GREAT LAKES PRO INSULATED SUIT By Whitewater

GREAT LAKES PRO INSULATED SUIT

Reviewed by Capt. Mike Schoonveld

Do you get a chill down your spine when the weather people start putting words like frost, snow, wintery mix and wind chill in their forecasts? I used to, but I’d much rather start thinking of words like, fall brawl, early ice, late season fishing and even first ice. Those positive thoughts are now more in my mind than worries about chills down my spine since I got my Great Lakes Pro Insulated Suit.

Great Lake anglers don’t hibernate during the cold months. Certainly, the designers at Whitewater know this and being a Michigan based company where not only is windchill is understood, so are winter forecasts with words like lake effect, blustery and accumulation. They live there and understand the problems inherent in many winter parkas, bibs and other outdoor gear.

There are dozens of hi-tech parka and bibs makers, these days, but few of them seem to offer winter suits that check all the boxes. Some are long on insulation, but so bulky it’s hard to do much more than just stand there. Some are not so bulky, but not so warm. Few of them are waterproof. Many seem to concentrate more on flashy colors and patterns.

When I’m out for walleyes in late November, on the ice or in my boat fishing cohos in early March, looking spiffy is less important than being warm and able to move – whether it’s setting a line or drilling a hole.

Don’t think the Great Lakes Pro suit looks clunky. It doesn’t; but instead of being bright red, blue or other colors, it’s black. Perfect for me. On sunny days, the black color helps keep me warm. More important, after a few trips, it doesn’t look like it’s overdue for a trip through the washing machine.

Unlike many parkas and bibs I’ve used which use the same amount of insulation top to bottom, Whitewater’s Great Lakes Pro is built around various levels of insulation in different parts of each garment. There’s more insulation in the back of the parka than in the front. The sleeves have even less because it’s more important to have more insulation in the torso than in the hood, arms or in the legs in the bibs. That increases flexibility in the right places while maintaining warmth in others.

The best winter bibs have reinforced knees to keep them from wearing out and an additional bit of waterproofing when kneeling next to a tip up or kneeling on a boat’s floor to unhook a flopping fish. More than just an extra layer of cloth, the GL Pro bibs have reinforced the knee area with a rubberized waterproof fabric. That makes the knee area with totally waterproof while the rest of the suit relies on the a Durable Water Repellant and an internal waterproof/breathable layer sandwiched between the exterior fabric and interior lining. That little patch of waterproofing doesn’t really hurt the garment’s breathability rating (13K) or it’s waterproof rating of 30K.

I’m a “pocket” person in that I like outerwear with plenty of pockets. Nothing worse than having to dig deep into mid-layers to warm my fingers for a minute or grab my cell phone, key fob, camera, pocket knife or most any other item I might need during the course of the day. The jacket has five pockets, all are zip closed for security rubberized zippers for extra water resistance. The bibs have six pockets, interior and exterior.

Another thing I noticed immediately was the suspenders on the bibs are stretchy which I’ve found to be a great feature since whether I’m wearing several layers under the bibs while ice fishing in the open or just a hoody inside on warmer days, I’ve not had to adjust them. They stretch to fit. I love the silicone grip surface on the underside of the suspenders that keeps them from sliding off my shoulders when I’m in the middle of doing something.

I’m now going into my second season with the Great Lakes Pro suit. It was my top layer, rain or shine when I got it in late winter and through most of the spring. I told my customers, “On southern Lake Michigan, winter lasts to Memorial Day, so bundle up.” They don’t always remember that warning, but I do – and though I relish autumn’s Indian summer, I know by the time the next issue of GLA is out, I’ll be using my Great Lakes Pro parka and bibs nearly every day.

Whitewater’s Great Lakes Pro tops and bottoms are widely available at retail and online sources. Check them out or purchase them (along with other Whitewater products) at www.whitewaterfish.com.

THE BAIT SHACK

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Whether it’s perch fishing at this time of the year, crappie fishing through the winter months, walleyes in the spring or when or where hungry fish are found, the best bait many times is fresh minnows. Why not? The first rule of the lake is “big fish eat little fish” so minnows are a top choice.

Sure, there’s something to be said about duping a fish with some sort of lure or artificial creation that is usually designed to look like a minnow. Some of them are supposed to smell like a minnow or swim like a minnow or wink it’s eye like a minnow – but real minnows do all this automatically.

Just stop by a bait shop on the way to the lake and pick up a couple dozen, better make that three or four dozen. It’s not that you are going to catch that many perch or crappies, it’s that minnow buckets are notoriously hard on live minnows. By the time you get the boat in the lake, it’s likely to find a floater or two in the container. By the time you are fishing for the last few fish needed to make your limit, you may be hoping to hook that last keeper before the minnows are gone. I’ve been there.

So was Mathew Davis, owner of Whisker Seeker Tackle – a company with a large collection of tackle designed to meet the needs of catfish anglers. What? Catfish in the Great Lakes? Sure there are, but my guess is far more are caught incidentally than on purpose.

Yes, catfish anglers do fish with minnows, as well as relying on a variety of other baits, including chicken livers, nightcrawlers. Many of the largest cats become predators as they grow and they eagerly chase down shad, panfish, skipjack and other species. You didn’t think big catfish got big by eating chicken livers or night crawlers, did you?

These big baits for those fishing for big cats are even harder than shiners or fathead minnows to keep healthy in a minnow bucket. That’s why Davis went to work on his ultimate bait container, the Bait Shack.

Two things cause “bucket death” to baitfish of any species. Oxygen depletion and (at least in the summer months) and excessive heat cause as many minnow deaths as fish hooks and perch, some days.

Keeping the minnows cool is simple enough, put the minnows in a cooler and keep the lid shut. The better the cooler, the easier it is to beat the heat. So Davis started with the best – one of those roto-molded, heavy-duty brutes designed to keep products chilled for days, not hours. That’s what Davis started with when designing his Bait Shack, but to deliver a steady supply of life-giving oxygen, he incorporated heavy-duty aeration pumps built into the cooler’s lid and powered them with a long-lasting, rechargeable lithium battery. Don’t need that much power – use it to plug in or recharge your phone.

The coolest thing is the Bait Shack is solar powered. A solar collector on the outside of the lid keeps the battery charged all day (and all night) – and then all day the next day. Don’t worry about changing batteries or plugging it in. If it’s parked where photons from the sun (or a lightbulb) will strike the solar charger, they charge the battery, keeping it in the game. Stick the unit in a closet or your trunk, the battery will stay charged for up to 10 days before the three bubbler tubes cease bubbling. Done with it? Drain it through a convenient drain plug near the bottom on the side.

This is a brand-new product, unveiled at last summer’s ICAST (2025) where it won the “Best Fishing Accessory” award in the New Products Showcase. Currently, available at www.whiskerseeker.com, it will be showing up at retailers and online outlets across the country and on the internet very soon.

FISHEWEAR THERMAL ¼-ZIP TOP

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Most of the items I feature in this column are products I have personally used so I can evaluate them from my “fisherman’s” point of view. I needed some help with this one, so I enlisted my wife – both to choose the particular item from Fishewear’s line-up of designer outdoor women’s wear and for her to use and offer her impressions.

She chose the Thermal ¼ Zip top in the Rainbow Ridge pattern. Like all of Fishewear’s patterns, it’s a spectacular mix of colors, this one with a continuum of blue hues from light to dark so vivid the trout, wind, water and waves create a vibrant, eye-catching shirt.

At first glance the quarter-zip seems to be a summer-weight performance fabric pull-over, worn as much for sun protection as style. However, there’s a brushed jersey thermal layer inside that provides just enough warmth for crisp mornings in spring or fall, or as a base layer on colder days. The quarter-zip adds extra functionality by having the option of zipping up to provide a windproof collar for extra warmth and wind-blocking comfort when needed; or zip it down to add extra ventilation when hiking, fishing or some other activity that gets one’s blood pumping. Whether worn under another top or jacket, or as an outer shirt, the fabric is breathable so there’s never a clammy feel next to the skin.

Fishewear was founded a decade ago when Linda Leary stepped away from her partnership in a trucking business in Anchorage, Alaska – think Ice Road Truckers – to produce a line of fishing apparel for women. Her goal was products tailored for women, functioned perfectly and featured bold, art-inspired patterns and designs. I think she was successful in every aspect.

Check out the ¼ Zip Thermal top and all the other Fishewear gear and garments, styles and color patterns at www.fishewear.com or at their retail outlets in Anchorage and select locations in the Great Lakes region.

SHIMANO TECHNIUM TROLLING ROD

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Leave it to Shimano to come up with a new line of fishing rods designed specifically for the salmon/steelhead/sturgeon anglers. Why? Thousands of Great Lake anglers rely on (and swear by) their Talora trolling rods and wouldn’t trade them for anything.

When I picked up the new Technium Trolling Rod at the recent ICAST show I checked twice to see if the rod was in the wrong slot. It felt more like one of the latest carbon fiber rods than one of the Talora rods I’m used to handling. Actually, according to the Shimano rep I grabbed to explain the difference, there is a good “dose” of carbon fiber in these new rods as well as a Talora “legacy.” I don’t like to dive too deep in engineering in my reviews so let’s just leave it at the various models of Technium Rods are made from a fusion of the TC4 fiberglass (featured in the Talora line) and carbon fiber to make the rods lighter and slimmer than any salmon trolling rod I’d ever held – even the 9-footer moderate action rod I put to use as a braided-line diver rod.

Even if you mix your rod choices, the Technium will be a standout. Instead of the basic black rod blank, they’ve managed to imbue each rod with a holographic sort of blue sparkle reminiscent of waves or perhaps lightning. Pretty darned cool looking!

I used my 9-footer with a #1 (Medium) size Dipsey both with and without the ring. The bend in the rod at salmon trolling speeds was perfect. Most of the bend was concentrated in the top third of the rod when trolling, leaving plenty of backbone in the middle section to make the diver snap open at the strike of a fish and hold up to a tight drag when a big king or steelhead is latched on down below. That mid-rod strength also helped when the fish were pulled close to the stern, giving enough muscle to both steer the fish (as much as is possible) and keep the head of the fish up while it was pulled those last few feet in range of the landing net.

I wasn’t sure about the carbon fiber handle on the trolling model Techniums, but in use, I learned to love them. I didn’t have to “assist” many of my customers, helping them pull the rods out of the holders when a big fish was on the end of the line. The handle is hard and slick and will slip out of the rod holder with a minimum amount of effort. The reel seat tightens on the reel nicely and it has a second tightening “nut” on it that keeps the reel seat from loosening. Cool!

Speaking of reels, I paired the rod with a Shimano 600 Tekota A, line-counter reel to make a sweet combo able to handle the biggest fish in the lake with the sensitivity to have fun when pulling up cohos and “prince” salmon, those feeder-kings still a year or more from their potential size. I use 30-pound test Power Pro on my braid diver reels and the rod’s sensitivity shows when something is “goofy” down below – like having a shaker on the line or if the dodger or flasher isn’t rotating properly.

I don’t expect charter captains or avid recreational Great Lakes anglers to toss their Taloras overboard and switch to the Technium sticks, but when it comes time to get a new rod for one reason or another, take a look at the Technium Rods at https://fish.shimano.com/landing and buy them where ever Shimano rods and reels are sold.

SILVERTIP BOAT SHOE BY STRIKE

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

I have fishing clothes that I only wear when I’m fishing and I have some fishing clothes that I also wear when I’m not fishing. Does that sound stupid? It is, to a degree, but when I’m fishing, I don’t much worry about how I look or what’s going to happen if what I’m wearing gets wet or slimed by a fish as much as I want those clothes to be warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s warm and always functions as it should. When it comes to shoes, they need to be non-slip on wet surfaces and feel comfortable for those days when I’m on my feet at the back of the boat almost all of the time.

When I’m wearing “fishy” clothes when I’m not fishing, it’s a personal fashion statement. I am a fisherman, I’m proud to be a fisherman and I don’t mind it when others recognize me as an angler, as long as it’s not just because I’m spattered with fish gore.

The two “wardrobes” are not mutually exclusive and when I was looking for a pair of boat shoes, I wanted a pair that would easily go from “work shoes” on my boat and “go anywhere shoes” when I’m off the job.

The Strike Silvertip Boat Shoe is one of those crossover products. And why not? Stephan Palmer, owner of Strike, is both a shoe designer and an ardent angler. Many of his shoes and boots are more boating and fishing than fashion, but the Silvertip is a solid performer in both categories. It has a proprietary tread on the bottom that ensures a firm grip, stylish leather uppers – highly water resistant – and unique outsole with “gills” – holes that channel water away from the shoe as you move around the deck that also give the shoes a racy look.

The shoes have an “inner sock” made from a recycled polyester knitted yarn that feels good on my feet when I choose to wear the shoes without socks, but isn’t so bulky than I can’t wear the shoes when I want to wear stockings. One doesn’t often think much about a shoe’s lacings and fastenings, but I noticed and appreciated how the shoestrings pulled snuggly without having to pull them to my preferred tightness, up and down the tongue.

All of Strike’s line up of footwear uses recycled plastic and bio-based new components throughout their construction.

Check them all out at:www.strike-footwear.com.