BASS PRO SHOPS BOATING CENTERS BLOG

“A fish doesn’t know the difference between a man or a woman on the other end of the line,” Bradley said. “It’s really just me and the fish, instead of me competing just against guys.”

Watersports have evolved over time into highly specialized—or not—activities that can be enjoyed by anyone. You can stay seated and take a lazy spin on a basic innertube, be more daring and stand up and glide across the surface on water skis or go airborne with a wakeboard. No matter which speed or thrill level you choose, the most important connection between you and the boat is the tow point.

Beside the ride itself, off roaders like the ability to accessorize their vehicles. Gadgets and gear that keep them on the trail—or get them back on it—are top choices. Here are some gift ideas for the ATV or side-by-side owner on your shopping list.    

A fillet knife is undeniably the most important tool of the catch-and-keep angler. Some prefer the ease of pressing a switch and making nimble cuts with an electric knife. Others swear by carving the meat by hand with a razor-sharp stainless-steel full tang blade model.

Are you a Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s CLUB Member? If so, there is a special member benefit for credit card holders that you might not know about.

Is there more to towing a boat than just hooking it to your vehicle and heading to the lake? Of course! There are lots of details you need to know about even before buying your boat.

Off-road vehicles are built tough to take on whatever stands in their way. So why bother with home upkeep for something that is built like a tank?

There are two main options for boat insurance policies—a new policy, independent from any other you have, or an umbrella policy, which is bundled with your homeowner’s insurance. Discover what you need to know to insure your boat, and why you need coverage.

Is there a boater on your holiday shopping list? If so, narrow down the choices to practical gifts. Boaters love gadgets and accessories that serve a purpose. Here are our 10 ideas to help fill your list.

Don’t be that guy. You know, that guy who ties up the busy launch ramp by packing gear into his boat. Or that guy at the marina who cranks up the Led Zeppelin so loud you can’t hear yourself think.

You don’t need to go overboard when it comes to knowing the parts of a boat. What is a good idea, however, is understanding the basic functions of boat parts. Ideally, many of the vital parts and the functions they perform are all connected.

Marine batteries are the unsung heroes of boat accessories. They stay hidden in a dark compartment, mostly ignored by everyone onboard, as they quietly do their jobs. That is, until the engine fails to start or the trolling motor doesn’t work.

High school team sports offer students the opportunity to compete for school pride and to earn college scholarships. Football, basketball and baseball are the all-too-familiar headliners. What about other sports, like bass fishing?

Unless your grocery store is in a coastal area, finding truly fresh fish is pure fantasy. A visit to the seafood department reveals that most of the catch came from a far-flung continent. 

At first, you might think delving into this topic is a waste of time. All it takes to pack a cooler is tossing in the goods and topping it off with ice, right? Not quite!

What boater doesn’t like sunshine and water? Can there be too much of such good things? The final answer is yes—especially when it comes to keeping a boat in tiptop shape.

Nothing beats the heat like taking a refreshing dip in the lake on a hot summer day. Does that quick swim really cool you off, though? You might be surprised to know the answer is not really. There is more to keeping cool in the heat than just making a splash.

Pretend for a moment that you are your dog taking a cruise on the family boat. The fresh air awakens the senses with myriad new smells—even more than sticking your head outside the window of the family car. As you lie on the aft lounge, the sun warms your coat and you drift off to blissful sleep. There is water, water, everywhere, and you can’t wait to take a flying leap into it!

You update your wardrobe for spring and summer—so, why not your boat? Get ready for a season of fun on the water with these new products. From rainwear and other apparel to electronics and trolling motors, these are but a few of the offerings you can find online at Basspro.com and Cabelas.com and at select Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Boating Centers.  

When waves and wind roughen the surface on wide-open lakes, it’s hard to beat a Deep V aluminum boat. These lightweight rigs are equally at home in shallow water, too, making Deep Vs the ideal choice for anglers seeking versatility and value in a boat. 

Do you find yourself daydreaming about boating in the dead of winter? If you’re suffering from cabin fever, a cure awaits you at a boat show. The best news? There’s likely a show coming to a city near you in the coming months.

One-stop shopping — customers like it for the savings and convenience. You can fill a grocery cart
 at the supermarket with all you need, but the idea of finding everything needed to go boating in one stop seems 
unrealistic. It's not. Here is how we do it.

The enticement of accessing the wide open outdoors where you can’t drive even the most tricked out 4x4 pickup is the allure an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). You can take a hike, but why not go farther while easily packing everything you need for the adventure?

Even the best-built boats need TLC over time. That tiny upholstery tear in the passenger seat needs attention before it spreads. Same thing with the spider crack in the gelcoat. Someone spilled a glass of red wine on the cockpit carpet, and it’s looking pretty shabby, too.

For boaters, nothing is worse than a trip to the lake being cut short by a mechanical breakdown of the boat trailer. The sad—but true—fact is your boat spends more time on the trailer than on the water. The good news is that most problems can be avoided by taking precautionary steps at home.

Winterizing the boat. Just the thought can send shivers down the spines of boat owners. For one, the timing generally means the end of a fun boating season. Plus, winterizing ranks low on the priority list of “fun” fall chores like raking leaves and cleaning gutters.Before blowing them all off, remember, those chores have a purpose. For boaters, winterizing keeps money in the fun budget, instead of being wasted on costly repairs.

How many saltwater fish can you correctly name?

Mud, snow and cold. Those are some of the givens for wintertime off-roading. Your ATV can handle all three conditions. But can you? There is more to ATV riding in winter than bundling up to beat the chill.

For northern anglers, waiting for ice to melt is kind of like watching water boil. It’s a real test of patience. Here are tasks that should be considered to prevent problems later on, or sooner.

Accidents happen, even on the water. That is why boaters should be prepared with what to do should someone onboard—or on another vessel—need medical help. Knowledge, quick action and proper treatment can slow down an injury before it worsens.

Should I switch from an aluminum propeller to one made of stainless steel? Will a four-blade prop improve my holeshot? Is my prop too big or small? What prop do I need to make my boat go faster?

Improving the performance of your boat is more than making it go faster. Better fuel economy and even safer boating are among the benefits of fine tuning the performance of the boat, engine or both.

Offroading adds another exciting reason for enjoying the great outdoors. ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) and UTVs (utility vehicles) can take riders farther into the wilderness than any 4x4 truck. With that benefit comes a responsibility to respect the land and water that is centric to the offroading environment.

Got questions? Here are answers to common questions asked by boaters.

Going through a checklist of steps you need to take for launching and loading a boat might seem too much like work. Yet the little things add up—like remembering to install the drain plug—and all it takes is forgetting one step to ruin an otherwise picture-perfect day on the water.

There’s fresh seafood, and then there’s really fresh seafood. The taste is noticeably more delicious when seafood comes directly to market from the commercial fishing boat. 

Ancient mariners endured great danger and uncertainties as they crossed the open ocean in search of new worlds. Faced with so many unknowns, sailors put their faith in superstitions, omens and luck.

You’ve had another great summer with your boat. In the back of your mind, though, is one thought—you want to upgrade to a newer model. We'll help you consider whether you should trade your current boat in at a dealership or try to sell it privately yourself.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” has an epicurean definition when it comes to what are called “trash fish” in the freshwater angling world. Some species get a bad rap based on their uncommonly bad looks. But like they say, looks aren’t everything.

Even if you live on the coast, some of the tastiest fish in the sea are not available at the fish market. Why is that so? The answer is good news for boaters who catch their own saltwater fish to eat.

Boaters in the 42 states with mandatory boater education laws must obey specific rules when boating on their home waters. If you live in those states, there are other rules to know and follow—the U.S. Coast Guard Rules of the Road.

Preventive maintenance and repairs, rigging new accessories and repowering your boat is what you expect to find at the service department of a boat dealership.

Do you sometimes want to be a kid again? You can by taking a real kid fishing. Children are curious about and fascinated with the outdoors. Even the simple things that you might have outgrown—like skipping rocks along the shoreline—excite young minds. You might even rediscover how those little things can make spending outdoors so satisfying and fun.

Just as there are boats designed for every interest, the same goes for where to go and enjoy boating activities. You might already know the best places on your home lake for fishing. The truth is, though, some lakes are better than others, and that goes for just about any other activity in the boating world.

Wakeboarding. Waterskiing. Tubing. All three watersports peg the fun needle for thrill-seeking boaters. What is so fun about watersports is anyone, regardless of age, gender or skill level can find a ride that suits their boating fancy.

The growing popularity of inshore and nearshore saltwater fishing is creating a demand by anglers for boats catering to their specific needs. Whether the pursuit is venturing into the backcountry to search for snook in the mangroves, intercepting migrating tarpon in the pass or stalking redfish in the marshes, there is a rig to meet your needs

The enticement of accessing the wide open outdoors where you can’t drive even the most tricked out 4x4 pickup is the allure an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). You can take a hike, but why not go farther while easily packing everything you need for the adventure?

Life is good. You have just decided to buy a new TAHOE sport boat. There it sits in the showroom, ready to be all yours. You envision warm, sunny days on the water with the family in the boat of your dreams. There is nothing left to do but give the nod to the sales consultant and close the deal, right?

Not all pontoons are created equal for every task. What separates them is the boater's choice in on-the-water activities, performance needs, and the pontoon's interior organization, particularly at the bow and stern. Find out what pontoon configuration may be best for you!

A well-kept boat is the joy of any proud boat owner. There is more to keeping a boat clean, though, than just soapy water and good old-fashioned elbow grease—especially lately. 

Ask Manny Pardo, boat sales manager in Gainesville, Florida, what he likes most about his job and the answer is universal among his colleagues at any Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Boating Center.

Shorter days and chillier nights mean that winter is coming. Are you prepared for it? Before you put another log on the fire, take a seat and tune into a football game, remember that there are chores to do beyond stacking firewood.

Winterizing the boat is an all-too-familiar autumn ritual for northern boaters. What about boaters living in warmer climates? Is it worth spending the time and money on a boat that won’t be used until next spring?

How much do you know and practice boating safety? Take our quiz and test your baseline for how much you prioritize safety on the water!

An abiding rule with mariners is that rope becomes “line” when it comes on the boat. Is the christening of rope just a formal seamanship term? Not at all and here are reasons why.

You can easily come up with a list of reasons why off-road vehicles are ideal for hunting. A ride through the gnarly countryside to your deer stand might top the list, as it should. What about a list of non-hunting uses for your ATV or side-by-side?

The shopping task sounds simple enough—pick up a new rod and reel. Once upon a time, that might have been as easy as that, too. Choices were fewer with rods and reels essentially universal in their angling applications. For light line and small lures, you went with a spinning outfit. For everything else, it was a baitcaster.

The dead of winter gives many boaters the itch to think about the boating season ahead. If you are among them, you might be thinking of upgrades or changes to accessories on your boat.

Once upon a time, choosing a tow vehicle to pull a boat began and ended with one feature—fastening a hitch and tow ball to the rear fender. Today, boaters can benefit from vehicles that are geared specifically for towing boats.

If you are new to boating, you have probably encountered myriad shapes, sizes and colors of signs, markers and buoys. Some have beacons and strobes, while others might have horns to alert you of a danger. Those aids to navigation are the traffic signals that guide boaters safely along the waterways. They also identify dangerous or controlled areas, and give directions and information.

A holiday downer comes when it’s time to take down the Christmas tree. If you are an avid angler, though, you can actually look forward to what otherwise is a gloomy task. Best of all, you can enjoy the spirt of giving long after Christmas ends.

Enjoying outdoor sports takes two things. Having fun and keeping it safe. Wearing protective gear designed for just about any activity is how you do both.

Cast and retrieve. Repeat. That is what it takes to catch fish with a rod and reel. The idea is the more casts you make, the more fish you will catch.

Some strange species are elusive loners. You never know what’s on the end of the line until the fish appears on the surface. Others make spawning runs that are “save the date” angling events due to their numbers.

When boat shopping, the first question that comes to mind is how you plan to use it. Anglers want tackle storage, families like comfortable seating and wakeboarders need speed. With the needs and features checked off the list, what comes next? Most often it’s the price. There might be something missing from the list, though—the boat’s hull design.

Does your boat have an anchor? If so, is it of sufficient size and strength to hold your boat in place? Believe it or not, many boat owners decide on which anchor to buy based on convenience and storage space.

Saltwater anglers have a good problem—there are so many species from which to choose. Catching them all could be a full-time job, which in fact, it is! Only charter captains have that luxury, so what about the rest of us?

Boating is your gateway to the fun of being on the water. Why not respect this precious resource with environmentally friendly boating practices?

You might have heard the phrase, or even used it yourself to describe the ubiquitous mobile phone software that connects everyone with the cyberworld. Not surprisingly, there are apps for just about any boating need. Reserve a slip from your phone, find the best times to fish, file and share a float plan and check the marine weather. Yep, there are apps for ALL that.

The dealership called and the boat of your dreams will arrive soon for you to pick up. This exciting news has you giddy and already making plans to rush to the dealership, hook up the boat and go to the lake for a maiden voyage.

Knots. Many are challenging to learn, let alone remember how to tie. Tying some knots takes time, too much of it, when you’d rather be fishing. In this day of instant gratification, you won’t find a packaged, ready-to-use Improved Clinch Knot at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela’s. Too bad!

Choosing watersports towables can be like deciding which thrill ride you want to take at a theme park. It all depends on your level of courage and how much you want to laugh and scream as your waterborne joyride is towed behind the boat.

How do the pros spend the winter “off season” between tournament seasons? The answer is staying busy preparing for the next season. Boats are ordered, rigged with accessories and decked out with all the latest tricks of the trade. Christmas comes nearly every day. Shipments of the newest tackle arrive and must be unboxed, organized and prepped for duty.

Soaking in the rays and spending long summer days on the water. Those are the dreams of boaters during winter. But, why wait when you can take a cruise now? Sunny, mild winter days are rare but perfect for getting your boating fix before summer finally arrives.

Is a new boat for you? Or is pre-owned more your style? Let us help with some tips to guide you toward the boat that is right for you, new or used!

Buying a boat is much different than an automobile for more than the obvious reasons. Getting you from one place to the next is the fundamental use of a vehicle. More than just a mode of transportation, a boat is your ticket to fun, from fishing and cruising to tubing, skiing and more.

This summer, did you spend weekends on the boats of friends or family, wishing you had your own? That’s not surprising. Along the way, you most likely discovered that boating takes the enjoyment of being outdoors to another level (if you didn’t, maybe you should consider trying again with different friends!).

Today’s well-built boats are made to last. That means repowering—or updating the engine—will eventually need to happen if your boat is a long-term investment. What is more, preowned boats need repowering sooner than new boats. In either case, repowering extends the life of a boat regardless of age. That’s a good thing, and so are the choices that can make your boat perform even better.

Preventive maintenance and repairs, rigging new accessories and repowering your boat is what you expect to find at the service department of a boat dealership.

Are you more of an aluminum fishing boat person, a luxury pontooner or a sport boater? Takes this quiz to find the boat brand that fits your personality!

Birds of a feather flock together. When a boater is in need, another will gladly pitch in to help. Such is the case with rendering aid and towing a fellow boater in need, right? Not necessarily, and here is why.

Anglers are notorious for blaming slow fishing conditions on the fish, when they could blame themselves for not using the right bait.

A successful day of fishing from a boat comes down to teamwork. Your outboard can get you from the shore to the hot spot, but it falls short in maneuvering the boat to where the fish are biting.

Your smartphone should rank low on the gear priority list for off-road adventuring, right? Nobody wants their chill time in the great outdoors interrupted by the annoying ding of incoming text messages. On the practical side, smartphone-powered apps can add convenience and fun to offroading.

Sometimes nothing beats live bait for catching fish. Sport fish get conditioned over time to seeing the same lures, especially in waters receiving heavy angling pressure. Bass don’t eat spinnerbaits, nor do red drum dine on hard plastic topwater plugs. So why not offer them a meal that looks, smells and even tastes like dinner?

You turn on the depthfinder and the high definition screen lights up with a colorful display of the bottom contours and a number displaying the depth. How the heck does that work? Well, there is a part in the bottom of your boat that makes it happen.

Why should you be thinking about boating during the dead of winter? There are a lot of reasons, beyond just brightening those cold days with daydreams of warm, sunny days on the water. One is that boat show season is coming soon, and with it the opportunity to take advantage of the best deals of the year. 

Do you ever look at the white boat capacity plate near the console of your boat? Probably not. You might think it’s there to justify a legal requirement by the manufacturer.

The allure of saltwater angling is sometimes shrouded in mystery. You don’t know what kind of fish is on the hook until it appears at the surface.

Think of TAHOE Deck Series boats like today’s ever popular crossover SUVs. You get a smooth sedan-like ride with the roomy interior of a sport utility vehicle. What’s cool about these deck boats is they are designed for fishing and family entertainment.

ATVs and UTVs are becoming increasingly popular for ice fishing because…why not? The same off-road vehicle used during the hunting season is highly adaptable for ice fishing.

The language of boating jargon has a logical purpose—shorten phrases into single words of uniformity that can be clearly communicated—and understood—by anyone involved in the navigation or tending to of the vessel.

Largemouth bass get most of the attention from freshwater anglers, and rightfully so. From local bass clubs up to the big leagues, there are tournaments that make chasing bass for cash very lucrative. At the top of the freshwater food chain, bass grow big and fight hard. 

The Fourth of July is like Christmas Day for boaters. Nothing represents this celebratory summer holiday more than a cookout (on or by the water!), a lot of watersports fun and of course, fireworks!

Do you sometimes want to be a kid again? You can by taking a real kid fishing. Children are curious about and fascinated with the outdoors. Even the simple things that you might have outgrown—like skipping rocks along the shoreline—excite young minds. You might even rediscover how those little things can make spending outdoors so satisfying and fun.

You catch, weigh and release bass in tournaments, giving little thought to what happens to the fish next. After all, bass are released into the wild to be caught another day in catch-and-release tournaments, right? Not necessarily and here is why.

Bow hunters begin limbering up for the whitetail deer season in summer by taking aim at practice targets in their backyards. That can get downright boring while sweltering in the summer heat when the season is months away.

Are you fired up about the tournament season ahead? Of course! There’s a lot to be excited about when winter gives way to spring. New tackle, a clean slate and a winning attitude are all part of the game.

As winter nears an end the shared attitude among boaters is usually—"thank goodness".Whether mild or one for the record books, how many times during the colder, darker season did you daydream of getting out in your boat, basking in the warm sunshine? Well, now is the time to start preparing to make the most of those days ahead.

You go boating to have fun. There is a serious side, though, that when overlooked can bring unwanted and/or tragic circumstances to your favorite pastime. The topic is boating safety, and it’s not as boring as you might think.

Fall signals the conclusion of boating season, or does it? Not really! Even in northern climes, there are fun boating activities—many you never thought of—that can extend the season for creating memories on the water. It’s time to break tradition and make boating part of your fall traditions. Waterways are less crowded, days are cooler, and above all else, changing leaves add a brilliant splash of color to the backdrop this time of year.

Once upon a time, a wide gap separated fiberglass and aluminum bass boats. Performance, stability, durability and interior storage made fiberglass the front-runner on mainstream bass lakes. Lower prices, better fuel economy and getting to unpressured skinny water were short list advantages of lighter weight aluminum models.

Unless stored in marina slips or dry docks, most boats spend their downtime on the trailer. Boat trailers are prone to normal wear, just like your vehicle. Tires need replacing, that’s a given. Brakes and lights need checking and replacement. But what about those trailer parts that you don’t give much thought about?

Taking delivery of a new boat is just the beginning, not the end, of doing business at a Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Boating Center. Here, the experience continues at the service department for as long as you own the boat. 

As a boat owner, you want to spend more time on the water and less time at the dealership. Preventive maintenance and unplanned repairs are obviously givens, and where and who you choose to do the work can prolong those sunny days of fun on the water.

How many freshwater fish can you correctly name?