WX1850 Bimini top

  • NDskeeter
    Posts: 45
    #1320506

    I have a 2011 wx1850 and with the heat this year my wife is liking the idea of adding a bimini top. Does anyone have pictures of a bimini top installed and up on any WX model boat? We troll alot and i’m afraid the pole that comes down to the rail may be in the way. I would appreciate any insight and recommendation you may have. Thanks!

    Derrick

    Brian Hoffies
    Land of 10,000 taxes, potholes & the politically correct.
    Posts: 6843
    #1182129

    Can’t help you with a photo. Every top I have ever used had a support pole that was in the way. You will either need to hand over hand the pole to the back or use rod holders. Or……………let the wife drive and it will be her problem!

    Eric Rehberg
    Eau Claire, WI
    Posts: 3071
    #1182139

    Quote:


    I have a 2011 wx1850 and with the heat this year my wife is liking the idea of adding a bimini top. Does anyone have pictures of a bimini top installed and up on any WX model boat? We troll alot and i’m afraid the pole that comes down to the rail may be in the way. I would appreciate any insight and recommendation you may have. Thanks!

    Derrick


    Here is a picture of one on a MX. The one for a wx is going to be the same design and layout as this one, just on a different boat. The poles do get in the way for the way I fish but there is a handful of people that use them and love them and its not in there way to fish. Kind of a personal preference.

    NDskeeter
    Posts: 45
    #1182140

    My concern is that support pole. Here in ND I troll with 4 lines out (wife and I) so they are always in the rod holder but my conern is what to do once I get it out of the rod holder. The break from the sun though may be worth the little bit of hassle

    NDskeeter
    Posts: 45
    #1182141

    Eric are there some that come back further towards the back of the boat? I think that will only block the sun being slightly in front of or directly overhead the boat. I would like the majority of the boat covered (windshield back). I know looking at other places they come in either 6ft or 8ft typically

    Eric Rehberg
    Eau Claire, WI
    Posts: 3071
    #1182147

    Im sure there are some out there that will go back farther. This one is our typical one that we have installed. I know they make after market ones that dont attach to the windsheild and are larger but im sure you could get this on longer also. The farther you go back with the top the more poles and straps you will have towards the back of the boat though.

    gwood
    Murica
    Posts: 80
    #1182320

    I had this convertible top made for my MX1825, cost was around a grand. Had to be custom made. The way I had the guy make it was to cover half the back working deck. The curtains are all removable as is the cover itself. I just wanted to be able to get out of the rain in the winter and have some relief from the sun in the summer. Everything clips into the windshield, the back curtain zips down the middle and the sides I had him make lashes for to tie off to the rails. I did not want pop rivet snap in’s in the fiberglass. We used hinged connectors to the rails for the support poles. For the most part it is not in the way at all. For trolling I have made posts to go into the back seat bases where I use some scotty spreads on. You can still cast if you plan on doing that in foul weather. The guy who made it wanted to have everything tied down enough so I could do 50mph down the lake with it all in place. I did not go that far with it. Because for me not breaching the fiberglass was more important than doing 50MPH down the lake in a rainstorm. I also did not have him go to a height where you can walk under it, you have to bend to get under it but with it only covering a couple of feet behind the first row of seats I can deal with that versus the giraffe look of the larger tops. That was just my preference. It sure is nice to have a small propane heater in the winter going while trolling too.

    gwood
    Murica
    Posts: 80
    #1182321

    The best part is it all comes off in minutes. I can put it in the bed of the truck if I think I might need it. It can be towed with the top up but not the curtains on.

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1579767

    The best part is it all comes off in minutes. I can put it in the bed of the truck if I think I might need it. It can be towed with the top up but not the curtains on.

    Gwood Hi,
    I know and understand about not wanting any snaps put into the glass – I was working on an idea with going around the rail and then I find your post and it just let me know I was on the right track,

    Now then sir, Did you have snaps placed in the winshield frame? It looks like it but am not sure.

    Kind of cool finding your middle of the road height. Been thinking of either a convertible type with much ducking but would get folks out of the sun and rain and still allow easy spotting over the top with a tiller kicker.

    I like the idea of inbetween such as you have picked,
    Thanks again
    James W

    nhamm
    Inactive
    Robbinsdale
    Posts: 7348
    #1579777

    Say James, if you look at the date displayed under the posters name you will see this is from a couple years ago. Not that old threads can’t be rehashed, just might be difficult getting to some of the old users of the site.

    If its really worth grabbing their attention a new feature on this site click on the posters name, which is gwood, and you will see that his username is actually @woodscomp
    What just happened is gwood got notified via email that we essentially put out the bat signal for him in this particular thread, very neat function. My experience when you do the @ part leave it separate from commas, periods, smileys, etc to work.

    gwood
    Murica
    Posts: 80
    #1579780

    Yes they are standard slide snaps that fit right into the windshield rail. Very easy to install. I did not want a permanent solution because 95% of the year I don’t carry this in the boat. I am sure you can find the snaps on iboats under the bimini hardware or the like.

    Ryan
    Posts: 135
    #1579786

    I had mine made up this fall. Heres some pictures of mine to help keep us warm while trolling, but the back is open to fight the fish. I had it made so the top ends at the back of the 2 nd row of seats

    Attachments:
    1. image34.jpeg

    2. image33.jpeg

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1579911

    @nhamm Hi
    Yes you are right and I dont know why I did not simply tag them.
    Thank you for the reminder and letting me grasp that the user name is not always what is under their picture.
    Thanks again
    James W

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1579912

    Yes they are standard slide snaps that fit right into the windshield rail. Very easy to install. I did not want a permanent solution because 95% of the year I don’t carry this in the boat. I am sure you can find the snaps on iboats under the bimini hardware or the like.

    Thank you sir for replying and I like the part about the sliding snaps. This boat just keeps on getting better and better.
    James W

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1579913

    @sylvan81
    Hi Ryan,
    Looks Good. Is this a full stand up top ? Looks high enough to be and if so – how does it track and work structure with the top up? I mean does it tend to be a sail ?
    Thank You
    James W

    Ryan
    Posts: 135
    #1579977

    James, I was fishing on Little Bay De Noc during the opener in May last spring and it was a cold raining first day. I pulled up to the boat launch and there was a guy with a new wx2060 there as well with a top. I checked it out and made friends with this guy. We both were fishing the same area and both came in at the same time. My crew was soaked though but the other crew was pretty dry. I told him I needed a ride because it didn’t look like you were being pushed around by the wind. So I went out made a short pass and the only difference was he was trolling at a setting of 3.5 on the terrova instead I was around 5. I was hooked and I going to have one made for fall. Long story sorry.

    As far as snaps go, I didn’t want any snaps in the glass. So The canvas guy made velcro straps that go around the gunwale rails. There is slide snaps in the window frame. I have had the boat going 40 mph and it doesn’t move. Im 6 foot tall so the inside height is 6’3″. The WX keal tracks so good that the boat doesn’t fall off line. But you do pickup speed or takes more power to get to your target speed from when you dont have your bimini top on. Just wanted to share so more people get an idea for there boats. Hopefully we can get some more people to post their pics of their tops. Thanks Ryan.

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1580095

    Ryan thank you once again for the reply and helping to see some things about these tops. I agree it would be awesome to see more pictures and others posting their custom made tops and such.

    My ONE drawback or the thing that eats at me is –
    I was set to go tiller on the kicker – now how well or easy can one see with the top up ?
    Thanks again
    James W

    Dutchboy
    Central Mn.
    Posts: 16630
    #1580104

    A Bimini shouldn’t limit your vision. If you can see over your console you should be fine. If you get one you can stand under it’s higher then your windshield so………..

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1580105

    A Bimini shouldn’t limit your vision. If you can see over your console you should be fine. If you get one you can stand under it’s higher then your windshield so………..

    True but I was thinking of a stand up top that did not have the Eisenglass windows above the winshield and had the drop down sides on.

    On the larger bodies of of oipen water not much of a care or task but in the small to mid size reservoirs full of back and forth boaters – well it was a concern.
    Thanks for the reply. ;)
    James W

    hookinupwalleye
    NULL
    Posts: 20
    #1582173

    I’ve shared pics of my top on other threads. It is not a bimini top but it provides great sun protection in the summer and allows me to put sides up all around for the cold night fall/winter fishing that I do. I leave it on all the time, except if I’m fishing a tourney and there are high winds in the forecast.

    Attachments:
    1. 20141207_105841.jpg

    James Wascko
    S.W Michigan for now.
    Posts: 202
    #1582180

    @hookinupwalleye. Hi,
    I like the set up. I apologise for this next question but do you have any pictures of a higher resolution and other angles as well? My android only knows how to make pictures big so these are very blury once saved.

    Been studying the different styles and heights and working to come up with one that works best for us in all situations.
    Thank you
    James W

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