Further North

Here's an example where it'll make you better: When I got back into fishing, one of the first reels I bought was a Shimano Calais DC. The Calais DC will absolutely help you eliminate backlash, and help you build the muscle memory you need to cast. You will build accuracy, distance and even get better at close-up work. Over time, you'll reduce the "help" you get from the reel, until, in the not terribly distant future, you'll pick up some non-DC reel...and find out your skills move right over to the new reel pretty darned well. An expensive rod can have the same impact, but in a different way: it's probably gonna be lighter, better balanced, more sensitive, and more accurate, but that's another discussion. Lighter and better balance translate to easier fishing...so you'll do it more often, and for longer periods of time...so you'll get better faster... The increased sensitivity will have you feeling fish you'd never know about on a less sensitive rod. ...so, like the DC reel...one day, you pick up a less expensive rod...and the stuff you learned comes with you again and you're better for the dollars you spent. Anyting that moves us faster along the learning curve benefits us. One place I'd say this really made a difference was with fly fishing...$79 specials are truly awful, and you'll have a hard time developing a useful casting stroke with them...you'll fight the rod, you'll fight the line, the leader and the tippet will suck... I'm not saying a beginner should go out and buy a full Orvis set-up for $1300...but if you want to learn the basics with any speed, cough up the bucks for a mid range rod, reel and line.

Ditto for Humminbird.

I have used these inthe past, they work great: https://www.transducershieldandsaver.com/product-category/shields/humminbird/

I've had 36 volt Minn Kotas on my last several boats - 18 ft. Lund Pro-V, Crestliner Pro-Am 1750 and a Crestliner CMV 1850 for the last 4 seasons. I upgraded from a Terrova to an Ulterra two seasons ago. I'd not go back to a 24 volt system for a lot of reasons, but there' are thousands of very happy 24 volt customers out there...hard to argue with that. Your boat is much shallower than any of mine and should be fine.

I'd settle for crappy weather...it'd be an upgrade...

I rig a hula grub like this...works great...

Good info to know!

Don't let us discourage you, just be aware of the possible hassles and problems.

Hmmm...that's one I don't know the answer to, and I can't test it when the Ulterra is on my trailer...it runs into my winch...found that out the first time I tried it...

Go with a cover. Generic is OK Fitted is better Custom made for you boat is the best. ...for short local trips (call it 90 minutes or so) I don't usually use the cover, but if I'm going to be towing on dirt roads there's no way I'd not use a cover. Dirt will get in everything, including your reels. Bad Juju.

I had similar issues with low to the water inflatable one man pontoons...but add in getting batted all over the place by the wind... Bought it, tried it twice, sold it.

That's what I'd do, for a couple reasons: I think going back to having to have a foot on the pedal all the time after 6 seasons of not...would drive me nuts. I walk all over the boat while I fish, and to feel chained to the trolling motor would feel like a chore. I love my electronics, and they tell me a lot of things, but at the end of the day it's just information that I still have to process and apply to catch fish...since the Terrova/Ulterra/Ultrex changes the way I fish, I view them as the most important equipment on the boat. To coin an awkward metaphor, they are a tool we can use...electronics are like reading the manual. If I had to make a choice between new electronics and my Ulterra, I'd go with the Ulterra every time.

You'd be right. I swap 'em out at some point, just cuz I don't don't like how they look.

I can show you some pretty beat up MK props...

Enjoy it...and filling it up!

SI only works if you're moving, and works best if you're moving in a relatively straight line at a relatively consistent speed. When I'm at the front of the boat, I'm not doing that very often. YMMV. If it were me, I'd keep the Terrova, but I like the advantages of the Terrova/Ulterra over a non-networked, cable steer trolling motors that I have to drive the entire time I'm fishing. I prefer to fish and let the trolling motor do the work. I also think that the ability to put the control pedal in a tray is moot because the Terrova pedal is thin enough that it doesn't need to be in a well, and since you're hardly ever using it (you use the remote, let it run programed routes, follow the countour, or some other form of set-it-and-forget-it while you fish) height doesn't matter anyway... Again, YMMV.

Wow, that's a long time. Pretty cool.

IMO, SI at the bow is much less important than at the console. I had it for years, found I wasn't using it much, went to DI up there with a Helix G2N that allows me to see it off the transom transducer if I need it. DI and 2D are very useful at the bow, for me, and 360° is as well.

So...I got to thinking about this...and I'm the first to admit that I tend to look at things a little differently... Here's my thinking, let's say I have another brand that's not serviceable...and it stops working. If it's in warranty, the maker sends me a new one, should be a faster turn time than sending in the old one, getting it looked at, fixed and sent back. If it out of warranty, I buy a new one and I'm up and running in a couple days, max. ...I think at this point in my life I'm more focused on minimum down time than $$$. But...remember...I tend to look at things a little differently than most do, so take this for what it's worth.

This, in spades. All the top brands are great. I'm A Minn Kota charger guy, because mine work great, have lasted years, and get the job done very well. My batteries are on the chargers year round, even over the winter and I've never had a problem. I can't offer personal experience on the other major brands, but everyone I know who has used them has been satisfied. Sure, but: https://www.minnkotamotors.com/support/warranty/battery-chargers ...chargers are the kind of electronics that'll either fail early on or last forever...My Minn Kota 4 bank has been in 3 boats over 6 years and is still plugging along just fine.

The Alberto knot is an awesome knot, works great, and particularly effective with slippery wire leaders with coatings and single strand wire leaders. For mono, hybrid and fluoro leaders I prefer the FG knot, but it takes some practice to get used to tying it on a rocking boat in the wind. The FG is ~1/3 smaller than the Alberto (one less line thickness), but if you're not running micro guides...or you find it a PITA to tie, it's possibly not worth it.

Agree...and you're just asking for interference of some kind. ...I am one of those five battery guys...Belt and suspenders, baby...belt and suspenders... Depending on where the OP lives, and the lakes he fishes, the main motor may not run enough to charge the cranking battery. I deal with this because most of the lakes I fish don't allow a long enough run on the main motor to charge the starting battery. On the lake I fish the most, I can run from one end to the other at 35 MPH in well less than 10 minutes, so most of my hops are a minute or two at most, with one 7 minute run back to the dock at the end of the day. No way the starting battery is going to get charged under those conditions.

I'm with the others - I tried vertical rod racks for two trips about 10 years ago. They were constantly in the way, made me have to shorten my back cast, just a complete PITA. ...took them off the moment I got home from that 2nd trip. Maybe they are OK for folks who do nothing but sit there and jig without moving around and casting, but I'll never have them on another boat.

Yeah...my brother lives on Whitewater Lake...was up over Easter weekend...said they were putting docks in already... I'll be in Indianapolis for opening weekend anyway, and it's amateur day anyhow...I just hope we get open water soon after that.

You bet you can. If they say you can't, I'd find another dealer... Cool boat, you'll like it! ...the way things are going up here, June 2nd will be about 2 weeks after ice out, and should be good fishing. We still have about 30" of ice as of last weekend.