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Bass Pro Shops is selling 5 Bass lures for $5. There is no shipping or handling charge. Not a bad deal for those who dabble in angling.

Humminbird makes a really cool rod mount fish finder. This product would be great for both river and lake fishing. Personally I probably wouldn’t rely on this to actually find fish, but I think it would be very valuable for determing water depth. It would come in handy near deep holes where it is impossible to read how deep the water actually is. The product claims to be waterproof (thank God) and have a 150 ft. operating range. It also features a backlit display and measures water surface temperature. This fish finder might be worth a look if you spend some time on the water.

River Ridge Custom Canoes makes beautiful canoes from hand rolled and hand laid fiberglass. Starting at $1800, these canoes aren’t cheap but they live up to the cost with the build quality and custom accessories. Rod holders, drink holders, and accessory trays are available for your canoe along with other options. The canoes are extremely stable and are designed for activities such as fishing and hunting. Place your order and 30-45 days later, you have a new handcrafted canoe.

River Ridge Custom Canoes via Cool Tools

It is unknown to many people that Northern Pike are a very tasty fish with white flaky meat. Yes, that’s true, not only are Northern a blast to catch, they are one of my favorites to eat. Additionally, harvesting the smaller fish (under 24″) is often beneficial to the health of an ecosystem.

The problem with eating these fish is the bones, specifically the y-bones. If they aren’t removed, it makes the fish a real pain to eat. What most people don’t know is that it’s not difficult to remove these bones. With a little practice, you can be cleaning the y-bones out of your catch in minutes.

On the Lake has an excellent tutorial on removing the y-bones. This is the same technique I use and it works well to remove the bones without losing much meat.

When filleting any fish, remember that a sharp knife makes the process much easier.

The instructions can be found at On the Lake.

The New Scientist Invention blog writes about a new patent for a fishing parachute. The parachute is enclosed in a container during the cast and is then released when tension from a bite is put on the line. The idea is the fish will then tire quickly as it drags this open parachute through the water.

Personally, I don’t understand this one. Why would anyone want to make fighting a fish any easier? The excitement of the hook set followed by the lengthy battle of a large fish is one of the main experiences that got me hooked on fishing. I would not want anything to get in the way of this fight. I like the sore arms.

It does make an interesting conversation piece however, and I am sure there are people that would argue that this is a valuable device for reducing the stress put on the fish. Not for me though.

Read the full patent application.

Instructables has a great post on how to waterproof your digital camera on the cheap. A simple zip-lock bag is the secret behind this one. This could be quite useful for you outdoor photographer’s that go anywhere near liquid. I have yet to drop an expensive camera in a lake or stream, but I have come close a few times. I imagine it would be a true bummer to give that brand new Digital SLR a bath.

The how-to is on instructables.