Reliefband 2.0
Many people are prone to getting seasick, and if you fish a kayak in rough waters, the tiny craft is prone to being tossed around — which can make things even worse. Also, sitting so close to the water can cause you to lose sight of the horizon, which can also trigger nausea, vomiting and the inherent wish to die. While there are many folk remedies, prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, no one method has proven to be a cure-all for everyone. (Trust me, I have tried them all.)
Enter the Reliefband. Developed many years ago as a non-medical alternative to help relieve nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy and cancer treatments, the unique device is similar in size to a wristwatch and is worn in the same general area. The latest model, the Reliefband 2.0, still uses the same original concept, but has been updated with a slimmer, sleek band with LED indicator lights, and is rechargeable with standard USB chargers. The principle, in a nutshell, is that the unit uses a patented, FDA-cleared technology to deliver gentle pulses to the underside of the wrist. The signals travel through the body’s nervous system to the part of the brain which controls nausea. A conductive gel is used to lubricate the wrist, and the intermittent pulses can be felt through the hand and up to the fingertips. The intensity can be adjusted to 10 different levels. The pulse is not uncomfortable, but can be felt when properly placed. I have been a Reliefband user since they first came out. I’m not prone to any other motion sickness other than that of blue-water offshore fishing, but if the seas are rough and I’m offshore, chances are high that I will vomit. However, although I cannot claim 100 percent success using the Reliefband, I can say that much more often than not, it has helped prevent or stop my symptoms of nausea.
I am often asked whether or not it works, and my answer is always the same: I cannot tell you whether the results are physiological or psychological, but I don’t care. I never head offshore without my Reliefband, and it has certainly helped save many a trip. Unlike medications, the Reliefband can also calm and quell nausea symptoms even after they have started. Ask anyone in the violent throws of seasickness, and they will agree to pay nearly anything if you could make the symptoms go away. The Reliefband 2.0 is comfortable and unobtrusive, and no one will know it is anything other than a watch, unless you choose to tell them — and you likely will. One word of caution for using the Reliefband 2.0 for kayak fishing: It is rated as water resistant, not waterproof. I have used mine for several trips where it has received splash and spray with no ill effects, but it should never be submerged. If you suffer from a wide variety of nausea-related causes such as motion sickness, seasickness or vertigo, give the Reliefband 2.0 a try. MSRP: $174.99.
More information: www.reliefband.com
LiveTarget’s Croaker
Croakers are a staple food source for both trout and redfish. Live croakers are a preferred bait for big trout, but finding them at your local bait shop can often be difficult. Also, without a sophisticated livewell, they are extremely difficult to keep alive in a kayak. But LiveTarget’s new Croaker swimbait is about as exact a replica as you can get. Made from tough soft plastic with a strong, internally rigged and precisely weighted saltwater hook, the bait swims true straight from the package. The Croaker swimbait has LiveTarget’s Oscillator tail, which provides lifelike movement and vibration at any retrieve speed. And the flexible dorsal fin acts as a debris shield to make the bait virtually weedless without affecting the hookset. With three-dimensional anatomical features, the natural color and profile makes it hard to tell from the real thing. It’s hefty enough to cast, but still easy to impart a variety of retrieval styles with its medium-slow sink rate. Working the lure from the seated position of a kayak is not an issue. An eye just behind the throat provides an attachment point for a small spinner blade or an extra hook to customize as you wish. The lure comes in two ultra-realistic color patterns: Atlantic croaker and Yellowfin croaker. The 4-inch model weighs 1 ounce and the 5-inch model weighs 1 ¾ ounces. MSRP starts at $9.99.
More information: www.livetargetlures.com
ICAST 2018 was packed with exciting new kayaks and kayak fishing gear. We’re making arrangements to test and review all the latest items over the next several months. If you have a particular product you would like to see reviewed, send us an e-mail with details to images@louisianasportsman.com.
