 I’m looking forward to traveling to
the Keys and Louisiana, but am a bit concerned about
finding my way around in unfamiliar waters. Suzanne at
Raytheon suggested their Raychart 425 chartplotter as
the product she feels will best suit the needs of
touring pros. The unit is small (about 7” x 7”)
which allows easy placement on your typical skiff
console and is accurate to within 10 feet. Load it
with Navionics charts and you can head out with
confidence. Visit their website at www.raymarine.com
for more information. |
|
 While a chartplotter is an
excellent navigational aid, it is no
substitute for a good chart. Waterproof
Charts are the way to go, in my opinion,
due to their durability. I personally just
threw out several NOAA charts that had
become damp in my boat and were ruined. My
Waterproof Charts just required a wipe
down and were as good as new! Order by
calling 800-423-9026 or go to
www.waterproofcharts.com and do it online. |
|
 Anyone who fished
Titusville or Port Charlotte probably had
a rough run to the weigh-in. The
combination of speed and chop really puts
a beating on anything attached to your
hull, especially the trolling motor which
is right on the bow receiving the brunt of
it. Touring-pro Artie Price turned me on
to an inventive accessory for Minn Kota
users – the Bounce Buster. It is a
rubber bumper that attaches to the mount
and rests on the deck, minimizing the
bouncing and vibration that will
eventually loosen hardware, etc. Minn Kota
representative Dawn Jasso also informed me
that there would be some major additions
to their saltwater line that we will be
excited about. Check back for a mid-summer
press release on the Tails of the Tour
page. |
|
| Steve Diehl at Aqua-Ride
would like to announce his 2001 Pro Team.
Congratulations to Jim Romeka and Kenny
Driggers, Bo Johnson and Derrick Jacobsen,
Andrew Daniels and Eric Aldrich, Derek
Jacobson, and 2000 Tour Championship
winners Mike Phillips and Chip Davis. If
you haven’t tried their watercraft
efficiency product, you need to give it a
look. I was skeptical when I won a can at
the Homosassa Open last year, but gained
an honest 3 mph top end after application
(without coverage under my trailer bunks).
It really does work – try the Lure
Treatment and see the difference it makes
on your favorite surface walker and then
decide what it will do for your hull….
Check them out at www.aquaride.com. |
|
 Another sponsor that has
stepped up for our touring pros is Mr.
Twister soft plastics. Regional sales
manager, Barry Stockhaus, is genuinely
excited about this growing segment in the
fishing industry and told me that Mr.
Twister and Mepps have some big plans for
sponsor incentives and new products
specifically targeted at the Ranger
Mercury Redfish Tour. Check back for
updates. Barry was particularly pleased at
the success of this year’s team which
includes 2000 Team of the Year Warren
Girle and Jules Rauch, Woody Gore and
Ernie Griffin, Billy Harris and Chuck
Howard, Jason Selzer and Joe Mercurio, and
Mike Friday and Matt McLean. They may have
an unfair advantage with the Exude product
line, which literally releases redfish
attracting scent from the soft plastics. I
plan to try the product and will post a
review in the near future. |
|
 Have you had your annual
skin cancer check? I just did - and
required two removals! Too bad I was just
introduced to the Hook and Tackle line of
fishing wear. Their patented (honestly)
Air X-100 shirt is the first patented
shirt that boasts a sun protective factor
of 50 (the highest rating). Another great
feature is that the shirt is vented on the
shoulders allowing hot air trapped inside
the shirt to escape. This is an elementary
school lesson about heat rising that other
manufactures choose to ignore. Check out
their full line of products at www.hookandtackle.com. |
|
 Speaking of sun protection,
don’t forget your eyes. Tour sponsor
Ocean Waves sunglasses offers 100%
filtration of harmful rays and 99.9%
polarization, which allows you to spot
cruising redfish with ease. Their newest
product is the Luminator lens, designed
for low light conditions. The lens is
yellow in color and truly does illuminate
your view during early morning or on
overcast days. I have been using mine for
over a month and will not do without them
while tournament fishing – they
definitely provide an advantage while
sight fishing in dim lighting by cutting
the surface glare with their polarization.
When the sun gets really bright, I switch
to the Backwater Green lenses – my
normal favorites. Check them out on the
web at www.oceanwaves.com. |
