Boat Outfitters, a division of Teak Isle, was recently awarded the Best of Category Award in the new tackle management system section at ICAST for its Pontoon Tackle Center. The new line of fishing tackle and rod storage options – that are available in both standard and custom designs – gives you the versatility to have the best of both worlds. Whether you’re a hardcore fisherman or just want some rods and tackle on the boat for the grandkids, Boat Outfitters offers a variety of storage solutions to fit every need. (www.boatoutfitters.com)
Whether OEM or DIYer, connecting and individually fusing underwater lights to a power source can be a time-consuming wiring nightmare. Shadow-Caster simplifies the installation process with the Digitally Controlled Lighting Switch SCM-PWR6 and 4-Position Power Control Module SCM-PD4CH.
Made in the USA, Shadow-Caster power modules are compatible with 12V or 24V systems. They accommodate up to 10 amps per channel with digital overcurrent fault protection and individual self-healing fuses. The SCM-PWR6 is a six-channel digital switch module that provides the ability to control any six vessel lights or fixtures. The Shadow-Caster Digitally Controlled Lighting Switch SCM-PWR6 has an MSRP of $389; the 4-Position Power Control Module SCM-PD4CH is $249. They come with a three-year warranty. (www.shadow-caster.com)
High-end marine speakers have evolved to handle more sound for an enhanced listening experience. Yet all those decibels are wasted unless the system’s amplifier can properly handle the load. The new MPro-A1006 Six-Channel Class D marine amplifier from ProSpec Electronics is robustly engineered for today’s high SPL speakers, without the typically robust price tag attached to such top-tier power solutions (it retails for $579.95).
Because no one wants the audio catastrophe of blown speakers, the MPro’s clipping LED feature enables easy visible matching of the amplifier to the source unit signal level. This sophisticated amplifier from ProSpec Electronics even comes with an audible low-voltage warning, so an evening party on the sandbar doesn’t turn into a midnight towboat call. (www.prospecelectronics.com)
Taking the crown for 2023 ICAST’s Best of Category for Rod and Reel Combo, the Abu Garcia Zata Casting Combo provides beginner and avid anglers alike a rod-and-reel setup that will perform and that they will thoroughly enjoy. Featuring a 24-ton graphite blank for optimal sensitivity and strength, this new rod-and-reel combo ($219.95) ensures a top-notch performance that enables anglers to detect even the slightest of bites.
With stainless steel guides offering smooth line movement that minimizes friction and maximizes casting distance, the 7-foot medium heavy Zata baitcast combos are available in right-hand and left-hand configurations, and provide versatility for various fishing styles. (www.abugarcia.com)
Elco’s EP-20 electric outboard is the ideal propulsion solution for pontoons, runabouts and other small boats and is non-polluting. This conservation approach to boating sets Elco owners apart as actively protecting the very ecosystems they enjoy. And with bodies of water increasingly being restricted to electric-only, Elco propulsion makes sense.
With only four moving parts, the Elco EP-20 is nearly maintenance-free, needing only periodic lower gear oil and impeller changes. This makes it ultra-reliable, and Elco designed the 85-pound EP-20 to also be a serious performer. The water-cooled brushless PMAC motor is over 90 percent efficient, creating 20 comparable horsepower and 390 pounds of thrust. Powered by a 48V AGM or lithium-ion phosphate battery, it’s ready to run as soon as the boat hits the water—no warm-up needed.
Elco’s innovative optional DASH Bluetooth Dashboard Display is an easy way to monitor the performance of the EP-20 electric outboard. Using a mobile device or smartwatch, it displays data such as speed, RPM and battery charge parameters.
The Elco EP-20 is available with a tiller or ready-for-remote throttle and a short 30-inch or long 33-inch shaft. It costs $5,450; with DASH it’s $5,745. All Elco outboard and inboard electric motors and luxury launches are proudly built in the USA, just as when the company was founded in 1893. The company offers a range of propulsion solutions with power equivalency from five to 200hp. (www.elcomotoryachts.com)
The new USA-made Pontoon Side Ramp featuring low-light illumination strips and a lightweight aluminum design from Harbor Mate is gaining a lot of attention. The glow-in-the-dark strips on the ramp are ideal for low-light visibility and for added safety.
Harbor Mate, a marine accessories brand for personal watercraft and recreational boaters, is releasing the side ramp that equips pontoons with increased accessibility and additional dock-to-boat safety when passengers are embarking or disembarking. The 38-inch wide ramp replaces the pontoon side door and operates manually with a pulley. The ramp ($499) features raised curbs and punch plate traction, and user-installed, adhesive-backed glow-in-the-dark strips for low light conditions. (www.harbormate.com)
Entering a challenging market with stiff competition, the Berkley PowerBait Nessie shined brightest to win the Best of Category award for Freshwater Soft Bait at ICAST 2023. The all-new scientifically built Berkley PowerBait Nessie allows anglers to fish a big profile glide bait where no big profile bait has ever been able to reach. Allowing anglers to skip, slide, and cast this bait into uncharted water, the PowerBait Nessie is the bait needed to trick the fish of a lifetime that’s lurking in the most challenging of hiding spots.
Available in three different sizes: 5-inch ($7.99), 7-inch ($9.99), and up to 9-inch ($12.99), the PowerBait Nessie presents a big profile bait, with PowerBait infused taste, which is able to be retrieved at various speeds and cadences due to the stabilizing fins that keep the bait running consistent at all times. With a mesh reinforced joint and hook retention clip, the bait’s durability and efficiency are never in question when anglers are looking to catch a fish of a lifetime. (www.berkley-fishing.com)
If boat owners permanently installed hooks everywhere one was needed, there would be little fiberglass left with all the holes they’d drill. Thankfully, there’s the new Line & Hose Hook from SeaSucker. In a matter of seconds, it temporarily mounts exactly where needed, ready to secure everything from a dock line to a fender.
Made in the USA of durable high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the Line & Hose Hook uses the power of a 4.5-inch SeaSucker Vacuum Mount. Holding up to 120 pounds once attached to any clean surface, the device includes two large hooks and a center cleat; a pair of 0.5-inch utility holes add to the accessory’s functionality.
Simple to use, the Line & Hose Hook ($99) is positioned where needed and the power button pumped until the orange section disappears. If the color reappears after a couple of days, a few quick pumps recharge it. And when it’s time to move or stow the device—or even re-purpose it around the house—it removes without leaving a mark. (www.seasucker.com)
RELiON Battery has launched its new InSight 12V lithium battery that offers all the advantages of a lithium battery but with even more intelligent features built in. The InSight 12V is a 120Ah powerhouse lithium battery that outputs 160A continuous and offers higher peak discharge for marine deep-cycle applications.
Engineered from the ground up by a team of battery experts, InSight Series batteries are drop-in ready and easy to install – no need to modify trays, no complicated connections, and no heavy lifting. Additionally, the new batteries are scalable, so users can provide increased power and energy as needed. From its design to its one-of-a-kind Battery Management System (BMS) and intuitive software, InSight Series batteries ($1,349.95) offer exclusive advantages. (www.relionbattery.com)
A paddle is hiding inside each issue of PDB and the names of the first readers to find it are printed in an upcoming magazine! In our July issue the paddle is on page 6 on the contents page (shown in the photo below) on the bench for the Salute The Troops feature. Here are the readers who spotted it first:
Frank Gunther, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Ken Braun, Hartford, Wis.
Mike Morphis, Hot Springs Village, Ark.
Tony Pesante, Baldwin, N.Y.
Danny Criner, North Chesterfield, Va.
Marcus Rosehill, Kaneohe, Hawaii