Three keys to better hunting and fishing

If you're like a lot of people you're struggling to sit in your treestand right now.  While there's a part of you that waits all year for a chance to hunt, there's a whole nother part that can't tear away from the incredible fishing that's happening right now as the fall feeding frenzy sweeps across the country.  Whether you're after bass, pike, trout, or panfish; it's safe to say that the best fishing you've seen all year is underway (or about to be).  But lucky for you, there are things you can do while you're in your favorite tree that will not only make you a better hunter, but that will improve your fishing trips as well.

To begin with, you need to be sharp and remain still.  Keeping your movements to a minimum will reduce noise and the chances of being seen.  A great way to do that is to have a smartphone and two apps:  Weather Underground and Fishidy.  Weather Underground is essential for several reasons.  It has doppler radar that will show you if a storm is tracking in your precise location, so you can be sure that you're safety isn't in question (that's always a great place to start).  WU also pulls data from millions of weather stations all over the globe, so you can be sure to get predictions for the week that are as close as possible to where you're planning to be.  I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me "weather I hadn't anticipated ruined my trip".  This app will absolutely reduce that risk.

 

Fishidy is what's going to keep you engaged all day long.  With thousands of bodies of water to research and a community of anglers that grows every day, there's an unlimited amount of information at your fingertips.  Let's say you just found out that your cousin is getting married in Michigan next summer and you're gonna be there for a week and want to fish Lake St. Claire while you're there.  You can see hotspots, depths and contour lines, vegetation, places to launch, and detailed information from users on fish they've caught and what they caught them on (pictures included).  You can also subscribe to allow you to receive notification of future updates posted to that specific body of water.  This is a great way to research your trips.  Don't want to share your catches with everyone?  That's ok too.  You can adjust your settings so that you're trophies are visible to only you.

Fishidy is also a great way to take a closer look at places you're very familiar with.  Lakes and rivers are often changing, and there are many times when you'll catch a fish someplace where you didn't think you would.  Maybe it's a certain depth, or a transition area that you didn't notice before.  Now you can go and find other areas like that one and have some new places to check the next time you go out.  Imagine how closely you can examine a body of water while you're sitting uninterrupted in a tree for 12 hours.  It's hard to find the time to do that under normal circumstances, and even when have the time it's difficult to force yourself to do it.

Now I know that some people are saying "no way my battery will last that long".  You're right.  No cell phone battery will let you look at something with screen resolution that high for 12 hours.  But Snowlizard has a case called that SLXtreme that will protect your phone and charge it.  The case is completely submersible, and has a strap attachment (below) that will not only make it float if you drop it in water but it also acts as a pad so you can wear it around your neck without it being uncomfortable when you need to be instantly hands free.  But the real advantage to this case is the battery power.  When your cell phone is about to die, simply press the button on the back of the case and it will charge your battery back to full while you use it.  The four lights on the back will tell you how much power the case has to give (4 lights equals a fully charged case).  My SLXtreme has fully charged my iPhone 5 twice on one full charge, more than enough battery life to keep me doing research all day.  And if that's not enough, there's even a solar panel on the back of the case that will charge it in the sun.  The SLXtreme is available to smart phones as well as tablets, so you're covered no matter what you decide to use.

 

The last thing you need is to be sure to be warm and dry.  I wear my Stormr Stealth gear and it gives me everything I need from a camo suit.  I'm warm and dry, the Real Tree Max4 blends into any background regardless if I'm hunting trophy whitetails or geese, it's also dead quite so I can draw my bow without fear of being heard like other noisier jackets.

So there you have it.  You're a hunting and fishing, weatherproof ninja ready to take on the outdoor world and staying one step ahead of the competition.

Review: Fusion rain suit by Stormr

New line of raingear reigns supreme!

I just got back from the fishing in the first Bass Pro Shops Northern Open of 2014 at Douglas Lake in Dandridge TN, where I got to see a lot of friends from the Tour and make some new ones too!  While we talked about a lot of different things, the two things that they all asked me about were my personal weather station from Weather Underground and my new Fusion rain suit by Stormr.  Needless to say I was eager to talk about them both.

This was my first opportunity to wear this new suit.  My immediate impression was that it's lightweight, and very comfortable to wear.  I like the breathable areas that are located on the sides for increased ventilation when it's not raining, and the overall fit of the jacket and bibs feels like a better design for movement than the competitors.  The cuffs on the end of the sleeves are incredibly soft on your wrists, and don't leave your arms feeling pinched by the coat.  The hood is easy access and not in your way, and best of all the drawstrings won't slap you in the face when you're driving.

When you first look at the bibs you'll notice right away a great feature in the knee areas in what appears to be almost like an asphalt material.  This prevents your knees from wearing through the material when you're bending down.  Lightweight like the jacket, and incredibly easy to maneuver in, these bibs also breathe very well and won't leave you overheating in between bouts of rain.  The pockets are big and easy to access.  And unlike other bibs, the legs don't ride up high and leave your legs exposed when you sit down in them.

I tried to find something about this suit that I didn't like and couldn't.  I asked my friends to do the same and they couldn't either.  Many of them asked me if I had any extras in their size.  You can see the quality in each stitch.  No corners were cut in this design.  I can honestly say that any time I have ever been in hard rain in the past, my suits always failed me and left me wet.  I wore this suit in rain so hard that several boats took shelter under bridges while waiting for it to pass, and when I took it off I was as dry as I was before I put it on that morning.  Staying dry and comfortable is key to success on the water, and this new suit will deliver both of those things in the highest level possible.

Hooked on Mustad!

ULTRAPOINT 4.3 delivers a 10.0 for Norwegian legend.

There’s nothing overly radical in the package.  Same plastic envelope, same green color we’ve grown accustomed too; and yet when you touch the point you’ll immediately notice the difference.  Sharpened via an all new Micro Sharp 4.3 technology that will have you thoroughly impressed at first touch, they’re purpose is solely to dominate the industry without bankrupting you.  What’s most impressive is the longevity of the point.  What’s the 4.3?  It’s a measurement that refers to the point length, which is designed to be 4.3 times the wire diameter of the hook.  The people at Mustad have determined this number to be the optimum ratio to achieve the highest level of strength and sharpness.  After a full day of dragging them across the rocks, ripping lips, and busting timber, the hooks will still provide the same degree of penetration and toughness you started with.

The KVD Grip Pin, a style designed for soft plastics, features a keeper near the eye to help the bait stay on and near the top.  This keeper is coated in black and forces the bait to stay where it should, eliminating the constant balling up that can impede hook sets and ruin your presentation.  By having bait that will run true cast after cast you reduce time spent by having to reposition your lure time and time again, which translates to having your bait in the water and in front of fish more often.  Not only that, but you’ll have the confidence that each fish that sees your bait is seeing it in the best presentation possible.  Thereby putting an end to that haunting question “Would the fish have bit had your worm or tube been properly places on the hook?”

Another product you finesse guys are gonna love is the No-Twist Shot drop shot hook.  It comes with a built-in swivel system that will eliminate line and hook twisting for good.  The swivel allows your bait to turn with the current, and so you won’t find knots in your line anymore after a couple hours of fishing in deeper water.  You also won’t find that your hook is starting to turn within your knot, or that you tied it upside down in a rush.  You’ll tie it to the line on the top, and tie a separate line for your weight on the bottom.  This is particularly helpful when trying to locate the range which the fish are responding to your bait in relation to the bottom by allowing you to have a longer tag-end to move your weight up or down until you find the perfect location, without having to constantly retie.

The price point for these hooks is great, they’re made from high quality materials, and they’ve been around for years.  If you haven’t used them before, or it’s just been a while, give them a try this year and you’ll be impressed with what you find.  

The Rat's Out Of The Bag!

Rat-L-Trap SUPER- NATURAL and KNOCK-N-TRAP series have the looks that kill!

Maybe it’s the way they sound that sets them apart from all the rest.  Face it; Rat-L-Trap isn’t exactly a new company, and the lipless crankbait isn’t nominated for a best new actor award, but it has certainly demonstrated an ability to flat out catch fish from all corners of the US for well over 20 years.  Whether you’re burning it just under the surface at busting smallmouth, ripping it through grass for largemouth, or targeting suspended and deeper fish by counting it down; this bait just does it all.  And now the company that started it all has raised the lipless bar a couple notches.

One look at the SUPER-NATURAL series and you’ll see for yourself just how super delicious these baits look.  Newly designed colors and patterns like Candy Craw, Blueberry Perch (below), Blue Shiner, Pinch’n Peach, and Fathead Minnow, are applied using cutting-edge technologies and are incredibly lifelike.  Packed with the same sound you know and love, and finished off by razor sharp Mustad hooks.  When comparing them to others on the market the best way to describe the difference is to imagine looking at two televisions.  One is the big, wooden console from 1985, and the other is a 1080 flat screen wall-mounted next to the 10lb bass you caught at Lake Guntersville with your Dad on your first Rat-L-Trap that he gave you. 

If you’re looking for a bait that’s a bit louder than a soft tap, and will provide you with the “Hey, I said get over here” size rattle, the KNOCK-N-TRAP will give you just that.  Shake it a couple times and you’ll see right away that it’s a much deeper, bigger sound, in the same size bait.  What you’ll also appreciate is that they’ve added a K to the tail of each bait so you can identify it from other Traps quickly and easily.  Gold Black Back, Sexy West, Chartreuse Flash (below), are just a few of the colors available that will immediately jump out at you as must haves for any body of water. 

Here are a few other things to remember.  Each Trap comes with a case that you can close again and again.  Each weighs ½ oz, and are 3 inches long.  Most importantly, Rat-L-Trap lures are made in the U.S.A.  Bottom line is that they’re made here, with the highest quality, and are built to last.  The fish know the real deal when they see it, and now you do too!