What is the minimum size boat for offshore fishing? The answer depends on who you ask. The challenge and your budget are the two biggest reasons for fishing from a small offshore boat. Many cite the unique satisfaction of taking on the ocean to fish it on their own terms, knowing they have the boat, the knowledge and the ability to get out there, catch some good fish and get back.

“There’s definitely the excitement of being out there in a small boat where you’re in control and doing your own thing,” said Angelo Cuanang, a West Coast offshore fishing writer and expert who regularly fishes off San Francisco Bay. He’s done so for many years — all in a 17-foot Boston Whaler Montauk. Being unsinkable, the Whaler is one of the best small boats for ocean fishing.

One school of thought from skilled mariners actually considers a smaller hull advantageous in large swells. Tom King, once a professional mate in Massachusetts, for years made the 20-plus-mile run to fish Stellwagen Bank aboard his 19-foot Midland (“a Nova Scotia-style hull,” he said, with a very high bow and very low freeboard). “We came home riding on top of the big seas like an eggshell, while much bigger sport-fishing boats were having a tough time rolling in the swells.”

For purposes of this discussion, let’s focus on saltwater fishing boats with a minimum size ranging from 17 to 22 feet in length overall (LOA). A boat this size has an element of responsiveness that much larger hulls lose. In addition to being a criterion for offshore fishing, this size range also offers the best small boats for rough seas. Of course, rough seas are relative, and distance from shore often dictates the decision to go or not go.

Offshore Boating Benefits of Small Fishing Boats

Besides the challenge, downsized boats are less expensive and easy to tow on the road than king-size boats. Small boats can also be easier to handle and dock in tight quarters, though features such as joystick controls on larger boats are making low-speed maneuvers easier for skippers of large boats.

Start comparing costs of purchase, insurance, moorage or storage, maintenance and so on for a 30-foot center-console with those of a 22-footer. Then of course there are fuel costs. At today’s prices, a day fishing a 30-footer with twin 300 hp outboards can cost you in the high hundreds of dollars, if not more than $1,000. But you can run offshore and troll all day in a boat such as the Robalo R222 (21 feet 6 inches LOA) or Sea Chaser 22 HFC (21 feet 9 inches LOA) with a single 200 or 250 hp outboard for a few hundred or less.

Lots of anglers trailer their boats 50 to 100 miles at the drop of a hat. Compare hauling a double- or triple-axle trailer behind a ¾- to 1-ton pickup versus a lighter, single- or double-axle trailer behind a half-ton pickup — and there’s even more economy.

Small-Boat Knowledge, Ability and Common Sense

There’s no federal regulation stating that “Thou shalt not take thy boat and go (offshore),” and in fact the Coast Guard only has authority in a few places to prevent boaters from going where they want, a Coast Guard spokesman said. To go or not to go is not the question. Rather, focus on knowing your small boat, recognizing when to go or not, and with what gear and preparation.

Accident reports often retell scenarios where anglers in small boats perished before the Coast Guard could reach them. Often these are cases where knowing the boat and having the right equipment could have saved lives. Experience often makes a major difference when it comes to safety. Anglers who know what the ocean can dish out and respect that power choose to err on the side of caution, and do not scrimp on safety gear.

Many who skipper such mighty mites far from land tend to be independent by nature. Still, many make it a point to travel offshore with another boat — known as “buddy boating”— when possible, small or large, which in effect offers a second engine.

Whether or not you have a buddy going with you, be sure to file a float plan before you leave. That can be as simple as making sure someone back on land knows when you plan to depart and return, and where — in general — you expect to fish.

The Right Boat: Moderate Vees and Hard Chines

What is the best small boat for offshore fishing? There are plenty of 17- to 22-footers for fishing bays, channels or flats. But if you plan to run offshore, you’ll need to investigate construction, quality and design.

That said, some bay boats such as the Pathfinder 2200 TE (22 feet 2 inches LOA) or Sea Born FX22 Bay Sport (21 foot 9 inches LOA) offer offshore fishing capability, as well as the ability to sneak into shallow inshore waters.

Still, there can be no doubt that with the specialized demands of offshore fishing, not all small hulls are created equal. When it comes to hull design, opinions vary — suggesting competent small hulls might come in more than one style.

A modified V rather than the deep V common on larger center consoles ranks as the top choice among experts looking for the optimal small planing hull for big water. While the steeper deadrise angle of up to 26 degrees at the transom offers the softest ride through waves, an angle in the 17- to 20-degree range proves more stable. That way you still get some damping effect from the V but also get some benefit of lateral stability.

Fuel capacity becomes a serious consideration for any small boat heading offshore. On the minus side: Many small boats have built-in tanks and some provide space only for portables. On the plus side: Light boats with small outboards can go all day on amazingly little fuel. Once you pick a boat, know its range and always allow for at least a 15 percent reserve.

A small but important point: marine battery placement. Batteries should ride forward, beneath the console, rather than at the transom, where they can get wet and add unnecessary weight.

One other essential element of small boat construction that becomes particularly important offshore is flotation. Positive flotation is required for certification by the National Marine Manufacturers Association in boats less than 20 feet, but the best hulls are fully filled with foam, and the reasons should be obvious. In an emergency, water can force air out of a hull or sides but not out of foam. A light hull gains little weight (always a factor) but considerable strength and rigidity from foam.

Water In, Water Out

A small boat easily takes on spray and, on rough days, some green water as well. That’s when scuppers become critical. (This assumes that no angler without a death wish would be offshore in a boat that’s not self-bailing.) The scuppers must be able to drain water as fast as it comes into the hull — if not, you’ll soon be playing submarine.

Transom height and design also play key roles in keeping water out of small boats. A small outboard-powered boat faces trouble fast once enough ocean water enters and runs to one side or the other in heavy seas. To help avoid that, look for small offshore boats with a full transom. A cut-out transom might work with a really good, generous motorwell. Worst case for offshore: a low, cut-out transom with no well. If that describes your boat, stick to the bay.

The Right Offshore Boating Equipment

No small boat, however seaworthy and stable, belongs offshore — ever — if it’s not properly equipped. The most major piece of equipment to consider is your outboard engine. A traditional preference among blue-water anglers has been twin or even triple outboards for safety. However, adding a second engine for the small boater might be either cost-, design- or weight-prohibitive. Fortunately, today’s outboard engines are more reliable than ever.

When feasible, a small auxiliary engine (aka kicker) is a great addition since it can get you home in a pinch — but, again, it may not be worth the additional weight on the stern of a 17- to 22-footer.

Additional key safety equipment to carry when fishing offshore includes the following:

Fixed-Mount VHF Radio — Fundamental and essential. Fixed-mount radios offer a range of 15 to 20 miles while handhelds only reach out 3 to 8 miles. All new VHFs, by law, come with Digital Selective Calling, which instantly sends a distress call to authorities anywhere in the world. Be sure that you set up your DSC calling feature before leaving port. Cell phones are popular everywhere, including offshore, and offer some backup. But these can’t substitute for a VHF in a pinch since users might not find coverage in all areas offshore, and a phone call does not immediately summon on-water help. Mate your VHF radio to a tall (8-foot) VHF antenna for the range necessary when fishing offshore.

GPS Plotter/Sounder — As critical for navigation as for fishing. Separate units are fine, but a single unit (capable of showing both chart plotter and sounder reading on screen simultaneously) maximizes limited space on small consoles.

Compass — With a good nautical chart, a compass will keep you headed in the right direction if your GPS fails. Amazingly, some small boaters venture far offshore with neither radio nor compass, according to the Coast Guard.

Extra Battery — Any boat fishing offshore should have a dual-battery system with a selector switch. This allows you to keep one battery in reserve in case one goes dead.

Emergency Beacons — An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacon) and a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) are good ideas for any boat fishing offshore. Once activated, an encoded digital message is received by satellites, and is then transmitted back to ground-based search and rescue authorities. This signal provides information to assist in the search. Assuming you have properly registered the EPIRB or PLB, it tells rescuers who you are, your boat type and size, where you are, and other important data, including emergency contact information. An EPIRB is registered to the boat and is usually mounted on deck, while a PLB is registered to an individual and is carried by that person.

Life Jackets — Going offshore without them would not only be illegal but insane. Make sure your jackets are Coast Guard rated for offshore use (Type I). It is a good idea to wear a life jacket at all times, especially if fishing alone.

Emergency Kit — including flare gun and flares, cyalume sticks and waterproof strobe lights. (I also make sure my boat’s running lights are in good working order.) Don’t forget a good flashlight and extra sunscreen.

Emergency Food and Water — At least a half-gallon of water, some granola bars and beef jerky or canned meat can get you through a day or two.

Anchor and Lots of Line — Even if you don’t anchor to fish, you might find an anchor valuable, and plenty of heavy line is a must if you need to be towed.

Sea Anchor — Space might preclude stowing a small sea anchor, but make sure you have at least a bucket or, in a pinch, even a spare life jacket. Most boats tend to drift stern-to — the worst situation in a building sea. Your odds of staying afloat when broken down and adrift go up by a big chunk if you can keep the bow into the waves, and any sort of sea anchor will help accomplish this.

Pick the Right Fishing Weather

Given a seaworthy boat, properly equipped, everything else comes down to common sense. And nowhere can the small boater better demonstrate that than by reading the weather before and during a trip.

Starting out the morning in a 3-foot sea is a mere irritant to a 30-footer, but for the mini-boater who has his head screwed on right, it means a canceled trip. Many mornings I’ve arisen to find the weather service data revised from the previous evening’s 5- to 10-knot wind forecast to one of 10 to 20 knots. Anyone hoping to go offshore in a 17- to 22-footer has to realize his fishing days will be limited.

Look for periods between frontal systems, particularly in fall, winter and spring when dead-calm days sneak in between blows. During the summer, high pressure systems often bring many successive days of calm weather, particularly in the morning. The run home in many regions might mean a moderate but manageable chop, thanks to afternoon sea breezes.

Just be sure you know the marine forecast for the day, before you head out. When the forecast calls for light breezes all day and into the night, boating anglers with small boats can usually venture forth into offshore ocean waters with peace of mind. Otherwise, the best rule of thumb is a simple one: When in doubt, don’t go out.

The post Small Boats for Offshore Fishing appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

“Don’t check the weather, just go outside and deal with it. Be a man.”

Those words, followed by group laughter, have become a mantra for a host of internet memes depicting boaters in life-threatening seas.

They are poor words to live by if you intend to live a long life. In fact, prudent seamanship dictates that no boating angler heads to sea without first checking marine forecasts. Decisions, including the captain’s call to go or no-go, should be based on the expected winds and sea conditions.

Yet, without much warning, conditions can sometimes change mid-trip, defying the forecast. While light winds and calm seas might greet you in the morning, unexpectedly high afternoon winds or thunder storms can brew up big, treacherous seas in the latter part of the day. This leaves you and your crew facing a harrowing trip back to port. The smaller the boat, the higher the danger.

One lesson I learned early in my boating career is that changing the angle of the boat relative to large waves can smooth the ride for an improvement in comfort. More importantly, this can improve the safety factor. Here are some helmsman tips I have garnered over the year for running in rough sea conditions.

Quartering Head Seas

While a straight line between two points is the shortest route, it’s not always the safest, most comfortable or even fastest. For example, when faced with steep, closely spaced head seas, heading directly into them ranks as a hate mission that slows your progress to a crawl. You also risk the possibility of stuffing as the boat falls off the crest of a roller and into a hole at the base of the next angry one.

Instead, try steering off-sea in one direction for a few miles, and then steering the other way for a few miles. This is called “quartering the waves” to help smooth the ride, and the zig-zagging course is known as “tacking.”

Quartering and tacking require strong piloting skills — including good timing, judicious application of throttle and focus at the wheel — to keep the boat on course and deal with the occasional rogue wave. On the downside, you’ll take more spray quartering up-sea, but that’s the price you pay for a smoother, safer ride.

Running Before the Sea

Large following seas loom treacherous as the boat races down the face of a wave, sometimes losing steering and leaving you vulnerable to the roller astern. There’s also the risk stuffing into the backsides of waves rolling ahead. Quartering down-sea minimizes these risks, but try take a wider angle than when quartering up-sea. Also realize the faces of the waves can be very steep. On small boats, keep you crew off the lee side of the boat. Instead, ask them to move to the windward (aka wet) stern quarter. When it’s time to reverse your tack, do so in a lull between the waves, and then come about smartly.

Beam Sea Sense

Beam seas tend to be the least threatening, but they can prove a lot more wet on windy passages. But you can minimize the spray by alternatively quartering sharply up-sea for a while, then down-sea, tacking across the beam seas rather than running a straight course. On the other hand, you can just don foul-weather gear, run a straight course and endure the spray.

Or as the internet memes put it, “Deal with it. Be a man,” at least until you reach your destination.

The post Angle of Attack appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Three anglers headed offshore on Friday, April 28, to fish the Perdido Rig, a deepwater spar in 8,000 feet of water, almost 180 miles east of South Padre Island, Texas. The experienced crew left Island Moorings Marina in Port Aransas, Texas, at 10 a.m. But weather forecasts were not favorable, with many offshore boats staying home. When the 31-foot catamaran didn’t return that night as expected, family members reported the boaters missing.

“This case highlights the importance of diligently checking the weather forecast and filing an accurate float plan with family members, including intended arrival times,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Josuah Chears-Stevens, command duty officer, Sector Corpus Christi.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders received a notification at 10 p.m. of three overdue boaters. Watchstanders work the radios at Coast Guard stations and monitor calls for assistance. They also maintain communications with Coast Guard boats underway in the Gulf.

First, the Coast Guard contacted Perdido Rig personnel, who reported they saw the catamaran near the rig at 3 p.m. on Friday. That’s when watchstanders directed the launch of an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi. During the search, the Ocean Sentry crew heard the boaters hail them on the radio, VHF-FM channel 16.

“The boaters then activated both the DSC distress alert function on their radio and their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB),” said a Coast Guard news statement.

Using location data from the alerts, the Coast Guard aircrew located the boaters’ position. The twin-engine turboprop aircraft found the vessel taking on water about 30 miles northeast of South Padre Island on Saturday. A 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement (SPC-LE) boat, launched out of South Padre Island, also raced to the distressed boaters.

“The crew observed the three boaters bailing water out of the catamaran,” said the Coast Guard. “On-scene weather conditions were 10-foot seas with winds of 34 mph.”

The Coast Guard’s SPC-LE crew rendezvoused with the catamaran and escorted the men safely to Sea Ranch Marina on South Padre Island. No injuries or ailments were reported. 

The post Texas Boaters Rescued Off South Padre Island appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

VHF radios are useful tools, and not just for safety reasons. They’re also good to quickly and efficiently communicate with other folks on the water. Monitoring radio traffic can help anglers get a general idea of what’s going on with the fleet, who is catching and who isn’t, and which anglers are having success. But there are some who regularly abuse their VHFs, and that sort of thing can quickly ruin a good vibe.  We’re all out there to fish, to have a good time, to chill, to not think about work, politics or morons. So here’s a short list of things that anglers should avoid saying over the radio.  

Don’t Burn Fishing Spots Over the Radio

KEEP YOUR SPOTS UNDER WRAPS. Never say you’re “crushing them” at such-and-such area. If you’re offshore and you give your coordinates over the radio, you’re clearly not very smart. You want to kill a bite real quick? Invite the entire fleet. Because it’s awesome when three dozen boats zoom in at 45 knots and start trolling 12-rod spreads through busting fish. Likewise, don’t tell your buddy to switch to the “secret” channel, so you can share numbers over that one. Because, newsflash, most people actually know how to use the SCAN function on their radios. There are certainly ways to share information with your buddies discreetly, like with a cell phone if you are in range. If you’re not, satellite communicators like the Garmin inReach 2 are worth their weight in gold. Or, have your VHF programmed, so you have use of those extra channels that no one really monitors. While yes, radios are for communicating with your buddies, they certainly aren’t for burning spots.  

No Politics on the VHF Radio

AVOID POLITICS. No one cares about your dumb-ass political beliefs, so don’t share them over the radio unless your intent is to irritate at least 50 percent of the fleet. (Note, some people who do this clearly enjoy irritating people, which, to be clear, is not a good trait.) You certainly aren’t going to change anyone’s mind with uneducated blather. All you’re doing is showing what a moron you are.  

No One Laughs at Your Jokes

DON’T EMBARRASS YOURSELF. No matter how slow the fishing is, we certainly don’t want to hear your racist comments or jokes. The folks I fish with are ethnically and racially diverse, and many times there are young kids on board. While I don’t want to say it’s often, more than once I’ve had to shut the radio off altogether. I know, the folks making those comments and jokes don’t really care. But I’m certain those people wouldn’t say those sorts of things to anyone’s face. It’s embarrassing. For you, for us, for everyone.  

Quit the Tough Guy Bravado

NO TRASH TALK. Don’t talk smack over the radio. I know you don’t want to fight me, or anyone else.  Saying that you’re gonna kick someone’s ass because they got too close to your coveted “way-back” over the radio is ridiculous. We know and you know that you’re not gonna do anything, and more importantly, that you’re a coward who likes hiding behind a radio.

Fishing is for Families, Kids Are Listening

KEEP IT CLEAN. Come on man, don’t cuss like a sailor over the radio. Like I said, kids are out there listening. It’s classless. Dropping an F-bomb here and there isn’t the worst thing in the world, but some of the stuff the weekend crowd pollutes the airwaves with would make even the saltiest sailors blush.  Cuss amongst your shipmates to your heart’s desire, but there’s no reason to do it over the radio.  

In the end, it’s common sense. Be considerate of other folks, and respect everyone’s perspectives. Or, just be an a-hole and annoy everyone that happens to have their radio on. That’s fine too. See how many friends that makes you on the water. 

The post Five Things You Just Don’t Say Over the VHF appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

As the number of boating anglers increases on U.S. coastal waters, claims of ownership of public fishing spots have increased. Claiming ownership of a fishing spot is not a new phenomenon. Some guides and anglers have long felt that they own the spots they frequent, which of course, practically and legally, is not true.

Crazy Fishing Encounters Between Anglers

I first encountered this ownership attitude more than 40 years ago on the famed Peterson Key Bank, on the bayside of Lower Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys. The strip of grassy shallows extends from the Overseas Highway all the way north into Florida Bay. On a late June morning me and my dad headed into the bay. Very close to the highway, a skiff with three anglers was staked out at the channel edge. I turned my wheel to run the farthest edge of the channel as we passed it. Gave the two guys aboard a quick wave hello, but received no response in return.

I wanted to fish the same edge of the flat but didn’t want to crowd them so I continued well north to another point of the flat, a good 600 yards down the line. That’s five or six football fields away, to put it into perspective. I came off the throttle and idled to the edge, shut down and grabbed my pushpole. I glanced back at the other skiff, and the guide was now poling off the flat. Must not be seeing any fish, I thought.

I continued poling north to where I thought I saw a tail tip up. The skiff came down the channel, and then came off plane, right on the edge where we were fishing. I looked over, and the guy at the helm raised his hands in the air, shaking his head.

“You [bleeping] cut us off!” he screamed.

“From what?” I responded.

“You’re too close to me, do you know how fish move on this flat?” he continued.

“Back and forth,” I responded, which did not calm him down one bit. “I am a long, long way from where you were, you have no case.” At that he said, “I make my living on this flat!” Then, he simply motored off.

On another occasion in south Biscayne Bay, I was guiding bonefish customers, and motored to a favorite mainland shoreline. Well north of us, another angler was poling away from us, easily 200 yards away. He was poling at a fast clip too, heading toward the best part of that flat. So I tucked in, grabbed the pushpole and moved us into the shoreline, and parked to give the tide a chance to rise a bit more. We had a sandwich and a drink. The guy disappeared around a distant point.

Ten minutes later here he comes, running full throttle right at us. It took him a full minute to reach us, and then he idled right to us and said, “What are you doing? I was already here! This is my prime spot, and we are fishing a tournament!”

“You were here, and you were poling away from here, and now I’m here.” I said calmly.

I knew who the guide was, introduced myself, and said I was perfectly in the right and he was not. So the jerk cranks his outboard and proceeds to burn the entire flat before leaving. My customers were uncomfortable to say the least, and one of them said, “That guy own the place or what?” I actually called him that evening, his number was in the phone book (this was way before the internet). I left a message that we should at least discuss what happened further, but he never called back.

Fishing Spot Ownership

And these arguments between different boaters goes on all of the time. I described just two of the more explosive experiences I had with other captains in South Florida. It happens more frequently now because there are simply more anglers, more guides and fewer good “spots” and fish in general. Etiquette goes out the window on busy weekends. Besides fishing too close to another boat, nothing is as egregious as thinking that you own a spot on public waters.

Fishing spot ownership was recently discussed on the popular Millhouse Podcast, hosted by Andy Mill and his son, Nicky Mill. Andy is a legendary tarpon fly tournament winner, and has lots to say about the subject of owning fishing spots.

Mill has been fishing the Florida Keys flats for about 40 years, and that includes hundreds of days with the best guides, in tournaments and on booked pleasure trips. He’s also fished plenty on his own skiff in those waters.

“I have seen it from both sides” said Mill. “I get it when a guide sort of takes ownership because he has figured out and patterned a flat through many hours there. But I also see it from the perspective of an angler who happens upon a shoreline or flat that is not being fished at the time. I have spent a lot of money with many Keys guides. And I also fish with my son, on our own.”

Mill suggests that Keys regulars, who are friends of the guides, are very respectful of their need to produce fish, so they try to avoid places the guides frequent, to a point.

“Guides who are Keys regulars respect each other’s space,” said Mill. “But not every angler who fishes the Keys is tuned in to this, so basically if no one is one flat, it is open to fish. When my son and I are out for a day on the water, we are especially aware of the spots our guides we fish with frequent. But if we go to these spots and they are open, we fish them. Why would we not?”

There are places Andy Mill pretty much leaves alone, even when unoccupied.

First One to the Fishing Spot

I think Capt. Steve Huff, arguably the best guide on the planet, has the best philosophy about this. Huff says when you are the first to come to a shoreline, or flat, and you touch bottom with your pushpole, you temporarily own that spot. After you leave, then it’s free and clear for the next guy.

Capt. Rick Ruoff, a longtime Islamorada guide who now lives in Montana where he bird hunts and fly fishes for trout, discussed the situation in the Keys with Mills on a recent episode, and said part of the problem is electronics.

“In the ’80s I was one of just a handful of flats guides out of Islamorada, and we and our skiffs were recognizable,” said Ruoff. “Some anglers would follow me around, to see where I went routinely. The very next day, the guy would be on the spot, having watched me the previous day.”

Ruoff blames tech that allows an angler to help locate a guide poling and simply save the spot.

“I never yelled at anglers who encroached on my fishing, I just stayed internally angry,” said Ruoff. “Tarpon are the drug. They bring out the worst in anglers.”

Respecting Veteran Fishing Captains

Guides such as Ruoff are on the passive side of this, but others are more adamant about their right to ownership of a place, despite being essentially public property.

For example, Capt. Rob Fordyce of Islamorada, is on record having said it’s a matter of “intellectual property.” Not to mention common respect.

“In the middle Keys, when I started guiding, there were known places where the veteran guides would regularly fish,” said Fordyce. “They developed them and figured the places out long before I came along. There were a few main marinas where guides kept their skiffs. The guides were sort of cliques, having spent so much time together. Even if the groups were not particularly friendly with the others, they respected territory of others. It’s a matter of etiquette.”

Fordyce said that when he was 18 or 19 years old, and just fishing privately there, he would be the first angler at a backcountry tarpon spot, such as the famed Buchanan Bank, getting the best post where tarpon always poured in. But when the guides showed up, he gave way.

“When Capt. Cecil Keith arrived, whom I admired greatly, I would ask him if he wanted to take my position, because he had fished that bank for decades. That’s just a matter of respect, and that’s something that doesn’t happen anymore,” said Fordyce. “That guy earned his stripes and had more right to that spot than I did.”

I think the observations and attitudes of pro guides, whether flats-oriented or otherwise, should be taken into consideration for any angler who is unsure of whether to “slide into” a spot that is occupied. But that comes down to etiquette, of which seems to be lacking these days. And as waters become more crowded, and perhaps fisheries decline, anglers will need to be more conscientious and attune to this philosophy of spot ownership. The bottom line is, public waters are just that, and it’s up to us to be reasonable and keep it fun.

The post Can You Own A Fishing Spot? appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

We had put several miles astern en route to Santa Catalina Island, 26 miles off the Southern California coast, when seas turned nasty, heaved our way by a distant yet powerful Pacific storm. Our westerly heading had turned this fishing trip into a hate mission.

“Hang on, we’re changing course,” I barked to the crew, then turned the 22-footer about 45 degrees to port, and began quartering the seas. We now met the waves at a less-severe angle, slicing diagonally over the rollers, for a smoother, faster ride. When we reached the lee of the island, I turned back to starboard, putting us on a course to our fishing spot.

I call it tacking — like a sailboat — and it’s just one of the following five techniques I have learned to help smooth the ride.

Up-Sea, Down-Sea
Running a course that points the bow into the wind and waves might run contrary to the concept of smoothing the ride. But the idea is to work your way into the prevailing wind in the morning, when breezes often are light and seas small. This plan is particularly well-suited when offshore fishing, where most of your time is spent trolling at a relatively low speed. As we will discuss later, the lower the speed, the smoother the ride in just about any sea state.

At the end of the day, when the winds are often gusty and the waves ­whitecapping, your course back to port will be down-sea. I call it a downhill run, and it’s far more favorable than banging your way back home uphill against a raging head sea. You can run a lot faster and smoother with the waves behind you.

Trailer boaters possess the advantage in pulling off this strategy because they can tow their boats to launch points that grant the best angle to run the up-sea, down-sea course to and from their ­target fishing spots.

Nose Down
Sometimes you can’t escape the uphill run. Maybe the wind shifts or you need to run a circuitous route with one or more legs that face steep waves. When this occurs, you can smooth the ride by lowering the bow so the boat’s sharper forward entry knives through the waves versus pounding over them with the obtuse ­midsection of the hull.

The manner in which you lower the bow hinges on the behavior of the hull and sea conditions at any given time. Generally speaking, it requires adjustments of the trim tabs, outboard trim, and boat speed to fine-tune the ride and maximize the smoothness factor.

Deploying the trim tabs ­downward forces the entry downward. Trimming the outboard(s) in does the same thing, but with the trim tabs down, you will probably need to trim the motor(s) out slightly to maintain lateral stability while underway. Otherwise, with motors tucked in all the way, hulls tend to lean excessively from one side to the other when tabs are substantially deployed.

Once you have created a running attitude that allows the entry to cut through waves, increase the speed to see how fast the boat will run while still maintaining a comfortable ride. And be prepared to readjust all of these parameters when sea conditions change — as they always do.

Take Your Time
Sometimes the sea conditions and size of your boat prevent you from running at a decent clip without taking a beating, endangering crew or damaging the boat. This is when you need to take your time and slog it out.

There’s no shame in slowing down to keep your crew comfortable and prevent injuries from pounding waves and hard landings, no matter what sense of urgency you might have in reaching the fishing grounds or returning to port. It’s hard on the nerves — I know from experience — but once you set your brain on Neptune time, it’s easier to accept that you’re on nature’s schedule, not yours.

Going slow also gives you time to judge the waves, aim the boat toward the gentlest part of each crest, and jockey the throttle to ease the boat up and over the rollers — all steps that can result in a smoother ride.

Speed Up
In view of the previous discussion, increasing boat speed might sound like bad advice, but with some boats — not all — and in certain conditions, smoothness can improve as speed increases. Case in point: I was running across Florida’s Biscayne Bay late one winter afternoon, headed to Miami from Key Largo aboard a 23-foot Angler deep-V center-console powered by a single 225 hp outboard.

A stiff north wind and 2- to 3-foot rollers on the bow made for a bumpy ride at a moderate cruising speed. My co-captain, David Greenwood, product planning manager for Suzuki Marine, suggested I pick up the speed. “Let’s get on top of this stuff,” Greenwood said. “Punch it!”

I firewalled the throttle, and the boat literally levitated. At close to wide-open throttle, the hull’s lift allowed us to skip across wave tops at nearly 50 mph. Even with slowing down in the no-wake zones between the Rickenbacker and Venetian causeways, we made it to the Miami Sealine Marina well before dark.

Read Next: A Guide to Running Rough Ocean Inlets

The ability to generate a smoother ride at higher speeds hinges on sea conditions, hull design and boat size. For example, had the seas been a lot larger on that run to Miami, we might not have been able to bridge the waves with a 23-footer, no matter the speed.

Today’s center-console boats with advanced double-step hulls are particularly good at running fast and smooth in snotty conditions. The steps provide generous lift along the entire length of the hull, allowing such boats to more easily “get on top of the waves,” as Greenwood puts it.

Tack and Forth
While a straight line between two points is the shortest route, it’s not always the most comfortable. As described ­earlier, running directly into steep head seas can result in a pounding. In this situation, try steering off-sea in one direction for a few miles, then tacking the other way. Quartering the waves can smooth the ride.

One downside to tacking up-sea is more wind spray than if you meet the waves head-on. But that’s the price you pay for being a smooth operator.

The post How to Create the Most Comfortable Boat Ride appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

I have electronic throttle and shift controls on my boat, and I never wish to return to the good ol’ days of cable controls for my single outboard. That said, the previous system served me well for three decades. Given that cable systems still offer more-than-satisfactory performance, is an upgrade to electronic — or drive-by-wire — controls really worth it? Here are factors to help you decide.

Switching Controls

Making the switch from cable to electronic controls usually coincides with the purchase of a new boat or outboard. That’s because you can’t just add electronic controls to an older outboard. The engine must be designed and built with drive-by-wire capabilities. While nearly all new multi-outboard boats now come equipped with drive-by-wire controls, a fair number of new single outboard boats feature cables.

If you’re ordering a new boat — either through a dealer or factory direct — you will likely have the opportunity to specify the type of controls.

When re-powering an older boat, you can choose to stay with cables or upgrade to drive-by-wire, which will dictate what type of engine you buy. Outboard brands such as Yamaha offer a choice between mechanical and electronic engine controls on a number of models.

Cost Factors

A new engine with drive-by-wire controls costs more than one with conventional throttle and shift. Yamaha’s F200 with electronic controls, for example, costs around 6 percent more than the mechanical version. What’s more, the drive-by-wire price does not include some rigging elements needed for electronic controls, including a binnacle and instrumentation. Unless you perform the rigging work yourself, labor costs for upgrading to a drive-by-wire motor will also increase versus retrofitting with a mechanical engine. That’s because the installing dealer needs to remove the old rigging and add new elements, such as a new control harness and sub-assembly cables, engine-control module, binnacle, ignition key and start/stop switch, and engine instrumentation.

Helm Changes

A re-power can grow into a larger project than you might have originally budgeted when switching to a drive-by-wire engine due to unanticipated complications. For example, there’s no guarantee that the footprint for the new binnacle will match the old one.

When the footprints do not match, it leads to fiberglass and gelcoat repair work to patch the old mounting holes. Also, newer all-in-one multifunction engine displays occupy a fraction of the space that old-school individual gauges required, often leaving a bunch of empty holes to fill in the dash.

Based on these possible complications, some boaters opt to stay with mechanical models when replacing aging outboards, thus eliminating much of the extra rigging costs. Usually, the new mechanical outboard will work with the existing harnesses, controls and instruments, provided you stay with the same brand of outboard.

Easier Operation

Shifting and throttle adjustments become silky smooth with electronic controls. That’s because there are no cables or complex mechanisms in the binnacle to bind up. Instead, electrical servos under the outboard hood respond to shift and throttle inputs.

At the press of a mere fingertip, you can advance the throttle from neutral to full throttle. It’s that sensitive; a marvelous tool in the hands of an experienced and attentive skipper.

For those who are uninitiated or more accustomed to mechanical controls with more stiffness in the levers, such responsiveness can result in abrupt acceleration and lurching, which becomes particularly hazardous in tight quarters, such as a crowded marina. It can also put unprepared crew members at risk. They can fall to the deck or, even worse, go overboard.

The smoothness also leads to a tendency to shift completely through the neutral position and into reverse when decelerating. That’s rough on the gears and propeller hub.

To mitigate these issues, manufacturers have incorporated tension adjustments into electronic binnacles. This lets you add friction to the control lever to help eliminate inadvertent and abrupt acceleration.

Multi-Outboard Features

Electronic controls ease the task of running multiple outboards. With Mercury Marine’s Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS), for example, a press of a button on the control box lets you use a single lever for shift and throttle of up to four outboards. Another button on the DTS binnacle synchronizes the revolutions per minute for up to four motors.

Drive-by-wire systems also facilitate the addition of second helm stations in a tower. A second binnacle integrates with the electronic controls. A press of a button transfers control.

The advent of electronic controls has also led to new features, such as Suzuki Marine’s troll mode for fine adjustments in the lower-rpm range, using a rocker switch when slow-trolling.

The Evinrude Icon II and Yamaha Helm Master binnacles feature engine-speed controls that work like cruise control in an automobile. With the Yamaha system, once you reach your desired revolutions per minute, press the speed-control button to hold that velocity. Both systems let you throttle up or down in minute increments to fine-tune your speed for maximum fuel efficiency or achieve just the right -trolling speed.

Someday soon, the outboards -powering the vast majority of salt-water fishing boats will feature electronic throttle and shift. And ultimately, that’s a good thing. As I intimated at the beginning, once you experience this technology, you’ll never want to go back to the old cable controls again.

Joystick Capability

Electronic throttle and shift controls also make possible integrated joystick steering systems, some of which incorporate station-keeping features. The computer brains of systems such as Evinrude iDock, Mercury Joystick Piloting for Outboards, SeaStar Solutions Optimus 360 and Yamaha Helm Master appropriate the electronic throttle and shift, and combine it with independent outboard steering to point, pivot and move the boat in joystick mode.

The post Electronic Throttle Versus Cable Throttle: Making the Switch appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Evinrude‘s new iDock system adds joystick steering to select models of Evinrude E-Tec G2 outboards for easier docking. It’s available with new G2s ranging from 150 to 300 hp in twin-engine configurations, and it easily integrates with the outboards’ built-in steering. iDock’s low-speed control allows captains to move their boats in virtually any direction as well as spin the vessel in place.

Gyroscopic stabilization compensates for wind and current. A boost mode intuitively adds thrust with additional pressure on the joystick. A detent on the joystick indicates the activated boost mode. The iDock system costs $5,999.99 as an optional upgrade.

The post Evinrude iDock Joystick Steering System appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

A half-acre of ocean erupted in a foaming cauldron as a school of 120-pound bluefin tuna forced a ball of baitfish to the surface and then pulverized it from every angle. I motored closer to the roaring frenzy, but the tuna sank away. I pulled the outboard engine out of gear, and seconds later, the tuna school resumed its raucous attack. I shifted into gear again, and again the tuna vacated the surface. I pulled back to neutral, and the tuna returned.

Few instances are more fascinating or clear-cut than this one when it comes to effects of boat noise on offshore game-fish behavior. Most experienced anglers and scientists agree that fish can hear. Yet which sounds can fish hear? Which repulse them, which attract them, and which do they ignore?

Answers to these questions could help anglers to not only avoid noises that might spook fish, but perhaps also attract them.

Auditory Senses

Fish sense sound underwater via two sensory organs, including bony structures called otoliths in the inner ears. The other organ is called the lateral line, which runs along each side of a fish’s body from the gills to the caudal peduncle (just forward of the tail).

Generally speaking, fish use their inner ears to sense sounds at a distance, says Cecilia Krahforst, a doctoral candidate at East Carolina University who focuses on how noise affects fish behavior. The lateral line comes into play when something is less than a body length away, she says.

“All fish species [that have been tested] can hear,” Krahforst says. “They utilize hearing for a number of purposes.” They use it to find food, locate schoolmates, engage in courtship, and avoid danger. Yet the degree to which a fish relies on hearing varies with each species and with the ambient noise level within any particular body of water, she adds. Pelagic fish such as bluefin tuna, for example, don’t depend on auditory sensitivity as much as do fish species that inhabit shallower water, such as redfish or white seabass, says Larry Allen, chair of biology at California State University at Northridge.

Allen’s studies have focused in part on soniferous (sound-producing) marine fish along the Pacific coast, including white seabass, which he contrasts with bluefin tuna. “White seabass are croakers that have relatively large otoliths,” he says. The otoliths are roughly the size and shape of an almond in ­full-grown white seabass.

White seabass use these to hear the low-frequency “blaaah” noise emitted by other white seabass to locate one another and form schools, particularly during their spawning period, Allen says.

The same auditory senses allow this species to distinctly hear a wide range of sounds, including man-made noises such as the slamming of a deck hatch or the rattle of an anchor chain — sounds that tend to repulse white seabass, Allen has observed.

“The otoliths in bluefin tuna, on the other hand, are very small — about the size of a grain of rice,” Allen says. This indicates that bluefin don’t rely on hearing as much as white seabass do. Like many pelagic species, bluefin depend more on other senses, such as vision.

Learned Behavior

That’s not to say that bluefin don’t hear. In fact, Arthur N. Popper, professor emeritus with the University of Maryland’s department of biology, points to studies indicating that bluefin can respond to sound.

In these studies, captive bluefin were trained to react to a sound produced through an underwater loudspeaker that corresponded to food being placed into their pen. The tuna would rush to the location of the sound each time they heard it, even when they were not being fed.

With this in mind, let’s get back to our opening real-life example: an outboard motor shifting into gear and repulsing bluefin tuna. “More than likely, [the fish responded to] the clunk [of the gear meshing] as you shifted into gear,” Popper speculates. “Every time you put the motor in gear, there was a low-frequency sound.”

Bluefin can hear sounds in the 100- to 800-hertz frequency range, says Popper. Introducing a sudden low-frequency noise, such as the clunk of shifting into gear in close proximity, might have proved ­startling to the fish.

Fish can also grow to tolerate constant, repetitive noise, man-made or otherwise, Popper asserts. “Put the motor into gear enough times, and [tuna] might become habituated to the sound,” he says.

But Popper quickly clarifies that sound is not the only stimulus affecting fish behavior. “Bluefin tuna also might rely on vision and smell,” he says. Either of these senses can influence their behavior as much as hearing, and both are affected by boats.

Hear This

In turbid, nearshore waters where visibility is poor, being able to hear well becomes an even bigger advantage than it is offshore, not only in avoiding danger, but also in finding food.

For example, to find food when visibility is poor, fish such as drums and grunts might listen for sounds that are appealing, such as the sound produced by a crustacean known as the snapping shrimp, says Krahforst.

The 2-inch-long shrimp, which makes an underwater click by snapping shut its large, outsize claw at high speed to catch prey, often inhabits beds of sea grass. Species such as redfish are able to home in on the sounds to find these beds and forage for fish, crabs and shrimp.

Noisy World

While sound travels four to five times faster in water than in air, hearing a sound underwater is not as easy for a fish as that fact might lead you to believe.

“It is a noisy world,” says Krahforst. For a fish to hear anything, the sound level must rise above the din of the background noise of the underwater realm. Background noise tends to increase at night as nocturnal marine species become more active.

Lots of things, both natural and man-made, create noise underwater, including waves, marine life, ships, oil rigs and, yes, sport-fishing boats. All these things can make it tough for a fish to distinguish individual sounds, particularly at a distance. Yet Krahforst’s research indicates that one of the most popular forms of propulsion for recreational fishing boats might be one of the least obtrusive man-made sounds in the water.

Oyster toadfish — common bottom dwellers seen rarely by anglers — emit a low-frequency “boop” or boat-whistle call to other toadfish by using their swim bladders during courtship periods. Krahforst found that the sound of a running outboard motor had little effect on the toadfish’s calling rate compared with no boat noise at all. The rumble of inboard engines, on the other hand, did reduce the frequency of the calls.

One reason that outboards tend to be less disruptive might revolve around a fish’s hearing range. As indicated earlier, fish hearing is focused on low-frequency sounds below 1,000 hertz. Running outboard motors emit much of their high-energy sounds at upper frequencies in the 1,000- to 5,000-hertz range, says Krahforst, so it is possible that fish might not hear outboard-engine noise well. Inboards, on the other hand, emit sounds at frequencies below 1,000 hertz — within the range of fish’s auditory senses.

Raising Fish

While inboard engines might put a damper on the sex life of oyster toadfish, a long-held fishing theory maintains that the harmonic drone of twin diesel inboards at trolling speed “raises” fish such as dolphin (mahi), tuna and marlin.

Yet Popper, who has studied the effects of sound on fish for the past 30 years, is skeptical. “No sound we know of will consistently attract fish,” he says.

Popper does not dispute the ability of offshore fishing boats to raise fish, but speculates that the attraction might not lie in the sound, “but rather in the shadows created by the boats.” He points out that offshore fish are attracted to the shadows of other objects, such as fish-aggregating devices, weather buoys, oil rigs and floating debris. The shadow cast by a boat might have the same effect.

Another theory held by some anglers is that increased boat traffic has a negative effect on fish. On the validity of this theory, Popper and other scientists agree.

“Boats create an incredible amount of noise,” says Popper. There’s engine vibration, exhaust noise, and pressure waves generated by ­spinning propellers and wakes, all contributing to the many and varied background noise occurring underwater. “When background noise goes up, fish aren’t likely to be happy,” Popper adds. He uses the analogy of living next to a busy freeway. “The fish can’t hear sounds of biological importance to them since the man-made sounds impair hearing, and that has the potential to affect their hormones and mood,” he says.

Krahforst’s research on oyster toadfish indicates that boat traffic can have long-term effects on fish behavior. When juvenile fish were reared from embryos in a controlled environment exposed to inboard engine sounds, the fish failed to display normal attack behavior.

Practice Stealth

The concept of avoiding loud noise while fishing has merit, says Allen. “What happens when you thump on the side of an aquarium?” he asks. “The fish don’t like it.” The same principle can be applied to fishing.

Sudden pulses of noise, like slamming hatches, dropping a sinker on the deck, and stomping your feet, can and do spook fish, especially in shallow water. “Newly introduced sounds bother fish,” says Krahforst. “So the more silent you can become, the more you will be successful [while fishing].” If there is noise, make sure it is at a constant level. “Steady noise initially bothers fish, but once they become habituated to the noise, it doesn’t seem to bother them,” Krahforst adds. “Constant noise becomes part of the environment.”

While savvy anglers have long accepted that actions such as hatch-slamming create noise that travels through the boat hull and into the water, many also believe that people talking on the boat does not create any underwater noise.

Allen says that’s not true: The sound of conversations travels underwater, he asserts. “You can hear [while underwater] people talking above the water,” Allen says. If divers can hear this, it’s a safe assumption that fish can too.

The lesson here: Minimize conversations, particularly when fishing flats or shallows and/or pursuing fish that possess strong auditory senses, such as redfish or white seabass. Keep voice communication to hushed tones.

Motor Myth

Some anglers also believe that electric trolling motors are silent underwater. Yet Krahforst maintains that this is a myth. “An electric trolling motor does make underwater noise,” she says. The noise results largely from the pressure wave generated by the spinning propeller. Yet the sound is of far less amplitude and at a higher frequency range than other (i.e., internal-combustion) motors, she adds.

While many saltwater anglers use electric trolling motors with success, others avoid this propulsion system when fishing very shallow water such as flats.

“I won’t use a trolling motor when fishing in 2 feet of water or less,” says pro Bernie Schultz. While he participates these days in the Bassmaster Elite Series, Schultz also fishes the coastal waters of Florida where he grew up.

Schultz uses a trolling motor in deeper water, but like most flats anglers, he employs a push pole when pursuing bonefish, permit and, sometimes, tarpon in shallow water. He also uses a push pole when fishing for largemouth bass in skinny water. “Bass can be sensitive to electric trolling motors when they are cruising or bedding in the shallows,” Schultz explains.

Many anglers also believe that hull slap — the tendency of some boat bottoms to trap pockets of air as they rock from side to side and splash water — can spook fish in the shallows. Krahforst confirms this is a valid precept. Any sudden sound that is human-generated has the potential to repulse fish. “That includes vessel noise,” she says.

Schultz doesn’t need scientists to tell him that vessel noise is bad for flats-fishing. That’s ­something he has learned through years of on-water ­experience, and it’s the reason he uses a technical poling skiff with soft lines that eliminate pockets and hull slap. It’s just one more step that anglers can take to ­minimize the noise factor.

Don’t Miss This!

You can use the sound your boat makes underwater to raise billfish. Click on the image below to see how.

Creating sound will make it tougher to catch many fish. Also making it tougher? The fish itself. For more reading, see which eight species are the toughest game fish you could hook in inshore and shallow-reef waters.

You also could check out Sport Fishing’s list of the top 100 game fish in the world.

The post The Effects Noise Has on Fish appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Few fishermen describe their boat’s hardware as exciting or sexy. Yet marine hardware serves a crucial role aboard saltwater fishing boats, in the form of cleats, hinges, rod holders and more. And this field is advancing, with innovations emerging each season.

Let’s look at eight ­challenges that boating anglers face as well as some cool marine hardware and other gadgets that help overcome those issues.

Livewell Hatch Won’t Stay Open

You open a livewell hatch about halfway to retrieve a bait, but the lid keeps slamming shut. In the past, a gas-assist strut helped keep the hatch open, but these pieces of hardware snag cast nets when you’re loading bait and interfere with dip nets.

Solution: Friction Hinges

Available from hardware companies such as Gemlux, friction hinges are ingenious devices that use a tensioning system within the hinge-pin assemblies to keep a livewell lid or hatch in place throughout its arc. “We were inspired by laptop ­computers,” says Matt Bridgewater, CEO of Gemlux. “If you can keep a laptop screen open at any angle, why can’t you do the same with a livewell lid?” Utilizing corrosion-resistant stainless-steel construction, the elegantly simple friction hinge does the job and does it well. Prices start at about $27 per pair.

Snagged Nets and Stubbed Toes

A few years back, I broke a toe when I jammed my bare foot into the horn of a spring cleat while making my way forward along a catwalk. OK, I know: I should have been wearing deck shoes. But conventional cleats still pose tripping hazards that can send crew members tumbling. Even in the best-case scenario, they tend to snag fishing lines and cast nets.

Solution: Pull-Up Cleats

Pull-up cleats have existed for decades (thank goodness), and they rank as one of the greatest marine-hardware innovations of all time, especially for boating anglers. You will find them on virtually every salt­water fishing boat sold today. Available from brands such as Accon and Gemlux, pull-up cleats let boatbuilders create smooth, snag-free rails (when the cleats are retracted). Yet these robust stainless-steel devices quickly pull up when it’s time to dock, anchor, or tie off a bait bag. Retail prices start at about $35.

Not Enough Cup Holders

Some hardcore anglers used to scoff at the idea of cup holders on a boat. Now anglers realize the importance of staying hydrated, and they want places to keep beverages from sliding around and falling to the deck in choppy water. In fact, many captains want more cup holders but lack space to install them.

Solution: Combo Rod/Cup Holder

File this one under “Why didn’t I think of that?” The rod/cup holder from Mate Series serves as a conventional gunwale rod holder for trolling, drift-fishing or just stowing rods. The ­holder’s sturdy stainless-steel ­construction means you sacrifice nothing when it comes to strength or corrosion resistance. Yet when it’s not holding a rod, this cool item doubles as a handy cup holder. Prices start at about $120 for stainless models; ABS plastic models sell for around $20.

Can’t Position Fenders Properly

Using only your boat’s cleats to ­position fenders for maximum protection against dock rash can be risky. Cleats are situated for tying up, not fender positioning, so your fenders might not hang in the optimal places for guarding the hull. Also, belaying a dock line and a fender whip to a single cleat is unseamanlike, cumbersome, and requires extra time to unravel both lines when casting off.

Solution: Low-Profile Fender Locks

Dedicated fender hangers are a great solution. To eliminate snag and tripping points, brands such as Taco Marine offer low-profile fender locks that you can add virtually anywhere along the rail of your boat. The Taco Quick Release fender lock features a smooth, round receiver that measures just ¼ inch high and is easy to install. A corresponding pin comes with a swiveling eye for securing a fender whip. A locking mechanism keeps the pin secure but also lets you quickly remove the fender. Retail is around $51.

No Rod Holders at the Transom

Virtually all saltwater fishing boats feature gunwale rod holders, but not all have them installed across the transom. Many times this is because there’s a hatch covering the transom for a fish locker or other stowage, rendering the surface unsuitable for a flush-mounted gunwale rod holder.

Solution: Burnewiin Mounting System

There are a number of workarounds, but one of the best I’ve seen for this problem comes from Burnewiin Mounts. Its mounting system features a beefy stainless-steel base with a locking receiver that mounts atop the transom. An equally robust rod holder then snaps into the base. The rod-holder angle is adjustable on two axes, and a quick-release mechanism lets you remove and stow the holder when it’s not needed. If you mount this system atop a hatch, make sure the hatch lid latches securely to prevent the strike of powerful fish from pulling it open. The stainless base sells for about $150; add $350 for the rod holder.

No More Room for Electronics

Twenty-first century anglers with 20th-century boats face an interesting issue. The millennium has ushered in a host of new electronics choices, but many older boats lack adequate space to mount the additional displays or other electronic accessories that boating anglers might desire, such as cameras, antennas and mobile devices.

Solution: Ram Mounts

Pedestal mounting offers a great solution. One of the most versatile systems comes from Ram Mounts. The quick-release ball-and-socket ­system offers a mind-boggling range of bases and adapters that let you add electronics just about anywhere. Prices start at about $22.

Bouncing Outrigger Poles

Running in choppy seas or trailering a boat on rough roads can cause outrigger poles to bounce and flex excessively. Even when telescoping poles are retracted, the bouncing action places tremendous stress on the outrigger bases and mounting surfaces, as well as on the poles.

Solution: Outrigger Support System

A simple yet effective solution comes from brands such as Birdsall Marine Design. Its Outrigger Support System consists of U-shaped cradles to secure the poles with arms that slip into the rod holders on a hardtop or T-top. Elastic cords secure the poles. These innovative devices are available in 2- and 6-inch offset versions. They retail for $95 per pair.

No Cutting Board

Many new boats feature built-in ­cutting boards, but some older boats lack this basic angling amenity. That leaves the crew wondering where to cut bait, filet a fish, or rig a ballyhoo.

Solution: Cutting Board with Rod‑Holder Mount

One of the best solutions is a ­cutting board equipped with a rod-holder mount, such as the system offered by Magma Products. The Magma 31-inch-wide Bait/Filet Mate board is crafted from resilient King Starboard and features guards across the aft and sides to keep fish from sliding off. It can be equipped with the Magma adjustable LeveLock rod-holder mount, which fits virtually any rod holder. The board and mount sell as a combo for about $170.

The post Helpful Marine Hardware for Anglers appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.