Skills
Walleye: An Indigenous Freshwater Delicacy
It was late summer, 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with high humidity. What do you do when you’re fishing for a creature that’s been called a golden prize? The answer depends on the lake you’re fishing and the ecosystem in place. Many walleye anglers search for baitfish off deep-water ledges. Most anglers on the water that day […] Read More
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Towing a Dinghy Done Right
Towing a dinghy is habitual. We get so used to it that we don’t realize the dinghy is behind us until: 1) it is not; 2) its painter becomes wrapped in the prop; or 3) its outboard deep-sixes. I could go on, but suffice to say the thing is a necessary evil. As a means […] Read More
Barbecuing on Your Boat
Outdoor grilling has never been more popular as a food prep opportunity — and that’s as true for boaters as it is for backyard barbecue chefs. Not only are there more after-market on-board grills for boats available than ever before, but more boat models are now coming with standard or optional built-in grills on deck. […] Read More
DIY Adjustments for Your Electronics
In which category do you fit: Just want to use the basics of your marine electronics, or want to get everything you can out of them? Here are some tips how to accomplish the latter. Marine Radios Virtually every marine VHF radio sold today has Digital Selective Calling (DSC) capability. But the Coast Guard recently […] Read More
Research Reveals How Boat Fires Happen
Fire ranks No. 5 among all boat losses, according to BoatUS Marine Insurance Program claims files. Dig a little a deeper, and those claims files also tell the six specific areas that lead to most reported boat fires. Since being forewarned is being forearmed, here are the top culprits and some tips on how to […] Read More
Managing a Man Overboard Situation
An old sailing buddy of mine, an Englishman by the name of Tristan Jones, had gone places and experienced adventures that most of us dream about. In his later years, he wrote and lectured about his life at sea. At one of his talks, he was asked about “man overboard procedures.” Jones looked at the […] Read More
Explaining CHIRP Technology
A friend of mine, Capt. Ed “Cookie” Murray, took a boat from Beaufort, North Carolina, to Bermuda with some Garmin sonar engineers who were field-testing CHIRP technology. He said there wasn’t a moment during the passage when they lost bottom lock. In the process, they exceeded Garmin’s previous maximum depth reading of 11,720 feet by […] Read More
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Catching Summer Catfish
Updated 8/5/21 “They’re the biggest fish around,” answered Jeremy Leach when asked why he targets Midwest catfish. “There’s nothing to match the rush of catching a fifty- or sixty-pound cat!” That rush has reached Leach at least a dozen times during the quarter-century he’s been in the hunt. His largest is 58-pound blue cat. He […] Read More