Frogg Toggs Toadz™ Hellbender™ Wading & Fly Jacket

I don't have enough good things to say after a day of fishing in torrential rain in my new Frogg Toggs Hellbender Wading jacket.  Gary at CT Outfitters put out a special pre-order, and given my satisfaction with their other products, I jumped on this one.  My boat never leaves the dock without the All Sport Rainsuit stowed away for those unexpected storms, and I liked this so much I have a second set in Realtree camo.  In addition, my ToadRageJacket has served me well over the past several seasons.  The Hellbender is another product that improves their the Frogg Togg lineup of great products and affordable prices.  The Hellbender has everything I would expect in a jacket 2-3x the price.  I'm a big guy, and the 2XL was roomy and flexible for a full day of unencumbered casting.  It's got loads of pocket space and D-rings to attach essentials.  The neoprene and Velcro cuffs keep water out, and after 8 hours of steady rain last Sunday, the interior of the jacket was bone dry.  I could zip and button up to my chin without chaffing, and the hood was just the right size.  The exterior is the tough ToadSkinz while the interior is the familiar non-woven material from the original rain suits.   If you want a wading jacket that offers a ton of bang for the buck, check this one out!

 

Triumph Skiff Review - End of Season One

Well, I've fished the Gemma Rose II for almost the entire season, and I have to say, I'm very pleased with my purchase.  I posted my initial review earlier this year, so I won't rehash all of the reasons I chose the Triumph.  I will tell you, it's lived up to expectations in almost all areas. 

Durability was a key, and by this I mean the ability to run it into rocky bottoms, from poor launch facilities and whatever else gets thrown my way.  While not a flats boat, I can still fish pretty skinny water in back bays, coves and shallow rivers.  I've put my share of battle scars on her this year, but I won't be repairing glass or gel coats! I'm far from a neat freak, and she's showing some staining on the plastic, but I can live with this. If you'd rather spend your time fishing than maintaining a boat, this is a model to consider.  She's a tough boat!

 

Paired with the 75hp E-Tec, the pushed 35mph overland speed at full throttle in calm conditions.   I will say that the standard console gauges are pretty useless as they never show max rpm above about 4200 and really inflate speed.  Calibrating these is not high on my list, as she has plenty of get-up and go when needed.  I typically cruise at what I guesstimate to be around 3500rpm and 25mph.  In choppy conditions, dropping down off plane to 2700-2900rpm makes a decent 12mph without taking a beating. 

As the season progressed, I pushed  to see how seaworthy this boat is, and found that she can handle quite a bit of chop created by the Long Island Sounds many rips.  While I won't drift her stern into the Race, she definitely inspires confidence if you get caught out in some wind pushing against a tide.  With her weight and an 8ft. beam, I don't worry too much about taking swells from the side.  In fact, I fished her with my 6'4", 325lb. "baby" brother and I (a mere 265lbs.) against the same gunnel and didn't feel like we were going to end up in the water.  This boat feels far larger than an eighteen footer thanks to the wide beam, uncluttered layout and large casting decks.     

 

With all the references to chop, this boat is still a skiff.  Yes, the Roplene does dampen the impact, but head on you get slapped.  The rounded bow smacks the waves rather than slicing through them.  A good console mat under foot relieves quite a bit of the jolt.  You will get wet when the seas come up, so you'll need to take your foul weather gear, but you'll also get home safely!   

 
There are a few features I would like to see changed, starting with the navigation lighting.  Removable deck mounted pedestal lights just don't cut it in a salt water environment.  After 6 months of use, the connections are shot despite cleaning after each use.  One of my winter projects will be installing deck mounted and hard wired port and starboard nav lights as well as a hard wired pedestal light above my center console.  For easy of adding electronics, I'm also adding a bus board inside the console.  Slightly larger access hatches for the bilge and livewell pumps would have been smart.  A three-way T connector for the duel 12 gallon fuel tanks in the bow would make life a bit easier as well.  A big plus is that it is a hell of a lot easier to mount accessories in this interior with Roplene as opposed to glass.  I've read a few users complaining of screws pulling out, but have experienced no such problems. Just avoid fine thread screws. 

 

To sum up, the Triumph Skiff is a great inshore boat, durable, roomy and low maintenance. I've had a blast in the Gemma Rose II this season!           

 



Gus enjoying a day on the water.

Oh, she's also got the Gus seal of approval.   

Triumph Skiff Review - The Gemma Rose II

I promised a review of my new Triumph Skiff once I'd had a chance to get her out on the water and run her around. I chose this model after considering a number of skiff and inshore types boats including the Carolina Skiffs, Mako Skiffs, Clearwaters, Livingston's and a few others. My list of requirements included the following: an ability to fish skinny waters in coves and salt marshes as well as run around the LIS, lots of space for casting, an ability to haul around my kids and dog, economy of use and maintenance, and price. All of the above met these, with the hull configurations of the Triumph, Carolina and Clearwater skiffs being very similar. The Triumph is not a true flat bottom, but is close and sports a 6" draft and 7 degree deadrise.

What you may or may not know is that the Triumph is a Roplene hull. In other words, it's plastic. It's a floating Yeti cooler. I considered the downsides (it's plastic, heavier, plastic), spoke with some owners, and wrangled a ride on one last season. Triumph evolved from Logic Boats, and their reputation has as well. As advertised, the boat really absorbs the chop without transferring the shock right though you as so many other skiffs will do. It's heavier than fiberglass, and while a 40-50hp will push a similar Carolina Skiff, I'm running a 75 E-Tec. I ran her from Salmon Cove to Wethersfield Cove (roughly 30 miles one way) this past weekend on less than one of my two twelve gallon tanks, and the upriver leg was against a tide and 15-20mph wind. At 3500rpm, she made a nice 24-25mph up river.

Triumph claims to make the worlds toughest boats, and this I have already put to the test in my twelve hours or so on the water. With no docking facilities in place yet on the CT River, I launched in a fast tide and ripping wind from a concrete ramp. The Gemma Rose II was bouncing and banging repeatedly. Backing out, we were pushed against the pilings and I just used one to cantilever myself into the direction I needed to go. Don't think I would have tried any of this with a fiberglass hull. The results? See for yourself. Fiberglass skiffs in the Keys or the OBX with their sandy bottoms? No problem. I reckon I'll be sliding across more than one rocky bottom fishing skinny up here in New England. The Gemma Rose is just like a whitewater kayak in that regard. A few scratches are no big deal. While heavy and by no means a flats skiff, I can trim up my motor and still pole her across some really shallow water.



As for fishability, the Gemma Rose II at 17'8" with an 8' beam is almost entirely fishable space with casting platforms front and rear and tons of room around the center console. She easily has as much deck space as many 20-22' boats. She's nice and stable as well (which is good, 'cause I'm not a lightweight). She has ample storage under the front casting deck and the console seating, and I installed six vertical and four horizontal rod holders, so I should be able to squeak by with gear. Who know, maybe some rocket launchers behind the console seat???

At this point, I'm pretty happy with the Gemma Rose II. Of course the final verdict is a least a season, if not a few, away. However, if you have any questions just give me a shout.