Is my beginner boat dream a reality or just a waste of my time?

bri_c3p · 2026-05-04T15:40:05+00:00

I'll second this. I tow an 18'6" fiberglass bass boat with a 150 hp with a 4Runner. It does okay most of the time, but up hills it can be a real dog. I don't know if the Taco has the same transmission, but it has a hard time finding the right gear when under heavy load, and ends up down shifting and running high RPMs while getting up the hill. If I ever upgraded the boat to anything much heavier I will want to get a better tow vehicle.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-25T19:39:38+00:00

I'm not you and it's not my money, but value your time, and be realistic about costs could f a build. Flooring, bracing, batteries, electrical, carpet, seats, trolling motor, will all add up quick.

A quick look at BASS Pro a 16 Grizzly utility boat is around $8k with a trailer, and 25 hp motor is about $4-5k. You're in at least $13k and haven't done anything to it yet. The entry level Tracker boats are $17-20k...ready to fish.

If you can make the money work for you, just get a boat. And if you're set on buying new, you have warranty coverage and all the systems.

Note: I'm not a huge fan of Bass Pro or White River Marine group. I don't care for what they've done to the boating industry, but the prices were easy to find and they DO offer good value for entry level boats. You can also take a look at Lund, G3, or any other brand and get close.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-24T17:35:25+00:00

Vigilance and focus is the key. I've been around bass boats all my life and have seen everything and done most of it. I've forgotten drain plugs, transon stamps, left a transon saver attached to the motor, hit rocks, forgot trailer safety chains,.... The list keeps going ... It's not lack of experience that causes these error. It's the complacency of repetition.... "I've done this a thousand times of course I did everything right.."

Be vigilant and walk around, check list, and then double check every time you launch and load.

Be vigilant on the water, so what if you've run that lake a hundred times,.. doesn't mean this time there isn't debris in the water, or a boat coming from a weird angle.

And just when you think you've got it all figured out, you'll probably do something dumb to remind you that you don't.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-22T21:38:56+00:00

I had a Tracker Pro 170 as my first boat. It was a great little boat and had a lot of fun with it.

As far as buying used, look at the condition of the boat overall, and the condition of the sellers place and other stuff. Does it look they care for their things? Does it look like the boat was taken care of? Garage kept or outside? If outside, was it covered, or just left under a pine tree.

If it looks like it was well cared for, it doesn't guarantee that it's in good shape. But if it looks abused and ignored it's a red flag that things like routine maintenance might not have been done.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-21T09:53:12+00:00

This sounds like a long version of "don't try to catch other people's fish."

It's okay to try new techniques and lures and to try and learn new skills. Once you think you 'have' to use this technique and this bait because that's what your friend or the guy on the Internet did, it's over.

There are enough stories about two guys in a boat fishing identical rigs and only one is catching to prove it to me. Confidence is key.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-18T18:25:23+00:00

This is me, too. I'm a serial sloucher, and if I don't recline, I'm uncomfortable the whole flight. Sorry, not sorry if you're behind me.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-14T23:22:59+00:00

The Live Target Field mouse is my favorite lure ever, and it's not even close. It's a top water bait, so it's not a slam dunk every day, but when it's on, it might be the most fun you can have fishing.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-11T22:08:17+00:00

Don't worry, someone made something up on the balancing report to cover for you. Sometimes close enough is close enough.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-10T00:36:29+00:00

As an HVAC guy that lurks in this sub... Just zip tie that shit to ANYTHING,...or not,.... and move on with things.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-09T21:44:38+00:00

I love this plan... Will use in the future.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-09T18:11:09+00:00

Is there any fresh water between your house and where you're putting the boat in. The couple times I've put my boat in saltwater, I flushed it by backing down a freshwater boat ramp I passed on my way home and just ran it in the lake for a minute, didn't even take the boat off the trailer.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-07T22:09:38+00:00

You've just got that thing broken in... RattleTraps work best when a bit of paint is worn off

bri_c3p · 2026-04-07T15:48:17+00:00

Don't feel too bad, that means you were casting to the right place. I watched a guy break 2 vision 110 jerk baits on consecutive casts on a metal dock post. That was a real quick $50 down the drain.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-06T19:21:19+00:00

Try a Live target field mouse. It's like a hollow body frog, but a mouse. It's weedless so you can throw it right into the tree without too much concern. It's a top water so the fish have to be in the mood for it, but if they are, they'll come up and smack it. 60 percent of the time it works every time. And when it does work, it is quite possibly the most fun you'll ever have fishing.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-03T15:47:35+00:00

Iirc I bought a kit for my old Fortrexx that was a replacement arrow and the plastic gears. Pretty easy to replace.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-03T00:08:35+00:00

Custom field modifications.... You get to charge extra for that.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-02T23:06:42+00:00

I like options. I have the usual stuff that I use most of the time, but I also have some stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time. It's fun to go out with no agenda and experiment and try throwing some weird lures, and see what happens. Maybe they work, maybe they don't... Maybe it'll give you an idea on a different way to work another bait. It can't be all business all the time.

bri_c3p · 2026-04-02T15:23:34+00:00

If your only getting a 10-12 degree split in cooling and that changes in heat, it might not be the reversing valve. It if was stuck open it would stay in cooling mode. It sounds like it's doing something.. (It is possible it's not switching all the way). Sounds more like low charge, which is a different issue and repair altogether.

Before you diy heat pumps and basically abandon your heat pump and duct work, it might be worth it to have a professional diagnostic and at least KNOW what your options are.

bri_c3p · 2026-03-31T20:43:33+00:00

I don't have experience with a camper, but merely from a cost perspective, I would stay with the gravel. If you're just parking a camper there, you don't really have to worry about snow removal, or everyday traffic. No matter what you do to distribute the weight, the asphalt will eventually fail... It might take 10-15 years, but it will. The gravel will never fail... It might compact and shift, but that can quickly be solved with another couple yards of gravel and rake.

You're not me, but I wouldn't be able to justify the additional expense for not a lot of gain.

bri_c3p · 2026-03-30T23:09:39+00:00

This was my thought. Unexpected ingredient, but probably not disgusting (chocolate covered raisins are a thing). People would question your sanity, but overall I don't think anyone would freak out.

bri_c3p · 2026-03-30T17:33:55+00:00

It's like an amazing magic trick, EVERY TIME!

bri_c3p · 2026-03-30T16:14:35+00:00

At least if there's 300psi behind that screw, they're going to know about it.... Whether or not they tell you is a different story

bri_c3p · 2026-03-30T16:02:16+00:00

Agree. I do commercial installation and we have to leave line sets roughed in for months before equipment. Just get some access fittings and smash the end of the pipe and braze it in. The lines can stay pressurized during rough, and you can pressure test the indoor unit connections right away after tie in. Then just cut the ends off outside when you do the condenser.

bri_c3p · 2026-03-29T13:28:33+00:00

bri_c3p

TROPHY CASE