Inside Elite Boats: Carl Jocumsen

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Carl Jocumsen has the ultimate Man Cave, a spacious setup for storing, prepping and organizing tackle.

He designed the space specifically for his boat to be nearest to the tools of the trade. Call it his locker room for getting ready for the game. Get a closer look at his boat and see how everything ends up ready to hit the road.

Jocumsen’s ride for the season is this 2023 Falcon F20 Predator spanning 20 feet, 2 inches from bow to stern, with a 99-inch beam, 50-gallon fuel capacity and made with 100% composite construction. It rides on a custom tandem-axle trailer with disc brakes and with a swing tongue, LED trailer, backup lights and much more.

The boat is powered by a Yamaha VMAX SHO VF250 outboard. The newest model features new alternator power output, up to 70 gross amps. “That now means twice the amps are going back into our batteries, which is huge for the power needs of multiple electronics, a trolling motor and all the related accessories we run,” Jocumsen said.

The tour begins at the bow, where Jocumsen spends the most time on the water. Here are three Humminbird Apex 13 units, with the top unit dedicated to MEGA Live Imaging. The bottom left unit is for MEGA 360 Imaging. To the right is a unit for LakeMaster mapping with a split for 2D mapping.

Jocumsen uses a Minn Kota Ultrex 112 trolling motor that is part of his Minn Kota/Humminbird One Boat network that integrates Humminbird, Raptor and Minn Kota components into a seamlessly operated system.

Attached to the Ultrex shaft are the transducers for the Humminbird MEGA 360 and the Humminbird MEGA Live.

Jocumsen uses the shorter Ultrex shaft during the first half of the season where tournaments occur in shallow water during the spawning cycle. He switches to the longer shaft for the Northern Swing for deeper smallmouth waters.

A T-H Marine G-Force ELIMINATOR Trolling Motor Prop Nut stabilizes the prop with a larger contact point, acts as a heat sink and has built-in cooling ports to reduce operating temperature for longer battery life.

The three Apex units are rigged on a custom-made mount by Hennessey Outdoor Electronics.

Jocumsen added a T-H Marine Chill Trax Traction Pad for surer footing.

The Minn Kota Raptors can be quickly depoyed and stored using these foot switches at the bow.

The Ultrex and its shaft-mounted transducers are supported by this T-H Marine Troll-Tamer Trolling Motor Stabilizer Lock. Jocumsen added a Hennessy Outdoor Electronics custom-made expansion plate for added rigidity and shock absorption for rough water.

At the console are two Apex 13 units. The right-side unit is dedicated to LakeMaster Mapping with a split of thru-hull 2D mapping. The left unit is a dedicated split screen for side imaging and down imaging.

The units are supported by a Hennessey Outdoor Electronics custom-made mount specifically designed to fit the Falcon F20 Predator and dual Apex 13 units.

Also on the console is Pro Trim Dual Function for the outboard and the T-H Marine ATLAS Hydraulic Jack Plate.

Also on the console is a Scosche MagMount Pro that instantly locks in place a smartphone, proven by Jocumsen to keep it secure even on rides across big water, choppy waves and inclement weather.

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The removeable Minn Kota Raptor Transmitter Remote is mounted here, so Jocumsen can remove it and use it anywhere in the boat.

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Another accessory is a hard-wired dual USB port charger for an iPhone and the GoPro camera used by Jocumsen to record fish catches and action for his social media platforms.

Hennessey Outdoor Electronics designed this custom-made mount for the GoPro camera.

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Jocumsen intentionally stores his Mustang Elite Hydrostatic Inflatable PFD around the gear shift. “It’s always connected to my gear shift so no matter what, I always know to put it on before cranking the outboard motor.”

This is a boxing glove key chain given to Jocumsen by his cousin Kris George, a former professional boxer. “He gave it to me before I came to America, and it’s been on every boat that I have owned.”

This is the Yeti Rambler Half Gallon Water Jug that Jocumsen keeps in the cockpit floorboard beneath the console. “I drink it empty every day in the summer to keep hydrated.”

The jug is engraved with Jocumsen’s “Fear My Heart” motto, and it’s available on the Fear My Heart website.

This T-H Marine ATLAS Hydraulic Jack Plate with a 10-inch setback is Jocumsen’s preference for matching lift and performance with his Yamaha outboard.

Jocumsen favors the Minn Kota 8-foot Raptor shallow water anchors, which feature Active Anchoring, automatically anchoring again if wind and waves un-anchor and move the boat, with the Raptor also part of the One Boat Network allowing integration with Humminbird electronics.

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A favorite accessory is this Hennessey Outdoor Electronics permanent mount for the stern/anchor light. “I never worry about plugging in, removing and storing a stern/anchor light,” said Jocumsen. “It’s permanently mounted to the Raptor.”

Installed on the other Raptor is a T-H Marine Lane Blaster that Jocumsen uses as a work light to illuminate his boat during early morning tackle prep sessions. The light is germanely mounted to a Hennessey Outdoor Electronics mount, wired and switched to the console, like the stern/anchor light.

View of the rear power and pump compartment with a lid that provides completely open access to all the components.

Jocumsen uses two X2 Power AGL Marine batteries for his Humminbird electronics, accessories, pumps and the cranking battery. Those are run in parallel so the outboard alternator charges both batteries. An isolator switch enables dedicated operation of the electronics for the clearest possible picture.

Two Raptor pumps are mounted for quick and easy access.

This Minn Kota Precision On-Board Battery Charger features five banks, ideal for Jocumsen’s setup. He uses two banks for the X2Power AGM Marine batteries and three banks for the X2Power Lithium Marine batteries. He can select it to charge at the AGM rate and separately for the lithium rate of charging, all at 10 amps, for a custom charging feature.

The spare storage holds a Yamaha SHO 25-inch pitch prop.

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For safety, convenience and peace of mind is this custom-made Hennessey Outdoors Electronics cut-off switch station for controlling power to the batteries.

The driver side rear storage is filled with safety and convenience items used by Jocumsen on a daily basis.

Jocumsen uses this Scosche PowerUp like a first aid kit for a boat. “It’s been used more by other fellow anglers on the water who need a jump and return it to me later in the day at the weigh-in,” he said. The 700A portable jump starter/USB power bank has a 15,000 mAh lithium-ion battery capable of jumpstarting batteries up to 10 cylinders, more than enough for multiple jump starts.

Another Scosche accessory is more necessary than convenient. Bassmaster Elite Series pros are required to operate a GoPro from takeoff to check during competition days as part of tournament rules integrity. That presents a challenge, as the camera requires an external power source to run it all day long. This is the typical setup mounted at the stern of the boat.

The solution is this Scosche PowerUp Portable Power Station, equipped with a 32,000 mAh/115Wh lithium-ion battery that includes the USB-C connectors required for the camera. Jocumsen uses a Scosche STRIKELINE lightening cable to get full power to the camera.

A Mustang waterproof jacket and Mustang Elite are available for Bassmaster Marshals when needed.

Also in the box is T-H Marine G Juice and a spare Minn Kota prop.

Jocumsen also carries this Angler Aid Pro Essentials First Aid and Safety Kit, a 102-piece kit with first aid items, safety gear and survival gear.

Livewell essentials include a T-H Marine G-Force Conservation Cull System Gen 2, with B.A.S.S.-mandatory non-penetrating cull clips. “The foam pool noodles float to the top of the livewell, acting like a padding in rough water to protect my catch.”

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Jocumsem utilizes the passenger-side storage compartment for storing Bass Mafia Bait Coffins with the contents being heavier terminal tackle. “I put them back here to keep the heavier weight toward the back of the boat for better hull performance,” he said.

The center cockpit storage is filled with accessories that Jocumsen can grab for quick use, among them a Rapala 50 Lb. Touch Screen Scale Angler Model. Jocumsen uses it to weigh keepers for entry into the BassTrakk scoring system that you can view on Bassmaster.com.

Jocumsen goes through a lot of these bottles of T-H Marine Wave Away Cleaner, with a microfiber cloth used for cleaning his electronics screens, GoPro lenses and the lenses of his Hobie sunglasses.

Jocumsen carries three pair of Hobie Performance Sunglasses, each lens color designed for improving vision and protection from harmful UV rays in various levels of light, from low level to bright sun.

Jocumsen calls this his “messy box” as it contains fish dyes, scents and other liquids he uses to dye baits and add strike-appeal to lures.

This T-H Marine Tackle Titan Foam Lure Holder is mounted at starboard near the cockpit and deck to keep key baits organized and at the ready.

A collection of Rapala Mini Split Ring Pliers, Angler’s Heavy Duty Split Ring Pliers and Elite pliers and hook sharpener are conveniently located at the center of the rear deck.

“I really like this rod storage compartment lid that opens vertically, from the front, instead of to the right or left,” Jocumsen said.

“It’s really a no-brainer. It goes up and down, stays in position, and I can load and unload my outfits from outside the boat.” Jocumsen said he’s not once accidentally kicked out a rig into the water with the lid opening this way.

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The center storage compartment is filled with Bass Mafia Bait Coffins, all of them filled with various categories of lures for organization and quick access.