rigging a new boat....suggestions?

[lund1]

Friends,
I'm pulling the trigger on a new boat....22 'Nauticstar bay boat with a 102" beam...10" wider then my current boat. Lund2 and I are going back and forth on best rigging ideas. We are moving the tank to the back, under the seat. We'll power it from the house battery as suggested with a dedicated charger....thanks for all that feedback.

I'm hoping to tap into the honey hole of knowledge ( you guys) and ask what are 2-3 things you've done to your boat rigging that you love....or what would you do if you were rigging a striper boat now? Of course if there are things you regret or dislike...give me a heads up on that too.

I'm also wondering about some basic stuff.....what's the ideal distance between rod holders?....is NMEA on the lowrance necessary and worth it?......

Please throw as much as you can at us.....we're trying to get this one right since I SWEAR it's my last boat....Lund2 will have to buy the next one.

Thanks All.

[coheasion]

My biggest want currently is a trolling motor mounted fishfinder.

The NMEA wiring is a very nice to have feature but I wouldnt' consider it necessary. My dealer only charged I think $150 or so to do it so it was an easy thing to say yes to and I like being able to easily see what my most efficient cruise speed is will likely save me more than $150 in fuel costs over a couple of years. Seeing that MPG plummet any time i'm above about 4300 RPM's was a shocker to me initially.

And that's about it - I've seen the link to the boat you are getting and it is SWEET, not gonna need much rigging other than rod holders.

Oh - and sub-woofers - you definiteley need some 12" subs and an amp so you can rock some Snoop Dog bass tunes while looking for bait.

[lund2]

I’d love to hear anyone’s feedback on rod holders. We currently use quick draws and we’re thinking of outfitting the boat something like this (I think that’s shad taxi) but with maybe 4 on each side, but keeping that spacing, so they are all somewhat accessible when fishing alone.



Thanks guys.

[johnr]

Invest in a track system for mounting rod holders. Of all the features I've had on all my boats, this is one of my most favorite. It makes the boat much more versatile.

[mwardncsu]

I’ve run quick draws for 10 years and they have even done for SML but I am also considering moving to a track system - but be aware you get what you pay for - some do not have gimbal points, some are a pain to adjust, some have plastic caps on the “top” so they don’t have to take time to nicely finish the tube - and the caps come off, etc

[jmr04]

I second the track system. Best thing about my new boat. Due to the fact you can stand them straight up when not in use. This eliminates the need to take all the rods out every time you pull into your dock. Also really like my Simrad NSS evo 3 units. Was a very easy transition from Lowrance.

[jmr04]

Cannon Track system has been great. You can feel the quality, they pivot in all directions. Used to hate the gimbal butts on the new Ugly Stick striper rods when I had my quick draws, but they work great in the Cannon system because the gimbal keeps them from rotating around in the holder when your putting out baits.

[mwardncsu]

By the way - those are QuickDraws on The Shad Taxi 😎

[lund1]

i fished with Kenny Short when he got his new boat with the track system...my biggest complaint was how the rod spun in the holder...it was always "upside down"....Kenny was trying to figure out a way to jury rig it so the opening had some interference...not sure if he figured that out or not....I hear Jason saying the rod gimbal gives some tension but I'm too excited ( and slow) when a fish hits to be spinning the rod upright on a strike....am I missing feature?

[jmr04]

The gimbal will hold the rod in place (reel up)at all times when in the holder including when a fish hits. I agree when using my old rods without the gimbal butts it was a total pain in the ass. Rods would inevitably spin around and end up reel down. Once I started using the gimbal butt rods they stay in place and spinning is no issue at all even on a hit in the holder. I don’t notice any difference in the performance of the Cannon system vs quick draw in regard to holding and releasing the rod from the holder. You just need to make sure your using gimbal butt rods.

[drag4striper]

I wanted a track system, but my gunnels weren't wide enough for 3.5 "
tracks.
So I went with the Cisco's fishing system thumbscrew detachable rail mounts. These cross plates can also be mounted to a gimbal mount to go into a factory rod hold.
But if you go with the track system you won't need that.

Man I really do like this set up. I can take them on and off very easy. They are strong , well made and fully adjustable. You will not be sorry going with a track system style rod holders.

Yes, the rods will spin in the holders when not under a load.
I haven't had mine long enough to figure out a solution.

[lund1]

just checked the Cannons out online...they are sweet. They're pretty proud of them at $99/holder....plus you get to swap out all your old ugly sticks for new models with gimbal butts....sigh.

Jason - did you do a 24" track with 3 holders?...or did you go 36"?

[bushwacker]

I will 2nd the trolling motor mount transducer and electronics up on the bow. Makes the bait game much better.

[jmr04]

I got the 36’ track for three rod holders. 24 would probably work but might be a little tight. What I really love about the setup is I can get to my 6 board rods in the track from the seat very quickly which is nice when fishing by yourself.

The cost was definitely a hard pill to swallow but I don’t regret it. You can tell it’s a solid product as soon as you touch it. Hadn’t planned on having to switch out 6 rods but don’t regret that either because they work perfectly in the system without rotating in the holder.

[jmr04]

Apr 1, 2019 13:12:42 GMT -5 lund1 said:

just checked the Cannons out online...they are sweet. They're pretty proud of them at $99/holder....plus you get to swap out all your old ugly sticks for new models with gimbal butts....sigh.

Jason - did you do a 24" track with 3 holders?...or did you go 36"?

Amazon has em for $89. If you decide to go in that direction make sure to go with the dual axis holders. Gives you more flexibility how you fish em.