27.03.2019
When the boat calls!
Boats are an integral part of specimen catfish angling. For the most part, they’re used for transporting anglers’ equipment or for presenting rigs. However, it's now quite possible to use a boat as a mobile peg and even to spend several days on it. To maximise enjoyment on the water, every mobile peg on the boat should be well equipped. Below are the key elements to consider before embarking on a long session on a boat:
Boat tent
When living on a boat for an extended period, a dry sleeping area is absolutely essential. The Black Cat Special Boat Cave II offers perfect protection from the elements. Through rain, storms or sunshine, the Special Boat Cave II offers anglers ideal protection on their floating platform. The second tent skin keeps condensation in the interior to a minimum. Meanwhile, the porch provides adequate protection against head-on rain, allowing the tent to be left open even in heavy downpours.
Extra tip: set up the boat tent using the long layout This ensures you’ll have a dry workspace in front of your bedchair.
Bags & boxes
On a boat, waterproof storage of everything is crucial. Moisture is our constant companion on a boat, even when there’s no rain. Condensation builds up all year round when night becomes day and vice versa. Waterproof storage of clothing is essential. The Black Cat Extreme Bag is the ideal solution. The bag material is 100% waterproof while the roll-top opening ensures the bag is completely and securely sealed.
When it comes to protecting the angler's tackle from external influences, nothing beats the Black Cat Boat Organizer Bag. Whether for storing essential accessories on a dinghy or main tackle on a big boat, the Boat Organizer Bag protects your contents, while the transparent cover allows the angler to look inside without even opening the bag. Other items, such as cooking utensils, foods, etc. can be stored in Zarges boxes or the storage compartments provided.
Extra tip: All essential equipment must be immediately to hand. If a bag is waterproof, it can be left out in the rain.
Baitfish
The right baits are crucial when it comes to catfish angling. There are a few things to keep in mind to help you catch and store the right baitfish from the boat. Due to the limited space, shorter feeder rods should be used than when fishing on dry land. The Black Cat Bait Maker Feeder 2.8-metre has been developed specially for this purpose. The short feeder rod offers ideal handling combined with sufficient power for catching your bait from the boat. To store your baitfish, it's a good idea to use two different keepnets: a long Keepnet for long-term storage and a short keepnet such as the Black Cat Baitfish Tunnel. Both keepnets are rubberised to preserve the protective mucus on fish's skin. This allows fish to be stored for significantly longer than in standard keepnets. With the Black Cat Bait Net, a short, rubberised hand net, baitfish can be removed comfortably and securely from the keepnet.
Extra tip: The long Keepnet containing the majority of your baitfish is fixed to the bank and the Baitfish Tunnel hangs from the boat for quick access.
Rods & reels
When fishing from a boat, it’s preferable to use shorter rods than those for fishing from the bank. The Boat Limited Edition from Black Cat or the Battle Cat Boat are ideal rods for this purpose. With lengths of 2.6 and 2.7 metres respectively, the rods are long enough to lift your line out of the water at long range yet short enough to allow convenient handling on the boat. A shorter rod is also much more comfortable to hold in a fight compared with a long model.
Multiplier reels, such as the Black Cat Long Ranger or the Black Cat Buster complete the perfect equipment for fishing from a boat. These offer enormous line capacities combined with high gear ratios. They can be used one-handed when casting without causing line twist, while the enclosed bodies make the reels extremely robust.
Extra tip: Use yellow lines like S-Line! They are highly visible even at night.
Yours
Kevin Weiß
Team Black Cat
