Are you wondering what you should outfit your bay boat with? Curious which fishing accessories are the most popular for bay boats? Here at Day Break Marine and L&M Marine, we’re here to share our 30+ years of experience as well as our customers’ experience so you can make the best bay boat decisions. In this article, we’ll explain which fishing accessories are the most popular for bay boats in the Pensacola and Mobile areas in 2024.

Bay boats are versatile boats that feature a moderate deadrise (typically below 18 degrees) that enables them to draft shallow and handle choppy water both inshore and offshore. Bay boats are especially popular in the Pensacola and Mobile areas due to their versatility - our fishery offers speckled trout and redfish and with a bay boat, you can fish them all. Overall, our local water depth has a broad range, and bay boats allow you to access shallow flats to offshore water.

Popular Options For Bay Boats

The options are essentially limitless when it comes to accessories for your bay boat.  In addition to safety  necessities such as a VHF radio (dash-mounted or handheld) with a head unit and antenna as well as life jackets, here are some popular accessories to outfit your bay boat with:

Trolling Motor

(PICTURED: MINN KOTA RIPTIDE FORTREX)

The first thing you should equip your bay boat with, even before a stereo or any other electronics, is a trolling motor. We recommend a GPS-style, spot-locking trolling motor such as a Minn Kota 24V or 36V trolling motor. These are key, especially if you’re fishing. The spot lock feature is especially beneficial while fishing so you can spotlock yourself anywhere you want, all via a remote so you can be anywhere on your boat and lock your position in. This feature is much quieter than using your motor and can be handy while rig fishing, fishing over a wreck or reef, or around currents.

Depth Finder

(PICTURED: GARMIN 94SV)

If you’re relatively new to boating or if you want to make sure you know where you’re going, we recommend outfitting your bay boat with a depth finder. These show both depth as well as your speed. We recommend purchasing a depth finder that’s a minimum of 7-9”, such as a Garmin 94SV, simply because it’s easier to see while operating your boat. 

Trim Tabs

(PICTURED: LENCO HYBRID TRIM TABS)

Trim tabs are a good feature to have on your bay boat depending on the size of the boat, trim tabs are usually best suited for bay boats 21’ and up. Trim tabs help keep your boat steady and level in choppy water and help improve the ride quality and we recommend purchasing trim tabs equipped with the auto retract feature.

Power-Pole

(PICTURED: POWER-POLE SPORTSMAN II)

We highly recommend installing a Power-Pole in your bay boat - two is better, but one will do the trick. Power-Poles are especially great if you’re fishing under four feet of water as you can stab yourself down and keep yourself anchored into a spot without making any trolling noise or using your motor. 

Good Lighting

(PICTURED: LUMITEC SEABLAZE X2 LED)

We believe that underwater lights are more cosmetic than anything but we do recommend investing in lighting for the inside of the boat if you plan to go fishing before the sun rises or after the sun sets. Although this feature is optional, having good lighting in the interior will make baiting hooks, setting up rods, etc. a lot easier and having underwater lighting can help attract bait.

Battery Charger

(PICTURED: GUEST 3-BANK BATTERY CHARGER)

It’s always important to make sure your boat is charged which is why a battery charger is something you should 100% purchase for your boat. Purchasing the correct charger for your boat will save you time, money, and a headache in the future:

• If you have two batteries, you need a two-bank charger and if you have three batteries you’ll need a three-bank charger. 

Alternator battery chargers are another great accessory for your boat, such as a Minn Kota MK-330D, which diverts power from your engine to allow you to charge things such as your trolling motor while the engine is running. You’ll still need a battery charger to make sure you’re charged up before you take your boat out as your engine must be running for a few hours to charge accessories, but alternator battery chargers can extend the battery life of accessories such as your trolling motor.

T-Top

(PICTURED: BLUE CORAL SPORTS FISHING TOWERS HARD T-TOP)

We recommend purchasing a T-top for your boat, which protects you from the sun and other elements and could potentially allow you to fish for longer periods of time. There’s a variety of options from a hard or soft top or a bimini top as well as a vast price range. Bimini tops are typically under $1000, while T-tops can be anywhere from $6,000-8,000 or more. 

Additional options for your bay boat include installing Sea Deck, which is a good family-friendly option and really useful and a lot more comfortable if you’re fishing for a long period of time. 

Summary

One of our employees has had a T-top on every single bay boat he’s ever used and he claims they’re a necessity in the hot Florida sun. T-tops are useful in more ways than one, as this employee always brings a ton of rods with them and uses the T-top to help store them. They claim Power-Poles can eliminate the need for an anchor and is a quick easy way (even if you’re not fishing) to anchor the boat at a sandbar at Fort McRee. 

In summary, standard bay boat features such as rod lockers, adequate storage space, rod holders, live wells, and a raw water wash down, paired with fishing options such as a trolling motor, depth finder, trim tabs, Power-Pole, lighting, battery charger, and a T-Top will enhance your fishing experience on your bat boat. 

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about bay boats or what to outfit your bay boat with, feel free to call or stop by either of our locations:

Pensacola, FL: 

• 811 S R Street, Pensacola, FL

• 850-434-9022

Stapleton, AL:

• 34600 AL-59, Stapleton, AL

• 251-937-1389

See our current bay boat inventory and call us with any service or storage questions.