[Tony Mig]

Since a good bit of my fishing is from piers and bridges in the bay bays around Ocean City & Somers Point I saw a need for a better way to get all my gear to where I fish. I have seen some interesting and unique carts, wagons, and hand trucks customized for just this purpose, but driving a small Jeep Liberty left me few options on just what device I could fit in the back with my cooler, tackle, and other accessories.
A few years ago I trash picked an old light duty hand truck with a fold down handle. This hand truck was perfect with one major exception, it came with tiny little hard plastic wheels that just didn't handle the terrain very well, I needed to retro fit this device with better tires, but the short axle wouldn't accommodate anything I could find....(and this is where my Masters Degree in Italian American Engineering kicked in)......

I found a set of wheels & tires at Harbor Freight, using a length of 1/2" threaded rod, 1/2" copper pipe as bushings, 2 heavey duty "U" bolts of the proper size for mounting, and a few stainless fender washers I cut the ends of the old axle off, installed the new axle in a location that allows the hand truck to sit flat and up right...(as it should)....then mounted 2 rod holders using 1 1/4" PVC schedule 40 pipe on angles so the rods lean out giving me room to pull the cart anywhere I need.
Although these tires aren't the typical beach variety, they're probably good enough to get me out onto Dog Beach..

The finished product.....

I can also fit a 5 gallon bucket full of tackle on top of the cooler and bungie cord it to the handle........

 

[BigBassJim]

Wow thats a good idea.

 

[Joseph Lamberty]

Nice Work,.....gets the Job done Right!...:thumbsup:...way to solve the problem of "I only Got two Hands".




Live 2 Fish
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Forced 2 Work

 

[Tony Mig]

Thanks for the compliments guys, I've been stewing and brewing on this for a couple years, the cabin fever I developed over the past two months was the motivation I needed to finally gather up the parts and do the work.
Now I can't wait to put it to good use.....

 

[nospot2fsh]

Great job and it probably did not cost you a lot of money. Happy fishing.

 

[DRIFTER1]

Nice job dude.

 

[akozols]

Looks nice.

 

[smellinfishy]

Nice, I need to make something like that
I have to carry down 2 five gallon gas cans, about 3-4 rods, a bottle of water, my fishfinder, tags, my dog sometimes, and some tackle to my boat. That would get it done in one trip.

Will trade you a few fishing trips or some weights and bucktails for a cart like that:thumbsup:

 

[Tony Mig]

Nice, I need to make something like that
I have to carry down 2 five gallon gas cans, about 3-4 rods, a bottle of water, my fishfinder, tags, my dog sometimes, and some tackle to my boat. That would get it done in one trip.

Will trade you a few fishing trips or some weights and bucktails for a cart like that:thumbsup:

Sounds like you need a wagon. Harbor freight sells those heavy duty wagons with tires on it like I put on this hand truck. Mount some PVC rod holders to the sides, and you'll have a better transport rig then I got.
There's an oldtimer that fishes the same pier as me, he tricked out one of those wagons with rod holders, a bait cutting / fillet table, he even mounted a cup holder to it. Those things make a great platform to start with, then let your imagination go wild......
If I still owned a pickup, that's what I would have done, I went with the folding hand truck because of space limitations.....

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa...o?itemid=32826&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=01541

 

[smellinfishy]

Thanks for the tips Tony, I will look onto it. Offer still stands though(bank sinkers, nice bucktails and fish out of Avalon) cause I probably won't get to the cart this year. I pretty handy but have the worst tools and I have the biggest to-do list you've ever seen.
btw - I watched Minor League 3 this morning:thumbsdown: Never even heard of it. The first one was good.

 

[Don Friel]

Thanks

For more ideas to think about how to make my trip to the beach,bridge easier.Will have to add that to the other ideas and see what I come up with.Never too much informaion.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Don

 

[jettyhopper]

<------has welders torches and other tools suitable for making prototype rigs in courthouse If any barner s want to experiment with me

 

[Tony Mig]

<------has welders torches and other tools suitable for making prototype rigs in courthouse If any barner s want to experiment with me

working in steel or aluminum is good, but don't discount what you can do with schedule 40 PVC pipe......

 

[Jim19053]

Hey Tony- Nice little buggy for the cooler and rods!

Fish the same areas as you (O.C. & S.P.) but mostly from my little C.C. boat.

Maybe I'll run into you on the pier this season.

Noticed your vanity plate.
de W3ATV
Jim

 

[stripeman 103]

Not bad I have seen some very nice homemade surf carts on here lately nice work.:thumbsup:

 

[Tony Mig]

Noticed your vanity plate.
de W3ATV
Jim

Jim....

Look for me on the SCARA 2 meter repeater....146.745 (-) PL= 146.2....de WX2MIG

 

[Willie]

Nice work on the hand truck, I will keep an eye out for it on the pier and dog beach....:thumbsup:

 

[Keeper Seeker]

Since a good bit of my fishing is from piers and bridges in the bay bays

Tony, A true thing of beauty. I imagine that the rod holders are splayed out in order to clear your shoulders while pulling it. To the dock... on a pier... on the beach... prefect! Between the light poles and the traffic on a bridge.... Might have to modify the rod holders to a more vertical position to take it out on a bridge. Simple is best. Nice job.:thumbsup:

 

[Joseph Lamberty]

heres a pic of my homemade job...$12 investment




Live 2 Fish
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Forced 2 Work

 

[rob]

Jim....

Look for me on the SCARA 2 meter repeater....146.745 (-) PL= 146.2....de WX2MIG

hey if there's going to be a ham-fishing net, I want IN.

KA2CZU

but I haven't been on a repeater in a LONG time... need a refresher :thumbsup: