Must Have Fishing Accessories and Special Equipment

(Photo: Joel Unickow)

The vast waters surrounding Vancouver Island offer a smorgasbord for anglers, but navigating the ever-growing selection of fishing accessories and specialty equipment can be daunting. Here at Island Fisherman, we understand the importance of having the right gear for the job. That’s why we put our list of favourite products to the test, right here in our local waters. In this roundup, we outline the performance and features of various fishing accessories and specialty equipment. From innovative gadgets to tried-and-true essentials, we provide honest insights to help you make informed decisions before your next Island fishing adventure. So, dive in and discover which tools will truly enhance your success and enjoyment on the water! Products appear in alphabetical order. Some products were awarded the coveted “Gear of the Year” award—we love them that much!!

 

ACE LINE HAULER BRUTUS PACIFIC PRO

It’s nothing short of a workhorse. Made in Nanaimo, this 12V heavy duty pot puller is a must have for your boat—ours has lasted well over 10 seasons with no end of use in sight. It plugs right in your Scotty Downrigger mount (part 1023), weighs 20 lbs, and boasts a 110-lb trap capacity. Depending on load, it will draw 14–35 amps, reel in about 140′ of line/minute (based on 1 trap/line), and is super easy to operate. Opt for the hands-free Bulldog accessory so you can keep your boat on top of your spot and line as perpendicular as possible, rather than having to handle hundreds of feet of lead line. We also opted for the Two-Hole Aluminum Billet Mount, which makes for a stable, solid connection to the boat. It’s collapsible with an optional carrying case for secure stowage or bringing on your pal’s boat.

BECKMAN ASTORIA NET

This is a great large net with a hoop width of 31″, a hoop length of 36″, and a bag depth of 40″. While there are optional handles, we suggest the 6′ or the retractable 6′ – 9’—both are good, especially if landing fish alone. It’s rigid, durable, and comes with a lifetime guarantee. The net is made with coated nylon, and if 2025 is anything like this year, you are going to need a net that stands up to a lot of use. This popular one comes highly recommended and often sells out. If you spot the green hoop in your local tackle shop, grab it.

BOAT TOTE

When we decided to give our jon boat a makeover for the 2024 season, we struggled with where we would mount our fish finder and stereo in our Marlon SP12 without taking up valuable seat space or building custom aluminum shelving. Then we thought, “What if we modified a Boat Tote?” After doing just that, we’ll never look back. The Boat Tote is an impressive all-in-one gear holder that clamps on the gunnel of your boat. Out of the box, it sports a tool holder, a beverage holder, a rod holder, and a platform for other devices. Most people will find this to be the ultimate removable organizer—it’s extremely well-built, tough, and very stable. Its body is black powder-coated aluminum with a moulded polyethylene top, rod, and tool holders that can be placed in multiple positions. It also has very thoughtful EVA rubber protectors installed on the gunnel channels. These absorb shock and keep the unit and the boat clean from scratches. It weighs about 10 lbs and is 14″ x 14″ x 9.1″. There’s a removable shelf and extra threaded inserts to customize the unit. For well under $200 CAD (we last saw it for $139.99), you can’t beat it.

CALCUTTA RENEGADE 75 COOLER

Non-slip, non-marking feet, an industrial-grade freezer-style lid, and tough roto-molded construction keep your ice solid for days. Stainless steel hinge pins mean serious business for longevity. One of the “coolest” features is the built-in 100-lumen light but also the optional 6′ bicycle-style lock for securing your treasure. The rope lifts make moving the cooler easy, and you can also buy a wheel kit to pull it behind you. There’s even a section divider that doubles as a cutting board.

FUSION MARINE STEREO MS-RA210

It’s awesome! It has a full-colour, bright LED front face that makes it easy to see your album art and track information, even on sunny days. It’s small, visually stunning, has excellent button control, and two zones for connecting four speakers. You can upgrade with an external amp or add a subwoofer. In standby, it draws 0.1A and at maximum, 15A. We like that in addition to the power and speaker wiring harness, it comes with an auxiliary-in, line-out, and subwoofer-out wiring harness as well as a NMEA 2000 drop cable for connectivity (to your MFD). There are some advanced features like speed vs. volume if you have a speed sensor installed on your network, and you can set up DSP profiles with the free Fusion-Link app if you want to get fancy. The spinwheel makes it easy to browse your library or radio channels, and most importantly, it pairs with smartphones like a breeze and is super simple to operate.

GARMIN INREACH MINI 2

This is a great peace-of-mind tool. For off-grid adventures, this is the best way we found to stay in touch. On Vancouver Island, there are too many places to count where there is no cell service, and nothing would be worse than having the truck or boat trailer break down or to have an accident. Also, for backcountry hiking, river walking, and remote fishing, being able to track your route and share your location can be lifesaving in an emergency. This compact device provides up to 14 days’ use at the default 10-minute tracking mode and up to 30 days at 30-minute tracking. It has a digital compass, TracBack Routing (which helps you get back to your starting point the same way you came), location sharing, two-way messaging, weather, and an interactive SOS alert. It’s not entirely waterproof but is rated IPX-7 which is defined as exposure to water up to 1 metre for 30 minutes. A diving case is available, but you’ll still need to be on the surface as the GPS tracking and satellite communication do not work underwater. We especially like pairing this with the Garmin Messenger App on an iPhone for the text messaging feature without cell service. It requires both a subscription (starting at $24.99/month) and an activation fee ($54.99 CAD), but we really appreciate that you can suspend your subscription for the months that you aren’t using it.

SCOTTY 139 PHONE HOLDER

Just when you think you have all the gadgets, Scotty goes ahead and makes a phone holder. Unlike something cheap, this is truly marine grade. We love that we can move this from our jon boat to a kayak and then to the big boat. It’s sturdy, and it’s adjustable for various- sized phones. It also has dual ball joints, so you can angle it away from the sun easily. With this must-have onboard device, we always know where our phone is safely stowed … at least, where it should be.

SEAQUALIZER DESCENDING DEVICE

If you are fishing without a descending device onboard that is set up and ready to release rockfish bycatch, you can be fined $863. Common types of descending devices include a simple, inverted barbless hook, a spring-loaded clamp, and a pressure-release clamp. Of the different devices available, the most effective and simplest to use is a depth-pressure activated release device, the SeaQualizer. Automatically opening at preset depth, the motion of the boat or the actions of the rockfish as it descends will not prematurely release the fish.

YAKHACKER KAYAK COOLER

This is a surprisingly high-quality soft cooler for your day’s essentials that attaches the back of your fishing kayak seat. It has a bonus waterproof pocket for your wallet or phone, net pockets, and a leakproof zipper. Pack it with some frozen water bottles or ice packs, and it will keep things cold even during the hot days of August. It comes in yellow, grey, or army green.

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