Affable Elite Series pro Charlie Hartley is a stickler when it comes to organization. Keeping his truck and boat in order and full of the supplies he needs is a necessity for the on-the-road lifestyle of a touring bass angler. Hartley insists organization is not just for professionals, however. Put a little order into your boat and you will see the dividends immediately.
1. Keep it light
Charlie Hartley’s truck may look full, but that’s just because he takes everything he doesn’t immediately need out of his boat. The rest of the stuff, like back-up equipment and lures, stays in his truck until he needs it. “Get everything out of the boat,” Hartley said. “Not only to make things lighter, but to protect them. If I know I’m only going to use three techniques, I only need to have those things in the boat.”
2. Protect your essentials
The Elite Series frequently runs across rough water, whether it is on Lake Erie or on a sprawling southern reservoir like Toledo Bend. Hartley protects his essentials by using a sealable plastic bag. “Put everything in ZipLoc ® bags, including your keys, cell phone and charger.”
3. Stay safe on big water
Being from Ohio, Hartley knows all about big water. When it gets rough, conditions can go from safe to dangerous in a hurry. A few waves over the front of the boat can put boat drivers in a world of hurt. Hartley says anyone can be prepared for that eventuality with a portable bilge pump. “I always carry a bilge pump you can put in the bottom of the boat and plug into a cigarette lighter.”
4. Pack a spare cooler
Hartley carries a cooler in addition to the one that comes with the boat. As a professional bass angler, Hartley fishes in all weather, from the freezing cold of the winter to the searing heat of the summer. Extra ice or extra room for beverages is always a plus.
5. Get creative with accessory storage
One of the more ingenious contraptions in Hartley’s boat is this accessory tray. Hartley has rigged it so he can lock it onto the front deck. But when the waves start to build and the ride is going to be hairy, Hartley can remove it and lock it into his storage container. “The great thing is how easy it is to unclip it from the deck when you are going to make a run,” Hartley said. “It goes quickly into storage and is just as easily pulled back out. I can throw weights, hooks, clippers, hook sharpener, scent and pliers all into there.”
6. Pre-rigging saves time
With every cast a premium, Hartley also makes sure to pre-rig some baits that he knows he is going to use. This comes in handy when using techniques with leaders such as drop shotting and Carolina rigging. “When I drop shot I use a leader, so it requires three knots,” Hartley said. “I pre-rig them so I only need to tie one knot.”
7. Organize your storage bin
Many times, a boat can turn into a storage area of its own, but Hartley works hard to keep that from happening. Come tournament time, he wants to be able to find everything he needs as quickly as possible. His organization is meticulous in his main storage bin. Hartley divides his soft plastic bags by type in plastic storage containers and uses plastic bags to divide his weights and hooks. It also helps to keep them dry.
8. Only pack the rods you need
When he’s smallmouth fishing, Hartley likes to ease up on cramming rods into the rod locker because, “you don’t need so many – you can have one in each tube.” He acknowledged that going for largemouth often entails having too many rods to do this, but he does try to reduce the number of broken rods by keeping things in proper order.
9. Secure the trolling motor
The last thing you want to have to do is change out a trolling motor on the water (or off) and that puts premium on preventing that from happening. Strapping it down is a must. “Double straps on the trolling motor is the way to go,” Hartley said. “Otherwise, it can move back and forth and that’s how it gets damaged.”
10. Protect your Power-Poles
Power-Poles are becoming more and more popular on bass boats, and Hartley offers this suggestion on keeping them in good condition: “Put the cover on the Power-Poles. If they are going to stay up all day, you aren’t going to need them, so keep them safe.”
11. Keep your fish alive
Hartley also has a system for keeping his fish alive. A dead-fish penalty is something no angler wants to incur, so Hartley is sure to take proper precautions to ensure their survival. That starts with a weigh-in bag. “Get the bag full of water,” Hartley said. “Drain the livewell and then dump the water on them. The most important thing to keep fish alive is don’t have your livewells on auto. Don’t bring water from the top of the lake in.”
12. Use a livewell fish booster
Instead, Hartley uses the weigh-in bag and mixes in U2 Pro Formula, which is made for his Oxygenator. “I create a nice bath of ice with that formula before I dump it in on them.”
13. Keep your eyes on the prize
Hartley keeps three bright orange marker buoys in the boat with him. The Elite Series frequently visits lakes when offshore fishing is a must and while GPS units pinpoint the spot, being able to see when to cast helps Hartley dial in. “The GPS is good, but when you get out there, it’s good to have a visual.”
14. A back-up prop might save the day
Hartley keeps a back-up prop in his boat, another 3-blade Mercury Fury. Many anglers change props in big water, but Hartley likes the 3-blade for just about any condition. “I find the 3-blade Fury prop works really well all the time,” Hartley said. “It’s a high performance prop and it doesn’t blow out in the big waves.”
15. Don't forget your PFD!
The last addition to Hartley’s boat is a PFD and in that respect, Hartley is still old-school, wearing the foam vest rather than the new inflatable version. “It’s extra cushioning when I’m running and if I go over the side, I don’t want to rely on something mechanical.”
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