Need help for my winter boat project

[ronhuntfish]

OK, This is regarding my winter project.  Attached are two pics of my 'small' boat. (My other boat is a 21ft bass boat). 

It is in need of some repairs due to a soft wood floor from being almost constantly wet.   I have already tore out the floor at the back, and probably will not replace the floor ahead of the mid-seats.

I am looking for ideas on what to do to this boat to make it the ultimate fishing boat (on a budget).  I know some of you have great ideas, and I'm all ears. 

The boat is a 14ft Smokercraft Big Fisherman.  I have a 12hp gas motor and a fairly new trolling motor for the transom.  It stays in the water all summer upnorth in a 150 acre lake.  We (my 3 sons and I) fish for both types of bass, pike, and gills.  It has a bait/live well with a drain, and I use the other mid-seat for the battery.  I have a cover, but usually only use it in the winter.

Any advice would be appreciated.  I will probably put a small sonar on it also.

[ronhuntfish]

Oh, i forgot.  You can see in the second pic that there is still plywood under the rear seat.  I have not figured out how to get that out without drilling out the rivits that hold the seat to the sides yet.  I'd rather not do that.

[djkimmel]

1. Don't let me help you! My first homemade bass boat sank...

2. I don't suppose you're thinking of a small, raised front deck? I built mine on a 14 ft boat, but it might not work too well if you fish with other people more than alone. I built a raised deck and put storage underneath it when I did mine, but it was so long ago, I can barely remember it. I do seem to recall a person or too who did something like that much more recently, and they actually seemed to know what they were doing

3. Don't touch any rivets that aren't leaking now. I had a chronic leaking rivet problem. Some of it was probably due to my less than expert building experience and maybe wet wood that  expanded?

4. Add a GreatLakesBass.com decal to the back...

I imagine more helpful things may come to mind as I reminisce about my old boat - the Sinking Betty (just kidding... I don't think I ever named it, but it did sink... I almost made it to shore - Wixom Lake at Albright Shores where a genius on shore said, as the back end of my boat and outboard went under, tackle boxes floating up and out... "dude, your boat is sinking..." wow, that was a long time ago...)

[djmaclf]

I have seen where someone used bed liner spray like Line-X, to seal up leaks and dampen the sound.

[Bloomer]

Have a 14ft Sears I did the same thing with. Only way I got it to stop leaking was to coat the entire bottom(outside) with truck bed liner. Also built a raised front deck with plywood(was not strong enough to stand on, stood on the front bench, used the raised deck to store a battery for the trolling motor). However mine was all aluminum, the only plywood in it was from the deck I had built. Really just cut a piece of wood in the shape of the front of the boat, wedged it in, then put the battery underneath it. Only problem was that leaving it in the water all summer long, the algea really collected on the bed liner I had put on it, and really slowed the boat down.

[REEL_MAN]

I had a project boat many years ago. It was a 16ft Aluma craft. Put in the floor added storage, rod locker and raised the front deck. The second winter I rerebuilt it. I took out the floor and center seat (had the live well). I had to reinforce the sides fo the boat since I took out the center seat but I built it into the storage and rod locker. I put the new floor and the new live well in the rear seat. The biggest advantage was the added floor room, biggest disadvantage was all the wood added weight to the boat.
Had that boat several years then I upgraded to a Ranger, but the project boat taught me alot on thre care and maintaince of a bass boat. Good luck have fun, only 8 weeks till soft water (I hope less).

REEL MAN
<)))))>{

[Bloomer]

8 weeks till soft water?? that's being pretty optimistic......although I hope so too.

[Rocknfish]

Hey Ronhuntfish... i feel yer pain man.Im in the middle of putting in a new floor and new deck on my 17' Bass Tracker.A few years ago I had the boat worked on and the mechanic parked  her outside in their lot all weekend...forgot about the plug being still in and we had a hell of a snowstorm and the remaining water froze the boat solid.Not good on a floor.I wish I had advice for ya.Im trying to figure out how to put in a rod locker if at all possible.That little boat has been all over the place! Lake Erie is beating her up pretty good...cant wait for more punishment!

Best of luck in the rebuild .
Aaron

[Got Fish??]

 Did it got a t-shurt. What i did was isealed the floor, Then i made a floor that comes out. I did'nt put a floor under the seats. I made a 3 part floor one large pannel and two narrow pannels. Hinged them together and slid them into the bottom of my boat. Then when it gets wet you can take the floor out, and dry your boat. Also if tackle gets lost. The floor comes out to look for your tackle.

[ronhuntfish]

I made a 3 part floor one large pannel and two narrow pannels. Hinged them together and slid them into the bottom of my boat. Then when it gets wet you can take the floor out, and dry your boat.

Hmm... That's an interesting thought.