Hi All! New here!

[GDeHavenIV]

Hello to all!

I'm George and I am a new member to the site from Northeastern, PA.

The reason for searching out this forum and becoming a member is because I am poor. First step is admitting it, right?

Anyway, I am financially stable in most aspects of my life but when it comes to my love of fishing, I don't often have enough money to buy high-end, top of the line gear and equipment. I was recently screwed over by a guy selling a boat on Craigslist. He and I agreed on a price for a '98 BassTender 10.2 that came with a trailer and a nice, little 4.5hp outboard. Well, the day I went to pick it up, he said that he had found someone willing to pay more for it and that he was sorry. After that, I haven't been able to find something else in my price range and I'm giving up.

All that being said, I actually already have a boat. It's a 10' jon boat that has been in the water a few times during the past year. (I posted a picture of it on the first day out!) At the time I purchased it, it was RED and pretty beat up. I sanded it down, fixed some of the dents and repainted it a nice green color. I took it out on the water, it floated and I caught some fish. Funny thing was, I didn't have a trolling motor so I was using a paddle to get around. It was one of the most tiring experiences of my life! A short time later, I picked up a cheap, little 15lb MinnKota trolling motor. Unfortunately, the very first time I attached it to the transom, I must have tightened it up too much and the transom sprung a leak.

So, I took it home and went crazy with everything I could find to patch the holes and get back on the water.

Now, I have this pretty cool little boat and I want to make a project out of it to take it to the next level. I've seen so many videos and pictures on the conversions that are done to these boats and I'm excited! I just don't know where to start.

One of the first problems I'm running into is that I'm a bigger guy. I'm 6'0'' but I weigh a little less than 250. At one point, I put a pedestal seat on and it threw my center of gravity off so much that at the end of the day, my legs were tired from constantly trying to NOT tip over!

I would very much like to be able to stand when I fish, but I'm afraid that because I'm so big and the boat is so small that I won't be able to. If I can't stand, I would like to be able to sit as high as possible but then again, I run into the center of gravity issue and I risk capsizing.

I will thoroughly check out these forums for some ideas but I thought it might be easier to introduce myself and have y'all give me advice, tips, tricks and ideas to help me along.

So my first question is:
Is it even worth it for a guy my size to work on a 10' boat or is it too small?

I really appreciate anyone who is willing to do this for me! I hope to hear from some of you soon!

Thanks so much for taking time to read this!

 

[SF Flats Fisher]

Welcome aboard!

I guess you could say you and I are in the same boat, I'm trying to do my build as cheaply as possible considering I'm 17, in highschool, with a job that barely pays for insurance and gas. Anywho;

A friend and I went in as partners about two years ago on an almost identical boat. He was 6'2 and 225 pounds and I am 6'1 and 150 pounds, we could both stand in the boat and fish comfortably most of the time. Now we only used this on the lakes around our houses, which had little to no chop most of the time. I'd say if you're going to build that boat, try to do it extremely inexpensively and just experiment with what works. That way if the plan fails, you won't have too much into it.

 

[BrazosDon]

I'm here to say: You ARE ''too'' big to be bothered with a 10 footer.

I tipped a 12'X32'' Alumacraft on the side and experienced a partial sinking. I went ahead and rolled out of the boat to keep from fully completing the inevitable. I held on the side until I got some help. I wasn't worried because I had some friends right behind me. I am 6' and 200lb, I just lost my balance reaching for the bait bucket. I now have a 14'X48'' with an 18hp Evinrude and it is very stable.

 

[GDeHavenIV]

I will appreciate your honesty. I really enjoy going out on the water by myself. It gets me out of the house and gives me a break from the chaos of my everyday life. What should I do with this boat then? The reason why I want to transform it into something cool is because I don't want to get rid of it!

 

[BrazosDon]

I would fix it up for sale and wait and get a bigger, more stable one, as in the 14x48, starting out.

 

[ggoldy]

BrazosDon has it...wider is better, but your 10 footer still has it's uses. You just have to keep your CG low.

 

[overboard]

That's a nice looking "LITTLE" boat, and I'm sure it has its place.
As for what you posted, I would be looking for a 14x48 and spend your money wisely on that.
I don't think you would be sorry!
If you are handy, some diamonds in the rough are sitting around and can be had for a reasonable price.

 

[GDeHavenIV]

Thanks for the advice! I had some ideas for it, including maybe putting a center console on to steer a big trolling motor. I have been scouring Craigslist for some bigger jons and I have found a few. However, the ones I've found are ranging anywhere from $500-$1000, which is a little steep for me right now.

I really like my little 10 footer. Maybe I'll build a platform so I can sit more towards the center and balance out the weight.

As big as I am, the 15lb. trolling motor I have actually moves the boat pretty well so imagine what a 30 or even 55lb motor would do!

Anyway, like I said, I really appreciate the advice! It might be a while before I'm able to pick up something different but whatever I decide to do, I'll make sure to post some pics!

 

[Go Time]

Welcome!

If you could find a foot control trolling motor cheap you could mount it up front, sit on that middle bench and steer the boat with your foot.

 

[ccm]

I know how you feel; I'm roughly the same size maybe a little heavier. If you keep the 10 footer it does have it's advantages.
1. lightweight, able to transport it to remote areas without ramps.
2. Easy to load and unload by yourself.
3. Will fit in the bed of a short bed truck or on a car roof.
I would keep the layout simple; rubber matting in the floor, low seats ( comfortable seats) and yes you can stand and fish just don't lean to one side or the other ( you will get use to the boat eventually). My buddy knew some one that had a 10ft boat we could borrow to fish local stock tanks, we could both stand up and fish with no problem at all.