How many of you enjoy a decent stereo in a boat?

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My Tracker V19 Combo came with a cheap head unit and 2 very cheap speakers. I bought 4 Skar 6.5" and a 1000w Skar amp. Will be installing here soon. The unit that came in the boat was okay, just not loud enough for the passengers since the speakers were in the driver and front passenger seat area. The two rows behind those got very limited sound when your running across the lake at 30-50mph. SO and better quality and an extra set of 6.5" with some wattage behind them hopefully solves that issue. I don't have the radio on when fishing unless I'm listening to a ballgame and that's at very low volume. To answer you're original question, Yes, a nice sounding stereo is something I'd consider a benefit and a positive feature. Just cause it's in the boat doesn't mean it has to be on all the time or loud.
 
"Just cause it's in the boat doesn't mean it has to be on all the time or loud."

Agreed!

That sounds like a decent setup. I didn't know Skar made marine stuff. I would definitely like to listen to them. They sound good and don't break the bank for the quality they produce.

Let us know how you like the setup once installed.
 
After going to the Audio shop and looking at some options for a head unit, I decided to put a Wet Sounds MC2 head unit in it as well with my SKAR stuff. He's going to do some custom mounting work for the rear speakers so I still have my fold down seats on my Targa V19 Combo. Dropped the boat off already and should have it back in about 8-10 days as they stay busy and are currently booked for about 6 days out. I'll get some pics and maybe a little video when I pick it up, even though sound doesn't do it justice to really being there.
 
This is giving me the itch to freshen up the system in my center console. That boat is big and fast, and the front speakers were never great. I need to think about that one. I don't want to spend a lot, just bump it up a little. I can use the current speakers in the pontoon, which would be an upgrade for that one.

I need to look up Skar Marine. Thanks for that.
 
They have really good reviews for clean sound and power handling, especially if you compare to like priced speakers. Kind of the same thinking as you. I wanted to improve the volume and clarity over the cheap stock stuff without breaking the bank and spending 2k.
 
Yes, thanks for sharing that. I see Skar Marine on Amazon, and their little 8" subs look good, and are reasonably priced, too.

I've got a 4-channel, 600W Kicker amp that I took from our old boat. It's not a marine unit, but it's always lived inside a boat's cabin and still works great. If I pop that under the console in a nice, dry spot, I could use it to power the front speakers and bridge the back channels to power the sub.

That should sound good, and no more complaints that the kids in the front (in the wind) can't hear the music. I like that idea!
 
Just so you know, I'm talking about my big saltwater boat above.

It's not generally used in the same areas as little tin boats, except maybe idling through the no-wake at the mouth of the ocean. No threat to the peace and quiet of the inland areas. But when making a 20 mile run to the tower, it's nice to play some tunes. Lately, we've been playing fishing videos, which is interesting when heading to the fishing grounds. It's even better when the fishing is as good as in the videos!

My little boat has a nice little system, that is almost never used. IN FACT, I discovered that it's always on and kills the battery, so I unplugged it from the boat. Nice to have available, but it's not used when fishing on the lake.
 
No radios on my boat. I go out to enjoy the peace and quiet and solitude, while fishing. Early morning at sunrise is blissful!

I said something similar earlier. It read harsher than I intended so I deleted it. There are no radio or speakers in my boat either. If there is music it will be from the iPhone.
 
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The song of creation is more beautiful than anything that comes on the radio. It's always worth the time to look up an contemplate the beauty that surrounds us.

Psalm 8:3
Psalm 92:4,
Psalm 104:24
X2 sir. Nothing like what we are all blessed with in this life. I have always gave thanks for the piece on the water along with natural you don’t get to see anywhere else.
I never saltwater fished my whole life.
The first time my wife and I went to Matagorda a few days to surf fish. My wife has a picture of me. We were on the beach before sunlight. When I first saw the sun on the horizon I was in aw. I never saw anything like it. I ran to the shore line and raised both my hands and felt so humbled while I gave thanks. I didn’t care if we caught a single fish. But I fallowed my research and friend Advice . Picked a spot by studying where waves were breaking. And caught more fish in a single day than I ever have. We where having to look some up to see what species. I always wanted to catch a shark. That happened that day too. Several black tip around 4’ long. My wife insisted using her trusty Zebco that was heavy enough to catch decent freshwater catfish. Something grabbed her line and she never turNed it around. I never saw a reel get completely spooled before but it took the 20lb big game off her reels all the way down to the shiny spool.
That evening she was crossing the bridge and buying a big rod and spinning reel combo.
It was one of the most blessed days I had fishing. I was even guided to save money on bait.
The place we rented on the mouth of the Colorado river. Some big green lights over the dock had came on right at dark. I saw fish hitting the water and the nice lady living in the house next to us said it was finger mullet. Asked me if I could throw a cast net. I said yes mam it’s been awhile. She gave me a net and told me how to catch and keep them alive. We had brought a nice insulated bait bucket with aerator.
I threw three times and couldn’t get the net to open and the fish were gone. She said get off the dock wait. I threw the net in the grass a few times and got my memory back to make it open some.
The fish came back and I went and threw the net it opened up like a taco but was enough to catch bait. Nice 2-4” size.
Three throws and the bucket was full.
We were the only ones catching fish. The only bait store sold Croker and nothing was hitting them. Plus at $15 a dozen. People driving down the beach stopped that day telling us they had no luck. We couldn’t keep up with our lines. We were told we were must have picked the right spot but the hot spots were supposed to be a mile farther down the beach. We stopped where we did that morning because it was our first trip and the waves seemed to be breaking like I was told to look for. I was afraid to go any farther all I had was 2wd and had been warned.
It wasn’t just the bait that day. It was the morning prayer we did together after my wife saw how I felt and my reaction.
She grew up seeing the beauty in South Carolina but this was my first time. She told me it never changes.
We caught fish all three days. And people kept stopping and watching claiming we were the only ones having the action we were.
 
It is hard to be on the water just as the sun comes up. I have to get up extra early for the drive and launching and getting into position somewhere and getting comfortable. I generally pause for 10 or 15 minutes to watch the sun rise, then get to fishing. Usually takes a 3am start time or fish all night till morning then go home. Peace and tranquility is hard to come by now days and I really enjoy the few minutes watching all creation wake up and start the day.
 
When the walleye bite is on and I am on the big lake before sunrise, we normally hear the radios blasting long before we can see the boats !! Makes for a rough wakeup call....
 
Lake Anna is a vacation destination for many, so in the summertime the only time you can get peace is very early in the morning or at night.
 
Lake Anna is a vacation destination for many, so in the summertime the only time you can get peace is very early in the morning or at night.
Deep creek lake is much the same. One of my favorite stretches of the upper potomac between memorial day and labor day is packed with jet skis and wake boats. On a weekend forget it! That's why we go at night In the summer .
 
Don't get me wrong. I love the sounds of running across the lake in the fog, birds and wildlife coming to life as the sun rises and the silence so quiet I can hear the baitfish splashing as they try to escape whatever is chasing them. When I'm fishing by myself, that is the norm. But there are times the fishing solitude and enjoying nature gets replaced with 6-7 people on the boat, pulling a tube or skier that some old school rock fits the mood.
 
Don't get me wrong. I love the sounds of running across the lake in the fog, birds and wildlife coming to life as the sun rises and the silence so quiet I can hear the baitfish splashing as they try to escape whatever is chasing them. When I'm fishing by myself, that is the norm. But there are times the fishing solitude and enjoying nature gets replaced with 6-7 people on the boat, pulling a tube or skier that some old school rock fits the mood.
Just use earphones so no one else has to hear it.
 
Not a bad idea, depending on the headset. Some block sound, others don't. The ones that block sound well are great when working on a car, doing yardwork and shooting guns, but being aware of your surroundings is always a good idea.

If you have music playing low while you fish, you can hear something fall over in your boat, a drag clicking, something change in your engine sound when running, a stupid boater barreling toward you while you are drifting, or whatever. With earphones, you may not be able to hear much, besides the music.

Personally, I use my headset daily. I need my hands free to work, but I need to talk to customers, too. I just have to be careful when playing music. More than once, I've paused, wondering what a noise was, and then turn around and see someone standing right behind me, usually my wife, telling me dinner is ready.

On the water, I usually only put one earbud in.
 

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