[bwendel07]

Ok here is everything. Carolina skiff J-14 with a yamaha 25

Light setup are underwater lights that are homemade Similiar to starfires but I can make the whole light unit for about $2.25 with a 100 watt bulb instead of the starfires 75w. the mirrors reflect light forward and to the sides. I can see in clear water about 15 ft around the boat. I can replace a bulb orthe glass tube on the boat in about two minutes and it dosent bother me when I break one due to the cost. it killed me when I broke one of the starfires. when I am floundering the whole setup is under the bow so I do not get any glare from the lights.

I can rum the four light setup for about 8 hrs on one battery with a second always charged and ready to go if needed. When I move from spots the lights just pivot up out of the way easily

I also just finished making a new gig head.

Also a picture of my new gig head with my old one, which I made out of too small satinless rod. the tines kept bending out on me when I hit something hard. the new one is all 1/4" stainless rod. on a 1" stainless pipe nipple all welded stainless

And the two disconnected to where I can just screw the other in or a mud foot if a real muddy bottom

 

[Last Chance]

Looks good,i like the idea of being able to change out bulb and glass globe quickly unlike starfires.When ya gonna go put it to use?

 

[X-Shark]

Nicely done.



I'm guessing that with your's and a buddies weight on the bow, it sits lower in the water? From the pix's it appears a little high.

IE: The lights would be in & out of the water.



I know with the Starfires, they have to be submerged.



You say you run them on one battery and have a backup. You could easily wire both batteries in parrallel to create one BIG battery with a LOT of amp hours.



Are you propelling the boat with the outboard?

 

[FlounderAssassin]

Very nice setup!!! that was a good question x-shark, im also curious of if you use your out board, troller motor not shown in photo, or pole.

 

[iceman28o1]

i love that setup! i have the same j14 with a 35 merc on it. do you sell them gig heads.

 

[Death From Above]

That's a wicked looking gig head. Bet they don't shake off that too easy.

 

[jspooney]

awesome set-up. What bulbs and glassdid youuse. I'm assuming the bulbs are for a headlight? Also, where did you get the stuff?

 

[jigslinger]

Nice rig and gigs. Care to share how you made the barbs?

 

[bwendel07]

As far as batteries

Yaeh I know about paralleling the batteries but they are deep cycle batteries and it is best to for the batteries to drain them down to about 15% before recharging them. That way I just keep track which one I use I switch it out when it is low, charge that battery and use the other one till it is low. As far as the light height once someone is on the bow the lights are submerged,they are about 1.5 inches above the draft of the boat so that I can nose in to some real shallow water. The pictures are a little decieving of where they sit compared to the rest of the boat, I guess just a littlle weird camera amgle. They are always submerged when fishing. I can pushpole the boat in 5" and not get hung up. I useally just pole the boat the whole time I like the quiet and I can go completely at the speed I want.the boat poles with little effort. I have a 14' pole/gig so i can pish ahead easily. I have on ocassion on slow nights run the outboard in idle and just jerk the cord stop when i run over a fish, but it usually proves to be almost more work than just polling. I do cover more ground, but that is not always better. I began floundreing several years ago when I got so fed up with all the yahoos that seem to thing the best jetskiing in the whole bay is the location where a fisherman is. So I went out and really like to get out at night when the water is still and almost totally quiet. (thus the reason I probbably havent done the generator thing)

As far as the gig heads

Selling? No I have only made the two that you see, I put some time into the second one thinking that it would be the last gig i ever made. I figured do it once and do it right and NEVER do it again. I did enjoy making it though it wasn' t all that painful. As far as the barbs I welded a little nipple on the stock and then ground it down to the barb that you see. I used a dremmel to backcut the barb and a regular grinder to shape it. And no they dont shake off easily. I have one of those comb looking things on the cooler to pull the fish off. I figured better that then them getting off in the water (I really hate that, especially when you know that it fatally wounded)

 

[bwendel07]

As far as the lights.

The bulbs I bought from a store they are not headlight bulbs but the same ones that would be in starfires but more powerful.. I think they were about $1 a piece when you buy 20 or so. I always keep a couple on hand. I go through one about every 2 battery cycles so about 1 every 15 hrs. For $1 I really dont care. They do need to be run in the water but they can sit out of water for about 4 min without damage, the starfires dont seem to last that long out of water when I used them. The materials are found just about anywhere, exept for the glass bulb. I have a supply of them from where I work, so they are free to me. If anyone wants to see let me know and I will be happy to show how I set everything up.

 

[Barnacle Brain]

Man, nice job! Looks like a lot of thought and drawn from experience. Do you find that two deep cells are adequate for a decent trip? Do you charge them off of your motor? Or just bring 2 freshly charged cells with you?

 

[bwendel07]

one battery lasts me 8 hrs. So the two are always good for one night and I charge when I get home.

 

[X-Shark]

Tell use about the mirrors.



Glass or metal? Where did you get them?

 

[bwendel07]

I just figured out mirrors are hard to take pictures of. Just plain glass 1/4" glass mirrors with a rubber backing. holes drilled so that they can be mounted. pretty simple. I have a brother that works for a glass shop that cuts them out of scrap. I have about 10 extra although I have never broke one. they are actually pretty durable, i have hit them several times and expected them to be broken but never have. the PVC has some give to it I guess that is why. The bolts that hole them on have a rubber o ring so that they do not have a bolt directly on them.

 

[X-Shark]

10-4

 

[PompNewbie]

Nice little set up...I have been thinking of re-building my light set up just not sure what way to set it up.

I like the flip up and run idea...i cant do that with my current set up

Mike

 

[Murphy's Law]

Nice 12volt set up. Those carolina skiff's are sweet for gigging off of.

 

[fishaholic]

Sweet setup...:clap

 

[John B.]

that is an awesome setup right there!!!:bowdown

 

[wld1985]

ahaha nice setup... Looks like your going to light up there world in Both sticking them and lighting them up.. ahha I went gigging once with an old PFF'R... Had fun, but I dont think we ever got anything.. I dont eat fish so it was alright with me..