my wife has been trying to get me to put one in our skeeter. i just keep ignoring her about it.i love all the noise of nature.i like looseing track of time and such.i just want to fish and enjoy nature....rick

do it. go for one mounted either under the console on a weatherproof bracket mount if you have the room or go with the rod box. As long as you're not running a sub, amp and everything else a stereo isn't going to kill your batteries. Use a set up like mentioned earlier with a wired remote, like ones made to mount on your swim platform for runabouts. It will work like a charm and allow you to do everything that the face will.

Dovetails on why I put an Optima in my boat. Wifey bought me a couple of nice speakers for the boat, folks chipped in for the head unit. I went to a store that is owned by a buddy of mine, and decided to trick it out with an amp and an 8" sub.

Funny thing is, I normally only listen to it if I'm idling around (up in the shallows and staying off plane until I hit deeper water) or washing the boat on the trailer.

But, when the wifey is with me out on canyon lake, it serves its purpose, and can be turned up if we're just tied up under a tree on Dunlap soaking in the rays.

I don't ever leave it on loud enough (long enough) to run the risk of draining my batts. Wouldn't change it for the world, and I hate the thought of someday having to put one in a newer model rig...there's just not many places to effectively hide the components that receive proper ventallation, and keep them out of the elements. My solid-wall consoles are a godsend.

I just put two indoor/outdoor speakers in my boat, wired to an amp, that has a y-cable strait to a headphone jack. No stereo to worry about, just plug the ipod in and take it out when I leave. The amp is under the deck, so nobody knows it is there and all that shows it the headphone jack. Music is a nice pick-me-up in the morning to make you feel like you are in one of those Jasper River Run videos, but in slow motion. Radio off while fishing.

Every now and then, I have no problem listening to something at a very low volume if I am drift fishing for catfish with the GF.

But I DON'T want to hear anyone else's stereo at anytime while on the lake....especially the wake board boats from 1/4 mile away.

I used a tiny BFR. - Big Frikin Radio....or maybe this one is an LFR..

No way I'm mounting a stereo in my boat, though...nor would I buy a used boat with one in it. It would make me think that the owner was more interested in playing than fishing, and he probably didnt take good care of the boat, either. If I want a used boat, I want to buy it from someone that knows that boats require lots of attention. A true fisherman, not a party boy.

Then again, I probably wont ever buy a used boat anyway.