Well new to me. 2002 18.5 CC fiberglass . Searched around pretty hard and found what I was looking for , a bare bones boat that I can accessorize from scratch . This boat has an outboard and a cranking battery , that's it .
I'm looking for advise on electronic, trolling motor ,any accessories . It is fairly light 1050 lbs dry so may put a mini power pole . Any advise appreciated pros / cons etc battery chargers , onboard chargers , anchors , anything you guys can think of .

I decided to buy a slightly older less expensive stripped boat to be able to get the best electronics etc I may not be able to add everything at once so order of importance would be nice as well . Will most likely take me 2-3 months to fully rig it based on budget . I am not ap posed to buying yr old or so products from someone who is upgrading etc
Will be mostly used as a daily fishing boat but may fish some of the local trails so a larger live well may be needed as well
Thanks in advance

Congrats on your boat

Rod holders and electronics would be at the top of my list for catfishing. Trolling motors are nice for drifting, but drift socks work on most days just fine. Post some pics when you get a chance. We all love looking at boats. Congratulations!!

I will . Looking for examples of specific electronics pros / cons must haves

I have had both Humminbird and Lowrance and Lowrance is what I have now because it was on the boat when I bought it. But for today's equipment I would go with Hummingbird. Lots more for less $$$ and much simpler to install and set up. Those Helix units are every bit as clear as a Lowrance. Get the biggest screen you can afford. Don't know jak about Garmin or Ray Marine. Never had or used one.

Congrats on the new boat. I went with Humminbird for electronics. Do agree that screen size matters and get the largest you can afford. Went with 898 originally. Have been saving pennies and just upgraded to Helix 12.

Congrats! Bare bones is the way to go. I did that with my Seaark 1872 MV CC. I ordered it with nothing but the wiring for the trolling moto. I rigged it myself with nav lights, electronics, T-Top and all that entails, front and rear floods, 36V Rip-tide TM networked with HB 1199 & 999, Driftmaster rod holders, Extra instrumentation, alternator and shore power battery charging, Bob's JackPlate and probably more that I overlooked. What I ended up with is a boat that fits my needs with none of the extras that would have come with one off the dealer's lot, no bait tank, no live wells, just a lot of storage. The only hole below the water line is the drain plug. I would do it again the same way.

Always a fun project when you have a vision and it comes together, in most cases it usually comes out better

Thanks guys , I know you have better things to do so it is really appreciated

I have confused myself looking at electronics and trolling motors . The sales people at local outdoor stores are prolly ok at selling bobbers and cane poles but really suck at electronics .

90% of my fishing will be controlled drifts/ dragging letting the trolling motor do the work , I will hardly ever be in the front of the boat so feel a unit on the trolling motor will be a waste. I think I need just 1 unit mounted on the console. Pretty sure I want a hummingbird 9" + to go with a hummingbird trolling motor with ipilot do I need ipilot link ? What other features options would you recommend ? I would like to be able to map out a drift and let the trolling motor do its thing so I can concentrate on fishing . My boat is rated for 4 people and has a total weight rating of 1150 lbs , what size / volt trolling motor would you advise ?



Again thanks guys I do appreciate it.

The Humminbird Helix 9 would be great. I personally only use one graph at the helm, and have no problems. I would go for the MK Terrova 36V 112 Lb and get it with link, and you will be able to do what you described. Link just makes it easier since it can follow a route on your graph. You can do it with out it, but you will have to record a path and then play it back, or set the TM on cruise and set it to follow COG, and you still have to make adjustments from time to time.