livemusic Posted January 21, 2018 Posted January 21, 2018 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! Quote
Super User Scott F Posted January 21, 2018 Super User Posted January 21, 2018 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. 1 Quote
tkunk Posted January 21, 2018 Posted January 21, 2018 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 Quote
livemusic Posted January 21, 2018 Author Posted January 21, 2018 2 minutes ago, 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? 1 Quote
Super User slonezp Posted January 21, 2018 Super User Posted January 21, 2018 I have my dream boat. What boats are you looking at? Just now, livemusic said: What does 'good chip for electronics' mean? A chip where? I believe he is referring to a Navionics or Lakemaster card 2 Quote
livemusic Posted January 21, 2018 Author Posted January 21, 2018 5 minutes ago, 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. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted January 21, 2018 Super User Posted January 21, 2018 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. Quote
livemusic Posted January 21, 2018 Author Posted January 21, 2018 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. 1 Quote
livemusic Posted January 21, 2018 Author Posted January 21, 2018 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. Quote
Super User slonezp Posted January 21, 2018 Super User Posted January 21, 2018 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. 1 Quote
livemusic Posted January 21, 2018 Author Posted January 21, 2018 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? Quote
Super User Scott F Posted January 21, 2018 Super User Posted January 21, 2018 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. Quote
RyneB Posted January 24, 2018 Posted January 24, 2018 A must have for me is a shallow water anchor. I will never own another boat without one. Quote
Super User Gundog Posted January 25, 2018 Super User Posted January 25, 2018 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. Quote
Global Moderator 12poundbass Posted January 25, 2018 Global Moderator Posted January 25, 2018 The one thing my dream boat would have is a Guide, preferably this guy to get me on the brown bass..... ? 2 2 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 25, 2018 Super User Posted January 25, 2018 3 hours ago, 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 4 Quote
Global Moderator 12poundbass Posted January 25, 2018 Global Moderator Posted January 25, 2018 2 minutes ago, 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. 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 25, 2018 Super User Posted January 25, 2018 1 minute ago, 12poundbass said: Sounds like a normal northern Michigan accent to me. A-Jay 1 Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 25, 2018 Super User Posted January 25, 2018 Jimmies on his ice cream ? 1 Quote
Super User Further North Posted January 26, 2018 Super User Posted January 26, 2018 On 1/21/2018 at 7:34 AM, 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... Quote
DINK WHISPERER Posted January 26, 2018 Posted January 26, 2018 Power poles, GPS an EFI and a Chevy pulling it and I'm golden! Quote
jbuchanan Posted January 26, 2018 Posted January 26, 2018 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. Quote
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