Added on Thursday, June 14, 2012  Gary Hurley

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Providing anglers with comfort on long runs no matter the sea conditions, Ocean-Tamer’s Marine Grade Bean Bags are available in a variety of styles to suit any angler or space requirement. The company has a loyal following among king mackerel and offshore tournament anglers, not a group known for taking it slow, rough or not, and with good reason.

Standing on a boat deck or on a rigid seat, anglers’ bodies absorb the shock and pounding of running in sloppy seas. When seated in an Ocean-Tamer, the bag takes the pounding while the angler rests comfortably.

The versatility that comes with replacing permanent seating with a few bean bags also allows anglers to maximize their boats’ utility. Upon arrival at a fishing spot, the bags can be stored atop a T-top, on an engine bracket, or out of the way in the bow, freeing up cockpit space for unfettered fishing.

Ocean-Tamer’s bags are custom-made in the USA with marine-grade vinyl and thread (double-stitched), nylon zippers and strap handles, and virgin poly-styrene beads to hold up to years of use and abuse in the marine environment, and their lifetime warranty backs it up.

Anglers can choose between Round, Armchair, Tear Drop, or Wedge styles, and they can be personalized with embroidered logos, boat names, or just about anything else.

More information can be found at www.ocean-tamer.com.

 

Tired of dragging a fishing cart full of gear and rods over soft sand that makes you yearn for a pack animal? Angler’s Fish-N-Mate, long a leader in durable aluminum rod racks and fishing carts, has a solution. The company is introducing a new wheel kit that makes even a heavily-loaded cart float over the softest sands.

The kit can be retrofitted to any of their Jr. or Sr. fishing carts—lightweight but strong anodized aluminum carts that hold all the necessities for a day at the beach or pier. The wheel kits become available at Fish-N-Mate dealers this month.

A pair of the special tires and an axle make up the major components of the kit, which also includes all the necessary hardware to refit a cart with the new setup.

The most significant part of the kit is, of course, the new wheel/tire combination. Made of polyurethane, the tires are a floatation type that employ very low pressures to glide over soft sand that bogs down conventional pneumatic rubber models.

Check out the Poly Wheel Kit at your local Fish-N-Mate dealer, or visit www.rodrack.com for more information.

 

With an extra-large fit rimless design, Costa Del Mar’s new Rockport sunglasses are perfect for style-conscious anglers with larger faces.

Named for a Texas town known for its trophy red drum, the Rockports feature Costa’s largest 580P lenses, meaning anglers have a massive field of polarized view.

The 580P lenses are a patented polycarbonate material that is the clearest polycarbonate lens available in the world. They’re also incredibly impact resistant.

The frames are made with TR90 nylon, another extremely tough material that, combined with the lenses, means anglers needn’t worry about whether these shades will hold up to whatever the water can dish out. And rubber co-injected temples mean the glasses stay put on an angler’s face.

Rockports are available in either a tortoise-shell or black frame with an angler’s choice of copper, gray, silver mirror, or blue mirror lenses.

Check out the Rockports at local Costa dealers, or visit www.costadelmar.com to learn more.

 

Long a leader in innovative fishing rod design, Star Rods’ new Seagis Spinning series utilizes the latest technology to create an ultra-lightweight inshore rod with superior sensitivity. The line features 10 models available in 6’6”, 7’, and 7’6” lengths, meaning there’s one to match just about any inshore fishing situation in North Carolina.

Using top-quality components throughout, the Seagis rods range in weight from just 3.5-4.3 oz. Fuji’s new SK2 split reel seat offers reduced weight and increased sensitivity, as the exposed blank keeps anglers in touch with what’s happening at the end of their line.

Cork split grips keep up the less-is-more theme in regards to weight on all the Seagis models.

The rods employ Fuji’s K-Series Tangle-Free Guides, with Alconite rings that are lightweight and shut down braided line tangles. The New Guide Concept employs reduced-size guides near the rods’ tips, further shedding weight in a critical area, improving rod balance and recovery, and shifting the rods’ balance toward the handle.

Anglers looking for a new inshore stick can find the Seagis rods at local Star dealers, or visit www.seastriker.com/starrods for more information and to view the whole line.

 

Combining a trio of essential tools into one package, Rapala’s Sportsman’s Combo Pack is a one-stop tackle box upgrade. The pack includes a 6” Falcon Fillet Knife and multi-function line clippers and pliers.

Perfect for flounder, speckled trout, red drum, sea bass, and other small/medium-sized fish, the Falcon Fillet knife features a razor-sharp, Swedish-forged, stainless steel blade and a contoured plastic handle with a finger guard to ensure anglers maintain a firm grip while cleaning their catch. The included hard sheath incorporates a ceramic stick sharpener for touching up the edge on the spot.

The 6.5” pliers are more than your average pair of needle-noses, offering a side cutter, split-shot crimper, and a pair of sleeve crimpers along their nickel-plated jaws.

And the braid and mono-approved line clipper has a wide profile and soft-grip lever that ensure it stays in anglers’ hands. A hooked pick is perfect for picking out backlashes or working through other tangles, and the tool also includes a knife blade for cutting situations that the clipper jaws can’t handle.

Check out the Sportsman’s Combo Pack wherever Rapala products are sold, or visit www.rapala.com to learn more.

 

Ever lose a fish that was just out of reach with the net? Available in three lengths, the EGO S2 Slider solves that problem and is the most innovative landing net to hit the market in years. The net’s handle more than doubles in length with a push of the central release button and a tug on the foam rubber handle, with the 18” handle going to 36”, the 29” handle extending to 60”, and the 48” handle stretching out to a whopping 108”.

The S2 Slider features an extruded aluminum hoop with a unique scoop design that helps usher fish into the net’s bag, and the company offers three different mesh bag materials to suit any situation. Anglers can choose between Nylon PVC Rubber-Coated Mesh or Clear or Black Rubber mesh. All the materials are non-tangling, so there’s no more cutting holes in twisted nylon mesh to get treble hooks out.

Not only are they packed with features, the S2 Sliders float, so dropping the net overboard isn’t an issue.

The net hoop assembly also is detachable from the top of the Slider pole, and EGO offers line cutter, boat hook, and gaff attachments to broaden the tools’ utility. Anglers can find EGO nets at local tackle shops, or visit www.egos2slider.com for more information.