by Gord Pyzer photos by Simon Cheung Top Tackle 2005 (part 3) BEST PEACE OF MIND BATTERY ZAPPER Imagine you’re at the far end of a long, twisting lake, river or reservoir at sunset and your boat won’t start. Time for the Battery Zapper, a unique new energy cell that transfers a powerful surge to your battery. It’s not enough to fully charge the battery, but it’s more than enough to start the engine. The Zapper also works on car, truck, snowmobile and quad batteries. Costing only $35.94, the Battery Zapper may be the best, and least expensive, insurance policy an angler could ever purchase. Sphere, 1-877-624-7672; www.batteryzapper.com SLAB SEEKER After you catch-and-release a big fish, you typically want to quickly get your line back down to the same depth to try to catch another one. But how much line did you have out? The answer usually relies on guesswork, but with Zebco’s new Slab Seeker rods and reels, getting back to the precise strike zone becomes much easier. Now when you catch a fish, you can mark the depth by simply pushing a switch on the reel that positions a pin across the spool. Then on your next cast, the line will spool out freely until it reaches the pin. And as an added bonus, the system helps to reduce backlashes and bird’s nests. Zebco, 1-800-588-9030; www.zebco.com FISHING LOG BOOKS AND LOGWARE Replicating fishing patterns is key to success, but remembering the precise conditions isn’t easy if you don’t keep an accurate diary. Thanks to Pure and Simple Publishing, you can now efficiently record all your fishing information—everything from water depth, barometric pressure, wind speed and water clarity to water temperature, bottom condition, moon phase and structure—in one handy location. Starting on the water, you can make note of pertinent information in the colour-coded, waterproof Fishing Log Book. Then, using the LogWare CD, you can transfer the data to your computer to build a searchable database. Charter captains and tournament anglers, in particular, will love this planning tool. Pure and Simple Publishing, (443) 604-2163; www.fishinglogbook.com IFINDER HUNT At last, from Lowrance comes a fully waterproof, handheld GPS mapping unit. If you’re an ice angler—or a hunter—you’ll wonder how you ever got along without one of these portable units. The model I tested was loaded with topographic maps for northwestern Ontario and Manitoba, where I live. When I powered it up, my exact position was superimposed on a detailed topographic map showing every nearby hill, lake, creek, stream and trail. And it was well lit, thanks to the advanced LED backlighting. The IFINDER Hunt also has a built-in electronic compass and barometric altimeter, and it accepts the same Navionic map chip from the sonar/GPS unit on your boat, allowing you to also view hydrographic charts. Lowrance, 1-800-661-3983; www.lowrance.com Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 also read Top Fly-Fishing Tackle 2005