Carpet

I’ve been thinking about up grading my boat.
Looking at craigs list just to see what’s out there.
Lot’s of nice options at decent prices, but,

What’s up with putting carpet in fishing boats ?

Fish hooks and carpet don’t mix.
Blood, slime and carpet don’t mix.

What’s your pet peeve ?

If you don't like carpet put a rubberized bed liner treatment on the interior of your boat. I mostly bass fish so at least half the time I'm standing bare footed on my front deck casting or flipping. Carpet feels good to me.

My biggest pet peeve about fishing boats is that they cost over a hundred grand new for a nice one
.

Several years back i bought a nice used fiberglass bass boat.

Previous owner had removed the carpet from the lower area and put in a rubber deck.

Looked spray-in. But not line-x type.

Light grey color.

Was nice. Didn’t get hot.

Same stuff woulda worked for the front and deck casting deck.


Xpress boats come with SeaDeck as an option.

The last one I started to remodel this last winter is an older 18’ Lund. I’ve ordered Nexan dry lock for the flooring and look forward to finding time between groups to install it.
I think it’s going be just the ticket to a trouble free floor/ deck.

Osky

Mine is outboards. I’ve had issues with every one I’ve ever owned. Broke down a few years ago and bought a brand new 20hp Suzuki. It was absolutely flawless until this spring when I got ahold of some bad gas and it went to running rough. I like to have never got it all cleaned out but finally have it running good again.

Upgrading your boat to fit your need is a lot cheaper than replacing it.

A guy at a Marina that I visited spray painted automotive undercoating all over the inside of his center console.

Being black I bet he SWEATED HIS BALLS OFF DURING THE SUMMER!!!

Hip

For nonskid decks a product called "Treadmaster" is very hard to beat. Long service life if installed properly.

Walnut shells in paint is an old traditional method that is still viable for low budgets.

Seadeck is a great alternative to carpet.

Tag

Hank

My petpeeve on boats is, I wish there was an easier way to wash out the interior ! Or am I doing it wrong ??

I don't mind carpet, sort of prefer it for me.

My pet peeve - I want a large, high hp walleye/multi species aluminum boat with the captain's helm to starboard without a corresponding windshield/dash on for the passenger on the port side.

Basically this boat but without the passenger dash/windshield or the middle "walk through" bits. Such a waste of space. Smaller offerings often have what I want, which is great but I want a larger (LOA) boat.

Tournament Pro

Coworker bought a new fiberglass deck boat, specifically ordered without carpet. After a year of use he is wishing he had put carpet in it for traction and 'coolness' on his feet.

Not enough horsepower.
Never understand why someone would buy a nice boat and then totally cheap out on the engine.
I see nice 17-18' fishing boats with a 40 hp motor.
Nice kicker but where's the real motor...

Having a boat that you can’t use the right tactics with to get fish is a big mistake… and you don’t want to wait and buy the one you really needed later on so get the following up front..


- Make sure you can put a kicker motor on it so you can troll for walleye / Crappie…
this means the transom weight capacity for the motor you have and the kicker are allowed….

- Battery chargers On-board - Get one…. Period…

- Kill switches on the battery’s so you won’t drain one and kill it when you have the boat parked.

- Get a Bimini - that is unless you don’t want to fish from may on… until Oct.

- Electronics -
Hummingbird has the best side view period…. Mega + is almost scary in detail
But - if you want to catch fish in hard fishing conditions…
then the Garmin Livescope is your huckleberry… Not only can you see the size of what you are targeting, you can see thier exact depth and how they react to lures…. And get fish when no one else can.

- Livewell size - don’t underestimate the importance or you’ll be carrying a portable livewell for big catfish / spoonbill..

- for lakes - get a v hull… don’t assume you can use a flat bottom everywhere.

- Inflatable lifevests — people will actually wear them - Get them…

- light for driving at night - summer fishing at night is HUGE…. But you really need some lights, I put LED based light bars on mine.

And to think me and the boy have been boating limits of saugeye and crappie 4 days a week since April with an $89 depth finder, a 20hp tiller, and a 5 gallon buckets for a livewell. Plywood bench seats and no top or windshield. Roughing it.

I love my boat's carpet and would eliminate it under exactly no circumstances. Spray it at the car wash a few times a year and enjoy it.

An open 18’er (I hit some big lakes) and a tiller motor, seat cushions and I’m a very happy fisherman as well.

Osky

Nothing wrong with this program

Hank

Carpet is more trouble to clean but when it is 100 degrees and their isn't a cloud in the sky carpeted areas won't burn you. It reduces boat noise as well.