Being able to read the water isn’t just important for fishermen, it’s an important talent for all boaters. It can help you avoid running aground, lose speed due to currents, or anchor in an inappropriate area. Oh yeah, and then
Five tips for Reading the Water Read More »
You expect to find cool stuff from major manufacturers at a major boat show, like all the goodies I told you about last week in Hot News from the Miami Boat Show. But one of the neat things about big
Unexpected Gems from the Miami Show: LilliPad, and SonarCharts Live Read More »
My last week was spent in Miami, Florida, attending the Miami Boat Show, checking out all the cool new boats and marine goodies on display. And I can sum up the show with one word: wow. Actually, three words work
Hot News from the Miami Boat Show Read More »
These days, it’s hard to tell whether some center consoles are fishing boats, or speed boats. Triple outboard rigs have become common, quads are popping up all over the place, and max horsepower ratings well over 1,000 have become normal.
Fishing Boat, or Speed Boat? Yes! Read More »
Welcome, everyone, to the Miami boat show. Next week in sunny Florida, thousands of new boats, cool accessory gear, and mind-boggling marine electronics will go on display. No, we can’t all be there – but I will (I haven’t missed
The Miami Boat Show is Just a Week Away! Read More »
Do you modify your fishing lures, to make them more effective? If so, you need to know about hot-rodding. And if not, well, you should. In one episode of the Got Bait? fishing series, we show how to hot-rod and rig
How to Hot-Rod a Fishing Lure Read More »
On a boat, electrical failure isn’t too far off from a heart attack – and many boats are always one jiggling wire away from this ailment. That’s because boats aren’t like houses or cars, which sit in one place or
Is Your Boat About to Have a Heart Attack? Read More »
Is stupid had a per-gallon price, it would be something like $0.01. There’s lots of stupid to go around – too much – and you don’t even have to drill, frack, or even search very hard to find it. Darwin Award-level
Stupid Things NOT to do on a Boat Read More »
My retriever is a golden. Okay, stop laughing. Please. I know most of the breed leans towards the life of a lap-dog, but there are some strains (raised in Maine and Michigan, mostly) which have been maintained as serious hunters. And
Hunting Dogs on Boats: What you Need to Know Read More »
Today’s outboard motor is a completely different beast than those of yesteryear. And it’s no wonder – remember the days when you could fix a car with a set of wrenches, a screw driver, and pliers? Today, if you don’t
Strange Outboard Problems (And how to fix them) Read More »
Let me take a moment to make the case for the super cheap boat. And by super cheap, yes, I mean a boat-motor-trailer package that you can buy for $2,500 or less. You think it’s not possible? I paid $1,500
Super Cheap Boats: $2,500 or Less? Yes! Read More »
The Jackplate is one of those specialized pieces of boating equipment that comes into play in our corner of the world. Talk to an angler in Seattle or Savannah and they probably won’t even know what a jackplate is. But
Do You Need a New Jackplate? Read More »
There are always tons of new fishfinders and chartplotters hitting the market, but usually they come from a handful of big companies. If none of the offerings from those companies is exactly what you want, you’re out of luck. Not this time—there’s
New Fishfinder-Chartplotter: Si-Tex SVS 460 and 560 Read More »
Every boat has a hull, a power source (even if it’s you, with a paddle) and some form of deck. Beyond that, there’s no common denominator. All boats are different, some radically so. But no matter whether you’re talking about
5 Indispensible Items You Need Aboard Your Boat Read More »
This was a great year for firsts, with me and my sons: they caught their first marlin, they experienced their first over-nighter offshore, and they got their first boat. Yes, their first boat. Now, some folks may feel that 14
The Boys First Boat Read More »
There’s a chill in the air these days, and although most of us probably won’t have to deal with snow and ice, freeze damage can still be an issue for boaters. The very nature of boats – they don’t just
Winter is Coming – Is Your Boat Ready? Read More »
As usual this year, my benefactors at boats.com sent me to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. And also as usual, it was a crazy scene full of uber-expensive yachts, luxury machines, and watercraft as varied as mini-subs and hovercraft.
News from the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Read More »
It’s a common issue for us boaters: we need to wear polarized sunglasses, or the glare off the water just about burns out our retinas. But if we wear polarized sunglasses, every time we try to look at the fishfinder or chartplotter screen
Polarization Problems? New Sunglasses Have the Answer Read More »
Mahi-mahi fishing can get quite chaotic, and when we were shooting the third episode of Got Bait? the chaos was just plain out of control. The dang fish tried to eat our underwater fish-cam. We had double, triple, and even
THEY ATE THE FISH-CAM – Got Bait? III is Mahi-Mahi Mayhem Read More »
I end up testing a lot of pontoon boats for boats.com, and though they aren’t exactly my own personal cup of tea, they do have a lot of redeeming features. In fact, if I had a house on a protected
A Day with the New Evinrude G2 200-hp Outboard Read More »
