New member with a new boat.

Hello, I am new here. I am from South Louisiana. I am picking up my first jon boat on Saturday. My dad had one so I have fished out of them quite a bit. I am getting a Tracker Grizzly 1548 with a 25hp four stroke mercury. I am a kayak fisherman so it will be nice not having to paddle for a change. Are there any mods that most of you do right away? I plan on setting the boat up for Speck and Redfish fishing. I don't do a lot of bass fishing but I do enjoy it every once in a while. I plan on extending the deck around a foot. I will also need to get a trolling motor. Do many of you just mount your trolling motor to the transom? I would rather it on the bow but it looks like I can save some cash and just mount a cheaper one to the transom. I also plan on using the jon boat to "mothership" my kayak into the Marsh.

Great forum, by the way.
Thanks, Anthony

Get you a transom mount trolling motor with a long shaft, turn the head around, and mount it on the bow. You will very likely regret putting it on the transom for the type of fishing you do. Go ahead and put a flat floor on the bottom. Tripping over ribs all the time is a PITA.

:WELCOME: to Tinboats. What part of LA? I'm in LA fishing just about every weekend.

I have a Alweld very simular to what you have. Check it out in the gallery https://www.tinboats.net/forum/images/thumbnails.php?album=180 I have put just about every feasible mod on it that I can think of. Everyone calls it the "Marsh Master".

Bassboy, that will be the first thing that I will do. I will have the plywood before I get the boat.

Specksnreds,
Thanks man. Lets see, I am from the Hammond area. I go to school in New Orleans so I stay in Chalmette during the week. The boat will stay at my parents house in Hammond. I am much closer to good fishing down here in Chalmette, but I have nowhere to keep the boat down here. I keep my kayak down here and go to Hopedale whenever I get the chance. Where do you fish normally? Nice set up you have there man. I like the extra seat in the middle. My girlfriend will be tagging along with my dad and I so that extra see would be a good idea.

I was wondering if you would recognize the first picture. It was taken at Breton Sound Marina. We are there just about every weekend. If we're not there we are in Venice. As you can see I live in Picayune,MS, which is under a hour from Hammond. I mainly work in Slidell, but tomorrow I will be in Irish Bayou at our main shipyard.

Good luck on your mods and fishing. We should be heading to Hopedale this weekend (if this wind ever dies down). I'll PM you if we do.

I actually stared at that first picture for a little while because I knew I recognized it. I have never fished there out of a boat, only a kayak. We have been catching some nice sized specks around there, just not very many. How have ya'll been doing? We fish within a mile or so of BSM. We will definitely have to meet up so you can show me some spots around there in a boat. If you ever see the kayak in the pic down in Hopedale, thats me.


Hopedale trout

:WELCOME:

Thanks for joining! :beer:

Nice yak!

Thanks man. Unfortunately, I just found out that my cousins dog tore my seat and my anchor trolley off.

Jim said:

:WELCOME:

Thanks for joining! :beer:

Nice yak!

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AnthonySPT11 said:

I actually stared at that first picture for a little while because I knew I recognized it. I have never fished there out of a boat, only a kayak. We have been catching some nice sized specks around there, just not very many. How have ya'll been doing? We fish within a mile or so of BSM. We will definitely have to meet up so you can show me some spots around there in a boat. If you ever see the kayak in the pic down in Hopedale, thats me.

Hopedale trout

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Not a bad trout out of a yak!!! We have been doing decent fishing out of Bay Eloi and on around the Biloxi Marsh. Check out some of my post in the reports section. I would not mind helping all I can with Hopedale. It's a huge area and it took me 10 years to get where I'm at because I had no one to show me around. I helped Cathprod with the area and he nailed the fish on his second try at Hopedale. The best advice is to GET A GPS. As you probably know with the yak, This is a huge area with 100's no 1000's of miles of bayous that all look the same. Send me a PM when you are going next and I will help you out with a few spots even if I can not go.

Thanks. Sounds good. I will definitely have to take you up on that one day when I get a little time. I am just going to take a quick trip to Lacombe on Sunday to try the boat out. How do you like your 4 stroke 25?

AnthonySPT11 said:

Thanks. Sounds good. I will definitely have to take you up on that one day when I get a little time. I am just going to take a quick trip to Lacombe on Sunday to try the boat out. How do you like your 4 stroke 25?

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I love it!! I will never buy another 2-stroke if I can help it. It runs maybe 1-2 Mph slower than the 2-stroke I replaced, but the torque is unbelievable. I compare it to a new diesel truck, It runs the same MPH empty or loaded. The best part is I'm getting over 80 miles on six gallons (GPS). I run Bayou La Loutre all the time and its 26 miles long if you do not know the short cuts. I tried several props before I found the best one. My boat is very very heavy 120 quart ice chest, batteries, gas, tackle, me, and whoever is with me. It pops up on plain in less than a foot of water. My 2-stroke wouldn't do this. I bought it in '04 new and average 12-14 Hopedale trips a year in it. I run at least 50 miles a trip. 50 miles X 14 trips X 5years = 3500miles / 27MPH = 130 hours with no problems. Do you know how many $$$ I've saved on 2-stroke oil and gas? I figure I have well over 200 hours. I change the oil and filter (just like you car) twice a year.

Sounds like a good motor. I can't wait to try mine out. I hope to be able to get out on Lake P. on Sunday to run it a little. I'm sure the south wind will be kicking. If so, I will stick to some freshwater fishing.

I'm heading to Basspro in the morning to pick up my boat. The suspense is killing me. It is a leftover 2008 model so I got a decent deal. I got screwed on a used motor before so I opted to get a new set-up this time. Pics coming soon.

AnthonySPT11 said:

I'm heading to Basspro in the morning to pick up my boat. The suspense is killing me. It is a leftover 2008 model so I got a decent deal. I got screwed on a used motor before so I opted to get a new set-up this time. Pics coming soon.

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Sweet!!! What size and motor (assuming a Merc)??? I see a Hopedale trip soon

Well, here it is. 2008 Tracker Grizzly 1548 with a 2008 Mercury 25hp four stroke. Can't wait to give it a try. Unfortunately, I have to go to a wedding right now instead of going fishing.

Sweet ride!!! That would eat me alive knowing I had a new boat sitting outside and had to wait.

I was suppose to be in Hopedale today but, everyone backed out. I will be there tomorrow with tinboats member Cathprod.

Nice looking boat and motor.
Chrome rims...fancy.
Hope you get plenty of enjoyment out of it.

Specksnreds,
Thanks, I will be on the water at daylight tomorrow. I am going to shoot for a little freshwater fishing for tomorrow because I am short on time and it is close. If Lake Ponch. isn't rough, I may try to see if the specks are around. Good luck in Hopedale. Let me know how you do.

Zum,
Thanks. I'm not sure why my rims look chrome in the pictures, but they are just standard steel rims. I guess they are just shiny because they are new right now.

Welcome aboard - nice boat!

I spent a month in Sidell and had the opportunity to fish out of Batavara, LA for Speck and reds. I wish I was there right now!

Thanks Captain Ahab.
I took the boat out today for the first time. I love it. Very very stable. The motor is great, but I haven't gotten a chance to really run it yet because I still have to finish breaking it in. I would guess that it will go in the low 20's. I tried a little bass and white perch fishing with no luck. We just ended up catching some nice bream. It was a good time just being out on the water.