Accessories Under $100 That Will Make a New (or New-to-You) Bass Boat Better
This month I’ll take delivery of my seventh bass boat, and while each one has gotten successively better, they’ve also grown substantially more expensive. Part of that is just inflation between November of 1996, when I picked up that first 17’10” rocket, and now. The other element, of course, is the changing number of options you can add on. That first used boat had no jackplate, two small black-and-white graphs (without GPS), and Power Poles weren’t even a thing as far as I know. It’s very easy to bring the tab for even a modest but fully outfitted bass boat up to a price that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.
Nevertheless, when outfitting a boat I strongly recommend that while you may feel that you “cannot live” without four screens, lithium batteries and a host of other luxuries, don’t buy them at the expense of certain basics. Even though I’m nearing my rev limiter on this purchase, there are still a few items I need to add.
Here are some that I can’t live without, all under $100 apiece:
It doesn’t matter if your boat is parked outside permanently or just left unhooked for a while as you leave the hotel to get something to eat – it’s an easy target for thieves who can back up to it and drive away. This lock not only prevents that from happening, but alerts others in the area of the potential thief.
Whether you travel thousands of miles of highway or just down a pock-marked road to the nearest ramp, things shift as you tow them, and you really don’t want your motor swinging side-to-side. There may be cheaper steering locks than the DD26, but everything they make is first class and virtually indestructible.
Keep one of these in your boat and a true torque wrench in your vehicle. Should you have prop issues on the water, this will suffice at least temporarily in removing and replacing your wheel – and if you’re shaking or otherwise drop it, it floats so you’re not left high and dry.
I’ve had these prop nuts on my last several boats, on both Motorguides and Minn Kotas --- and they saved the day with one trolling motor in particular. At mid-range speeds it vibrated and made a horrible squealing noise. I have no idea how this prop nut fixed that, but it did. Moreover, you don’t need any special tools (or any tools at all) to get it on and off.
I’ve experimented with all sorts of ways to prop up a trolling motor in shallow water – from the now-defunct Power Gator to a Coke bottle to using the original hardware to adjust it – and the Quick-Slip is the best. It’s secure enough that you don’t worry about slippage, but easy enough to use that you won’t settle for “good enough” versus the perfect height.
Be sure to also get some waterproof storage containers. No matter what brand of boat you buy, or how rock solid its construction seems, it may allow some water into “dry storage.” Wet spare clothing is worthless, and wet tools may get rusted out or ruined. For the latter you can use a dry bag or even an oversized Ziploc. For the latter, buy one of airtight boxes from reputable companies like Plano or Flambeau.
As long as you’re making an order, be sure to get some sort of spray-on wax/cleaner. If you use it after every trip, at least to get rid of the scum line, it’ll keep your boat looking sharp. I also strongly recommend that you invest in a set of quality jumper cables and/or a compact jump starter box. The latter may cost more than a hundred bucks, but I use my NOCO Boost for more than just true emergencies — from powering up a weak auto or marine battery, to keeping my phone charged while blogging at the Bassmaster Classic.
