Article by Larry Jock
I’m usually not a fan of stereos on boats. I like my boat time to be nice and quiet, away from people and all the hustle bustle.
That was until I had a Fusion MS-IP600G marine stereo installed on my boat. The feature I absolutely love on this stereo is that I can plug my iPod right into it, enabling me to play all my favorite songs during the trip to the fishing grounds.
I’ve had stereos on my boats in the past, but I never had any luck with them. Radio reception was usually sub-par and cd’s would usually skip.
The Fusion MS-IP600G provides a 360-degree waterproof design, multi-zone volume control, die-cast construction to withstand the harsh marine environment, a large, ajustable backlit LCD, complete integration with iPods and an advanced power saver, which enables high output efficiency and low battery drain.
The integration with the iPod is key, and I’m sure there are other marine stereos with this feature, I just haven’t used them. On this model, you flip down the front and actually slide your iPod into the stereo so that is it completely protected. It comes with sleeves that fit every type of iPod, including an iPhone.
The stereo is very easy to use. The backlit LCD display is bright enough to read, even on the sunniest days and the integration with the iPod is flawless. Can you tell I love it?
You can pick up a Fusion MS-IP600G, at local marine electronic stores. The stereo retails for $299.00.
By now, everyone should be familiar with the Berkley Gulp! Alive! line of artificial soft baits. Most anglers have been using the Swimming Mullet, which looks like the standard curly tail. However, there are many other types in this line of soft baits that are effective.
Recently, I spoke with Sue Foster at Oyster Bay Tackle and Capt. Bruce McGuigan at Capt. Mac’s Bait & Tackle. They were both telling me about the good results anglers are getting from the Gulp! Alive! Ghost Shrimp.
“These Gulp! baits are really incredible.” said Capt. Bruce. “Flounder fishermen have really been catching some nice fish on the Ghost Shrimp this spring.”
The Ghost Shrimp is a 3-inch soft bait, impregnated with, and floating in, Gulp’s “Magic Gravy” formula. It comes in six different colors.
Most tackle shops in our area have a great selection of Gulp! baits to choose from. You can purchase a 7-pack of each color for $6.99 or a bucket of assorted colors for $19.99.
Assateague Tackle rigs have become a hot seller along the Delmarva coast and this year they introduced a new drum rig that has already produced some quality catches.
The Double Blade Puppy Drum Rig is made with an 80 lb. main leader, 4/0 or 5/0 Gamakatsu circle hooks, brightly colored beads and 2 copper blades.
According to Dale Timmons, the rig seems to work better with strips of bait rather than chunks. A finger mullet fillet or a strip of spot is ideal.
In the spring, Dale says that using this rig with peeler crabs is ideal. It also works well for flounder and sea bass on ocean wrecks.
The rig retails for $3.99 and is available at local tackle shops.
