Thank you for getting back at me. The info you gave me helps alot. I have been contemplating which thickness to use and now I know. Not planning on using sheets like you did, too expensive for me. Just a plywood, seal then carpet. Thanks again and happy fishing.
Nice video Bill, I've seen some others do this but I gotta say, this is some fine craftsmanship and the best I've seen. Well built and nice video! Wayne
We call it a live well... It has an aerator and a pump to bring fresh water in as needed! It was a storage compartment that we converted with 100% silicone that is use on aquariums. Appears to be working very good!! Thanks Pali.
Really enjoyed this video, Bill. Now we need to see Part 2. You know...fish frying in the pan while sitting around the campfire with the Busch girl. Go ahead. Make my day!
I have the same boat but 14 foot and love it! I also get lots of complements on it, getting ready to redo the decks in a lightweight aluminum. and bought a new 999ci combo fish finder for it, can not weight!!
I would like to know how the fish finder works out for you! We just put a Humming Bird 898C on... We are waiting for the ice to go out! Getting excited now!! Have fun and I hope that you catch all you need!! ;-)
very nice build guys great work am looking for a jon boat my self right know to do the same thing. the poor man bass boat it might be cheap but it looks great. this is one of the best I have seen and I have looked at a lot of them.
Haha! Thank you! After checking out your outstanding shed build.... I am pretty sure that you would like this video... Saved a lot of money and this allowed for the purchase of a better trolling motor and later we put on a very good depth finder!! Thanks for watching!!
WoW thats a really nice build you guys did, love the sump or what ever that would be called. The compartment with water, to keep the fish alive and fresh all day. Thumbs up!
We used18 gauge aluminum it came in 4' x 8' sheets. We cut it with an air nipper... Worked good and kept the weight down!! Used rivets and ss machine screws to fasten it to the aluminum angle!! Light weight and very sturdy... won't rot out like plywood will after a few years!! ;-)
Thank you Contreeman!! River was going to get rough. The wind was picking up ... and we don't like lightning... Thought we might be safer at home cleaning fish!! ;-)
Bill Nice Job .Back in the 80'sI bought a beater U-Haul rental boat and made aflats boat out of it .Put a new 25hp merc on it it was a rocket ship .Kept it for a few years at my house .Sold it and got a real flats boat. Gerry
Man, Bill you all did a FANTASTIC job on that boat. That is nice. I am happy for you. That was a good size cat. Tasty. Thanks for sharing and take care my friend.
How much did you spend in total? Im thinking in buying a bass boat also and I dont know if just buying a jon boat and fixing it up would be better and less expensive...what do you think
It has the tunes... left the Busch at home... River gets a little rough for me at times!! I like to keep it from spilling!! haha! Thank you my friend!! ;-)
O dude I LOVE IT LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!! what a blessing.. I am so happy for you brother. she looks like a bass boat you would buy in a shop. OUT STANDING WORK MY FRIEND!!
wow this is an awesome vid. I'm inspired. I wish there were more photos/videos of the boat itself. Guess I better start looking for a jon boat to make my own creation. Thank you!
Thanks, Todd ... Send me your email and I will send you more pictures!! I am on the road I haven't always had a good connection!! I hope to catch up soon!! ;-)
Thanks Gonzo, A few years ago we never had a pelican in the area.... Now there are a lot of them.. I suspect some conservation project had a program to bring them here! I got to go... I feel a thirst coming on!! haha! ;-)
Nice! Ive watched this video like 5 times. Haha. /Me and my dad did the same thing with our 12ft v-hull jon boat. Works great for ponds and small lakes!
That is the boat launch in Keokuk, Iowa.... Google it when you have time! That is pool 20 on the Mississippi River! Those cats can really fight.. Taste good too!!
Looks like a great job on the boat. I just moved to Australia and the price of everything here is very high so I am trying to find a cheap bare bones boat and do something similar. thanks for the video
Thanks for watching, Vince... You can use plywood if the aluminum is too expensive, But the wood is heavy and won't last as long... But way cheaper... Good luck my friend!! ;-)
how are you sustaining the electrical system? the radio trolling motor and live well pump would drain the battery in a short time. nice build by the way!
Excellent question, Evan... I really didn't show the dual deep cycle battery system. The trolling motor has it's own battery. The other battery is hooked to the radio and depth finder and accessories . There are two ways to charge the batteries. One is by the Evinrude outboard motor running and the other is when you plug in the 120v battery maintainer. So when we are not out on the water the 2 batterries are being maintained by the 120 v charging system... this set has lasted all day and longer for us. If you want we can do a video so that you can see how this is set up... Just let me know!! ;-)
I have the same boat i think. 93 Big Jon Lowe. I am about to start on my project this month and i have decided to use Aluminum Angle and rivets like you have done. Only big difference is I have a steering console. Can you give me the details on the size of Aluminum Angle you used and other material. Cost estimation maybe. Thank you and I will post a video and tag you once mine is complete.
We used 1" x 1" Aluminum Angle it was about 13 bucks for an 8" piece. We didn't use the aluminum diamond plate because we had planed to glue carpet. A 4' x 8' Aluminum sheet was about 85.bucks I think that we used about 3 sheet and 12 angles !! Well worth the price ... IMO... Durable and lightweight!! We bought the aluminum from a welding supply shop.. it was more reasonably priced than buying it from the farm store or from Lowe's.. Hope that helps you Anthony!! ;-)
Looks like a little bit of everything Bill...Nice Cat...I live way up in Upper Michigan and one spring we had a pelican land on Lake Gogebic on the ice, lol...It made the news and papers...I suppose because it was lost and all..Take care buddy and keep hammering the Bush beer...
Awesome!! I have basically the same boat and I am going to be doing the exact same thing. What thickness was the aluminum you used for the frame and the flooring? What glue did you use to secure the carpet down? Any and all help will be much appreciated!! Thanks!
That is outstanding... The Aluminum was 16 gauge and we ordered from a welding shop... The carpet glue was from Menards home center... The Aluminum angle was 1 1/4 inches and we bolted and/or riveted it together... If we can help you further let me know... The boat works great!! ;-) Thanks for watching!!! ;-)
First of all , really nice job on the boat! Second of all I have a 15 ft semi v thats gutted and I'm dying to work on it but I haven't had the chance and now your killin me with this video! Btw that catfish looks yummy.
It sure depends.... A good used Ranger boats are in the thousands of dollars.... This was a fun time, but it got us by.... Bill Goudy Jr. finally got a Ranger bass boat and gave this boat to his younger brother.... Thanks for watching and commenting!!!!
Approximate cost of this project ; The aluminum supports were $150 the Aluminum deck was $240 the carpet and glue $75 The trolling motor was $700... ( You don't need to spend that much on the trolling motor.) I hope this helps! About $465 for the basic materials!!
The flooring is 16 gauge and is equal to 0.0508 or just under 1/16".. Thickness of the aluminum. The Aluminum sheet came 4 foot wide by 8 foot long and the thickness is 16 gauge or about 0.0508 inch Thickness... We used an air tool called a nibbler to cut the sheets to the size that we needed!! ;-) We used 1 1/4 Aluminum Angle and we bought it at a metal shop... It was cheaper than a Lowe's or Menards home store!! You can use plywood but it is heavier and won't last as long!! Good Luck!! ;-)
Thank you Bill for your response. I was thinking about using 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 angle and 1/8" sheet for the decking. If what you used worked fine I will go with what you used. I live in Washington state and there are metal supermarket stores around which I will purchase the material from. Was it nice and sturdy after you built it the way that you did?
Nothing wrong with going bigger Nate... I always thought that bigger is better if you have a good way to cut the decking?? The Angles are plenty strong.. I would have liked to gone thicker on the deck, but the deck we have works great... I will be having another video coming out soon with us using it.. You might want to check it out!! Good Luck my friend!! ;-)
Whoever the idiot who didn't like this or anyone who can't appreciate the ingenuity and work that went into planning and building this really should lose their right to vote. American workers at their best. Like it or not, like the United States or not, this is why we have the number #1 country on the planet to live on. There are problems but no country has fewer.
Lowe - Jon Boat This is only a 16 foot boat but it is extra deep and has a coast guard bow.... You can use many different brands .... Good Luck my friend!! ;-)
I have the materials and the cost listed in the description. About 465. dollars!! I hope this helps. It was a fun project and we are still using that boat to this day!! ;-)
Thanks, Blake... I am not in the business... Yet any way... We just did this to have fun and we wanted the boat to last... Thanks for the kind words my friend!! ;-)
Soooo, you built a nice BASS boat and then went CATFISHING ? ? LOL ! Great build ! Lot cheaper than my 18.5' Bass Tracker and does essentially the same thing. Confession time, I occasionally catch a channel cat myself . haha. Thanks for sharing !
Yep! We wanted to break it in right.... all fish are welcomed ..... after they are on board...... We will decide if they get to stay!! Haha! Thanks WH ....
I bet you had a great time building that boat! We sure had fun... The best part is using it after you make it your own!! Thanks Gerry!!
Thank you for getting back at me. The info you gave me helps alot. I have been contemplating which thickness to use and now I know. Not planning on using sheets like you did, too expensive for me. Just a plywood, seal then carpet. Thanks again and happy fishing.
Fantastic job Bill! what a great day out there thanks for taking us with you! Awesome landing the fish at the end! J&J
Thanks Mark, It is so good to hear from you! I hope all is well, God Bless!!!
Thanks, Buckrun! I hope you have as much fun as we did building it!!
Nice video Bill, I've seen some others do this but I gotta say, this is some fine craftsmanship and the best I've seen. Well built and nice video! Wayne
We call it a live well... It has an aerator and a pump to bring fresh water in as needed! It was a storage compartment that we converted with 100% silicone that is use on aquariums. Appears to be working very good!! Thanks Pali.
Really enjoyed this video, Bill. Now we need to see Part 2. You know...fish frying in the pan while sitting around the campfire with the Busch girl. Go ahead. Make my day!
Bill, that's a bass boat fit for a king! Terrific job! I love the amenities. Great craftsmanship! -- John
I have the same boat but 14 foot and love it! I also get lots of complements on it, getting ready to redo the decks in a lightweight aluminum. and bought a new 999ci combo fish finder for it, can not weight!!
I would like to know how the fish finder works out for you! We just put a Humming Bird 898C on... We are waiting for the ice to go out! Getting excited now!! Have fun and I hope that you catch all you need!! ;-)
Thanks Mark! It is always good to have a little rock and roll on the boat!! haha! ;-)
Thanks Jim! We had a great time and a little fish fry with the fresh fish... Man, it was good!! ;-)
That's a boat you can be proud of, lots of hard work went into that bad boy
For being a "Poor Man's" bass boat. That thing definitely turned out TOP NOTCH!!
Very nicely designed and executed. Top notch job! If I tried something like that, it probably wouldn't float afterwards. lol
I reckon you guys did a top job on that boat. Good to see you included a sound system! Happy fishing gentlemen :)
very nice build guys great work am looking for a jon boat my self right know to do the same thing. the poor man bass boat it might be cheap but it looks great. this is one of the best I have seen and I have looked at a lot of them.
Haha! Thank you! After checking out your outstanding shed build.... I am pretty sure that you would like this video... Saved a lot of money and this allowed for the purchase of a better trolling motor and later we put on a very good depth finder!! Thanks for watching!!
WoW thats a really nice build you guys did, love the sump or what ever that would be called. The compartment with water, to keep the fish alive and fresh all day. Thumbs up!
Thank you for the kind words... That catfish tasted very good!! Hard to beat fresh fish!! ;-)
Nice work on the boat build. I like the big casting deck.
We used18 gauge aluminum it came in 4' x 8' sheets. We cut it with an air nipper... Worked good and kept the weight down!! Used rivets and ss machine screws to fasten it to the aluminum angle!! Light weight and very sturdy... won't rot out like plywood will after a few years!! ;-)
This isn't a poor mans... this is a SKILLED MANS BASS BOAT. that thing is a thing of beauty sir!
Thank you... ;-)
That turned out fantastic! Gives me some ideas for a boat I have.
That is awesome work! Nice job! Thinking of some kind of project like this for myself since I can't afford a Bass boat.
Thank you Contreeman!! River was going to get rough. The wind was picking up ... and we don't like lightning... Thought we might be safer at home cleaning fish!! ;-)
Bill Nice Job .Back in the 80'sI bought a beater U-Haul rental boat and made aflats boat out of it .Put a new 25hp merc on it it was a rocket ship .Kept it for a few years at my house .Sold it and got a real flats boat. Gerry
The boat worked great, good job. Stay sharp Fellas.
Man, Bill you all did a FANTASTIC job on that boat. That is nice. I am happy for you. That was a good size cat. Tasty. Thanks for sharing and take care my friend.
How much did you spend in total? Im thinking in buying a bass boat also and I dont know if just buying a jon boat and fixing it up would be better and less expensive...what do you think
It has the tunes... left the Busch at home... River gets a little rough for me at times!! I like to keep it from spilling!! haha! Thank you my friend!! ;-)
O dude I LOVE IT LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!! what a blessing.. I am so happy for you brother. she looks like a bass boat you would buy in a shop. OUT STANDING WORK MY FRIEND!!
Man what a setup nice work mate. Great video!
Thank you, Salmo !! ;-)
Nice Bill, the finest Bushcraft boat ever made lol. That boats got all the bells & whistles.
I sure have fun with it... Thank you, Kevin!! ;-)
Great job Bill. Looks great and more important looks very functional
wow this is an awesome vid. I'm inspired. I wish there were more photos/videos of the boat itself. Guess I better start looking for a jon boat to make my own creation. Thank you!
Thanks, Todd ... Send me your email and I will send you more pictures!! I am on the road I haven't always had a good connection!! I hope to catch up soon!! ;-)
awesome job Bill you and your son should be very proud!!! Congrats my friend!! Nice Cat too!!
Good job boys,,,, looks like it works just fine.. good luck in all your future days out
Thank you! ;-)
Looks like you did a great job on it.
You guys did a fantastic job on the boat, looks awesome! Just curious, about how fast will it go? Again, great job guys. :) Cheers
Thanks Gonzo, A few years ago we never had a pelican in the area.... Now there are a lot of them.. I suspect some conservation project had a program to bring them here! I got to go... I feel a thirst coming on!! haha! ;-)
Thanks for putting this video up for us, I always enjoy them.
Thanks Marty!! ;-)
Looks like the boat turned out well. I like cat fishing. Looks like you had fun.
Nice looking boat! -Sean
Thank you for the kind words!! ;-) God Bless you!! ;-)
Nice job on that! What did you use for the decking? plywood? Just wondering if you added a lot of weight to it.
Nice! Ive watched this video like 5 times. Haha. /Me and my dad did the same thing with our 12ft v-hull jon boat. Works great for ponds and small lakes!
I don't really know what a bass boat is or looks like, but I do like this boat.
Thanks Ed! I hope that you are doing well!! Sorry that I got way behind again and I am doing the catch up thing again!! ;-)
Awesome job on the Boat guys looks great!
absolutely great project, cool bass boat !
Excellent job guys makes me want to modify my john boat . Thanks
That's great! Love the conversion!
That is the boat launch in Keokuk, Iowa.... Google it when you have time! That is pool 20 on the Mississippi River! Those cats can really fight.. Taste good too!!
Looks like a great job on the boat. I just moved to Australia and the price of everything here is very high so I am trying to find a cheap bare bones boat and do something similar. thanks for the video
Thanks for watching, Vince... You can use plywood if the aluminum is too expensive, But the wood is heavy and won't last as long... But way cheaper... Good luck my friend!! ;-)
how are you sustaining the electrical system? the radio trolling motor and live well pump would drain the battery in a short time. nice build by the way!
Excellent question, Evan... I really didn't show the dual deep cycle battery system. The trolling motor has it's own battery. The other battery is hooked to the radio and depth finder and accessories . There are two ways to charge the batteries. One is by the Evinrude outboard motor running and the other is when you plug in the 120v battery maintainer. So when we are not out on the water the 2 batterries are being maintained by the 120 v charging system... this set has lasted all day and longer for us. If you want we can do a video so that you can see how this is set up... Just let me know!! ;-)
Looks like fun. Where is the hidden Bucsh dispenser? And tunes, got to rock and roll on the river.
fantastic, I cant wait to have a larger boat. I love my canoes but I would like to take some longer and faster trips.
Canoes are fun...I agree with you !! Sometimes it is nice to have the stability of the larger wider boat!! Thanks Earl !!
You are so right about the price tag.... Not sure that the fish care how much the boat ride cost!!! haha! ;-)
Thanks Gene!! That fish was very tasty ... Very hard to beat fresh fish!! ;-)
I like the smaller one as well, Randy!! Easier all the way around!! Taste better too!!
I have the same boat i think. 93 Big Jon Lowe. I am about to start on my project this month and i have decided to use Aluminum Angle and rivets like you have done. Only big difference is I have a steering console. Can you give me the details on the size of Aluminum Angle you used and other material. Cost estimation maybe. Thank you and I will post a video and tag you once mine is complete.
We used 1" x 1" Aluminum Angle it was about 13 bucks for an 8" piece. We didn't use the aluminum diamond plate because we had planed to glue carpet. A 4' x 8' Aluminum sheet was about 85.bucks I think that we used about 3 sheet and 12 angles !! Well worth the price ... IMO... Durable and lightweight!! We bought the aluminum from a welding supply shop.. it was more reasonably priced than buying it from the farm store or from Lowe's.. Hope that helps you Anthony!! ;-)
Thanks
Cool! This is awesome! Had a couple of buddies who have built their own too!
Thank you... It sure works good!! ;-)
Looks like a little bit of everything Bill...Nice Cat...I live way up in Upper Michigan and one spring we had a pelican land on Lake Gogebic on the ice, lol...It made the news and papers...I suppose because it was lost and all..Take care buddy and keep hammering the Bush beer...
NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, I call it being smart! Great Job!
Awesome!! I have basically the same boat and I am going to be doing the exact same thing. What thickness was the aluminum you used for the frame and the flooring? What glue did you use to secure the carpet down? Any and all help will be much appreciated!! Thanks!
That is outstanding... The Aluminum was 16 gauge and we ordered from a welding shop... The carpet glue was from Menards home center... The Aluminum angle was 1 1/4 inches and we bolted and/or riveted it together... If we can help you further let me know... The boat works great!! ;-) Thanks for watching!!! ;-)
That is one cool boat. Great job.
Thanks Paul!! Yep, got busy again... I am never going to keep up!! haha! All I can do is try!!
Awesome guys ! nice launch , where's that at and the fish was a scrapper :))
Good job. That boat looks nice.
That's got too much technology in it :) Haha, very nice Bill!
sweet bout, glade to see ya. take care joe.
Thanks for the kind words!! ;-)
Fantastic job on the boat Bill! Looks like it came new straight from the factory!
BTW: is it legal to catch catfish on a bass boat? ;-)
Wonder if I can convert mine like this...awesome guys nice boat!!!!
You sure could, Grant!! ;-)
I thought that you might like this one... ;-) It is not a sail boat... but it will meet our needs.. Haha! Thanks Toad!! ;-)
That is the best part... I don't think the fish will care at all ... How much the boat cost!!
This IS NICE👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻
I just bought a 10ft, Lowe's JonBoat, for $30.00! & I'm working on it,
Man oh man .... The price sound good!! Thanks for watching David!!! ;-) Good Luck on your new project!! ;-)
How much did it cost to add all that to the boat I got a 14 ft alumacraft I'm wanting to add a deck to
That is the best part DG!! ;-) Got to save money to buy more bullets and bait!! ;-)
Thank you! It works good for us at an affordable price!!
First of all , really nice job on the boat! Second of all I have a 15 ft semi v thats gutted and I'm dying to work on it but I haven't had the chance and now your killin me with this video! Btw that catfish looks yummy.
Looks like a comfortable mans boat to me . You got the bass boat without the payment
Great job Bill! how many dollars did you save, really well done.
It sure depends.... A good used Ranger boats are in the thousands of dollars.... This was a fun time, but it got us by.... Bill Goudy Jr. finally got a Ranger bass boat and gave this boat to his younger brother.... Thanks for watching and commenting!!!!
I love what you did! Im actually redoing my boat now in aluminum. I was wondering if you used latches for your doors and if so what kind did you use?
We used canvas straps with metal snaps ... They lay flat and work good!! It also doesn't bother you if you step on them!! ;-) Good Luck, Steven!!
+BillGoudy Thanks!
Nice job. Fancy boats don't catch fish, fishermen do. I have a little 14 1/2 foot aluminum boat ...love it. Hendrix helps?
Thanks, Doug... You are so right!!! ;-)
Great job. How much money did you put into this hole renovation?
Approximate cost of this project ;
The aluminum supports were $150 the Aluminum deck was $240 the carpet and glue $75 The trolling motor was $700... ( You don't need to spend that much on the trolling motor.) I hope this helps! About $465 for the basic materials!!
Could you tell me what size material you used? Such as angle size and thickness of the aluminum sheet for decking. I'm wanting to set up a 16' V hull.
The flooring is 16 gauge and is equal to 0.0508 or just under 1/16".. Thickness of the aluminum. The Aluminum sheet came 4 foot wide by 8 foot long and the thickness is 16 gauge or about 0.0508 inch Thickness... We used an air tool called a nibbler to cut the sheets to the size that we needed!! ;-) We used 1 1/4 Aluminum Angle and we bought it at a metal shop... It was cheaper than a Lowe's or Menards home store!! You can use plywood but it is heavier and won't last as long!! Good Luck!! ;-)
Thank you Bill for your response. I was thinking about using 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 angle and 1/8" sheet for the decking. If what you used worked fine I will go with what you used. I live in Washington state and there are metal supermarket stores around which I will purchase the material from. Was it nice and sturdy after you built it the way that you did?
Nothing wrong with going bigger Nate... I always thought that bigger is better if you have a good way to cut the decking?? The Angles are plenty strong.. I would have liked to gone thicker on the deck, but the deck we have works great... I will be having another video coming out soon with us using it.. You might want to check it out!! Good Luck my friend!! ;-)
Whoever the idiot who didn't like this or anyone who can't appreciate the ingenuity and work that went into planning and building this really should lose their right to vote. American workers at their best. Like it or not, like the United States or not, this is why we have the number #1 country on the planet to live on. There are problems but no country has fewer.
Thanks for the kind words, Chuck!!
lmfao wtffffffff.
Cool setup, really nice idea.
Thanks Sean!! ;-) Cheers!!
What is the full name of the boat, I've been trying to find a big jon boat like this but haven't had success.
Lowe - Jon Boat This is only a 16 foot boat but it is extra deep and has a coast guard bow.... You can use many different brands .... Good Luck my friend!! ;-)
VERY cool! Thanks for sharing.
That's a great job, I like to see things like that👍 you know I'm going to ask, how much did the refit cost?
I have the materials and the cost listed in the description. About 465. dollars!! I hope this helps. It was a fun project and we are still using that boat to this day!! ;-)
impressive setup
I'd pay you to do this to my boat you did a hell of a good job
Thanks, Blake... I am not in the business... Yet any way... We just did this to have fun and we wanted the boat to last... Thanks for the kind words my friend!! ;-)
+BillGoudy your welcome
Nice cat. I love my catfish. Good job on the boat guys. Aieee!
Great looking project!!
Soooo, you built a nice BASS boat and then went CATFISHING ? ? LOL !
Great build ! Lot cheaper than my 18.5' Bass Tracker and does essentially the same thing. Confession time, I occasionally catch a channel cat myself . haha. Thanks for sharing !
Yep! We wanted to break it in right.... all fish are welcomed ..... after they are on board...... We will decide if they get to stay!! Haha! Thanks WH ....
All clear here! ;-) I'm with you Bill, fresh fish is where its at!
I been thanking about doing something like this to my 16 foot jon boat but I not sure how to build thing for my steering wheel and light controls
I have used wood.... It is by far cheaper, But is much heavier... Good Luck, Ronald!! ;-)
Fine bass boat. I see now where it evolved from. Bill G jr. Awesome
We have learned so many techniques over the years!! ;-)