A Boat Rigged Right Is A Joy Forever

Mounting Electronics

Give plenty of thought to placement of sonar units, GPS units and receivers, VHF radio, stereo system, and other electronics. Experienced riggers will consult with you about your fishing preferences and offer suggestions, based on their knowledge of mounting brackets, boat construction, and the boat’s electrical system. Try to plan for future expansion of your electronics needs. If bases must be removed, inserts are available to fill holes and prevent leaks.

RAM and Tite-Lok mounts, some with elbows and extensions to enable mounting today’s large and weighty units, can be placed almost anywhere to allow clear viewing and easy adjustment. Quick-release features on these mounts allow easy removal to prevent theft.

Seats

Most bass boats come from the factory with seats and pedestals installed. Many anglers like the versatility of power-rise seats that adjust the height on seats. Swivel-Eze offers several types of power pedestals to match different types of bases and mounts. Their offset post seats also are popular with anglers who frequently fish at the bow from a sitting position.

Attwood offers a line of Tournament Seats for replacement or installation on a smaller boat. They also manufacture three-position seat mounts for anglers who prefer different angles.

Livewells

Production bass boats generally come equipped with livewells complete with fill and recirculation pumps. Most systems work quite well, though the capacity of some wells is too small. Plenty of room should be available for a pair or 15-gallon wells in a 19- or 20-foot boat, but some manufacturers skimp in this area.

To supplement a boat’s aeration system, add a unit like Live Bait Technologies’ Floater, an aeration unit that floats in a livewell and adds oxygen with the company’s KeepAlive Oxygen Infuser system. They also offer portable livewells equipped with the Oxygen Infusers, suitable for smaller boats or as bait tanks. G-Lox, Todd Marine Products, and Marine Metal Products also offer separate aerators, aeration systems, and portable livewells.

Rod Storage

This has become a big issue, as we routinely tote from 8 to 15 rods rigged for specific bassin’ applications. When checking a new body of water or beginning the prefishing process, keep an open mind in terms of presentation. Today’s rod lockers are more spacious than ever, providing more room for all those poles to tangle unless precautions are made.

Osprey Products’ Quickdraw Rod Rack, designed by bass guide Buck Bauernfeind, is custom fit to match the rod locker of at least 30 different bass boats. Rod butts rest on a treelike rack, coated to hold them snugly while the tips slide into tubes tucked up under the deck of the boat. Rods are held safe and separate, with additional floor space for thin items. Coverlay’s new Reel Rack can be temperarily placed in the locker or mounted.

Placing rods in Stor’s It Rod Covers also protects them in the rod locker and prevents tangles. The leather-grain vinyl sheaths fit rods to 71⁄2 feet long, with widths to accommodate spinning or casting models. A rubber thong fits around the reel to secure the cover.

Keeping several rods on the deck at the ready also demands a bit of rigging, as several types of rod straps and buckles exist to keep them out of the way while fishing, and secure while running. Some boats are factory equipped with rubber straps that can be stretched across the deck to hold down rods, but most don’t last through several years of regular use. And velcro fasteners lose their bite after a year or two.

Indiana Marine’s Rodbuckle is a retractable rod hold-down system that includes a PVC coated web that resists hook penetration and doesn’t hang fishing lines. The positive lock-down catch is secure, and the strap extends to 24 inches to accommodate many rods. Standard on some boats, it’s an after-market addition mounted in several possible ways. T-H Marine offers a Rod Hold-Down of hook-resistant black poly that mounts on the gunnel, where the strap retracts when not in use.

The Pro Pocket from TLS Concepts & Mfg. is the neatest device we’ve seen for keeping pliers and scissors easily accessible, but safe. Small rounded units strap to the the seat pole, and flat-back ones attach to flat surfaces. Alternatively, strap a pliers or a multitool in its sheath to the pedestal for safe but accessible storage.