My new boat

**Hawkeye** · #1 07-31-2004, 07:25 PM

I bought a boat. I took a chance and bought one on Ebay... so, all I have to go on is the seller's word that I got what I want... It's a Ranger Bass Boat... with a 175 Mercury OB on the back... trolling motor... fishfinder... needs the carpet replaced on the floor... other than that, it's supposed (emphasis on supposed) to be in great shape. The motor has 40 hours since a rebuild, uses pre-mix gas which I like better than oil injection (don't trust those oil injection pumps), and it's on a relatively new trailer. I'm going to upload some pictures (I hope) and do a lot of praying that the seller is an honest man... here she is...

**Hawkeye** · #2 07-31-2004, 07:35 PM

I wanted to add a couple of things... First, thanks to everyone for their advice and comments. I was fairly well sold on the idea of a bigger boat (cuddy cabin or pontoon) until Mrs. T convinced me that she isn't likely to join me. I fished out of NightTrain's Bass boat, and I liked everything about it... room for three men, storage, ride... and this boat fit into my small budget... I got it for 500$ less than the guy's "buy it now" (asking) price.. It's important to me that you all know that your input had a great amount of influence on the entire decision making process. I don't want anyone to get the idea that I didn't listen (or read) their words and take them to heart... Thank You All... I decided on a smaller boat because it is much more portable and I believe I'll fish more than if I had a 24' pontoon, cabin boat or a bow rider to haul around. I know I can't fish in the lower James, but I still have my beater boat that can handle rougher water if i want to go that way... plus my neighbor (the guy who's boat I fixed a few weeks ago) and my Pastor, both have bigger boats that I can probably fish in the Bay and ocean in when they go...

So.... there she is... I hope she's as good a ride as I have been lead to believe....

Tom

**mudd_catt** · #3 07-31-2004, 09:05 PM

Well done. I think you will be pleased by this boat Hawkeye. I had a friend that had one almost like it, but he retrofitted with an Evinrude. He fished this boat until he won enough money to buy a brand new boat-= cash. I also had one with the same hull design, and it handles water (i think) better that a v-hull.

I agree with you in that if the wife and whole crew isn't going, this will be all the room that you need. A '**** has a lot of room, but why go with it if it isn't needed.

Is that the XR6 model motor, or an in-line model?

Happy boating.

**Hawkeye** · #4 08-01-2004, 05:30 AM

It's a V-6. I don't know the model number. Yeah, I'm thinking the modified tri-hull will be a slightly more stable platform than a deep-Vee. I have no clue how well it will handle the water. I also don't have any plans to become a tournament fisherman... Racing to the fishing hole isn't my idea of relaxation or fun. I might race to the ramp if the weather looks like it might turn bad on me, but that's about all the racing I have in mind... the kids might want to learn to waterski, or they might want me to pull them on an innertube, and I can live with that... I hope it is a dependable boat... something my current boat surely is not.
I added two more pictures. One of the motor....

**mudd_catt** · #5 08-01-2004, 06:28 PM

I think that it is the predecessor to the XR6. It will definitely be enough to pull a tube or skis.

BTW, I was browsing through some of my old magazines last night and found a couple of articles on the James river that you might be interested in, if the wife didn't throw them out when she cleaned up today.

**Hawkeye** · #6 08-01-2004, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudd_catt

I think that it is the predecessor to the XR6. It will definitely be enough to pull a tube or skis.

BTW, I was browsing through some of my old magazines last night and found a couple of articles on the James river that you might be interested in, if the wife didn't throw them out when she cleaned up today.

It could be... Like I said, I don't know that much about outboards in general, and even less as far as specific models and stuff... I have a friend who used to sell Mercs, and he told me it was a 200hp motor that is de-tuned (smaller carbs) to 175 horse power. I like the thought of having a more powerful motor tuned down to a lower horsepower rather than taking a small motor and trying to max out performance from it...

I would like to read any articles on The James, especially if they have references to catfishing in them. There isn't much in the way of expertise that I can't access locally... there are guides that willl share information, and there are a lot of local catmen that will also share... but other opinions are always welcome...

**mudd_catt** · #7 08-01-2004, 09:13 PM

One of the guy's names was Jimmy Weir, I believe out of Williamsburg. I got these articles out of back issues of Catfish In-Sider He magazine. He suggests LARGE cut shad for big fish. I will try to photocopy a couple of articles next week.

**NightTrain** · #8 08-02-2004, 08:56 PM

good deal,bud...lookin' forward to a''bote wide"!!

**Hawkeye** · #9 08-03-2004, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudd_catt

One of the guy's names was Jimmy Weir, I believe out of Williamsburg. I got these articles out of back issues of Catfish In-Sider He magazine. He suggests LARGE cut shad for big fish. I will try to photocopy a couple of articles next week.

Yeah... up here we try ti give them a quarter pounder without the cheese... I've used chunks as big as a pound... you don't have to worry about the dinks messin with the bait when you put a piece on that big, but it can sure slow down the bite :-) That big blue NightTrain and I caught took a shade (cut in half, both pieces on an 8/0 circle hook) that was about 6" long... so it doesn't always take a big bait to catch a big fish.

**Hawkeye** · #10 08-03-2004, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightTrain

good deal,bud...lookin' forward to a''bote wide"!!

If things work according to plan, and you know how that goes, you'll probably be the first human I take out in the boat... I'm thinking about getting a temp. registration and putting the boat in Gaston on the way home... just to see how she floats.