G E A R
Editors’ Picks POCKET PROTECTOR
Te Mustang F3 Inflatable Fish- ing Vest is the perfect inflatable PFD for kayaking. Because it has a mesh back, it’s comfortable in kayak seats. A neoprene-backed neck prevents chafing. And un- like the minimalist old-school inflatable PFDs, there are plen- tiful pockets for all your fishing gear; 10 of them, in fact. Manual inflation means it won’t blow up unless you want it to. $200;
www.mustangsurvival.com
HOT ROD THE BEST NEW STUFF FOR KAYAK ANGLERS—FROM BIG COMPANIES
If you want more proof of kayak fishing’s bur- geoning popularity, look no further than the kay- ak-specific gear coming out from big players like Shimano and Okuma. Okuma’s new Baidarka series kayak fishing rods have shorter butt grips and longer fore grips. Tere’s an integrated leash attachment and, in case that’s not enough to keep them in the boat, they float with most fishing reels—so you can hang onto them for life, which is how long the warranty lasts. Casting and spinning, 7’–7’6”; $100–$120;
www.okumafishing.com
POWER BOX OtterBox dry boxes are easy to turn into a homemade waterproof battery box for a fish- finder. The OtterBox 3510 with foam is just the right size for a 12V, 5.0 amp gel pack. Pull out the foam for the battery, drill a hole through the lid for the leads, and seal the hole with silicone. $31;
www.otterbox.com
BEST SHOT The Olympus Stylus 770 SW outperforms other point-and-shoot waterproof cameras we’ve tested for compactness, durability and image quality. It’s waterproof up to 33 feet, crushproof, shockproof and packed with features. The lens cover is something you don’t get on other cameras and is critical to protecting the optics from the gunk in a fisherman’s PFD pocket. The 7.1 megapixels is plenty for prints up to 8 x 10. $350;
www.olympusamerica.com
BIRD BRAIN The Humminbird 383C Combo pulls double duty as a compact sonar fishfinder and GPS chartplotter, saving room on the deck for the big fish you’ll catch with it. It has a three-inch color display with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution and built-in maps. Humminbird offers scup- per plug and through-hull, stick-on transducer options. $400;
www.humminbird.com
WELL AND GOOD Shimano’s Bristol Bay Portable Live-Well Bag debuted at the fishing industry’s tradeshow, ICAST, last fall. Designed by kayakers like Jim Sammons for kayakers like Jim Sammons, it fits in just about every tank well. The soft bag has a pocket and four rod holder sleeves and the hard plastic inner case holds up to 6.25 gallons. Rod holder inserts ($30) and a live-well pump kit ($100) are sold separately. $120;
www.shimano.com
www.kayakanglermag.com… 13
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