Avoid These 5 Fish Boat Mistakes

The allure of all those new fishing boats in dealerships and at sports shows is irresistible, but be careful in selecting—and equipping—the best boat for your fishing needs.

Not all aluminum fishing boats are created equal. Here are five small details in a boat’s design that can make a big difference in your satisfaction when you’re fishing out of your new boat.

1. Storage without weatherproof seals. Few things are worse than pulling out your stowed rainsuit and finding it’s already wet, along with all the other gear in your fishing boat’s storage compartments.

2. Not enough pedestal seat bases. Look for new boats that offer more than one seat base on the front platform, which allows beginners and others to sit up front and learn fishing techniques. Your aluminum boat dealer can add additional pedestal seat bases where you want them.

3. Rod lockers that are too short to stow your favorite one-piece rods, or two narrow to handle all the rods want in your fishing boat. Look for aluminum boats with lockers that feature individual tubes for safely stowing rigged rods without fear of tangles.

4. No room for fish. Big livewells in walleye or bass boats cause no regrets when you want to keep big fish alive for tournaments. Pack the well with ice when pursuing a mess of panfish or a limit of salmon with your fishing boat. Lowe boats often have larger livewells, and multiple livewells per boat.

5. Poor transom design. For trolling, a small kicker outboard keeps hours off the main power and provides precise speed control for your fishing boat. The back-up power can also get you back to port if the main power fails. The best fishing boats’ transoms easily accommodate a kicker. Your Lowe boat dealer can help guide you to the boat with the transom that will work best.

When you carefully take into account what you want your fishing boat to do, you’ll see that a new Lowe boat that will keep you enjoying your fishing excursions year after year.