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New Boat


HotToddyTipUp

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Hey guys,

I just purchased a new boat 1750 Crestliner SportFish, Early 2000's (very clean for its age). Anyways, I need to outfit it with everything from bow trolling motor, chargers, electronics, etc. Want to do this right. What do you guys think I should put on the boat. Got to love a fresh canvas. Looking to spend no more that $1500 to $2000. Would be used for mostly walleye and some bass.

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Let me get this right, you need a trolling motor, charger and electronics, probably batteries, rod holders and whatever else, you want to do it right and keep it under $2000?

If you plan on purchasing new, plan on spending a lot more than that. If you plan on used, you will definitely have some outdated equipment in that budget. As we all know, buying used can be a rewarding but very risky deal.

I wish you the best of luck in your shopping.

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Two agm batteries (24 & 27) around $400

Cabelas 2 bank 20 amp charger on sale $140minnkota

Minnkota power drive v2 55lbs(minimum) $600

Cabelad ratchet strap boat cover $300 (or wait until half off sale)

Fleet farm lowrance hds 5 gen 2 (upgrade later to ss/ds when more $) $600

$2040 for a pretty good decked out boat.

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For simplicity we will use my boat as an example:

24 volt 80# Terrova/ I Pilot = $1300

Lowrance HDS 5 and 7 = $1500

Rod Holders, 4 of them = $150

Batteries, 2 for 24 volt + 1 for starting =$325

Other random acc, Drift sock, anchors, ropes ect = $200+

Map chips for 2 units = $200-$400

60 amp breaker for Terrova, 3 bank charger = 200-500

So your looking at closer to $3000-$3500 to outfit new with just the basics, go to bigger screen sizes on graphs or add SI/DI ect you can add another 1-2 grand.... Be patient and know where to look for deals on used you may be able to get by for roughly $2500 but may take a few weeks or months to find what you want/need for sale

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Wow, you guys are buzzkills. You can rig your boat on your budget. I just took 5 minutes and found a Minn Kota Power Drive 70 for $709 new on Amazon, a Lowrance HDS 5 Gen 1 for $546 on the e bay. 3 new batteries from Batteries Plus = $225. Rod holders you can find used for probably $15-20 per. 2 bank charger = $130. Ram mount for the HDS 5 so you can turn it around and use it from the front if you want, $30. Used chip for the HDS probably $75.

That's around $1700 and everything I quoted is new with warranty except the rod holders and probably a one year old map chip...

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I agree. You don't need 80 lbs on a boat that size, 70 will do. ipilot is a nice feature but it's not a necessity either -- if it was, they wouldn't sell the powerdrive units. You also don't NEED two HDS graphs. You can easily do this on your budget. Don't let the naysayers get you down.

I'll add that if I was you and I was at the top of my budget and I still didn't have everything I wanted -- and moving the budget up was not an option -- I would look at buying a graph used and a motor new. The motor has moving parts and an electric motor in it -- which means they wear out sooner. The graphs can be found used with VERY little use on them for sometimes 1/2 of what they cost new after just a couple years of use. There's not a lot that's going to wear out on a graph in just a few years -- look at the 30 year old units you see around that are still functional. There are lots of folks out there, for instance, who bought an HDS unit and then decided they just had to upgrade to HDS2, or maybe switch to humminbird. By buying a graph used you might be able to upgrade to that ipilot motor (if that was high on your priority list and you still wanted to stay under budget). Just my 2 cents.

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you can do it and look at this a few different ways. do you want it all at once? new or used? expect warranties? does it matter to u if u buy online or in store for return if necessary? the trolling motor & fish finders can be overwhelming decisions if this is all new to you & if it is check out different brands/models. most here will always tell u the biggest & best when its someone else's money. if u want it all together maybe you will want ipilot trolling motor with hb graph setup etc. otherwise you can easily piece it together looking for great used stuff online places. if u want biggest/best may wanna think bout store route with warranties, otherwise you can pick up some great deals with 2-3 year old stuff @ 50% off. I just picked up a minn kota co pilot for $300 for my 84 crestliner. that alone will be a big upgrade for me

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I dont agree a 70 is enough I run an 80 on a similar weighted rig and wished I had gone 101 instead of 80, true you dont need 2 units 1 will do kinda I run 2 now and adding a 3rd, I Pilot is worth every penny, He aslo stated he wanted to do it right, all depends on his style whats right.... If he is only a troller or bobber fisherman then sure you can get by with less but if he trolls, pitches jigs, vertical jigs, lindy rigs ect then thats when the 2 units are a huge bonus, extra thrust and feature of I Pilot come into play ect... I fish walleyes maybe 10-15 days a year and can get by most the time with no electronics but Terrova is a must, the other 90 days I fish out of my boat I'm on the bow casting and working structer for muskies and have the need for 2 units and the Terrova, plan is to add a 3rd HDS dedicated to SI/DI alongside my 5 on the dash and leaving the 7 up front.....Again all boils down to what you want to do with your rig and how you plan to use it to effectivly fish....Should also mention my set up is withinin his budget if you can take the time to find the deals

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Yes, everyone has their own opinion of what do it right means, whether your spending someone else's money or your own.

One thing I have learned is that those that preach bigger and better have done it smaller and cheaper, and have learned from that.

And a 3 bank charger instead of a 2 bank to make sure everything charged. The three bank also makes it easy to keep your aerator on overnight when sitting at the dock to keep the minnows alive since you can't pull lake water out.

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I agree a 70 may not be enough for a trolling motor. No need to get one that fits the budget and then find out a few months later you need the next size up.

I have 2 BIRD SI units in the boat but I would go with one unit and beef up the trolling motor for now.

At least you know you have plenty of trolling motor for the job. Nothing worse than being underpowered.

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Yes, everyone has their own opinion of what do it right means, whether your spending someone else's money or your own.

One thing I have learned is that those that preach bigger and better have done it smaller and cheaper, and have learned from that.

And a 3 bank charger instead of a 2 bank to make sure everything charged. The three bank also makes it easy to keep your aerator on overnight when sitting at the dock to keep the minnows alive since you can't pull lake water out.

+1 on a 3 bank charger.

Also all the peripheral equipment adds up quickly

Anchors, Anchor Rope, Chain, Cleats, Mooring Bumpers, Mooring Rope, Drift Socks, Paddle, Life Jackets, Search Light, Leech Tamer Bags, Spare Prop, Tool Kit, Jumper Cables, First Aid Kit.

Have fun rigging and enjoy the ride.

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Doing it "right" is a wholly subjective concept when it comes to rigging boats. Needs and wants mean different things to different people. The original poster said he mostly fishes walleye and will use the boat for some bass. With his boat and what he fishes, my "need" list would be a 70 lb thrust trolling motor, 1 - 5" screen GPS/sonar, 1 map chip with 1' contours, a RAM mount, 3 marine batteries (biggest size I could fit), a 2-bank charger (engine will charge the starting battery just fine), rod holders, a drift sock, an anchor, life jackets, rope, and boat lights.

You don't "need" I-Pilot, AGM batteries, 2 GPS units, 3-bank charger, or an 80lb or larger trolling motor (unless you're planning on fishing in high winds or current all day). A 70 pound thrust TM will work just fine on that boat for almost all fishermen. If you're a musky fisherman, a bass fisherman who is on the TM at higher speeds a lot, or are going to use it to troll or fish in high wind or current a lot, then yes, go with an 80. If you do, expect to pay at least another $500 for the TM...not worth it in my opinion.

You don't need to keep up with the Jones' or rig like a tournament fisherman in order to do it "right". You may find you want to add some things after using your new boat a bit, but I certainly would not blow my bank account based on the advice given above. You can always sell and upgrade if you find your needs exceed basic rigging.

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Buy the trolling motor used. lots of places with a good reputation have them such as boat dealers and smaller shops and even friends. (not just online)

buy store brand class 27 batteries. (Fleet farm)

buy a automotive charger. (1/2 price of a marine charger!)

Buy a NEW gps/sonar with a chip. put it on a swivel or nicer RAM mount. (Maybe find an outgoing model on sale!)

It can be done for under $2000, but dont expect 10" HD screens with HD radio and a 101lb troller. A 55lb with an extra battery will be more cost efficient. Color screens are just eye candy. they don't find anything a gray scale can't!! they cost a lot more, and run hotter.

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There is an Lowrance HDS 7 on sale in the classified ads right now for I wanna say $650. That is a good graph to place at the helm of your boat. I have also seen a Lowrance HDS 5 on the bay of E for $400. For two units that you would eventually be able to upgrade to Side Imaging, $1050 is a pretty awesome price for two units. With that trolling motor you picked up last week and the two units you would be sitting at around $600 left in your budget to spend on 3 batteries, map chips, and any other miscellaneous items you would like to add to the boat (rod holders, drift sock, anchor). Hope the trolling motor treats you well wink

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