Article Courtesy: coastalcarolinafisherman.com | Originally Published: 7/29/2017 | Click here for original article
Creating the PERFECT Fishing Boat In Your Mind
Most anglers know how to make their fishing boat “perfect”. We think in the lines of a new GPS or maybe additional rod holders. So I recently sat down with my good friend Scott Douglas to discuss this. Scott is an avid offshore fisherman and has fished all over the United States. He is also a sales professional at MarineMax of Wrightsville Beach, NC. I asked Scott to give me the features he believes would be on the “perfect fishing boat”.
The first thing that came to mind would be double rigged outriggers. More lines means more bait and rigs in the water, and with more opportunities to hook up. Next would be multiple power plugs, both front and back to power the electric downriggers and electric reels. Chilling plates in the fish macerator would be a plus to combine with the fish slurry and make a slushy chumming mixture. It also cools the caught fish in your fish box. Multiple live wells would be a must. These are needed to enable us to manage multiple baits and allow having to stop to catch bait less frequent. Then there are the rod holders, lots of them and all around the boat. These would make it easier to clear the lines when we get hooked up on that big fish. It would have bolsters along the gunwales to make it comfortable for those guys manning the outriggers or trolling rods. Make sure they fold up so they can easily get out of the way. Comfortable seating is a must. That means cockpit and forward and aft seating. That long ride out and back in can take its toll and make the day less enjoyable. Soft seating and abundant grab bars can make that ride home easy and safer. There should be access doors both starboard and port sides as well as aft for dragging in the big ones that are too heavy to pull over the gunwale.
Keeping in mind that our “perfect” fishing boat is a center console, have it designed with plenty of room around the console. Trying to squeeze around a console when the bite is hot can be a pain and you risk setting the hook. Adequate room enables us to move quickly and safely around the boat for quick access to our rods, and clearing the lines or reeling in the big ones. The console/cockpit area has a top that provides ample shade and hand holding security. Behind the leaning post needs to be a large rigging station with a sink complete with running water equipped with a knife holder. When it comes to electronics, the “perfect” boat will be equipped with a fish finder with high speed recognition, thru hull and 1000 watt transducer. This allows the boat to travel at higher speeds while still effectively tracking the fish below. No slowing down to allow the fish finder to catch up on our perfect boat. A digital radar is a must since it not only reveals large objects such as other boats, but also birds in the air that means bait which means bigger fish nearby.
Now for the fun stuff. No “perfect” boat would be complete without the toys. Things like underwater lighting that allows you to see the bait below and even enables you to see that monster fish your about to land at night. It also looks cool to your friends when you dock at your favorite watering home after a long day of fishing. L.E.D. spreader lights are not only useful, but reduce night glare. Now let’s not forget water misters. You know, those things that spritz water on you from the hard top to keep you cool on those hot days of fishing. A satellite phone is a good addition to any “perfect” boat. You can call the wife from the gulf stream and tell her you’ll be late for dinner or use it to order a pizza. Or how about underwater cameras that interface with your navigation system that could make a Go-Pro look like a 1970’s polaroid? We could even have an A/C unit blowing cool air on the helm area….ummmm, nice. There is an enclosed rod storage cabinet that spray’s soap on our salty rods and reels then rinses them and then finally drying them by blowing warm air on them. Last of all we could have a drone pad on the hard top to secure our fish finding video drone while not in use.
These are just a few things Scott and I came up with for a start and I’m sure you have a list of your own depending on where you fish and what you fish for. Most of these toys are available and in the years to come there’s no telling what we will have at our finger tips to help us fish better and most of all spend more money.
Written By: Captain Tim Wilson with Contribution By: Scott Douglas
