Dmw1960 Lowes 175 Crappie Stinger 2008 Model

[DMW1960]

First off this is not any bragging thread. I have had several members PM me and email me about my boat and how I liked the Lowes Crappie Stinger Boat. I am not a professional tournment Crappie Fisherman. I fish because I love the taste of Crappie rolled in egg, flour, milk, corn meal and deep fried! I just can't get enough of them. Some people do drugs and booze, I do Crappie and Iced Tea.

My plan is to post over the next few days pictures, comments, ideas that I have either done by myself or had others do to improve my boat. All the supplies were either purchased at Cabela's, Bass Pro or my Lowes Dealer. I may be very blunt at times. I have no use for poor quailty products or services. I don't have money to waste on poor quailty stuff. I am just a plain working stiff that is trying to catch a few fish to eat.

I want to be able to reach out to current boat owners. And the guys sitting there reading this without a boat and trying to figure a way to purchase one with a wife and kids.

Ok lets get started. History, I have been looking at the Bass Pro Crappie Model every since it hit the market. I was proud that someone like them would finally see the need for a Crappie boat that the normal Joe like me could some what afford.

Cons about the BP model, I am 6'4" and if I can sit behind the steering wheel how am I suppost to fish with it? Boat has wood in it. Most sales reps tried to move me to a Bass Model when they figured out I couldn't set behind the wheel. Not very wide of a boat either.

Well then a friend of mine said DW go look at a G3 boat. Kind of liked the boat almost pulled the trigger. But something about not having a Mercury behind me and the fact that the boat still looked kind of cheap on the inside did me in. Didn't really care for the seats that much. At the time I was closing in very fast at almost 280 lbs plus. And there again the boat wasn't very wide. Went back to friend and said no way.

Same friend says go check out a Lowes. So I get online look at their website. Folks I personally think that a 12 year old could design a better web site. I have informed Lowes of my feelings. If I had a product this good I would do a lot better in putting together a website for it. Ended up looking at this web site on a Friday night for a long period of time. Wife was already in bed, asleep, went in and woke her up said I found a boat! (Note: I sure didn't say I was the smartest duck on the pond!) Hey honey we are getting up early in the morning (Saturday) and going to go look at this boat. Ouch don't wake wife up to talk about boat when wife hates fishing! And don't ever tell them that they can't sleep in especially when they have a CCW permit!

Ok off to the dealer Saturday morning. Walk in, make one walk around the boat turn to the wife and she says this is the one! I can tell how you are acting. "Ok, my question to you husband, if we get this boat how many weekends per year will you be gone?" I looked at her and said, "How about 30 weekends give or take a couple?" "Well if you want it get it!" Ended up writing up the deal and telling them I had to think on it. By 9 am on Monday morning I had already called and started the deal rolling.

Boat: 2008 175 Crappie Stinger with a 2006 50 hp Mercury 2 cycle. Was able to save a bunch of money with the 06 motor same warranty and it was new in the box! I opened the box myself!

Trailer: Standard Lowes trailer didn't go with LED lights wish I had upgraded to LED lights because they are easier to see at night in the rain. And I already pull and own enough trailers to have known better not to order the LED lights on trailer. But money was tight, when is it not? And I had this master plan for my new boat! Was smart enough to order the trailer brakes, in March of 2009 that was an extra $400.00. I drive a F-250 Super Cab V-10 and wife drives a Ford Explorier 4x4 auto model, one of those limited slip models. Wifes first 4x4 ever. Figured brakes would help with the Explorier. Well boat trailer brakes work great with F-250 also! Sure helps slow things down on wet payment. Ok I have a dark past, I used to be one of those REDNECK 18 WHEEL BULL HAULERS! If the truck does 94 before it shuts down then put the Hammer Down! The boat trailer brakes have already paid for themselves.

Problems with new boat, before it is ever out the dealers door! I don't care if it is a BP, G3 or a Lowes model boat, there is not enough room on the front to mount the trolling motor correctly in my book. Everyone mounts the trolling motor and lets this shaft hang where it is going to bounce up and down everytime you hit a pot hole! One of these days you will end up with the bolts working loose or something else wrong. The boat came with a MotorGuide, 12 volt, 36 inch shaft with 46 pounds of boost. More than enough power to handle this boat in any conditions! Have had boat in 4 and almost 5 foot white caps and trolling motor has done the job! Had to convince dealer to look for something to either mount or tie down that trolling motor. They wanted to use Ram mounts, which is a good idea but expensive! But they are hard to deal with on the water. MotorGuide offers a strap that is easy to use on the water if you need it and great to use during transport! Oh and boat covers are high dollar also so be sure and get the cover for that sharp prop on the trolling motor! Because if you pull your boat covered with that trolling motor prop uncovered you are just asking for trouble! Also invest in the boat step seen in the lower part of the picture. Keeps feet dry on cold days!

More latter!

Dan

[DMW1960]

If I made a boat this good for Crappie fishermen I would at least put the word Crappie on it or a nice picture of a Crappie on it! I did complain to Lowes about it! I happen to be very proud of what I fish for!

Don't worry Lowes! Got me a couple of nice Missouri Crappie Dot Com stickers on it now!!!!

[DMW1960]

One thing I forgot to cover with the trolling motor info above. Notice on the pictures above there is Black Electric Tape running down the shaft of my trolling motor holding the transducer wire. I hate Black Electric Tape! Looks nasty! I love zip ties! Wrong keep zip ties off of boat!

When I got the boat home dealer had zip tied the fish finder transducer wire to the trolling motor. Well you know a few more added won't hurt and they look better than Black Tape! About 3 months goes by front fish finder is starting to lie to me! I know where I am fishing and none of the reading are correct. Rear unit is telling me the truth about everything but front unit is telling me things that only someone out of Washington DC would tell me all lies!

One day I bent the trolling motor shaft, had to take it in get it repaired, another $100 down the drain! Questioned guy at trolling motor place about lies from fish finder. He said DW look at this transducer wire the zip ties have cut into it. Another lesson learned, $50.00 for new transducer! No more zip ties! Use Black Electric Tape only on transducer wire going to trolling motor! Front fish finder is back working fine, no more lies!

So just because a Boat Dealer has installed your gear don't trust nothing! They are only human and they want to make your new boat look pretty for delivery to you. Cut those zip ties off and use Black Tape!

[Gansett]

I would love to see all of the boat. Could you post a few pictures of the entire boat? Thanx.

[DMW1960]

Just had a question PM'ed me about transporting Minnows in the boat. Look I know there are guys out there that wouldn't be caught dead with a minnow in their boat! I fish for food, give me a choice of a 6 pack of cold beer or a mess of Crappie and I may be dying for a beer but I will take the Crappie everytime. I will use anyway shape or form to catch fish! Alot of times I will tip a jig with a minnow.

Just why is all this important? Last year alone I spent over $200.00 in minnows!

With the Lowes boat I have 2 livewells with 2 minnow buckets. Ok this is good for most normal guys you have a water aerater pump running to both livewells that keeps fresh lake water going to your caught fish and also your minnows. But folks this only works when boat is in the water!

Old DW's problem: I am at least 60 miles from one of my fishing lakes and over 90 miles one way from Truman Lake! Hotest crappie lake in Missouri! Go to the Missouri Board and you will see what I mean! I get up about 1 to 2 am to load the boat and head to the lake during normal fishing seasons. I like to get on the water before all those Bass Guys hit the boat ramps. Ok so where you going to find minnows before daylight?

I went to a farm store and purchased a 100 gallon stock tank. Yes a cattle water tank. Went to Wal-Mart and purchased a couple of those 100 gallon fish tank pumps with air stones. I set the stock tank in the backyard filled it up with water now we have a minnow tank! Be sure if you are on City Water get some bait saver from BP or a Bait Store and put it in the tank before you put minnows in it other wise dead minnows! I have found a Bait Shop in town which will sell me minnows by the pound. About $15.00 per pound for 12 to 15 dozen minnows depending on the size of them. Sometimes I get the large go knock them down minnows and sometimes I get the so small hard to hook minnows. Usually about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds is what I get to refill the tank. About once every 2 weeks put a half of slice of bread in the tank and they will eat happy!

Ok got the minnow supply before daylight taken care of. Now how do you transport the minnows to the lake? Figuring a 90 mile trip, stop for coffee, stop for bathroom break, rigging the boat at the ramp, could take 2 to 2.5 hours. This isn't good for minnows!

Cheap fix! Go and get one of those battery operated minnow bucket air pumps. Don't get the one at Wal-Mart that just runs off of 1 D cell battery! They don't last and you will always be replacing batteries and they don't produce enough air! Get a good one with 2 D cell batteries.

Now fill up one boat livewell at house be sure to use bait saver. Put minnows in boats minnow bucket, put air stone from air pump into minnow bucket. Once you get on the water fill both livewells and then transfer some minnows back to partner at back of boat.

Well this is fine and good for most people and I use the above system myself sometimes!

But what I have done to my boat is put a boat livewell air system pump onboard! Got air running to one livewell, have a switch that I can control how much air goes to the livewell. Ok system will cost about $150.00. Why spend the money? Ever fished when it was 90 plus degrees? How about a Crappie Tournment? Dead fish don't pay! And I am fishing for meat for my table, I don't want to clean dead fish! Plus what about those minnows? I want to keep them alive to! Because I plan on bringing the little guys back home to the stock tank for reuse!

I got all the stuff from BP. The air pump comes with 2 sides to produce air from. I just got on of those "T" fitting from a pet store and "T"ed the line off to make it one line. (NOTE: YOU CAN USE REGULAR FISH TANK AIR HOSE BUT GET THE GOOD STUFF NOT THE CHEAP STUFF BECAUSE IT WON'T LAST) Pump kit comes with enough air line for front livewell. Also at pet get a one way valve for fish tank pumps. When the pump is off you don't want water going back down air line to pump because water in pump with kill it. That valve is the clear tube with the pink inside connected to the black hose in the pump picture. You will have to also get the switch from BP. The switch has Auto, which gives you so much time on and so much time off and it has a Manual setting which is full time on. I use this setting when I am headed home. I transfer all fish to front livewell and haul butt home. On a lowes boat it is hard to rig this air pump to back livewell without removing the gas tank and that is too much work. And being a new boat owner I got the dealer to install all this for me.

Notice picture of the minnow bucket it has a air line and air stone on top of it. What I did was use another "T" fitting from main air line and stone in livewell and ran a line over to the minnow bucket. I just drop air stone into bucket and those little guys get all the air they need. And since it is in the same livewell the Crappie get what ever the minnows don't use plus they have their own air stone.

So I can turn this system on Auto and head to the lake with minnows! No mess no problems. Oh and yes the system has already saved me from having dead fish on a hot day during a tournment!

Look guys I am not no Jimmy Houston or someone like that! I am just a regular guy like you who when he gets time to go fishing I want to spend every minute I can on the water. I have been on the water fishing for as long as 16 hours just one day. When your working and you only have a weekend off spend it on the water fishing!

[DMW1960]

I would love to see all of the boat. Could you post a few pictures of the entire boat? Thanx.

Gansett I send you a PM. I am going to be working on this post for the next few days! Yes I said days! So keep checking back I will be adding new stuff everyday. I am not bragging but I think I added over $3,000 to this boat of after market stuff.

If I posted a picture of all the boat you wouldn't be able to see all the little details and tell what I have done and have not done. Thats why I am posting pictures of the items and trying to explain them for everyone.

Hope I help someone out with all this work! I have send alot of emails out with detailed pictures to other members in the past and everyone wants me to share with them so this is the reason for this thread.

Dan

[DMW1960]

One thing I forgot to say about the trolling motors above and them bouncing around on ruff water. Most Lowes boats equipped with a MotorGuide trolling motor do not come with a weight plate on the foot controls. Be sure and add the weight plate to the foot control. You will have to go to the MotorGuide website and print off the part number and picture for your boat dealer. This helps keep foot control from boucing around going down the highway and also in ruff water!

Compartment locks! On a my Lowes boat it only came with one locking compartment. That is the rod box. Granted I have some expensive rods! But what about everything else? My personal life vest cost me over $300.00! What about that compartment in the back of the boat with 3 batteries in it? Figure costs of replacement because someone had hot hands? You can either get the same locks from the dealer or either BP or Cabelias. If you get them from dealer get the locks keyed alike! My mistake I have one lock different. I also had dealer put locks on the 2 on board cooler compartments. I use one for food and soda so I ready didn't need a lock on that compartment but I added one anyway. In the other cooler compartment I keep my battery jumper unit that can jump start pickup or boat battery and that costs about $75.00 to replace. Locks for the compartments will cost you about $30 to $35 per compartment. You can do it yourself with a key hole saw. The cooler compartments are a little tricky because you have to cut an additional hole for the bar on the lock to hook too.

While I am on locks also, what are you paying for boat gas? Add a lock to the gas tank for about $20.00 or less! People will steal anything and what about someone who get PO'ed at you? A little sugar or water to your boat gas? Whats it worth not to worry?

More latter!

Dan

[DMW1960]

Ok I don't care what kind of boat company you purchased your boat from! What ever brand of normal Crappie boats you get they put those cheap little tie downs on the back of the boat to hold your boat on the trailer! The ones Lowes put on my new boat wasn't worth nothing just plain junk! They might have well used just plain old baler twine! The ones they put on were a pain in the butt and you could never get them tight, they fell off going down the highway and they were hard to put on with 30 people waiting in line at the boat ramp!

Boat Buckles has a fine product for this problem. Granted costs around $60.00 for the rear you get 2 in the package. I can have my boat either undone or tied in less than 1 minute at the ramp. All your major brand of B-----ass Boats already have them on them. Sorry guys its hard for me to say the word B-----ass, I am a Crappie fisherman!

While you are at it add a Bow mount Boat Buckle to the front of the trailer for extra safety and it also keeps the boat from bouncing around on ruff roads! Look I know you have done it just like me not gotten the winch tight enough and do you really trust that stupid little S hook safety chain? This will cost you about another $30.00.

I know the boat builders could add these alot cheaper to new boats than what it costs us after market! But I think they don't respect us Crappie people!

Got more info just keep checking back!

Dan

[DMW1960]

Rear view mirror! Look I only have a 50 hp motor! And when you fish on some of the lakes that I fish on, those B----ass Guys come around me and pass me like my boat is sitting on blocks! Just a little safety deal and it don't cost much to add!

Ok you get your new boat and they add a radio for you! Got to have the toons boys when your catching fish and feeling good! I went with a AM/FM/CD. Boat dealer didn't put a antenna with it. Radio won't work good in rural areas without one when you are trying to catch the weather forcast! I was able to find one at BP. Why in the heck would you want a CD player in a Crappie boat? Well boys I maybe from Missouri but I can't think of anything better than running down the lake listening to Sweet Home Alabama! Kind of makes my blood run warm all over! Full livewell of Crappie, good music, and heading to the boat ramp playing Sweet Home Alabama! Granted I may be only going 32 mph but I am having fun!

DW's problem: Nascar or Crappie fishing? Its Sunday and the boys are in Alabama running Talladega! Buddy says Crappie jumping in boats at Truman! But man this is Talladega weekend! Crappie - food - good - fun to catch! Nascar good old country boys having fun! What a choice! With the AM/FM radio just add a windsheild mount for your Siruis radio system you all ready have in your pickup! Transfer unit from pickup to boat and not have to pay any extra fees from Siruis! Ahhhh, listening to Nascar on Sunday, sitting in a Crappie boat over a brush pile, drinking a cold coke, and catching slabs! Am I getting your attention now boys? It don't get any better! Heck you can listen to the race and even listen to the on board radio traffic of your favorate driver talking to the crew chief, spotter and the pit crew!

You have to give up some things to Crappie fish but not everything!

Oh and don't forget to add the Spit Cup for the Copenhagen! Wife gets upset if I miss the water and hit the side of the boat!

More latter!

Dan

[DMW1960]

And you thought that you were ugly! Got you all beat in that department! Hey does all this extra boat equipment help you catch fish DW? Sometimes yep and sometimes nope! But I have a lot of fun trying!

And that guy standing next to me holding up the other end of that stringer of fish is my best friend Marcus! (Ex B---ASS Guy) showed him the light turned him on to Crappie Fishing! It was a heck of a fight to get that B---ass rod out of his hands but I got it done! He is the best fishing partner ever!

More equipment pictures and info latter!

Dan