It’s a question I hear all the time: is it really safe to take my bay boat through the inlet, and out into the ocean? This question isn’t easy to answer, first because all boats are different; second because each day is different; and finally, because different people are willing … Continue reading
Foul Weather Gear: What to Look For
On a recent gig in California, I had the chance to try out a full set of foul weather gear made by the king of the industry, Grundens. If you don’t recognize this name you’ve probably never seen Deadliest Catch or any of the other commercial fishing reality shows, where … Continue reading
Avoid this Trailering Disaster!
Trailering a boat is often more stressful – and more dangerous – than running the boat on the water. And today, I saw a near-disaster that reminded me of how common this particular problem can be. Uneven pavement is the culprate. We’ve all been driving down the road, and had … Continue reading
Tips for Trolling: Troll With the Top 10 Percent Anglers
Hopefully you have already performed your annual trolling seasonal prep on all of your gear from roller guides to rodholders. Your tackle needs just as much TLC as your boat and its powerplant, especially if you do your fishing in saltwater. So assuming your hooks are sharp and your reels are lubed, now you’ll want … Continue reading
5 Tips for Outboard Owners
These days, your average fishing boat owner probably has an outboard. And today’s outboards, be they two or four stroke models, run smoother, quieter, and more efficiently than ever before. But in order to keep them running this way, you need to treat them right. Here are five tips that … Continue reading
Fishbox Improvement, 101: Closed-Cell Foam, Gaskets, and Pumps
If you are anything like me – and since your eyes are seeing this you probably are – fishing is the number-one mission on the agenda most of the time your boat leaves the dock, and you will be putting the fish you catch into an integrated fishbox. Some built-in fishboxes … Continue reading
Transom Mount Transducers on Tunnel Boats and Powercats
If you have a tunnel boat or a powercat, you may have a tough time getting your fishfinder’s transom mount transducer to work up to its full potential. In fact, due to the quirky water flow these types of boats produce, transducer placement will have a huge impact on how … Continue reading
Plastic Boats: Really…?
Yes, really – buying a plastic boat may seem silly on the surface, but believe it or not, manufacturers have made huge strides in recent years and plastic is now a boat-building material worth considering. Really. The best example of a successful plastic boatbuilder is Triumph (formerly Logic) which uses … Continue reading
Fiberglass Maintenance: What is Important, and What is Not?
With spring in the air, it’s time to do a slew of basic maintenance on your boat. One question that comes up often is fiberglass – do you really need to do all of that waxing and buffing, or is it all strictly for appearances’ sake? You’ve probably seen plenty … Continue reading
Clogged Carb? This is How You Fix It
Surely by now you’ve encountered an ethanol problem or two. Maybe your lawnmower has become finicky, your chainsaw never seems to run right or – horrors – your outboard’s carburator seems to continually become gummed up and fouled. We briefly mentioned in Duck Boat Blues and Outboard Motor Maintenance how to avoid … Continue reading
