New Tech You’ve Gotta Have I

’LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT that I have a love-hate relationship with tech, especially when it comes to my boat and shing. at said, in the past couple of years we’ve seen some developments that quite simply make boating be er. And no, you don’t necessarily have to buy a new boat to enjoy these bene ts (though in many cases, it certainly helps). If you’re hitting the water without harnessing the advantages this tech delivers, you’re missing out.

CELL PHONE CHARGERS: Today most new boats have a cell phone cradle at the helm, which wirelessly charges your phone as you sh. Now, don’t get me wrong—nothing annoys me more than a ringing cell phone when I’m stalking reds or jigging for ounder. But we all have the darn things, and we all take them on our boats. Worse, we drop them overboard, they slide o the console and smash down to the deck, and we accidentally spray them with the washdown hose. Having that cradle at the helm not only keeps them charged, it keeps them safe and easy to locate. And if you have an older boat, adding one is incredibly easy: spend around $125 for the holder/charger, drill three holes for the mounting screws, run the power line to a bus-bar, and you’re done.

SMART TRIM SYSTEMS: You still ride with trim tabs that go up and down at the press of a bu on? In that case, every day on the water is rougher, your boat is less e cient, and your boating experience is less enjoyable than it might otherwise be. Modern systems like the SeaKeeper Ride and Zip Wakes eclipse old-school tabs, by adding faster actuators and a digital brain into the mix. e digital brain can sense the boat’s movements, and uber-rapidly deploy their trimming mechanisms to counter them. e net result is a vast reduction in the boat’s motion. Just how vast? e systems we’ve tested (measuring both pitching and rolling motions with a digital inclinometer) have stabilized planing boats in the 30 to 70 percent range (varying depending on the boat, the system, and the sea conditions). Plus, the ability of these systems to keep a boat on an even keel means that the entry meets waves closer to the angle it’s designed to even as you move from peak to trough.

DIGITAL GAUGES: You’re still staring at analog needles? Modern digital gauges provide you with endless intel about what’s going on with your boat and outboard at the press of a bu on. You can instantly bring up data like current fuel burn, MPG, most ecient cruise, total burn for a trip, fault codes, and more. Bo om line, digital gauges don’t just present data in a di erent format, they allow you to tap right into that engine’s brain and take a look at what’s happening under the cowl even when you’re buzzing across the bay at 40 mph.

Integrated Trolling Motor

AND CHARTPLOTTER: I honestly never saw it as a big deal if the trolling motor and chartplo er stood alone or were fully integrated, but a er ge ing a new boat last fall which had the Humminbird and the Minn Kota tied together, I discovered it’s a lot more advantageous than I would have thought. e rst time it became apparent was when the ba ery in my remote control died, but I was able to run the trolling motor from the helm. at saved the day. But being forced to use the chartplo er, I soon discovered how much easier it was to tap a waypoint in and tell the motor to take me directly there, as opposed to steering back and forth via remote. en I found out I could make a few more taps and the motor would slowly take me down a contour line. Several trips later I realized that I didn’t pull out the remote anymore, because the chartplo er interface delivered substantial advantages, was larger and easier to see, and use.

ENGINE AUTO-TRIM: is isn’t

:: by LENNY RUDOW TF&G Boating Editor

something you can add to your boat short of repowering it, but it’s a feature to look for if you’re buying new. And that goes for captains who know how to properly trim a boat, because even the best of us will trim up when running, stop for one reason or another, and forget to trim back down when we take o — until we hear the howl of a ventilating propeller. Auto trim systems eliminate this common snafu, as well as trimming for the best performance all on their own.

Naturally, there are a number of other advancements that can only be found on the latest and greatest boats. Digital switching is probably the most signi cant example of a system that has to be built into a boat from the ground up and can’t (realistically) be retro ed. But there have also been substantial advancements in hull design and construction which add up to a be er boat.

Perhaps the most eye-opening di erence can be found in today’s bay boats versus those made a decade ago. Older models were o en rough riding in a chop, a fate accepted in trade for the enhanced stability of low-deadrise designs. Many of the bay boats currently rolling o the line, however, have tricked-out hulls with steps and tunnels. ey’re built via vacuum-infusion.

ey incorporate high-tech composites like Innegra and carbon ber. Or, they feature all of the above. Net result? ey can smooth out a chop be er than some deep-V’s.

e bo om line? Much as we may love to hate tech, it can change your experience out on the water. Whether you’re looking for a new ride or you want to enhance the boat you already own, paying a ention to tech’s advantages will make for be er boating.

HERE ARE MANY, MANY WAYS TO CATCH A BASS AND plenty of things to consider when crafting a good game plan to go about it. Right near the top of the goodie list is water depth. What works best in skinny water probably won’t work near as well in water that’s way over your head, and vice versa.

As the title suggests, this one is about targeting fish that are ultra-deep, say 25 feet deep or more. No use in mincing words. Let’s get right to the meat and look at some good ways to go after those denizens of the deep:

DROPSHOT RIG: The finesse technique originated in Japan, but the California guys are responsible for popularizing the dropshot in the U.S in the early 1990s. Today, anglers are using it to catch bass shallow or deep on lakes all over the country.

Building a dropshot rig is simple. Spinning gear in combination with 8-10 pound line is heavily preferred.

The first order of business is to affix a No. 1 or No. 2 straight shank hook to the main line using a Palomar knot, leaving a tag of line about 12-24 inches for attaching a clip on tear or ball-shaped dropshot weight, 3/16 to 1/2 ounce depending the depth of water. The weight attatches to the loose end of the tag. Small worms and other finesse plastics rule.

The beauty of the dropshot is it gets to bottom quickly and will often catch fish when other methods fail. It can be dragged blindly or worked vertically to target open water fish marked with a depth finder. You can even “deadstick” it in the face of suspended fish that might be hounding pods of shad.

CAROLINA RIG: One thing that makes the Carolina-rig so effective is the bait is not restricted by weight. Instead, the weight is staged a couple of feet ahead of the hook using a swivel/keeper and a leader of varied length to divide the two.

The plastic remains unrestricted as the weight is dragged across bottom. It also allows anglers to use heavier weights (3/4 ounce or more) to improve casting and maintain better contact with the bottom in deep water.

Fishing it is easy. Just drag the weight across the bo om using sideward sweeps of the rod. O en times you will not feel a bite until the sh tries to run o with the bait. It’s a year-round producer heavily favored for open water situations around chunk rock bo oms or areas with sparse cover.

TEXAS RIG: Consists of a hook, worm and bullet-shaped sinker of varied sizes. e slip sinker rides ahead of the hook and worm. e sinker can be held in place at the head of the worm using a bobber stop or rubber peg or allowed to slide freely. e mechanics of the bait make it snag free, so it can be tossed around main lake structures, brush or grass. It’s best to use the lightest slip sinker you can get away with.

FOOTBALL JIG: wide, football-shaped head, the football jig is a heavy-hi ing hammer in deep water. It is widely known for its innate ability to bump, crawl, rock and roll across hard bo om structures like a 4X4. It really shines around rock, shell beds and sca ered stumps. You can drag it slow, hop it or stroke it fast.

Like other styles of jigs, the football head comes in varied sizes. Weights of 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ounce work best down there. Go with the lightest jig you can get away with and still maintain good contact with the bo om.

STRUCTURE JIG: Structure style jigs like Strike King’s Denny Brauer structure jig are a much be er choice around timber or brush piles. e “Cobra Head” and weed guard angle reduce hang-ups in thick, woody cover while the wide footprint of the head helps increase your feel of the bo om.

EXTRA DEEP CRANKING: ere was a time when hi ing depths beyond 20 feet with a crankbait was a chore, but not