Why you need to “be prepared” with spares of all your crucial fishing gear

I was never a Boy Scout, growing up as a kid, but I know the organisation’s motto: Be Prepared! And so, like a good scout, I carry plenty of spare items in the boat with me.

There are the obvious things—or maybe they’re not so obvious—like spare batteries for the flashlights and headlamps, as well as fuses of different amps and shapes, for all of the electronics devices that adorn my Kingfisher. Some of the units require a 3-amp mini fuse, other a 5-amp maxi fuse, and still others hollow glass shape fuses. Regardless, I am not going to let something as simple as a blown fuse keep me from enjoying a day on the water.

Ditto, for sunglasses.

Good friend Carol Martens (Bassmaster Elite angler Aaron’s mom) is perhaps the sunglass connoisseur, carrying close to a dozen different pairs in the boat with her, to match whatever light conditions prevail at the time. But just a single pair of spare shades can save the day if you discover you left your regular sunglasses on the kitchen table or the console of your tow vehicle, 20 miles back at the launch ramp.

Many touring bass and walleye pros even go so far as carrying a spare electric trolling motor in the rod locker.

It is the subject of this week’s Fish Talk With The Doc video tip that I recorded for Ang and Pete on the Fish ‘N Canada television show. Give it a look, and then put a list together of all of the things that could make life terribly miserable for you if you didn’t carry a spare in the boat.

https://youtu.be/Cwe2icDcYQU