Dream boat must haves 2024
livemusic reply :
I have another thread about a troll motor. Since I am seriously considering a new boat, 'must have' features or, at least, things to seriously consider, come to mind. What are yours? I searched for this topic and found a years old thread but nobody really said much about specific things. What are your must haves or, at least, things you'd like to have? Such as...
dual axle trailer instead of one axle
easy to load trailer
plastic bunk runners on trailer
trailer has good backup lights
spare tire
lockable rod box capable of holding 7.5' rods
automatic trailer straps
onboard battery charger(s)
LED lights on front
LED's on deck for night fishing
storage box large enough for paddles
vinyl coating inside boat, not carpet
big drain to wash away crud/mud/silt
large live well, not just a small one
wash down pump/sprayer (to clean boat on lake)
fast troll motor w/some advanced features
high end sonar / fish finder
4 stroke motor (quiet) (not a Mercury, favor a Honda)
motor sufficient to reach at least 45mph
hull handling rough water well
length of at least 18' but not super long
large front deck
side console
console w/good mount spot for sonar
local dealer with good reputation
rubber plug easy to access
That last one on the list... I have a buddy who has a boat and the plug is a PITA to get to!
Share some thoughts!
Scott F reply :
It’s funny how different peoples ideas about a dream boat can be. I just bought a new boat that has almost none of the items on your list. I wanted a boat for river fishing and being able to run in skinny water. A great anchor system for holding in fast current. A jet outboard. Swing away trailer tongue. Center console. No live well. 16 foot length to fit in my garage. 24 volt trolling motor. Basic depth finders to show me water temp, and depth. Another goal was to keep it as light as possible.
I went to a custom river boat dealer and he built me exactly what I was looking for.
portiabrat reply :
Non-obvious things, at least for me, are
- Lowrance Point One
- Small kicker engine for when your big engine doesn't start
- 5-battery setup: 3 for trolling motor, one for starting the big engine, and one for running electronics
- Good trolling motor batteries
- Built in cooler (not a fan of warm beverages or hauling a big cooler around)
- Good chip for electronics
- Jackplate
- Trim control on your bow
livemusic reply :
On 1/21/2018 at 10:01 PM, portiabrat said:Non-obvious things, at least for me, are
- Lowrance Point One
- Small kicker engine for when your big engine doesn't start
- 5-battery setup: 3 for trolling motor, one for starting the big engine, and one for running electronics
- Good trolling motor batteries
- Built in cooler (not a fan of warm beverages or hauling a big cooler around)
- Good chip for electronics
- Jackplate
- Trim control on your bow
What does 'good chip for electronics' mean? A chip where?
slonezp reply :
I have my dream boat. 
What boats are you looking at?
On 1/21/2018 at 10:06 PM, livemusic said:What does 'good chip for electronics' mean? A chip where?
I believe he is referring to a Navionics or Lakemaster card
livemusic reply :
On 1/21/2018 at 10:06 PM, slonezp said:I have my dream boat.
What boats are you looking at?
I believe he is referring to a Navionics or Lakemaster card
War Eagle 860 and Catfish models by Excel brand and Express brand. The War Eagle 860, at least a Honda 90, but wondering if I could put a 100hp or 115hp on it or whatever Honda has.
These are aluminum boats. I am open to anything and I guess it doesn't have to be aluminum.
slonezp reply :
Looks like the 860 is rated for a 115. Do yourself a favor and take a look at Seaark boats. Their website has a lot to be desired but there are some good pictures on the dealer threads of boattrader and boatsDOTcom as well as youtube. They make a heck of a hull and the hulls have a 15* deadrise vs 12* deadrise on the War Eagle. In theory the deeper the deadrise, the better it will handle the chop.
livemusic reply :
Yes, I have looked at Seaark more than once, will revisit.
The thing I like about the War Eagle is they allow a lot of customization if you do an order. Almost everything I asked for, he said he could do it in the factory. Now, having said that, I'd rather just find a boat a like and buy it, but that's probably hard to find.
livemusic reply :
Wow, the SeaArk Rivercat 180 has beam of 95"! The War Eagle 860 beam is 82". That's 1'3" wider beam on the Rivercat. That sounds great, and in some ways it is, but I fish a lot of timber and getting between trees with a boat that wide... hmmm. Then again, maybe it's length of boat that is the issue with that 'problem.'
The SeaArk also is 28" deep, that's deep. The War Eagle 860 is 26" deep. SeaArk has 975lb boat weight. I don't know what it is on War Eagle 860, catalog doesn't say. I guess some people would say the SeaArk .125 gauge hull thickness is 'better' than the .100 gauge on the War Eagle 860.
The SeaArk has a max hp rating of 140. War Eagle, it's 115.
This SeaArk Rivercat 180 is a boat I have looked at before, the layout could work.
slonezp reply :
I spent 3 years looking before I found my dream boat and it can be plenty exciting and frustrating at the same time. Another one to consider if you want to go the custom route is Gatortrax.
livemusic reply :
Can someone tell me what this is... behind the transom of this SeaArk Catfish 180... the two metal structures on the water side. Like, big metal tabs sticking out. What are these for?
Scott F reply :
Those are float pods. They add floatation to help the keep the back end of the boat up so you can run in shallow water.
J Francho reply :
RyneB reply :
A must have for me is a shallow water anchor. I will never own another boat without one.
boostr reply :
Jacuzzi and a golden terlet...
Gundog reply :
Ulterra TM cause I ain't as young as I use to be. Some type of shallow water anchor would be better than the mushroom anchor I had on my jon boat. Hummingbird Helix 10 for those times I'm not fishing shallow. And a ladder mounted on the back just in case.
12poundbass reply :
The one thing my dream boat would have is a Guide, preferably this guy to get me on the brown bass..... ????
lo n slo reply :
no leaks and a good motor
A-Jay reply :
On 1/26/2018 at 2:45 AM, 12poundbass said:The one thing my dream boat would have is a Guide, preferably this guy to get me on the brown bass..... ????
LOL ~ I heard that guy is a hack.
Besides - he talk's funny . . .
A-Jay
12poundbass reply :
On 1/26/2018 at 6:10 AM, A-Jay said:LOL ~ I heard that guy is a hack.
Besides - he talk's funny . . .
A-Jay
Sounds like a normal northern Michigan accent to me.
A-Jay reply :
On 1/26/2018 at 6:13 AM, 12poundbass said:Sounds like a normal northern Michigan accent to me.
A-Jay
J Francho reply :
Jimmies on his ice cream ????
Further North reply :
On 1/21/2018 at 9:34 PM, Scott F said:It’s funny how different peoples ideas about a dream boat can be. I just bought a new boat that has almost none of the items on your list. I wanted a boat for river fishing and being able to run in skinny water. A great anchor system for holding in fast current. A jet outboard. Swing away trailer tongue. Center console. No live well. 16 foot length to fit in my garage. 24 volt trolling motor. Basic depth finders to show me water temp, and depth. Another goal was to keep it as light as possible.
I went to a custom river boat dealer and he built me exactly what I was looking for.
That...
...sounds...
...sweet...
I'm the same way with a some of the stuff on the list.
- I don't want a boat big enough to need a dual axle trailer...
- My ideal rod locker holds 9 ft. rods...
Mostly I want
- Places for all the gear aboard the boat, with the exception of what I am actively using, to be stored below deck, out of my way.
- Lots of casting deck room...front and back...call it enough room for two guys using 9' rods.
- Double bubble, no #$%^&*@ windshield to jab me in the ribs as a walk a big musky 'round the boat.
- A boat light enough to tow with a vehicle that gets goo MPG the 90%+ of the time I'm not towing a boat.
- A low enough price to pay cash without twitching...
DINK WHISPERER reply :
Power poles, GPS an EFI and a Chevy pulling it and I'm golden!
jbuchanan reply :
After having a MG spot lock trolling motor on my last boat.... This will be a must. I will compromise on other upgrades to have this. Next boat first big upgrade will be the new MK Ultrex cable with spot lock. The ability to quickly hold location in deep water is awesome. Esp if your fishing solo and have to leave trolling motor for a few.
livemusic reply :
On 1/26/2018 at 11:07 PM, DINK WHISPERER said:Power poles, GPS an EFI and a Chevy pulling it and I'm golden!
Why EFI? What is so good about it? (I don't know, lol. Is it more reliable or what? I assume you mean electronic fuel ignition.)
On 1/26/2018 at 11:26 PM, jbuchanan said:After having a MG spot lock trolling motor on my last boat.... This will be a must. I will compromise on other upgrades to have this. Next boat first big upgrade will be the new MK Ultrex cable with spot lock. The ability to quickly hold location in deep water is awesome. Esp if your fishing solo and have to leave trolling motor for a few.
Why Ultrex with cable? Why do you prefer cable? I am in need of a new troll motor on my present boat. I can make do but my old motor is sloppy. And not powerful enough.
DINK WHISPERER reply :
@livemusic They're bullet proof imo. Easy to work on and tweak for performance. I've had many and never a single issue.
ChrisD46 reply :
On 1/21/2018 at 10:12 PM, livemusic said:War Eagle 860 and Catfish models by Excel brand and Express brand. The War Eagle 860, at least a Honda 90, but wondering if I could put a 100hp or 115hp on it or whatever Honda has.
These are aluminum boats. I am open to anything and I guess it doesn't have to be aluminum.
The aluminum bass boats are getting nice !!! The Xpress , G3 , Crestliner , Ranger and Tracker aluminum boats running a 115 hp engine loaded can be had for les than $30K while a fiberglass boat loaded is now north of $75K !! ... Just yesterday talking to tournament buds they cited FLW and Elite guys who run loaded out aluminum boats now citing no issues with demanding use.
Ratherbfishing reply :
I'm surprised no one has mentioned a cup holder yet.
Oh, and a first mate who looks like Heidi Klum.
jbuchanan reply :
@livemusic The cable trolling motor will give exact response time rather than a lag the electric cable paddles give. While fishing banks or around tight areas, I like the comfort when I push the pedal the trolling motor goes the direction I want it to instantly.
Fishing Rhino reply :
Big enough to handle my gear with room to spare, and provide easy access to regularly used baits, foul weather gear, and the first aid kit.
Something that is stable and doesn't feel like it wants to tip over when a beefy buddy or I make sudden movements.
The fastest I've seen on my GPS was 62.8 mph. I rarely push it past 45 mph, so I'm good with the outboard.
The only options on the boat are, trailer brakes, retractable tie downs, and a custom cover.
In six years, I haven't wanted more.
That must mean I own my dream boat.
WRB reply :
18' bass you don't need a dual axial trailer.
Tom
crypt reply :
good stable platform, when running or fishing.good storage.............oh yeah has magic powers to put me on fish anytime. that is my dream rig.....LOL.....
Way2slow reply :
Any dream boat of mine, the very first thing on the list about all others, a clear title in my filing cabinet. If I had to make boat and insurance payments, I couldn't afford to use it.
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