Skyhawk Oversea: Eye in the Sky
You say you wish you could lay eyes on your treasured fishing boat every second of the day? Remote monitoring systems that allow you to take a peek at your boat via sensors and an app on your phone deliver the next best thing, but they’re pricy. At least, most are when you compare them to the Skyhawk Oversea monitoring system. And unlike some boat monitoring systems this one runs on internal batteries rather than sapping your boats’ power supply. Plus, Oversea utilizes the latest in low power-draw tech so those batteries last for years rather than months. There are sensors for location monitoring, battery status, bilge pump activity, temperature, high bilge water, entry, shore power, and motion, all of which can send you an alert if anything’s amiss on Mom’s Mink.
FishTalk’s own Eric Richardson installed a Skyhawk Oversea system on his boat, and he says it provides some serious peace of mind especially since his boat lives on a mooring and is tough to check up on. “It’s easy to see where the boat is and what’s going on in it,” he says. “I know when the bilge is pumping and I can always see that the solar battery charger is doing its thing. In fact, I can tell the difference between night, when voltage drops a bit, and day, when the charger brings it up to 14.8 volts. If it were to drop below 12.3 volts, an alarm on my phone would go off. That means I don’t have to worry about going to my boat, discovering a dead battery, and having to cancel a trip.”
He also noted the easy installation, which was as simple as scanning the QR code on the back of each sensor and then adding it in the app. “Once I figured it out I had the whole system installed and set up in a couple of hours,” he says, “and there’s a real feeling of security in being able to check up on the boat at any time.” Pricing starts at $299, subscriptions start at $9.99 a month.
Okuma Tesoro: Slow it Down
Looking for a rod designed specifically for the slow pitch? It’s time to check out the Okuma Tesoro Slow Pitch rods, which come in both spinning and casting versions. They’re built on 24/30-ton carbon blanks with reinforced multidirectional fiber, with medium-light and medium action. Spiral-wrapped guides are stainless-steel with Zirconium inserts and reel seats are Fuji. All of the Tesoro Slow Pitch rods are 6’8”, have split rear grips, and line ratings range from 20- to 80-pound test depending on the model. Price: $195.49. Slow Pitch fans, check 'em out.
Penn Spinfisher: Lucky Number Seven
The Penn Spinfisher has been around for a long, long time, and is now up to iteration number seven. It remains a workhorse spinning reel that comes in multiple versions (standard, Live Liner, and Long Cast models) and prioritizes ruggedness with a full metal body and side-plate. This latest version is also fully sealed to an IPX5 rating, which means it can withstand water jetted at 4.4 psi pressure from any angle. Reel sizes range from 2500 to 10500, putting out from 15 to 50 pounds of max drag. All models feature five ball-bearings plus a roller bearing, have the HT-100 carbon fiber drag system, and a CNC-cut brass main gear. Price: $199.95 to $319.95.