What Bob said!! 15 to 20 rods, 10+ tackle boxes, ice chest, and all that other stuff where is the wife and kids sit? Sorry honey..... no room for you and kids today.

Have buddies who you can call in case of emergency. We have a four person group who all agree will drop what we're doing no matter time of day or night and come to the rescue of someone in need. Out of the four, there is usually always at least one close to home. We all fish the same lakes, and most of the time the same areas of those lakes, so it is much easier to describe where we are to each other than trying to tell a 911 operator where we are on the water. Having this worked out in advance is a huge peace of mind while on the water alone, at night, or even alone at night should something go wrong. You'll also find that having a small network like this will help you all stay on good fishing too since you basically quadruple the hours spent on the water if you all share info.

All of the safety equipment required for your vessel, except for pfd's and such, should have came with it when you bought it. If not, list what you need and demand the dealer hand it over at no charge. But know what you need at all times, and make sure it is all in good shape and up to date.

If new to boating, find a veteran boater to go out with you the first few trips to offer advice in generally operating the boat. Keep the first few trips short. Focus on running the boat and learning how it reacts to various driver inputs, how it handles different water conditions, and just get a good feel for it.

As for the 20hp motor, at some point you'll wish you had more, but it'll catch you just as many fish as a 200 will once you find them. I have never caught a fish going over about 6mph anyway. You bought what you think fits for you, and don't let anyone tell you that you need more. You'll learn what you need, this is your first boat, no doubt your needs will evolve a bit if you spend much time on the water. The max HP rating on my boat is 90 and I bought it with a 70hp motor. Not once in two years now have I thought the extra 20hp would have made a difference in how a trip turned out. I have a buddy with a similar rig to yours, and he catches just as many fish as anyone else does, more than a lot of people.

As others have suggested, learn how to back a trailer before heading to the lake. If you have that down, you are ahead of most noobie boat owners.

It's never a bad idea to have a basic tool set, even just an 11-in-1 screwdriver, a pair of channel locks, and a crescent wrench can do a lot. Most of the time if that won't fix it, you have much bigger problems and are just looking to get back to the ramp. Add to that, a good knife, a roll of duct tape, the ever-important roll of toilet paper, and a good light source. The duct tape and TP even double as a very basic first aid kit. The rest, you'll figure out through trial and error. Everything I listed will fit inside a 50cal ammo can.

Just a couple tips, 1 do not overload the boat with tackle see FishKen we are all guilty of doing this Haulin around extra weigt we don't need.
#2 most important at the end of the day you will still have fuel in a six gallon tank while the guy running the Super Bass 250 on an aircraft carrier glittering of course will burn a min. of 20 gallons not going very far.

Guys I can't tell yall how much I appreciate all the input. I just left bass pro a few hours ago with the boat and $467 worth of "stuff". PFDs, throwable, whistle, fire extinguisher, anchor, 100 ft rope, 3' of chain, rod holders, net, and cover. Also clamp on nav lights. I don't plan on being out at night until I feel comfortable with the boat but these should suffice until I get it wired. I've got a storage box with most of that stuff and paperwork in it I will keep onboard.

I'm going to throw an extra couple of ropes in there along with some TP and duct tape, atleast until I see I won't need it. Tomorrow going to practice backing in the parking lot. Shouldn't be an issue, been hauling trailors most of my life.

Then I guess from there it's time to get it on the water and start the break in!

Best advice I can give you,is to get in the habit of doing your make ready(for launch) the same each trip so as not to forget something:example do every thing on the back at the same time-tie down straps,put in the plug,transom saver,pump bulb,then move to the front of the boat-unhook strap,undo TM strap,put in lights if needed,load rods,drinks,tackle,(if not stowed in boat,get boat key!!All of the above should be done away from the ramp to avoid holding up other boaters,then pull to the ramp! Hope this helps you,good luck with the boat and enjoy your time on the water!!

Good luck GarrettM. Post some pics of your new rig. Hope everything goes smoothly and you get off to a good start.

while you practice backing..also practice taking your headlights off high beam as you back down the ramp...

And a paddle!

I like it! Very nice rig.

This is a good time to develop ramp etiquette. The is little more irritating that having to wait for some guy who thinks it's all about him rigging his boat and loading stuff into the boat while sitting on the ramp. When you back down to the ramp, be ready to launch and then go park your trailer. It will be appreciated.

parking lights only on the ramp. It is amazing how many people do not understand this. No need for headlights when backing up. In fact it is easier with them off. I am sure there are people that say they want to be seen by others backing down the ramp. Trust me is much better to leave on only the parking lights then to blind people. I tell people this all time and they usually just say OH. Then there are those that you cannot tell anything.

You need to buy a twenty year annuity that pays about $4000/year to cover storage, maintenance, and repairs? 😀

When I bought my new boat I picked up a few things: oar, life jackets, rope (I use it to help launch the boat and to tie up to things), and rod holders. I've had the boat for 10 years now and just bought an anchor a few months ago. I keep sunblock, a small first aid kit, and a few pairs of needle nose pliers in the boat at all times.

Start a boat repair only savings account and make monthly deposits!