Category Archives: Boating

Boat trailering: Cougar Style!

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Meet Robert Lee Tobeck:

His resume is very impressive. Academic All American lineman at Washington State University, Pro Bowl center of the Seattle Seahawks during the highpoint of the franchise history: the 2006 Superbowl and former host of The Outdoor Line Radio Show.

Unfortunately, none of this tremendous life experience has prepared him for what has now become the greatest challenge of his life: Boattrailerautism.

Boattrailerautism or “BTA” is a fisherman’s developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of boat ownership and affects the brain’s normal development of mechanical, spacial and navigational skills. Most fishing buddies of the boattrailerautistic suspect that something is amiss when angry motorists pull up alongside, gesturing and yelling. In extreme cases of BTA, one may even observe the occurance of the dreaded “missing fender” syndrome.

Quite unfortunately, I was to bear witness to Tobeck’s latest BTA flare-up on what was to be merely a simple transducer installation. We met at his marina and due to high winds, Robbie was unable to get the boat on the trailer by himself so he requested my assistance and I was only too happy to help my friend out.

Tobeck’s trailer for his 30-foot Seaswirl Striper “Salmon Hawk” is a monster 5th wheel style extra heavy duty model with a “goose neck” design which requires the hitch to be placed directly above the rear axle to reduce tongue weight and increase trailer maneuverability.

While I remained ground level to crank the trailer up to above the ball height, Tobeck backed the truck up and then jumped in to hook up the lights, safety chains and secure the hitch…or so I thought…

We towed the empty trailer about 100 yards to the ramp and I jumped in Robbie’s boat to drive it on the trailer. Once the boat was secured to the trailer winch and cranked up tight, Tobeck returned to the truck. Little did we know that the unfortunate malady BTA was about to rear it’s ugly and mortifyingly embarrassing head.

I remained aboard as Robbie pulled the boat and trailer up the ramp. As the trailer started bearing the weight of the boat, I happened to be looking forward and BOOM!!! Simultaneously the trailer hitch jumped off the ball, landing in the bed of his truck as a geyser of Starbucks coffee hit the inside of Tobecks windshield.

Someone other than my friend Tobeck then emerged from the truck, hurling a blue streak of epithets and dripping with the remains of his mocha.

“Thank goodness for safety chains” was all I could utter as the bed of Tobeck’s new truck now appeared to be,…well… used.

As we cranked the tongue winch up, the hitch came up alright but the truck bed remained somewhat depressed.

Once we got the hitch back on the ball we found that Tobeck has a little bowl in the center of his truck bed that, once filled with rainwater, will be a handy and very mobile bird bath!

Always good natured -until he’s not- the Crimson Crusader takes his Boattrailerautism in stride and lets this latest “flare-up” roll off his back.

The rest of the morning and the transducer installation proceeded without incident. Heck, it could have been a lot worse….It could have been my fault!!!

Tom Nelson
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

 

2013 Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby -Day One

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Last year was our first time at the Olympic Penninsula Salmon Derby and after experiencing the event, the location and of course the fishing… there was no way I was going to miss this year!

The Harborside Inn was very generous to host us and we did a remote broadcast of The Outdoor Line Radio Show from the lobby over the excellent complementary breakfast! Many anglers competing in the event stayed at the Harborside Inn and took no small enjoyment in pointing out that they were heading out on the water while we were stuck in the lobby to do the show. To make matters worse, our cell phones started blowing up with fish pictures from our “friends”…Brutal!

When we finally got out on the water, Robbo was still getting reports… and while he was on the phone…  Hey ROBBO! YOU GOT ONE!!! …Uh, just a sec Nelly…I’m on the phone…

Needless to say, we lost that first fish…and it was a good one… but it wouldn’t be too long before the good ol’ Coho Killer produced a nice blackmouth for me.

 

Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby rules call for a 3pm weigh-in deadline so after a late start…it was an quick trip to the scale where lucky anglers were lined up to enter their fish.

Tony Dobson of Snatchin’ Lips Rods, fishing aboard John Keizer’s Team Lowrance boat, shares a laugh with the crew at the weigh in.

 

After my 8.9 pounder was weighed in, WDFW personnel were there to scale sample and measure the hatchery chinook entered in the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Lowrance heads for its slip at Point Hudson to get ready for day two of this three day event… Three solid days of fishing… No wonder they call this derby the “Iron Man”!

As of the end of fishing Saturday 2/16/13, 123 fish have been submitted; top three are 15.90, 14.80, and 14.30. With a “sporty” forecast for Sunday… it would be nice to be sitting atop the leaderboard.That 15.9 pounder is looking good for the ten thousand dollar first prize!

SHOW BIZ 2013!

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For those of you that have not yet had the opportunity to attend, here’s a “Virtual hot lap” around the 2013 Seattle Boat Show at Century Link Field!

 

Stabicraft is here in Boat Country’s booth, showing off the new Pilot House design. One very salty ride here…

Master Marine of Mount Vernon has a huge display of Osprey’s and Weldcrafts just take your pick and Big Larry Carpenter will hook you right up!

 

Defiance Boats in ‘da house! In a relatively short time, Defiance has become synonymous with offshore success and with Arima joining the line they have added versatility to the mix!

 

Power to weight ratio is a HUGE aspect to choosing your next outboard. Look no further than Evinrude for trouble-free, dependable, low-maintenance power!

 

Three Rivers Marine is sporting a new logo and a new line with North River Boats joining the TRM family of brands!
Jeff Lalone and Annie from Bayside Marine are ready to answer any and all your questions and make your boating life a whole lot easier!

Looking for tackle and accessories??? Everything is right here in the Sportco/Outdoor Emporium booth and the gang is ready, willing and able to get you the right gear…at the right price!

I don’t know if the word “accessory” quite fits the Lowrance label… If I didn’t have a fishfinder as effective as my Lowrance, I wouldn’t catch as many fish…

Harbor Marine… “right on your way no matter where you’re going”, is showing heavy duty marine diesel power and transmissions to get you where you’re going dependably!

Cannon Downriggers? Don’t leave the dock without them… ’nuff said!!!

I sincerely hope you can make it to my seminars at the Seattle Boat Show! Here’s the rundown!

Tom Nelson – Seminar Schedule at the Seattle Boat Show:

Triple Threat Salmon Angling:

February 1st – 2:00 PM

February 2nd – 3:00 PM

Dirty Downrigger Tricks:

January 31st – 7:00 PM

February 1st – 4:00 PM

February 2nd – 1:00 PM

SEE YOU AT THE SEATTLE BOAT SHOW!!!

Northwest Outdoor Report

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Bogachiel Best Bet in Forks Area
Bill Myer from Anglers Guide Service (206-697-2055) in Forks said the Bogachiel River is currently fishing the best of all the rivers in the area. Myers said fishing has slowed down quite a bit with the low and clear water, but he’s still getting a few fish a day out of the Bogey fishing 1/8th ounce Beau Mac jigs. He said that decent numbers of wild steelhead have pushed all the way into the upper Bogey already and that there’s been fishable numbers of hatchery steelhead stacked up around the hatchery. He’s just waiting for rain to jump back over to the Sol Duc, which has been really slow the last few days because of the low water.

San Juans Still Hot for Blackmouth
Kevin John at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) says the blackmouth fishing in the San Juan Islands is still rock solid. He says Tide Point and Eagle Bluff are still producing good numbers of blackmouth and anglers should also take a look at Lopez Flats and Fidalgo Head in front of Washington Park. He’s getting reports of really small bait in the islands and anglers should match-the-hatch by trolling Coho Killer’s and 3 inch Kingfisher Lite spoons. The go to color lately has been any spoon with purple in it. Kevin says that anchovies are also catching a lot of blackmouth and he’s having to continually order more anchovies into the shop on a regular basis. He recommends trolling the anchovies in a JDS or Bullet Roll hood 6 feet behind an 11 inch purple or green UV flasher.  If the weather holds for the big Roche Salmon Derby in a couple weeks we could record numbers of fish caught in the derby.

Seattle Boat Show Open Now
The largest boat show on the West Coast opened at CenturyLink Field yesterday and runs thru February 3rd. The doors open at 10:00 a.m. on the weekends and 11:00 on weekdays and tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for kids between the age of 11 and 17, and free for kids 10 and under. The show features more than 1,000 watercraft, boating and fishing seminars, and the latest in boating accessories and it’s all indoors at CenturyLink field in Seattle.

Puyallup Sportsman’s Show Closes Tomorrow
You’ve got today and tomorrow to attend the Washington Sportsman’s Show at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. The show boasts a one-of-a-kind indoor “Steelhead River,” over 150 hours of free “how to” seminars, camp cooking demonstrations, the Kid’s Free Trout Pond, the “Head & Horns” competition and much more. You’ll find plenty of fishing lodges, river guides, hunting outfitters, and the latest and greatest tackle and hunting products at the show. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for kids under 16, and free for kids under 5 years of age. Save some money by clicking on the Washington Sportsman’s Show banner on the OutdoorLine.com to print a coupon worth $2 off on your entry ticket.

Harrisburg Sportsman’s Show Postponed After Vendors Pull Out
Reed Exhibitions, who operates the Eastern Sports Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has decided to postpone the popular sportsman’s show after a decision to limit the display or sale of “assault rifles” caused hundreds of vendors to pull out. The show was originally supposed to be held February 2nd thru the 10th, but there was enough controversy surrounding the show that Reed has decided to postpone it for now. While Reed Exhibitions has always kept attendance figures confidential it’s estimated that as many as 1 million people attend the show every year pumping approximately $80 million into the local economy. They will announce a new date for the show soon, but for now the largest sportsman’s in American is shrouded in controversy.

The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Stabicraft 2600 Pilothouse

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There’s a dirty, little secret in the boating industry that no one is willing to admit or even talk about. The fact of the matter is that the Florida and southern California boating markets are so large that they tremendously influence domestic boat designs.

If you want to appeal to warm weather markets…you build a warm-weather boat. So, here comes another Boat Show season and what do you get along with it? The endless array of plastic, “T-top” boats with “Clear Canvas” windows. Or, as they have been come to be called, “Florida boats”.

Friends, if the only time I used my boat here in the Pacific Northwest was during weather you could call “warm”…my boating season would be quite short indeed. The Northwest is hardtop boat country. Boats that will keep you -and your expensive marine electronics warm and dry. T-tops with clear canvas windows need not apply.

Stabicraft of New Zealand recognizes that most folks want to use their boats more than a couple of months per year and outfits their hulls with diesel heaters, insulated fishboxes and a ride that makes even winter waves whimper…

Introducing the Stabicraft 2600 Pilothouse

Stabicraft Marine pioneered positive buoyancy boats, turning out the first rigid hulled aluminum pontoon boat from a back street workshop in Invercargill, New Zealand. Word quickly spread about the reverse chine pontoon design boat that posessed a ride that had to be experienced to be believed.

The original Stabicraft design was a compilation of the wish list of local divers. They wanted an evolution of the traditional Rigid Hulled Inflatable boat – one that retained the RIB’s superior buoyancy, stability on the water and ease of handling, but within a sturdier construction framework to make it even safer in rough waters.

Need serious fishbox space? The 2600 Pilothouse will challenge any angler to fill these three fish coffins! The aft box (top of pic) even has cutting board lids!

 

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the ride, safety and stability of reverse chine hulls. Stabicraft has -without a doubt- the “gold standard” of reverse chine.

 

I actually got a shot of this Stabi 2600 before the top was attached to the hull. Here is a unique shot of the interior giving you a perspective of the “fisherman friendly” layout of this model.

Stabicraft 2600 Pilothouse Specifications

Length:  26 Feet
Max Adults – 9
Recommended HP – 225hp
Maximum HP – 300hp
Fuel Tank – 95gal
External Beam – 8ft 2in
Internal Beam – 6ft 8in
Deadrise (Transom) – 21.8
Tube Thickness – 5/32in
Hull Thickness – 1/4in
Reserve Buoyancy – 930gal*
Dry Hull Weight – 3858lb
Tow Weight – 6172lb
Length on Trailer – 31ft 2in
Height on Trailer – 10ft 3in

Tom Nelson
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Weldcraft Cuddy King 24

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The mid twenty-foot range of boats is a popular, crowded and quite competitive marketplace. Within the reach of many boating families, the successful hull in this range is quite often called upon to be a stable & safe platform for fishing, camping and water sports. While many hulls claim to function in a variety of operational modes, it is a rare hull indeed that is truly up to the task.

Enter the Weldcraft Cuddy King 24

 

Note the pronounced reverse chine design. Hulls without this vital feature will pound in a head sea and roll noticably in turns. Reverse chines provide a combination of lift and suction that stabilize the boats ride, resulting in a more comfortable and safe experience aboard.

The Cuddy King offers unexpected amenities, the finest ride characteristics, and more room to fish and relax; all skillfully brought together with signature Weldcraft style. With a steep 60° bow entry, upswept bow, and true reverse chine on a wide 8′ bottom, the Cuddy King features first-class ride characteristics. In close quarters, the handling is superb thanks to wide-open visibility, easy-to-operate controls and the ability to turn on a dime. The Cuddy King was designed with cabin flexibility in mind, offering standard cabin models and endless options for a marine head and galley configurations. Additional features include a trailerable 8-1/2′ beam, .190 rear deck metal floors, optional 175 gallon fuel tank, and single or twin outboards.

Rather than offer a few fixed designs, Weldcraft let’s you design the cabin that fits your needs perfectly. There are several cabin lengths to choose from and 16 different interior configurations to select. Everything from marine heads, to reversible dinettes, to cook stations and seating variations are available.

Check out the Weldcraft Cuddy King 24 in the Master Marine booth at  the Seattle Boat Show or on line at  http://www.weldcraftmarine.com

Tom Nelson                                                                                                                                   The Outdoor Line                                                                                                               710 ESPN Seattle                                                                               www.theoutdoorline.com

 

 

Evinrude’s new player in the Jet Pump engine market!

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BRP has just introduced the new Evinrude E-TEC 135 H.O. — an outboard that should have strong attraction in the “jet sled” or shallow river running engine market.

Evinrude/BRP has the engine poised to compete in the hotly contested 100 to 150 hp outboard segment, given that its two–stroke design gives the 135 H.O. up to 36 percent more torque than 150 hp four-stroke outboards from other engine builders.

Essentially a detuned version of the “small-block” E-TEC 150, the 2.6-liter V-6 oil-injected engine weighs 418 pounds, 28 pounds more than the Evinrude E-TEC 130 V-4 outboard. Still the 135 H.O. is the lightest in its horsepower class. This is important in minimizing transom “squat” – a key consideration for fishing shallow-water, rapid rivers for steelhead and salmon.

Factory-tuned for high-performance applications, the 135 H.O. is available in 20- and 25-inch models, including counter rotation on the 25-inch version for twin-engine deep “V” hull big water installations.

Come see the entire Evinrude line at the West Coast’s Largest Boat Show:

The SEATTLE BOAT SHOW, INDOORS + AFLOAT JANUARY 25 – FEBRUARY 3, 2013 featuring more than 1,000 recreational watercraft, seminars and the latest accessories indoors at CenturyLink Field, plus afloat on South Lake Union.

Sunglasses You Can Hide Behind

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If you’re looking for a Chistmas gift for the sportsman in your life or just want some super cool shades look no further than Costa’s new lineup of polarized sunglasses in AP Realtree camo.

Costa’s camo series is available in their popular Fantail, Blackfin, Double Haul, and Zane frames and of course you can also get them with uber-schwanky 580P glass lenses for the ultimate in color enhancement and glare reduction.

Costa’s 580P glass allows maximum depth perception and light transmission in the early morning and late afternoon when animals and fish are most active and these lenses provide maximum glare reduction.

I know this firsthand because I wear them nearly every day on the ocean in Alaska and when I’m river fishing in Washington where it seems like we have “low light” conditions more often than not. Even on those rainy, drizzly days we’re famous for here in the Pacific Northwest it’s surprising how much glare is cast off the water.

Now I’m all fired up to try the new Costa Realtree camo shades in the duck blind and in the fern-choked blacktail woods of Washington. If they can give me even the slightest edge detecting an elusive blacktail buck in the early morning darkness I’m all over it.

If you haven’t done it already click on over to Costa AP Realtree Camo and snoop around. You can bet these sweet shades will be on my Christmas list!

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

 

Two Days With Tobeck…

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“Salmon, salmon and more salmon! That’s all you think about Nelly…”

If I had a dime for every time my friend, former co-host, Seattle Seahawk and WSU Cougar Robbie Tobeck hit me with that blast….

“Seriously Nelly, have you ever taken that boat of yours out for anything but salmon???”

Uh oh, new Tobeck material… and, it made me think…

“You mean like halibut or lingcod?”

“No Nelly… T, U, N, A  tuna!”

Oh, that…Well, he had me there and really, I have no excuse since my Stabicraft “Big Red” has serious blue-water bloodlines including a live well, 150 gallon fuel capacity, oversize fishbox and a kick ass chop-busting reverse chine hull. While these features were initially intended for off-shore action, the way they enable my salmon fishing addiction is remarkable and to be quite frank, a boat like this never, ever should have fallen into the hands of a guy like me.

So, as I saw it the only self-respecting response to Tobeck’s blunt chidings was to hit salmon in my stomping grounds with my gear and take Big Red to Westport with Tobeck’s tuna gear.

The plan was hatched and right before the Marine Area 9 & 10 closure, we hit Midchannel Bank…and were not dissapointed!

Tobeck's common complaint about salmon fishing often has to do with the time between strikes. On this day, he wouldn't have long to wait!

This has been an excellent chinook season in Puget Sound and the fish are not only numerous but there have been some large specimens as well!

Rob's first fish was a dandy that blew out of the release clip and spit the spoon at the boat, Tobeck was not amused...

Early that Midchannel morning we experienced a solid bite but landing them was entirely another story! We started the day a dismal 0 for 4!!! Thankfully, that was about to change!

Walt Hylback broke the ice in a big way with this fat 22 pounder and the fishbox started to look better in a hurry!

Tobeck would soon forget about the big one that got away as the action really made a sunny Sunday morning fly by!

The next occupant of the fishbox was a few pounds lighter than the first, but the fact that it "lightened" Tobeck's mood really made my day!

 

Most of the fish came on hardware but the one that I'm holding (far left) took a half-hitched whole herring fished in the middle of the water column on the middle downrigger!

With our “salmon day” in the books, it was time to put the boat on the trailer, strip the salmon gear off the boat including Cannon Downriggers and cannon balls, fuel up and head to Westport!

One of the key differences between salmon and tuna is the temperature of the water they live in and the speeds at which you fish for them. Sixty degrees (60 F.) seems to be the break point and tuna will be slightly warmer than the water in which they live. After a hook and line fight, albacore will be several degrees warmer than their environment. So, if you want tuna fillets and not “fish soup”, you must ice your catch immediately after bleeding them. You’ve got to have ice and a whole bunch of it!!!

Unfortunately, by the time we got through traffic the ice house in Westport was closed… Do you know what fifty-five bags of party ice looks like? Well, we found out…

Along with the aforementioned ice, live anchovies are essential to a successful tuna outing. Fortunately, my Stabicraft is equipped with a live bait tank that will hold two full scoops of live anchovies and keep them frisky all the way out to the tuna grounds which are 30 to 50 miles or more offshore.

To find tuna in the vast, open ocean, you need to watch surface temperature, water color (you’re looking for a cobalt blue), find feeding birds and “FAD’s” or “Fish Attracting Devices” which is basically anything that floats! In this year of tsunami debris, it’s not hard to find! The basic tuna technique is to troll until you get a strike, then stop the boat and throw stunned live anchovies behind the boat to bring the school of tuna in close.

Fortunately on this day, we wouldn't have long to troll! Here's my son Matt Nelson with the first tuna ever landed on the big, red Stabicraft! Robbie Tobeck in the background begrudgingly allowed the photo despite the fact that we "should have had gear in the water catching tuna!..."

After a couple trolling hookups followed by a few productive bait stops the fishbox started to get full! Here's Mason Tobeck and Matt Nelson dumping the final bags of "party ice" on our catch!

After all was said & done it was a very memorable two days of angling in two different locations, in pursuit of two different species with two different sets of rods and terminal gear.

Gotta love a successful father and son outing! Rob Tobeck, Matt Nelson and Mason Tobeck share a smile over the results of Big Red's first tuna run!

Are there easier ways to fish salmon and tuna? Heck yes! One can get the job done in the same day by launching in La Push, Westport or Ilwaco to name but a few. Our two days on the water were simply taking advantage of an opportunity. Not to mention the fact that Tobeck can never call me “Salmon-only Nelly” ever again!!!

Tom Nelson 710 ESPN Seattle’s The Outdoor Line 6-8am Every Saturday!

www.theoutdoorline.com

How to Properly Launch a Boat

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This infographic has been provided by our good friends at BoaterExam.com. All of us need to brush up on our boat launching skills from time to time. We’ll have more of these informative graphics in the coming weeks and months to help get you thru boating season!

How to properly launch a boat