Fishing Forum

Hey y'all!
I'm gonna dump a portion of my tax return into a pontoon boat ( likely a CC Sport XR1 or similar).
I want to set up with a motor too. What do I need to do that?
Motor
battery
battery box

anything else?
Suggestions on said required parts?

Battery recharging; I need a home charger as well, correct? Can I also hook up to my truck and charge while I drive? (I'm not afraid to run wires to the bed, I plan on putting an ACC outlet back there anyway).

Thanks for the help!
Everyone stay safe with that hard water!
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You need a Deep Cycle Battery and a battery box to keep it dry. The boat you posted has the motor mount already so that is a bonus. You may need to slide the frame forward on the pontoons after putting the weight of the battery and the motor so be aware of that.
An electric motor like a Minn Kota 30 and up. But when you get the motor, remove the bolt holding the head on the shaft and turn it 180 degrees so it is facing the same direction as the prop. Then carefully put the bolt back in Use a pick if need to make sure wires are out of the way and you don't short anything out.
Now the motor is set up to pull you for hands free trolling/fishing with steering with you fins.

You will need to license it now however and with the motor you will need the Invasive Species Sticker or have it included in the licensing being an Idaho resident.
You will need to put the numbers and the letters on the hull of your boat with the boating sticker. There are many ways to do this, but legally they should be visible on both sides of the boat like a regular boat.

You could rig up your truck to charge thee battery but you will need a charger. I have a Minn Kota charger I take with me and use a generator to charge batteries on multi day trips, but you should be able to get a whole day fishing on one charge as long as you don't gun it all day.
Remember to take your oars with you in case.

Enjoy!
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Thanks FG!
Should I be concerned with the shaft length on the motor? I see 36 & 42 listed regularly.

Thanks for the tip on moving the frame, and changing the handle around! No doubt you saved me a pretty goofy looking moment on the water!

And yeah, the motor mount was one of the things I was looking for in a boat. I don't plan on using the motor all day, but it would be nice to have for those "transit periods" between the boat launch, and someplace quiet to drop a hook.

Oooohh, and the licensing! I'd hate to get in a high speed chase with a warden if I only have a trolling motor! Where do I do that at? DMV? F&G? and if I go out of state do I have to do anything extra? I plan to fish in Oregon a fair bit this year.



I read a review where a guy rigged up a solar panel on his boat to boost the battery life a little. Has anyone on here done this?
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whats a tax return?
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I am going to point out a couple things. First FG is correct. If you get this boat your going to have to do a lot of work balancing that boat. If you look at the back rack where the motor goes and the battery. The rack sits WAY back. The motor and battery are so far back that it will cause you to pop wheelies kind of like this.



This boat has a little different shape on the pontoon but I only have about 30 pounds on this one. The problem is the distance the rack is back, and where it is on the rockers. Now in this picture I have more weight but I did like FG said I moved the frame forward.



Now think about a 60 or 70 pound battery and a 30 or so pound motor. This boat is going to be tough to get to balance.
In this picture look at where my battery is. It is right behind the seat. Look at the one your thinking about. The battery is going to be about a foot or more farther back. This again will cause the front end to pop up. Look at this picture to see how close this battery is behind the seat.




Next I am going to talk about the fabric on the pontoons. It is nylon kind of like cordura. This material is kind of tough but, stickers or thorns pose a real problem. they can stick right through the weave. Another thing is the weave will allow sand to creep into the area with the bladders. What happens is the sand wears on the bladders and will cause premature failure. Keeping them clean on the inside and out is the only option. PVC covers are the best. 500 denier is in my opinion minimum. 1000 denier is better.

I hate to sound like I am all doom and gloom about them. I have two of the sports. They are light and will do ok for light duty. I use mine a couple times a year, My son uses his a lot and likes it.
All that said I am going to recommend you take your time figuring out the best pontoon for you. I hope I have pointed out a few things to think about. If you have any questions feel free to ask if you need help. Ron
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Wow, I didn't notice the motor mount & platform was so far back! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

I know this is one of the "cheaper options" for a pontoon. My fun money is getting spread a little thinner than I'd hoped for this year.
I really want to get one from Bucks bags, to be honest.
I hear good things about them, and they're in Boise.
BUT, I don't know just how big of a boat I want. So I thought I'd get a middle-length cheap boat this time around, to see how I like it, and learn from it. I'd rather buy a $200~300 boat I intend to sell, than buy a $800-1200 boat that I end up hating LoL.

I've been following the posts about you & your son's experiences in your pontoons from last year. It was very informative!
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Couldn't have said it better, MtnHomer. Funny! Mike
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Check KSL. You can find all sorts of pontoons. There is a Bucks for $295. Great boats. I started out with one.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=231&sid=74268&ca...=12&sort=1

And most boats, a 36" would be fine.
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I like the idea of a used one. The green one with the motor in my picture was 200 dollars. I have seen many like this one. Here is one but you would have to look at it and decide the condition. Ron

http://boise.craigslist.org/boa/3550615487.html
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The problem I have with this one is the short over all length and big rockers this boat would have the same problems as the Creek Co. It also has no OEM motor mount. If it were me I would pass on the boat. Ron


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I hadn't really thought about a used one.

And yeah, I think you & I had discussed the "steep rocker" issue a while back via PM. I'd like to stay away from those. I'm going to be on flat water for the most part anyway, so the steep rockers would be really lost on me LoL
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South Fork is one of the most popular boats on the market. The rockers are nothing like the ones on your other boat.


I am done.
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That one I linked for you would do flat water or mild white water. I took mine like that one from Swan Falls to Walters ferry. Nothing big there but it does have some fun splashers. Ron
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Ya know the south fork isnt too bad I have had at least 75 pounds on back of mine and a little work you can build a motor mount pretty easy as i did mine. all just depends on if you want a turn key boat. I bet if you offered 225 for that ksl boat he would take it.
If you can find a bucks bronco (8ft) or a bronco extreme (10ft) they have a factory mount as well as a rigid rear deck

To tell you the truth I would love one of those boats you can stand up on [cool]





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The picture I posted was the one off the add. It has rockers that are very similar to the creek co so same problems. I would pass if it were my dollars. Ron
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Your a big guy offsetting the weight in the back[shocked]
Does your south fork look like the one in the picture? Ron
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No it is not. There is only one Bronco. You did a youtube of your buddy on one.
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The picture I posted of the Green south fork is the one off the add you posted. Ron
I am not saying all south forks are the same or even bad. I am saying this one you posted is one I would not invest in. What are you talking about on the Bronco? Ron


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There is only one South Fork Ron, always has been. They did not change.
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What is this model?




What is this model?



I have seen my buddy's boat and the pontoons don't look like the green one. Ron
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