FF/TM advice please

BlackStrat · June 30, 2018, 12:35:48 PM

Hello everyone. I'm back after about a 10-11 year hiatus (formally RajunCajun) and in need of some advice.....

I'll start at the beginning and try to make this short.

My sister's husband passed away 4 years ago. I inquired about buying his boat but his adult son wanted to keep it. NP, I totally understand. So recently I've been looking for a boat because the kayak is getting to be a burden. So I got a call 3-4 days ago asking if I was still interested. I was, so her and her son sold me her husbands aluminum bass boat (1990 Spectrum w/50hp Johnson Sea Horse) for 3K. It has been sitting for 4 years. It had a cover but was shredded in a storm. So I knew there would be a lot of work needed on the motor, new batteries, and the TM shaft was bent. So they said get everything fixed and subtract that from the 3K....np. I had contacted a guy here in Canyon Lake and said to get the motor running (without actually seeing it) his high-side guess would be around $1500. So that dropped the price of the boat to $1500.

I picked it up and got it home yesterday and while cleaning it out and getting it ready to take the guy, I find out the floor and casting deck has rot. So I took the boat to him and he said he is going to have to "get inside" to see the extent of the damage for an accurate quote/estimate but without seeing anything he guessed for the motor and and new floor, decks, carpet, re-wiring, etc. and the motor work would run around $3500. So I told my sister and sent video of the floor and they decided to just give/donate it all to me. Which I still believe that is a good deal. The Tracker's I've been looking at have been between $5K and $12K.

So now for the advice part.....

1. I've chosen a Motorguide 12v 45lbs thrust for the TM. Does anyone have any opinions as to whether this is a good/decent/dependable TM? If not this TM, what would you recommend? I have about $400 budgeted for this.

2. For the FF....on the boat is an old Lowerance. I have no idea if it even works or not. If it does work, my plan is to remove it and put it on my kayak and take the Lowerance Elite 3X off my kayak and put it on the boat, either at the driver's console or on the bow and buy another FF for where I don't put the Elite.

Can someone offer some advice on where to put the Elite and what FF to buy and where to put it on the boat? I'm on a budget and would like not spend much but I have about $300 budgeted for it, I can go a little more if there is a big enough difference.

So sorry for the length of the post.
Thanks in a advance and all opinions/advice is welcomed.

BlackStrat
(Randy)

WTodd · June 30, 2018, 01:20:15 PM

My TM is a Motorguide about the same size thrust; my only recommendation would be to get the biggest 12V Motorguide makes. When I have to replace mine, that's what I'm doing

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WTodd · June 30, 2018, 01:21:21 PM

As far as FF, I'm a Hummingbird fan. Get the max you can afford

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Lipripper · June 30, 2018, 01:30:15 PM

I remember the RajunCajun and welcome back. It has been a spell since you were last here so hope to see you posting again like you use too. I don't own a boat but with all the work your going to have done on it and since you got it for nothing it should serve you well.

Princeton_Man · June 30, 2018, 05:10:00 PM

I'm a MinnKota fan. I believe you can get a 55lb Minn Kota 12 volt. I second WTodd's recommendation. A lot depends on the waters you're fishing but, I've never said "Gee, I don't need all this power" with anything I've ever owned yet there have been a lot of times I've wished I had more.

I'm a Garmin Echomap fan when it comes to graphs but I also have a bird on the front. Humminbird has a lot of bang for the buck. Again, it depends on the waters you're fishing.

WTodd · July 01, 2018, 08:19:09 AM

Quote from: Princeton_Man on June 30, 2018, 05:10:00 PM
I'm a MinnKota fan. I believe you can get a 55lb Minn Kota 12 volt. I second WTodd's recommendation. A lot depends on the waters you're fishing but, I've never said "Gee, I don't need all this power" with anything I've ever owned yet there have been a lot of times I've wished I had more.

Agree in having more and not needing it vs needing it and not having it. That 55 lb sounds right as far as the max 12V you can buy. Like I said, if and when my TM dies I'm going bigger whether it's MG or MK (yes I'm a MK fan too).

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Oldfart9999 · July 01, 2018, 01:01:15 PM

I would upgrade to a 24 volt, in wind you'll need it. As far as FF, if you can fish with folks that different ones I would and ask you can try them to see which one you prefer, I'm a Lowrance fan.
Rodney

D.W. Verts · July 01, 2018, 03:31:28 PM

Get the largest TM you can afford. I don't know if you'll have the rigging room for two TM batteries...

It seems to me that everyone is (finally) building good electronics. I am also a Garmin fan, but the best advice I could give is (ahem) get the biggest that you can afford. By biggest I mean screen size- with all the benefits that this new technology offers, wasting it on a small screen that you can't see is silly.

I just put two new Garmins on my boat. a 73 on the front and a 93 on the back. And while the 73 is GREAT, I'm thinkin' I'll be replacing it with a 9" screen. I need all the help I can get.

BlackStrat · July 02, 2018, 09:20:21 AM

Thanks guys! I don't have much experience with finders so I don't really have a loyalty to any brand.

But I do think I'm going to get something with at least DS, SS and Sonar at the console. Until I can get enough $$, I'll probably just use the Lowrance Elite 3X at the bow.

As far as the TM, I've only had 1 MK many, many years ago and granted, it was a cheaper one, but it just didn't feel solid to me. When I did finally get a couple of Jon boats, they had a MG already on them and they seemed rock solid. That's the only reason I have for sticking with them.

Lipripper: I remember you as well Sir, how have you been? It has been a long time...too long!

Princeton_Man · July 02, 2018, 09:27:40 AM

Quote from: BlackStrat on July 02, 2018, 09:20:21 AM
Thanks guys! I don't have much experience with finders so I don't really have a loyalty to any brand.

But I do think I'm going to get something with at least DS, SS and Sonar at the console. Until I can get enough $$, I'll probably just use the Lowrance Elite 3X at the bow.

As far as the TM, I've only had 1 MK many, many years ago and granted, it was a cheaper one, but it just didn't feel solid to me. When I did finally get a couple of Jon boats, they had a MG already on them and they seemed rock solid. That's the only reason I have for sticking with them.

Lipripper: I remember you as well Sir, how have you been? It has been a long time...too long!

Both MG and MK have loyal fans. I have used both and both are quality TMs. If you should decide to go the route, connectivity to your electronics could be a deciding factor. Again, the waters you'll be fishing might have a lot to do with the electronics you buy.