Check out the video to see why Pelagic’s Vaportek is the lightest and most breathable fishing shirt. The Vaportek Fishing Shirt features full-length fine-mesh vented panels that allow for optimal airflow to pass through the lightweight fabric. Built for beating the heat and humidity, this long sleeve is our go-to in any warm weather conditions. Available in hooded and non-hooded.
By Steve KatzIt seems that most everyone either has a scanning sonar or is getting a new scanning sonar. The upsurge in installations, along with a variety of brands and models, requires captains and ping jockeys to develop their technical skill and fishing methods to operate a scanning sonar for optimum results.
Numerous fishing gear companies have kicked off 2023 with revolutionary new products. Here are a few items of interest early on in 2023. Links to each company’s website provided in the heading.
Signal Hill, California (January 5, 2023)—Blue Water Desalination (BWD) revealed its latest innovation in water purification during the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The all-new Explorer XT is a robust, expandable system designed to fit almost any available space. With capacities from 475 to 1,800 GPD, the Explorer XT is a welcome new standard for mid-sized to large yachts.
VETUS set a new industry standard in DC thruster power with the launch of its first BOW PRO Boosted units for 400-mm tunnels, which were unveiled in late 2022.
In comparison to 2021, 2022 was certainly the year of rising fuel prices, increasing inflation, a war in Ukraine and the Fed trying to design a soft landing by increasing the federal funds interest rates. As we can see from our latest audit of our selected sportfishing products, it’s no surprise that diesel has produced the largest percent increase of any one item on our year-over-year list.
Last year at this time, fuel from the Buccaneer Yacht Club on Singer Island was $3.35 compared to $5.25 today, a whopping 56.7% increase. Most of the items on our list saw a modest increase in prices, except for a dozen live goggle eyes, which is back up to $100 bucks per dozen. Supply chain issues have mostly been resolved, as inventory levels are doing ok at most of the local tackle shops. One conclusion we can draw from this year’s sportfishing consumer price index is that price increases were common for the majority of the 22 products we researched.
The good news for our industry is most boat builders continue to see strong demand, and from this we can conclude that our industry looks cautiously optimistic and that 2023 will be another great year for sportfishing—especially if fuel prices come back to 2021 levels. Oh yeah—we found Fireball for 7% less this year, so doing a shot per fish cost has decreased.
Note: Our prices are subject to change; we rely on our own research and vendors for the most accurate and published pricing we can find.
Give the gift that keeps on giving with ultra-pure, spot free wash downs all year long.
The Spot Zero Mobile Series removes 90-99% of water-born contaminants, from any dockside water source. Say goodbye to chamois drying, once and for all!
VETUS will launch its first BOW PRO Boosted units for 400-mm tunnels at METSTRADE 2022.
VETUS has set a new industry standard in DC thruster power with the launch of its first BOW PRO Boosted units for 400-mm tunnels, which will be previewed for the first time at METSTRADE 2022.
Expanding the VETUS line-up of advanced BOW PRO models, the BOW PRO Boosted 385 (BOWB385) and the BOW PRO Boosted 420 (BOWB420) are the most powerful fully proportional brushless thrusters available on the market with 48VDC compatibility.
The latest models bring the unique benefits of VETUS BOW PRO thrusters to owners and operators of larger boats, with installations ideal for vessels from 25m to 40m (82ft to 131ft).
Offering a power output up to 385 kgf (BOWB385) and 420 kgf (BOWB420) at 48V, the two new units feature all the renowned innovations that differentiate the efficient VETUS BOW PRO thrusters from conventional units. Skippers and crew will have precision proportional control and can be confident they can extensively use their thruster system when docking or maneuvering without the fear of overuse or overheating issues.
All BOWB units feature an intelligent motor controller with integrated boost function, charging the bow thruster’s batteries using VETUS’s internal three-stage charging process. This solution enables connection to a 24V power supply to recharge the 48V battery bank to keep the thruster batteries at their optimum level.
The proprietary VETUS motor controller also regulates the maintenance-free brushless induction motors, ensuring the thrusters are very efficient and quiet. Active heat control and a low power consumption give the BOWB thrusters a runtime only limited by the size of the battery pack installed – a unique feature for DC thrusters.
Installation and maintenance of these thrusters is safe, fast, and easy, with the units integrating seamlessly with the proprietary VETUS V-CAN system for plug and play convenience.
Thijs Boegheim, Sales Director EMEA of VETUS-Maxwell, said: “VETUS is proud to expand the BOW PRO family to 24 thrusters with the units for 400-mm tunnels. The launch of the BOWB385 and the BOWB420 will make life easier on board for even more boaters, answering demand for powerful, reliable and efficient bow thrusters that offer built-in safety features and easy integration with 48V platforms. As leading technology specialists in the sector, VETUS can guarantee its thrusters are the best quality solution for almost every boat.”
The BOWB 400 series is compatible with VETUS’s standard proportional control panels—the BPPPA single thruster paddle panel, the BPPJA single thruster joystick panel with hold-to-dock functionality and the DBPPJA 360-degree double thruster joystick panel. As the BOW PRO is V-CAN-controlled with CAN-bus protocol operation, the thrusters also offer the opportunity for interaction with other compatible devices, such as docking systems, for optimal performance.
The launch of the BOWB 400 series follows the introduction of three models in the BOWB 300 series for 300-mm tunnels.
The BOW PRO Boosted 385 (BOWB385) and the BOW PRO Boosted 420 (BOWB420) units are available on request. For further information, visit www.vetus.com.
Founded in 1964, VETUS sets the global standard in the design and manufacturing of complete onboard boat systems—including engines, generators, bow thrusters and control panels—for recreational and small commercial vessels. VETUS prides itself on innovation and engineers the majority of its 4,000+ product lineup in-house. The company’s commitment to quality, reliability and delivering a superior customer experience has earned the trust of boaters, yacht builders and marine training establishments all over the world.
VETUS has its headquarters in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries in 17 other countries and an unparalleled worldwide distribution and service network.
Planer fishing is an effective way to target wahoo. Traditional systems utilize a planer that is permanently fixed to the line. In this case, the angler reels the swivel to the rod tip before handlining the wahoo and 75’ of leader to the boat. This tip makes the planer removable, allowing the angler to reel the planer to the rod tip, easily remove it and reel the fish and leader to the boat—no more handlining.
Did you know that Spot Zero®, pioneers of the spot-free washdown, also manufactures SeaXchange® water makers? Even better, the XZII Spot Zero + SeaXchange combination system uses patented technology to integrate Spot Zero water purification with the SeaXchange water maker for one fully automated system.
