Any Pelican Bass Raider Owners Out There?

[Tommy X]

3 hours ago, BigSlab29 said:

My dad and I are buying a pelican 8 on Sunday. Mainly to use for crappie fishing farm ponds and small strip cuts and lakes. I'm excited as this is my first boat. I've been reading some great tips on this thread. I think even though I'm a heavyweight guy that this boost is gonna be good enough for now for my dad and I. Is a 32lb thrust gonna push it good? Should I mount in the front with a rudder in the back?

Get the 10 footer or you might end up buying twice. I'm a big guy. 6'3" 250 and I thought the 8' was too small for me and I go by myself 95% of the time. Just my 2 cents

[Fishes in trees]

Over the life of the boat, the price difference between the 10 footer and the 8 footer is insignificant.  I used to have a pond boat, a 10' Water Buster.   The  handling differences between 1 and 2 people on the boat were significant.   Go with the biggest trolling motor you can afford.

Sooner or later you will break the motor, or shear a prop pin or wrap so much line around the prop that it won't spin anymore, something.   Be certain to have an alternate mode of propulsion - i.e. a paddle or a push pole, preferably both.

The primary reason that I got rid of my pond boat was that I'm getting older and not as agile as I one was - therefore I needed a more stable platform to fish out of.   I got an 18' Lowe WF 180.  It handles significantly different depending on if there is one or two people on board.

[coachfozz]

I was going for the Pelican for the longest time. The one my buddy was going to sell, his nephew borrowed and destroyed it.  I actually went with a Sea Eagle8.  An inflatable the same size as the Pelicans and they hold 950 pounds which is an awesome thing.  I wish there was a topic with this stuff on it, but I will post of picts of things I do with my boat on here if no one is against it.  

[68dave]

On 3/4/2016 at 9:50 AM, Canam13 said:

A 32 will move it along and you be able to cover smaller lakes no problem. Bigger  lakes you would want to move up to a 45-55lb thrust. My TM is mounted up front with a rudder in the back. I find that's the best setup for me alone or with a partner. 

Good luck with the boat, enjoy!

I'm stealing your rudder design!

[Tommy X]

19 hours ago, coachfozz said:

I was going for the Pelican for the longest time. The one my buddy was going to sell, his nephew borrowed and destroyed it.  I actually went with a Sea Eagle8.  An inflatable the same size as the Pelicans and they hold 950 pounds which is an awesome thing.  I wish there was a topic with this stuff on it, but I will post of picts of things I do with my boat on here if no one is against it.  

yeah, let's see it!

How did that punk manage to destroy a boat in one outing? lol

[68dave]

I built myself a dolly today to haul my Pelican from the campsites to the lake. Wish i could post a pic here!

[68dave]

I was able to post a pic!

[johnkn]

Looks very good, should make it easy to move around. 

[Tommy X]

13 hours ago, 68dave said:

I built myself a dolly today to haul my Pelican from the campsites to the lake. Wish i could post a pic here!

NICE! I did more or less the same thing but yours looks more professional.

[68dave]

I'm gonna buy some padding to install around the PVC to further protect the underside of my Pelican.

How do you like my bait/utility table? Probably only gonna use it on solo fishing trips.

I plan to mount a little RV type plastic drawer under the table.

[Tommy X]

How do you like my bait/utility table? Probably only gonna use it on solo fishing trips.

I noticed that, yeah, pretty cool. You could mount a fish finder on that table as well

[johnkn]

Don't forget your boat numbers and sticker.

 

[68dave]

Yea I still have to register it. I have the sales receipt & certificate of origin, think that's all i'm gonna need for registration. I still have to purchase a TM and fab myself a rudder. I plan to mount some rod holders to my cooler. The tabletop is a USA made poly plastic cutting board. It's stain & crack resistant. Your right, table would be a good place for my fish finder. I'm trying to avoid having to drill holes into the boat itself but i see that a lot of people do it without any issues.

[68dave]

We still planning a day at Lake Redman?

[Tommy X]

13 hours ago, 68dave said:

Yea I still have to register it. I have the sales receipt & certificate of origin, think that's all i'm gonna need for registration. I still have to purchase a TM and fab myself a rudder. I plan to mount some rod holders to my cooler. The tabletop is a USA made poly plastic cutting board. It's stain & crack resistant. Your right, table would be a good place for my fish finder. I'm trying to avoid having to drill holes into the boat itself but i see that a lot of people do it without any issues.

 

12 hours ago, 68dave said:

We still planning a day at Lake Redman?

If I didn't have a problem registering the Pelican in NJ, no one should. (notorious ball busting state)

The rudder thing is up to you, I have had no trouble with the motor on the back, it tracks well. I watch the wind on the forecast, but I have had no issues in 12 to 15 mph winds. I still want to make a rudder to use on a no motor lakes and try a kayak paddle.

When my boat was new I was terrified to put a hole in it. I'm over it now. The plastic is thick on the top rail and by using the Tri Grip rivets from Yak gear to attach accessories, I have no fears at all that those things will pull out. It might even be overkill. I used marine sealant on them just to be sure they ended up water tight. My next project will be a shallow water anchor system but that's on hold because I need stuff for my truck right now.

I definitely want to do the Lake Redman thing. A Sunday would be best for me. I work nights so getting up at 3 on a Sat to be at Redman by 7 would be too much ( I get home at 1am). I plan on going out there Sat afternoon for fishing Sunday Morning. Mid May? Spawn should be in full swing, right?. We would also need to set a rain date. 

 

[Jon W]

Question for your guys who have made platforms or lined the bottom with plywood/carpet. Do you seal the plywood with anything before you carpet it?  Or is the chance of it getting wet enough to matter really slim?

[johnkn]

If it were me I would just purchase a sheet of pressure treated plywood and not worry about it again.  Good luck. 

[johnkn]

I'm growing to really dislike Dick's Sporting goods.   I've been trying to buy a Pelican at my local store since October with no luck.    The people I speak with seem knowledgable and all state that they have no visibility to stock they will be receiving.   If I order from Dicks.com there is a $381 shipping charge with 2-8  week shipping time, if I order it delivered to the store, they say shipping is about $50 less (same 2-8 weeks), vs zero shipping if it's in stock.    My option is to drive to a store that shows 'limited' stock  which is 50-70 miles one way.   I don't care so much about the drive and will have to pull a trailer, but I would have to call first and ask if it's really there, if it's damaged in any way, etc., drive there and ...hope... what I was told is accurate.   I envision a 3 hour round trip only to find out it really isn't there, they just accidently sold it, or that it's damaged.   Geez.  

[wnspain]

1 hour ago, johnkn said:

If it were me I would just purchase a sheet of pressure treated plywood and not worry about it again.  Good luck. 

I would definitely NOT go with the pressure treated option. The reason I say this is because pressure treated plywood is made of softer woods to facilitate absorption of the chemicals used in the treatment. It is not only softer, but has more wood deficiencies than marine grade plywood, which is made of Douglas Fir. Also, the glues used are different, pressure treated is resin based and designed to retard mold and fungi while marine grade glues are waterproof and cured with high heat and pressure. Put any quality water sealer or varnish of your choice on it, just make sure it's compatible with the carpet glue that you're using.  

[68dave]

1 hour ago, johnkn said:

I'm growing to really dislike Dick's Sporting goods.   I've been trying to buy a Pelican at my local store since October with no luck.    The people I speak with seem knowledgable and all state that they have no visibility to stock they will be receiving.   If I order from Dicks.com there is a $381 shipping charge with 2-8  week shipping time, if I order it delivered to the store, they say shipping is about $50 less (same 2-8 weeks), vs zero shipping if it's in stock.    My option is to drive to a store that shows 'limited' stock  which is 50-70 miles one way.   I don't care so much about the drive and will have to pull a trailer, but I would have to call first and ask if it's really there, if it's damaged in any way, etc., drive there and ...hope... what I was told is accurate.   I envision a 3 hour round trip only to find out it really isn't there, they just accidently sold it, or that it's damaged.   Geez.  

Dicks in Bel Air has one in stock. I saw it on the shelf 2 weeks ago. $599 if you take a pic of Academy's online ad, they price matched it for me after i purchased mine. $699 regular price. I dealt with a manager named Kevin.

Pics of the dolly i made. Built it out of a old trailer dolly, PVC pipe, SS hardware and zip ties. I wrapped the PVC with foam to help protect the bottom.

[choppertime]

1st time posting...love my pelican bass raider 10e..my girlfriend and I are always out on some body of water in ohio..never a problem unless real windy or I set a treble hook in her leg one time..when I can post a pici will. I built a rod holder out of pvc 90's and cut straight pieces to make a square and installed a square piece of 1/2 inch plywood on top and got the Velcro rod holders with the rubberized holders can carry 8 rods if need be spinners an baitcasters. Good luck all with your boats they are great!

[johnkn]

On March 7, 2016 at 8:15 PM, johnkn said:

 

 

Completely agree that fir-based marine plywood is far superior and appropriate for exposed,  finished products.  Given that its cost approaches $80-$90 per sheet vs pressure treated at $30, I somehow didn't think that the majority of folks here would see the value of the upgrade for a floor that is to be carpeted in a boat that most have paid $100-$600 for.  

[wnspain]

3 minutes ago, johnkn said:

Completely agree that fir-based marine plywood is far superior and appropriate for exposed,  finished products.  Given that its cost approaches $80-$90 per sheet vs pressure treated at $30, I somehow didn't think that the majority of folks here would see the value of the upgrade for a floor that is to be carpeted in a boat that most have paid $100-$600 for.  

That may be true but never under estimate the ability of a fisherman to spend some serious coin on our little hobby/obsession. I have seen plastic boats sporting micro power poles more than once . 

[johnkn]

LOL,   yep, absolutely an obsession, we all tend to dream how to make them ours, and add our personal touches, that's a big part of the fun for many of us.  

 

 

 

[68dave]

John like i mentioned the Dick's where i bought my 10e has one in stock,(at least 2 weeks ago when i was there last they did, i saw it). It's about a 20 min. drive from my house if you like i could drive up there for you just to check that it's still there. When i called this store about purchasing mine the girl told me they showed one on their computer and took my # because she wanted to go out to the storage container and visually check that they did in fact have one in stock. She quickly called me back to inform me that they did have it in stock, i thought that was cool. I drove right up & bought it. When i was there a couple weeks ago they had one that just came in up on the shelf with a small Sundolphin. If i can assist in any way to help get you & this lil boat united just let me know.