Boating / Fishing

A nice big bait ball on the screen with my downrigger ball going right through it! Out of Your Depth? Readings not accurate? Cant find the bottom? Changing your transducer might help. Over the past 30 plus years, I’ve had all those sounder issues and more, with many brands and types of transducers. Now, like many others, I run the Airmar P66,  50/200 kHz, 600 W Transducer on both my boats. Here’s why. Introduction Operations and Use Transducer Specs Bottom Line Product link I

After over three decades of driving boats and fish guiding all over the BC coast, I never thought I needed an autopilot system - until I actually got one. But now, I often refer to my Lowrance autopilot system as hands down, the best single boating/fishing purchase I have ever made.  And as the proud owner of a mini-fleet of two boats, I’ve made lots of those kinds of purchases. This autopilot system is literally like having an extra person onboard who can actually drive a bo

Having an Autoterm (formerly Planar) heater installed on my boat was one of the best boating purchases I’ve ever made.  Originally, getting a little heat going in the cabin during the winter season was the main impetus for this addition, but interestingly, in practice that has almost become a secondary benefit of this unit. This boat is based in Vancouver BC, Canada and charters year-round mainly in local waters. We are lucky in southern BC to have relatively mild winters, an

While the job of a rod holder seems pretty basic and simple, the type of rod holder you use can really affect the ease and efficiency of how you fish, reduce needless annoyances and maybe even help you land a few more fish! And while the wide variety of shapes and sizes of rod holders available can make choosing one seem somewhat complicated, after many decades of salmon fishing all over the entire BC coast, here are some thoughts which will hopefully help you pick the rod ho

Currently, I have an Ace Pacific Pro on one of my boats, and a Scotty Pot Puller on the other. I have used both products for many years, and generally, both have served the purpose well. Here are the similarities and differences I’ve found, and the pros and cons to either product. As a start, both of these pullers are quality pieces of gear which are reliable, durable, and last several years even with heavy use. Both Ace and Scotty are well reviewed and respected companies, a

The Scotty Depthpower Downrigger is a tough, reliable workhorse, and you don’t have to look far on the west coast of BC to see that they are by far the preferred choice among most recreational salmon anglers and guides. I have used them for decades, and currently own 7 of them covering my two boats. Standout features include sturdy, marine resistant build, simple and effective design, ease of operation, reliability, and the legendary Scotty warranty and service. Scotty makes

If you could only have one rod for salmon fishing on the west coast, The Shimano Technium Mooching Rod would be a pretty solid choice. I’ve used them for decades, and currently have 9 of them covering my two boats. These rods were developed specifically for west coast salmon, steelhead and sturgeon fishing, but my personal experience with them has been primarily in saltwater mooching and trolling for salmon. And over the years on my boats, the Techniums have landed countless

While there still seems to be a “braided line vs stainless steel wire” debate around what to put on your downrigger for salmon trolling in salt water, I switched to Scotty braided line decades ago and have never looked back. Back in the day, stainless steel wire was more commonly used, and while it works, the braided line offers many advantages. Braided line is thinner than steel wire, creating less drag in the water especially when trolling deep. It is also more pliable, eas

In the “bang for your buck” category, there are few pieces of salmon fishing gear, if any, that come close to matching the Daiwa M-ONE Mooching Reel. They are tough as nails, low to no maintenance required, and super easy to use. Reel handles are comfortable paddle style, and the big drag knob in the centre is easily accessible and maybe best of all, is not hyper sensitive. In other words, turning it 1/4 of an inch in either direction is not going to send it into free spool,

Simple, inexpensive, and effective, self-filling siphon hoses are a no-brainer, and must have for everyone who needs to fill anything with gasoline from jerry cans.