If somebody on your list owns a fishing boat, it’s a safe bet that add-ons and upgrades for the boat are going to make good gifts. The problem with giving boat stuff as gifts — especially for non-boaters — is that it’s difficult to know what’s needed, since boat parts and accessories are far from one-size-fits-all.
So for this year’s gift guide, we tried to choose gear that’s more or less universal, meaning it can be used or installed on a wide variety of boats. We also looked for things that didn’t require much effort on the part of the recipient to set up or install. After all, nobody wants to receive a project they feel obligated to take on.
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Gifts for Freshwater Fishing and Bass Boat Owners
Whether the target is largemouth, smallmouth, walleye, panfish, or trout, chances are the freshwater angler on your list will be thrilled with one of these five gift ideas.
Bubba Pro Series Smart Fish Scale
Smart scales aren’t just for tournament pros. In fact, they have lots of applications for amateur tournament anglers and even weekend warriors. With its color touchscreen display and fast startup time, Bubba’s Pro Series scale is the gold standard.
Want to go a step farther? Add our custom-fit holder, which mounts to almost any vertical surface and keeps the scale out of harm’s way but easily accessible.
Hook-Resistant Storage Net
Storage nets are a great way to use the otherwise wasted space on interior walls and the undersides of hatches. Depending on size, they’re perfect for leader and line spools, bags of plastic baits, knives and tools, fly boxes, bug spray, sunscreen and so on.
Ours are made with a special rubber material that won’t snag on hooks and are available in 14” x 6” and 14” x 13” sizes with self-adhesive frames.
4 Tray Vertical Tackle Tray Holder
Modular Plano-style tackle trays are great, but they can be tough to store efficiently in a compartment that opens from the top, like a deck hatch.
That’s because if you stack them, you can only see what’s in the top one, and if you try to store them on edge they fall over.
This deceptively simple tackle tray holder mounts to the floor of almost any hatch and holds four trays securely on edge so you can see and reach them all.
Livewell Lid Viewport
Whether a livewell is used for storing live bait or keeping a catch alive, some natural light keeps its tenants healthier and happier.
That’s why livewells on saltwater boats often have transparent or translucent lids.
Being able to see through the lid is also helpful because it allows you to see at a glance when your catch or your baitfish are starting to roll over and increase flow or add ice or a livewell treatment to revive them
Our livewell viewports can be retrofitted into most livewell lids and feature a specially formulated acrylic material to minimize fogging and reflect heat.
Magnetic Tool and Lure Holder
Pliers are an essential tool for almost every angler, but keeping track of them on a boat can be a challenge. A dedicated holder is the answer, keeping pliers secure, always in the same place, and readily accessible.
This tool holder fits most fishing pliers and shears and mounts in seconds on any vertical surface with super-strong 3M peel-and-stick adhesive. It also includes four holders for commonly used lures.
Gifts for Inshore and Offshore Saltwater Fishing Boat Owners
There’s lots of crossover between freshwater and saltwater fishing gear, of course, but these five gift ideas are more geared toward the salty crowd.
Outrigger Rod Holders
A simple way to spread lines out farther when trolling or bottom fishing, outrigger rod holders drop directly into existing flush mount rod holders and aim rods out to the side of the boat. Available in four different powder coat colors, they’re ideal for bay boats and smaller center consoles and dual consoles where full outriggers aren’t practical.
Better yet, our 2 Rod Spreader Outrigger Rod Holder converts a single gunwale rod holder into both a rodrigger and an aft-facing rod holder.
Overboard Fish Dehooker Tool
Deceptively simple, this small piece of polished stainless steel as basically a hands-free dehooking device.
Just flip the device out, slip the line into the ring, and pull down.
The Overboard Dehooker is available with a clean-looking stud mount for installation on boat gunwales with access from underneath or in a universal track mount version for docks, kayaks, jon boats, etc.
Bimini Top Rod Holder
On bay, flats, and freshwater fishing boats, Bimini tops are great for shade but can make it tough to store rods, since they obstruct the vertical rod racks typically found on consoles.
Our unique 3-Rod Lock-n-Load Bimini Top Rod Holder solves that problem by creating overhead horizontal storage. The clever snap-on design can be attached or removed in seconds with no tools and fits standard 7/8” round Bimini frames.
At less than 17” wide, two sets of rod holders can fit side-by-side under most Biminis, providing storage for 6 rods.
Bubba Lithium Ion Cordless Fillet Knife
For anglers who fillet a lot of fish, an electric fillet knife is truly a game-changer. Yes, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the electric knife figured out, it can cut your filleting time in half.
Bubba makes arguably the best all-around cordless fillet knife on the market, which comes as part of a package with 4 different blades, two lithium batteries, and a charger. For bigger fish, the Bubba Pro Series cordless knife features a brushless motor that’s more powerful, more efficient, and quieter.
Collapsible Rod Rack
Washing down rods after a day of saltwater fishing usually means leaning them against a gunwale, piling, dock cart, or wall — none of which are ideal. A much better solution is to stand them securely in a waterproof rack for washdown.
Our Collapsible Rod Rack is perfect for the job, since it quickly disassembles with no tools into four small, flat pieces for easy carrying to wherever you need it. It also works well for storing rods when not in use.
