Fishing
Outdoor safety while on the water
Many people in the outdoors suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves close enough to the grim reaper to smell his breath. If it happens to you, how will you call for help?[…]
Marine Electronics
Fishing
Here come the electric boats
Maybe it was the $5-a-gallon gas we saw back at the beginning of the current economic slump or maybe it’s just part of the growing green movement, but the number of boat makers offering models with electric primary power instead of gas engines is amping up.[…]
Fishing
Talon holds anglers in shallow water
The word “anchor” starts visions dancing in my head of handling a heavy, muck- and weed-coated chunk of metal connected to a slimy wet rope by a length of rusty chain.[…]
Fishing
Fish finders lower learning curve to speed bump
Wandering the aisles at the annual ICAST show last month looking at next year’s fishing equipment, I realized that the convention is a window into the future in more ways than one.[…]
Fishing
Plug and play beats plug and pray
Bad connections can cause your electronics to do things that are science-fiction strange. They can cause simple problems like a unit failing to power-up, but they prefer to hide behind sneaky, intermittent troubles that could be caused by dozens of things.[…]
Fishing
Amp of prevention worth pound of cure
A bass fisherman recently posted a plea for help on a marine electronics forum I frequent. The GPS part of his fish-finder/GPS combo unit suddenly stopped tracking his position and displayed the warning, “GPS Not Responding.”[…]
Fishing
Put a 12-volt meteorologist in your boat
Weather can kill people in boats and be downright sneaky while doing it. When fishing Lake Tawakoni in East Texas, for instance, I remember how blue northers would slide by just clear of the west side of the lake, like they were going to miss us, and then circle around to come north right over the dam and hit the lake.[…]
Fishing
Sophistication of GPS continues to grow
A 1983 tragedy generally gets the credit for GPS going public. Shortly after Korean Airlines flight 007 experienced navigational errors, strayed into restricted Russian airspace and was shot down by Russian fighters, President Reagan declassified GPS, allowing it to be used by civilians for more accurate navigation.[…]
Fishing
Is your inattention killing your battery?
My truck pulls a travel trailer or a boat much of the year, but there are weeks when it just sits in the garage. Thinking it had been two weeks or so since I’d driven it, I figured I’d give it some exercise while running a few errands.[…]
Fishing
Automotive GPS units have leapt miles forward
Have you ever missed a turn, decided to go around the block and found yourself in a part of town you didn’t know existed?[…]
Fishing
At a time not long ago, today’s technology was unimaginable
Back in the 1970s, there was so much standing timber in legendary southern fishing lakes like Toledo Bend on the Texas/Louisiana border that about the only way to get around on them was following boat lanes cut through the trees.[…]
Fishing
iPilot module makes trolling fool-proof
Digital components have been creeping into electric trolling motors for years. Computer processors are now common in marine electronics and GPS receivers, and antennas are small enough to fit practically anywhere.[…]
Fishing
The single purpose vs. combo unit question
Units capable of doing practically everything are available, yet some boaters still prefer single-purpose electronics. Is there a “best” solution?[…]
Fishing
The learning curve has been slashed
Thirty years ago, a state-of-the-art fish finder had a round turntable with a light bulb mounted on its edge spinning behind a clear circular window. There were hash marks and depth scale numbers printed around the window.[…]
Fishing
Old school meets new technology
Kayaks have long provided peaceful transportation, free of noise and exhaust fumes, on freshwater lakes and rivers and saltwater bays and estuaries for bird watching, fishing and exploring.[…]
Fishing
New trolling motors are truly hands-free
About two decades ago, a serious fisherman named Joseph Mardesich left the high-tech halls of California’s computer geekdom and set out to change the world of electric trolling motors.[…]