How to Turn Your Small Boat Into a Fishing Machine
Not everyone can afford the high performance boats that you see competing in professional tournaments. Small aluminum boats can be made into fishing machines with a minimum of effort. These boats are used by anglers on the small inland lakes all over the United States. Your boat will be a much better fishing machine with a bow mounted trolling motor and a casting platform.
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Things You'll Need
- Bow mounted trolling motor
- Drill
- Bolts (provided by manufacturer)
- Nuts
- 12V battery
- Cardboard
- 3/4 inch plywood
- Angle brackets (4)
- Bolts (4)
- Nuts (4)
- Waterproof carpeting
- Waterproof caulk
Instructions
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Trolling Motor
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1
Place your bow mounted trolling motor on the bow of your boat. Ensure that you place it where you want it to sit permanently.
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2
Make a mark with a Sharpie pen through the screw holes on the mounting bracket on the bow of your boat. Mark all holes.
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3
Drill through the marks you made during Step 2 into the bow. Push the bolts through the holes and fasten the nuts on the underside.
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4
Drill a large hole through the bow and push the power cord through the hole. Attach the end of this cord to the battery.
Casting Platform
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5
Place your large sheet of cardboard into the center of the bow of your boat. Bend the cardboard to match where you would like your casting platform to lie. Outline with your Sharpie pen the edges of the platform.
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6
Lie the cardboard out on the ground and cut along the line you made in Step 1. Lie the cardboard on your sheet of plywood and draw a line with your marker.
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7
Cut the plywood using a jigsaw on the line you drew in Step 2. Insert the finished product into your boat to ensure proper fit. Make final adjustments with a jigsaw if it doesn't fit perfectly. Install waterproof carpeting before you place the plywood in the boat.
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8
Place the platform into the boat. Install 2 angle brackets on each side of the boat. Cover each of the screws with waterproof caulk on the inside.
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1
References
- Photo Credit fishing boat image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
