Boat anchors can be a pain if you have the wrong anchor type. We have tried many types of anchors for our Pontoon and our Jet Ski. Depending on where you go, some anchors work better than others.
If the lakes you go to are very calm, the sand anchors work very well. But if you have a lot of movement and waves, they will not hold even the smallest Jet Ski away from shore. Two of them together filled with sand only, do seem to hold ok. Just make sure the front of the Jet Ski is facing the lake not the land.
The digger boat anchor works great in soft sand or mud. In a rocky location, you will have a hard time, but that is true with any boat anchor and rocks.
The two boat anchors that seem to work the best are the box boat anchor and the on/off shore spike. The box anchor seems to catch and hold nicely. And if accompanied with an on/off shore spike at shore the two works nicely together. The box anchor stores very well and that is always a plus. I have not met anyone that has a box anchor that does not like it.
The on/off shore spike is great for many things. You can use it under water, on the shore and a combination of both. I use ours for both the pontoon and Jet Ski. Having an extra set for the sand bar makes hanging out easy and you never have to worry about drifting if you have one for the front and one for the back. If you do purchase the on/off shore spike and place it in the water, make sure you tie a rubber bumper to the top of the spike so nobody runs into it.
If you have any other anchor ideas, we would love to hear your review on your boat anchor.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Bass and Trout Fishing Lakes
Fishing lakes and streams bring great financial and personal value to the land. Spring Creek Aquatic Concepts specializes in creating the finest fishing lakes, ponds, and streams. Fishing lakes and ponds often charge anglers the right to fish there. Some fishing lakes and ponds stock their waters with bass while others have waters stocked with trout or another fresh-water fish.
Bass continue to provide the most consistent fishing action and success could be termed fair to good. The early morning and late evening hours have produced the best catches, with topwater and soft-plastic baits being the most productive. Bass biting on most area lakes. Try South Turtle, with the bigger bass and some panfish in 5 feet. Bass can be taken in the spring on plugs and spinner baits along the north shoreline and throughout the lake during summer on plastic worms, plugs, and spinner baits along weedlines. Black crappie are low in abundance but average 10".
Bass fishing is slow. One fisherman caught 2 cats, 31.5 and 29 pounds on crawdads at Rabbit Island area. Bass and northern pike seem to be active at the weedlines of most area lakes. Bass are often found near the rock structure in the middle of the lake and off the multiple points.
Bass anglers are taking fish from various locations, including the slop, shallow weedlines, outside weed edges, and around the docks. Bass are usually fileted when taken for the table, however, more and more Florida bass anglers are adopting "catch and release" angling, where the bass are returned to the water after being hooked and retrieved. Bass fishing on Lake Cypress generally improves in April and May when water released through flood control canals concentrates forage fish. A drawdown is planned.
Trout in lakes and reservoirs will use deeper water as cover where trout in moving bodies of water use undercuts in river banks and other natural elements like logs and eddies behind rocks and boulders. In many ways trout fishing streams and river is much easier than fishing lakes and reservoirs. Trout are attracted to certain types of bait and lures. Some which yield the most interest from trout include spoons, jigs, flies, salmon eggs and worms.
Bass continue to provide the most consistent fishing action and success could be termed fair to good. The early morning and late evening hours have produced the best catches, with topwater and soft-plastic baits being the most productive. Bass biting on most area lakes. Try South Turtle, with the bigger bass and some panfish in 5 feet. Bass can be taken in the spring on plugs and spinner baits along the north shoreline and throughout the lake during summer on plastic worms, plugs, and spinner baits along weedlines. Black crappie are low in abundance but average 10".
Bass fishing is slow. One fisherman caught 2 cats, 31.5 and 29 pounds on crawdads at Rabbit Island area. Bass and northern pike seem to be active at the weedlines of most area lakes. Bass are often found near the rock structure in the middle of the lake and off the multiple points.
Bass anglers are taking fish from various locations, including the slop, shallow weedlines, outside weed edges, and around the docks. Bass are usually fileted when taken for the table, however, more and more Florida bass anglers are adopting "catch and release" angling, where the bass are returned to the water after being hooked and retrieved. Bass fishing on Lake Cypress generally improves in April and May when water released through flood control canals concentrates forage fish. A drawdown is planned.
Trout in lakes and reservoirs will use deeper water as cover where trout in moving bodies of water use undercuts in river banks and other natural elements like logs and eddies behind rocks and boulders. In many ways trout fishing streams and river is much easier than fishing lakes and reservoirs. Trout are attracted to certain types of bait and lures. Some which yield the most interest from trout include spoons, jigs, flies, salmon eggs and worms.
Boating Safety
Boating safety may seem like a nuisance or too much extra hassle. After all, boating is supposed to be fun, right? Boating safety is not rocket science, and if you exercise common sense and do some planning ahead of your boating excursion, you should be able to have safe boating experience. The reality is that, generally speaking, most folk that are preparing for a day out on the water forget this and do not tend to focus on the safety issues at all.
Boating safety is tantamount to responsible boating and it shouldn't be taken lightly. Boating safety certification is a state-approved course for boaters. But it is NOT a license, it is a certification, which means that it is valid for a lifetime and can’t be taken away from you.
Alcohol or drugs played a role in 22 percent. One in five victims was operating a personal watercraft, and Miami-Dade led in the number of personal watercraft accidents, with 21. Alcohol was either a direct or indirect contributing factor in approximately one-fourth of all boating accidents, while operator errors accounted for 70%. These are devastating statistics and should serve as a wake-up call to anyone on the water, so start boating safety now. Alcohol and water don’t mix. In a Red Cross study, two-thirds of boating injury victims had consumed alcohol.
Accidents involving Personal Watercraft have almost doubled in the last few years. Accident risks multiply at busy times such as July 4th weekend, when recreational boating increases on popular lakes and rivers. The chance of being involved in an accident cannot be completely alleviated but can be reduced by using good judgment, courtesy, common sense and knowledge and obedience of boating safety laws. Accident statistics have identified items to be addressed through a combination of education, public awareness and possible manufacturing changes. Some of these items include better understanding of the operator's responsibility by some PWC riders, especially renters and non-owner operators.
Persons accompanied in a vessel by a person exempt. A person is exempt from this requirement if there is a person on board who is not affected by this law or is at least 18 years of age and holds a boater education I.D. Persons between the ages of 12 and 16 are now prohibited from operating a personal watercraft without the direct, on-board supervision of a person over the age of 18. For boating safety, a personal watercraft is defined as a vessel less than 16 feet in length propelled by machinery, and designed to be operated by an individual sitting or kneeling on the vessel rather than sitting or kneeling inside the vessel. Personal watercraft (PWC), such as Jet Skis, must follow all boating laws in addition to specific rules. Make boating safety natural for all family members.
Anyone is eligible to take the class and receive a boating safety education completion certificate. For children under 12 years of age, the certificate does not become valid until the child reaches 12 years of age. Anyone operating a motorboat, including a personal watercraft, in Colorado must be at least 16 years old. Fourteen and 15-year-olds who successfully complete a state approved boating safety course, such as the one offered by Colorado State Parks, can operate a motorboat in Colorado.
Coast Guard contains information about Federal boating laws, equipment requirements and boating safety recommendations for recreational vessels. Loaded with charts, graphics and diagrams, this brochure covers navigational rules, cold water survival and life jacket requirements to name a few. Coast Guard received reports for 4,969 boating incidents; 3,474 boaters were reported injured, and 710 died. Of people who drowned, only one in ten had a life jacket on. Coastal rivers are affected by tides. Paddling against tidal flow makes a trip difficult.
Check your local adult community school for available boating safety courses. Find a course near you by calling 1-800-336-2628.
Boating safety is tantamount to responsible boating and it shouldn't be taken lightly. Boating safety certification is a state-approved course for boaters. But it is NOT a license, it is a certification, which means that it is valid for a lifetime and can’t be taken away from you.
Alcohol or drugs played a role in 22 percent. One in five victims was operating a personal watercraft, and Miami-Dade led in the number of personal watercraft accidents, with 21. Alcohol was either a direct or indirect contributing factor in approximately one-fourth of all boating accidents, while operator errors accounted for 70%. These are devastating statistics and should serve as a wake-up call to anyone on the water, so start boating safety now. Alcohol and water don’t mix. In a Red Cross study, two-thirds of boating injury victims had consumed alcohol.
Accidents involving Personal Watercraft have almost doubled in the last few years. Accident risks multiply at busy times such as July 4th weekend, when recreational boating increases on popular lakes and rivers. The chance of being involved in an accident cannot be completely alleviated but can be reduced by using good judgment, courtesy, common sense and knowledge and obedience of boating safety laws. Accident statistics have identified items to be addressed through a combination of education, public awareness and possible manufacturing changes. Some of these items include better understanding of the operator's responsibility by some PWC riders, especially renters and non-owner operators.
Persons accompanied in a vessel by a person exempt. A person is exempt from this requirement if there is a person on board who is not affected by this law or is at least 18 years of age and holds a boater education I.D. Persons between the ages of 12 and 16 are now prohibited from operating a personal watercraft without the direct, on-board supervision of a person over the age of 18. For boating safety, a personal watercraft is defined as a vessel less than 16 feet in length propelled by machinery, and designed to be operated by an individual sitting or kneeling on the vessel rather than sitting or kneeling inside the vessel. Personal watercraft (PWC), such as Jet Skis, must follow all boating laws in addition to specific rules. Make boating safety natural for all family members.
Anyone is eligible to take the class and receive a boating safety education completion certificate. For children under 12 years of age, the certificate does not become valid until the child reaches 12 years of age. Anyone operating a motorboat, including a personal watercraft, in Colorado must be at least 16 years old. Fourteen and 15-year-olds who successfully complete a state approved boating safety course, such as the one offered by Colorado State Parks, can operate a motorboat in Colorado.
Coast Guard contains information about Federal boating laws, equipment requirements and boating safety recommendations for recreational vessels. Loaded with charts, graphics and diagrams, this brochure covers navigational rules, cold water survival and life jacket requirements to name a few. Coast Guard received reports for 4,969 boating incidents; 3,474 boaters were reported injured, and 710 died. Of people who drowned, only one in ten had a life jacket on. Coastal rivers are affected by tides. Paddling against tidal flow makes a trip difficult.
Check your local adult community school for available boating safety courses. Find a course near you by calling 1-800-336-2628.
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