I’ve often wondered what key features on a boat are most important to anglers.
For example, if you could only pick one, would you rather have shallow water anchors or a forward-facing sonar (FFS) system?
I ask that question because we (Phoenix Boats) just launched a promotion for our 721ZXL. It’s a package boat that comes with a 21-foot boat, a Mercury 250, two 12-inch Humminbird Helix graphs, a 36-volt Minn Kota Quest trolling motor and your choice of either two, 8-foot Power-Poles or a Garmin 1022 graph with LiveScope.
So basically, it’s a tournament ready rig for $76,000.
But do you choose Power-Poles or LiveScope? My hunch is that a couple of years ago the shallow water anchoring system would be the preference, but with the success pro anglers are having with FFS, the LiveScope would win out.
We will find out in the coming weeks after anglers begin making their choice at the dealership.
Of course, the wild card here is some anglers are adamantly opposed to the FFS technology and that’s one reason we offered the choice. Also, there are rumors floating around some tournament organizations may restrict or prohibit its usage.
That’s something to think about as well.
If you live in Florida and fish Lake Okeechobee or similar shallow bodies of water, you likely would choose the Power-Poles. Yet, if you fish big, open water like Lake Champlain or one of the Great Lakes, the FFS might suit you best.
As I noted in an earlier column, the boat itself hasn’t driven up prices nearly as much as it’s been all of the electronics and accessories anglers think they need that eventually creates sticker shock.
Multiple, big-screen electronics with FFS can cost you as much as $25,000, plus $5,000 in shallow water anchors and a $4,000 trolling motor – it adds up quickly.
And, like I said in a previous column, those are nice accessories to have, but you honestly don’t need that extravagant setup to have an enjoyable day on the water or to catch quality bass.
You can pare back some of those options by going with slightly smaller and fewer graphs, no FFS or shallow water anchors. You can get into a 21-foot boat with good power for less than $70,000 and still have a good rig with good electronics.
In addition, you can drop down to a 19- or 20-foot boat, less horsepower and still have good accessories and spend even less. Those slightly shorter boats still have big beams and abundant storage and can handle most big waters. Our new 819 ZXL retails for less than $60,000 with decent size electronics.
Honestly, it’s sad anglers think they have to have the biggest, baddest, trendiest equipment like the pros to be cool enough to catch fish.
That’s so untrue. If you look around at your local derbies, you will see guys who consistently catch fish with far less equipment than what you see on pro anglers’ boats.
Sometimes keeping it simple is the best path to success. The key is to spend time on the water, learn what fish do and add accessories as you can afford them — not because they make you cool.
