Thoughts on diy gear tracks

Cool boat, you're going to have fun with that! As has been mentioned in a lot of "Drillin' and Cuttin'" threads, definitely take it out a few times stock before you start drilling holes. It's really hard to know where you're going to want things until you've been in it floating a few times.

I've had mine a year or two now. I took it out 5 times or so the first summer and never got a bite, then only once this year because I got a bow for hunting and spent all my time training and practicing (which paid off, got meat in the freezer) so I'm hoping next year is a more productive year for fishing.

I don't mind buying the gear track just because of the quality. Now the backing plate is a different story.I couldn't justify spending the coin on a stick of aluminum with holes in it so I made my own.works perfectly and with a 6 foot chunk of aluminum you can make all the backing plates you want for just a few buck and 20-30 min of your time. If anyone wants pics and how I did it just pm me.

Did you tap the backing plate, though? That was the selling point to me: not having to reach in and get a washer and nut on each of the 78 screw holes. The pre-built backing plates are drilled to match and tapped, so that in hard to reach places you just have to get one one screw started and then you can line the rest up very easily.

They are ridiculously expensive, though.

You know I'm a cheap ass . Yes it is tapped.the way I did it you don't need fancy taps either just 3 drill bits,aluminum, and the bolts supplied with the track.