Cat Capable??

[hanson]

A few weeks back, Rick was asking how we'd redesign a 17-18' boat in the Open Water Forum to fit our needs a little better. Well, a Crestliner Fishhawk didn't exactly sound like the platform I needed to build my "perfect" boat. So I started looking around.

The point of this build is to assemble a river boat on a budget, since most of us cat guys don't have a very big budget anyway. Of course, RiverPro is the perfect boat if I had the cash but since I don't have the cash, lets dream a little on a budget.

Lets start with a... Hull

This particular hull is a Lowe Roughneck R1652VT. Now pretty much every boat manufacturer makes some kind of mod-V jonboat so you should be able to find a hull you like.

Never mind how small it looks in the picture. This hull has some room in it! I was up at Cabelas and they had a 1756 model Roughneck done up with a duck blind and that boat was huge!

The hull is 16' long, 55" clear across at the floor.

The cool thing about this hull is you can have it factory ordered with a jet tunnel. A transom extension can be added later or a jack plate to get your motor up for an OB jet.

I guess I'm thinking you order the hull with a jet tunnel right off the bat as I don't see how that could affect performance of a prop outboard.

Now what about a Motor?

I said this was a budget job so we're not going with a new motor. This particular hull is rated for 60hp and I think we're going to want all that hp, especially if you switch up to an OB jet. Cruising the classifieds, I've found a number of motors in the 50, 60, 70hp range that are reasonably priced for this project. Yeah, gonna have to look back to early 80s/late 70s to find a good motor for a good price.

Did I mention this will NOT be a tiller boat? We'll be doing a custom forward center console right at the rear of the front casting deck! This hull is also available with a forward center console as an option from Lowe.

Accessories & Rigging

Now this is where it gets fun. Of course the boat will have fog/driving lights mounted on the bow, navigation lights, and interior lights as well. We need some good rod holders, and a large, aerated baitwell to keep those bullies happy. If there is any money left over, we'll pick up some folding lawnchairs to kick back in while fishing.

Those are just a few thoughts of mine to build a good riverboat on a somewhat limited allowance.

What do you guys want/need in a cattin' boat? Carpet?

[Dan Thiem]

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Of course, RiverPro is the perfect boat

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After I saw what Dennis took us through last Saturday night I really don't think any boat could do. Plus the room! We fished four guys very comfortably. Enough floor space to have a dance hall! I know you said on a budget but.......

[Random guy]

I went through this and crunched numbers four ways from Sunday and discovered when it is all done and said you have almost as much into it as the cost of a RiverPro. Unless you can find a used Mod-v John that is not trashed, a used jet outboard that is not destroyed and still only have half of the abilities of a RiverPro. I guess it depends if you want to be tipping back and forth in a little John while trying to go around obstacles or do you just go safe and stable while crashing over stuff with a Pro?

The numbers tell me I am ordering a River Pro; it actually works out cheaper in the long term or yearly expense (not counting fuel).

[rushing]

I would like a boat big enough to fish 2 people fairly comfortably for the night. Or 3 people and gear for a shore fishing expedition, but small enough so I can fish any stretch of river almost any time of the year.

16ft jon of some sort(that doesnt leak)

25hp short shaft tiller(I personally dont need to be zippin around all that fast in any boat that isnt a jet boat...too much dump to hit in the stretches I would fish.)

Rod Holders

Basic Boat for a basic guy, all other accessories added to the boat would just be gravy on an already tasty river treat.

[Guest]

Hanson..

I can understand what your getting at with building up a cat boat, but the reality is what you are pointing out with a new/newer boat with a used motor and converting it to a jet, or just running the prop... by the time you are done with the rigging(rod holders, lights, running lights, etc) you are going to spend nearly as much as it would to buy a used river pro.

Your talking about a forward counsel.. which is a very nice option if you insist on having a counsel.. saves tons of room in the rear of the boat where its most ideal for catfishermen to have the rod holders. Why not save the expense and the hassle of rigging the forward counsel and just stick with a tiller? No counsel in the way then taking up room in the boat which allows for a smaller boat to have the same room as the larger boat.

Working on a tight budget, a person can run the same shallow water(within reason) if they start to look another way.. smaller, lighter boat with less hp. How fast do you really need to go with logs all over the place and many shallow runs? A lighter, wider boatwill float higher in the water, and smaller outboards will not stick 12" below the transom. My 16' deep/wide older alumacraft(bench design) has no problem motoring in 1.5' of water at trolling speed.. less on plane but that is asking for disaster. The transom sinks in about 5" at idle with my big rear, a 25 hp motor, gas can, and battery all near the rear. The lower unit drops about 8" below the boat at idle.

A boat most capable of duck hunting is often the boat most capable of catfishing on small waters. I have the best of both worlds with the lighter deep/wide boat. I can run skinny waters, and I can also fish big water. I wont win races, but I will make it fishing without too many things going bump in the night.

Rod holders can be mounted anywhere on anything with a little creativity... yes, its most convienient having a boat 8' wide and all the holers in the rear of the boat, but I dont think we are losing any opportunities having holders in other areas of the boat, and people dont have to get up and go through the boat to get to the rod when its right next to them.

If you want to run the shallows.. keep your boat light. The more bells and whistles you add will make you run deeper, and make it neccessary for more hp.

My opinion, small skinny waters, keep it simple, light, and cheap unless you can afford to buy a specialized behemoth. Big water catfishing(mississippi, etc).. a walleye boat gets around just fine and is way more fuel efficient than a jet.

[hanson]

Guess I'm trying to prove to myself that this can really happen, that is getting one heck of a cat boat on a budget if you are willing to be creative and do all the rigging yourself.

I priced out this hull the other day, a 2006 Tracker Grizzly 1648 All-Welded Mod V Jon. Price was $2,009 including dealer prep & destination charges. I did this through Tracker's HSOforum and the local dealer (I believe) was Link Rec. near Rogers. Add tax onto that and a few other unexpected fees and that is still not too bad for a brand new 16 1/2' boat. (I'm not a Tracker fan but you get the idea)

Of course that is just a boat minus all the other dump that goes in the boat.

Now searching the Craigs List for a few days produced 3 or 4 boats in the last week in the 17' range with older 60hp remotes in the 1,000 to 1,500 range. Older meaning from around 1980 for the motor. Junk the boat or resell it, and re-use the motor and controls on the new hull.

Trailer? Brand new trailer is in the $1,000 range for a boat this size. Finding something used shouldn't be a terrible feat either.

What else does a guy need?

- Deep cycle battery or batteries. (Got 1 already, maybe pick up a 2nd)

- Nav lights and wiring

- Rod Holders

- Anchors & rope

- $10 Spotlight with cigarette adapter plug

- Flasher? I'll put my Marcum LX-3 on the boat

- GPS/Graph? Not necessary but a LMS 332c or 334c is a heck of a unit for about $600

Is it possible? I dunno. Thats why I'm posing the question. I know projects have a tendency to snowball out of control as my permanent ice shack was a prime example of that.

Is a package like this done smartly putting you anywhere near the cost of a used RiverPro? (which is what I would be buying anyway if $$$$ wasn't an issue)

[Larry FlatCaster]

Hey Hanson,

If your numbers are accurate, which they look to be. I think that you could do it pretty reasonably in comparison to a RP.

You got to be able to put some sweat equity and a little inginuity. IMO you've come a with a pretty good idea.

Imporvise, adapt and overcome. True words many cat men follow.

Good luck.

P.S I'll volunteer for the Maden voyage if you make this

happen.

thnks

LFC

[Wiskers]

Well if the River Pro is out of your budget range... check out River Pro's budget line of boats... I believe Kevin is making a smaller version, 14 footer with jet. I have not seen one yet but I know he made some to test out for lower budget river rats to get into and work their way up.

Just give him a call or email and see what he come up with.

Or just keep presure on Kevin to work on a deep V River Pro. How cool would that be? Good for bigger water and plus you can take it in the rivers where you do not need to get through only inches of water. So you will need a foot of water now... sooooooo what... That is still pretty shallow and if you do bump bottom... It can take it... LOL....

I would love a 20' deep V HiPro.... I could still run the Red, and Lake of the Woods... Of course I would love to have one of each just in case...

[hanson]

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Well if the River Pro is out of your budget range... check out River Pro's budget line of boats... I believe Kevin is making a smaller version, 14 footer with jet. I have not seen one yet but I know he made some to test out for lower budget river rats to get into and work their way up.

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I forgot about those Rusty! I remember seeing some pictures posted earlier in the year. The boat was essentially a jon-style boat with a smaller inboard jet. As long as it isn't more in the style of a Lo-Pro, that would definitely be the way to go on some of the rivers I fish.

[PierBridge]

Just the thread I'm looking for....

I am currently in the process of building a Cat boat on a budget, it's also going to have to be able to occasionally handle bigger body's of water like Mille Lacs, LOTW, and the White Fish chain......so I've ruled out turning it into a jet.....

I started with a 1972 18' Alumacraft Queen Mary with a 1964 75hp Johnson, the boat was a closed bow with remote steering when I bought it, the motor ran but not very good I paid $400 for the boat, motor and trailer.

I knew I was going to turn the boat into an open bow tiller setup so I sold the motor for $50 and began my search for a tiller, Hanson is real close on his numbers for outboards I searched relentlessly for an outboard in the 40 to 70 hp range I was constantly viewing Classifieds on the net and in papers, magazines.....you name it I searched it....... prices vary greatly by season, long story short I got lucky and found an Original owner 1992 70hp Evinrude tiller "3cyl" with Stainless Prop, Electric Start, Tilt/Trim, it also came with tach, temp, and fuel gages.

I paid $1250.... a motor like this would easily fetch close to $2000 in the spring IMO.....so at this point I have $1600 into it my project with goal of keeping it under $2800 for the fiscal year ending....

Here are some pictures of the boat right after I bought it.

I started my project by cutting the aluminum enclosed bow out of the boat I used a jig saw and Sawzall to accomplish this. Next I tore out the old floor down to the aluminum stringers.

Here is where I'm at right now, a super roomy and light 18 foot Aluminum shell with great potential.

My main problem is getting some trim/molding back on the area I cut out, I would like to match it up with the rest of the boats trim but I may have to go with some other sort of trim/molding.

Also I'm not sure how much structural strength I lost or will have to add by cutting the bow out.

I'm at a standstill right now "sturgeon fishing".......but my goals are simple I want an un-cluttered boat that can fish 3 comfortably with room for 4 if needed, with great lighting both inside and outside of the Rig.

Thanks Pier...

[hanson]

I thought Dave told me you sold that boat Gary?

Lookin' good man!

When I first saw that boat, my head darn near exploded with potential ideas! Then I got into Riverrats "poor man's Riverpro" and I haven't stopped thinking about cat boats. When you see the "poor man's Riverpro", you think, how in the heck does that thing float but it is a darn good little cat boat.

Look forward to seeing your progress Gary! Hopefully, with a little bit of luck, I can start seriously talking about this project next spring. But like you pointed out, now is the time to buy a motor and I'm on the lookout.

[PierBridge]

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I thought Dave told me you sold that boat Gary?

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Almost did, I was frustated with my Engine search plus the City "mpls" said I could only have 1 boat on my property.

But now that I have Rockin Engine it's game on.

I may have to pick your brain on some things, still a little concerned with structural support issues, Dave thinks I'm OK so maybe I'm good to go....

Later Pier...

[Kyle B]

I Think that there are many ways to get by on a budget and still end up with a great catfish rig. I have about $8,000 into are boat and it can go every where a River Pro can. it's a 1760 with a 90/65 merc OB jet and i bet I could have even got by on less because The motor was a 2003 and I could have easily got by with a 60/40. Right now we are looking into getting a new boat and going through all this again! Kyle

[jtk15]

Kyle,

I would be very interested to know what your asking for the old one?

jk

[Guest]

Pier..

Anything connecting to the floor of the boat and the sides add structural support. The rear 3/4 of the boat didnt lose any support in your modifications(lost the hood). You left about 4" of the edge of the hood which as braces underneath and it will provide structural support. Adding some type of heavy grade aluminum edging to that and securing it well will add more support.

You plan on putting in l o n g rod locker and probability of storage and/or livewell on the other side.... That boat will have lots of support.

The addition of the aluminum I beam type framing(not pictured) on the floor and heavy marine ply.. that boat should be able to handle a heck of a lot of torque. You were also planning on making an enclosure on the bow.. that adds lots of strength.

Strength isnt the issue... its what to do with that 18' of boat!!! You could have a kids flood hockey rink in that thing!

[Blue Kayak]

Great post Chris. I'm so inexperienced with boats that I hate to chime in, but here goes.

While looking for frogs last Friday I ran into a couple of DNR researchers doing a study on a Nicollet Co. lake. I sure can't afford a River Pro, but their boat caught my eye. I think they said it was made by Clark Boats of Iowa. They also mentioned another Iowa boat company that the DNR also purchases boats from. The boat was flat bottomed and must have been eight feet wide. I think it had a 40 HP motor.

If I was looking for a river boat I'd call some of the DNR offices and ask them what they are using. I'd also ask if any of their boats would be going up for auction. This summer there were two or three boats auctioned off by the DNR in Bemidji. I don't have any idea what type of boats these were, or what they went for.

Instead of going with a jet motor, I wonder about having a guard installed over the prop. I think you can get guards for around $100 to $200.

[Kyle B]

Jtk I am going to keep the motor because it has very low hrs on it and still has 3 years of warranty but i think for the boat and trailer somewhere around 1800 i am not sure yet.

Clark does make some very nice boats and they are very strong and well designed. They also will make a boat that you have designed! Kyle

[hanson]

Blue Kayak-

Got a few things cooking that may make this a reality. If the cards fall into place, watch for a complete play by play of turning a boat into a good cat boat on a budget.

Gonna have 6-7 months of time to get it right.

An OB jet is currently NOT in the works.

[jtk15]

Kyle,

Call me, I would like to take a look at it.

3174779

[Gordie]

Ive got an 1991 18ft Lowe Husky Jon mod-v and love it. I use to have a Yamaha ob 50hp jet drive on it and had both jet drive and prop set up for it.Its an awsome river fishing boat and I have been in some rough water on Mille Lacs with it also. The only thing with the jet was that the minnesota river kept eating up the impeller in it. Now I have a merc classiic 50 on the back because some decided they wanted the jet drive more than me. they stole it by cutting it off the the boat with a cordless sawzall. merc is great but its not a yamaha which was the best of both worlds. I would like to try that tunnel idea on my next boat. Hanson do you know many pounds that lowe that you have pictured is? that looks like a nice boat to start from.

Gordie

[DTro]

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An OB jet is currently NOT in the works.

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Is the keyword OB by any chance?

I saw a pretty nice jet rig on BoatTrader. Just search by type Jon keyword Army.

[hanson]

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Is the keyword OB by any chance?

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Yep. The keyword is OB. As in OB Prop!

[Blue Kayak]

Chris -- I hope this works out for you. I know we'd all like to see your mods for the ideal cat boat on a budget.

One of the great things about the Belle Plaine cat league is that you get to see how the different captains set up their boats. Andy W. uses his outboard to go upstream in daylight and his trolling motor (and current) to return in the dark. Then about the worse thing that can happen is you total a $100 trolling motor. When Larry took me out, he used three anchors to position the boat perpendicular to the current (at least it works when the water is low). This gives you more potential downstream rod holders than the stern of an eight foot wide boat.

With the current low water conditions, making a float trip with an unmotorized boat might be the best option next to a River Pro. You just need someone willing to drop you off and then deliver the trailer downstream to your take out point. Of course, you'd leave a car there for them to use after they drop off your vehicle with the trailer. A boat with a small motor that could be easily removed might be a good option. Unfortunately, all the closed launches make float trips difficult this year for the metro area. But, we have launches in Mankato, Seven Mile Creek, St. Peter, Le Sueur, and Henderson so there are opportunities for float trips in some areas.