Finding and Catching Fish has Never Been Easier With the Garmin 250 Fish Finder
August 23, 2007
The Garmin Fishfinder 250 is Garmin’s latest addition to their family of marine chartplotters, handheld GPS, fish finders and GPS sounders and its already gaining a great reputation amongst the angling community.
We met up with Johnathan W Ross, a surgeon and keen fisherman to find out his views on the new Garmin 250.
FFR - How long have you had the Garmin 250?
JWR - I purchased the 250 fish finder as a replacement for my obselete Garmin 160 fish finder. I have had the 250 for six months and I’m more than pleased with it.
FFR - How do you find the display compared to the Garmin 160?
JWR - The display on the Garmin 250 is much more detailed than the 160. It has twice the definition of the older model which means that what you see on the screen is in great detail. Something called Depth Control Gain gives really detailed images.
FFR - Do you fish different types of water?
JWR - I fish in both fresh water and salt water, and the Garmin 250 works well in both situations.
FFR - Did you notice better performance in shallower waters?
Catch Another Falling Star
August 22, 2007
Recently we stayed at a state campground in Michigan near a couple of lakes and the Kalamazoo River.
The sites were large and wooded and secluded and it was soooooo relaxing to be there. Lots of interesting people walking and biking and roller blading.
The weather was perfect - 70 degrees, perfectly clear, no humidity, with a slight breeze. (Did I say perfect?)
Of course, almost anything you cook or eat in the woods is delicious - and it was!
I worked on my new windchimes made from old silverware while I was there - and I hung them out in the “yard” so we could listen to the beautiful chime sounds - and I had people come over to admire them. That felt good and was a good affirmation for me to continue.
I have been asking for and receiving divine direction, right? Well, late last night I stepped outside the “Gratitude Chamber” (our RV) to take the chihuahuas to potty… and I looked up into the sky.
Oh my goodness! I was not prepared for what I saw!
Fort Lauderdale Swordfishing - The Perfect Fix for the Experienced Angler
August 21, 2007
If you are looking to do battle with the toughest game fish South Florida has to offer, evening swordfishing in the Gulfstream of the Atlantic is your best bet. South Florida has an excellent swordfish fishery, and swordfish are truly one of the toughest predators and hardest fighting fish in the ocean.
This is what makes swordfish the gladiator of the sea. Once an angler feels the strength of a swordfish and sees the beauty of it in the boat or upon release, he or she will be hooked for a lifetime.
Swordfishing has greatly rebounded off the coast of South Florida . With the shutdown of commercial longlining of Florida ’s Coast, we are able to truly enjoy great swordfishing. While some nights are better than others, we are getting numerous shots at swordfish just about every night. The great thing about these fish is you never know how big the fish you’re fighting is.
Swordfish are pound for pound the toughest game fish that swim the ocean and will keep an angler at the ready for a prolonged fight.
Things to Make Your Gap Year in Africa Easy!
August 20, 2007
The kind of things you pack when you go on a trip says a lot about where you’re heading and what you’re going to be doing.
Taking a warm top and a ‘blanky’ is OK if you’re going to stay at Granny’s house, but when you’re taking a gap year in Africa, these items come highly recommended…
Work Pants with zip-off longs x 2
Great for casual wading in the water and getting within meters of Southern Right Whales breaching just off your sea sprayed research boat.
This is what work at the O.R.C.A Foundation in Plettenberg Bay was all about. Plettenberg Bay is a coastal town located along the world famous Garden Route. It’s where some of the worlds most fascinating marine species can be seen, anything from Humpback Whales to Great White Sharks.
My gap year travel here gave me a once in a life time chance to work with these magnificent marine species in exciting and groundbreaking marine conservation volunteer work.
My Gap year at the O.R.C.A. Marine Foundation was also spent doing:
Fort Lauderdale Sport Fishing Charters - The Perfect Way To Get Away
August 19, 2007
Whether it’s the peaceful and serene beauty of being on the ocean, the excitement of a Sailfish or Dolphin erupting from the water, the brute strength of a Tuna or the drag-searing run of a Wahoo or Kingfish, the local waters off of Fort Lauderdale are the best place to go. During an offshore sportfishing excursion you can encounter any of the species listed above.
Sailfish are the most acrobatic and energetic game fish that inhabit the offshore waters of South Florida. A local Fort Lauderdale Sport fishing Captain will use many different tactics to catch Sailfish, the most exciting tactic we use is Live Bait Kite fishing. When we kite fish we suspend live baits from a fishing kite, the live baits sit just inches under the surface of the water so they splash and create sound waves which penetrate into the depths and ripples which magnify across the surface. These sound waves and ripples get the Sailfish and other offshore pelagic species attention. With the baits only inches under the surface of the water we can watch the Sailfish, Dolphin, Kingfish, Wahoo, or Tuna attack the bait, you witness some very impressive hits.
On Safari in Northern Tanzania ? Back to The Sixth Day of the Creation
August 18, 2007
Tanzania’s natural endowment as a wildlife safari destination is unrivalled. Wild animals roam in vast areas as God intended on that sixth day of the creation. These areas are designated as national parks and game reserves and have a high reputation for being uncrowded and unspoilt. The magnificent collection of game sanctuaries to the north of the country, near the border with Kenya, is referred to as The Northern Circuit. This is the most popular and accessible wildlife safari route in Tanzania. I can positively say that this is one of the finest game viewing areas anywhere in the world.
The game aside, the spectacularly diverse cluster of eco-systems and habitats is a dazzling experience for many a visitor. The stars of the Northern Circuit are the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, very dear to the hearts of nature lovers. But no less sparkling and indeed complementing the two are the other members of the circuit: Arusha, Tarangire and Lake Manyara. In terms of wildlife, the abundance and diversity of the wildlife here is difficult to imagine.
Find and Catch More Fish, Quickly and Easily, with the FISHIN BUDDY 2255
August 18, 2007
“Wherever you like to fish-lakes, reservoirs, rivers or streams, you’ll never have a fishing buddy who can spot fish as easy and as fast as a Bottom Line Fishing Buddy?.”
If you are fishing primarily in lakes I recommend the Bottom Line Fishing Buddy 2255 highly - it’s a reasonably priced, good quality fish finder.
It’s very compact - ideal if you don’t have a lot of space in a canoe or float tube, or in my case, a 15-foot fiberglass boat. It weighs just five pounds so its portable if you need to carry it, and its separate bracket clamp means it can be attached to the side of your boat, or to the dock if you are not using a boat. It doesn’t matter to the Bottom Line Fishing Buddy - it just keeps finding fish.
I’ve had mine for a over a year now and I’ve used it on my boat, canoes and float tubes. The Fishing Buddy hangs down at the side of your boat and gives you a reading of the fish below you, along with information about the contour of the bottom, and the depth too. Its got a “Sidefinder” feature as well, which shows up fish up to 60 feet from the boat.
True North & Magnetic Declination - A Trick to Make it Stick
August 17, 2007
Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating your way through the wilds with map and compass.
Yet it’s a tricky thing to remember, at least the way it has traditionally been taught, using an addition / subtraction method. Just when you think you’ve grasped it, the concept floats away, like fog in the morning light.
Well there is a simple, practical approach to adjusting for magnetic declination when finding your bearings. The whole explanation begins with a definition of ‘north."
There are 2 Norths
A lot of people know that there are 2 norths in terms of maps and compasses. A map shows true north, or the Geographic North Pole where all lines of longitude meet. The earth rotates around an imaginary axis that runs through the North and South Poles.
A compass needle points to magnetic north, which is determined by the earth’s magnetic field. The location of magnetic north moves over time, at about 5 miles per hour. Right now it is slowly creeping around somewhere NW of Hudson’s Bay in Canada, about 450 miles away from true north.
Magnetic Declination
A New World Record Bass
August 16, 2007
Many people go to Florida to fish for that trophy bass but did you know that 4 other states have a bigger state record than Florida? Not only that but one of the states is said to have produced a new world record. Florida’s record bass is 17.27 pounds, but others often cite an uncertified fish of 20.125 pounds (a fisheries biologist did not physically see the fish to certify it). Leaha Trew supposely caught a new world record largemouth in California. It weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces, beating George Perry’s 1932 record catch by 4 ounces. The problem is there was only one picture taken of it and it wasn’t certified by a biologist or a California state fish and game offical.
Where is the next world record coming from? Florida, Georgia, Mississippi or Texas? More than likely it will be from California. Gregg Silks has already caught 2 bass over twenty pounds and says he has lost a world record fish of 24 pounds. Who is to argue with him since he knows what 20 pound plus bass look like? 22 of 25 of the largest bass ever recorded has come from California. The next world record bass in my opinion, is going to be from the lakes of San Diego water system. Just look at the stats:
Topographic Maps 101
August 15, 2007
The intricate details on a topographic map can be befuddling, even frustrating, if you are learning while out in the backcountry. But once you get familiar with the markings and symbols, reading maps will become a friendly aid, rather than a dreaded assignment.
Topographic Maps Grid System
Lines of latitude run parallel to the equator (east and west), and lines of longitude run perpendicular to the equator (north and south). These lines form a pattern of squares across the surface of the earth like a checker board.
One square, formed by lines of longitude and latitude, measures 90 degrees x 90 degrees. Degrees are further subdivided into minutes and seconds.
? 1 degree = 60 minutes ? 1 minute = 60 seconds
The important thing to understand, when we look for a topographic map for our hiking adventures, is that it will be located within this larger context of degrees, minutes, and seconds. Fortunately, it will also, usually, be identified with a place name.
An alternative method of notation within the Geographic Coordinate System is the decimal degree system. In the decimal degree system, minutes and seconds are replaced by a percentage of a degree, expressed as a decimal up to four places long. It is often used for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications,
