4 Fishing Boat Accessories to Up Your Fishing Game
Owning a fishing boat as a professional or recreational angler is a good start as it allows you to move around easily, but it shouldn,t be where your focus ends.
Don't skip reading if you don't have a fishing boat. Because some professional anglers, boat owners, and companies offer fishing in the sea for some period, if you hire them, you don't need to buy any accessories or gear. In this case we highly recommend Fishing Charter in Marathon Florida.
Besides the boat, you need fishing boat accessories that help with navigation and locating productive fishing spots. Other accessories help with approaching the fishing spots stealthily, measuring your catch to ensure that you follow the size limit laws, and even keeping your fishing gear organized.
Which are these fishing boat accessories that you need? Here they are:
Electronic Fish Finder
From its name, the fish finder helps you map the areas where you can easily find the fish you are after.
You probably don,t need this accessory if you are fishing in an area you are accustomed to, but if you are going out of a familiar territory or deeper waters, you need the device.
Besides the fish finder telling you the fishing locations, it also gives you detailed information about the water depth, the habit type, water temperature, barometric pressure, and plenty of other valuable information that helps you become a knowledgeable angler.
Buy the right one to get the most from your fish finder. One factor to consider when making the purchase is the device,s power. A fish finder,s power is designated by wattage, and it ranges from 100 watts for small devices to over 1000 watts for complex deep-sea systems.
The power determines how deep the "pings" can reach and the amount of details you get from the returning sound waves.
The power you choose depends on the waters you will be fishing at. If fishing in shallow waters, 200-300 watts is enough, and if fishing near shore, 600-watt fish finders will give you enough power as long as you don,t go too deep.
Are you planning to fish offshore? Get a fish finder of at least 1000 watts to get the best results.
Other factors to consider when purchasing the device are frequency, transducer, screen size, resolution, and side imaging.
As a rule of thumb, buy a high-quality appliance that will give you a pleasant experience.
If you aren,t sure about the right fish finder to buy, get the input of professionals like those at https://www.boatoutfitters.com/
Cooler
After spending an entire day fishing in the sun, you don,t want to leave your catch out in the sun to dry out, do you? You want it fresh and pleasing to look at, right?
If your fishing boat doesn,t have a fridge, you need to have a cooler. And the cool thing is that there are plenty of coolers in the market you can go for.
One factor to consider when buying a cooler is its size. The cooler should be large enough to hold your catch and, at the same time, leave you with enough room to move around. It also shouldn,t be too heavy to impede mobility and the boat,s performance.
The cooler,s grip is another crucial factor to pay attention to. You want a cooler that stays secure—you don,t want one that slides around the boat knocking things around and even sometimes injuring you.
For the perfect grip, go for coolers with rubber feet or bottoms. Besides increasing friction and keeping the cooler from sliding, the rubber feet also elevate the bottom of the cooler, so there is less heat transmission, which means you get better ice retention.
Most people buying fishing and boat coolers get hung up on ice retention times. While it,s an important attribute, it shouldn,t be the deciding factor.
Besides the cooler having a high ice retention time, it also should be properly built. The last thing you want is a cooler that warps or cracks after a few sun exposure sessions.
As a rule of thumb, get a top-quality, rust-resistant, slip-proof, and UV-protected cooler.
Trolling Motor
Trolling motors entered the fishing scene in the 1980s, and they are the perfect accessories to use when you want to sneak up on fish. These battery powered units are ideal to use when you want to maneuver the boat quietly without getting noticed.
You mount the motor at the bow or transom and control it by a foot pedal, hand, or remote control.
Besides helping you move quietly, trolling motors also help your boat stay in one spot when fighting against current or wind without deploying a physical anchor.
Like other boat fishing accessories, there are many types of trolling motors you can go for. Some are simple units, and others have elaborate features, such as sonar transducers and temperature sensors.
Some trolling motors even link up with your fish finder, which significantly improves your fishing efficiency.
Navigation System
You need a navigation system to help you move around the water bodies. You can use two popular systems for these: GPS and chart plotter.
If you have a small boat and are only looking for basic data, go for a GPS receiver. The receiver displays the boat,s longitude and latitude coordinates, which helps you know your location.
If you want more detailed information and space, go for a chart plotter. The chart plotter does far more than just display a chart—it also displays radar, fish finder, and network data.
When buying the chart plotter, pay attention to its display size and buy the appropriate one. For example, if you constantly stand more than a meter away from the chart plotter, you want a clear view of the electronic sea chart, so you should go for a chart plotter with a screen that is at least 7 inches. This way, you are sure that you will see all the relevant information quickly.
Should you buy all the accessories?
Absolutely not. Your decision to buy the accessories is pegged on your need for them. If you don,t currently need an accessory, don,t buy it.
The decision to buy the accessory also depends on the type of fishing you do and the type of angling you offer.
All in all, it,s always wise to have the necessary fishing accessories to have an excellent and easy fishing expedition.