Great (Lakes) Angling Accessories For The Ages

Published: Friday, November 22, 2019
By: Dan Armitage

The sheer volume of angling accessories that come to market each season is astounding. Those that survive the test of time, their use and value aboard our Great Lakes fishing boat are worthy of pointing out. We’re not talking rods, reels, or lures here, but accessories that make angling easier, more productive, more enjoyable, or all three. Here are some of our favorites:

You see more of Frabill’s distinctive yellow and white bait buckets hanging over the gunwales of Great Lakes fishing craft than all other brands combined, and for good reason. The Frabill buckets are inexpensive, well-built, and weighted and designed to be able to withstand slow trolling speeds with the lid facing up and without dumping their contents. The lids snap back and hold in the open position, are spring-loaded to auto shut, and they have a simple twist lock to keep the lids secure.

Although I don’t admit it to my boat mate, the Magma bait prep tray we keep aboard has been used for both bait and meal prep over the years. The portable rod-holder-mounted tray is built of a poly material that allows knives to keep an edge, is practically indestructible, and easy to clean. The tray comes with built-in knife and plier slots and drainage scuppers, and a super-strong mounting system that is easy to use and adjusts to any angle. After my partner reads this review, I have a feeling we are going to be a two-Magma couple: one for prepping bait and the other for prepping burgers.

We avoided adding a shallow water anchor to our Great Lakes boat for several seasons, reasons being price, need, and not knowing which of the two major types to choose. After fishing from boats equipped with both, we chose the electric-powered Talon from Minn Kota at the beginning of this season and have never looked back. The Talon installed on the transom in less than two hours and hasn’t gotten in our way yet, either up top or deployed underwater while fighting a fish – something I thought might be an issue. The wireless remote lets us deploy and weigh the anchor from anywhere aboard and even from the dock when the boat is within short casting distance. I even use it to hold the boat at the dock when I launch and load solo. The Talon is quiet, holds well in a variety of bottom conditions, and has made stopping for a few quick casts much simpler than having to wrestle with a traditional anchor. The Talon comes in a variety of colors and lengths from 8-15 feet; our 10 foot model has been a good choice for the Great Lakes fishing we have done this season, but in hindsight we’d get a 12 or 15 footer next time.

Secured at the opposite end of our Great Lakes fishing boat from the transom-mounted Talon is another Minn Kota accessory that, now that we’ve been spoiled by its virtues, would be tough to angle without: an Ulterra electric trolling motor. Not only does the bow-mounted workhorse pull the boat along at trolling speeds that Great Lakes walleyes find appealing, its Spot Lock feature allows us to “anchor” over fish in any depth without deploying the hook. Whether silently hovering over shallow reefs within casting distance of spawning bass and walleye in the spring or holding over deep schools of yellow perch in the fall, the Ulterra’s Spot Lock abilities have helped put many more fish in the well in the three seasons we’ve employed it – and enjoyed it’s other remarkable characteristic: it deploys and retracts automatically with the push of a button on a wireless remote. No more bouncing up and down on the bow struggling to lift a traditional trolling motor into its rack; the Ulterra does all the heavy lifting automatically.

I welcomed the regional Costa del Mar sunglasses rep as a guest on my radio show last spring to discuss the features that fishermen should consider when investing in a pair of quality sunglasses. And I don’t use the word ‘invest’ lightly, for good sunglasses can cost $200 or (much) more per pair – especially in my case, as I need to have corrective lens inserts for tackling close work such as knot tying. I also notice that eye strain has reared its ugly after a long day on the water. The information he shared about lens coatings and colors for use in particular waters was an eye-opener and he convinced me that it was time to move up a bit from the shades I have been wearing. The Ballast Readers model I chose covered all the bases, offering bifocal correction in quality polarized lenses with a light and comfortable fit that really did make a difference at the end of the day. You can choose from glass or plastic lenses and full prescription models in a wide selection of polarized colors and shades from what I consider one of the top sunglass brands on the water.

And to secure my Costas to my noggin I rely on adjustable Cablz Zipz retainers. The wire “straps” remain out of the way, don’t stick to the back of my neck, and the Zipz models are fully adjustable to pin my glasses to my face in high winds or drop to dangle securely around my neck when not needed.

Space is at a premium aboard most fishing boats, mine included, and when I started testing telescoping landing nets a few seasons back I found myself reaching for one of several Ego Fishing models I was provided to review. The nets in Ego’s S2 line are lighter than other brands’ telescoping nets, and I liked how easy they are to use and retract. Their handle diameter is a bit larger than some, so they won’t fit in most flush-mounted rod holders, but a designated net holder from Frabill serves that purpose well. Ego’s Kryptek S1 Genesis is another space-saving choice to consider, a landing net with a removable handle that floats and accepts other accessories. Plus, the color patterns look pretty cool...

About the Author
Dan Armitage is a popular Great Lakes-based outdoor writer and host of the Buckeye Sportsman show (buckeyesportsman.net), syndicated weekly on 30 radio stations across Ohio. Dan is a certified Passport to Fishing instructor and leads kids fishing programs at Midwest boat and sport shows, and is a licensed Captain with a Master rating from the US Coast Guard.