Author: Lenny Rudow

Having a virtual anchoring system on your boat can help you catch more fish. Period. After spending an entire day of wreck fishing off the North Carolina coast with the Yamaha Helm Master system, we came to one inescapable conclusion: virtual anchoring makes you a far more effective angler. Casting for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay on a bay boat with an electric bow-mounted Minn Kota that had their Spot-Lock virtual anchoring feature led us to the exact same conclusion. And deep-dropping for tilefish on a boat with pod drives provides exactly the same evidence. Virtual anchoring systems can help you catch more…

The U.K. manufacturer Cox Marine has rolled out a 300 hp Cox diesel outboard engine, and it’s nothing like you’d expect. Outboard technology has developed by leaps and bounds in recent years and we’ve seen amazing introductions like the Seven Marine 627, the most powerful outboard in the world, Suzuki’s twin-propellered DF350A and Yamaha’s V8 F425 XTO Offshore outboard hit the water with a big, giant splash. But don’t think for one second that you’ve seen it all, because the final months of 2018 ushered in one more shocker: the first high-horsepower diesel outboard. Cox Marine has begun production of their…

The Pursuit S288 has everything a serious angler needs, plus a dash of panache. It’s very easy to find a center console fishing boat that’s family friendly. It’s easy to find one that’s designed to be a serious fishing machine(pursuits boats). And it’s easy to find one that’s rather gussied up with niceties you’d expect to find on a cocktail cruiser. You want a boat with all of these traits? Then you need an introduction to the Pursuit S288. The very first thing you’ll notice upon close inspection of this boat is that there aren’t any flaws. That’s not the say…

Marine Radar has undergone so many changes in the past few years that our concept of how and why we use it – and whether or not we need it – is changing. When it comes to marine electronics, few things are as expensive, complex, and difficult to interpret as radar, right? While that may have been a defensible statement a few short years ago, today it’s far off the mark. In fact, with today’s latest units you get far more bang for your buck, their auto-settings work far better than they used to, and their displays are far easier…

The Edgewater 320 CC strikes a balance between technology, raw power, and smart design. Edgewater Boats – Edgewater 320 CC Check out our article Best Center Console Fishing boats – 10 Traits to Consider, and you’ll notice that the top three items we list are boat construction, hull design, and size and weight. It’s no coincidence that these also happen to be key factors you’ll want to consider when checking out the Edgewater 320 CC. Edgewater has been at the forefront of construction and technical advancements in boat building since its inception, and continues to push for new advancements in each…

How To Clean Boat Canvas? If you have clear canvass curtains on your boat in need of replacement or if you want to add clear canvass for more protection from the elements, choosing the best material for the job is critical. Let’s be honest, people: clear canvass for boats is not exactly a sexy subject. But it is an important one, which is why we’ve covered such topics as cleaning isinglass on a boat and how to save your isinglass in the past. What we haven’t covered, however, is which type of isinglass is best for your boat in the first…

Boating gear-heads, listen up Boating Gadgets 2018 – you’ve just gotta get this stuff! Whether you own a big canyon-running convertible fishing boat or a center console small enough to haul behind a Toyota Tacoma, you’re probably quite proud of your boat. And we boat-owners groove on the numerous cool goodies and gadgets that make our boats better fishing platforms. You say you want to jazz up Mom’s Mink with some awesome new accessories? Then check out these 10 cool new boating gadgets that will make your fishing machine even better. Seakeeper 2 – Gyroscopic stabilization is about as cool and techy…

What to look for when sea trialing a boat you might buy. We hope you’ve already read Boat Buying Test – 101: The Inspection, and are now ready to talk about leaving the dock for your sea trial. Great—for starters, shove that sales guy or owner out of the way and take the wheel. You’ll learn a lot more about the boat by operating it yourself (is the wheel “sticky” or does it turn smoothly? Do you have to fight it at high speeds, or in sharp turns? Is the throttle tough to move, or easy?) Operating the boat near the…

What to look for when inspecting a boat for sale. | Boat Buying Test So: You’re thinking about buying a new center console fishing boat for next season? How will you know just how good a boat you’re looking at? Even experienced anglers with decades logged on the bay or ocean may have a tough time looking at a new boat, and accurately judging how it will stand the test of time and rough seas. But it’s about to get a little easier. Experts at BD Outdoors have tested (literally) thousands of boats ranging in size from 13′ to 92′ for…

The Wellcraft 352 Fisherman is not what you were expecting. I’m walking along at the 2018 Fort Lauderdale International Boat show, drooling over the monster convertible fishing boats along the docks and the red-hot center consoles in the convention center, when a boat stops me in my tracks. This is no easy feat, even for a 35-footer with triples strung across the transom. These days, three outboards on one transom seems almost mundane. True, these are Mercury Racing 400Rs and at 1200 horses, the boat does carry more juice than your average triple-engine fishing machine. But what really grabs my eye are…

This latest fish-finding development is catching plenty of headlines – but will it help you catch more fish? Those of you who keep up on the latest and greatest in marine electronics have surely heard about Garmin’s Panoptix LiveScope system by now, especially since it won the Best of Show award at the 2018 ICAST fishing tackle show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-TtJcEQmB0 Garmin Panoptix Livescope Review There’s no doubt that the screen shots taken with this system are good enough to make an angler’s eyes bug out. Here’s just one example of such amazing definition that you can see a fish’s individual fins and…

The all-new Robalo R272 breaks new ground, as it takes you to new fishing grounds. In a world of cookie-cutter 20-something center console fishing boats it’s rare to run across one that grabs your eye and makes you look twice, but that’s exactly what the all-new 2019 Robalo R272 is likely to do. What makes this boat so different from the rest of the pack? Let’s start at the top. When we say “at the top,” we mean that literally – the hard top. Robalo claims it’s the biggest in its class, and we don’t doubt their word. It extends far…

You think you have to be rich to afford a sweet new fishing boat? These three rigs will make you think twice. Okay, no more excuses – if you can afford to buy a new car, you can afford to buy a new fishing boat. It might not be the biggest nor the fanciest boat in the world and it certainly won’t be a bluewater powerhouse like a Contender 30 ST or a Scout 430 LXF, but for the average price of a Chevy Cruze you could be cruising atop the waves instead of cruising down the highway. And in truth,…

There’s a new Bertram in town, and it’s one big bodacious offshore fishing machine. When it comes to convertible fishing boats, the marketplace has changed radically through the past decade. There used to be numerous production builders, with brands like Bertram, Cabo, Davis, Egg Harbor, Ocean Yachts, and Viking, each garnering their own niche. But many of those famous names are now gone, and Viking seems to be the only builder molding fiberglass hulls and selling models of 40-feet and up with consistent success, while custom builders grew to dominate much of the market. Bertram – a legendry manufacturer if…

If you own a trailer boat, here are five things you DO NOT ever want to do. Traveling across the waves in a boat at 60 or 70 mph can be scary, but boat trailering over asphalt at those speeds while towing a boat should be even scarier. The only problem is, many trailer boaters don’t have a clear concept of just how much damage can be done to their boat – not to mention life and limb – should something go awry at those kinds of speeds. So before you hit the highway again, let’s take a quick look…

Power catamarans have a cult-like following among some anglers, yet have never managed to come close to the popularity of monohulls. Here’s why so many people love ‘em, and why so many don’t. If you had to choose the hottest new headline-grabbing fishing boat to hit the water in recent years, one model that would certainly be in the running is the quad-engine Freeman 42LR power catamaran. Yet despite uber-popular boats like this, power catamarans have never managed to occupy much more than seven or eight percent of the new boat market in the United States. What gives? How can a…

Joystick systems are becoming more and more common on outboard boats, but are they worth the investment? Thanks to the popularity of the Evinrude G2 outboards, it was only a matter of time before Evinrude came out with a joystick system. After all, joysticks have become uber-popular on all types of boats, outboard fishing boats included. But, do anglers really stand to benefit from these systems? We began delving into the possibilities when we examined our experiences during a day of fishing with the Yamaha Helm Master system, but each of the outboard joystick control systems has its own attributes.…

The Sportsman 242 CC comes equipped with just about everything you need and want – right out of the box. Checking out the Sportsman 242 CC is like a breath of fresh air for anyone who’s gone shopping for a new center console fishing boat within the past few decades. The reason why is simple: it’s a straightforward fishing machine with a comprehensive list of standard features and a transparent price tag. Sportsman equips the boat to the teeth right out of the box, and doesn’t try to obscure the real-world cost by publishing an MSRP that fails to include “optional”…

Three years after decking a boat with SeaDek padding, what have we learned? In 2018 Local Knowledge welcomed SeaDek as part of the BDOutdoors team. The only problem with a relationship this new is that there’s no possible way we could have hands-on experience with SeaDek over the long term. That means there’s no way we could talk factually about just how this stuff holds up over the years, how easy it is to maintain, and how much we may or may not like it after having it underfoot for years on end, right? Wrong! As luck would have it, another…

HCB Center Console Yachts (formerly known as Hydra Sports Custom Boats) has beaten their own benchmark, with the new 65 Estrella. What could possibly be better than a 53-foot center console fishing yacht powered by four massive Seven Marine outboards with a grand total of 2,508 blazing horsepower? Why, a 65-footer with a fifth powerplant on the transom, pushing the power mark up to 3,135 horses, of course. And just a few years after building the 53 Suenos, which quickly became recognized as the largest center console on the market, HCB has broken their own record with the 65 Estrella. Speaking…

Boat owners have had to deal with ethanol issues for years now, and we’re learning the best ways to combat its effects. Here’s how to deal with ugly fuel. Search through the archives of BD Outdoors for ethanol, and you’ll find no fewer than 20 articles mentioning this stuff, most of which dwelling on the negative effects it has on marine propulsion systems. At this point ethanol is nothing new. It is still, however, a major problem for boat owners. What You Need to Know About Ethanol First, the basics: ethanol is an alcohol fuel distilled from plant materials. Most…

Yamaha Helm Master For Sale Are outboard joystick systems like the Yamaha Helm Master worth the added expense? And more importantly, can they actually help you catch more fish? Ever since the introduction of the Yamaha Helm Master system in 2013, people have been talking about how great it is to have joystick control with an outboard-powered boat. But the system can add cost to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars to a boat (exact price is variable depending on the number of outboards and the systems specifics). And what you normally hear people rave about is how…

The Contender 30ST is one red-hot fishing machine. Spend a full day aboard a Contender 30ST ripping across the bay, punching through the inlet, and fishing hard, and you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that few center console fishing boats of the same size can match its combination of performance, seakeeping ability, and fishability. We don’t expect you to take our word for it – anyone interested in buying a boat should go for an extended sea trial on it and form their own opinions – but we can fill you in on a few details that should certainly whet your…

Seakeeper gyros are becoming more and more popular on sportfishing boats of all sizes – but how the heck do these things work? Whether you’re on a 30 foot center console or a 60-foot convertible, Seakeeper gyroscopic stabilization truly seems like magic. You flip a switch and – POOF! – the boat stops rolling almost entirely. In fact, we’ve been on several boats both small and large and found a roll reduction of about 90 percent is the norm. How in the world is this possible? Gyroscopic Stabilization in a Nutshell Although you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to…