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|Illustration: Ed Luterio|
I wanted a secure place on my boat to hold a downrigger ball yet keep it accessible, because a heavy ball of lead rolling around on deck can damage the boat and even cause injury. So I mounted a three-inch-diameter PVC sewer coupling in the back of my boat with two bolts. The couplings only cost about one dollar each, and downrigger balls fit inside them perfectly, so there’s no need to worry about any cannonballs denting the deck or bruising your foot.
— James Roberts,
Blanco, Texas
Cobia Mix-Up
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|Illustration: Ed Luterio|
I went cobia fishing a while back and noticed that if I restarted my engine, it seemed that the combination of the noise and bubbling and possibly an electric current in the water would bring the fish to the surface around my boat. They would stay in the area for a minute or two, and then leave before I could finish rigging up. But they came back if I restarted the engine. Not wanting to miss out on these fish, I wracked my brain for an easier way to lure the fish without wearing out my engine by constantly restarting it. That’s when I noticed the battery-powered handheld mixer I keep on board to mix up chum. I gave the mixer a try, and it worked great. I just lean over the rail, dip the mixer in the water and let it run for a minute or two.
— James Victory,
Gautier, Mississippi
Bug Off
Illustration: Ed Luterio
There isn’t much worse than removing the boat cover for the start of the season only to find that a village of insects decided to move in. To keep this from happening, I place a few unlit citronella candles on the deck of my boat before I put the cover on. The candles do a great job of repelling bugs.
— Allen B. Moore,
Nashville, North Carolina
