Any Pelican Bass Raider Owners Out There?

[jbird9009]

Hey jbird9009, how many batteries do you use on your raider and how much time on the water do you get out of them. I have two batteries on mine and only get around 3.5 hours total out of the two, running a 55lb trolling motor and a fishfinder.Does that sound about right or do you think I might need new batteries?

3.5hours sounds descent using motor and fishfinder, the longest i ever had the lil boat out in water was maybe 3-4 hours at most.. and i had put my trucks battery in boat... needless to say when i got back to truck and put battery back in it wouldnt even turn over .. i rarely used the fish finder cause i just had no expereince with them.. and was a hassle to toy with. after a while i bought a dedicated battery for boat, just a cheap autozone battery and it did just fine. for a few hours, after a while of trollin around you could tell a difference in power/speed but it still got around fine on a single battery for me

[Midnight Splash2]

Hey BigDog

Get yourself one of these batteries to run your fish finder separate. This battery is so small it fits in the compartments on the top rail of the boat. I promise you it will keep your fish finder charged for WEEKS before you have to recharge it. You will also be able to get more time off your trolling motor without having the fish finder hooked to the same battery. This was a great buy for my Bass Raider.

http://store.humminbird.com/products/322329?product_id=1bc69a6425bfe786d569f9e9b9fef16e

[bigdog321]

Hey BigDog

Get yourself one of these batteries to run your fish finder separate. This battery is so small it fits in the compartments on the top rail of the boat. I promise you it will keep your fish finder charged for WEEKS before you have to recharge it. You will also be able to get more time off your trolling motor without having the fish finder hooked to the same battery. This was a great buy for my Bass Raider.

http://store.humminbird.com/products/322329?product_id=1bc69a6425bfe786d569f9e9b9fef16e

THANKS ALOT FOR THE INFO. SOUNDS LIKE THE ANSWER TO MY PROBLEM.I'M DEFINITELY GONNA GET ONE AND TRY IT.

[Midnight Splash2]

I got mine off of Amazon for $30. Pick one up and report back when it needs to be recharged. I bet it wont be until July. Its an awesome purchase for this boat. I didn't know how small it was until I received it. It was an added bonus that it fit in the compartment.

http://www.amazon.com/Humminbird-7700281-Portable-Gel-Cell-Battery/dp/B000N314J0

[Bass Meister]

Please explain the rudder idea suggested by several Raider owners on here? How does it work pertaining to windy days?

I really like this post about the Raider. The ideas/suggestions/website references/pics are very valuable. As one poster wrote: why isnt there a forum for the Raider? Love it. BassMeister

[dman]

Please explain the rudder idea suggested by several Raider owners on here? How does it work pertaining to windy days?

I really like this post about the Raider. The ideas/suggestions/website references/pics are very valuable. As one poster wrote: why isnt there a forum for the Raider? Love it. BassMeister

The raiders are very light and the back end tends to spin the boat when you make turns....the rudder cuts this down substantially....It wont prevent you from getting blown by the wind

[Jim McC]

What about guys like me that have the trolling motor on the back? Put a rudder on the front?

[dman]

What about guys like me that have the trolling motor on the back? Put a rudder on the front?

nah, i think that might make it very difficult to steer at all

[Red]

I was reading a few previous posts about getting 3-4 hours on a battery charge. I don't know what kind/size battery y'all are using or how much time your spending trolling and at what speeds. I use the largest marine battery Walmart offers, I think Everstart is the brand. I have been out for an entire weekend, fishing for several hours each day, and barely drained half the charge. I am running a 30lb TM and a graph. A normal trip for me is 3-6 hours, I run the graph the entire time and usually have the motor going, I never anchor. A trip like this rarely uses more than 25% of a full charge. I also made my rudder, Couple pieces of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 angle, 3/4 electrical conduit, 3/16 plate steel and about 5 minutes worth of welding. Then I sprayed it with galvanized spray paint. Get a rudder, it makes a world of difference!!

[EricB]

I was reading a few previous posts about getting 3-4 hours on a battery charge. I don't know what kind/size battery y'all are using or how much time your spending trolling and at what speeds. I use the largest marine battery Walmart offers, I think Everstart is the brand. I have been out for an entire weekend, fishing for several hours each day, and barely drained half the charge. I am running a 30lb TM and a graph. A normal trip for me is 3-6 hours, I run the graph the entire time and usually have the motor going, I never anchor. A trip like this rarely uses more than 25% of a full charge. I also made my rudder, Couple pieces of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 angle, 3/4 electrical conduit, 3/16 plate steel and about 5 minutes worth of welding. Then I sprayed it with galvanized spray paint. Get a rudder, it makes a world of difference!!

I agree I can get an entire weekend out of my battery, using a 55 lb thrust trolling motor.

[Midnight Splash2]

I use a 55lb Minn Kota Endura with a Optima Blue top battery on my 8ft Raider. My trolling motor is on the back and I go full speed at all times. I would say if I were to do nothing but cruise around at full speed my battery would be dead after 2 hours. I usually go out every evening and fish for about one hour and I charge the battery every three to four days. When I put it on the charger its almost dead every time.

Red & Eric

Are your motors on the front or back of the boat? Mounting the motor on the front will give you a longer battery charge. It is more efficient for the motor to pull the boat rather then push it. I put my motor on the front when I first got mine. I started spinning around and had a hell of a time controlling it. When I got back to my dock I put in on the back and its worked perfectly ever since. I don't have a rudder so I cant speak as for what they do. I will say I would never recommend trying to put the motor on the front unless you have a rudder to experiment with though. I just cant see how or why anyone would put one on the front without a rudder. The difference from the front and the back without a rudder is like night and day.

[Red]

My motor is on the front, rudder on the back. The wind will still blow you across the lake, but you will be straight. The rudder completely controls the spinning. Mine just slips on the back, no clamps or anything. So if I turn really sharp at higher speed it will lift and fall off. I use a short piece of rope with a "D" cip clipped to the carry handle to prevent losing the rudder. I really love my little rig, especially how the gas prices are. The only problem is when loaded down with two grown men, anywhere from 6-9 rods, three boxes, cooler...it gets a bit crampped!

[bigdog321]

My motor is on the front, rudder on the back. The wind will still blow you across the lake, but you will be straight. The rudder completely controls the spinning. Mine just slips on the back, no clamps or anything. So if I turn really sharp at higher speed it will lift and fall off. I use a short piece of rope with a "D" cip clipped to the carry handle to prevent losing the rudder. I really love my little rig, especially how the gas prices are. The only problem is when loaded down with two grown men, anywhere from 6-9 rods, three boxes, cooler...it gets a bit crampped!

I just saw your post about the rudder slipping off at high speed and was wondering if you have the same problem with the motor. I'm having a hell of a time keeping my 55lb motor from slipping off when going at top speed. If you are having this problem what have you tried to stop it? I run the motor on the front. Do you think it would help to put it on the back?

[Midnight Splash2]

Big Dog

I never had a problem with my 55lb slipping off the back at any speed. When I take the kids out I even turn the motor to a 45 degree angle and spin in tight circles with no problem. Try it out. Did you get that trolling motor battery yet Big Dog?

[Jim McC]

I just saw your post about the rudder slipping off at high speed and was wondering if you have the same problem with the motor. I'm having a hell of a time keeping my 55lb motor from slipping off when going at top speed. If you are having this problem what have you tried to stop it? I run the motor on the front. Do you think it would help to put it on the back?

I've never had that problem. Use those muscles and tighten her down.

[Red]

I've never had that problem. Use those muscles and tighten her down.

No problems with the motor for me. The only reason the rudder slips off it because it is not "fixed" to the boat. No clamps or bolts or anything. Just a bracket the fits over the rear motor mount area. So when I am turning at higher speed, the pressure applied to the rudder plate causes it to lift off the boat.

[EricB]

I had mine mounted on the front, but moved it to the back. I'm working on a rudder for mine. Would a second trolling motor work as a rudder? I have an old 24lb thrust I don't use.

Eric

[bigdog321]

Big Dog

I never had a problem with my 55lb slipping off the back at any speed. When I take the kids out I even turn the motor to a 45 degree angle and spin in tight circles with no problem. Try it out. Did you get that trolling motor battery yet Big Dog?

Haven't picked it up yet but am definitely going to get one. I'm putting together an order of fly tying materials from cabela's and gonna add the battery to that.

[throwback]

This is one of the coolest threads around. I have a 10-ft Bass Hunter, which is a lot like the Bass Raider. Actually, mine is the Stalker II version seen here.

http://www.basshunter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=0

All the ideas I've read from you guys are great! I have a bulkhead drain between the pontoons that is about 2-3". Would that be a good place for a transducer? Maybe I should get one of those rudders and mount the transducer to the rudder or the trolling motor.

[Jim McC]

My motor is on the front, rudder on the back. The wind will still blow you across the lake, but you will be straight. The rudder completely controls the spinning. Mine just slips on the back, no clamps or anything. So if I turn really sharp at higher speed it will lift and fall off. I use a short piece of rope with a "D" cip clipped to the carry handle to prevent losing the rudder. I really love my little rig, especially how the gas prices are. The only problem is when loaded down with two grown men, anywhere from 6-9 rods, three boxes, cooler...it gets a bit crampped!

Do you have the 8' or 10'? I have the 8' and I would never even consider having a second person in it. There's just no room.

[Red]

I had mine mounted on the front, but moved it to the back. I'm working on a rudder for mine. Would a second trolling motor work as a rudder? I have an old 24lb thrust I don't use.

Eric

I saw a picture somewhere, might be in this thread. A guy took an old trolling motor and replaced the motor with a rudder plate. This way you can mount it like the motor and just tilt it up when not in use or whatever. I would be doing this option if I had an old junky motor to tear apart.

[Red]

Do you have the 8' or 10'? I have the 8' and I would never even consider having a second person in it. There's just no room.

I have the 8' Pelican. If you go through this thread you can see all the pics I posted of my rig. FYI....Having two men in the 8 fotter is not, in my opinion, a stability issue, it is just the lack of space. The boat still feels very stable. If you plan to fish with another person I recommend the 10', if you know your gonna be nby yourself the 8' is perfect.

[EricB]

I saw a picture somewhere, might be in this thread. A guy took an old trolling motor and replaced the motor with a rudder plate. This way you can mount it like the motor and just tilt it up when not in use or whatever. I would be doing this option if I had an old junky motor to tear apart.

What I was thinking was leaving the trolling motor the way it is(it is a good working but small TM) and seeing if it would work as a rudder, plus I'd have a spare TM if the main one quits.

Thanks

Eric

[Red]

You could give that a try, but I highly doubt it will be very effective. My rudder has a 1/8 inch thick steel plate that is 12x16 inches (I think, thats close anyway). It works awesome. Let me go take a pic then I will put it on here.

[Red]

Here is a few different pics. Hope this helps someone out.