Gear I Actually Use
These are products I own and recommend. From the boat to the desk — stuff that's worked for me.
Must-Have Lake Erie Trolling Gear
Setting up a boat to troll the lake? Start with these two
Buy this first
Garmin Force Kraken
The one piece of gear I'd buy before anything else here. Bow-mount trolling motor with the transducer built in, and it pairs with a Garmin chartplotter for anchor lock and route following.
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Then this
Cisco Triple Rod Holder
Three rod tubes on one plate that lifts off the boat as a unit, with mounts for gimbals, tracks, rails and most boat brands. Made by Cisco Fishing Systems — not sold on Amazon.
View at CiscoWhat I use most
On the boat every trip
Trolling Rig
Everything from the rod holder out to the diver, and the tools that live next to it
Rods & Reels
Linecounters on trolling rods, plus the spinning and downrigger rods
Okuma Cold Water CW-203D
Linecounter reel that pairs with the GLT rods. Same reel with a bigger spool as the CW-303D, or left-hand as the 203DLX.
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Okuma Convector Linecounter
Step up from the Cold Water — levelwind, heavier drag. The one to reach for when you're pulling boards or big divers.
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Ugly Stik GX2 6'6" Spinning Rod
Three-piece medium-power rod. Tough all-around stick.
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Daiwa Wilderness Downrigger 8'
Two-piece downrigger rod. I run the 7' and 8'6" too, but Amazon only lists the 8' and 9'. Also sold in black.
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Where the rods ride while they fish
Cisco Triple Rod Holder
Three rod tubes on one plate that lifts off the boat as a unit. Many mount and color options. Cisco Fishing Systems — not on Amazon.
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Rod Straps, 12-Pack
Adjustable straps in six colors. Keeps rods bundled in transport and tells a pair apart at a glance.
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Braid on the reel, and what ties the rest of the spread to it
Reaction Tackle X8 Braid, 30#
Eight-strand, 300 yards. Hi-vis yellow on purpose — you can see where every line is running and keep a spread from crossing itself.
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Duo Lock Snaps
Stainless, black nickel, 26–220 lb. Quick lure and diver changes without retying.
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Off Shore Guppy Weights, 2 oz
Snap weights for getting a flatline or board line deeper without switching to a diver.
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Getting baits down and out to the side
Dipsy Diver — Pink/Chartreuse UV/Chrome
Gets baits down and out to the side. Hot color.
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Dipsy Diver — Chartreuse/Green UV/Chrome
Same diver, green spread. Goes in the rotation.
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Off Shore OR-12 Planer Boards
Pull lines out wide of the boat so the spread covers more water.
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Stainless Steel Rings, 30mm
Heavy-duty flat split rings, 11 to a pack. They go on the boards and clips, and stainless won't rust shut.
View on AmazonTools at the Rod
Landing, unhooking, and keeping reels and holders tight
SPEEDWOX Pistol Grip Pliers
Hook remover, line cutter, crimper and split-ring tip in one pistol-grip tool.
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CE Smith Knife & Plier Rack
Keeps tools organized and in reach at the cleaning station.
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Stubby Phillips Screwdrivers
Four short Phillips drivers with magnetic tips — short enough to reach the screws a full-size driver can't.
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Klein 3/16" T-Handle Hex Key
9" Journeyman T-handle. The grip puts real torque on a hex bolt that an L-key just rounds out.
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Klein 5/16" T-Handle Hex Key
4" Journeyman T-handle, the short-shaft partner to the 3/16" for bigger bolts in tighter spots.
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NEIKO Low Profile Offset Hex Set
Five angled metric hex drivers on a keychain. Reaches the bolts where there's no room to swing a wrench.
View on AmazonWorm Harnesses
Exactly what I tie my harnesses with — four builds, component by component
Standard Mono / Glass
Per harness: 2 hooks · 9 glass beads · 1 clevis · 2 ft of 20# mono · 1 blade (see Blades below)
Octopus Hooks, Size 2
Two per harness. The same hook goes in every build on this page.
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Glass Beads, 6mm
Nine per harness. Sold for jewelry making — same bead, better price than the tackle aisle.
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No-Loss Clevis
Holds the blade and lets it spin. One per harness. Janns Netcraft — not on Amazon.
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Worm Burner
Per harness: 6 in of nylon-coated wire · 2 crimps · 1 treble · 1 hook · 1 speed snap · 1 split ring — no clevis, no blade
Eupheng Nylon-Coated Wire, 20#
Coated stainless, not mono. About six inches per burner.
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Crimps, #3 / .055 Black
Two per burner. Sized for the coated wire above — the #2 sleeves are for the steel build.
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Treble Hook
The trailer. One per burner — this is what makes it a burner instead of a harness.
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Split Rings, #3
Joins the treble. One per burner. The #3 opens easier than the #2 at the same 61 lb rating.
View on AmazonFluoro / Bloop UV
Per harness: 2 ft of 25# fluorocarbon · 2 hooks · 1 clevis · 9 Bloop UV beads · 1 blade
Seaguar AbrazX Fluorocarbon, 25#
Two feet per harness. The leader is what the price step-up over the mono build buys you.
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Bloop Super Charged Walleye Beads
Nine per harness. The UV bead is the whole point of this build. FishUSA — not on Amazon.
View at FishUSASteel Wire / Bloop UV
Per harness: 18 in of stainless wire · 2 crimps · 2 hooks · 1 clevis · 9 Bloop UV beads · 1 blade
AFW Surflon Micro Supreme
Eighteen inches per harness. The most expensive thing in any of these builds, and why this one costs what it does.
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Crimps, #2 / .047
Two per harness. Sized for the wire above — don't mix these up with the #3s.
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Blades — any harness
One per harness, except the Worm Burner. Colorado blades in gold and copper; the UV is the upgrade.
Wolverine Silver Streak, UV
The upgrade blade, and the one that actually costs something. FishUSA — not on Amazon.
View at FishUSATools & Storage — any harness
Crimping the wire builds and keeping finished harnesses untangled
Leader & Rig Holder
Spools tied harnesses and rigs without kinking them. Cheaper than retying everything that came out of a tackle tray in a knot.
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Booms Fishing CP4 Crimper
Crimps and cuts leader wire. Sets the sleeves on the wire harness builds.
View on AmazonCatfish Rigs
Slip-sinker parts for getting bait on the bottom and off it
HI-SEAS Grand Slam, 50#
Main line. Heavy enough to pull a snagged sinker free instead of losing the whole rig.
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HI-SEAS Grand Slam, 30#
Leader. Lighter than the main line on purpose — if something has to break, break it below the sinker.
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Sinker Slides
Lets the weight ride the main line so a fish can take bait without dragging the sinker. The snap makes changing weight a two-second job.
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Silicone Bobber Stops
Pegs the slide so the leader length stays put. Silicone grips without cutting line the way a hard bead and knot can.
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Rattling Peg Floats
Lifts bait off the bottom and out of the mud, and the rattle gives them something to home in on in dirty water.
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Circle Hooks, 2/0
Circle, not J — a cat that swallows still hooks in the jaw corner, which matters on a rod sitting in a holder. This 2/0 suits worms, liver and shrimp; same hook in 6/0 or 7/0 for cut bait.
View on AmazonBoat Setup
Power, mounts, and the docking and safety gear
Electronics & Power
Sonar, comms, and the wiring behind them
Garmin Force Kraken, 75"
Bow-mount trolling motor with the GT56UHD-TR transducer built in. Talks to the GPSMAP for anchor lock and route following.
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Marinco 70A Trolling Motor Plug
Solid plug & receptacle for the trolling motor setup.
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NOCO Group 31 Battery Tray
Heavy-duty tray with a hold-down strap, sized for Group 31 marine batteries.
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Scanstrut Low Profile Cable Seal
316 stainless. Seals a transducer or power cable through the deck without a big hole left open.
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6 AWG Wire Connector Kit, 80A
Copper connector nuts for heavy-gauge battery runs. Joins 6 AWG cable without crimping lugs.
View on AmazonGrill
Rail-mounted, so it's cooking lunch instead of taking up deck space
Magma Marine Kettle Grill
Original 15" gas kettle, built to live on a boat. Lunch without heading in.
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Kettle Grill Rail Mount
Clamps the kettle to a standard 7/8" or 1" rail. Fits every Magma kettle.
View on AmazonDocking & Safety
Tying up, pushing off, and what the Coast Guard checks for
Low Profile Fenders
Flat EVA fenders. Protect the hull at the dock and store flat instead of rolling around the boat.
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attwood SoftSide Dock Fender
45" long-edge bumper that mounts on the dock, so the boat has something soft to land on every time.
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Dock Lines, 1/2" x 15'
Four double-braided nylon lines with a 12" eye splice. Nylon stretches, so the boat eases against the dock instead of jerking.
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Five Oceans Telescoping Paddle / Boat Hook
Aluminum shaft, 45" to 72". Paddle on one end, hook on the other — one pole instead of two.
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Boat Hook Holders
Rubber quick-release clips. Keeps the boat hook or an oar on the wall and off the deck.
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Anchor Marker Buoy
Marks where the anchor actually is. High-vis, so you can find the spot again instead of guessing at it.
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RainierSupplyCo Anchor Rope
Double-braided nylon with a 316 stainless thimble spliced in. Sold in 100 to 300 ft lengths.
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Seachoice Type II Life Vest
Coast Guard Type II. Cheap enough to keep a full boat's worth aboard.
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T-Top Life Jacket Bag
Hangs under a T-top or Bimini. Holds 4–6 Type II vests plus four rods, up out of the way.
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Keeping gear dry and the sun off
HEETA Dry Duffel, 50L
Bigger than a dry sack and easier to carry. Orange, so it doesn't disappear into a dark rod locker.
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Malo'o Dry Duffel
Heavier build than the HEETA, with a shoulder strap and MOLLE webbing. The one to carry if you're walking any distance.
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Lakewood Sidekick
Soft-sided hard case with removable dividers. Holds harnesses flat without tangling them.
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Lakewood Mini Sidekick
Same case, smaller footprint. The one that actually fits under a console seat.
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KastKing La Sal Sun Gloves
Fingerless UPF50+ gloves — sun protection without losing feel.
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Where the apps get built
Content Creation
YouTube & streaming gear
Insta360 Ace Pro 2 (Dual Battery)
My main camera. The dual-battery bundle goes everywhere.
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Floating GoPro Grip
Extends for the over-the-gunwale shots, and floats when it goes in — which it will.
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REYGEAK Magnetic Quick Release
Magnetic dual-claw adapter for the Ace Pro 2 and X-series. Two-pack, so the camera jumps between mounts in a second.
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