West Marine Coastal Automatic Inflatable Life Jacket

Drab? Perhaps. Critical? Absolutely. Don’t fool yourself, anything can happen on the water. West Marine’s coastal jacket inflates automatically: Even if you’re knocked silly, you’ll float face up. This jacket’s low profile means you’ll barely know it’s there—until you need it. $149.99; westmarine.com.

YakAttack Omega

A fishing kayak without rod holders is an expensive plastic cork. Doll up your ride with a few YakAttack Omega track-mounted holders. They keep your reels out of the water and rotate to point any direction. They adapt to fly, spin, baitcast and even conventional tackle. $30; yakattack.us.

Bending Branches Angler Pro Plus

Your paddle might grow cobwebs on your pedal kayak, but when you must blade home after a freak grounding, you’ll beg for carbon fiber. Heavy kayaks with elevated frame seats require high-power paddles like the 30-ounce Angler Pro Plus. A telescoping ferrule allows multiple feathering angles and paddle lengths. $324.95; bendingbranches.com.

Yeti Hopper Flip 12

The perfect passenger for a SUP or kayak, this chill cube can be bungeed anywhere on deck. Fill it with a 4-pound Yeti ice pack, lunch, and drinks or slime it up with bait. The outer shell is made from the same stuff they use for whitewater rafts. $249.99; yeti.com.

Garmin GPSMap 86sci

Kayaks and SUPs take us way off the main channel, but with a handheld GPS and satellite communicator like the 86sci, you’re never off the grid. With two-way messaging, you can even start the brag chain before you get home. $649.99; garmin.com.

The post Must-Have Gear & Accessories for Your Fishing Kayak or SUP appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

My 19-foot skiff is ideal for the quick maneuvering needed to pursue fast-moving false albacore, and you can run around the console to cast into blitzes. But my beloved 72-quart hard-sided cooler bungeed against the bow platform was often in the way. Albies are a catch-and-release species, so I used the chest merely as an oversize vessel for ice, drinks and food.

I downsized to my rigid, 16-quart family lunch cooler with poor results. It either slid and banged around the deck during run-and-gun action or it tipped over when bungeed by its built-in cover handle.

Then I bought a soft-sided cooler —problem solved! Its shoulder strap sat perfectly over a rod holder or cleat, and it didn’t occupy any deck space. The soft cooler also compressed when empty to tuck inside the bow-platform hatch. With that soft cooler, I eliminated 15 pounds from my boat and gained about 3½ feet of deck surface.

The Softer Advantage

Like hard chests, soft coolers keep drinks, food or catch safely chilled for many hours—or even days—in hot weather. Soft coolers squeeze into tight spots in your boat or vehicle, and you can sling them over a shoulder to free up both hands.

So they’re light in weight, easy to pack and easy to transport, Chris Holloway at Engel Coolers points out. He says Engel’s soft coolers hold ice up to four days and are leakproof.

Capt. Chris Elser, a pro of 30 years’ experience guiding in New England waters, finds soft coolers advantageous because he can place them in a locker to avoid constant bouncing on deck in choppy seas. And when stalking predators in skinny water, they allow quiet access.

All soft coolers might appear similar—an insulated carry bag with a closing top—but variables include insulation, ease of use, portability, waterproofness, closures, color, shape, side pockets, antimicrobial lining, tool attachments, divider compartments and durability. Most will last as long as a good hard-shell cooler, and typically cost $30 to $300.

Leading Ruggedness

In 2014, Yeti—known for its “bear-proof” Tundra hard coolers—introduced its Hopper line of heavy-duty, soft-sided coolers. Other manufacturers quickly followed Yeti’s lead in developing extreme-use soft coolers. The Hopper series includes various sizes and models, says Thacher Stone at Yeti, and each is transportable, durable and reliable for open-boat anglers.

The Hopper’s outer casing is a high-density fabric that’s resistant to punctures, mildew and UV rays. Yeti’s HitchPoint front grid offers various attachment loops for clip-on equipment, which is handy for items such as a bottle opener or pliers. If you expect unwrapped food to make direct contact with an inner liner in another cooler, check if it’s FDA-approved food‑grade material as is Yeti’s.

The most important cooler features to look for include ice retention, a waterproof zipper, lightness and durability. Materials used for construction vary by manufacturer, but welded TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is the strongest, most durable and most water resistant, Engel’s Holloway says. Look for welded seams because stitched materials are less waterproof and weaker.

A soft cooler that’s airtight and leakproof will keep its contents colder and prevent wet spots on vulnerable surfaces such as car seats. The Engel HD-20 is entirely welded to retain cold air and liquid while preventing water and warm air from entering.

Engel’s tough outer shell is made of 840 denier fibers, and a water-resistant front pocket protects sensitive items, including wallets and cellphones.

Yeti’s coolers don’t have a built‑in side pocket. Instead they offer the SideKick, which is a waterproof gear pouch to store keys, fishing licenses, phones and glasses.

Style and Size

Three basic styles of soft coolers are available: The messenger bag, which looks like a large purse or, if you prefer, murse; the lunch box, which varies in shape from rectangular to oval; and the backpack, designed for hiking and less applicable for most boating anglers. Manufacturers vary on how they measure capacity: some by quarts, some by weight but most by the number of cans.

The messenger-bag styles feature a large, over-the-shoulder padded strap—handy for long walks down a marina dock while lugging tackle and other gear. Many bags also sport short handles to carry the cooler as one might a briefcase. Bags usually have greater capacity and dimensions than lunch box types, and offer tremendous insulation.

Bags are a good choice for carrying a group’s provisions for a day or two, but the large capacity also means they’re heavy, especially when topped with ice. The box-style soft coolers are more rigid, protect contents better, are easily carried in one hand and often include a shoulder strap.

Most manufacturers keep cooler capacity at or below the 30-can size because few users require a huge soft cooler. But Arctic Zone’s Titan Deep Freeze has a 60-can option, which is big enough for a group on a large vessel for a couple of days, and it comes with a detachable cart featuring all-terrain wheels, a retractable handle and a 100‑pound capacity.

Closed Tight

When shopping for a soft cooler, look for a high-quality zipper and a rugged exterior to reduce wear and tear. Chris Pardue at Calcutta Outdoors points out that a cheap zipper might pull apart and leak and can quickly ruin a trip. The advanced materials now available for exterior fabrics are strong, resistant to punctures and rips and better support zippers and handle or strap attachments.

Soft-cooler closures vary and include slit zippers (sometimes with end clips), zippered flip-back lids or zipperless versions such as a roll-top bag with plastic buckles or a press-in flip lid with securing latch. Some models are admittedly difficult to zip and unzip, a trade-off for strength and waterproofness. Silicone spray helps ease closure struggles, and Engel and Yeti include a lubricant for their zippers.

The Yeti Hopper M30 (bag style) features an innovative magnetic top closure that virtually seals itself, which proves helpful when you reach for a bottled water during the heat of action and don’t have the time—or two free hands (or simply forget) to pull a sticky zipper shut tight. And if you have kids aboard digging for snacks, there’s less chance of the lid being left wide open in the summer heat.

Calcutta offers its Renegade series in 15-liter and 35-liter models. These products are lightweight and insulated with closed-cell insulation throughout, Pardue says. They feature a rugged exterior shell and have an easy-access opening using a waterproof zipper. He believes that the light weight of their coolers will convert you into a fan of the soft-sided style.

Artic Zone’s Titan Zipperless cooler uses a flip top and latch to allow one-handed access. But to keep the zipperless lid snug and contents cold, the interior lid lining is rigid plastic, making this product more of a hybrid between soft- and hard-shell coolers.

Read Next: Turn Seat on Walkaround into Cooler Rack

It won’t scrunch down when empty to stuff into a tight spot, but it’s puncture-proof, easy to wipe down, leakproof and stable on deck. Typically, the more rectangular the shape of a soft cooler, the more rigid and likely it is to protect delicate contents.

Fishy Contents

But what about your catch? NorChill offers a soft cooler designed for fish called the FishBag, and it’s available in three sizes. These marine-grade bags, also fine for food and beverages, roll up for easy transport and compact storage. Like other messenger bags, the FishBag sports a flat bottom to keep it upright in choppy seas. An innovative, integrated pour spout allows you to drain away blood and melted ice. Its liner is puncture-resistant to protect against fins, and it’s fusion welded to prevent leakage. The FishBag seals with fold-down end clips, which give the cooler a rectangular shape.

The post Soft Coolers: We Compare 13 Models appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Reels

[A] Shimano Stradic FL 2500HG
Shimano‘s newly redesigned Stradic FL spinning reels feature smoother rotation, added durability and enhanced casting distance. They’re offered in five sizes, including the 2500HG (pictured), which gathers 35 inches of line per crank (6-to-1 gear ratio), carries 145 yards of 15-pound braid, and delivers 20 pounds of max drag. Weighing 7.9 ounces, it costs $199.99.

[B] Penn Torque Lever-Drag Two-Speed 15XN
The 15XN is a new size in Penn’s Torque lever-drag two-speed series; it gives anglers a narrower, taller platform than the existing 15LD. Torques feature a machined-aluminum body, spool and side plates. The 15XN offers 2.8- and 5.5-to-1 gear ratios and max drag of 33 pounds. It holds 450 yards of 30-pound braid and costs $579.95.

[C] Okuma Cavalla 5-II
Built with a machined-aluminum frame and side plates, a carbonite drag system and a machined-aluminum spool, Okuma‘s new Cavalla two-speed lever-drag conventional reels handle tough conditions and come in six models. The 5-II model (pictured) features 3.8- and 6.4-to-1 gear ratios and delivers up to 24 pounds of drag. It holds 475 yards of 50-pound braid and costs $239.99.

[D] Accurate Tern TX-600XN
Accurate’s TwinStarDrag Tern series includes six sizes; all are made from 6061 T-6 aluminum. The TX-600XN (pictured) features a 6-to-1 gear ratio and collects 52 inches of line per handle turn. Accurate real-world-tested this reel jig-fishing for wahoo, as well as bottomfishing and commercial kingfishing. The TX-600XN carries 400 yards of 65-pound braid and costs $379.95.

Gear

[A] Yeti Hopper M30
Yeti’s latest soft-sided Hopper eliminates the zippered closure in favor of a magnetic seal that permits the cooler’s mouth to open wider. Dual quick-release buckles cinch it for transport. The Hopper M30 features 7.2 gallons of capacity, and comes in navy, charcoal and river green (in limited release). It costs $299.99.

[B] Gerber Controller (His)/Magnipliers (Hers)
For men, Gerber suggests the 10-inch Controller fillet knife ($50) with its built-in sharpener. The full-tang blade flexes, and the rubber grip gets stickier when wet. The 7½-inch Magnipliers ($85) work well for women—when the jaw tips close, the grip remains manageable for smaller hands. The pliers also are lightweight due to the hot-forged aluminum design.

[C] Shimano 6-inch Power Pliers
Designed for inshore-saltwater use, Shimano’s 6-inch power pliers are made from fluorine-coated stainless steel. They feature a braided-line cutter, soft-grip handles, and a lock. They’re capable of opening No. 1 to No. 5 split rings and cost $29.99.

[D] Mustad Jig Pouch
Mustad‘s waterproof jig pouch features multiple pockets for 35 jigs total, including five slots for extra-large jigs to 11 inches, 18 slots for jigs to 7½ inches, and 12 slots for jigs to 6 inches. An outer mesh pocket holds assist hooks and leader material. The pouch measures 14½-by-9-by-3 inches and costs $61.99.

[E] Plano Z-Series Tackle Bag (3700)
Plano’s 3700 Z-Series bag is made from TPE-coated waterproof fabric. It measures 22 inches long and 13 inches high, and weighs 13.7 pounds. The bag comes with two side pockets, front and back mesh slip pockets, and Plano’s exclusive Utili-Tackle rail system molded, waterproof base. It holds five 3700 Stowaway utility boxes and costs $114.99.

[F] Weego 66
The Weego 66 water-resistant, portable jump-starter can deliver enough power to a dead battery to crank any size outboard engine. The 12-volt jump-starts with 2,500 peak amps and 660 cranking amps. It can also charge mobile devices and brighten the night with a 600-lumen dual LED flashlight. The Weego 66 costs $199.99.

[G] AFTCO 12-inch Fillet Knife
AFTCO crafted its 8-, 10- and 12-inch (pictured) fillet knives in collaboration with Böker Germany to provide premium blades for processing fish of all sizes. The knives feature 4116 German stainless blades with a full tang, upswept design and a bonded finish for corrosion resistance. The handle is made from overmolded, slip-free polypropylene/TPR. The 12-inch knife costs $89.

[H] Calcutta Renegade 11L Hard Cooler
The smallest of Calcutta‘s Renegade line of seven coolers, the 11-liter model is roto-molded, providing durability and performance under tough conditions. Features include an industrial-grade, freezer-style lid seal, stainless-steel hinge pins, a rubber latch, and nonslip feet. Available in white, tan, gray and orange, the 11L costs $99.99.

Apparel

Gill FG200 Tournament Jacket/Bibs (His)/FG300 Active Jacket/Bibs (Hers)
The men’s jacket and bibs are made from waterproof, breathable fabric with fully taped seams. The jacket ($299) features an adjustable double cuff and a high-cut thermal collar; the bibs ($249) have full-length zippered legs. For women, the jacket ($229) has adjustable outer cuffs and comes in two colors; the bibs ($159) feature knee-length zippers (available November 2019).

[A] Columbia Force XII (His)/Ultimate Catch Heat Seal Puffy (Hers)
The men’s Columbia Force XII Fleece Jacket features Omni-Shield Blood ‘n’ Guts repellency, zippered chest and hand pockets, a hoodie, and a drawcord hem. The jacket comes in black, cool gray and vivid blue, and costs $140. The women’s puffy jacket has Omni-Shield and Thermarator insulation. Available in black, cirrus gray, dolphin and harbor blue, it costs $140.

[B] Bluefin USA Rash Guard Camohood (His)/Camo Leggings (Hers)
Bluefin made its men’s camo hoodie sweatshirt ($49) from soft microfiber and spandex. It features antimicrobial properties and UPF 50-plus sun protection, and comes in blue and gray. The women’s camo leggings ($65) offer SPF 50 ultraviolet sun protection and moisture-wicking properties. They’re 78 percent polyester/22 percent spandex, and come only in blue.

[A] Under Armour Tide Chaser Hybrid Woven (His)/Tide Chaser Leggings (Hers)
UA’s hybrid shirt features a lightweight polyester fabric with built-in stretch. It wicks sweat and dries quickly while providing UPF 30 sun protection. Available in gray, coho and khaki, it costs $48.99. The UA women’s polyester/elastane leggings offer UPF 50-plus protection and four-way stretch. With a 24-inch inseam, the leggings come in petrol blue and cost $65.

[B] Mossy Oak short- and Long-Sleeve Tech Tees (His/Hers)
For him, Mossy Oak designed this short-sleeve tee made from polyester and elastane (50-plus UPF) with a mesh back panel (20-plus UPF). The shirt ($19.99 to $34.99) comes in seven camo/noncamo colors. Her version comes in similar colors, at the same cost, and features the same technologies, including Coolcore, which manages heat and moisture to regulate body temperature.

[C] Pelagic Exo-Tech Shirt (His)/Ultratek Shirt (Hers)
The men’s Exo-Tech ($99) is a combination sun shirt, face shield and hoodie made from polyester and elastane. It features UPF 50-plus sun protection, and comes in six distinctive camo patterns and colors. The women’s Ultratek ($59) hooded shirt is made from a four-way-stretch fabric, carries UPF 50-plus sun protection, and comes in five solid colors.

[D] Huk Coldfront Icon ¼-Zip (His)/IconX (Hers)
The men’s Coldfront Icon ¼-zip from Huk features a durable, water-repellent face, four-way stretch and hollow-core warming fibers. It comes in three colors and costs $60. The women’s IconX wicks moisture and offers sun protection as well as internal cooling fibers. It comes in four solid colors ($45) and in camo ($50), and is also available in ­long-sleeve and hoodie versions.

[A] XtraTuf Leather Ankle Deck Boot (His/Hers)
The leather version of XtraTuf’s popular 6-inch ankle deck boot is made from waterproof leather with a Chevron rubber outsole and neoprene side panels. The men’s boots come in black, brown and taupe; women’s come in black, brown and olive. XtraTuf recommends sizing up to account for thick socks (whole and half sizes available). The boots cost $120.

[B] Buff Eclipse Gloves (His)/Solar Gloves (Hers)
Buff men’s three-quarter-finger Eclipse gloves ($35) offer advanced grip technology (with silicone dots and an abrasion-resistant film), UV protection and antimicrobial properties. They’re available in four sizes and four colors. The women’s half-finger Solar Gloves ($20) are super lightweight and breathable, with UPF 40-plus sun protection. They come in four sizes and three colors.

[C] Costa Broadbill (His)/WaterWoman (Hers)
Costa’s Broadbill sculpted large-wrap frames ($189 to $269) come with nonslip vented nose pads and integrated temple-tip icons for Costa retainer cords. Broadbills are available in four frame colors, including the new matte reef, and a variety of 580 lenses. WaterWoman frames ($189 to $269) feature a medium fit with angled temples and Hydrolite accents. They come in four frame colors with seven 580 lens choices.

Electronics

[A] Icom M37 Icom’s M37 handheld VHF radio offers 6 watts of RF output power and 700 megawatts of audio output. The Li-ion supplied battery pack provides more than 12 hours of operating time. In addition, Icom has also added a channel-history function that stores the last five channels for easy recall. The M37 weighs 10.3 ounces and costs $277.

[B] Garmin GPSMap 86sci Garmin’s floating 86sci handheld has a 3-inch color display, is preloaded with BlueChart g3 coastal charts, and features inReach satellite communication, two-way texting and interactive SOS. The unit can extend onboard Garmin systems, displaying boat data, and providing remote control for autopilot and stereo products. Available in four models with varying features, prices range from $399.99 to $649.99.

[C] ACR ResQLink View/OLAS Tag ACR has bundled its ResQLink View personal locator beacon with its OLAS (Overboard Location Alert System) tag; the two attach together for wearing. The tag alerts captains in a man-overboard situation, and the PLB allows emergency contact, if necessary. The View includes a digital display; the tag pairs with a device app. The pair costs $375.

[D] Globalstar Spot X Globalstar’s Spot X two-way, handheld satellite messenger comes with a full keyboard, and allows direct communication with emergency services. Its unique phone number lets family and friends make contact when you’re outside cell range. Spot X carries an IP67 rating, and supports GPS tracking, texting and check-in. The unit costs $249.99; service plans start at $11.95 per month.

Read Next: New Fishing Products

[E] Standard Horizon HX890 Available in black and navy blue, Standard’s HX890 handheld GPS/VHF has two scrambler systems for secure communication, an FM broadcast band receiver, Class H DSC, and waypoint and route navigation. With 6 watts of transmit power, the unit floats, is submersible and can also be programmed with a PC. It costs $199.99.

Stocking Stuffers

Lures, line, and leader material make great smaller gifts for fishing friends and family members. Those products come in choices of colors and sizes specific to different fishing situations, but here’s a good place to start:

Shimano SP ORCA Baby subsurface lure
$19.99 [C]

PowerPro Moon Shine braid
starts at $20.99

Soft Steel Fluoro-Stretch fluorocarbon
$6.99 to $14.99

FishLab Tackle Carnada flutter jigs
$7.99 to $10.99

Berkley Gulp! shrimp (3-inch)
$6.99 (six) [A]

Z-Man Weedless Eye jig heads
$6.99 (three) [B]

Halco Roosta Popper (5½-inch)
$13

Savage Gear 3D Swim Squid
$13.99 to $19.99

Sufix Advance fluorocarbon
$24.99 to $199.99

Seaguar Gold Label fluorocarbon
$18.99 to $34.99

Rapala X-Rap Twitchin’ Minnow
$10.99 to $14.99

Yo-Zuri Crystal 3D Shrimp
$8.99 to $9.99

The post Anglers Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yeti has expanded its Hopper line of soft-sided coolers with a new color scheme, Field Tan (tan, green and orange), joining the original fog gray and Tahoe blue version. Hoppers feature a puncture-resistant, leakproof Dryhide shell and ColdCell insulation (an inch of closed-cell foam on the sides and 1½ inches on the bottom). Their anti-microbial liners resist mildew, and the HydroLok zipper firmly seals the cooler compartment to keep ice for days. With materials sourced from hazmat suits and white-water rafts, Hoppers come in sizes 20, 30 and 40 and cost $299.99 to $399.99.

The post Yeti Hopper Cooler — Field Tan appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yeti won the 2015 ICAST Best Boating Accessory prize with its Hopper 20 (see “New Products,” Sept./Oct.), but the company also introduced a new Tundra 210. The 210 is nearly as deep as Yeti’s mammoth 420, but has a smaller, cubed footprint designed to fit a truck bed or boat deck. Made from rotomolded polyethylene, the 210 weighs 59 pounds and features FatWall design and extra-thick PermaFrost insulation. The cooler’s ColdLock gasket minimizes unwanted air exchange. The 210 also features Yeti’s standard hinge, lid-latch and drain technologies. The cooler costs $799.99.

The post Yeti Tundra 210 Cooler appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The post ICAST 2015: Video Highlights, Day Two appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Stand all day on the heaving deck of a fishing boat, and it feels like you spent eight hours on an exercise machine. Muscles fatigue as they work continuously just to maintain your balance. It’s nice to take a load off when not fishing. In rough seas, it may also prove safer for your guests to remain seated while underway.

With a priority placed on fishing, some center‑consoles — especially older ones — feel Spartan when it comes to boat seating. Many even forgo helm chairs in favor of leaning posts. Newer center-consoles, however, tend to include more seating with features such as folding bench seats at the transom. Yet if your boat lacks such amenities, don’t despair. Here are six ways to add seating.

Portable Deck Chairs for Boats

These can take different forms, ranging from traditional heavy-duty boat deck seating to fold down seats for boats. West Marine’s patio-style Crew Deck Chair, for example, features a lightweight aluminum frame that folds to stow in the cabin or console when you don’t need it. It has mildew resistant fabric on the seat and back, varnished-wood armrests, and nonskid leg tips to protect the deck from scratches.

If you want a more sturdy and secure seat, take a look at a non-folding deck chair, such as the Wise Quad-Base Fighting Chair. It rests on a stainless-steel four-leg base (with rubber tips to prevent scratching the deck) and has a swiveling pedestal, with super-thick, padded UV-resistant vinyl on the seat, back and armrests. It also has a rod gimbal, allowing you to use this as a light-duty fighting chair.

Cooler Cushions on Boats

Most saltwater fishing boats have one or more large coolers on board. With tired crew likely to sit on them anyway while trolling or otherwise underway, why not make your coolers more comfortable with snap-on cushions?

Most major cooler brands offer these as accessories. Yeti, for example, offers snap-on cushions for all of its Tundra coolers, with cushion prices ranging from $129 to $219.99. Cushions feature UV-resistant marine vinyl and stainless-steel snap assemblies.

Beanbag Chairs for Boats

Employing a trend born on the kingfish‑tournament circuit, anglers aboard go-fast fishing machines often turn to beanbags for extra seating, which they place in the aft portion of the cockpit to cushion the ride when running to and from the fishing grounds. These are great center console boat seats. You can employ the same idea on virtually any boat, and then stash the bag in the cabin or console, or just throw it on the hardtop for temporary storage in smooth seas.

Just about any large beanbag chair will do. Yet models from companies such as E-SeaRider and Ocean-Tamer designed expressly for marine applications will last longer and offer additional features. For example, E-SeaRider’s Medium Teardrop Marine Longneck model elaborates on the basic design by including armrests and a high back. The marine-vinyl material is water-repellent, and the seams prevent moisture from getting inside. Marine beanbag seats come in a wide range of shades and color combinations to match the upholstery of your boat.

Portable Center Console Boat Seats

These represent a variation on the beanbag concept. One of the few examples is West Marine’s High-Back Go-Anywhere Seat 2. Unlike a beanbag, it has a powder-coated, five‑position, ratcheting internal steel frame for greater support, and it folds up to become a backpack for transport and storage. The navy-blue polyester fabric is UV stabilized, breathable and water-repellent. The seat features armrests, a drink holder, a side pocket for a cellphone, a mesh pocket in the back, and a nonskid bottom.

Flip-Up Boat Seats

These aftermarket designs let you install seating that locks into place when you need it, but can also fold away or be removed when it comes to clearing the deck. One of the oldest of these designs is the Garelick Utility Seat, a single removable seat that will mount to the inwales or transom bulkhead with Shur-Loc catches. A Hypalon-cushioned fold-out leg provides support. A padded, white marine-grade vinyl seat offers comfort, while an anodized-aluminum frame helps prevent corrosion. You can also add a rod gimbal, though I would hesitate to use this as a fighting chair. When removed, the Garelick Utility Seat folds up for storage in a dry locker, console or cabin.

You can add a larger seat on any vertical surface with Birdsall Marine’s Folding Rear Bench Seat. Pivoting on a pair of angle brackets and stainless-steel ball‑lock pins, the seat can be removed or folded flat against a bulkhead. When folded out, the anodized-aluminum frame and padded vinyl seat cushion are supported by two rubber-tipped legs.

You can also add the Birdsall Padded Backrest for additional comfort. The seat is available in five bench widths, ranging from 44 to 60 inches. Color choices are white and ­off-white, in smooth or pleated vinyl.

Leaning Post Conversion on Center Console Boats

OK, let’s say you have a center-console with just a leaning post — no real helm seats. Short of replacement with a seating assembly, you can convert your leaning post to a quasi-helm seat with the addition of a backrest that fits into the rocket launcher.

There are a number of these on the market, including Taco’s Leaning Post Backrest, which has a pair of anodized-aluminum inserts that slip into the two outer rod holders. The thickly padded marine vinyl backrest allows you to perch atop the leaning post and brace yourself more ­comfortably while piloting your boat.

With these ideas for resting your feet, legs and back, there’s no reason why you and your crew can’t take a seat.

The post Create More Seating Aboard Your Boat appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Six Cool Ways to Increase Cold Storage

Think about all of the things you need to keep cold on your boat, ranging from beverages and perishable food to the all-important chum, frozen bait, rigged baits and the fish you plan to keep. It can all take up a lot of room, and that’s not counting ice.

Whether chasing bluefish off New Jersey, tuna off California or king mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico, summer days on the ocean can grow warm enough to threaten your cold stores, the nourishment and good spirits of your crew, and your chances for angling success.

That’s why many of today’s fishing boats incorporate features such as built-in fish lockers and integrated coolers. But let’s look at six ways to improve cold storage even further.

Cooler Upgrade

The new breed of highly insulated, roto-molded coolers from companies such as Engel, Icey-Tek, Orca, Pelican, Yeti and others dramatically extend the time you can keep ice on board. So if you have a conventional cooler, think about upgrading to one of these super coolers. If you do, keep in mind that a thick-walled super cooler has less interior volume than a conventional cooler with the same external dimensions. So upsize the cooler to maintain the same capacity.

Additional Coolers

Boats often have storage for portable coolers under a leaning-post seat or forward of the center console. But look for other places to add a cooler or two on your boat. Creative solutions I’ve seen include lashing an ice chest to the swim platform, mounting a cooler in the middle of the forward cockpit, securing one on the hardtop, placing one on the aft deck of a fly bridge, and strapping one atop an inboard engine box. Some can double as elevated casting platforms.

Wherever you choose, make sure the cooler is battened down well enough so it doesn’t break loose and slide around or slip overboard in rough conditions. Cooler makers offer kits with heavy-duty hardware designed to secure ice chests on deck or elsewhere.

Coffin Boxes

On big center-console boats, there might be room to accommodate a coffin box — a large cooler that sits longitudinally in the middle of the foredeck. Among the companies that offer aftermarket coffin boxes is Frigid-Rigid, which has five sizes. With optional snap-on upholstered pads, these can also double as seating.

With the company’s turn-buckle hold-down system, Frigid-Rigid models are also easy to remove for times when you don’t need the extra cold storage or need access to any in-sole lockers under the box.

If you install a coffin box, keep in mind the extra weight it carries once full of ice; too much weight can alter a boat’s center of gravity, and lead to sluggish performance and poor handling. Also, an aftermarket box often drains onto the deck (once you remove the box’s drain plug), as opposed to a permanently installed box that usually drains overboard. It’s not a huge problem, but it could create a temporary mess on deck.

Kill Bags

A great way to keep fish is with a kill bag, available from brands such as C&H Lures, Canyon Products and Reliable Fishing Products. These insulated soft coolers with zippered tops come in a variety of sizes, and when properly iced, keep fish cold and fresh.

Kill bags are designed to hang from a bulkhead such as under a gunwale or along the transom interior with the bottom of the bag resting on the deck. If your boat has a swim platform, you can also hang one from the transom exterior.

Refrigerated Coolers

A refrigerated cooler is one of the few cold-storage options that does not require ice, and thus gives you more room for provisions. You connect these coolers to an onboard power source to keep drinks and food chilled. Some models can also double as freezers.

Engel, for example, offers 10 models of portable refrigerator/freezers ranging in capacity from 14 to 84 quarts. The smallest models are AC-powered only; the rest will accept AC or DC power. Engel’s largest model — the MT80 — draws a maximum of 3.6 amps at 12 volts, which means a single fully charged, 31-series, marine, deep-cycle house battery should keep it running overnight.

Built-In Fridge/Freezers

If your boat is big enough, consider a built-in refrigerator/freezer from brands such as Dometic, Engel or Isotherm. You’ll find a wide range of sizes and styles, including slide-in units for installations in a cabin or stainless-steel models for exterior galleys. While most marine refrigerator/freezers are AC/DC, some are designed strictly for 12/24-volt DC power.

Since these units dispense with the need for ice, you have more cold storage than with a similar-size cooler. However, most require a shore-power system at the least, and usually a generator as well to provide sufficient juice when the boat’s away from the dock and the main engines are shut down.

Improving cold storage might not seem important until you’re far offshore, and the drinks get warm and the chum stinks. Use these tips ahead of time so you can chill out later.

The post Increase Your Sport-Fishing Boat’s Cold-Storage Capacity appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yeti Cooler’s Tundra 45

Yeti’s Tundra 45 cooler keeps ice, food and drinks colder longer than conventional ice chests, the company says. But Yeti coolers also can serve as elevated platforms for sight-fishing or casting on flats boats and or poling skiffs. In this video,Yeti’s Ryan Seiders shows how to make the Yeti Tundra 45 even more effective as a casting platform.

Here’s a little bit more about these coolers:

Yeti Tundra ice chests feature rugged roto-molded construction, T-Rex lid latches and “BearFoot” non-slip feet. The FatWall design, ColdLock lid gasket and PermaFrost insulation maxmimizes ice retention. DoubleHaul handles ease the task moving the Yeti Tundra 45, even when it’s full of ice, drinks and food. The suggested retail price is $349.99. Call 512-394-9384 or visit yeticoolers.com. SEE MORE VIDEOS ON **THE ICAST 2013 PAGE.

**

The post ICAST Video How-To Series: Yeti Tundra 45 appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Yeti Tundra 110 Cooler

The new Yeti Tundra 110 Cooler offers 24.1 gallons of capacity in its 37-by-177⁄8-by-20-inch package. The one-piece, roto-molded box features Yeti’s pressure-injected PermaFrost insulation, T-Rex lid latches and ColdLock gasket. Tundras are dry-ice compatible and UV resistant. Available accessories include seat cushions, bait trays, a tie-down kit and a corner chock set. Price is $449.99. Call 512-394-9384 or visit www.yeticoolers​.com.

The post Yeti Tundra 110 Cooler appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.