At the end of the day, any fishing boat is better than no fishing boat. But the fact remains that some boats are nicer to fish on than others — and not just because they’re newer, bigger, or faster. Well chosen accessories and smart rigging also make a huge difference in fishability. Here are 5 upgrades that will make your boat the one everybody wants to fish on.
1. Sea Swivel Trolling Motor Mount
Once the province mainly of bass anglers, bow-mounted trolling motors are now a staple of almost every kind of fishing — fresh and salt, inshore and offshore.
For better or worse, so is the chore of deploying and stowing them.
With big offshore trollers — which are commonly 8 feet long and weigh close to 100 lbs — that’s no small task.
And you know who never does it? The boat owner, that’s who.
Anything that makes deploying, stowing, and storing your trolling motor easier is going to make life simpler for your crew.
Enter the Sea Swivel, an ingenious machined aluminum mounting system that allows trolling motors to be neatly stowed at almost any angle and then cleanly deployed, even on offshore boats not designed to accommodate trollers. The end result: easier trolling motor management and a happier crew.
2. Triple Offset Rod Holder
Rod storage is a challenge on every boat, and the more crew you have aboard, the bigger the challenge becomes.
For both storage and fishing, the Triple Offset Rod Holder turns a single gunwale rod holder into three — or two into six.
It’s ideal for kite fishing, but also great for inshore and offshore bait fishing, trolling with planers or downriggers, and similar applications. At the end of the day, more lines in the water means more bites, which means more chances for your crew to reel in a fish.
At the end of the day, more lines in the water means more bites, which means more chances for your crew to reel in a fish.
3. Transom-mount Rigging Table
Prepping bait and chum is another one of those unsavory chores that rarely falls to the boat owner/captain. Nope, it’s usually some hapless crew member hunched uncomfortably over a cooler lid in a rolling cockpit cutting bait.
A spacious rigging table at a comfortable working height won’t make bait prep fun, but it definitely helps.
Our universal transom-mount tables drop easily into a pair of vertical rod holders and provide an ergonomic, easy-to-clean surface for all kinds of cockpit chores.
BONUS POINTS: If you really want to be the go-to fishing boat for your crew, add an Entertainment Topper to turn your transom fillet table into a drink-and-snack center that holds 2-liter soda bottles, liquor bottles, cans, and solo cups with a cutting board area for snacks.
A more affordable but still solid alternative is a rod-holder-mount table, designed to drop into a gunwale rod holder and available with a tackle tray slot for rigging items or even integrated rod holders for kite, bottom, or flatline fishing.
4. Drink/Tool/Lure/Knife Holder
Little things can make a big difference, like having a convenient, dedicated home for fishing pliers, knives, and, best of all, frosty beverages.
With the Two Drink, Tool, Knife and Lure Holder, the essentials are always at your crew’s fingertips in the cockpit.
No more searching for the pliers, no more lures dropped on deck during changeouts, no more drinks set down and kicked over.
Remember — a hydrated crew is a happy crew!
The holder can mount to the transom, leaning post, console, or even a gunwale.
No more searching for the pliers, no more lures dropped on deck during changeouts, no more drinks set down and kicked over.
5. Leaning Post Tackle Center
If having a tool and beverage holder mounted to the back of the leaning post makes your crew happy, having a full-featured tackle center will make them ecstatic.
Our popular Freestanding Leaning Post Tackle Unit fits under most aluminum leaning posts and holds three standard Plano trays and two deep trays behind a cabinet door, plus all kinds of gear like fighting belts, gloves, scales, BogaGrips, descending devices, etc. in a pair of deep drawers.
Inside the cabinet door, convenient holders keep knives, pliers, and leader spools readily available.
A crew that has everything they need neatly organized and in easy reach of the cockpit is going to be both more productive and happier.
Spending more time actually fishing and less time rigging or digging for gear makes a meaningful difference in not only how many fish come over the gunwale but also in how enjoyable your time on the water is. A crew that has everything they need neatly organized and in easy reach of the cockpit is going to be both more productive and happier.