It can be frustrating when it feels like everyone else it is catching fish around you while your own rod tip is as straight as an arrow.
There are many factors that go into a successful fishing mission – the right spot, the right bait/soft bait and burley. An often-overlooked part is the boat set-up. It’s hard enough out there so don’t let your boat be your downfall. Here’s what makes a real difference, and where it’s worth spending your money.
Start with the right motor
Having a reliable outboard motor is the first step in ensuring you can get to and from spot x. If it’s not reliable, you’re not going anywhere! Good fuel economy is important too, so that you can go further offshore where the fish are.
It’s also important that the engine is correctly sized to the hull so that you can maintain low and steady trolling speed for live baiting. If your engine isn’t smooth at trolling speed (i.e. it surges or stalls) the lures won’t travel through the water smoothly or consistently.
Many new motors have adjustable trolling speed, like Honda’s Trolling Control that allow you to adjust your idling RPM in minute increments.
Finally, a quiet engine will ensure you don’t spook fish. Many newer 4-stroke engines are much quieter than their 2-stroke counterparts. Other factors that make an outboard quieter are a well-insulated cowling, engine mounts, torque at low RPM and correct rigging.
The right prop, engine height and transom insulation will help the boat perform smoother and quieter too.
Electronics – your eyes under the water
Once you’re out there on the water, marine electronics will help you locate the right spot and find the fish. Electronics are one o the most important factors, but it’s a significant investment so you want to do it right.
Pick one brand to run everything
From our experience it’s much better running the same brand for the entire ecosystem – display, transducer and sonar. That’s because they all need to effectively talk to each other and mixing brands gets messy fast.
We also suggest going for the biggest screen that will fit your dash and your budget. Especially when you’re underway it’s a game changer having a larger screen – 9 to 12 inches, this makes split screen much easier to read too.
Don’t forget the transducer
A good CHIRP transducer, mounted properly, will out-fish a big screen paired with a cheap one every time. Placement is everything. A transom mount needs clean, bubble-free water flowing over it, so it can’t sit behind strakes, rivets or anything else that stirs up the water. Get that wrong and you’ll lose the bottom as soon as you pick up speed.
Forward-facing sonar: is it worth it?
Forward-facing (or “live”) sonar shows you fish in real time. This advanced technology displays a view in front of your boat instead of showing you what has already passed underneath, making it much more effective.
It’s not cheap, but it’s a game-changer for the serious fisher. Garmin LiveScope, Lowrance ActiveTarget and Humminbird MEGA Live are the main systems. Choose the unit that matches your display brand though and make sure its depth range works for the water you fish.
The quality of the install makes a difference
If your fish finder showing is showing more clutter than fish, nine times out of ten it’s the install, not the unit. If the transducer’s mounted in the wrong spot, turbulent, aerated water scatters the sonar beam, and that’s why your screen washes out once you’re up to speed. If it’s not sitting level, the beam goes off-angle, fish arches warp and side-scan turns dark. In-hull mounts have their own problem: put one in the wrong place and trapped air or a cored section of hull soaks up the signal before it reaches the water.
Then there’s the wiring. Run your transducer cable alongside heavy boat wiring and electrical cross-talk fills the display with static, so it’s hard to tell a real fish from background noise. Get the install right and the picture sorts itself out. If yours isn’t playing ball, flick us a message and we’ll take a look.
Underwater lights – are they worth it?
It all depends where and what time you fish.
At night, anchored or drifting – this is when they really come into their own. That’s because the light attracts plankton which draws in the baitfish which in turn bring in the big fish you want to catch.
You’re not going to get any benefit from underwater lights during the day so if you don’t tend to night fish it’s probably not a worthwhile investment. Having said that they will have resale appeal.
If you do fit them, go for bright either green or blue, well-sealed LEDs mounted below the waterline, and allow for the extra power draw on your house battery.
Some easy wins
- Keep your transducer clean. Growth and grime ruin its picture. If you antifoul, use a transducer-safe product, not ordinary hull antifoul.
- Choose the right prop. The right prop gives you better control at trolling speed and better fuel economy at cruise.
- Keep it quiet. Hull slap, gear dropped on the deck and a loud motor may spook fish in shallow water. The evidence is mostly anecdotal, but plenty of experienced anglers swear by it, and it costs nothing.
Talk to the experts
If you’re coming home with an empty chilly bin more often than you’d like – talk to the GT Marine team. We’ll check whether your boat or marine electronics set-up is letting you down, and recommend the right improvements and gear to help you catch more.
