the lakes around here have plenty of tree snags in the water, and I generally tie up to them and fish, or just troll. Also with the plywood floor I'd have something to add the "big foot" controller to, should I decide to snag one of those.

As for the trailer, you can't see but i did leave a "gap" between the pontoons, and have two 2x4's the length of the trailer, on edge and (covered with carpet as well) as guides for the boat to slide up on. They stick up about 2 inches just inside the pontoons. Keeps the boat from shifting side to side while towing and rubbing on the wheel fenders. Also makes like easier when putting her back on the trailer as she just guides right up and on.

Here's a photo of the trailer before the boat, you can see the guides. Did have to a fender welded on but for $100.00 it was still a steal.

[FishinWonn]

Just bought me a Bass Raider 10e at Dick's. They wanted $599.99 for it, but I got them to do a price-match with Academy for $499.99. I'm in Virginia and the nearest Academy is 8 hours away in Tennessee. Just print the page from Academy and take it to Dick's manager.

[mtdoramike]

Just bought me a Bass Raider 10e at Dick's. They wanted $599.99 for it, but I got them to do a price-match with Academy for $499.99. I'm in Virginia and the nearest Academy is 8 hours away in Tennessee. Just print the page from Academy and take it to Dick's manager.

Wow, that was a great deal, I figured since the other store was so far away, They wouldn't have done the price match.

[mtdoramike]

I was thinking now that "lifting weight" isn't so much an issue, that I might go ahead and add a piece of plywood on the floor. Sand all the edges really good so it wouldn't rub any holes in the bottom. And somehow strap my Battery down to that. Also seen were a previous poster had added a pedestal seat up front, once he had a plywood floor. I was thinking of making one of those for the front and leaving the back standard like it is for when I have my fishing partner with me. My only concern is those seats add stability to the sides of the boat, and keep them from caving in when the weight is in the center of the boat.

Haven't added an anchor yet, as most of the lakes around here have plenty of tree snags in the water, and I generally tie up to them and fish, or just troll. Also with the plywood floor I'd have something to add the "big foot" controller to, should I decide to snag one of those.

As for the trailer, you can't see but i did leave a "gap" between the pontoons, and have two 2x4's the length of the trailer, on edge and (covered with carpet as well) as guides for the boat to slide up on. They stick up about 2 inches just inside the pontoons. Keeps the boat from shifting side to side while towing and rubbing on the wheel fenders. Also makes like easier when putting her back on the trailer as she just guides right up and on.

Here's a photo of the trailer before the boat, you can see the guides. Did have to a fender welded on but for $100.00 it was still a steal.

I love the looks of the trailer.

[Tego]

OK, I finally got my plug from Pelican (through Amazon) to use my trolling motor from the front.

How do you guys go about splicing the plug to the trolling motor wires? Before I splice them together using wire nuts and electrical tape (there *has* to be a better way) I thought I'd see what others had done first.

I have a Minnkota 30/30.

Thanks for the help!

[jeffo21]

get some of the shrink wrap connectors from a hardware store.

[Bassin_0502]

OK, I finally got my plug from Pelican (through Amazon) to use my trolling motor from the front.

How do you guys go about splicing the plug to the trolling motor wires? Before I splice them together using wire nuts and electrical tape (there *has* to be a better way) I thought I'd see what others had done first.

I have a Minnkota 30/30.

Thanks for the help!

I used butt splice electrical connectors and then wrapped them with electrical tape.I generally try to have the splices 'offset' by and inch or so, that way when wrapped they're not so bulky. (In other words on the plug side, the positive wire might be two inches shorter than the neg, and on the other side, the positive wire is two inches longer than the neg. Hope that's clear.

[badsters]

I used butt splice electrical connectors and then wrapped them with electrical tape.I generally try to have the splices 'offset' by and inch or so, that way when wrapped they're not so bulky. (In other words on the plug side, the positive wire might be two inches shorter than the neg, and on the other side, the positive wire is two inches longer than the neg. Hope that's clear.

I use heat shrink crimp splices. If I dont have the correct size, I prefit the wire with heat shrink tubing that will fit over the splices. After I crimp, I use my heat shrink gun to shrink either the splices or the heat shrink tube. Works great!!!

[mudturtlle]

just hooked up my bulldog 40 yesterday and tried it on the water.I do believe this is the best addition I've made to the bass raider.With the wind blowing 15 to 20 mph.,I could still fish and keep the boat where I wanted it.

[FishinWonn]

RAIDER RUDDER

Saw some talk about adding a rudder to the Bass Raider 10e to keep it from being blown around in the wind. However, I don't have access to a welder like some of the people who posted pics of their rudders. Been thinking about how to do this for awhile and eventually came up with the idea to use an oar as the rudder - but couldn't figure out how to mount it until I was wandering through the aisles at Dick's Sporting Goods the other night. Here's what I came up with:

Instructions

Purchase the following items at Dick's (found all these items in the same aisle)

1. Black oar = $25

2. Scotty Baitcaster/Spinning Rod Holder = $25

3. Caviness Clamp-on Oar-Locks = $10

4. Two small bolts, nuts, and pressure-washers (I had these in my shop already, think it was 1/4" thick bolts and approx. 1.5 inches long)

*I think there are 2 sizes of Scotty Rod Holders, I got the smaller one. I was able to take the oar and test fit it into the rod-holder in the store. Make sure it's a tight fit, leaving little room. Once you attach the oar-lock (see below), it will definitely be tight and hopefully won't turn much.

- unmount the metal plate from the rear of the Bass Raider

- drill 2 holes in the plate using the rod-holder as your hole guide (see pics for how it's mounted), make sure you don't put them to near the edge of the plate (to accommodate for the screw heads)

- insert a bolt in each hole of the plate and up into the rod-holder mount

- insert pressure-washer and nut into each hole of rod-holder and tighten down

- attach clamp-on oar lock to oar at desired depth (remove oar-lock pin from oar-lock)

- insert oar handle up into rod-holder, then pull down on oar so the oar-lock seats into the rod-holder

- attach rubber strap to secure oar

The rod holder allows you to adjust the angle of the rudder (oar) so that you can compensate for shallow water or remove it from the water when coming ashore. Also, this will give you an extra oar in the event your battery dies and both fisherman need to paddle back to the dock. I haven't field-tested this yet, but seems like it'll work pretty good. Will let you know soon.

*more Wonnmeister Raider Mods coming soon

[Bassin_0502]

Sweet! I like that alot!

[jaaron01]

My only concern would be if you hit something underwater "and it will happen" would it break your rod holder off? Several post back, I went with the old Trolling motor I got from craigslist for like 20.00, it had the metal shaft. Cut both the motor and control head off, so just the metal shaft with the mount left, and found an old piece of scrap sheet metal from a sign shop and bolted it on. Nice and solid, and don't stick up, has it's own mount already built in. Best feature is it has a tilt, so I can tilt it up and it will lock in place. I'm a little bit of a redneck myself, but it works greeaattt!

Ordered a boat cover this week, so I can get the beast out of the garage and on the trailer permanently. Didn't want her outside without some protection from the elements. Once I get her put on the trailer, and under cover I'll post some photo's. Found a nice cover on-line for around 38.00.

[TeamMonroe]

@Jaaron where did you pick the cover up at, have a link?

[FishinWonn]

Good point Jaaron. Off the top of my head, there are two ways to mitigate this problem.

The first is to angle the oar up, so that the fat part of the oar is just under the surface. Locking it in at that angle, the boat will be deeper than the oar.

The second way is to prevent the teeth on the rod-holder from locking into each other. You could probably put a big metal washer between the teeth to do this. That way, you could still hand-tighten the oar in position, but if you hit something going too fast, the metal washer should let the oar angle up and out of the water. I'm going to try this option and see how it works. Thanks again to Jaaron for pointing that out.

[jaaron01]

@Jaaron where did you pick the cover up at, have a link?

try this http://www.easternmarine.com/stearns-8-10-bass-hunter-boat-cover-83404

Should arrive today. But seems like a decent cover.

[FishinWonn]

Jaaron,

I tried out the washer idea today - works like a charm. Now you can't hand tighten it hard enough to keep it from moving, but still give if the boat hits something. But it is snug enough that it'll stay in place, or by pushing on the handle, you can quickly raise the rudder. Now if I hit something going forward, it will easily push the rudder up and out of the way. Going backwards is a different story, but I can simply have the back-seater person lift the rudder up if I need to go backwards at a high rate of speed. Thanks for the presenting that concern - probably saved me a broken rod-holder.

I'll try to get a step-by-step setup on Instructables.com soon for anyone that wishes to see more details of the installation.

[TeamMonroe]

try this http://www.easternmarine.com/stearns-8-10-bass-hunter-boat-cover-83404

Should arrive today. But seems like a decent cover.

Wow thanks for the link jaaron, think i'm going to pick one up. Pist a pic with on when ya get it abd let me know what ya think about it.

[bighoss]

Wow! I'm glad I came across this thread! Sooo much information here. Hello to everyone, this is my first post.

I'm in the market (Craigslist) looking for my first Pelican. I'm a big guy though (6'4" @ 320lbs) and I can't seem to find any decent information on how stable these things are when you're solo fishing and no real counter weight on the opposite end. Any other big guys here that own one of these in the 8' or 10' that can speak to stability on the water and moreover the stability of the stock seats w/ aluminum frames?

Total capacity looks like 600lbs, but I'm sure the manufacturer was intending that weight to be spread out.

Ideas? Thanks in advance!