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345K views 2.4K replies 587 participants last post by  Shootin'Darts  
L
#1 ·
Some authors describe their fishing vehicles with reverence and its stains, dent and trappings as trophies of cherished memories. Currently my fish finder sits in the barn stripped down to the frame and under going a complete reconstruction. It's a 92 Jeep YJ Wrangler and when my hands touch the steering wheel, the mind is flooded with memories.

Blackberries so thick and covered with chiggers we drive thru the patches and pick from the windows. Water running over the hood and me white knuckled, fording a creek to find better fishing water. Those memories and many more always bring a smile when working on it, hopefully next winter it will be purring like a kitten again, with a V8 engine, new transmission and best of all heated seats.

What about the rest of you? Is there a special vehicle designated as the official fish finder?

Dave
 
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#2 ·
Ahhhhh yes. Have a '02 Jeep Liberty now that replaced a 1986 Ford Explorer 4x4 in '04 or '05. Totally 'faithful' ride, just do the required maintenance and that was that. Only 'mechanical design' issue was the brake system; far too light duty.:eek:

Only reason I traded the thing in was my then wife thought that driving around in a 20'ish year old car was beneath my (her?) financial status. For context, she was driving a Lexus.

fae
 
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L
#881 · (Edited)
And that is a story a lot of us know!

But at the end of a story like that, you are supposed to say;

...... I really miss that old Jeep...

(along the lines of the story about some guy reminiscing about how his wife of over 30years left him. He came home from work and his wife and the dog that he once bought for her had gone..

...his friend whom he was telling the story to, said how sorry he was to hear that.

The guy then said, yeah - I’m going to really miss that dog.. ).



Actually happened to me once.

My wife went out to get a Chinese takeaway meal for our dinner and never came back!

A few weeks later, I thought I should tell my buddies what had happened, they were like - nooo! .. ..so what did you do?

So I explained that I just made do with a peanut butter sandwich and a beer instead..

Cheers and beers,
Luke.
 
#3 ·
Not exactly what you might expect in a fishing vehicle, my little Toyota Echo with 300 000 kms gets me to the Miramichi and back for about 8 bucks. Sometimes making three trips a week I'm hoping it holds together for another 100 000 :D
 
#5 ·
Hi Dave,

Ever since I used a Schwinn 10 speed (age 14 - 15) every thing I have ever owned has been a fishing vehicle. My longest trips mileage and time wise were made with motorcycles. Those are the most vivid memories of many thousands of miles, many camps, and all the people I met while on the roads and dusty trails.
 
#6 ·
I've never lived within an hour of good trout water, so my cherished trout vehicle is my '99 Saturn SC1 coupe. Getting 40 mpg trumps everything else when you live an hour and a half away from your favorite stream.
 
#8 ·
I'd love to have an old Jeep CJ that's rebuilt to whatever specs I wish. I'll figure that out someday.

My current fly fishing vehicle is a 2005 Subaru Outback. It has about 95K miles. My previous 1995 Outback had a bit over 200K miles. I could had done some more upkeep, but I decided that I wanted something new.

Dennis
 
#9 ·
Toyota pick ups have served me well over the years since about 1990, had 3 of em. Mrs fysh and I have traveled in a Toyota 4-Runner since 2004 and I see it being around a few more years.

We see a Ford f-350 4x4 van all the time in Idaho and kinda think that would be really groovy too!:D
 
#10 ·
2000 Chevy Z71 with 140K + miles.

It's now my second vehicle, relegated only to hunting and fishing, but it has always done what I asked it to. It's towed my boats and taken me on roads that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I love this truck.
 
#11 ·
up till a bit over 2 years ago I had a 95 Grand Cherokee Orivs edition... little did I know at the time that 2 years after I got rid of it for cost issues, I would get into fly fishing and only now figuring out the orvis connection.. it even had a fly fishermen imprint on the leather.. wish I still had it,, but dont miss feeding it. I sunk to a van. hope to change that soon...
MIke
 
#13 ·
Right now for me it is a 2000 GMC Sonoma 4x4 with an extended cab, I'v had it since 2004 and love that truck, even with its bumps and bruises, and maybe a little rust from the lovely salted michigan roads (it just builds character is the way i figure it). But ill drive that until it dies, love that little truck.
 
#14 ·
caseywise said:
ours (my wife and i often fish together) is a 2008 honda crv.
Image

great rig and i can strap my fishcat 4 on the back of the pop up:D


casey
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I don't know if I'm more jealous of the nice outfit you have or the fact that your wife fishes with you :D I outfitted my wife in 2010 and took her on one 3 day trip and that was the end of it; too many mice in the camp I think :yikes:
 
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#15 ·
Whatever is setting in the driveway these days, but one from the past comes to mind with pleasant memories.

A brown 1976 Ford Pinto station wagon. :rolleyes:
Bought it new as a family car in '76 and it turned out to be one of those like the Energizer Bunny - kept going & going.
Long after we had a new family car and I had my work truck in the driveway I still kept getting in that old Pinto for my hunting & fishing adventures. It was one of the few that didn't rust out like so many did, and the little 4 cylinder engine was a good match for power for the vehicle size and even after a new (Champion) spark plug fell apart & scored the cylinder walls on one cylinder making it essentially a 3½ cylinder engine (it lost some compression & power, but kept running) it still got me there & back for 3 or 4 years.
I finally sold it to someone that couldn't afford a nice looking car but needed dependable transportation.
That old Pinto would go anywhere my truck would go (2wd truck), and when the snow season hit all I had to do was add a couple hundred pounds weight in the back and it went right on!
 
#16 ·
Here's mine. The only problem is, I got to be sure to park far enough away from the water so as not to scare the bejeezus out of the fish.

Image
 
#17 ·
I've had two minivans that I converted into campers. They weren't quite ideal but they were close.
If I could afford the MPG, one of these would be better
fyshstykr said:
We see a Ford f-350 4x4 van all the time in Idaho and kinda think that would be really groovy too!:D
Click to expand...
 
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#20 ·
From the looks of the cab, I am guessing it was once an old Ford pickup. Kind of cool, but what an eyesore parked in someone's driveway! I certainly wouldn't want one in my neighborhood.

I love the idea of an E350 4WD van, but by the time you got one, and had to feed that monster, one would be just as a well off getting a 3/4 ton 4x4 truck with a camper. In my head, that's probably the best solution of all. At least you'd have some amenities and some comfort. Still, travelling light is probably the way to go.

---------- Post added at 10:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 AM ----------

Holy Carp, I just thought of something... Here is the all-time greatest fishing vehicle in the world!

Image


I've always wanted a Schwimmwagon.
 
#33 ·
kibby said:
From the looks of the cab, I am guessing it was once an old Ford pickup. Kind of cool, but what an eyesore parked in someone's driveway! I certainly wouldn't want one in my neighborhood.

I love the idea of an E350 4WD van, but by the time you got one, and had to feed that monster, one would be just as a well off getting a 3/4 ton 4x4 truck with a camper. In my head, that's probably the best solution of all. At least you'd have some amenities and some comfort. Still, travelling light is probably the way to go.

---------- Post added at 10:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 AM ----------

Holy Carp, I just thought of something... Here is the all-time greatest fishing vehicle in the world!

Image


I've always wanted a Schwimmwagon.
Click to expand...
I have a buddy back home that manufactures after market parts for the Schwimmwagon, he got started after purchasing two vehicles and found out there is a market for the parts.
 
#21 ·
Well, right now it is my daily driver and rv puller....

Image


I am hoping that by sometime this year that single man pontoon will be replaced in the back of my truck with a Scadden Outlaw Avenger XX. I figured i would just get a Thule rack system for the bed of my truck to carry it on.

I would like to have a small 4x4 suv for running around the coast range in winter to chase steelhead or quick runs over to the Deschutes. Something like an older Bronco or FJ Cruiser. Something small for turning around on tight logging roads. However, that is a pipe dream that wont happen for a long time. Until then i keep buying diesel
 
#22 ·
drlaser said:
Mine is a 2004 ford explorer with oh i think about 60,000 miles on it. (don't look at me in that tone of voice i live in the city)
Click to expand...
Good Candidate for "Post of the Day.":thmbup: Keep that oil changed and you'll be handing the keys down to your Great Grand Child.
 
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#25 ·
I love the truck, best one ive owned. As you said though, the mileage is horrible. In fact, the tool box you see in the bed of my truck behind the cab is actually a transfer tank the holds 55 gallons of diesel. Filling that and the truck hurts a bit. lol.

The pic was taken last summer down near Frenchglen, OR. which is about 50 miles se of Burns. The "park" we are in is actually about 2 miles outside Frenchglen and is just across the Donner Und Blitzen river from a BLM campground(Page Springs) on that same river. We went down there so i could fish that river and visit the area. I have wanted to fish that river for years. Beautiful area and river. I caught about 11 fish over two days. Nothing too big though. I needed to spend some time hiking further up river to get to the bigger fish.

We plan on going back in the next couple years. We really get a lot of use out of our rv. Over last Spring to this Fall we were out 64 days. I get to fish a lot of different areas that way. Sure, it isnt roughing it much but as long as the wife is comfortable and able to plug in her hair dyer, it doesnt matter much where we go. Now, i just need to save up for a Honda generator...
 
#24 ·
I can't afford a dedicated fishing rig, but Dave, yours sounds great. Are you doing a complete restoration? Post some photos, I'd be interested in following along. I took apart, cleaned and fixed up a '74 MGB when I was 20. I wouldn't call it a restoration, but it was fun.

I used to have Dodge cargo-Caravan..the mini van with nothing in the back. It was sweet little work rig when I was painting but also a great camper. Throw a bunch of stuff in there and my dog and go fish for a couple few days. Very roomy. But when I had my daughter (my wife actually did the hard part) I sold it as it was essentially a one person vehicle at that point. I'm still bummed to not have it.

Now my primary vehicle is an '83 Toyota Tercel. 30mpg, good clearance and in 4wd the thing is mountain goat. I love it. If and when I get a truck I will keep the Tercel. It really is a great fishing rig.
 
L
#26 ·
pic didn't open...aaagh

---------- Post added at 05:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:46 PM ----------
Image


The frame has been sandblasted, coated with zinc primer and painted black
 
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#27 ·
86 Cherokee 2dr, get about 20 highway. It might not be the absolute best on gas and lacks the power for some of our short on ramps but the little 4banger does what I need it too. The 4wd is killer and with only 69,000+ miles I can't go wrong.

Image
 
#28 ·
Sweet project Dave! Frame up restoration, quite the undertaking. Are you doing the mechanical work, too? That is one helluva shop, man! What do yo do in there, it's so empty. My wife would have that thing half filled in no time.
 
L
#29 ·
Doing all the work myself, and as to what I do in there? I HIDE :D

WT Bash...That is a sweet ride

Dave
 
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