Aside from ice fishing, gunning for snowshoe hare, and predator hunting, as well as several outdoor hobbies and pastimes that I can enjoy indoors, perusing sporting goods catalogs has helped me pass many a Maine winter. The multitude of outdoor-oriented items for every aspect of angling, gunning, boating, and camping never ceases to amaze me, and each season scores of new or improved items hit the marketplace.

Despite a fairly wide assortment of outdoor gear amassed over the years, I always seem to find a few items that are sheer necessities. My long-suffering wife has given up trying to understand just how many rods, reels, lures, fly boxes, turkey calls, and so forth are enough. Now she just cringes and mumbles to herself when I head for my recliner with an armload of L.L. Bean, Orvis, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro wish books.

My explanation is simple: It’s every sportsman’s duty to be as proficient and safe as possible, and to enjoy each outing to its fullest, and if that requires just one more piece of gear, so be it.

Second sight

When I purchased my first fish finder two decades ago, the unit located fish and posted their depths and also provided me with bottom depth and contour; just what I wanted.

At least that’s what I was satisfied with until the last couple of years. During a sea duck hunt two Novembers ago, a thick fog rolled in, drawing a curtain between our small island and the boat ramp more than a mile away as well as hiding all the other intervening ledges, boats, and shorelines. Thanks to a fish finder with full GPS capabilities on my friend’s boat, we motored right to the launch site without a hitch. Like the proverbial bat, we were blind but our sonar saved the day.

On another outing last fall to enjoy a dawn puddle duck shoot, I was again amazed as another gunning partner used a boat-mounted sonar/GPS unit. He zigzagged our course through a shallow, stump- strewn reservoir in the predawn blackness right to the reed-covered point where we wanted to set our decoy spread.

During the summer, this same friend used his “fish finder” to bring us to exact trolling and casting locations where we had previously enjoyed great fishing on past outings. Regardless of weather, water, and light conditions, we arrived within three feet of our hot spots thanks to saved waypoints on his high tech “fish finder.” That was the final straw, and it was then and there I vowed to do winter research and have my own unit by spring.

My initial step in the search was to list my desired options and features. First and foremost, since I own two canoes and a boat, as well as often enjoying casting-and-blasting adventures in watercraft owned by others, I wanted a portable unit.

I’ll tell you right now that this criterion narrows the field drastically, but for traveling outdoorsmen, it’s a rewarding asset. Other features on my list included a 4- to 6-inch color screen, GPS and mapping capabilities, a minimum of 360-by-360 pixel screen resolution, and automatic backlighting adjustment to ambient light conditions.

Of course, ease of operation and a large keypad are assets, as are temperature, speed, and distance readouts, complete sealing and waterproofing for fresh and salt water, and a shock-resistant bracket and case.

Any other bells and whistles would just be gravy. There are four major name brands of sonar units that stand out in the U.S., and while all manufacture top-of-the-line products, after in-depth research, only Lowrance Electronic’s Champion Grade Combo Sonar/chart plotter would fit my guidelines.

In fact, the LMS-3346 iGPS met or surpassed all of the requirements and is the ultimate model for any serious boatsman, angler, or waterfowl gunner. This unit can be portable or solid-mounted and, thanks to an internal GPS-WAAS satellite antenna, is perfect on open-cockpit boats.

The 334c boasts a 5-inch, 256-color display with 480-by-480 pixel resolution for exacting target detail and exceptional map definition. Excellent screen visibility regardless of viewing angle or bright sunlight is provided via an advanced fluorescent cold cathode offering both a backlit screen and easy-to-operate keyboard.

Portable units similar to mine range from $199 to $550 and can be found and ordered at various local sporting goods stores or through various national outdoor catalogs. To view a full line of Lowrance sonar and GPS models, check online at www.lowrance.com or call 918-437-6881 for pertinent information. Sportsmen not availing themselves of the newest “fish finder” technology are certainly shortchanging their efforts, results, enjoyment, and perhaps their safety.

Tackle tamers

My bass fishing tackle box has gotten out of hand. Moderate size with bulk storage in the bottom and three stair-step trays, yearly purchases of plastic baits, plugs, spinner baits, lures, lines, bottles of scent, tube jigs, a Boga Grip, long-nose pliers, reels, extra spools, and more have now overwhelmed the once adequate container. Each time I switched baits or made tackle adjustments last season, time was wasted searching, untangling, and piling gear on the boat seat to get out what I needed. I swore I’d have a new, larger, well-compartmentalized tackle box this year if I had to find one with wheels to fit all my bass paraphernalia.

Choices are wide and varied and I visited several retail outlets so I could actually see, open, lift, and carry prospective tackle cases and check construction for durability. Catalog photos, while better than nothing, just don’t provide the hands-on information of a personal inspection. After examining and evaluating tackle cases produced by six name-brand manufacturers, a pair of boxes by Plano Tackle System really stood from the other options.

Plano’s 1374, 4 by Rack System is a tall (161/2-by-12-by-16) green and silver box of heavy-duty plastic with sturdy latches. There’s plenty of open storage under the lift top, enough to fit a separate bulk spinner, bait box, reels, spools, extra line, and bait scent containers. A see-through, double-latch, drop-down front houses four large Prolatch utility boxes, enough room for even a bass pro’s repertoire of baits.

Prolatch boxes are see-through, near-indestructible polypropylene with a myriad of adjustable dividers that can be fitted to any size lure, plug, or soft bait. Each of the four trays also double-latches to prevent tangled hooks or spillage if dropped, and these units even float. At $33 the Plano 1374 tackle chest is a true bargain.

Since I was already in shopping mode, I also purchased a Plano 3357 Guide Series soft-sided tackle tote for my trolling gear, flies, and lines. This dark green and black bag is made of heavyweight, water-resistant denier and has a hard rubber, fully waterproof bottom with expandable storage section and full zipper access.

There are three semi-rigid zippered compartments on top for reels and other delicate equipment and two large side pockets and one front zippered storage area. All zippers are sturdy, easy to handle and sealed waterproof.

A wide adjustable shoulder strap and pad leaves both hands free to carry other gear. Inside the Guide bag are four adjustable compartments, dual-latched utility boxes to protect and separate various tackle. This soft-style satchel is perfect for trout and salmon anglers or as a second tackle box for salt water, salmon, or trolling tackle, and very reasonable at $45. Get a closer look at these and other Plano gear storage cases on the Web at www.planomolding.com or call customer service at 1-800-874-6905 with questions.

Keeping toes toasty

Last spring I spent a miserable couple of days with very cold feet while snow goose hunting, and I also got chilly toes several times while spring fishing. On these occasions I spent several hours with my feet immersed in very cold water.

Since I’ve experienced the same discomfort while ice fishing, winter varmint gunning, and even during late fall deer or waterfowl hunting, I vowed to find a way to keep my toes toasty in several types of outdoor footwear.

What I finally discovered was a product called Toasty Feet, manufactured by a company called PolarWrap, and never have my feet been more comfortable regardless of miserable, wet, cold conditions. These insoles are made from a nanoporous space-age material called Aerogel, which was developed by NASA, and has the highest thermal insulation value of any solid material today. Aerogel has six times the insulation of fiberglass and three times the insulating power of Thinsulate.

Toasty Feet comes in men and women’s sizes and are lightweight and thin, trim to fit inner soles that blocks excessive heat and cold penetration. No matter what cold weather sport you enjoy, this ingenious product will up your comfort level, and at only $14.95 a pair, the whole family can enjoy this high-tech miracle. Check your local outdoor stores or go online to www.toastyfeet.com or call 1-800-967-9727 for info or to order.

There you have a trio of really innovative sporting items that can truly be a benefit in a variety of outdoor endeavors. Some are inexpensive while others are fairly costly, but in high-tech gear, you get what you pay for and durability and dependability are essential. Check out some of these products. Your next adventure will be safer, more productive, and more enjoyable if you put them to good use.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com