Elite pro Bob Downey recently gave a Bassmaster photographer a full tour of his 2021 tournament rig.
Starting at the bow, here is where Downey gets to work on catching bass. The front of this Bass Cat definitely has a lot going on.
Starting at the bow, here is where Downey gets to work on catching bass. The front of this Bass Cat definitely has a lot going on.
Photo: Justin Brouillard
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For electronics, Downey opts for double Humminbird Helix 10 units.
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The super clean install features a single mount made for stacking the two units. The cables are protected and neatly out of the way.
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For the trolling motor, Downey used a 36 V Minn Kota Ultrex with 112-pound thrust to move him along wherever he was fishing.
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The Ultrex features the ever-important spot lock function to keep the Elite Series angler in one spot when landing fish or retying baits. Also shown here, Downey uses a T-H Marine Prop Nut to reduce vibration of his trolling motor prop. The Prop Nut also makes it easier to remove the prop to free weeds or swap props.
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On the bottom, a built-in transducer makes for less wires and eliminates the need for a clamp on transducer
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The shaft of the trolling motor only has a few wires which are neatly clipped on to eliminate being pinched or damaged.
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A necessity on Elite Series boats, Humminbird 360 is shown here offset from the trolling motor shaft to reduce interference between technology.
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A closer look at the 360, as well as a forward-facing sonar transducer mounted on the trolling motor shaft, just below the 360.
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All three are shown – Humminbird 360, Humminbird MEGA Live and the built-in transducer. A clean and professional install makes it easy to troubleshoot any problems that occur during a long Elite Series season and Downey can quickly access everything.
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The Bass Cat is rigged with a Battery Tender Power Plug and Receptacle which provides the easy-to-access power for the trolling motor.
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Under the trolling motor when in the stow position, shallow water anchoring buttons to lock the boat to the bottom when fishing shallow water. We’ll see more about that shortly.
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A voltage meter and quick access button on the front make it easy for Downey to control his boat from the front deck.
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Down below, the spare tire sits on the trailer as well as the Fulton Jack so the boat can be disconnected from the truck.
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Slightly forward more, a quick step allows the Wisconsin angler a safe way to get in and out of the boat when loading/unloading, or just working on tackle.
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The Bass Cat rides smooth on the trailer which features dual axles and all the lights for making long drives across the country. Downey just finished a multiple day trip from Wisconsin to New York
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Up top is the workspace. Downey is either spending his time fishing from this spot or preparing to fish. Aside from hours in the driver's seat idling around, this is where most of the action occurs.
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Downey is prepping for a tournament and took some rods out for us to see and show us around.
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The rod locker on the right side of the front deck holds some spinning rod combos as well as other miscellaneous items an Elite pro may use during the season.
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The middle storage section on a Bass Cat is slightly different than other boats. On the left side, one larger box and on the right, two smaller boxes. All three are open at once now and very neatly organized.
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Downey keeps different boxes in different places but likes the ease of opening just a small box to get something quick rather than digging through one larger storage box.
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The large compartment holds most of the bulk items which may not be the bait/lure of choice for the day, but it should be there, just in case.
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The left side rod locker holds most of the rod and reel combos, all nearly organized with rod sleeves. Downey takes a few out to prepare for practice and show us some favorites.
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Rods cover the front deck as tackle prep begins.
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A mix of casting and spinning combos featuring St. Croix do the trick.
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A solid crankbait that catches them everywhere. The DT series comes in shallow models up to deep models. When covering water looking for bass, it's a go-to for Downey.
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We are in New York after all … a drop shot is a big player and Downey loves to throw it for big brown smallmouths. One of his favorite baits is a Reaction Innovation Shiver Shot finesse bait.
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That rod's done; no changes made. Downey stows it on the right side of the boat and continues his preparation. But first, the rest of his office!
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Another spinning rod, this time it’s a Ned rig. Downey makes his Ned rig set up with an All-Terrain Tackle Mighty Head with a Reaction innovation 4.5-inch Pocket Rocket.
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The Rapala DT is tied on the St. Croix Mojo cranking rod and ready to go.
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Next up is the driver’s seat. This is where Downey makes his home looking for isolated structure and offshore fish.
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Dual mounted fish finders in the dash give him several options with different combinations of screens, including mapping and sonar.
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The mount of choice is a Bass Boats Technology mount.
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Tucked to the right just behind the steering wheel is the control panel. From this spot, Downey can control all his lights, change fuel tanks, run his livewells and bilge system, and the fans within his rod lockers help keep his items dry. A trim switch sits just in front to give him total control of his Mercury 250 4-stroke while driving down the lake to his next fishing spot.
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A look at both the units, Humminbird Helix 10s, just like the front.
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The Bass Cat has a large cooler which allows Downey to bring all the drinks and snacks he needs for a long day on the water, but also several bags of ice which are important in fish care. The ice can be added to the livewells to keep the temperature regulated and makes for a more comfortable spot for his day's catch to stay before weigh-in.
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Speaking of livewells, the Bass Cat has a unique design with the triangle-shaped lids and latches to hold the lid closed tight.
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On the side, Downey clips his culling tags to the PVC which connects the two livewells together for quick and easy access when culling fish.
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Under the center step between the passenger seat and driver seat, another large cooler/storage space makes for easy access. Notice the clips to hold the livewell lids shut.
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Close the big lid and under the small lid is the perfect spot for items such as extra sunglasses, graph cleaner, sunblock and bug spray. And there are two cup holders for the morning coffee for Downey and his marshal.
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Just beyond that, the passenger seat with another cup holder below and a strap to hold extra rods.
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Under the rod strap, more storage. Downey keeps this empty for the most part but you can never have too much space.
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Yet again, there's even more storage under the passenger seat.
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Some smaller items reside here. Cleaning towels and a fire extinguisher cover up a “secret” bag of soft plastic baits.
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Throughout the boat, but very noticeably on the side near the passenger seat, a speaker provides entertainment during long days on the water or trips with friends and family.
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Behind the passenger seat, another unique storage box holds very important items. A long extension cable roll makes it easy to plug into power sources anywhere he parks the boat. An extra prop hides in here too, which is even more important in the case of an emergency and a quick prop swap is needed.
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Behind the driver seat, the same box, but this one holds a live vest, scale and ...
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… a miscellaneous box with marker buoys. Downey said random items go in and out of this box, but they are all important and have a place.
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The back end of the boat holds even more important items. The fuel fill tank is on the back, and one of the tanks is on this side. A spare prop and jumper cables are kept on hand. Also, very important, two Pro Guide batteries fit in there nicely with easy access.
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On the other side, tucked behind the second fuel tank, more batteries are juiced and ready for a long day of fishing.
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Downey chooses Pro Guide 31 AGM batteries to keep him on the water longer.
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On the other side, the Minn Kota four-bank charger helps keep everything charged and ready.
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The power behind the Bass Cat is nice and shiny even after a double-digit hour drive across the country.
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Behind all the storage is the switch to change fuel tanks.
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Bass Cat boats Gator Locks hold the Mercury straight and secure while trailering.
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And finally, the beautiful Mercury 250 horsepower 4-stroke sits ready for action in the back.
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The prop that pushes the Bass Cat to over 70 mph. This stainless-steel prop spins at over 5,500 RPMs and moves the boat along in all conditions.
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To keep the boat on the trailer when going from Elite to Elite, the boat buckle straps down both sides for a nice smooth ride.
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Mounted to the Sea Star jackplate, the Humminbird transducer in a transducer saver mount protects the electronics from anything below the water. The jackplate goes up and down which allows Downey to quickly switch the engine up when fishing in shallow water or lower it when dealing with big water like the great lakes or Lake Champlain.
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Downey replies on his Minn Kota Raptor shallow water anchors. The Raptors can sense when the bottom is mud and will readjust the pressure to ensure a solid hold, allowing Downey to work cover thoroughly without moving.
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On the side of the boat, the B.A.S.S. sticker sits bright and proud.
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Beside the boat is the Travel Lite RV camper. It fits nicely in the back of Downey’s tow rig and is his home away from home on the road.
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Big thanks to Bob Downey for showing us around his setup before a tournament. Good luck in 2022!
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