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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | I just traded in my old Rebel for a 2013 Predator 1810SS with a 115 ProXS. Needless to say I'm pretty stoked! But now I need to figure out what to put on it. I have, say, 3k to spend on extras. I need a bowmount trolling motor, 2 sonar/gps units (1 bow, 1 console), an onboard charger, and maybe a marine radio. What stuff would you guys buy to get the most bang for your buck? Is it worth it to get a minnkota with ipilot? I'm coming from an old 12V powerdrive and black and white eagle sonars so pretty much everything seems like an upgrade lol. |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | I'd buy a used bow mount, and you can find used graphs as well. You can get a lot of nice lightly used goods that will be better than spending the money on new ones. |
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | Here is what I would do with 3k:
Terrova 80 with i-pilot= $1500 +/-
Hummingbird 898 csi= $1400 +/-
Minnkota 3 bank charger= $300+/-
Buy the bow mount graph and radio used as they turn up on buy/sell boards.
I know I blew your budget by a couple hundred bucks but you will not regret getting the best accessories right off the bat for your new rig. JMO...
P.S.- it's fun spending other peoples money! |
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Posts: 206
| iPilot is a no-brainer. I went to it last year and could never be without spot-lock again. Kind of like the 1980's when you went to automatic locks on your car, then went into someone else's car without and knew you could never revert back...
Ultimately, if you can get the iPilot with iLink, Humminbird side imaging, Lakemaster software you have the best set up on the water. If you can't swing all those at once, start with iPilot and add the others over time. But at least you have the best foundation to build from... |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | electronics first ... used trolling motor and upgrade it down the line is what i would do with that money. |
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | how much do you guys use sidescan / side imaging? Is it really worth paying more for? |
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Posts: 224
Location: Madison | jonnysled - 1/5/2013 3:43 PM
electronics first ... used trolling motor and upgrade it down the line is what i would do with that money.
This. SI is nice, but if you've got a $3k budget for motor, charger, and two sonar units I wouldn't get SI.
Also depends IMO on if you do more trolling or casting. If you exclusively cast, I'd spend the money differently (and rig differently) than if you did mostly trolling. |
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | I primarily cast. And I almost exclusively fish muskie (aside from springtime panfish, and some bass and northern. I don't really do much walleye fishing) |
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Posts: 667
Location: Wisconsin | I am watching for the replies you receive. I am trying to upgrade my 1987 TM and electronics. The boat is still good, but not so much the extras.
Waldo why not the SI for casting? Won't it help finding structure and weed pockets to cast to? |
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | Nothing, just getting the boat/motor/trailer |
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Posts: 224
Location: Madison | Clammer - 1/5/2013 6:10 PM
Waldo why not the SI for casting? Won't it help finding structure and weed pockets to cast to?
SI is great, but he's got 3k to spend. Two sonar units, puck, wiring, chips for each graph, 3-bank battery charger, trolling motor, possibly batteries, and sounds like more on top of that, plus taxes. Adds up real fast. If he goes SI, graphs will have to be small and he'll cripple himself everywhere else. My first SI unit was the 798, on a screen that small, you don't get as much benefit as you would on a larger screen. Since he's a caster he can't skimp with a crappy trolling motor. |
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Posts: 667
Location: Wisconsin | Thanks, makes good sense
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Posts: 555
Location: Tennessee | Get a Terrova with I pilot first! |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | I would get the best trolling motor(I pilot)and then figure out what you got left for electronics,charger,batterys,you don`t have great graphs now so why upgrade to top of the line now,just get color gps units and you should be happy,maybe a 788 di and a reg 788 for the bow. |
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Posts: 163
Location: lake st clair michigan | i would also suggest terrova with i pilot (love the spot lock and trail record ).....as far as the si i have used it to find structure and fish ....it works great but there is a learning curve ...lots of settings needed to get a clear picture ...you have to spend lots of time with it .....youtube has some great videos to get you started |
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | Ok, so maybe get a terrova with ipilot and 1 good sonar/gps plus the other little stuff I need. Then later when I save up some more money get the second sonar/gps? |
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Posts: 555
Location: Tennessee | I'd say that's the trick. if possible put your console mount sonar in a good ram mount or something that you can turn around to see from the deck as well but the terrova will be amazing and give you more time fishing. |
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Posts: 142
Location: Appleton, WI | Like wood duck says, the ram mount works great. I've rigged 8 predators and the space forward of the windshield on the starboard side is perfect for adding a 2nd ram ball. I leave plenty of cable under the rigging grommets on the console and then just flip the hds to the 2nd ball and can view it from the front without looking through the windshield. We put the cranking and one dc battery in the center rear compartment and the 2nd dc battery and promariner charger in the port side jump seat. This seems to counter the weight of the driver and the boat doesn't list.
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | That's some good info, thanks guys. Anyone ever use the video out feature on the humminbirds? Seems like you could pick up a cheap lcd display off ebay and wire it up to the video out so you could see your data without having to move the console unit around. |
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Posts: 89
| A lot of dealers will sell you electronics for nearly cost if you buy a new boat from them, which in turn is about half the money if you bought them from a retail store
Edited by Clint 1/7/2013 8:53 PM
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Posts: 415
| Maybe someone mentioned this and I didn't notice, but a great way to buy a used trolling motor is a refurbished one. My local dealer can order them and they come with a limited warranty still, and will save you some $. If you don't have a dealer around that could you could probably contact Minn Kota directly and get one. |
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Posts: 300
Location: Minocqua, WI | carl - 1/5/2013 11:42 AM
I just traded in my old Rebel for a 2013 Predator 1810SS with a 115 ProXS. Needless to say I'm pretty stoked! But now I need to figure out what to put on it. I have, say, 3k to spend on extras. I need a bowmount trolling motor, 2 sonar/gps units (1 bow, 1 console), an onboard charger, and maybe a marine radio. What stuff would you guys buy to get the most bang for your buck? Is it worth it to get a minnkota with ipilot? I'm coming from an old 12V powerdrive and black and white eagle sonars so pretty much everything seems like an upgrade lol.
If you're interested in going for a barely used troller first, I've got a buddy who's trying to get rid of his 101lb Terrova (60in shaft, 36v). He told me he's willing to lose some money on it as he needs to get rid of it, so if interested I'll send you his contact info. It was used for 1yr on Lake Michigan for his guide boat.
Edited by AndrewR 1/8/2013 12:24 PM
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | picked up my first piece of equipment yesterday - slightly used 998C for a very good price! |
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Posts: 267
| Here is a used 36 volt Terrova at a good price.
http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/spo/3536881703.html
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Cabala's has 8xx series Birds on sale in the bargain cave right now. Get a Terrova and 2 8xx birds and you'll have better electronics then 90% of the guys out there and you get do it for around 3k. |
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Posts: 83
Location: minnesota | I picked up a slightly used 998C a while back and am planning to get a Terrova with I-Pilot Link. With that, I don't think I'll need the front sonar/gps unit since I can just use the follow the contour feature instead. |
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