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Pflueger President Spinning Reel Review

By Tomas Leave a Comment

Fishing reels may look simple but depending on the type of waters you’re in an what fish you’re hunting for. Plueger’s President Spinning Reel is a real workhorse in the reel industry.

Design

The President is constructed of corrosion resistant graphite and stainless steel. On the outside, it has a smooth blue and gold finish that highlights the aluminum spool. For the most part, the President’s ten-bearing design performs well even years after its first initial casting. A small but noticeable feature about this particular spinning reel is that the knob is interchangeable between the right and left-hand sides for people of both orientations.

As a spinning reel, the President can cast lighter lines farther and the lures themselves can sink deeper into the water without arcing away from the reel. How is this so?

Nine of the bearings are stainless steel while the tenth is an anti-reverse bearing, allowing for a smooth all-around spin as the line is cast. The graphite construction keeps the President overall weight at around 8oz, perfect when dealing with larger fish.

 

Uses

Depending on the size you get (30, 35, 40), the President is going to handle a wide range of lines and lores. For a standard, the 30 reel holds about 145 yards of 6lb line and 130 yards of 8lb line.

While the President can handle the pressure from most attachments, what about the fish? We’ve seen this reel being used when people catch fish like steelhead, trout, bass, salmon, and everything smaller. For an 8oz reel, the President really does punch in above its weight.

 

Overall

In our honest opinion, the President is all you need in a well made, budget reel. Due to its corrosion resistant construction, you can expect that it will last a long time if you routinely check it for defects. For many of the President’s owners, the price has been a huge factor because replacing this reel won’t break the bank if its beyond repair.

Bottom Line: We think the President is an excellent purchase at this price and for this reliable of a construction. A majority of the President’s happy customers have stated that this reel is perfect for all experiences from beginner to expert.

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Filed Under: Fishing

Humminbird HELIX 5 DI GPS Fish Finder Review

By Tomas Leave a Comment

The Humminbird HELIX 5 DI GPS fish finder is one of the first devices in the HELIX line of fish finders. The HELIX line contains some of the most diverse and advanced fish finders on the market courtesy of Humminbird. What’s so special about the oldest model in the series? Let’s find out.

Design

One of the big reasons Humminbird’s HELIX series is so popular is that the display screens are so large. The entire body of the HELIX is large enough that it requires a gimbal. Many users with wheel driven boats usually attach this right above said wheel.

The HELIX 5 has a handful of buttons and a directional pad to help you mark locations and navigate the finder’s various abilities. Since the HELIX 5 is still one of the more advanced fish finders on the market, you’ll be happy to know that it’s pretty easy to handle and understand.

Abilities

The HELIX 5 DI employs three different types of sonar:

CHRIP Digital Sonar–Common on all HELIX devices. CHRIP sonar is HELIX’s most basic form of sonar that’s still powerful enough to differentiate between fish, bait, and structures that may be lying in the water.

SwitchFire Sonar–SwitchFire sonar actually lets you interact with the data that you get from the initial beaming. Using the buttons on the control panel, you can filter out things like temperature, depth, and turbulence in the water.

DualBeam PLUS Sonar–This type of sonar is pretty interesting because it combines range with detail. If you want to cover a wider area, two beams will combine to extend over a distance equal to your current depth.

Three different types of sonar make the HELIX 5 and the rest of the HELIX series some of the most popular fish finders. However, No fish finder would be great if it didn’t have navigation capabilities.

The HELIX 5 comes GPS equipped, so you can keep track of where you are and where you’ve been at all times. Furthermore, this finder comes equipped with Humminbird Basemap, or underwater maps of over 10,000 lakes and coasts around the U.S. These maps identify the elevation of underwater terrain, buoys, markers, and other manmade objects. Basemap was built in with the idea to give you even more of an edge over other fish finders.

All of this is made possible by the processing power of the HELIX 5 and the widescreen it uses to display sonar data. Even though the HELIX 5 is the oldest model in the HELIX series, it still compares nicely with the newer models and other fish finders of similar design.

Uses

While Humminbird’s Basemap is limited to just bodies of water in and around the U.S., but its only one application of many for the HELIX 5. The sonar abilities combined with the GPS make searching for fish and plotting your course remarkably simple.

Overall

For the earliest model of HELIX finders, the HELIX 5 really impresses. It may be more difficult to find in stores nowadays (besides online), as Humminbird has upgraded and advanced the HELIX series a number of times.

Nevertheless, the HELIX 5 is definitely one of the cheaper models due to its age and still has the same sonar capabilities as the latest versions. Humminbird products will also be a bit of an investment, but the HELIX 5 would still be a great addition to your fishing arsenal.

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Filed Under: Fishing

Midland GXT1000VP4 Two-Way Radio Review

By Tomas Leave a Comment

Call them walkie-talkies if you want, but the GXT1000VP4 (GXT’s) are our picks for some of the best outdoorsmen radios for a small budget. Not much smaller than the average household landline phone, the Midland GXT1000VP4’s are a popular set of outdoor radios. 

 

Design

At just under 2lbs, you’ll hardly notice you’re carrying the GXTs until a call comes through. They have a splash-proof rating of JIS4, which is resistant water from the occasional splash. In any case, it’s best to keep them as far from water as possible. Ideal spots to carry them include breast pockets, backpack straps, the shoulder, or waist.

On a fully charged battery, you’ll get about 11 hours of operation out of the GXTs. The charger must be plugged in to work, so be aware of that if you plan on taking them on trips away from any sort of outlet. This kind of limits their use to just day trips and maybe short journeys over multiple days.

Abilities

The GXTs have 50 different channels and a maximum range of 36 miles in the best conditions. The signal gets weaker as you approach the maximum distance or when the weather is tumultuous, so best be aware of that before you embark on your trip.

For channel security, the radios have 142 privacy codes that cement that two-way frequency. In the case of an emergency, the radios emit distress signals. One key ability of the GXTs is that they have call alert tones, so you can know what type of call is coming in.

At first glance, the GXTs look like simple hand-held radios, but underneath they have an array of channels to make sure your time in the outdoors is safe and secure. One notable feature is a connection to the NOAA (National Oceanica and Atmospheric Administration). This function will give you updates on the surrounding area’s weather.

For such a small set of radios, the GTXs are really diverse in their abilities. While there are longer-lasting radios on the market, there are few that you can acquire for this price.

Uses

As we mentioned before, the 11-hour battery life of the GTXs limits their usefulness to about a day depending on how often you use them. However, a 36-mile range is still pretty incredible range for so small a device. Fog or rain will affect that range, but that’s why you have the connection to the NOAA so you can maneuver your adventure around the inclement weather.

National parks with high mountain ranges and unpredictable weather will be tricky. Remember that the GTXs are not waterproof and if the rain or snow gets bad, you can seriously or permanently damage them if they’re not covered.

That being said, you’ll get the most of the GTXs if you say away from the fringes of their range and regularly check the NOAA for updates. The best way to beat the weather is to be ahead of it.

Overall

For the price, the GXTs are reliable radios. They’re not too big nor too small and pack enough channels and functions to make your calls strong and secure. There are definitely more advanced radios with all sorts of abilities, but like we mentioned earlier, the GTX’s cost is its real advantage.

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Filed Under: Outdoor Accessories

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