If you're boat isn't already rigged for spring fishing, it should be soon. April, May and June are without question the best fishing months of the year and having a boat that's properly rigged and water ready will go a long ways towards insuring success.
Overlook some of the important details in this feature and you may be using that cell phone to call a marine towing service. When it comes to fishing, an ounce of prevention has more value than just peace of mind. A well-rigged and maintained fishing boat is a pleasure to own and use.
No matter if you're rigging a new boat or simply making rigging changes or maintenance to a boat that's stood the test of time, this is no place to take short cuts. Everything that goes into a fishing boat should be dependable every time out.
The single most overlooked and abused part of a fishing boat are the batteries. Batteries are literally the life blood of any boat, powering not only the engine and electric motors, but also the VHF radio, sonar, GPS, auto-pilot, bilge pump, livewell pumps and recirculation pumps. That's a lot for any battery to handle and keep a charge when it's needed.
Let's look at cranking batteries first. The manufacturer of fishing boats do not provide cranking batteries that are up to the challenge of serious fishing. The batteries that end up as part of the OEM package are almost always marginal in terms of their cold cranking amps and the amp hours they provide. Even boats equipped with large V6 outboards are generally rigged with a 600 CCA battery. This size battery will work fine the first few times the boat is used, but when the strain of livewell pumps, bilge pumps and other accessories kick in, you're looking at a dead battery in not time.
I suggest rigging bass and walleye boats with at least a 1000 CCA starting battery and better yet, rig two 600 CCA batteries in parallel so that the amp hours is doubled, but the voltage remains the same.
Deep cycle batteries take a pounding both literally and figuratively in a fishing boat. No matter what deep cycle battery you use, make absolutely sure they are securely strapped to the floor of the boat. A battery that slides around the hull of a boat is a fire waiting to happen.
Deep cycle batteries are constantly being recharged, so be sure to mount your batteries where they can be easily accessed. Better yet, install an on-board charging system so you only have to plug in one outlet when charging deep cycle batteries.
Like cranking batteries, I favor large CCA models for deep cycle use. You'll never regret purchasing a battery that's big enough to get the job done easily.
Deka is a world wide company that produces some of the finest after market marine batteries available. For more information on dealers who sell Deka batteries log onto the web page www.dekabatteries.com and click on the dealer locator.
Most walleye anglers and a growing number of trout and salmon guys prefer to use a small gasoline kicker motor for serious trolling chores. The motors most anglers use as a kicker were not designed for this purpose, but instead were designed to be the primary power on smaller boats.
Any small outboard can be used as a kicker motor on a bigger walleye boat, but it's also important to understand that these small motors need special care to prevent damage. Kicker motors are most often damaged when running in rough water. The kicker hops up and down on it's mounting bracket, putting a ton of strain on parts that weren't intended to have this kind of abuse.
A simple way to prevent the kicker motor from bouncing is to strap it securely to the transom while in the up position. A ratchet style strap does a pretty good job of solving this problem, but their are more effective ways to secure a kicker motor.
Trim brackets like those produced by Panther are a much stronger means of protecting your kicker motor investment. These brackets keep the motor in the down position and use a trim motor to lift and drop the motor as necessary.
Mercury's new Pro Kicker is without question the best thought out kicker on the market. The lower unit is tapered to allow for more efficiency both in backtrolling and forward trolling situations. A special prop allows the motor to achieve the slow speeds needed for fishing spinners, while easily achieving higher speeds for trolling crankbaits. A strapping bracket keeps the motor secure while running in rough water and the transom mounting bracket is beefed up to take lots of abuse. The four stroke motor is 9.9 in size making it ideal as an accessory motor for just about any boat from 17 to 25 feet. For more information contact your Mercury dealer or www.mercurymarine.com.
Rod holders are a common item that anglers cut corners on. Big mistake. Rod holders are going to see a lot of use on just about any serious fishing boat. Models that can't stand the test of time are going to have to be replaced and worse yet, they may cost you an expensive rod and reel combination when they fail at the worst possible moment.
Tube type holders made from stainless steel or aluminum are the toughest rod holder design and yes the most expensive. This kind of investment is made only once and provides years and years of maintenance free service.
Bert's Custom Tackle is a Michigan company that produces some of the finest rod holders on the market. The new Ratchet Gear System allows the angler to grab the rod and pull it both up and towards him at the same time. This unique design allow the angler to keep pressure on the fish all the time. Slick. These rod holders mount into tracks that come in various lengths. When the rod holder isn't installed in the track, step pads insert making for a clean and durable surface. Also slick. The rod holders are also available in several colors to match just about any boat finish. To find out more about these outstanding rod holders log onto www.teclausa.com.
No other product in the fishing industry varies as widely in quality or function as fishing sonar. Frankly, many of the units sold as OEM standard equipment on boats aren't capable of marking the floor little lone finding fish or structure in deep water.
Power and resolution are the keys to producing a sonar unit that's capable of marking fish in deep water and near bottom. Other key benefits of units with high power and resolution is the ability to see important details including plankton in the water, thermoclines and baitfish. Lesser units simply won't mark what's important.
The bad news in sonar is good units are expensive. The good news is that your dollar buys a lot more today than it did just a few years ago. Every year high quality units hit the market at a lower price point.
Lowrance Electronics has lead the charge for higher resolution and more power in the sonar industry. Not surprisingly, these products are the ones you see most often on the boats of serious walleye anglers who live and die by the quality of their electronics.
The number of models produced by Lowrance is too large to list, but keep in mind when shopping that a walleye boat should be equipped with a sonar unit that has at least a 200 vertical pixel count and a power rating of 3,000 watts peak to peak. Lowrance sells units at this level and well above for those who want the best. For more information check out www.lowranceelectronics.com.
GPS/SONAR COMBINATIONS
The best value in sonar these days is in the units that combine sonar and GPS capability into one product. To view both functions at the same time, simply put the unit on split screen and enjoy sonar on one half of the screen while observing GPS on the other.
Both sonar and GPS units function best when a direct power lead is run from the battery to the unit. Avoid plugging your sonar or GPS unit into the accessory switches provided on your boat. Wire the units direct and position an in-line fuse where it can be easily reached and changed if necessary.
MARINE RADIO
Any boat that will fish off shore in the Great Lakes should be equipped with a quality VHF radio and an eight foot antenna. If you're going to skimp on this combination, get a good antenna and save a few bucks on the radio. No VHF radio functions well without a good antenna, even the very expensive models.
All VHF radios operate on sound waves that are influenced by line of sight. In other words, the taller your antenna, the further the unit will broadcast and receive messages. Don't put a shorter antenna on your boat unless you're willing to sacrifice significant broadcasting distance.
Like your sonar and GPS units, a VHF radio should be wired on it's own circuit and hooked directly to the cranking battery to avoid interference from other electrical devices on board.
The rod holders on your boat are great for fishing, but what do you do with your rods when running from one spot to the next? Laying the rods down on the deck is asking for tangles and other problems. Many rods simply won't fit into rod lockers and if they do, that's a tangle waiting to happen.
I've found that mounting vertical rod holders at the back of the boat near the transom is the best way to transport my trolling or other rods when running from one spot to the next. These vertical tubes are inexpensive and they do an excellent job of keeping the rods organized, tangle free and more importantly damage free. These tubes can be purchased as individuals or in banks of two, three, four and even six tubes.
Running in rough water is hard on your back. A number of walleye pros have switched over to spring loaded seats that are designed to absorb some of the shock associated with running in rough water. Spring loaded seats are great, but unfortunately they are also very expensive.
I found a spring loaded after market seat at my local farm implement store that works great, looks similar to fishing chairs and costs about 1/3 of the price other seat companies are charging. Check them out at Tractor Supply Company.
SUMMING IT UP
There are lots of things you can rig onto a walleye boat to improve performance and fishing comfort, but the above listed items are the main items to be concerned with. Make sure your boat is equipped with quality batteries, marine electronics, rod holders and you'll be well on your way to enjoying a wealth of fishing adventures to the fullest.
