Further North

Yup. It's not something you want to try for the first time without a back-up plan...or if you don't have confidence it'll work.

I am a little OCD with my boat...it works for me, makes me happy. I already added the battery and extra charger last year, so it's a sunk cost. All I'm doing this year is moving them. I will be wiring the electronics (including the 360°) as you describe. Also will be placing the battery and charger on the port side, in front of the console. A couple of benefits to port side placement: Balances the boat out better, both front to back and side to side. Gets the wiring about as far from other wiring as you can get it in the boat. ...see above and Boat OCD...

Thanks! ...they look like walleye...which is funny, cuz they are the fish I fish for least... Thanks Wayne... I've got a friend with a couple of Onix units...both have had trouble with moisture inside the SD card slots causing corrosion on the contacts. I tend to let technology mature for a year before I buy it...so I went with Helix this time as it's been 5 years since I updated.

Yes to which? Unique to Solix, or I'll get them on the Helix?

My first choice for any Humminbird product would be a Lakemaster chip - do they have one for the area you want to fish? http://www.humminbird.com/Products/HCNE2/ The High Definition lakes are 1 ft. contour intervals. I've found them to be very accurate in WI and Canada. Humminbird and Lakemaster are both part of Johnson Outdoors, the compliment each other well and add a lot of really useful features when used together.

I think it's 50/50 it was a post you made that I read. We really appreciate the advice and knowledge.

I look at it two ways: The space and weight stays the same, I'm just moving it to a different part of the boat. A couple of years ago, I had my starting battery go TU on Lake of the Woods in Canada...about 5 miles from the lodge. Had the potential to be a cold, uncomfortable night. Made it back on the trolling motor (36 volt, runs hard all day, never would have made it have made it on a 24 volt). Separating electronics and starting battery gives me both less chance to run down the starting battery and redundancy if I need it. Canadian lakes are great for fishing far from others...until they're not...

Of course we are...stuff like that builds friendships. Want to really have fun? Find a reverse prop that fits your buddy's motor... It works.

I did. I saw a recommendation for that somewhere, tried it, liked it.

Are the fish-id icons that look like fish unique to the Solix? I've got a Helix 10 DI G2N in the garage, and a Helix 12 SI G2N on the way to be installed shortly...will I get the cool fishy icons?

I've had mine set up like that for years. I have an SI unit at the bow that I used to have hooked up to an SI transducer on the trolling motor...but I never used it...so when I installed my Ulterra, I just left the SI transducer off...never missed it.

Last year I added a 5th battery to my boat, to keep my electronics off my starting battery. I put the battery, and the single bank charger for it, in the back of the boat next to the starting battery...because it seemed like the thing to do. This year, I'm upgrading my 998 SI and 798 SI to Helix G2N units...and as part of that process, I'm going to pull the battery and charger out of the back of the boat and move it up front. After running the boat all season with the extra battery and charger back there...I just didn't like the way it was affecting how the boat trimmed out and ran. Seems like a little thing...but I could tell the difference. This will give me the opportunity to keep the wiring completely separate from everything else...Wires won't be running near anything else (except where the cords have to come up through the dash for the console unit). I'm not going to go overboard with shielding or any of that...but I'm wondering if anyone else here has done anything like this, and if so if you've any thoughts you'd share?

Thanks Wayne - Yes, I did confirm the lakes are HD.

Looking at the Wisconsin and Lake of the Woods SmartStrike web pages, I find this note: *SmartStrike full search functionality is exclusive to High-Definition waters only and select Humminbird HELIX, ONIX and ION units. I have new Helix units on the way and want to be sure of something before I plop down another four bills for SmartStrike...I am reading that as saying that "Full search functionality will work on high definition waters on a Helix 12 MEGA and a Helix 10 DI." Correct?

Good choice on the Tundra. Great trucks. When I was making my choices last time around...I went at the process from a long term perspective. I didn't want to have to pay the big cost penalty for a full size pick-up or SUV, or deal with the lower gas mileage for the 95% of the time I'm not towing the boat...so I was focused on boats that weigh less that do what I want/need them to do. It took a while, but I've got a little less than $40K in both boat and vehicle (I buy everything used), I got exactly what I want for a boat and I get great MPG day to day.

I agree. My boat runs around 2,800 lbs. around home for local fishing, gets up around 3,000 - 3,100 for a week long trip to Canada. Interesting. I have towed my boat for thousands of miles with our Escape...no issues at all. Looks like the wheel base changed from 103.1" on the older (pre-2013) models to 105.9" on the newer models. I wonder if that 2.8" makes that much difference, or it's all the other improvements, including the built in anti-sway?

Good advice above. Figure out what the boat is going to weigh full. Gear, gas, batteries, trolling motor, batteries, electronics...everything you'll have in it when you're ready to go fishing. If that is under the tow rating for the Highlander, you'll be fine. I tow an eighteen foot Crestliner with a '14 Ford Escape rated for 3,500 lbs. Everything is just fine.

Actually...no, I was thinking of one that is closer to us.

I may know that window place...

I Buy used...the truck and boat are whatever color they are...

Also put some thought into it if you live in one state but are buying (or selling) a boat in another. Where I live in WI, there are a lot of transactions across the WI/MN border. Best to know the rules in both states before moving forward, and in particular the state you plan on keeping/registering the boat in. Edited to add: Read the laws yourself, don't take the word of the person at the counter or whoever you call. Sorta like getting a legal opinion from a cop...not always the best source on the details.

A lot of 'em. None of it makes as much difference as they want to believe it does. Same with choke on a shotgun. No one misses by the inch or difference choke makes in a pattern.

Fishnkamp gives great advice above.

That'll work... One thing about the pros: A significant part of their job is sell their sponsor's product. I always keep that in mind. I've seen fish unhooked from the lure that caught them and a sponsor's lure put in for the picture...I know of more than one who runs the competitor's electronics where they can't be easily seen...

The mounting plate idea would work. Lots of thing you could use to fill the holes (epoxy, fiberglass, liquid steel of various brands - QuickSteel, Permatex). Your problem is going to come in making the filler match the finish of the plastic. There's really only one way to do that, unless you get really lucky: Take it off the boat, fill the holes, paint the whole thing.