Must-Have Fishing Boat Features

If you’re an experienced angler, it’s likely that you already own a great fishing boat that serves you well whenever you’re out on the water. But that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade it with a few extra features to make it even more comfortable and useful for your next fishing excursion. If you’re interested in adding to the utility of your fishing boat, read this guide by the good people of North Georgia Watersports. Our dealership in Blairsville, Georgia, is well-situated to serve our customers, and our staff are happy to help you have an amazing time out on the water.

Rod Lockers & Holders

Having a place to stash your gear on your boat not only frees up valuable space, but it prevents unscrupulous thieves from snatching your expensive fishing rod when you’re at the dock. Rod lockers keep your rod contained and protected from the elements and any damage it might suffer if you just propped it up somewhere. You won’t have to deal with tangled lines when you have a place to store your rod so it’s ready the next time you fish. Make sure you have enough storage space for all the rods you’ll bring.

Rod holders attach to the sides of your boat and let you rest your rod while the line remains in the water. This is handy if you want to step away without pulling out your line and disturbing the fish below. You’ll also be able to keep more than one line in the water with rod holders and you can even troll, letting lines dangle while your boat moves slowly across the surface, increasing your chance of snagging a big catch.

Baitwell & Livewell

A baitwell keeps your bait alive and fresh, making it more tempting to fish below. They’re generally fairly small since bait isn’t that big. A livewell is much larger and keeps your catches swimming and fresh until you can get back to shore and gut them. Livewells use an aerated pump to keep water circulating and oxygenated, and you’ll want to make sure you have a gallon of water in your livewell for every inch of fish you add.

Cooler

A cooler might not seem like it’s the most important thing, but you might be singing a different tune when it’s 85°F and you’d give anything for an ice-cold drink while you’re fishing. Being able to bring along beverages and snacks will only make your experience better and make it more likely that you can stay on the water longer and catch more fish, which is the whole point. You could carry a second cooler to store your catches in, too, if you clean them as you catch them.

T-Top

To shield yourself and your fellow fishers from the elements, you might want to add a T-top to your fishing boat. This will give you some shade to retreat to when the sun is high overhead, as well as shelter from light rains that might move across the lake without warning. Your comfort is important to your fishing trip’s success and having some shade will help with that.

Depth Finder

Locating the right fishing spot on a wide lake can be difficult without a depth finder. This device will let you know how deep the water is, and you can use that information to determine whether you’ll soon run aground if you don’t change your course, as well as figuring out what fish are likely to be beneath you. Certain fish prefer shallow water while others dive deeper down. You can even get depth finders for your rod to help you lower your line to the precise depth you want, saving you time and energy.

For a great selection of new and used fishing boats, come down to our Blairsville showroom to see what we have in stock. North Georgia Watersports serves our customers in the Atlanta area, as well as those coming from the cities of Gainesville and Blue Ridge, Georgia.