Updating The Ride - building out my Super Fat Cat

Great job sorry I could not get out Sunday my wife has an event in L.A. so I will be busy all day Sunday, and she gave me the hall pass for Saturday. Get that Saturday night service in and I am sure you will have a great time on Sunday. Be safe and keep the setup tutorial coming.

No kitchen sink?

If you find the Castmate shifting around too much, you can add the strap going over the Castmate and around under the tube where you tuck under the cup holder. This will lock the whole thing down solid, no matter how much weight you hang on the tubes.

Ornery Bob wrote:No kitchen sink?  

If you find the Castmate shifting around too much, you can add the strap going over the Castmate and around under the tube where you tuck under the cup holder. This will lock the whole thing down solid, no matter how much weight you hang on the tubes.

Great minds my friend. I added the CM straps when I added the GoPro Boom. Really helped, a lot!

I may take a hot nail to the base of the seat, and open up that drain hole a bit - install the strap on the BACK of the CM.... that will be the ultimate tie down.

I'm going to likely use my Kayak tie-down straps - they're spring loaded and tighten with a tug... much better straps than the ones that came with the CM.

Still a work in progress. Gonna dig in tonight for a bit, Sat I'm busy - then Sunday we'll get 'er wet.

Can't wait!

- K

I can see all the pic now!

That looks like a great set up. I hope you can give a report on the fish finder at some point.

Thanks for sharing.

Continuing the Build...

Busy day, so not too much done.  Tomorrow will be the big build.  But some good stuff.

* Settled on the Rod Holders - the Brocraft.  The drop-in design is just the best way to go.  

* I found on eBay some Brocraft Rod Holder extensions.... PERFECT!   If I'm going to have four on the left rail, I'm going to need to stagger them.  On land, its working great.  Easy access to all... I like it

* I need to make the Cast Mate a bit more solid - so I pitched the Cast Mate straps and brought in my Kayak tie downs.  They lock as you pull them tight - and now this thing doesn't move.  Love it!

* Mounted the cell phone on the right rail -  I'll use that to control the GoPro remotely - record video on for fight, cast, etc.  Photo Snap for catch, etc.  



Tomorrow I'll wrap the Cam holder solution, finalize the kayak strap placements, secure the electronics, wrap up the stripping skits mod, etc.

I'm in the red zone here - now its going to be about usability.  As you know, many of the best laid dry plans all change when they meet the water.

Getting closer.  



Kayak straps - the tighten with tension and stay put
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Staggered Rod Holders
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Looking good!

You should send some pictures of it all kitted out to Castmate; I'm sure they would love them. Great guys there. Be sure to mention you're part of FTFF.

I emailed them about my video review and they did a post about it on their Facebook page and it helped my channel get more views. Win/win.

Ornery Bob wrote:Looking good!

You should send some pictures of it all kitted out to Castmate; I'm sure they would love them. Great guys there. Be sure to mention you're part of FTFF.

I emailed them about my video review and they did a post about it on their Facebook page and it helped my channel get more views. Win/win.

Great Idea. I'll do a walk around video tour when its done.  A couple of more steps this week:

* moving the battery box (from my guy Wade at Fish Finder Mount) for the FF to the right pocket, putting the Helix on a ram mount on the right CM inside rail.  Makes no sense to have this huge box sitting on the nose of the right float.... it will be a lot cleaner with a ram mount and the Helix, and give me a nice elbow rest when in the FF batt box in the right pocket   It will also make switchover to a rental boat or one of my Kayaks so much faster.

* finalized the config today for the rods, cup holder, cell phone holder, fish finder, transducer, etc.  All fab.  Later this week the one piece I still need to finalize the on-board video should be in.... then its done-done (for now.... )

* spring loaded tie down straps are the sheit!!!  I put my kayak proof-of-concept tie downs away and picked up some others, cut them down and BAM.   SO fired up.   I'm going to sew in place the buckle loops - so they go on the same way every time.  The also hold the Cast Mate free ends together - pulling them tight so they don't splay out.  Very clean - super solid.  Me like.

* I worked with firming the stripping apron a bit today - inspired by yesterday's meet and greet in the park with other Float folks.  Went to HD, and grabbed a couple of blank yard signs... they're the perfect size, and made of corrugated plastic.  Traced and cut to size - 2 layers.  Its nice.  

However, I'm thinking about foregoing the stripping apron altogether - putting a bar
across the two Cast Mate rails and fabricating a proper bait board.  We shall see.

Didn't get the thing wet this weekend, as hoped.  Sadly.   Just too busy at home.  Maybe later in the week.  We'll see.  

Love this place.  You folks are truly inspiring.

- Ken


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Very good your tube is rounding out nicely buddy keep up the great DIY work and thanks for keeping us involved.

For the tray. I went to home Depot and purchased a clear piece of Lexan. I painted it black and cut it into two pieces. Attached a few very small hinges. I sewed Velcro onto the webbing and too the back of the lexan. It folds up nice in the bag and holds my lap webbing taunt. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Sweet........

mthaubs wrote:For the tray. I went to home Depot and purchased a clear piece of Lexan. I painted it black and cut it into two pieces. Attached a few very small hinges. I sewed Velcro onto the webbing and too the back of the lexan. It folds up nice in the bag and holds my lap webbing taunt. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Dooooood....

That is a lovely mod.  It drains fine, right?  I was looking for a way to get this to fold up - was going to go with splines or something.... I like this.  A lot.

I want to keep the rail... so things don't blow out or wash out (as opposed to the upside-down mod many use....) This is nice.

I also added a bungee / Bead attachment to the corners which I affix to the tube.  I'll get a shot this week. The 4-corners of tension from the bungee really adds lateral (side-to-side) stability to the tray, as its just kind of elevated on those flimsy stilts.

This is sweet.  Thanks for sharing.

- Ken

Game changer right there. Very cool guys i am loving this thread keep it coming and we look forward to more reports on how it all works.

Very Nice can you post a picture of your 2 Booms and the Mounts Thanks Rick

The set up on the Helix 5 and the mounts are the best I have ever seen you did it Beautiful Job wow very very nice

And I give you, The Enterprise

OK - I need to first apologize for the pics.  My intent was to take this to a park where I have enough room to do some proper shots... but I don't have time.  I'm heading to Ventura tonight to dive San Miguel pinnacles tomorrow - getting home very late Sat. Sunday will likely be a face plant.  Ugh.

So here we go.


* 4 Rod Holders (with room for more, if needed) - all BroCraft drop-in style, fitted to Scotty Rail Mount receivers.  Two with BroCraft extensions

* 2 Cast Mate rail systems, rigged OB-style

* 1 Cup Holder (brother's gotta stay hydrated) mounted on Ram Mount

* Humminbird Helix 5 GPS Fish Finder on 1.5" Ram Ball mount

* Transducer mounted to Scotty Transducer mount.  Flips up with silicone washers... great design.  

* FishfinderMount.com 5 ah Batt rigged with 1/5" Ram Ball.  Stowed in pocket

* Ram Mount Cell Phone mount - this is my GoPro controller.  I can control all camera functions from the cell phone.  Pretty awesome.

* Ram Mount 18" Action Cam mount, mounted to 1.5" ball attached to Scotty Rail Mount.  I can get the sweet over-the-shoulder shots (OB-style) or swing it around for portrait shot, show off the catch POV.  Very cool.

* GoPro Hero 5 Black Cam



Up next:

* Stripping Apron mod.  I have a Hawg Trough coming in... and I'll likely build a version of the awesome mthaubs folding hard apron insert, and add the Trough to it.  We'll see

* Lighting - I'll add some LEDs to this.  I've almost been run over by liquored up cowboys pre-dawn and dusk more times than I can count.  

* Trunk Box - working on that now.... to keep some order back there.  I have coats, food, spares and stuff in dry bags.  It'd be nice to have a proper place to stow stuff.


Some shots below.  

It was this forum, and the builds of the amazing members that had me get off my arse and finally build out the things I've been considering for a long time.  I never would have been able to do a fraction of this without the inspiration of this remarkable crew.   Thanks so much, everyone.  




Full Frontal
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Full Rear Shot
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Rod Holders
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Other Side
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Cup Holder Detail
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Transducer Detail
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Dashboard
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Dash from behind
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Batt Box with Ram Ball - I can move the Cam here to the front!  And when I move the FF to a rental boat, its a simple "snick" onto FFmount.com's quick release clamp... pretty awesome rig if you go back and forth (Tube to boat) like I do.
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Camera Mount Details
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Portrait Mode
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Strap City
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Nice! Thanks for sharing!

You've definitely put in a lot of time and $ on this FT build and it shows!
It's really cool!!  

SP Dan     <"))><

Thanks for the Transducer Mount that is the best mount your Hole setup up is Perfect and your