DEX FINGERLIGHT

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Tom Mitchell, spent a career in the medical device industry and had supplied tiny LED lights to surgeons that could be mounted on their fingers to put additional light in areas where they were working and hard to illuminate with overhead lights. Tom is also a deer hunter and realized there are times before dawn or after sunlight a tiny light would be enough to allow him to climb in or out of his stand, load or unload his gun, knock arrows and not light up the woods, possibly scaring the deer. Putting these thoughts together and into action, the Fingerlight was created – not the stainless, fragile model the doctors require, but a rugged, weather-resistant light that will adjust to nearly every man or woman’s fingers.

It’s great for hunters, I’m sure, but when I saw it, I’d just finished installing a battery in the nether-regions of my boat and realized it would have been perfect for that chore since the compartment was dark, cramped and the light from above wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the battery box. I needed two hands to make some of the connections and a third hand to shine a light so I could see the connections. A small light on one of my fingers would have been perfect answer.

I got one of the Fingerlights and put it to use immediately. The salmon run was on and I started the day long before dawn. I’ve put red interior lights in my boat to help preserve my night vision, but they won’t light up the counters on my downriggers or diver rods. The Fingerlight will. Or it will light up the inside of my glove compartment where small tools work their way to the back. Or it will light-up the oil filter on my tow-vehicle where some auto engineer thought it would be funny to mount it right above the front axle.

I’m sure, over time, I’ll find other nooks and crannies barely big enough to insert a hand, much less shine a light and the rechargeable Fingerlight will be perfect. I’m sure once you get one, you will find your own special uses for it as well. They are available at some retail and online outlets including Amazon.com or directly from www.fingerlight.com. 

BREAKWATER WATERPROOF GLOVES BY AFTCO

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

When it’s “glove weather” in the Great Lakes area you know there’s some fabulous fishing available. Every ice-fishing fan knows that last-of-the-season ice can produce the best action of the season. Every ice-out angler knows those March days can feature hungry walleyes, northerns, cohos, browns and other species in many places. So put on some warm gloves (along with warm clothes) and go fishing! Don’t forget Lake Erie walleye that bite until boats are frozen off the lake.

It seems AFTCO understood this when they designed their Breakwater model gloves with features every cold water/weather angler needs. Though there are many types of waterproof gloves, few are versatile. The rubber or plasticized versions ward off water but most aren’t supple enough to allow fishing maneuvers like gripping a reel handle or grabbing a minnow. Some gloves are warm and flexible, but bulky. None are perfect, but the Breakwater model I used late last fall during late winter-type weather are as close to perfect and all-purpose as I’ve ever used. 

 I couldn’t clip walleye spoons onto snap swivels or tie fishing knots with cold fluorocarbon, but I could deploy the lures on divers or attach the lines to planer boards using the same gloves I used to grip the steering wheel when heading to the fishing area. I didn’t have to peel the gloves off to do most work or sacrifice gripping power due to a slippery, warmth-only glove on the throttle or steering wheel.

 AFTCO started with a quick-drying stretch knit fabric to provide a snug fit and warmth. Inside, there’s a waterproof membrane to prevent water and wetness from getting through to the soft, fleece inner layer that makes the glove extra-warm. I was able to handle wet, slippery fish and grip cold-handled pliers to remove the fishhooks.

 The palm and inside of the fingers have a tough, silicone-like coating to make the gloves more durable and give a non-slip grip. The thumb and first finger have a touchscreen-compatible fingertips that allow me to swipe my cellphone screen and move the cursor around on my sonar/plotter screen. 

 AFTCO Breakwater Gloves are widely available in either black or olive color at retailers and online sources including Amazon. You can also check them out and/or purchase at www.aftco.com along with all the other top-of-the-line fishing products from AFTCO. 

FLAMBEAU GEAR BOX

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Every boat has (or should have) a storage container for “necessary papers.” At the least, it should have the boat’s registration certificate, perhaps the boat’s trailer registration and insurance papers. I keep my BoatUS membership papers, my captain’s license in it. There’s a copy of my fishing licenses (for each Great Lake state I visit each year) and several other licenses and documents dealing with my charter business. Throw in a pen, pencil and Sharpie, a few AA or AAA batteries a roll of electrical tape and a folded-up Approved Day Signal Distress Flag and several zip ties to mount the flag on my VHF antenna. It’s become my “necessary box.”

 The Compact Marine Dry Box by Flambeau is perfect size for me (9.625″ L x 7.5″ W x 4.25″ D) and checks several other boxes. It’s rugged and waterproof due to the rubber gasket that seals out water when the end-hinged (like an ammo box) lid is shut and latched down. It’s bright orange. I keep it in a storage compartment along with other gear – first aid kit, a tool kit, zip lock bags and other items. When I need it, I can locate it at a glance. If I forget to stow it away, it’s heavy enough that it won’t blow out of the boat at highway speeds.

 Check the Compact Marine Dry Box (and larger sizes) along with other Flambeau storage box options at www.flaumeauoutdoors.com. They are available to purchase at the site, at other online sellers and widely available at retailers.

SHALLOW MONEY BADGER

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Berkley’s Money Badger crankbait has been a hit (mostly on the bass fishing scene) for the past couple of years at the times and places where a long-casting, quick diving plug banging off rip-rap or digging along sandy bottoms where either large or smallmouths are present. I captured a couple of them to use on my boat as  trolling lures for fall walleyes on Lake Erie and cohos on Lake Michigan. There’s just a short window when deep diving cranks are right for early-season cohos. To keep the original Money Badgers from diving under the salmon, I got the best results by letting them out only 25 feet and using 20# leaders to keep them from diving too deep. That’s why, when Berkley perfected a Shallow Money Badger, I was intrigued.

Stock up on these and have them in hand when the early season cohos, and spring brown trout invade the shallows. In early March where I fish,the Shallow Money Badgers quickly joined the other shallow-diver crankbaits in the A-Team of lures I fish with utmost confidence. The 6.25 and the slightly larger 7.25 versions both swim right in the zone when browns and cohos are stacked in warm water outflows or swimming just off the beaches and breakwalls seeking warmth and forage fish.

Like most Berkley lures, I expect them to run true right out of the box and stay that way fish after fish. I also expect them to be salmon tough, unlike some small crankbaits that break or get mangled after catching a few fish.  

The action features “an aggressive tail wag and high body roll” according to Berkley, and has a click-like rattle to pull in fish from a distance. High action, ample noise and bright colors are common to all my best-coho cranks. I’m betting the Blaze color (hot red with black squiggles) will be the star on my boat, with the FireTiger a solid option on the days when the fish want something different. I’ll also be including the FireTiger and other, more “walleye” patterns, on late spring trips to Erie to use with Dipsey Divers or downriggers to get them down to the action zone.  

Shallow Money Badgers should be in most well-stocked tackle stores . They can be purchased at many online sites or check out or purchase all of Berkley’s lures and other tackle at www.berkley-fishing.com

SULLIVAN’S TIP DOWN – TIP UP

Reviewed by: Capt. Mike Schoonveld

Thousands of fish are caught using tip-ups every ice fishing season. No doubt, they work. No doubt most of them feature technology not much different than the same gear ice-anglers were using 100 years ago. The line is basically “hand-lined” down to the level of the fish; once the fish bites and swims off the simple spool of line on the tip-up rotates and a spring-loaded flag pops up showing it’s time to bring in the fish. Grab the line, wait for the line to tighten, give it a jerk to set the hook and then hand-over-hand pulling the fish up to the surface.

There’s a certain “primitive” satisfaction to handlining a fish, but by and large, most anglers prefer to use a rod and reel. I’ve seen and used some tip-up designs that “MadGyvered” a standard tip-up to allow a modern rod and reel to be connected to it, but Jim Sullivan perfected a design that allows matching almost any rod and reel with his “Tip Down.”

The frame of the Tip Down is made from colorful PVC pipe (allowing it to be disassembled for transport). Once it’s assembled and positioned next to the hole, it’s ready. Just open the reel’s bail and lower the bait down the hole. Now, set the rod in the rod cradle on the Tip Down and adjust the cradle to balance the rod and reel so it’s positioned horizontal to the ice. Loosen the drag on the reel so it’s just tight enough to keep an active minnow from pulling line against the drag. The Tip Down is fishing.

When a fish inhales the bait and swims off, the rod tips down and the flag tips up signaling a bite. Grab the rod, tighten the drag as needed, set the hook and reel in the fish! On the first trip my Tip Downs were used they caught average sized perch and crappies as well as above average sized walleyes.

The Tip Downs are available at www.sullivantipdown.com in several colors. The website lists some add-ons to fit the Tip-Downs. One is an LED light that will light the Tip Down both to be able to detect bites after dark and also to light it up so snowmobilers can see them in the distance. Another allows attaching Tip Downs to the walls of portable or permanent shelters and wheel-houses. Check out the informational videos at this site as well.    

TRAILER ROLLER BY C.E. SMITH

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

When I launch my boat solo I attach the bow mooring rope to the winch stand on the trailer so when the boat floats free the connection keeps the boat from floating away. Most places, by the time the boat floats off the trailer, the winch stand is past the water’s edge and I have to pull ahead several feet to be able reach and remove the rope from the winch stand and tie the boat to the dock. 

I quickly learned that using an overly long rope would allow the boat to drift aimlessly until I could get to the rope. That’s very concerning on breezy days. I experimented with several lengths and settled on a bow rope just a couple of feet longer than the trailer. At most ramps, the sides of the center bunks on the trailer keep the bow of the boat from drifting as I pull forward a little. On less steep ramps, or if I pulled ahead an extra foot or so, the keel of my boat would hit the rear crossmember on the trailer. Steel on fiberglass isn’t good.

My solution was to purchase an extra keel roller to mount on the back of the trailer frame. It was a simple job. I only had to drill a couple of ½-nch holes in the trailer frame for the mounting bolts. I used a 12” roller with adjustable brackets so I could adjust the height of the roller. No need to mount it so it’s touching the hull when the boat is fully on the trailer. I got the roller and mounting frames from C.E. Smith Company directly from their website: https://store.cesmith.com but you can find C.E. Smith boating and trailer parts at many retailers and online sellers.

FLAMBEAU’S NEXTGEN 4/0 MEDIUM TACKLE BOX

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

The day my son was born, I used it as an excuse to buy a new fishing rod. I could imagine in five or six years, I’d have it well broken-in and he’d be standing on the back deck reeling in a coho or two with it. That “dream” did come true.

When my first grandchild was born, I bought her a child’s model, Zebco spincaster. Fishing off a boat dock, Anna reeled in her first bluegill with it when she was just 2 ½ years old. She now has a little brother, but I hadn’t yet bought anything “fishy’ for him when I spotted a NextGen 4/0 Medium Tackle Box made by Flambeau Outdoors. Bingo!

Andrew is way too little to fill the box with hooks, bobbers and other fishing gear, but I knew he’d be attracted to the bright blue color of the box, the bright yellow handle and closure knob and have fun opening and closing the top and swinging out the drawers to fill them with other bright plastic toys. I was right about that.

In a couple years we’ll add a few panfish hooks, some red and white bobbers and other panfish tools then head down to the dock. In the meantime, I’ll work on teaching him words like “tackle, reel, bobber and “here fishy, fishy.” That’s one of the jobs grampas are supposed to do.

Toddlers are going to play with some sort of toys, they might as well be fishing oriented toys. One of the jobs Flambeau Outdoors has taken on is to supply products designed to capture the attention of the next generation of anglers. Check out their NexGen Tackle Boxes, Wild Bite Adventure Kits and the Big Mouth Tackle Box Kits at: http://www.flambeauoutdoors.com. All Flambeau products are available at this website, as well as at hundreds of online sources, retailers and big-box stores. (Flambeau makes products for “big” kids and grampas, too.)

INSHORE ESSENTIALS TOOL KIT BY TOADFISH

Reviews by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

What fisherman doesn’t like getting a fishing related gift for Christmas or other occasion? I do, but my wife and daughter know better than to just wander into a tackle shop or click around the interweb and buy something that they think I would like, need or enjoy. (I probably already have it or don’t need it.) So, I make not-so-subtle “hints” about the “Tackle and Toys” that would brighten my Christmas, birthday or anniversary to help them out. One of the hints I made for my birthday a few months ago, paid off both for me and for my wife – the Inshore Essentials Tool Kit from Toadfish.

The kit includes a “boca grip” style fish gripper, a pair of braid scissors and a pair of long-nose pliers (along with a retractable cord and a lanyard.) “Whoopie do,” you might think, but one feature stands out from the “gifter’s” point of view- they come packed in a stylish case, virtually useless on the boat, but handsome to behold – that scores points for both my wife and daughter. Inside the case, the tools look terrific, as well; sort of like the sausage sticks and foil wrapped cheese in a gift box from Hickory Farms look better than similar items at a food store. The contrasting blackened steel or aluminum frames set off with contrasting stainless steel rivets and hinge-pins give them a “cultured” appearance and the signature, “Toadfish-teal” grips on the pliers and scissor makes them look even better.

More important to me is: “Do they work?” I don’t give a whit if the pliers, cutters or other tools on my boat look good. If they work good, I love ‘em. If they “look good” I just love ‘em more. These tools were designed to work, then appointed to make them handsome. The pliers fit my hand, open and close with zero slop, have a spring-loaded action, important when using them with wet or “fish-slimed” hands. The jaws taper to grip onto perch-sized hooks and are strong enough to dislodge a 2/0 treble from still quivering king salmon. Add a bottle opener and carbide line cutter and it’s a winner.

Most fish grippers are long, heavy tools. The one in the Toadfish kit is petite, in comparison, lightweight and with folding handles allowing them to be stowed in your pocket or in a hand-tool rack if you prefer. Don’t let the small size fool you. The largest size fish I’ve lifted with them so far was a still-struggling 20-pound laker. I love them for walleyes, however, since I can hold the fish easily but the diminutive size doesn’t get in the way of unhooking the trebles even if they have been sucked in way back in the fish’s mouth.

The line cutter clips both mono and braid perfectly. ‘Nuff said, other than the built in carabiner makes it handy for storage whether on a belt loop or other location.

Here’s the exact URL to post on the gift list you present to the person who wants to see your eye’s light up on that special day: https://toadfish.com/products/inshore-essentials-tool-kit. Now available at Amazon as well.

FLAGSHIP TROLLING RODS BY FISHUSA

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

Many big box sporting goods retailers produce any number of products with their own label on them. They don’t manufacture the gear – Bass Pro, Dicks Sporting Goods, Sheels and other major retailers including FishUSA don’t own factories. Instead, they contract with companies that do have manufacturing facilities, perhaps Shimano, Daiwa or others to build rods, reels, lures, and dozens of other products for them and then adorn them with the FishUSA or other company’s label.

Don’t expect these private labels to be identical with the name brand models, but that doesn’t mean they are inferior. In many cases they are made to exacting specifications and (at least to most anglers) they perform similarly to the brands from well-known manufacturers. In general, however, they don’t carry the price demanded by the well-known equipment makers. That’s important to value-minded anglers, whether they are newcomers and can’t afford to invest in multiple set-ups all at once or for seasoned charter captains who are often putting their gear in the hands of rank amateurs prone to abusing tackle just due to unfamiliarity with handling any sort of gear.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Flagship Trolling Rod I got from FishUSA in late summer in every aspect. It looks good and performs great. The 802M model I tested has a pleasing metallic steel-blue finish – not so flashy that it looks out of place among the other rods in my array; but even if it was some gaudy color, I’d still like it for how it feels in my hands and how it performs both when I’m trolling or when it’s being bent by a Great Lakes fish.

In hand, its graphite composite blank is noticeably lighter than many of the “well-seasoned” major brands I use daily and the triangular shaped foregrip gives it a firm feel, comfortable in my hands and I’m sure it will be easier to grip for novice customers to handle. The 802M is eight feet long, two-piece construction for easy storage and is rated for 10-to-20-pound line. It will fit well with the rods I use when trolling for cohos on Lake Michigan or walleyes on Lake Erie using planer boards. It would work well with a downrigger for these species, but if I planned to use it when targeting kings, steelhead or lakers, I’d select one of the medium-heavy Flagship versions offered by FishUSA with a bit more backbone.

If you are looking for a mid-priced rod with top-level looks, quality and performance, look no further than the Flagship trolling rods from FishUSA. See them all at http://www.fishusa.com.

THAW RECHARGEABLE HANDWARMERS

Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD

I’ve nearly passed out two different times when my hands got so cold my brain shunted all my blood to my inner organs. I suppose this was to keep them working while I froze to death. One time was when I was duck hunting, once I was ice fishing and both times I was equipped with a hand-warmer that was supposed to keep that from happening.

One of these handwarmers produced heat by burning cigarette lighter fluid – it ran out of fuel. The other warmer had charcoal “stick” inside that was ignited, placed in a flameproof metal box the size of a cell phone. The fire went out.

I didn’t die, and I never relied on handwarmers again to keep my hands warm. Both of these events occurred decades ago, so when I heard of a company called THAW that was producing rechargeable electric hand warmers, I thought, “Perhaps it’s time I revisit handwarmers, now that hi-tech technology has replaced stone age methods to provide a bit of finger-warmth on cold days of fishing.”

What can I say? Charge it up, stick it in your pocket and turn it on when you get to the boat on a frosty morning, have your ice-holes drilled or whenever it’s needed. (If the low heat setting works for you, turn it on and forget it most of the day – it will last 7 hours (they say) and produce 113 degrees (Fahrenheit) of heat. I seldom turn it to the medium or high setting (high is 140 degrees), but I do turn it on and off since there’s no fuel or fuel sticks to ignite. The cell phone sized handwarmer goes from cold to warm in less than a minute. That’s the 5K version. The 10K version produces the same heat but lasts nearly twice as long or provides surplus power to use its other features.

The handwarmer is a multi-tasker since it has a small, but bright, LED flashlight and a port to plug in a power cord to recharge a cell phone or other electronic device needing a boost. I’ve tried the light – it’s bright, similar to the one on my cell phone. I’ve never had to jump-start my phone, but I assume it would work.

Check out the handwarmers and other THAW products at http://www.thaw.acgbrands.com. Purchase them there, at retailers or at Amazon and other online sellers.