[Buff diver]

Here it goes... I bought this boat about 5 years ago and have mainly used it for river fishing and duck hunting. We got into the bowfishing game off this boat on a whim with a steel frame flush deck that we built in a couple hours and some led lights running 12v. We had fun and shot a bunch of fish but it was cobbled together and we were definitely pushing it weight wise.

We are currently fishing off of a 2070 roughneck kicker rig with a forward console but I miss the mobility of the small boat so we are making it permanent!

I know there is a lot of good ideas out there because I have borrowed a bunch of them in the past so lets hear some input, any comments are appreciated!

I'm planning a flush deck with as much open floor space as possible.

BTW i'm not new to welding but I am to aluminum so this should be interesting...

 

[Buff diver]

Got a head start thanks to MLK so I started the weight loss program...

I always hated that livewell. Total waste of space

After a trip to the car wash. Picking up some 2" square tube for deck bracing tomorrow.

 

[SoDakSlayer]

Looks good man! Got a blank canvas!

 

[Buckmark311]

great progress, are you going flush to the rail or flush to the factory deck?

Id suggest making all available space under the deck storage use. you can never have enough storage.

 

[Buff diver]

I'm wanting to build flush with the gunnels back to where the factory deck stopped and boxing the back in from there. Gonna try to re-use the hatch that came off the top of the factory deck for a back hatch for the deck if it doesn't turn out to be too small to crawl in and out of for wiring and all. That should give me a deck about 6 1/2 foot long, just decided this morning to brace the ribs with channel and make the floor flat while I've got it torn apart. Picking up aluminum today so hopefully will get some bracing fitted up this evening! Pictures to come.

 

[Buff diver]

got the main pieces of the deck and floor bracing cut and fitted.

 

[SoDakSlayer]

From the tip of the bow to the end of your deck how long is that? and how wide is it in the back?

 

[Buff diver]

6'6" long and 5'10" in the back. I'm just wanting to shoot 2 guys off the deck

 

[SoDakSlayer]

That'll turn out real nice then! Good luck

 

[Buff diver]

Thanks man! I'm still undecided on all the details like consoles, nav lights, light rails, and all but that will hopefully work itself out. Still looking for any suggestions on detail stuff that anyone did to their boats that worked out good for them.

 

[midnightmurder]

Looking good!

 

[SoDakSlayer]

I would keep your side console. It really frees up the floor plan compared to a center console. Everything else that has to do with elctronics is 1. out of my league and 2. dependant on what type of water you shoot. I spent a lot of time going through old builds and looking at a lot of peoples boats and readin what worked and didnt work and what i liked and didnt like. you can do the same thing in the lighting section.

 

[Buckmark311]

on a rig your size either side counsel or tiller steer. Keep as much floor space open as possible. for the NAV, you need to get LED anything. on my boats I have ran the single red/green housing on the bow as well as the strips. I preferred the look of the strips and that they didn't get in the way of the troller. I think the recessed "shark-eye" lights are also super legit.

 

[Buff diver]

Those shark eye led navs do look slick! I'd love to go tiller but haven't had any luck finding a conversion kit under a 1000 and that's not happening. Side console is probably smartest for this rig but I'm just hung up on liking the way center consoles look and ride

 

[mr. spooky]

weather CC or SC, wouldnt it take up the same footprint? I dont know what Im talkin about nor do I have bowfishin experience but dont you put your 50gal drum in the center of the boat anyway? Give yerself enough room for a 50gal drum and build a CC right behind that. you gotta walk around the drum anyhow so if you got a SC your gonna limit yerself to only walkin around one side (vs being able to walkin around both sides with a CC). Or am I wrong?

 

[SoDakSlayer]

Well yes a CC and a SC take up the same amount of space but its more about keeping the floor open. If you had a small living room in your house you wouldn't put the couch right in the middle of it would you? You you put it to on of the sides so you could utilize the open area. Same for a boat. You want to maximize the amount of continuous open area for people, coolers, barrels, and storage.

 

[mr. spooky]

I understand about keeping the floor open, but where do you put the fish barrel? Seems to me that sense the fish barrel goes in the center, If you off set the console you limit yourself to walking around one side of the boat (especially a boat that the deck takes up a 1/3 of) . If you put the barrel on one side would you then put a CC in the middle? I wouldn't,, Id keep them in line. Like I said, Iv never stepped foot in a bowfishin boat, but Iv been walkin around in a boat for 30+ years. I got a CC right now,, but If I had my druthers, Id have a 50hp tiller to have a real open floor plan. For some reason no matter the configuration, your always going to be steppin/trippin over something LOL. pick yer poison!

 

[SoDakSlayer]

Very true. I have a CC right now that was positioned more towards the front of the boat but I am going to moving it back about 4 feet. Then I will have my barrels in front of the CC right behind the deck

 

[Buff diver]

You all pretty much hit the way I feel about it. The SC gives you more continuous open floor and is easier to route wires than the CC but I mean really how much do you really lose having everything in line. Plus the stand up console is pretty sketchy on the side

 

[SoDakSlayer]

Stand up console on the side? Isnt the original SC in the sitting position?

Either way man try the CC if thats what you want to do. It is your boat and a blank canvas. If you dont like it you can always change it. I have a fiberglass boat so I kinda gotta keep mine how it is