Simple Transom mount and Battery Basket

[Bardic]

I will hopefully get to go to Swan Falls Reservoir tonight if my wife is feeling up to it, so I have been running around town trying to find items to match what I imagine in my head.

Here are some of my mods so far. I made a transom mount that fits into the footrest loop. I can pull it up a little if needed, and I may redo it with a longer piece of PVC, but I probably don't need to.





I also bought a deep cycle battery for my underwater fishing light and a trolling motor if/when I decide to get one. My wife didn't think the pontoon could handle something so heavy, but there isn't much choice when it comes to deep cycle and bigger means a longer run time. Besides, I won't always take it with me. I found a basket, secured it with ropes and dog clips (thanks FG for the idea), and then I found some straps to reinforce it and take some pressure off the ropes. Works for the battery and fish finder, and when I don't have the battery it will be handy to throw things into.











Making some rod holders, a wheel for transport, maybe a motor mount, and figuring out a standing platform are my next projects. So far all very simple, just a matter of finding something that matches the dimensions I need, and then strapping it down really well.
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[flygoddess]

Awesome mods! You might have to rethink the battery if you add a motor, or lengthen the battery wires on the motor.
I had this thought on my Assault. Putting the battery in the front, but like I said, have to lengthen the motor connections.
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[Bardic]

Worked pretty well, the bottom of the box was slightly in the water which is ok, I made a platform out of bungies so the fish finder couldn't drop any lower and it sat pretty well too. I think if I get a motor I will extend the battery cables so I have some posts and switches next to my arm. I will have the motor, the fish light when I use it, and an AC inverter so I can run anything else I might need, like charging the fish finder if it dies. I may also put it back with the motor to counter-balance like someone else on here did and run something forward for the light.

The transom sat in the water whether I had it up or down, I just wish I had remembered to put it on -before- we rowed out to the middle. Getting the box out of the way so I could put it through the loop and turned correctly was a pain but I managed. It also didn't drag weeds too badly.

Fun, but short, trip. There was some wind and I caught a clam.






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[cpierce]

Nice mods. The fun has only just begun!

I don't think I have ever seen anyone catch a clam before. [shocked] You probably hold the world record there!! LOL [laugh][laugh]
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[flygoddess]

That is awesome! You have more room between you and the front seat that we do with the Assault XX. I think the seating area is bigger on the XX though. We pack the LARGE batter behind the rowing seat, but still have room for other stuff.

Keep up the great work!

Oh, and what I found on the Transom, I have it just shy of touching the ground on dry land. When in the water it is perfect. That way I don't have to remember to put it up or down, but that is cause I kept forgetting to[]
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[cpierce]

Once you start modifying the sky's the limit. It is difficult to say where to best mount a motor on your boat, but if you decide to, then I think that something like my first motor mount would work for you. It isn't what I use now, but where you don't have room behind you for the battery, I think it would work.

Scroll down in this post to see a little more about it. There is threaded rod inside the pvc.
http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gfo...ost=581478



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[cpierce]

One more thing if you do put a motor behind you. Make sure that you turn the head of the motor around so that it pulls you backwards.
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[flygoddess]

A light just went on! A deck! By putting a deck there in the middle, you would get everything out of the water, you could have the motor right there as well.


You can mount a motor any where on the back of this deck by just adding a piece of wood. Plus maybe rod holders[]
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]Making some good progress. As I can verify...from years of trial and error...your original ideas are likely to undergo a series of modifications before you get exactly the results you want. But that process is both fun and frustrating. Knowing what you want and being familiar with the materials needed are a big step in the right direction.

They say that "Necessity is the mother of invention." I shorten that to "Necessity is a mother."
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[mojorizing]

So as of right now, you have a deep cycle battery but no motor. Is the battery you're using just for the sonar? If so, I'd rethink that and get a smaller 1280mah 12 v SLA battery until you get a motor. And getting an AC inverter to run anything else like charging a fish finder isn't going to happen.
An inverter runs off your 12v battery- so does your fish finder. So if the fish finder is running out of juice, so is your battery so an inverter is a moot point. Need light? 12v LED's fit the bill. Or if it's a light you drop in the water, I'm sure you can get on in 12v.
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[Bardic]

The battery is for the underwater light currently. The sonar is a portable that has its own battery that lasts about 6 hours with the screen set on the brightest setting. I also do have access to my brother's Minnkota trolling motor over in Idaho Falls, but may just get myself one soon.

I was able to use the light for a little bit last night. Had a nice collection of plankton and things swimming around it and a few bluegill (I assume) but didn't have time to attract very many or get any to bite before the wind picked up and my wife wanted to leave.

It's overkill for the light currently, but I would need something soon anyways. Besides, I might feel the need to take the laptop out on the water, and I'd need to charge it after a few hours too. I can also charge my cell if it starts dying from too many pictures and videos of all those huge fish
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[flygoddess]

You better hope you never spring a leak...LOL You might want to attach solar panels to charge the battery. I know one person that did that and I have thought about it.
The motor is going to draw most power as you already know. What exactly is this light set up and why?
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[Bardic]

It is a bright underwater light with a 20 foot cable that you can lower down. It attracts the zooplankton, which then attract the bugs and minnows and bait fish, and then the bigger fish. Artificial light used to be illegal in Idaho, but from everything I've seen they removed that limitation. I don't know about Utah's regulations. Then you can jig for them and try to get the big fish to choose your presentation.

It's also fun to just watch the fish below, and by illuminating from under the water you don't have the reflective glare that a head lamp would give. Which reminds me, an underwater camera would be another fun toy to use with the battery.

Heh, the laptop may be a bit much but I do like my technology. I might need a waterproof bag for a Nook and other electronics, and I already have an otterbox for my phone. Then maybe a float in case the sonar goes down. For the battery I could always do what the snowmobile guys do when they race across lakes in the summer: Attach a rope with a marker buoy so I can retrieve it later.
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[OldTroller]

Okay if nobody else is going to say it I will... Smoking hot wife dude!
But on a serious note, great mods and keep posting pics. I for one really enjoy seeing others mods.
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[Bardic]

Lol, Thanks! I think she is pretty great. She's mad I used that picture instead of the one where she is smiling, but the other one was blurry.
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