Innovations in Bass Boats

[basssj]

It seems like basic boat technology has been the same for several decades.

I would like to see the following:
1. a removable battery pack that I can take into my hotel room to recharge. It would be so much easier than trying to find a hotel that has outside outlets. The batteries would pop in and out just like with cordless tools.
2. thrusters built into the hull so that we wouldn't need trolling motors any longer. Someone would have to figure out how to keep them from getting fouled from weeds, etc.
3. Sonar units that can recess into their mounts just like home tvs that retract into a hidden cabinet. It would be great for theft prevention or running in big waves. We wouldn't need unused units protruding from the deck. Just pop up the unit or units that you need.

I have a bunch more ideas all along these lines.

[ManxFishing]

While they all sound like great ideals
Bass boats are breaching 100k

I'd like a more affordable boat
And I'm not thinking about a 16' Alum Jon boat with carpet for 40K

[Rangerdeepv]

The removable battery pack would be a great start..........would be awful hard to get any standards setup with every boat maker.

[MichAngler]

Even with the lighter lithium batteries four 100Ah batteries are bulky and the hotel may have liability issues with you charging them in the room plus you now have to have a portable charger
Technology is headed in an all electrical system rather than gas power and this will increase your battery requirements

Built in thrusters are almost a thing of the past with the exception of a bow thruster on large commercial vessels because they are going to rotating directional thrusters rather than built in thrusters for all but the bow and a bass boats bow is not deep enough for that

There was a Bassmaster magazine in the late 80’s that offered a futuristic view of what bass boats might look like and they had a set of bomb bay doors in the bow that opened and a trolling motor swung out eliminating it being mounted on the deck
This would also allow you to still mount your bow transducers

As for tuck away graphs Allison has something like that already for the bow
And with the way technology is going I think augmented glasses will be more viable in eliminating graphs on the deck – another feature listed in the above mentioned Bassmaster article but it was a HUD display in a helmet visor

I would like to see manufacturers offer deck layout options rather than one style fits all (I hate the big center rod locker)

I’d also like to see the cockpit to be more like a walleye boat with seats on shock absorbers pedestals

[SoonerFan]

I would like to see forward facing sonar adapted for use while on plane to warn of underwater hazards and objects.

[Bass in the grass]

I would like to see forward facing sonar adapted for use while on plane to warn of underwater hazards and objects.

They almost need it to work above water too, way too many people crashing into dams, other boats and islands.

[Crankin]

A more compact and lower trolling motor head.
removable ice box / Day locker

[Gthunter5]

the pickle fork in some of the models is relatively innovative for deck space. ikon boats seem littered with technology advances similar to a wake boat with the touch screen operations.

a significant improvement in battery technology could lead to more efficient and more powerful electric motors being used for propulsion.

I hear you on the thruster in lieu of trolling motor. the ones on yachts just go perpendicular to the boat. you could integrate one into the hull for 360 degree motion or have two that can be linked with more a joystick / pivoting foot pedal if you will - although we still need front and forward facing transducers attached to a pole up front. guys are sorta going that way with the propulsion units on their power poles. one could argue a trolling motor is just as good but you could gain some space and lighten up the front if you didnt have one

the Facebook/apple goggles linked to your sonar device could eliminate screens. ive thought about having just one sonar computer on the boat and have it linked to simply touch screens for viewing/interacting. that way you dont need 4 computers if your running 4 graphs. each graph now is its own computer if you will.

tackle management could improve a bit think the Milwaukee tool storage packout deals that has become popular

[WStorey]

Doesn't Allison have something like #3 in your post?

[novakevlar]

Don't forget a co-angler retrieval system for those that can't swim. It'd be a best seller if BBC comments are any gauge.

[JR19]

Doesn't Allison have something like #3 in your post?

Although I never saw one in person I do recall seeing that option several years ago when surfing the Allision website.

[bassfisher444]

They almost need it to work above water too, way too many people crashing into dams, other boats and islands.

Radar already exists.

[RNKingCx19]

It seems like basic boat technology has been the same for several decades.

I would like to see the following:
1. a removable battery pack that I can take into my hotel room to recharge. It would be so much easier than trying to find a hotel that has outside outlets. The batteries would pop in and out just like with cordless tools.
2. thrusters built into the hull so that we wouldn't need trolling motors any longer. Someone would have to figure out how to keep them from getting fouled from weeds, etc.
3. Sonar units that can recess into their mounts just like home tvs that retract into a hidden cabinet. It would be great for theft prevention or running in big waves. We wouldn't need unused units protruding from the deck. Just pop up the unit or units that you need.

I have a bunch more ideas all along these lines.

put it in place. Most ideas turn into great ideas. Built one it will sale/sail.

[FrancoCialone]

Bass boat "innovations" will only drive up the cost of a boat, keeping it simple would be less expensive to buy, easier to operate and maintain. How hard is it going to be to find a mechanic that will be able to work on a complicated system ? Unless you have money, most don't want boat ownership to be a financial burden or complicated, some like to work on their own boats as well.

[posmallie]

Now that trolling motors come with remotes, a telescoping shaft would be nice, instead of having to manually raise and lower it depending on the depth of water/wave action you find yourself in.

[BMCD]

Innovation needs to be had in the manufacturing side, takes too long and too much labor to produce a boat. New materials or process to build hulls.

This could open the door for custom layout's.

[Mcjenson]

Innovation needs to be had in the manufacturing side, takes too long and too much labor to produce a boat. New materials or process to build hulls.

This could open the door for custom layout's.

That would be a real breakthrough. When you look at the boat building process it is incredibly labor intensive and relies almost exclusively on hand built processes. They figure out a material that they can quick mold like a plastic part the has the reliability and strength of a fiberglass boat it would be a "game changer"

[Idaho Sandman]

Winds screens that actually block the wind while under way would be sweet. Now integrate the graph image into them for a win win. Full heads up display!

[ProVle]

For those that complain about the cost of the boat with all the options, they still make boats for all budgets.

[jerzia]

A more compact and lower trolling motor head.
removable ice box / Day locker

Removable cooler would be a great idea. Bring it loaded to drop in, and pull it at days end.