Rayzrocket,

can you supply more information about your project?
What distance do you want to bridge with you transmission.

If you want to transmit the data similar as you use a remote control, you will not get it working with your approach.
As the received signal will vary in a huge range you will have to use a AGC circuit, furthermore you will have to block ambient light.
Also it will become necessary to modulate the signal to a carrier frequency.
Maybe you adapt to a standard like RC5 fir IR remote controls or IRDA for communications and you will find specific receiver circuits and maybe even code you can use...