I generally tend to sway away from products that make use of adjectives such as, Super, Extreme (I’m talking to you Gatorade Extreme Mango), Intense, Ultimate (I’m not speaking about you Ultimate Publix Sub), or whatever corny title you care to insert.
This however is not the case with the Titanium Tuff “Paradise Popper” X-treme (TTPPX). Name aside, it’s hands down the best popping cork I’ve ever used. Not only is it durable, but it is also well designed. The top of the cork is concave, which gives it a distinct noise and splash whenever you “pop” it. As its title suggest, it is made with titanium and is tuff. I can attest to both of these being true. Other corks similarly designed can have problems with the wire construction of the product, which is for all intents and purposes, the “backbone” of the cork. The problems arise when the wire is bent either by fish or fisherman. Many of them become bent and don’t retain their original shape, which leaves you with a cockeyed cork. This is not an issue with the TTPPX, due to the Titanium wire which prevents the cork from becoming misshapen.
One absolutely pivotal person in the development in my love for fishing and the outdoors growing up was my older brother Mark. His reconditioned thirteen and a half foot Boston Whaler from the 1960’s carried us to numerous local tournament wins and his tackle box was always open for business. We fished, we laughed, and we share the same last name.
Now that a we are most of the way through the holiday season, and tons of good money has already been spent on bad gifts and good booze, what are we going to do to save money, and get those donkey kong credit cards off of our backs so we can get back to fishing come the new year? Well since I figure myself at least 12% smart and around 9% a good writer I’m going to tell you, or at very least give you a few good suggestions whether I’m going to actually follow them or not.
One thing is certain. Water makes its way into a boat much quicker than it makes its way out. There comes a point when your electrical bilge pump (Attwood, Wal-Mart $36.99) and your manual bilge pump (a dude with a top cut off Gatorade bottle and a cig hanging out of his mouth) just can’t keep up with the incoming water. Pulling the plugs and getting on plane every 20 to 30 minutes can be, at best, a pain in the ass and at worst, an impossibility (if you are in a shallow creek nearing low tide). This is why it is imperative to not have holes in your vessel, be it big or small. While this is undoubtedly first day shit for anyone who’s even glimpsed a boat from afar, it nevertheless remains true. Read more..
