Top accessories for Sea Hunt boats
Upgrades for Sea Hunt boats, for fishing, comfort and safety: what each one does, what your model already has and what to ask before you add it.
In this article
A Sea Hunt leaves the factory well equipped, so the right upgrades build on what your model already has. Below are common upgrades, for fishing, for the comfort that makes the boat work for the whole family, and the safety gear every boat needs. Each links to the page where we explain options, fit and installation. Equipment counts are from Sea Hunt's current model pages.
Before you add anything, check your model's equipment list on its model page for what's standard, optional or prewired; a factory option is often easier to add at order time. Then match upgrades to the water you run: what transforms a BX on the flats can be dead weight on an offshore Gamefish.
Fish finder, chartplotter and VHF
A Garmin chartplotter does two jobs: it shows fish and structure under the boat and keeps you on course with built-in charts. A VHF radio reaches other boats and the Coast Guard where a phone may not. Radar is the upgrade for running offshore or in poor visibility.
Every current Sea Hunt model comes with a Garmin display package as standard, so the upgrade is usually a bigger or second screen, or radar. On the models we checked, the package includes a VHF: a 9-inch Garmin on the Ultra 234 and a 12-inch Garmin on the Ultra 255 SE and Gamefish 25. Larger boats such as the Gamefish 28 CB step up to dual 17-inch displays.
A second screen lets you run the chart full size on one and sonar or radar on the other, instead of two small split pictures. Radar sees other boats at night and in fog, and shows a summer squall building between you and the inlet.
Check the VHF you already have. A DSC radio's distress button sends your position only if the radio has GPS or is connected to one, and it must be programmed with an MMSI number. It's a five-minute setup.
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Sound system
Sea Hunt already fits a waterproof stereo with Bluetooth on every current model, so the upgrade is usually more speakers, more power or a setup built for sandbar days.
What fits depends on the model and the T-top; tell us your model and we'll advise.
Most audio upgrades come in three steps: speakers in the T-top or tower that throw sound to the cockpit and bow, an amplifier so music stays clear over engine and wind noise, and a subwoofer tucked into a console or under a seat. Each step adds wiring through the T-top frame, which is worth doing once, cleanly, so salt spray doesn't find a loose connection.
Power is the part people forget: four hours of music at the sandbar with the engine off draws from the battery. Several current Ultra and Gamefish models have a dual battery switch as standard, so the stereo can run from a house battery and keep the starting battery fresh. Ask how your boat is wired before adding an amplifier.
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Shallow-water anchor (Power-Pole)
A Power-Pole pushes a pole into the bottom at the touch of a button, so the boat holds its spot with no anchor line to pull. It's popular with flats and bay anglers, and pairs well with a trolling motor when you want to fish a spot instead of drifting past it.
The right size depends on your transom and your water; tell us your model and where you fish, and we'll help you choose.
Power-Pole's Blade series comes in 8- and 10-foot lengths and is rated to hold in up to 10 feet of water, fresh or salt. It deploys hydraulically from a wireless remote, and many anglers mount two, one on each side of the transom, so the boat can't swing on a single pin when the tide runs. The real gain is silence. Throwing an anchor and dragging chain over a shallow grass flat sends tailing redfish running; a Power-Pole goes down quietly, and you're casting within seconds.
It fits boats that fish flats and shorelines, like a BX in Tampa Bay or an Ultra working mangrove edges, and does less offshore in 60 feet of water. The bracket has to clear the outboard and any jack plate at full tilt and turn, so fit needs a look in person. Mosquito Lagoon's pole-and-troll zones are closed to internal-combustion engines and to boats drawing more than 12 inches.
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Trolling motor
A bow-mount trolling motor moves you quietly along a shoreline, and its GPS anchor feature holds you on a spot in wind or current.
The GPS anchor is why most saltwater anglers buy one. Minn Kota calls it Spot-Lock and Garmin's Force and Kraken motors call it anchor lock; both use GPS to hold the boat on a chosen spot. In tidal water, that keeps you over a piling or grass edge as the current swings.
Check your boat first. There's a trolling motor plug as standard on the BX 22 BR, BX 25 FS and BX 28, and as an option with a wiring harness on boats like the Ultra 255 SE and Gamefish 25, so the heavy cable run to the bow may already be done. You'll need a mounting spot clear of the anchor locker and a shaft long enough for your bow height.
It runs on its own batteries, which is where lithium comes in.
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Lithium batteries
Lithium batteries weigh much less than lead-acid and hold a steadier voltage, so electronics and a trolling motor keep running as the day goes on. They're also built to last longer.
Lithium needs a charger made for it; ask us to match the charger to the batteries.
Weight is the benefit you feel: a trolling motor often needs two or three batteries, and dropping that weight helps a bay boat float shallower and get on plane more easily.
A lithium install is a system, not a swap. It needs a compatible charger and a built-in battery management system, and a plan for how the outboard and onboard charger feed the bank. Don't mix lithium and lead-acid in one bank, and check the maker's temperature limits against a hot Florida console. If the wiring looks unfamiliar, let a technician do it.
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Shade: T-top, bimini or bow shade
Florida sun is what ends a day early. Most Sea Hunt models come with a fiberglass T-top and mister system for the helm; a forward or aft shade covers the seats a T-top doesn't, where family and guests sit. Custom covers, bimini tops and forward and aft shades fill the gaps.
The T-top is optional on the BX 22 BR and Ultra 219, 229 and 234, so a bimini is often the answer there.
Pick shade for the part of the boat that's empty by noon. At midday a T-top's shadow falls on the console, not the bow cushions, so a forward shade to the bow or an aft shade over the cockpit puts people back in the shade. Several Ultra and Gamefish option lists include a Gemlux outrigger kit with a shade. On boats without a T-top, a bimini folds down for trailering and low bridges.
Stow or secure shades as the maker directs before running at speed, and take them down before a storm.
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Underwater lighting
LED underwater lights make the boat easy to spot at night and give the dock a glow.
Underwater LED lights are standard on 21 of Sea Hunt's 25 current models; the four exceptions, where they're optional, are the BX 22 BR and the Ultra 219, 229 and 234.
On those four boats, through-hull fixtures go below the waterline and need careful sealing, a job for a technician. Surface-mount lights bolt on with smaller holes. Plan the wiring and switch so the lights run off the right circuit.
Lights in the water also draw baitfish at night, and snook and trout often work the edge of the glow. Florida law prohibits flashing, occulting or revolving lights on boats except where the law allows, so save color-cycling modes for the dock, and never let underwater lights wash out your navigation lights.
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Seating and cushions
Bow cushions, backrests, a forward console seat or a better leaning post make a fishing boat comfortable for everyone aboard. Sea Hunt fits cockpit bolsters on 24 of its 25 current models and bow bolsters on 22, so upgrades build on a good base.
Many models include bow cushions and backrests; check your boat's equipment list before ordering.
The leaning post is the biggest seating decision, and it's easier to settle at order time. Sea Hunt offers different posts on many models, per its option lists: the Ultra 255 SE adds an Ultra Entertainment post and a Bait Tank post to the standard mezzanine post, and a bow filler cushion turns the forward seating into a sun pad on some Ultras.
Snap-on covers and a cockpit storage drape, where Sea Hunt offers one, protect vinyl from Florida UV and mildew. More seats don't raise capacity: Florida law says no one may operate a monohull under 20 feet beyond its capacity plate limits.
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Rod holders, bait boxes and livewells
Extra flush or rail-mount rod holders keep rods ready and out of the way. Bait boxes, extra livewells and forward bow rails are other common add-ons.
Placement matters on a small deck; tell us how you fish and we'll suggest where things go so they don't block walking room.
Start with Sea Hunt's own options, which are designed to fit. Several Ultra and Gamefish models offer kingfish rod holders, an outrigger kit and a recirculating livewell. Kingfish holders angle rods back for trolling, and outriggers spread lines so you can pull more baits without tangles. BX bay boats already carry lockable rod storage.
Livewells are about water flow: pilchards and threadfin die fast in warm, still water, and a recirculating option keeps water moving at anchor without pumping in muddy water. An aftermarket bait well needs plumbing, power and a spot that doesn't block the walkway, so plan where you cast, where the cooler goes and where fish get landed before drilling.
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Safety gear Florida requires
Florida's required gear depends on boat length: on a 16- to 26-foot boat, a Coast Guard-approved life jacket per person, a throwable, a sound device and, on coastal waters, distress signals, plus a fire extinguisher on most center consoles. The Florida boating laws guide has the full table by length.
Two dates expire quietly in a locker: the Coast Guard requires a disposable extinguisher to be replaced 12 years after its manufacture date, and distress signals past their marked service life don't count. A free Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel safety check confirms everything aboard. How to read a life jacket label
Ask at any store or request it online.
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Not sure what fits your Sea Hunt?
Tell us your model and we'll help you choose what fits, and talk you through installation. All boat upgrades
Questions we hear
What accessories come standard on a Sea Hunt?
It depends on the model, so check its equipment list on its model page. Every current model has a Garmin display package and a waterproof Bluetooth stereo, 21 of 25 list underwater LED lights, and most include a fiberglass T-top with a mister system. Cockpit bolsters are standard on 24 of 25 models. The smaller BX 22 BR and Ultra 219, 229 and 234 make the T-top and underwater lights optional, which is where many owners add shade and lighting.
Is a Power-Pole worth it on a center console?
It depends on where you fish. A Power-Pole holds the boat in shallow water, up to 10 feet with the Blade series, so it pays off for flats, bays and shorelines. On a boat that mostly fishes offshore structure in deep water, it does little. Fit matters too: the bracket must clear the outboard and any jack plate at full tilt and turn. Many shallow-water anglers pair it with a trolling motor's GPS anchor.
Do I need lithium batteries for a trolling motor?
No, but many owners choose them. A trolling motor runs on its own batteries, and lithium weighs much less than lead-acid and holds a steadier voltage through the day. That helps a bay boat float shallower and keeps a GPS anchor working late in the afternoon. Lithium needs a compatible charger and a battery management system, and you should check how the outboard and onboard charger will feed it. Have a technician plan the wiring.
Can you add a trolling motor to a Sea Hunt?
Usually, yes. The BX 22 BR, BX 25 FS and BX 28 bay boats come with a trolling motor plug as standard, and models such as the Ultra 255 SE and Gamefish 25 offer a trolling motor plug and wiring harness as an option. A factory plug means the heavy wiring to the bow is already run. You'll also need a clear mounting spot on the bow, a shaft long enough for your bow height and batteries sized for the motor's voltage.
