About this blog...

live in Northern New Jersey. Even though the bass fishing window is smaller here in the north than say, California or Florida, I still love to fish from April to November (ill-advisedly even later on occasion).

I’m graduating from college in less than three weeks. As a graduation present, my parents are generous enough to purchase me my first fishing boat. With a price range between $1,500 and $2,000 I had a couple of options. I considered finding a pre-rigged bass boat, but it was nearly impossible to find one in that price range that was manufactured post-1970 without needing considerable work done. My second option, as I found out from searching the Internet, was to purchase a newer, less-expensive, flat-bottom jon boat and turn it into a brand new fishing vessel. See an example below.

Although there are many fishing websites and forums on this topic, I’m still finding the process of gathering information and getting solid opinions difficult. Considering that, I have decided to record the process from beginning to end.

The first topic will be about deciding on a boat, because that is where I am now (can’t get much earlier in the process than that). I will share my personal opinions based on any experience I pick up during this process and I will also post links to places that really help me make my decisions. I figure that by the time my rig is ready to set sail, I’ll have a wealth of information for those who follow (and also a how-to guide for myself in the future if the experience is worth repeating).

So, if you’re considering one of these “conversions”, then follow along with me as we learn what it takes to turn your jon boat into a bass-catching (crappie-catching, catfish-catching, pike-catching, bluegill-catching, etc.) machine.