Buying the right electronics for your boat is only half the job. The other half? Getting the equipment properly installed. Here's my list of the most common installation foul-ups, bleeps, and blunders.

The Right Spot. Can you easily see the display without moving from your seat? Can you reach the controls without standing, leaning forward, or bending? Essential electronics should be no more than your arm's reach away -- especially the VHF. Avoid mounting anything directly behind the helm's wheel -- you don't want to reach between the spokes of the wheel.

You can't give your boat hair plugs, Botox injections, or liposuction, but you can give it a face-lift. Want to float Mom's Mink in the Fountain of Youth? Following this list of dos and taboos will shave years off your boat's appearance and prevent premature aging.

MAINTAIN A YOUTHFUL APPEARANCE

Bald Ain't Beautiful. Think of canvas, clear plastics, and vinyl as your boat's hair. Without it, your boat will look older than it is. Make your boat look years younger by replacing all of its canvas and cushions.

"Fire!" is the last thing you want to hear while afloat. Many onboard fires start in the engine room, the place where volatile fuel and electrical connections abound. But other than the basic fire extinguishing systems, what options will warn you of or extinguish fires? Let's take a look.

Detect

Some boaters will spend two hours fixing a doodad they could have bought new for two bucks. Or they'll waste time trying to fix something that just can't be properly repaired. If you fit into this category, it's time you learn when to cut your losses. If one of these five problems pops up on your boat, leave the tools in the shed and reach for your wallet instead.

1. Cracked or Leaky Fuel Lines

A good riding boat can make up for deficiencies elsewhere on the vessel -- and a harsh riding one can make even the most luxe boat feel like a dump truck. Try getting your crew to smile when they're getting bounced off plush, French-stitched upholstered seats or wearing a beverage that splashed out of a can that had been snugly secured in a drinkholder. Women can be particularly difficult to make happy when the ride is rough due to the action imparted on their upper torsos. We skippers forget that.

An old fishing adage states that you shouldn't mix lures and bait in your trolling spread. There's some merit to that, as you can't troll as fast with bait as you can with lures lest you tear the baits apart. But dragging lure and bait together is what I attribute (besides experience, dedication and yes, luck) to my win in the Mahi division during the 2008 Hampton's Offshore Invitational.

Want to catch billfish like a pro? To get more marlin and sailfish on the hook, you'll have to work constantly. That's how tournament winners stay on top of the heap. Use these insider tips to stay ahead of the game.

It's the fishing equivalent of a street fight: Casting to a snook feeding in the glow of a docklight, withstanding its initial charge, and fighting like hell to keep it from cutting you off on a piling. All in all, night-fishing for snook offers one of the best adrenaline charges inshore fishing has to offer.

Dockfishing sounds easy, just pull up and start fishing, right? Wrong. If you don't do it right you won't catch a thing. Here are a few important tips:

Why do you read fishing books? If the number one reason is to learn how to catch more fish, then you'll want to dive right into Rudow's Guide to Rockfish ($19.95; www.getgup.com). Rudow-Boating Magazine's own Ultimate Angler, of course-sets the tone of the book in the first two sentences: "You want a dissertation on the historical importance of striped bass? Then go to the library and look up 'boring.'" As promised, the book dives right in and gets down to the business of telling you how-and where-to catch striped bass.