Aluminum Dilemna!

tsohg76 · October 20, 2011, 12:44:36 AM

Ive got a 14 foot valco deep side. 9.9 evinrude. I had originally bought it as a kokanee boat. Downrigger, good fishfinder and rodholders. When i unexpectedly got bit by the bass bug again. I love my boat its caught some amazing fish with me. im a single full time father, i don't have a lot of cash. my boat is a serious liability in the club tournament scene. so heres the problem my lil valco i can sell for 1500 give or take a hundred. to fix and turn it into a semi decent lil basser would take 600ish. do i A: sell it and use the cash for something more bass specific knowing i have less then 2k to work with. And the fact whatever i buy in that range will be a fixer upper. Or do I hold onto it and try to modify it to a basser, Knowing im way outgunned against my club mates and anyone else i compete against. will need front deck (easy) bow mount (painful cost) front pedestal (easy) can new paint in interior, carpet. possibly front compartments for tackle. I'm so torn on this. Could really use some good advice. I dream about a little basstracker LoL

PS i have horrible grammar and punctuation. please forgive my lack of writing skills

bassn1 · October 20, 2011, 06:41:09 AM

When I first started fishing clubs I fished behind the club members in their boats. The following year I purchased a 16 aluminum deep side w/35hp evinrude and very old evinrude hand steer trolling motor. With no front deck, no seats, besides the bench seats which came with the boat. I converted an Igloo salmon cooler into a live well. Although I never fished the larger Tounaments, with this rig I won and placed very high in many club tounaments.
Moral,
Go with what you can afford. Learn to fish not to boat. When you can afford a larger bass specific rig you will already know how to fish and you can concentrate on learning safe boating.

I apologize if I sound a little preachey. Not my intent.

tsohg76 · October 21, 2011, 01:23:07 AM

Been readin and surfing and i think my lil boat is worth more to me then anyone else. so many good fish caught so many good memories and so many good places. i should post some of them. and i will say my lil boat is incredibly economical

coldfront · October 21, 2011, 08:42:48 AM

Quote from: tsohg76 on October 21, 2011, 01:23:07 AM
... i think my lil boat is worth more to me then anyone else. ...

that will always be the case...

for what it's worth, that describes my situation too...

tsohg76 · October 21, 2011, 08:55:02 AM

What gets me the most is the condescension, from the others. bare minimum 10k boat, Rods worth 300+ . I show up with my lil boat and i get this look of "OH". Thing is i can outfish most of them. oh well i just stenciled a name on the back of my lil valco. Unfortunately its not rated for general viewing. Got a frown from my mother but my soon to be stepfather thinks its hilarious. May have to remove it before next years tournament schedule tho heh.

coldfront · October 21, 2011, 10:09:41 AM

Quote from: tsohg76 on October 21, 2011, 08:55:02 AM
What gets me the most is the condescension, from the others.

I guess until someone pulls up alongside as asks '...pardon me, would you have any grey poupon?...' it's not all bad...

Live within your means. Fish your strengths. Develop your weaknesses...kick their

pretty simple rules that work!

tsohg76 · October 21, 2011, 09:55:09 PM

Yea made the decision to stick it out with my 14 valco. Its my boat, I love it, caught a lot of fish. From Browns to cats, smallmouth, largemouth, bluegill, Kokanee, Rainbows. in that lil guy good times. whats another $500-$600 tossed into a good friend like that.

stew6371 · October 25, 2011, 09:43:43 PM

I cant get link to work. Search my 14ft richline. You can see what I did with mine.

tsohg76 · October 26, 2011, 12:36:43 AM

yeah basically what i had in mind for mine
got a great front deck already just got to repair the wood and install swivel seat. then put on the bow mount bracket. i am gonna deck it to the rear seats. then carpet and paint it all the way back. so far the weight looks good and should ride steady. its one the the steadiest boats ive ever seen.

tsohg76 · October 27, 2011, 12:30:14 AM

OK well crunched the numbers looked at all i wanted to do and... it just ain't gonna happen. I cant justify spending that kind of money, into my boat as a single father I can repair it and maybe get the bow mount if i can find one cheap enough. but the big decking and repaint is goin to be very slim. got to stick to the basics. Outboard fixed and tuned. seats redone in wood. paint on the inside slight electrical work. new wood on transom. and if i can roll it then bow mount and or front seat.

Aluminum Dilemna!

stew6371