New boat! Now to rig it up.

[sterlingz]

Back in 2020 I solicited advice on a "west-coast style" boat and received great advice from this community.

Took me a few years but I'm now the proud owner of a Thunder Jet 186 Rush! I considered going bigger, but the deciding factor was the waters I fish (I live on Nipissing) and the ability to fish smaller lakes in the area. Plus the 186 feels plenty big - we'll see how long it takes for 2-foot-itis to set in.

The boat is barebones so I have the pleasure of rigging it up from scratch. And when I say scratch... I mean scratch. I don't even own life jackets or a net!

So far I have the following "big ticket items" selected:

Downriggers: 2 x Scotty 2116. These are fastest to reset and affordable, I also considered fancy Cannon units that follow the bottom, but they're too pricey and I don't like the rigger itself.
Trolling motor: Ulterra 24v. No-brainer I think mostly due to auto-deploy and the ability to connect to Humminbird for navigation (really nice on midsize lakes).
Fish finder: Undecided, but probably Humminbird for Ulterra connection.
Batteries: 24v LiFePO4. Not planning on adding a kicker yet so the trolling motor will need long life.

My only question at this point is whether I should consider switching out some of the above based on fundamentals.

Also have to round up rods, holders (trees, singles, etc), make the decision between inline and planer reels, and so forth. It's a ton of work, but lots of fun.

Anyway, be on the lookout for new threads soon!

 

[spincast]

Sweet looking ride, congrats

 

[Black Baron]

Congrats all looks good except I would not purchase lituim batteries yet I just don’t trust the stability of them
i run 2 Rolls Agm batteries with my ultera pushing a 22 foot Lund baron , trolling all day long without draining my batteries
mine are 130 amp hour size 31 ..

 

[Twister]

Sweet ride. I still love my Hewes but the tjets are a little bit prettier. My best additions have been auto pilot and Shockwave seat risers. Neither necessary but both are the kinda thing you won't go without once you've had them. I like my Simrads and Cisco rod holders.

 

[sterlingz]

Sweet ride. I still love my Hewes but the tjets are a little bit prettier. My best additions have been auto pilot and Shockwave seat risers. Neither necessary but both are the kinda thing you won't go without once you've had them. I like my Simrads and Cisco rod holders.

I'm a sucker for Cisco gear! Had their rod holders on my boat back in the day. Pricey, but beautiful. I believe they're the only manufacturer to machine everything they make, including tracks.

Side note, a friend of mine purchased cheap-o air ride pedestals, they work fantastic. Good option if you're on a budget.

 

[Bandwagon]

Congrats all looks good except I would not purchase lituim batteries yet I just don’t trust the stability of them
i run 2 Rolls Agm batteries with my ultera pushing a 22 foot Lund baron , trolling all day long without draining my batteries
mine are 130 amp hour size 31 ..

I think we are there today, nearly every major manufacturer of bass boat and glass walleye boat has been outfitting them with lithium batteries for 3-4 years now. I am on my third season in my Ranger with lithium and I will never go back to AGM's. 10 year warranty speaks for itself.