Photo: Craig Lamb - Welcome to a Man Cave like none other. Inside is a building filled with a Toyota Tundra, a Ranger Z521L and walls lined with fishing tackle and hunting gear. Photo: Craig Lamb - Here you will find Matt Arey, who designed his Man Cave as an efficient place for storing his truck, boat and all the tools of the trade he uses on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Photo: Craig Lamb - This side of the Man Cave is going idle. The opposite side gets busy as Arey prepares for archery deer season. In the meantime, come along as Arey takes us on a tour of all the bling, baits and tackle that he uses to compete at the sportâs highest level. Photo: Craig Lamb - âIâve relied on my Ranger for my entire pro career,â said Arey. That includes 13 seasons on the FLW and Bassmaster tours. âThe ride is legendary and the layout and design continues evolving to meet the needs of serious tournament anglers.â Photo: Craig Lamb - This is where the business gets done. At the bow are two Lowrance HDS LIVE 12 units with support for Active Imaging, LiveSight and StructureScan 3D technologies. Arey uses one of the units for ActiveTarget live sonar.
Photo: Craig Lamb - Integrated with the electronics is a Lowrance Ghost trolling motor, appropriately named for its brushless technology that is quieter, while providing impressive thrust power and long run times. Photo: Craig Lamb - Ghost delivers 25% more thrust and 60% longer run time without charging. It also features seamless integration with touchscreen control from the HDS LIVE display. GPS anchoring controls boat positioning on a waypoint, the current location or anywhere on the map. Photo: Craig Lamb - The ActiveTarget transducer is linked to the HDS unit on the bow. High-resolution images of bait and bass, and as they respond to a lure, are key attributes. So are the Forward, Down and Scout views that provide multiple looks below and around the transducer cone, all in real time and high definition clarity.
Photo: Craig Lamb - Arey favors the T-H Marine G-Force ELIMINATOR Trolling Motor Prop Nut. âIt reduces prop noise and vibration, with features that provide longer battery and trolling motor life.â Photo: Craig Lamb - The Lowrance HDS units are on Bass Boat Technologies Dual Stack Wedge Bow Mounts, which are custom designed for use on the Ranger Z521L.Photo: Craig Lamb - On the starboard side of the bow are the foot switches for deploying and securing the Power-Pole Blade shallow water anchors.
Photo: Craig Lamb - On the port side is the T-H Marine HydroWave KVD Unit. âItâs very situational, but has consistently given me key bites that have been critical to my success over the years,â Arey said. Photo: Craig Lamb - Prominently displayed on the console are two Lowrance HDS LIVE 12 units. Photo: Craig Lamb - The clean layout allows Arey to monitor the boat system gauges, with the Lowrance units mounted so he can see over and ahead of the bow for safe boat operation.
Photo: Craig Lamb - âI really like this touch pad, because among other things, I never have to worry about keeping up with keys,â Arey said. Livewells, the Oxygenator, the drying fan for the storage compartments, and the Start and Stop switches can be controlled with the touch of a finger. Photo: Craig Lamb - The HDS units are secured to the console with a Bass Boat Technologies Dual Dash Mount. Photo: Craig Lamb - Former FLW Tour pro Van Foster Jr. is the man behind BBT. Units are designed for specific boat brands and models.
Photo: Craig Lamb - Behind the steering while are SeaStar Pro-Trim levers, allowing Arey to keep both hands on the wheel. Engine trim and jackplate can be controlled by the fingertips.Photo: Craig Lamb - A T-H Marine Hot Foot is Areyâs choice for power control of the Mercury 250 Pro XS. Photo: Craig Lamb - The roomy cockpit, floored in non-skid SeaDek, provides plenty of space for accessing the forward and rear decks.
Photo: Craig Lamb - Custom-fitted premium marine upholstery, Soft Ride Seating (SRS), and bucket seats with a center storage provide comfort and convenience. The seats are made in Flippin, Ark., at the factory. Photo: Craig Lamb - A dedicated storage compartment for soft plastics enables Arey to quickly find what he needs for any given fishing scenario. Photo: Craig Lamb - This roomy center storage compartment gets a lot of use and provides much inspiration.
Photo: Craig Lamb - âMy wife, Emily, has made a poster like this for me ever since I began my pro career over 13 years ago,â Arey said. âItâs a daily reminder that when Iâm having a bad day on the water about what is really important in my life.â Areyâs daughters Reese, 9, and Wren, 4, added their personal touch to the artwork. Photo: Craig Lamb - The compartment is filled with all categories of hard baits and terminal tackle. Photo: Craig Lamb - Spare Costa del Mar sunglasses, SD cards for the Lowrance units, and small tools and other odds-and-ends are stored for quick access in the center console between the driver and passenger seat.
Photo: Craig Lamb - In a storage behind the driver seat is T-H Marine G-Juice additive for the livewell, a fire extinguisher and lots of tools. âThe biggest mistake I see guys do on the water is not having enough tools,â Arey said. Photo: Craig Lamb - This rear storage compartment stretches across the stern. A spare prop and Relion Batteries are located there.Photo: Craig Lamb - Arey favors the Relion RB100, a 100 Ah deep cycle lithium battery weighing in at only 30 pounds.
Photo: Craig Lamb - Arey has relied on the T-H Marine ATLAS Hydraulic Jack Plate his entire career. âThe first one on the market and just as reliable and well-built now as it has always.âPhoto: Craig Lamb - Arey got this idea from some of his peers with the same idea. âI had this floor drain installed during the build, and itâs well worth it.â Photo: Craig Lamb - The Z521L is powered by a Mercury Pro XS 250 horsepower outboard. Nearby are the Power-Pole Blade 10-foot shallow water anchors. âI prefer the 10-footers and really donât see why more guys donât use them,â Arey said. âEvery extra inch or foot of use can really make a difference.â
Photo: Craig Lamb - Between the twin garage doors is a special memento. Each time he pulls out for a tournament, Arey reads this message. Photo: Craig Lamb - âEmily found it and gave it to me for inspiration,â Arey said. âI see it before heading out on every trip, and it means a lot.â Photo: Craig Lamb - With the tour over, Arey gets back to his fall passion. That is planning archery deer hunts.