Recommended Bass Boat Add-Ons for 2023
Now that I’ve owned seven high-performance bass boats, ordering five of them new from Bass Cat, I feel that I have a pretty good idea of what I want out of the gate. On top of that, I get to ride in a lot of the pros’ boats, so I quickly get a sense of which accessories work, which ones are worth the money, and which ones are simply a waste. That puts me in position to order everything that I believe I need directly from the manufacturer or through my dealer, MARE Marine.
Nevertheless, there are always a few add-ons, accessories or treatments that I either can’t get from them, or that I realize I want/need after the delivery date. Here are three such items that I’ve paid retail for (and would gladly do so again) since taking delivery of my Puma STS late last spring:
BoatEFX® GraphLOX®
One downside of today’s advanced electronics is their price, which makes them a target for thieves. I have two 12” Garmin screens on my boat, one flush-mounted at the console and one on a bracket at the bow. I really don’t like attaching the front one in the dark – the wires are complicated – but I also don’t like leaving it on at gas stations and other short stopovers. The target is just too inviting for an enterprising thief. I tried another lock but didn’t like the way it sat on the mount, so I returned it and bought the BoatEFX® GraphLOX®, which seems to have an easier and cleaner install. I’m sure a really motivated thief could still bust it off, but this gives me peace of mind when I go inside to buy a cup of coffee or take a leak.
T-H Marine G-Force Troll Jacket
Another complication of modern electronics is the number of wires that need to run down your trolling motor cable or shaft without getting pinched or twisted or unnecessarily stretched. That leads to the need for some sort of system to hold them in place, whether it be zip ties or electrical tape or some other option. Those invariably look sloppy and tend to catch on things, like fishing line, at the worst possible time. This inexpensive solution from T-H Marine makes for a cleaner look, and also a smoother surface. Between the industrial strength Velcro and the two small ties (one for each end) it took about two minutes to install.
SeaDek Dek Magic
Like many of the newest bass boats, my Bass Cat does not have carpet in the floor area. Instead, it has what is known as “Reflex” material. The boat can be purchased with it just in the floor, all over, or not at all. It has many advantages, but one of them is not short-term stain resistance. It seems that every time I step in it, it immediately looks dirty. I can’t find a way to prevent that, and it’s easy to take a hose and a brush to get it reasonably clean upon my return home, but with use of this product from SeaDek (another manufacturer of similar material) and a little bit of sweat equity it looks even more like new almost as quickly.
