New Tech You’ve Gotta Have

by LENNY RUDOW | Texas Fish & Game Boating Editor

LISTEN: (5 minutes, 43 seconds)

 

I’LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT that I have a love-hate relationship with tech, especially when it comes to my boat and fishing. That said, in the past couple of years we’ve seen some developments that quite simply make boating better. And no, you don’t necessarily have to buy a new boat to enjoy these benefits (though in many cases, it certainly helps). If you’re hitting the water without harnessing the advantages this tech delivers, you’re missing out.

Cell Phone Chargers: Today most new boats have a cell phone cradle at the helm, which wirelessly charges your phone as you fish. Now, don’t get me wrong—nothing annoys me more than a ringing cell phone when I’m stalking reds or jigging for flounder. But we all have the darn things, and we all take them on our boats. Worse, we drop them overboard, they slide off the console and smash down to the deck, and we accidentally spray them with the washdown hose. Having that cradle at the helm not only keeps them charged, it keeps them safe and easy to locate. And if you have an older boat, adding one is incredibly easy: spend around $125 for the holder/charger, drill three holes for the mounting screws, run the power line to a bus-bar, and you’re done.

Smart Trim Systems: You still ride with trim tabs that go up and down at the press of a button? In that case, every day on the water is rougher, your boat is less efficient, and your boating experience is less enjoyable than it might otherwise be. Modern systems like the SeaKeeper Ride and Zip Wakes eclipse old-school tabs, by adding faster actuators and a digital brain into the mix. The digital brain can sense the boat’s movements, and uber-rapidly deploy their trimming mechanisms to counter them. The net result is a vast reduction in the boat’s motion. Just how vast? The systems we’ve tested (measuring both pitching and rolling motions with a digital inclinometer) have stabilized planing boats in the 30 to 70 percent range (varying depending on the boat, the system, and the sea conditions). Plus, the ability of these systems to keep a boat on an even keel means that the entry meets waves closer to the angle it’s designed to even as you move from peak to trough.

Digital Gauges: You’re still staring at analog needles? Modern digital gauges provide you with endless intel about what’s going on with your boat and outboard at the press of a button. You can instantly bring up data like current fuel burn, MPG, most efficient cruise, total burn for a trip, fault codes, and more. Bottom line, digital gauges don’t just present data in a different format, they allow you to tap right into that engine’s brain and take a look at what’s happening under the cowl even when you’re buzzing across the bay at 40 mph.

Integrated Trolling Motor and Chartplotter: I honestly never saw it as a big deal if the trolling motor and chartplotter stood alone or were fully integrated, but after getting a new boat last fall which had the Humminbird and the Minn Kota tied together, I discovered it’s a lot more advantageous than I would have thought. The first time it became apparent was when the battery in my remote control died, but I was able to run the trolling motor from the helm. That saved the day. But being forced to use the chartplotter, I soon discovered how much easier it was to tap a waypoint in and tell the motor to take me directly there, as opposed to steering back and forth via remote. Then I found out I could make a few more taps and the motor would slowly take me down a contour line. Several trips later I realized that I didn’t pull out the remote anymore, because the chartplotter interface delivered substantial advantages, was larger and easier to see, and use.

Engine Auto-Trim: This isn’t something you can add to your boat short of repowering it, but it’s a feature to look for if you’re buying new. And that goes for captains who know how to properly trim a boat, because even the best of us will trim up when running, stop for one reason or another, and forget to trim back down when we take off — until we hear the howl of a ventilating propeller. Auto trim systems eliminate this common snafu, as well as trimming for the best performance all on their own.

Naturally, there are a number of other advancements that can only be found on the latest and greatest boats. Digital switching is probably the most significant example of a system that has to be built into a boat from the ground up and can’t (realistically) be retrofitted. But there have also been substantial advancements in hull design and construction which add up to a better boat.

Perhaps the most eye-opening difference can be found in today’s bay boats versus those made a decade ago. Older models were often rough riding in a chop, a fate accepted in trade for the enhanced stability of low-deadrise designs. Many of the bay boats currently rolling off the line, however, have tricked-out hulls with steps and tunnels. They’re built via vacuum-infusion. They incorporate high-tech composites like Innegra and carbon fiber. Or, they feature all of the above. Net result? They can smooth out a chop better than some deep-V’s.

The bottom line? Much as we may love to hate tech, it can change your experience out on the water. Whether you’re looking for a new ride or you want to enhance the boat you already own, paying attention to tech’s advantages will make for better boating.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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