Looking @ the new 1542L

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repairtech1

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Joined
Jan 4, 2010
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Location
Beaumont, TX
'Here is my situation, I alive in Southeast Texas very close to Sabine, Neches River. I also travel to New Orleans at least 1 time a month to see my son's. The 16 year old loves to fish. I have been approved to by a fiberglass 18' bass boat, but I am thinking about buying a Tracker 1542L and modifying it with floor decks and so forth. I am fairly large person 6-3 and 255#. I have had a 16' alweld with a 60 hp before and loved the boat. As far as decking the boat I would not go higher than the bench's. I all of your opinions would this make a good speckled trout, red fish.....bass boat for fishing bayou's and inside? Maybe even some lake's. The dimensions are as follows 15' length 42" wide bottom 17" transom and 20" sides. The reason I am considering this is for the price of the down payment I can pay for a good portion of this project and have no payments. I have around $1,500 to start with. Boat new is around $1,100.00 with tax. Trailer $225.00. Batteries and a trolling motor about $200.00. I will work on the conversion as funds allow, I also have a 20 hp johnson that I had on a riverhawk boat. But I will have to wait for to get it, it is in Atlanta with my brother.

Sorry foe such a long post. Anybody have or know anything about the tracker or the alumacraft same size sold at academy?
 
:WELCOME:
Thanks for joining!

Good idea to get the Aluminum. These days having no payments is a huge plus. It will not compare to your alweld, but if your fishing smaller waters it can work.

Topper-1542-LW-Riveted-Jon_img5480_700.jpg
 
Thanks for the reply and the welcome. My expectation is that maybe it would be a little more stable platform while fishing. The Alweld I belive was a 40' V bottom and had a lot of wieght in the rear. I did take it out through Tiger Pass out of Venice (We had camp on house boat canal) and out to Brento SOund on a real flat day. I would not attempt that much open water in this boat. But would fish Hopedale, Sabine River, Neches, Taylor Bayou and such......I am thinking electric power initally for back in the bayou's and wait for gas motor for bays and Hopedale.

My system would be as large an electric as I can afford w/ 2 battery system. Fish until Battery 1 starts get low and then switch to battery 2 and go back to the launch. Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Are you planning a front TM or rear? Foot controlled or hand?

55 pounds id the biggest you can get with a one battery 12v setup. Anything more requires at least 2 batteries.
 
Probably on the bow beacuase that is where it will end up. It will be hand control, I found from my previous weldcraft hand control seem to be more functional for me on these boats given the limited deck space.
 
repairtech1 said:
Probably on the bow beacuase that is where it will end up. It will be hand control, I found from my previous weldcraft hand control seem to be more functional for me on these boats given the limited deck space.

I agree, I have the hand control on my crawdad and my basshunter.
 
Welcome to Tinboats from a fellow Hopedale and Venice fisherman.

If you have read any of my reports, you will see I'm fishing Hopedale just about every weekend. EXCEPT this weekend due to they are predicting 14 degrees :eek: :shock: :eek: :shock: at my house (I THOUGHT WE LIVED IN THE SOUTH!!!!) They are predicting major fish kills if it stays this cold for long.

I hope it was a slick day if your running out of Tiger Pass and in Breton Sound :shock: . I kept my 29' sportfisher in Venice for over 10 years and have said it wasn't big enough at times when running West Delta to Tiger Pass.

I fish Hopedale this time of year mainly in my 1448 Alweld modified Vee rather than a fiberglass due to the winter tides being so low.

Be really careful of a rivet hull down here. I trailer my boat several thousand miles a year (Hopedale is an 180 mile round trip), like it sounds like you will be doing. Our roads will rattle the rivet loose in no time. I've owned around 6 rivet hulls and have had the same problem on every one of them. It was so bad that my wife would get in the boat (on the trailer) with a heavy solid piece of steel and would know the order to go in while I was rebucking the rivets below.

I prefer a foot controled TM. We catch a lot of Reds over 25lbs and you have no choice but to chase them down. It's hard to fight a Red and work a TM by hand. I know a lot of people like you and Jim that prefer a hand controled TM. I just don't like them. Yes, they do take up a lot of room when stowed. Be really careful running electric only in the bayous especially Bayou La Loutre in Hopedale. Every since they dammed up the MRGO, the tides have been getting treacherous at times. I say this because we towed in a guy the week before Christmas. He had a trolling motor on a 14' flatboat only about a mile from Breton Sound Marina. The tide starting rolling out and his trolling motor couldn't push him against the tide.

P.S. Next time your heading to Hopedale, let me know.
 
Specknreds,

Thanks, for the reply. I fished Hopedale for about 15 yrs myself, but have not been back since Katrina. I always had gas motor and always will when fishing over in that part of the world. I will have to stick to Pine Island Bayou here in Beaumont and areas such as that. I hear you about a rivet boats but it's the best I can do right now. We use to launch out of Cypress Cove and would run out and cross the river and go to Baptis Caluet sorry about spelling. About 1/4 mile up house boat canal turns sharp to the right our camps were the first ones on the left. I doubt it is still there after Katrina. The camp I built was the raised camp with the metal siding and roof. I will drop you a pm next time I am headed that way.
 
Took actual look at boat today. I am concerned about depth??? Boat is 42" at bottom and actually 15-6 in length. But has 15' transom with 17" sides. Worried about being deep enough. Any feed back would be appreciated on anyone using a similar setup.....stability, wakes or waves washing over....large human fishing in boat???

Thanks guy's been here a couple of days and already picked up a lot of info.
 
repairtech1 said:
Took actual look at boat today. I am concerned about depth??? Boat is 42" at bottom and actually 15-6 in length. But has 15' transom with 17" sides. Worried about being deep enough. Any feed back would be appreciated on anyone using a similar setup.....stability, wakes or waves washing over....large human fishing in boat???

Thanks guy's been here a couple of days and already picked up a lot of info.

If you look at the home page of Tinboats, you will see my boat. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between a flat and mod. vee. A flat has a lot more stable floatation. It is a 1448 with a 16" transom. I have had a lot of weight issue in the rear. I have a 170lbs 4-stroke on the rear and I use to weight 245. I run some serious weight in mine. TM & battery, 120 quart ice chest, 20+lbs of ice, gas, 30lbs tackle box, and etc. This made me put the gas tank and battery all the way too the front taking up most of my floor. I solved all of my problems by adding floatation pods. I now have the gas tank, battery, and two people in the back with no problems. Even before the pods, I didn't have any real problems with water coming in. I had a wave or two come over the front when an idiot oyster boat came by kicking up about a 5' wake. I was fishing in the front and it put a few inches of water in my boat. The 1448 flat that I had before this one held my weight much better. If you like the boat and itis a good deal, go for it. I believe that you will be fine. You have to use your head fishing the waters we do.
 
Thanks for the advise, my plan has changed for now i am the hospital now. been here since thursaday and have no insurance. so my boat money is gone and then some. they think i have a bad infection in my colon, but have hinted in may be the big c. i have my laptop and they have wifi here so not all is bad.

you all take care and i will check in often.
 
My Lord.... MY brother Man you have more to think about than a boat .....Your health is much more important.....God be with you and yours I'll keep ya in my prayers......JIGGY
 
sorry to hear about that. hope its not the big c. get better. here in kansas, they have grants to help people who don't have insurances. you should check and see if texas offers things like that.
 
Still here in hospital but think I may get out tomorrow. Then get to go home and sleep in own bed!!!! Still do not know what mass is, they are afraid to go in and check afraid they will make it mad again. They want my white count within normal range (infection) totally gone. But I am feeling better just weak as water!

Thanks guy's
 

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