Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2022 i In-Fisherman

Lithium marine batteries are catching on with a growing number of anglers and other recreational boaters. Although initial cost is considerably higher than that of lead-acid options, lithium battery benefits include extended run times, a notably longer lifespan, and reduced size and weight. One of the downsides of making the switch to lithium batteries is the risk of over- or undercharging with conventional chargers. Minn Kota’s new lineup of Precision On-Board Chargers takes the guesswork out charging lithium 12-volt (LiFePO4) marine lithium batteries and maximizing longevity. As a bonus, the new high-output chargers deliver shorter charge times to get you back on the water faster. All Precision chargers feature automatic, multistage charging, which adjusts output based on the current needed to charge lithium, flooded lead-acid, or AGM batteries in each…

Lots of hulls to choose from, but the bulk of innovation and improvement in design is taking place among deep-Vs and bass boats. Not to take anything away from jet boat hulls. Kevin Turner’s reverse-chine River Pro jet boats—the hottest innovation in hull design until recently—actually create a cushion of water that allow the boat to glide through areas inches deep. But anglers targeting those other hulls continue to demand wider beams for added space. That’s more weight to get up on plane. “Anglers have been demanding wider boats that offer more room for increased storage space and more maneuvering room on deck,” says Joe Okada, marketing official for Bass Cat. As the platforms get wider, overall performance that people expect from Bass Cat could be compromised. It’s just a…

Doc ranted on and on about the sorry state of affairs in Washington, DC, even naming names, stomping his booted feet, and pounding the side of the boat to emphasize one bitter point after another. I sat silently, biting my tongue until I thought it would bleed. Eventually, he slowed enough to take a healthy slug of an unhealthy beverage, and I said, “Doc, I thought we decided 30 years ago that our fishing trips were off limits to politics.” “I know,” he said, “but it’s never been this bad. We elect who we think will serve our interests best, and when they get there, it’s like they do a Jekyll and Hyde.” I thought a second, and said, “Doc, I have a quote for you from a very famous…

■ DEVILS LAKE AREA DEVILS LAKE, NORTH DAKOTA Pike & Walleyes » Exceptional shore-fishing develops in April and often lasts into June. Check causeways, box culverts, and bridges that concentrate current; while on the nearby Sheyenne River, look for holes or riverbends. Contact: Devils Lake Chamber of Commerce, devilslakend.com. Jason Mitchell ■ LAKE HAVASU LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZONA Multispecies » It’s best known for giant redear sunfish, but there’s solid fishing for stripers up to 20 pounds, and largemouth and smallmouth bass of 3 to 5 pounds, too. Contact: Bass Tackle Master, basstacklemaster.com. Steve Quinn & Steve Ryan ■ FELLSMERE RESERVOIR FELLSMERE, FLORIDA Largemouth Bass » Also known as Headwaters Reservoir, this new 10,000-acre man-made, habitat-enhanced body of water is teaming with 2- to 3-pound bass and has produced more…

How channel catfish sense their environment is difficult for humans to comprehend. A crude analogy would be to imagine a trip to a local shopping mall. As you stroll the mall you encounter the smell of ink near the bookstore, a chemical odor of polyester and fabrics outside clothing stores, and the earthy scent of leather near the kiosk that sells leather goods. Even in an unfamiliar mall, you know you’re approaching a food court long before you see it, thanks to the scents wafting on faint ventilation currents. Once near the food court, the generic odors of food resolve into distinct aromas that lead you to Chinese, Tex-Mex, or other fast-food opportunities. Now imagine you’re a channel catfish, and the mall is a local river. In that case, you…

“What does two-stroke mean,” asked my 16-year-old earlier this summer while reading the back of an oil bottle I use to mix chainsaw gas. We went to the back of the garage where the boat was, and I offered my best, non-mechanic explanation of two-stroke versus four-stroke engines and a bit of history. Along the way I probably complained about the joys of mixing oil into gas, figuring ratios, and the mess it made, all while waxing nostalgic about the rumble and clouds of blue smoke you don’t get anymore in modern four-stroke engines. While I don’t remember his exact response, it was something along the lines of “why didn’t they just always make four-strokes?” From a boat-engine perspective, it’s a great question with a lengthy answer. Ry Landry, Product…

Not long ago, there were a limited number of multispecies fishing boats designed specifically for weekend warriors to challenge rough waters. Sure, charter captains and guides were running heavily constructed cabin cruisers or welded metal boats to make a living on big-water fisheries, but the “In-Fisherman crowd” was largely content with aluminum boats in the 16-to 18-foot range, matched with 50- to 150-hp outboards. Those who found the need to run heavier fiberglass boats were either doing so in bass or fish-and-ski-style boats, which weren’t particularly great options for tackling big water that can turn treacherous in minutes. Anglers began to demand fishing boats that would handle challenging conditions with better performance, greater safety, and more comfort. Boat manufacturers listened and answered the call with a wide spectrum of aluminum…

It didn’t take long after arriving at the family cabin on Stalker Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, for the entire family to come down with it. Catching what we referred to as Norwegian Disease, back in the day before political correctness, was anything but a problem and unlike other diseases was, in fact, a good thing. The only symptoms consisted of complete relaxation and sleepiness that necessitated an earlier-than-normal bedtime. Never mind that my parents, my brother Gary, and I would leave our home in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the wee hours of the morning for the nine-hour trip to the cabin. Dad was always too excited to sleep and he wanted to spend as much of the drive as possible in the cool of the night, as our cars…

ADB Sport Maker of commercial fishing boots for over 60 years, XTRATUF offers their new Ankle Deck Boot Sport, which is 30 percent lighter than other 6-inch boots in this category. Built from a new high-performance foam Pro Lite—ultra-durable, slip-resistant, one-piece out-sole. This ICAST 2021 New Products Best in Footwear category winner delivers the comfort and agility of a sneaker while offering the traction benefits of a full rubber boot—check men’s and women’s models, colors, and pricing at xtratuf.com Another Classic One of the classic softbait trailers of all time, the Berkley PowerBait Chigger Craw, available in 3- and 4-inch sizes, with distinctive paddling legs, is now available in a MaxScent version, adding fish-attracting scent to an already revolutionary taste-infused product—$6.99, berkley-fishing.com Drop-Shot Keeper The Rapid Drop Shot Keeper snaps…

Flowing through our memories like liquid nostalgia, a singular river evokes vivid fish-catching images, plus everything intangible and elusive and beautiful about the pursuit. We all seem to have one—that certain special river that conjures a quick smile and an insatiable thirst to return, and to feel the tug of the current. It’s no accident that the best in angling literature nearly always involves an angler and their favorite river. Roderick Haig-Brown wrote glowingly about British Columbia’s Campbell River in his angling classic, A River Never Sleeps. Norman Maclean spun a wonderful story around Montana’s Big Blackfoot. John Gierach once remarked, whimsically, “I’d fish anyone’s St. Vrain,” with a nod to his sentimental favorite little trout stream. You don’t have to know how to cast a flyrod to appreciate the…

Boat control is critical in the quest to catch more fish. Electric trolling motors have long been a key ally in positioning our fishing platforms, especially when wind, current, and other complicating factors come into play. While spike-style shallow-water anchors have come on strong in fixed-point positioning, trolling motors remain the choice for deep-water hovering, slow-trolling, cruising while casting, the main source of propulsion for small craft, and more. Meanwhile, ongoing trends in high-tech, hands-free systems that link the power of your bowmount, sonar, and GPS continue to take trolling motor-based boat positioning to new heights. Surprisingly, while only a handful of manufacturers duke it out in the trolling-motor market, the number of models and options they produce is impressive, as is the technology that guides and propels these modern…

There was a time when getting a “graph” on your boat meant choosing from only a handful of manufacturers, and even fewer options in the way of technology. Those days are long gone with fishing electronics now evolving to units that side-scan, live-view in real-time, and continue to progress in terms of down-view imaging with traditional 2D sonar. It’s almost difficult to classify them broadly as “sonar,” as in recent times they do so much more, with most anglers opting to call them out by brand because of each unit’s propensity for a certain style of technology. Yet, as lines blur and machinery melds across brand boundaries, it’s useful to understand the tech as more than just what company X describes it as. Traditional Sonar For many applications freshwater and…

Fishing line is, of course, an essential component of the fishing and catching equation—it connects you to your bait or lure. And if it’s the right bait or lure placed in the right place, it connects you to your quarry. Today’s fishing lines are a long way from the catgut, silk, horsehair, Dacron, and nylon lines of yesteryear. Better living through chemistry. Single-filament nylon lines have been around since the late 1930s. While offering some distinct advantages like transparency compared to braided nylon line, they were stiff and thick compared to today’s monofilament lines. Again, better living—and fishing—through chemistry. In 1970, Kureha Corporation in Japan released Seaguar, a completely new single-filament line made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin. Originally made only as leader material and targeted at the saltwater fishing…