Think Spring and Spring Fishing!
As I sit here and look out the window at the snow swirling around my house, wondering if we are really going to get that foot of snow that was predicted, my mind begins to wander. All of a sudden, it hits me… it’s March 2nd! I need to think Spring! (This page may contain […]
Boat Winterization and Storage – Getting Ready
The days are warm, sunny and bright, the nights are cool and crisp, and lakes are beginning the slow process of turnover. I know that, up at my favorite fishing hole in northern Minnesota, the pike are feeding voraciously and the walleyes and smallmouth too, are fattening up for the long winter ahead. It’s not […]
First Aid Knowledge and a Medical Kit in Your Boat
You will save yourself a lot of anguish, a lot of fishing time, and maybe even a life if you and your boat are properly equipped with some first aid supplies. (See Boating Regulations by state) Because once you are out on the water, it is too late to discover that a very important item […]
Get Your Fishing Boat Ready for Spring!
Most of us are antsy to get our boats back in the water after a long, cold winter. Some have even taken our boats to the southern parts of Illinois, or even as far south as Kentucky or Tennessee to extend the season. But the important question is: is your boat really ready to be […]
Safety Equipment in Your Fishing Boat
Because I don’t have the space to keep my boat in my own garage, I prefer to empty it of the vast majority of its contents, including safety equipment, before it goes into a distant storage facility. (Read more about getting your boat ready for winter.) And that means, even though I have been meticulously […]
Wearing a PFD – a Real Lifesaver
Of the many “perks” I receive as a result of switching my boat insurance to Boat U.S. – not the least of which is a darn good policy that is less expensive – I regularly have delivered to my mailbox a copy of Seaworthy magazine. Published quarterly, it is always chock-full of useful information covering […]
Navigational Aids & Their Importance
In 2016, more than 700 lives were lost as a result of recreational boating accidents in the U.S. and its territories. That number improved slightly in 2022, but it’s still way too high! Most of these fatalities happen during the peak boating months of June, July and August. And for many of them, alcohol, and […]
Boating Knots to Know – Before You Go
There are a number of very basic boating knots with which even the most casual of boaters should familiarize him/herself. This is to ensure that, among other things, the boat stays where it was tied. That in mind, this article deals with the basic knots you can use while boating. Actually, these knots have many […]
GPS and Finding Your Way Home
A Global Positioning System – GPS for Short – is simply a method by which one can determine one’s precise (emphasis on precise) position on the earth. Once upon a time, that task was not only difficult, but it was also darn near impossible. Our ancestors built giant landmarks, laboriously drafted “detailed” maps and learned […]
Cures for the “Are We There Yet?” Syndrome and Cabin Fever
Many articles of mine refer to the numerous trips and vacations taken by my family while my sister and I were growing up. My father was a veritable nut about going places. But neither my sister nor I were all that gung-ho about traveling, especially by car. When I wasn’t sleeping to pass the time, […]