When I first started boating with my family, I thought a cell phone was enough for emergencies on the water. Then a Coast Guard officer at our marina sat me down and told me a story about a sailor whose phone died two miles offshore. That sailor nearly didn’t make it. I went home that … Read more
I learned the hard way that dropping a line through six inches of black ice and just hoping for a bite is no way to spend a January weekend. After my third straight trip on Lake Simcoe with a bucket of jigging spoons and zero fish to show for it, I broke down and bought … Read more
Picking your first wakeboard feels harder than it should be. We have been there, staring at endless board specs, worrying about catching an edge on our first deep-water start, and wondering if the bindings will even fit our shoes. The good news? Beginner wakeboards in are more forgiving than ever, with continuous rockers, rounded rails, … Read more
If you have ever lost a morning staring at your electronics while crappie refused to bite, you already know the frustration. Crappie do not advertise themselves. They hover tight to brush, slip under docks, and refuse to move when a boat motor drones overhead. That is why the best LiveScope sonar systems for crappie fishing … Read more
It makes me physically uncomfortable to drive around the marina and see pontoon boats sitting uncovered through the off-season. After spending a weekend watching rainwater pool on a friend’s unprotected seats and watching mildew creep across the deck, I started taking pontoon boat covers for storage seriously. Our team tested and compared eight of the … Read more
Winter is tough on personal watercraft. Freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and UV rays from low winter sun all conspire to degrade your jet ski’s gel coat, upholstery, and mechanical components. A quality jet ski cover is the single most cost-effective way to protect your investment during off-season storage, whether it sits in a garage, under … Read more
Anyone who has owned a boat for more than a season knows that moment of dread when you pull into your slip and the hull makes contact with the dock. I learned this the hard way when a gust of wind pushed my bow into the piling one windy afternoon, leaving a six-inch gouge in … Read more
I have spent more weekends than I can count chasing bass from a 19-foot aluminum rig, and the difference between a frustrating day and a great one almost always comes down to the trolling motor. After running seven popular bass boat trolling motors through a full season of tournaments, weekend trips, and a couple of … Read more
Choosing the best bow mount trolling motors for freshwater changed how I fish bass and walleye on the lakes near my home. After running different motors on a 17-foot aluminum boat across two full seasons, I learned that thrust, shaft length, and GPS features matter more than brand prestige. Freshwater anglers need motors that handle … Read more
Spending twelve weekends on Florida waters with my tracker tiller and a dying battery taught me one thing fast: not every marine battery deserves a spot in your boat. After my old flooded lead-acid crapped out mid-trip near Boca Ciega Bay, I started testing the best deep cycle marine batteries for boats, running each through … Read more