Reviewed by: CAPTAIN MIKE SCHOONVELD
The insides of fishing boats are wet places – maybe not as wet as the outside of the boat – but between spray, wet lures, wet fish, wet anchors, wet landing nets…, it’s foolish to think anything on board, unless specifically protected, isn’t going to get damp or worse. I know when I want an extra sweatshirt, I want a dry one.
Thus, the advantage of a “dry bag.” It’s a simple concept – an appropriately sized piece of luggage that’s waterproof or at the minimum mostly water resistant. For me, the appropriate size will hold a heavy duty rainsuit – bibs and parka, and an extra jacket or hooded sweatshirt with room left over for miscellaneous supplies. Gloves, an extra hat, a few lures, camera, batteries, a sandwich, filet knife, ziplock bags, pens and notepads – I can’t remember all the items I’ve ever stuffed in my Bass Pro Extreme Boat Bag, but it’s been stuffed full countless times.
Many of the items I review in this column are brand new and I can only guess how well they will hold up over time. My Extreme Boat Bag, shown here, is old and well traveled. It’s been with me to Alaska, Costa Rica, both coasts of North America and too many places in between to remember. It’s ridden in overhead compartments in airliners, in the back of pick-up trucks, in canoes and cruise ships. Most notable, it’s ridden on the front deck of my boat hundreds of times since I bought it over 20 years ago.
Other than a few scuff marks and a bit of what I call “patina,” it’s as good as the day I bought it. They come in size small, large and the one I have is “jumbo” measuring 30X14X14 inches. Most sizes are available in-store at Bass Pro retail outlets, at some Cabela’s stores and all the sizes can be purchased online at http://www.basspro.com.
FISHING TOYS 