Finally found a boat I had been eyeing for a few years – Big O bass boat. Boat is built in you guessed it – Okeechobee. Boat has similar running surface of a Lake & Bay…think it is a little narrower in the beam. The boat had an older Johnson engine – going into the boat I knew the engine would need replacing soon. Took the boat out and it ran like a “stripped azz” ape (more to follow on that). Deal was made and she was hooked up and heading back to Panama City.
The previous owner owns Tropic Trailer and I had him replace two tires on the trailer and fix the lights. By my own fault I broke the hydraulic steering. So, it took me a week or two to get all the parts in to fix that. Finally got ready to launch the boat and one of the new tires was flat. New tire again – two axle trailer. Drop the boat in and she runs great, caught fish and this was gonna be a good summer. Next day Lil Chalk wants to go fishing now. We go and it is high pressure and the wind is honking…we fish all over East Bay and decide to run to Tyndall to look around. Turn my head and hear a slight “tap” “tap”…before I make it back to the ramp, “BOOM”. Engine dead after two trips – not my plans of having to change engines so soon, but it is what it is.
Long story short – work a deal with Paul Chavis on a 200 Merc he had and had it bolted on in a few days. Then I had to run wiring harnesses, buy a new shifter, new cables, new ignition switch – basically reworked all the engine stuff. Borrowed a prop from Tincan, bugged Tincan a lot too during the process – that man sure sleeps a lot lol
Finally dropped the boat in the water last Friday….first pass yielded a 67 mph run, but with an engine fault. Loaded back up and bought a new cranking battery, launched again…same problem – bad alternator….sit out a weekend on super flood tides. Decided to check with local alternator shop and they had one rebuilt already. Installed last night and was rewarded with my first trophy fish of the boat – 26” trout.
With all that said – here is BSAM (Blue Stripped Azz Monkey) or sometimes I call her BOB (Big O Bass boat). Been a journey to this point, but it is all about the journey to me.
Appreciate my wife for enduring me and thanks to Chavis and Tincan for all their help.
Boat with old engine
Big trout w/ new boat motor finally running good – fish gods smiled on me!
She is consistent at 67mph - need to try a higher pitch prop though...can hit rev limiter w/ the 24p Fury
