Need some suggestions please

I found a deal on a 2016 Lund ssv 18 with a 60 hp merc that I couldn’t pass up. It has the casting deck and storage up front. It’s a beautiful boat. The only problem is, the storage up front is the only storage places on the boat. It’s great for larger stuff like PFD’s, fishing net and other large items but I’m wanting storage for the smaller often used stuff. When it comes to boats my OCD kicks in really bad and frustrates me when there is stuff all over the place. I need some areas to put stuff like the ipilot remote, hook pliers, extra stringers and a few of the plastic fish hook organizers so I can get rid my bigger tackle box and have a clear floor space. With all the builds and skills on this forum I’m hoping I can get some ideas. Here’s what I’m thinking. I do not want to start cutting this boat apart, that’s not even an option. It’s too new and nice. I would like some storage along the sides of the boat, Rod lockers would be a huge bonus. My wife and I fish walleye and only need room for two rods. I was thinking I could build something to sit along the side, on top of the seats just big enough to hold the rods and then build more storage pods to attach to the bottom of the rod locker for in between the seats. As you can see the boat has the factory removeable floor, which I would like to keep so being able to drop the storage right to the floor really isn’t an option. One concern with the rod lockers where I mentioned is the braces that go from the gunnel to the seat would have to de removed and I’m not sure what that will do for strength of the area above the seats. Any suggestions or pictures of similar ideas would be great.

Sorry for the sideways pictures. Not sure what happened or how to fix it.

Here's what I did for a low buck solution. Going on year 4, stored outside.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

Here's a low-impact solution:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073VQNR1J/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_9?smid=A32VQ1533DG9KP&psc=1

I was thinking more along the lines of permanent built in solutions but the more I think about it I actually like these ideas. Easy to do and cheap. Thanks guys.
These look promissing also. They make all different sizes and can be mounted horizontaly and verticly into the seat areas.
https://tempress.com/store/11-x-15-Boat-Tackle-Hatches-p97937140

When I had my 16' skiff, I used those 4-tray tackle lockers and they worked great! At any one time I might have had 10 or more different trays, where I could swap them out for whatever fish or waters I was targeting, e.g., freshwater, saltwater, plug fishing, trolling for bluefish, or bait fishing for flounder, etc.

In back, usually on those models there is open spots at the stern for the fuel tanks and I put extra stuff there, and/or along the gunnels as someone already suggested. For my use and saltwater rods up to 7', a vertical rocket launched proved very useful too!

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Those are exactly the places that I was thinking. And because of the large splashwell in the ssv's there is also room in the splashwell for a couple of the longer skinny ones. The ssv comes in two configureations, one without a casting deck and one like mine with a casting deck. When they put the casting decks in these, they leave the front seat and just instal the casting deck over it, so there is plenty room there for storage also, but if I do that I would like something that would be flush with the casting deck. I think these would stick up to much for my liking for that area.

How much strength do the angled pieces from the top of the gunnels to the seat give. I have been tossing around the idea of removing them and building a rod locker, just big enought for a couple rods, out of wood or aluminum to fit the contour of the boat, that could be screwed and bolted to the gunnel and seat to give some of the strength back.

stomper said:

How much strength do the angled pieces from the top of the gunnels to the seat give. I have been tossing around the idea of removing them and building a rod locker, just big enought for a couple rods, out of wood or aluminum to fit the contour of the boat, that could be screwed and bolted to the gunnel and seat to give some of the strength back.

Click to expand...

I would think replacing those brackets with a long box secured to the seats and gunnel would provide more strength/support.