Online buyer guide · Fishing Boat Electronics Planner

The kit's buyer guide

This is the page The Fishing Boat Electronics Planner points to. Prices change too often to print, so the worksheets name each product and this page gives its budget range and a link to Amazon's current price. Copy prices onto the Budget Planner on the day you check them.

Budget ranges are a guide, not a quote; the price on Amazon at checkout is the one that counts.

Three complete setups

A boat with a console, a transom and somewhere to put batteries. The binding constraints are console space and budget, and the sonar is always the first upgrade worth making.

$ Starter setup under $2,000 total

The lowest total cost to a boat that finds fish, holds position and is wired safely. Full reasoning: beginner boat electronics rig.

Item	Group	Budget
Garmin Striker Vivid 5cv	See the bottom	Under $500
Berts Custom Tackle transducer mounting board, 12 inch	See the bottom	Under $50
Scotty 0163 ball mount fish finder plate	See the bottom	Under $50
Minn Kota Endura Max 55, 42 inch shaft	Hold position	Under $500
Minn Kota MKP-6 Weedless Wedge prop	Hold position	Under $50
VMAX MR127 12V 100Ah AGM deep cycle battery	Power it	Under $500
NOCO GEN5X1 12V 5A 1-Bank Onboard Marine Battery Charger	Power it	Under $100
Attwood vented battery box with mounting strap, Group 29 and 31	Power it	Under $50
Blue Sea Systems 285-Series surface mount circuit breaker, 50A	Wire it safely	Under $100
End Game 6 gauge marine battery cable, USCG and ABYC compliant	Wire it safely	Under $50
haisstronica heat shrink butt connectors, 200 piece, 26 to 10 AWG	Wire it safely	Under $50
Klein Tools 3005CR ratcheting wire crimper, 10 to 22 AWG	Wire it safely	Under $50
Blue Sea Systems m-Series on/off battery switch	Wire it safely	Under $50
Onyx general purpose boating life jacket	Stay safe	Under $50
Onyx MoveVent Dynamic paddle vest, USCG approved	Stay safe	Under $100
Uniden Atlantis 155 handheld VHF, floating and submersible	Stay safe	Under $100
Seachoice hot dipped galvanized fluke anchor, 13S	Stay safe	Under $50
Rule RM1100B auto submersible bilge pump with AutoSense	Stay safe	Under $250
Total		Under $2,000

$$ Buy-once setup under $7,500 total

The buy-once boat: side imaging, GPS anchoring and a lithium bank on a real fuse block. Full reasoning: intermediate boat electronics rig.

Item	Group	Budget
Humminbird Helix 7 CHIRP SI GPS G4	See the bottom properly	Under $1,000
Humminbird XNT 9 HW MSI 150 T transom transducer	See the bottom properly	Under $250
RAM Mounts fish finder mount with medium arm	See the bottom properly	Under $50
Minn Kota Terrova 80 with Spot-Lock and MEGA Down Imaging, 60 inch shaft	Hold position without touching anything	Under $2,500
Minn Kota foot pedal for Terrova and Riptide Terrova	Hold position without touching anything	Under $250
Minn Kota MKA-21 quick release bracket	Hold position without touching anything	Under $100
Minn Kota Talon shallow water anchor, 10 ft	Hold position without touching anything	Under $2,500
LiTime 12V 100Ah trolling motor LiFePO4 battery	Power it without weight	Under $500
Minn Kota MK-220PCL onboard charger, 2 banks 10 amps	Power it without weight	Under $250
T-H Marine battery holder tray with stainless buckle, Group 31	Power it without weight	Under $50
Blue Sea Systems ST Blade fuse block, 6 circuits with negative bus	A real electrical system	Under $50
Blue Sea Systems ANL fuse block with cover, 35 to 300A	A real electrical system	Under $50
Blue Sea Systems 285-Series surface mount circuit breaker, 50A	A real electrical system	Under $100
End Game 6 gauge marine battery cable, USCG and ABYC compliant	A real electrical system	Under $50
Ancor Marine Grade single crimp ratchet tool	A real electrical system	Under $100
haisstronica heat shrink butt connectors, 330 piece, 26 to 10 AWG	A real electrical system	Under $50
Klein Tools CL120 digital clamp meter, 400A AC	A real electrical system	Under $100
Rule 603STC livewell pump, 800 GPH straight thru-hull	Keep fish alive	Under $100
briidea livewell aerator timer with intelligent timing control	Keep fish alive	Under $50
Uniden UM385 25W fixed mount marine VHF with DSC	Stay safe and be found	Under $250
Onyx A/M-24 inflatable life jacket, automatic and manual, USCG approved	Stay safe and be found	Under $250
Better Boat 13 lb anchor kit with 100 ft rope and 8 ft chain	Stay safe and be found	Under $250
Total		Under $7,500

$$$ Top end setup under $15,000 total

The performance ceiling: live sonar, a networked nine inch screen and thirty six volts, and who should not buy it. Full reasoning: expert boat electronics rig.

Item	Group	Budget
Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 93sv	The screen and the network	Under $2,500
Garmin GT56UHD-TM transom mount transducer	The screen and the network	Under $500
Garmin GPS 24xd with heading sensor, NMEA 2000	The screen and the network	Under $500
Lowrance NMEA 2000 network starter kit	The screen and the network	Under $100
RAM Mounts fish finder and marine electronics swing arm mount	The screen and the network	Under $100
Garmin LiveScope Plus System with GLS 10 and LVS34	Live sonar	Under $2,500
Garmin Perspective Mount, black	Live sonar	Under $250
LiTime 12V 100Ah Xtra Mini LiFePO4 battery	Live sonar	Under $500
Minn Kota Terrova 112 with Spot-Lock and MEGA Down Imaging, 60 inch shaft	Thirty six volts of thrust	Under $2,500
Minn Kota foot pedal for Terrova and Riptide Terrova	Thirty six volts of thrust	Under $250
Minn Kota RTA-62 quick release bracket	Thirty six volts of thrust	Under $250
Minn Kota MKR-27 circuit breaker	Thirty six volts of thrust	Under $50
LiTime 36V 100Ah lithium battery with 25A charger	The power system	Under $2,500
Minn Kota MK-440PCL onboard charger, 4 banks 10 amps	The power system	Under $500
Victron Energy BMV-712 smart battery monitor with shunt	The power system	Under $250
Blue Sea Systems HD-Series on/off battery switch, 500A	The power system	Under $100
Blue Sea Systems Add-A-Battery kit, 120A	The power system	Under $250
Blue Sea Systems ST Blade fuse block, 12 circuits with negative bus	The power system	Under $50
Power-Pole Pro Series II shallow water anchor, 4 ft	Stop the boat where you want it	Under $2,500
Minn Kota Raptor shallow water anchor with Active Anchoring, 8 ft	Stop the boat where you want it	Under $2,500
Cannon Magnum 10 electric downrigger	Put a lure at a known depth	Under $1,000
Extreme Max coated pancake downrigger weight, 10 lb	Put a lure at a known depth	Under $100
Scotty 1002 stainless downrigger cable, 150 lb test, 400 ft	Put a lure at a known depth	Under $100
Cannon offshore line release	Put a lure at a known depth	Under $50
Uniden UM725G fixed mount marine VHF with GPS	Safety at this level	Under $250
Icom M25EVO floating marine VHF radio	Safety at this level	Under $250
BLUESTORM Arcus 40 automatic inflatable PFD with manual ripcord, USCG approved	Safety at this level	Under $250
Lewmar anchor rode, 5 ft chain and 100 ft rope with shackle	Safety at this level	Under $250
Total		Under $15,000

Every pick in the kit, by worksheet

Each product the worksheets name, with why it is there. Links in the PDF land on the matching row.

Sheet 1: Boat & Electronics At A Glance

Klein Tools CL120 digital clamp meter, 400A AC

Reads current without breaking the circuit, which is the only practical way to find out what a motor or a charger actually draws rather than trusting the nameplate.

Budget: Under $100

The kit's buyer guide

Three complete setups

$ Starter setup under $2,000 total

$$ Buy-once setup under $7,500 total

$$$ Top end setup under $15,000 total

Every pick in the kit, by worksheet

Sheet 1: Boat & Electronics At A Glance

Sheet 2: Fish Finder Buying Decision Sheet

Sheet 3: Transducer Mounting Checklist

Sheet 4: Trolling Motor Sizing Sheet

Sheet 5: Battery Bank & Runtime Planner

Sheet 6: Wiring & Fuse Plan

Sheet 7: Pre-Launch Electronics Checklist