For Bassmaster Elite Series pros the “offseason” is anything but time off. Finalizing sponsorships, making travel plans and ordering tackle are part of the daily routine. And the biggest task of all is ordering a new boat, motor and all the accessories. Here you see Carl and Kayla Jocumsen (and Roo) in Newberry, S.C., at the Falcon Boats factory, where they picked up his rig for the 2021 season. Come along for an inside look at what the pros go through to rig their new boats.
All captions: Craig Lamb
All captions: Craig Lamb
Photo: Craig Lamb
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Jocumsen will compete from a 2021 Falcon Boats F20 Predator, spanning 20 feet, 1 inch with a 99-inch beam and 50-gallon fuel capacity. After taking delivery of the boat, he took it to Anderson Marine in Nashville for initial rigging of the Yamaha 250 V MAX SHO outboard, the Minn Kota Ultrex, Minn Kota Raptors and some other necessities.
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The boat is back in his shop and the work continues. To be installed is a custom wiring harness designed specifically for his setup, ethernet network box and five Humminbird SOLIX 12 CHIRP MSI + G3 units, featuring MEGA Side Imaging, MEGA Down Imaging, CHIRP Sonar and more, with a 12.1-inch display. Three units will be rigged at the bow, and two on the console.
Photo: Craig Lamb
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The install is done by Trent Palmer, owner/operator of SonarPros, which specializes in high-end installations of electronics and aftermarket boat accessories. The dedicated custom wiring harnesses are a specialty, and each is assembled to fit a particular setup.
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The work happens in Jocumsen’s man cave, where he also preps and stores tackle for the season.
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Before the boat arrived, Jocumsen spent time here customizing baits, organizing them and getting his tackle ready for tournaments from Florida to New York and Texas to Tennessee.
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That means covering the map with LakeMaster charts for each fishery on the 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series schedule.
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Three of the SOLIX units will go on this BoatLogix Triple Mount, which will be removed so a wire snake can be used to pull the cables from the console area.
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And now the work begins, first with unboxing peripheral accessories like ethernet cables, transducer adapter cables, switching systems and more.
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Before Palmer arrived, Jocumsen installed these X2Power Batteries in the spacious compartment.
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Palmer’s shop is in Dawsonville, Ga., however for this install he went mobile, bringing everything needed for the job to Jocumsen’s shop in east Tennessee.
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Palmer begins by finding a mounting location for the external side scan transducer and pass-through site for the cables. A hole will be drilled, a clamshell will be added for waterproofing and the transducer will be fed from there. Palmer likes a dedicated pass-through for the transducer for easier access and maintenance. He prefers a 1 3/8-inch hole.
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Palmer moves to the transom, where he installs the transducer mounting bracket at the center of the lower transom.
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“Side scan transducers must be center balanced, otherwise the beam won’t shoot perfectly from the boat,” said Palmer. To avoid that he uses a level to assure the boat is sitting level on the trailer.
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Next, he takes another reading to ensure the mount is level, tapping either side with a hammer if slight adjustments are needed.
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The install is complete.
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Next comes installing the internal transducer. The bottom is lightly sanded for stronger adhesion of the epoxy.
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A generous portion of epoxy is applied.
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And the transducer is mounted in the floor. Palmer prefers mounting it in the lowest part of the hull, generally near the drain plug.
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The first step when running wires through the boat is finding an access point for a wire snake. For the Falcon F20 Predator that is accomplished by removing this switch panel located below the dashboard. Doing so will allow the wire snake to reach the bow, and be pulled from the rear of the boat.
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With the access points cleared, next comes running the wire snake at starboard through an open cavity from the battery compartment to the console. The wiring harness cables will run through this route to the console or bow.
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For larger plugs, Palmer prefers making separate runs for the external transducer, internal transducer, and then pulling each harness through the boat. Doing separate pulls like this — instead of all the plugs together — prevents the cables from getting stuck or coming apart during the pull.
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Maintaining consistent voltage through dedicated power and ground to each graph is a benefit of the SonarPros system. Another upside is amperage draw is reduced, providing increased battery life throughout the day. When multiple graphs and other accessories run on the same wiring system, voltage dips and processors slow down, resulting in declining image quality. Loading maps, dropping waypoints and other features slow down and are less effective.
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The custom-made harness has a dedicated cable for each of unit. Each plug is labeled to identify its connection location. Note the “Bow 1” and “Console 2” labels.
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Palmer begins with the longer bow harness, and he pulls it through from the console access point.
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Then he runs the snake to the bow, attaching the bow cable to the opposite end, and pulling it through to the front.
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The cables for the SOLIX units are now installed.
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This is the Humminbird AS GPS HS External GPS Receiver. It features a built-in compass to provide true heading orientation. The ideal mounting location is nearest the transducer, which will be in the bilge. Trouble is, nearby magnets can make the compass read incorrectly, and those are used in the Minn Kota Raptor units. Falcon engineered this mounting plate directly behind the driver seat for the perfect alternative.
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With the wiring harness loose mounted, other accessories get installed. That includes the Hydrowave H2 omnidirectional speaker on the trolling motor.
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The job is coming along, with most of the accessories and cables loosely installed.
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This is the five-point ethernet module linking the multiple graphs. Palmer prefers an easily accessible mounting location to keep it dry and for easy maintenance. He mounts the black box beneath the console near the Hot Foot, tapping into the switchbox for power and ground.
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The cables are pulled through the BoatLogix Double Mount at the console.
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The SOLIX units are ready to be connected.
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And mounted to the bracket.
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Palmer wraps up the job by mounting the three SOLIX units and a Hydrowave H2 to the BoatLogix Triple Mount.
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Palmer begins tidying up while Jocumsen fine-tunes some parts.
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Jocumsen unboxes accessories from T-H Marine. “Their motto is from transom to trolling motor, so when rigging a boat, they have you covered with everything you need.”
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A final touch for Palmer is adding the T-H Marine G-Force Troll Jacket, a neoprene cable organizer fastened with Velcro that bundles up and protects cables.
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What’s not in the box but a standard used by many Elite Series pros is this Atlas Jackplate.
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Jocumsen installs the T-H Marine Steer Stop Hydraulic Steering Locks, designed to keep the engine from turning, keep it straight and prevent transom damage when on the trailer.
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Next, he adds the T-H Marine ELIMINATOR Trolling Motor Prop Nut to the Minn Kota Ultrex. The device stabilizes the prop by providing a larger contact point to reduce noise and vibration.
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In addition, it acts as a heat sink and has built-in cooling ports that reduce the operating temperature for longer battery and trolling motor life.
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This nifty accessory is a line spool holder available from Falcon Boats.
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The holder fits in a cupholder for convenience and mobility.
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Jocumsen will install these Scosche accessories. Those are the MagicMount Pro for his smartphone, Magnetic Mount Elite Bars for small tools inside his boat and a PowerUp 700 portable jump starter.
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A favorite Schosche accessory is the MagicMount Pro featuring a magnetic plate that instantly locks devices in place.
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The mount provides 360-degree holding options, and thus the reason why Jocumsen uses it in his boat, truck and camper. The phone is secure even at high speeds in the boat.
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The Magnetic Mount Elite Bar is affixed to a surface with a strong adhesion, so no drilling is needed. This bar is located in the cockpit, so the scissors are accessible at arm’s reach from the center storage where Jocumsen often rigs baits. The rubber-coated bar prevents rust and holds tools, lures and other metal objects.
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The PowerUp 700 portable jump starter can start boats and vehicles, and it includes safety protection against short circuit, reverse connection, polarity and more. It also has USB charging ports and an LED flashlight. “This is essential gear and everyone should have it,” said Jocumsen.
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The install session is a wrap. And speaking of that, another installer is on the way to wrap the boat, truck and Lance Camper. The week after that will be spent loading the boat, truck and camper for the first tournament of the season. The work never ends in the “offseason.”
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