Things happen. More things happen when people don’t think. And we have all seen the unwelcome.
Scene One: While on our group’s canoe portage to fish on Siskewet Lake on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale, one of the dads threw his depth finder battery into his daughter’s backpack. Then while carrying the canoe and following behind her, he saw her backpack smoke. The Dad hollered to whip off the backpack which she quickly did. There was a metal fish stringer in the backpack that had shorted out the battery which in turn caused the fire in the backpack. A careless decision turned a simple walk in the woods to a near disaster.
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boat, boat safety, boating accidents, boating safety, Boats, Fishing and Boating Safety
Trolling on Lake Superior for salmon and lake trout requires attention to lots of detail. Downriggers. Boards. Dipsey Divers. Rods & reels. Lures, lines, and terminal tackle. Boat and Motors. Electronics of several sorts. And usually last – but it should not be least – a net.
Why shouldn’t a net be your least considered option for tweaking your fish-catching operation? More fish are lost after hook-up because of netting than any thing else. If you’re ever out on a fishing charter, just watch who handles the netting. It isn’t the inexperienced guests who get that job. No - the newbies are assigned the rods & reels. The first-mate or captain will be on the net making sure every fish gets in the boat.
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Fishing involves choices. Trolling for fish involves lots of choices.
Each time I set up for trolling on Lake Superior, my mates and I have to decide between running downriggers, Dipsey Divers, and or board lines. Then the matter of running stickbaits, spoons, and or live baits comes into play. Within each of those categories you have to pick the right volunteers for attracting fish. The total iterations of presentation are almost limitless.
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Pulling your trailerable boat requires a vehicle that has enough horsepower, sufficient torque, adequate suspension for the weight involved, a suitable transmission, and enough braking power. If you choose a vehicle that is too small for your boat, you create an unsafe situation as well as one that will damage your vehicle. Picking a vehicle that is way oversized for your towing needs will waste you money in initial purchase price, and be less fuel efficient than a right-sized solution.
Do your homework on picking the right vehicle and you can save yourself money. More than that you probably will find an even better ride and one that is more efficient for those times when you are not heading for the water pulling a boat. And that could be the majority of your driving time in the vehicle.
For my three-thousand pound boat-motors-trailer rig, I have a Tacoma pick-up that is rated to handle the tow but it does not have the passenger room I need. You might be surprised at the option that best fit my needs - at least on paper. This vehicle has:
- 340 H.P.
- 390 lbs. of torque
- Spacious seating for five.
- Towing capacity of 3,800 lbs.
- Mercedes running gear for a great cruising ride.
- Limited slip differential for great traction.
- 26 mpg on the highway when not towing.
- a killer car enthusiast’s design.
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