Outdoors With Bubba

We’re Going To The Show!

New Year’s greetings from the frosty shores of Lake Powell where all but diehards have tucked their watercraft away for a long winter’s nap, and most are facing up to the grim realities of winter — two months of fidgeting, pacing, and generally quarrelsome behavior. Experts call it cabin fever, but most first mates have other terms for this malady.

But, let me take a close look at you. Just as I feared — shortness of breath, clammy hands, and a vacant look in your eyes — Skipper, what you have isn’t cabin fever, it’s not valley fever; it’s New Boat Fever. I remember the last time I was infected.

That’s not exactly true — New Boat Fever had me by the throat, choking the life out of me as I sat there at the kitchen table surrounded by boat brochures. I could see myself in a new boat, rising above mere mortals to the lofty heights of my spacious flipping deck, there to make a cast and see all the bass simply surrender.

Yes, I was magnificent.

Well, so much for make believe and that never-never land crapola. I hope you’re not faced with the same budgetary constraints that hit me – no matter how badly I wanted a new boat, there was just no way that I could bite off a new chunk of debt load.

After a couple of days of deep depression, eating Cheetos, and watching Seinfeld reruns in sweat pants, I admitted that my old boat was going to be fine for another season.

But I was still depressed. Thank goodness, my wife came to the rescue. She suggested that what I needed was a day at the Boat Show with a modest budget for a few new gadgets for Old Trusty, the pride of the family fleet, and maybe a few items for my tackle box. My God, that woman is smart!

Following are a few items I found at the Boat Show. This stuff falls into two categories – items I would never again consider being without based on long years of successful usage, or items that I instantly wanted on sight.

The kicker here is that not all of the good stuff is expensive. So, put down the Cheetos and turn off the TV; we’re going to the Boat Show!

Cool Stuff Under $10

Clippers on a Lace: My most often-used piece of fishing gear, cheap, simple and effective, was a pair of Trim fingernail clippers looped onto a 36-inch bootlace. Tie the ends of the lace in a double overhand knot, slip the loop around their neck, and you’re ready!

That length was optimum for me — long enough to put my work at a comfortable focal length, yet not long enough to be bothersome, and once all knots were trimmed, I tucked them into my breast pocket.

Eze Lap Sharpener: Good for minor touch-ups on blades, the flip side has a groove designed for hooks. I like the handy, fits-in-a-pocket size and the diamond-impregnated surface that makes fast jobs of routine smoothing and sharpening.

Replacement Trebles: Fishing isn’t cheap; whether out for weekend fun, or tournament glory, a day on the water represents a fistful of dollars. Using bad tools, like dull hooks, leads to disappointment and it’s just dumb, especially when premium-quality replacement trebles are so inexpensive.

Around five bucks gets you a needle-sharp pack of Owner or Gamakatsu trebles, and size 2, 4, and 6 will cover everything from small Rapala-type plugs to the big Zara Spooks. And, don’t forget the feathered trebles for adding a dash of color to any hard bait, or replacing the battle-scarred rear hooks on your premium topwater baits.

Serious Marker Buoy

I don’t know how deep the pond is where you fish, but since I fish mainly here at Powell, I had to have one of these magnum buoys. Certainly not for everyone, but the Bomb™ by Seaccon Marine may be the ultimate deep-water structure fisherman’s marker buoy.

A closed-cell foam core with a layered outer shell of soft polyurethane makes it almost indestructible, and counterweights stop rotation when its 2-pound weight hits bottom, a swivel reduces twist, and with 120 feet of line and a 300-pound leader, it stays where you put it.

Pricey at $50+, but it’s a well-made tool designed for rugged use — Seaccon Marine.

Fisherman-Friendly Cleat

Bass boaters have a love/hate relationship with cleats — love ‘em when you need a secure means to tie up, hate ‘em when you trip, or break a rod on one. Accon Marine produces an alternative: the flush-mounted Pop-Up Cleat™.

This nifty piece of hardware pops up at the touch of a button but stows flush with the deck when it’s time to fish. It’s available in a variety of sizes and includes an aluminum backing plate — 4½-inch model under $80 from Accon Marine.

Quick Change Trailer-Jack

Wrestling a jack under a boat trailer’s drop axle is no fun, but these semi-circular-shaped gizmos really work. Constructed of high-strength aluminum, they raise the trailer when the tow vehicle is moved up or back — changing a tire or doing bearing maintenance was never easier — under $40 from Springfield Marine.

Make a Big Noise

Next time you really need to be noticed, but weather or location makes visual signals ineffective, just grab your LoudMouth Horn. The rugged, lightweight plastic horn produces a heavyweight sound.

All it takes is your breath to produce a blast up to 120 decibels, and the LoudMouth conforms to A.B.Y.C. Standard A-23, ‘72 COLREGS, and US Inland Rules for vessels under 5 meters – under $20 from Skyblazer.

Solution for Sliding Coolers

The last thing boaters need is a cooler sliding around the cockpit. Cooler Grips keep coolers secure even in rough seas, eliminating the slipping and sliding that generally occurs.

One kit secures a 64-quart cooler, and two will hold a 94-quart. Kits contain two straps and four buckle fasteners.

Quick-release locks open easily and fasteners attach with marine adhesive and self-tapping stainless screws — $25 from Fastening Solutions Inc.