A Few Tips For the Fall Fisherman

Ahhhh...  Fall in Florida - the mercury has already started to drop. Isn't it the perfect time to head outside and bask in the cooler Fall weather? Of course it is! When considering your Autumnal adventures in the Great Outdoors, be sure to add fishing to the top of your list. You can bet the fish are hungry and just waiting to take a bite of your bait. 

It seems that the avid angler prefers to center their Fall fishing adventures around the mighty bass. This sought-after game fish is either elusive in its ways or as easy to catch as (pardon the pun) shooting fish in a barrel. Their popularity has a lot to do with numbers. They live in lakes, rivers, and the ocean.

Fall is actually a great time of year for bass fishing, for both the fisherman and well.... Unless you’re “catching and releasing”, I guess it’s not so great for the fish. 

I’ll start with the obvious. For most, Fall is a reprieve from the Summer heat. Also, less bugs. Anyone is more likely to enjoy sitting on the water for a few hours when they’re not constantly sweating and swatting at stinging pests. Sounds like an amazing time whether you’re casting a reel or not, huh?

Onto the bass fishing... 

The temperature of the water becomes cooler, which makes the fish more active. Just like humans, when we’re more active, we burn more calories. As a result, we get hungry and eat. The same goes with fish. In a somewhat frenzied state of hunger, they’ll bite just about anything!

There were a few different suggestions as to how to find the bass. Just get to know your body of water. The spots you frequent in the Spring are the same spots you should revisit in the Fall. 

Naturally, you should go where their food is hanging around. Bass will eat just about anything. If they can fit it in their mouth, they will eat it. They have been known to eat anything from tiny minnows to lizards to small mammals. If motivated properly, they will even eat another bass! More than likely though, schools of small fish are a good indicator that bass may be lurking. 

Natural foliage is another food group for our fine, finned friends. There is another advantage for Autumnal angling! Fallen leaves, especially under the cover or shade of the tree, will attract your target. 

Bass are also known to congregate around “cover”. Cover is an object that sticks up from the bottom of a lake or river. It can be a tree stump, piling, a dock, or a log. 

There are conflicting points regarding water temperature which makes my last point a good rule of thumb. Go to an area of shallow water that is near a deep area. The bass will hang around the shallow area foraging for food but will head to the deeper water when the temperature changes too rapidly. The temperature in deep water usually stays consistent while the shallow water increases and decreases quickly. 

Don’t just take my word for it. Heck, I’m still learning myself! Click below for a couple of helpful and informative websites. 

Now that you’re in the fishing frame of mind, why not take a look at some new fishing boats? Gift-giving season isn’t too far away! (hint hint) 

Discover Boating
Take Me Fishing

Apparently, Fall isn’t your last chance of the year until Spring to chase bass. If you’re game enough to brave the tundra, give ice-fishing a try! 

Bringing the family? Read Fishing Is Fun For the Whole Family for some tips.

Is Satellite TV For You?

Inside A Satellite Dome

While the serenity and excitement of fishing, water sports, lying in the sun, and feeling the cool breeze blow across your skin is all part of the boating experience; sometimes, you just want to watch a baseball game…or maybe, in recent weeks, your favorite Olympic team. Or, yes, the newest Disney show that you’re youngest can’t live without.

Welcome to the 21st Century -- we have satellite capabilities on boats here.

Should I make the investment?

Having a satellite TV on a boat clearly isn’t for everyone. If you don’t spend a lot of time on your boat, you don’t need it. If you enjoy getting away from the noise of everyday life, it’s highly probable that you wouldn’t even turn the TV on if you had one on your boat. However, if you have a family, enjoy entertaining on your boat, or just want to kick back and relax, then satellite TV could definitely be for you.

Marine satellite TV systems are available at a wide range of prices – mainly depending on how much equipment you need. For just one TV and receiver, marine satellite TV can usually fit into a smaller budget. But if you want to have multiple TVs being used at one time or a large system, it can get pricey.

How it works

If you have decided that satellite TV on your boat is for you, then you’re in luck – the set-up process is fairly simple. Satellite TV on a boat isn’t much different than that on land.  While satellite on land uses wires and cables, marine satellite TV receives transmissions directly from satellites.

First, you’ll need to contact a local marine TV retailer ( that’s us ). Or, if you are buying a boat and want satellite TV as an add-on, make sure you tell your salesperson so they can make the changes accordingly. Either way, we’ll be able to make sure you get all of the proper equipment and can help you with the set up. If you’re confident in knowing what you’re doing, you can just order the equipment from our parts department. However, we highly recommend having our trained and professional technicians install your new satellite TV.

Now, you’ll need a TV. Any TV will do really – however, LCDs, Plasma’s, and flat screens are the obvious choices. Flat screens on mounts also give you the ability to easily hide the TV or move it out of the way when you’re not using it.

Next, decide which satellite service provider you’d like to go with. You can even go with providers such as DirecTV and Dish Network. All satellite service providers have different channels and network packages to offer, so be sure to check out all of their packages. Premium movies and pay-per-view programs can also be purchased while onboard.

Once set-up is complete, you’ll be able to enjoy your satellite TV, and a few great boating movies, from just about anywhere. Simple as that!

Happy boating with your 48” LCD satellite TV!

Tips for Viewing Fourth of July Fireworks from Your Boat

Open waters and open skies make for the best fireworks display. There’s no better place than laid back on your boat with your friends and family while watching fireworks on the 4th of July. But there are a few tips you should consider that will heighten the excitement of the fireworks, and to make sure you’re taking the proper safety precautions while on the water.

First of all, you should check the US Coast Guard’s local notice to mariner’s website for any special instructions for boaters during the big event. Be sure to follow these instructions – they are not only mandatory to keep you safe, but to keep other’s safe as well. Make sure your boat is equipped with the correct safety equipment and check that everything is functioning normally. Life jackets should already be on board, but if you have any newcomers or irregulars that will be joining you on your boat for the special event, you’ll need to be sure you have extra life jackets.

When looking for the perfect place to drop anchor, you’ll want to make sure you anchor downwind of the show. If you anchor your boat upwind, you may not hear the fireworks very well – and we all know, there’s nothing better than feeling and hearing the powerful boom of fireworks!

Find your location and anchor early. You can take the extra time to eat, play games, or just relax before the fireworks begin. You can also take this time to make sure your anchor is set properly, and see that your anchor lights are on and working. Training your newer passengers on board about the normal procedures and emergency procedures is another great thing to take up this extra time. Better safe than sorry!

When it comes to being patriotic on the water, many people enjoy a nice ‘drink’. However, it’s best that you not allow alcohol on board while in the middle of a body of water (read the Preventable Tragedy). Of course, the captain definitely shouldn't drink as it can impair his ability to react or impair his vision in general. But passengers should also be warned about alcohol on board. If an emergency should arise, passengers may not be able to react as quickly as needed. They could also lose their balance more easily than if they were sober. Passengers under the influence of alcohol or any type of drug can also distract the captain of the boat.

When the show is finished and it’s time for the festivities to end, take your time when pulling up anchor and leaving. Remember, there are many other boaters on the water going the same exact direction you are. There’s no rush, so take your time and be cautious. There may be other boaters not following proper safety guidelines, or worse, they may be driving under the influence of alcohol. Rushing back to dock isn’t worth an accident. Enjoy this relaxing moment with your loved ones and cruise slowly back to land.

Bonus: Top National In-Water Destinations For July 4 Fireworks Displays

There’s nothing worse than being distracted by lights or obnoxious noises while watching your fireworks show, so be courteous to other boaters.  Don’t play with flashlights, spotlights, or large lights of any kind. Also, if you’re playing music on board, make sure it’s not too loud for other boaters to hear. Just because you like a particular kind of music, doesn’t mean others want to listen to it.

From all your friends at Thunder Marine; have fun, be safe, be courteous, and most of all… enjoy your 4th of July!!

Create Your Own Boating Movie on Facebook with Movie Maker

Ever dreamed of starring in a movie? Well, now there's an App for that!

Discover Boating's new Movie Maker App lets you create a movie featuring highlights from your boating life right from our Facebook page! Tell a story or simply share the joy of boating with your family and friends. It's quick, easy and FUN!

As the "Director" you can preview your movie to rearrange photos or edit captions. When you're finished you can post it to your profile or download it. You can even share your "blockbuster" with Discover Boating for a chance to have it featured on the Discover Boating Facebook page!

Star in your own boating movie now.

VHF Marine Radio - The Basics

VHF radios are essential to all boaters. This radio could potentially save your life or help you save the life of another. VHF radios are used for emergency and non-emergency situations, however, they are also used to alert boaters of information on the water – be it an approaching storm or a sinking vessel.

There are two main channels you’ll need to remember when on your boat -- channel 16 and channel 9 (note: channel 9 is only available in waters off of the northeastern shore—New York, Northern New Jersey, and New England). These channels are used for emergency and non-emergency calls. All boaters are required to keep a constant watch on channel 16. Many boaters simply turn their radios off because they wish not to listen to static, etc. -- this is a major issue. Your radio should remain on and turned up at all times. There have been many situations where boaters did not have their radios on and as a consequence, were not aware and could not out run storms, or did not know about a sinking vessel close to them. In both situations, casualties could have been prevented if the captain would have simply left their VHF radio on.

Radio channels 9 & 16 may be used to hail other vessels or to make the first initial contact with a marina or restaurant when wondering where to tie your boat up when coming into dock. However, you’ll need to switch over to another channel once you make contact with your party so that you’re not jamming up the main channels. At no point should you use your radio as a ‘telephone’ to chit-chat with other boaters or someone on shore.

Channels 6, 13, and 22A are also important channels for boaters to remember.

• Channel 6 is reserved for intership safety use and is mainly used during search and rescue operations.
• Channel 22A is reserved for communications with the Coast Guard and should be for Coast Guard use only (not open to other vessels). This channel is used by the US Coast Guard when relaying marine information broadcasts. Since not everyone is interested in these broadcasts, the US Coast Guard will make their first initial contact on channel 16, letting all boaters know that they will make their announcement (that may or may not be important to each boater) on channel 22A, and that interested boaters should switch over to that channel immediately for more info. 
• Channel 13 is for navigational use between vessels. Large vessels us channel 13 (no need to use channel 16 for this situation first, channel 13 is both a calling and working channel) when relaying their intentions to one another and when they arrive at bridges and locks. Channel 13 is restricted to 1 watt, so be sure to switch your radio to low power when using this channel.

Channels 68, 69, 71, 72, 78A are all used as “working” stations and are available for you to use at any time (as long as no one else is using them) when you switch your conversation over from channel 9 or 16.



For a complete listing of all boating channels (including those in international waters), click here.

If you are trying to communicate with a boat that is nearby, make sure you set your radio on low power so that your signal will not carry further than it needs to. If you’re trying to communicate with a boat or location that is further away, you can use high power. In all situations, use kind language and no profanity. Vulgar language is illegal and can also offend other boaters, especially those with small children.

Now that you know the important radio channels, you may be wondering, “how on earth do I use this thing?!” The basics -- be sure to adjust the "Squelch" control as low as possible so that you don’t hear static or ‘white noise’. In order to make a call, hold the button on the microphone down, speak, and then release to hear the other boat or location’s reply.

Believe it or not, there IS a proper way of calling another vessel or on shore location.

1. First of all, make sure you are making your first contact on either channel 16 or channel 9. You’ll also want to listen in for a couple of minutes to make sure the channel is not tied up with another conversation.
2. Say the name of the vessel or location that you’re calling three times. Ex: Thunder Marine, Thunder Marine, Thunder Marine.
3. The words "THIS IS", spoken once, and then the name of your vessel, also spoken once. Ex: THIS IS the motor vessel (insert name of vessel)
4. Say the word "OVER", and then await the station being called to reply.
5. The station will reply in the same manner that you called them. You should then designate a new channel to switch over to and continue the conversation. Once establish, speak the word "OVER". Ex: Please switch and listen to channel 68, OVER
6. Wait for the station to confirm the channel. They will then say “OVER” and you’ll both need to switch over to the new channel and continue your conversation by first contacting them in the same way as you initially did, but this time, on your designated channel.

Always move your conversations to a different channel in a non-emergency situation. If you are using channel 16, no one else can use it until you are off of that channel, which means any emergencies that need to be called in will have to wait.

In a distress and emergency situation, your call will be very similar to a non-emergency call, but much more complex. However, if the only thing you have time to say is MAYDAY, the name of your vessel, and what type of distress you’re in, that is fine as well. The key is that you give enough information so that the Coast Guard knows how to best respond to your call. You’ll need to stay by the radio and repeat this call periodically until you receive a response. You should also stay close to your radio incase more information is needed once someone replies to your call.

• First, make sure you’re on channel 16.
• Say “MAY DAY”, spoken three times
• Speak the words “THIS IS”, once
• Proceed to say your vessel name (spoken three times) 
• Give the position of your vessel by latitude and longitude or by bearing (true or magnetic) and the distance to a well known landmark which will help a responding station located your vessel. Be sure to include all vessel movement such as course, speed and destination.
• Speak what the nature of your distress is (sinking, fire, etc.), and the kind of help you require.
• Speak the number of people on board.
• Give any other information which might help in the rescue, such as length or tonnage of vessel, the type of vessel, the number of people onboard needing medical attention, color of the vessel, etc.
• The word “OVER”, spoken once. 

If you are potentially in distress but are currently not yet in distress, then you can say “Pan-Pan” (pronounced “Pahn”) instead of “Mayday”. This should be used when referring to a controllable leak in your boat or something that is most likely fixable, but you may want to alert someone in case you do eventually need help or incase your situation goes bad.

If you hear a distress call in your area, you are required to respond to it. If you hear a distress call that is not in your vicinity, but that you could potentially get to, then wait several minutes to see if there are other boaters in the area that respond (if there are even any boaters in that area). If they do not respond, you are required to respond.

In summary:

• Always make sure you keep your conversations short and to the point when using a channel. Keep in mind that you may not be the only person who needs to use that particular channel.
• In non-emergency situations, make sure you switch over to a working channel (as listed above) once you make initial contact on channel 9 or 16. 
• Remember that ALL radio conversations are public and anyone on that channel can hear your conversation, including young children. Radios are not to be used for ‘chit-chat’.
• Always speak slowly and clearly so that the responding station can understand you.
• The more information you can provide when speaking with another vessel or the coast guard, the better.
• When speaking to a vessel nearby, switch your radio to low power. When speaking to a vessel further away, you may use high power.
• Always have your radio turned on and turned up. You never know when you or someone else may need information or help.

Have you even used your VHF Marine Radio? Let us know in the comments below.

Want to get away?

With all the negative news in the media, woudn't you like to have a day or two where you didn't have to hear about the market or political campaigns? Well, picture this - a beautiful sunset, temperatures in the low to mid 70's, the gentle sound of waves crashing and the crisp smell of the salty autumn air. Where is this you ask? Anywhere Tampa Bay. You can find it in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Sarasota, Bradenton - you name it.

We are so blessed with the area we live in because there are so many places to go to get away on a boat. Sure, you can take long trips to places you haven't been but the joy of boating is just getting away. Many times that can just mean an overnight stay at the marina where you keep your boat or anchoring up for the weekend at a favorite local island. Shoot, even the Intercoastal Waterway has plenty of spots outside the channel that you can anchor at and feel secluded. It's just like when you were a kid and you pitched a tent in your backyard. You weren't that far from home, but at least you were away!

These short vacations or "staycations" as they are sometimes called can be rather inexpensive no matter the company.
-If it's just you and the better half, it can be a romantic way to spend some "alone time". Pack a lite dinner, some wine and your favorite music. A Gulf sunset and a quiet night away can do wonders for a relationship.
-If you've been spending to much time at work and you are starting to forget what your spouse and kids look like, a weekend away with the family on the boat can make you a hero. Pull out a couple of those dusty board games you have, make some sandwiches and you've got a start to your weekend. Find an island that you're familiar with and the kids will be able to run off some energy. Bring a small grill and you'll not only be able to cook up some hamburgers & hot dogs, but you'll be able to make smores later on!
-If the day to day grind is starting to get to you and you are ready to blow off some steam, invite some of your friends to join you for a docktail party or raft-up. Grab your favorite livation, some good Jimmy Buffet tunes and start changing your latitude and attitude.

So if any of these fits your current state of mind, let your boat be the escape you intended it to be. And if you don't currently have a boat or are in the market for another one, Four Winns should be on your list. The Four Winns Vista cruisers are the perfect boats for these "staycations". From 25 feet to 50 feet, Four Winns has models to fit everyones needs. Enjoy all the comforts of home in the serenity of your tropical cove. If you'd like to look at the beautiful Four Winns line-up, just click on the link below:

http://www.thundermarine.com/brochure_search.asp?bsCID=1027&bsYear=2008&bsProdCat=807978&indid=1&

And if for some reason you still have to have contact with civilization, most cell phones and wireless cards work in the surrounding waterways - just don't let anyone else know because you might spoil their fun & relaxation!

Thunder Fishing Team

With fall season upon us, the inshore fishing is starting to gear up. Water temperatures are starting to fall and the fish are starting to feed. Our in-house fishing team has spent some time jumping tarpon out at our 90 foot hole and with a moving tide, crabs have been the ticket. They have also been pretty successful on the flats with redfish, trout and snook. The snook & redfish are schooling up in the mangroves so you have to be quiet and sneak up on them. The snook are turning their nose up at the greenbacks but seem to be loving the big shrimp.

Fortunately for our team, they are on the perfect boat for getting in front of all of these species. The Hydra-Sports Bay Bolt is that boat. Whether it's the 19 or 23 Bay Bolt, they can get into the skinny backwaters for the redfish and snook or head off the beach to hit the tarpon. And on a good day, head out into the gulf for grouper. With a 14 degree deadrise and a draft of 10 inches, these bay boats take them where they want to go. When they get to their favorite spot, they love the wide open layout, the stability of the boat and the accessibilty of all the features these boats have to offer. Just ask local radio host and fishing guide Captain Todd Wood. "In a Hydra-Sports, my only limits are the number of fish I can keep."

For a look at either of these great fishing boats, just click on one of the links below:

http://www.hydra-sports.com/vids/19baybolt.html

http://www.hydra-sports.com/vids/23baybolt.html

For a live look at one of these or to pick yours out, come down and see us at our store in St. Petersburg. We recently made a special purchase and curently have a few of each model in stock with sale pricing. Check them out - http://www.thundermarine.com/specials_new.asp?indid=1&disid=178682&

IPS Demonstration

Boating is such a relaxing lifestyle. Anyone can get on a boat, no matter what kind it is, and their worries will drift away. Whether it's fishing, skiing or cruising, it takes your mind off the daily grind and the normal hustle & bustle everyone deals with. What a stress reliever - that is until you have to dock in front of a bunch of people.

Docking might be the one time their is a little anxiety when boating. Fortunately, Volvo has designed the IPS drive with Joystick control. This feature makes for worry free docking. They have made it so simple that your children or grandchildren that play video games might be able to dock the boat better than you!

Below is a link to a demonstration we did on a Four Winns 378 Vista Express Cruiser in our harbor in St. Petersburg. This boat is almost 42 feet in length and is being easily manuevered in an area a little over 50 feet. Check it out for yourself.

http://www.thundermarine.com/content.asp?nav=117713&cpid=10271&

Docktail Party Extended

Thank you to everyone that came out last weekend. The weather was great and everyone had a good time.

We had such a good time, we asked our manufacturers to extend their specials so we could do it one more weekend.

So, if you weren't able to make it out, come join us for the festivities and pick out your next boat at a great price.

Just click on the link below for more information.
http://www.thundermarine.com/calendar.asp?ce2id=51018&siteid=&top_siteid=&bvdid=16341&top_bvdid=16341

Docktail Party Event

Well, the Tampa Boat Show was great. The weather turned out to be perfect for the weekend and plenty of boaters were out strolling the docks looking for their next dream boat. Many of them took advantage of the great incentives and will be enjoying their new Hydra-Sports & Four Winns this weekend.

We are also happy to say that the manufacturers & lenders have extended their incentives through this coming weekend. In light of that, we thought we would throw a docktail party. Starting today through Saturday 9Am - 6PM.

We will have our large inventory of boats (fishing boats, runabouts, deckboats, cruisers and yachts) on display. There will be music, food, drinks & lots of fun - along with all the great incentives and pricing.

So whether you came to the Tampa Boat show or not, we hope you can join us at our waterfront location on Bay Pines Blvd.

To prepare for it, we kindly ask that you click on the link below to RSVP.
http://www.thundermarine.com/event_registration_form.asp?nav=98404&


We hope to see you here.

Tampa Boat Show

Next weekend is the Tampa Boat Show and we will be there in full force. The show is at the Tampa Convention Center and runs from Friday to Sunday. We will have all of our brands (Four Winns, Hydra-Sports, Riviera & Silverton) on display. So whether you like runabouts, deckboats, fishing boats, express cruisers, sport yachts, convertibles, motor yachts or sport bridges, we will have them there. The 52 Ovation will also be premiering for the first time on the West Coast and there will be great discounts on all the boats. If you watch the show "Deadliest Catch", the captains from the Time Bandit will be there signing autographs. It will be a great way to spend the day, so come join us - you might find the boat of your dreams. For more information, go to http://www.tampaboatshow.com/ or http://www.thundermarine.com/events.asp?cal2id=&topsiteid=&content=&siteid=&bvdid=&bvdid_filter=&this_start_date=9%2F1%2F2008

Island Party Raft-Up Postponed

Unfortunately, due to the weather from Hurricane Gustav, we will be postponing our Island Party. We are certainly disappointed because we had a great bunch of boaters signed up. We plan to reschedule and will let you know as soon as we have a new date.

Thunder Island Party Raft-Up

Even though the official last day of summer isn't until September 21st, Labor Day weekend is always considered the beginning of the end of summer. And though we are blessed with great boating weather year round, we were thinking: what better way to welcome in the fall than enjoying the holiday weekend with our boating friends?

With that in mind, we are planning on having a Raft-Up Island Party Sunday August 31st. Nothing formal - just a fun day in the sun on the water. All Thunder customers are welcome so whether you own a runabout, yacht, performance boat or fishing boat, we hope you can join us.

We wanted it to be as close to St. Pete, Clearwater & Tampa as possible so we picked an island that is centrally located in Pinellas on the ICW just north of the Bellair Causeway bridge. The plan is to meet around 11 AM. We'll bring some sandwiches and everyone can bring a side dish and beverage of their choice. With the next day being Labor Day, why wouldn't you join us? For more details go to http://www.thundermarine.com/. We ask that you just fill out the quick registration so we know how many sandwiches to bring. We hope to see you there!

Alstott / Thunder Marine Fishing Tournament Recap

Just like Thursday's Captain's Meeting, the weigh in on Saturday was great. Almost all the boats that were entered in the tournament weighed fish. Mike Alstott & the McKenna Family (the winning bidder)decided to fish inshore so they took a Hydra-Sports 23 Bay Bolt & hit the flats. Although they didn't place in the top three, it was a memorable day. The winning inshore team was Ian Dougherty & crew who came in with a 54 lb. cobia as part of their haul. On the offshore side, the James Gang beat out Mike DeOliveria's team with some nice size grouper, snapper & amberjack. The ladies winners were Brittany Kelling & Jean Gifford and the youth division winners were Parker Ferris and Karissa Cobb. Karissa and her dad Kelvin also took home the family division award. Everyone had a good time and as the saying goes "A bad day fishing on a boat is better than a good day at the office". Thunder Marine thanks all the anglers, spectators, sponsors and volunteers who helped make this event a success. We will be proudly presenting a check for $16,000 to the Mike Alstott Family Foundation next Saturday after the Old Salt's Kid Fishing Tournament at the Pier. We hope you can join us. For more pictures of the event, go to http://www.thundermarine.com/news.asp?chsid=&nav=90561&chaid=202495 We look forward to seeing everyone at next year's Tournament.

Mike Alstott Family Fishing Tournament Hosted by Thunder Marine

What a great night! The captain's meeting was the offical kickoff to the Mike Alstott Family Fishing Tournament and it brought hundreds of boaters, fisherman & Mike Alstott fans together for a great cause. With great food & giveaways everyone enjoyed themselves and one lucky bidder will be fishing with Mike & his son on Thunder's Hydra-Sports Tournament boat. Mike was gracious throughout the evening. He was regularly signing autographs and taking pictures with kids and adults alike. Since purchasing his Hydra-Sports Bay Bolt from Thunder, Mike has spent even more time with his family on the water. He is often found on his boat with his son fishing and he thought having a tournament would be a great way to raise money for his foundation. By the looks of the captain's meeting, he appears to be right. We are looking forward to a great weigh-in on Saturday with anglers arriving by boat with their day's haul between 3PM and 5PM. For more information on the tournamnet visit http://www.thundermarine.com/. If you are in the area, come by and join us for the fun.