Should I Buy A Pellet Grill?

From multiple cooking styles and different food types, to various temps and techniques, pellet grills are here to stay.

Pictured:

Traeger 885 Ironwood

Long-handled Tongs

Pellet grills have gone mainstream; from something that sounded experimental only a few years ago, to a fully featured, well-seasoned backbone of the BBQ grill market.  They’ve been around for decades, though their popularity is not really anything I saw coming, or even something I fully supported.  I’m kind of a traditionalist when it comes to cooking, at least when I have the time to be.  Yet at the same time, if it produces good food, especially with less input or fuss, I’m all about it.  The same has held true for sous vide cooking or even newer techniques like reverse searing.  If we can do it better, easier, faster, or all of the above, without sacrificing taste, or even improving it, why not?

Being an avid hunter and angler, I have ample opportunity and interest in all forms of cooking.  From smoked turkey, to seared venison chops, and slow-roasting cedar-planked salmon, I want a grill to do it all.  That comes from someone who owns or has owned a laundry list of charcoal and gas grills, vertical propane smokers, chimney-style bullet electric and charcoal smokers, and even a Kamado style cooker. 

Extra room wasa big selling point for my Traeger 885 Ironwood - and it’s not even pictured with the extra rack that would hold a few more racks of ribs.

I’ve always been in search of versatility in terms of techniques and temperatures, no matter the fuel source, and no matter what I’ve tried, it seems like most versions of grills tend to do one or two things quite well, while being woefully inadequate in other areas.  For example, I really fell in love with a cheapie vertical cabinet-style smoker I had a few years ago.  It was propane, had tons of control, and it produced some really great results.  Ultimately, it lasted only two seasons before rusting out at the bottom, and could not be used for anything other than smoking really. 

Surely a Kamado style cooker would produce better results, so I dropped nearly $2k for the biggest and baddest, complete with a wooden roller cabinet to support its massive weight.  I treated that wood with the most expensive stain and poly combination I could find, covered it religiously, and still found a way to rot out the cabinet, and grow fuzz on the inside of the grill itself.  If it rains where you live, or worse, snows, then gets hot in the summer, a Kamado style grill might not be for you.  It seared well, smoked fairly well, and did fine in terms of roasting, but without a temp/fan controller, really required some babying.  Building and maintaining fires in them was a laborious process, and not to mention messy.  I’m all for that style of cooking, when I have the time, but woefully disdain it when I do not.

Fish can be a tough grill chore if heating isn’t consistent or runs too hot.

It was about that time, I hired someone to build a new table for my Kamado, and got myself a pellet grill – the Traeger Ironwood 885.  Again, with versatility in mind, I was interested in the size, multiple racks, temperature range, super-smoke mode, and especially, the ease of use.  I’ve got a gas grill too (the deck is getting full), and see my Traeger in a similar light.  Both are easy to use, require similar pre-heat, and are supplied by a readily available fuel source.  Propane is easier to find, but I’ve got Traeger pellets at the local hardware store, big boxes, and outdoors stores too, so it’s a push for where I live.

The similarities stop there, and I’ve grown to really love my pellet grill.  I get a solid “smoky” flavor and low temps when I want it, searing and high temps when I need it, and everything in between when I’m cooking chicken, fish, vegetables, and a host of other items, like desserts.  I can choose from a variety of smoke flavors, simply by adding different pellets, and I can perform more complex cooks, more easily.  For example, if I want to slow smoke ribs, then wrap and crank the heat to push the cook along, then unwrap and sauce at a slightly lower temp, I can do all of the above with the push of a few buttons.   

The Traeger App allows you to search a recipe and enact it on your grill - complete with controls for heat, timing, and meat probe alerts. Best of all, you can monitor your fuel and switch it to “keep warm” so the food fits your schedule.

Better yet, I can do all of that and more from my phone.  These days, I visit the grill to get it going, and come back to it when finished.  Occasionally, I’ll check it out mid-cook for a spray, slather, or sauce, but the onboard temp probe gets put in the meat at the start, and I monitor internal temp from there.  Recipe guides from the control app can be sent straight to the grill, complete with instructions, timing regulation, and alerts on my phone.  While I enjoy some of the tinkering and going off on my own, I realize that most people do not.  They want repeatable results and max ease of use.  I can’t think of an easier way to grill. 

There’s a few drawbacks, like the occasional need to remove ash via shop vac, and maybe some general grate scraping and foil shield replacing.  All of which is as easy as the gas grill maintenance and way easier than any wood or charcoal grill I’ve owned.  Ultra greasy grill-offs should be monitored, as I had one flare up when I didn’t keep the grease drain free from obstruction.  My fault on that one, but lesson learned, and the grill was smart enough to shut itself down after it detected the fire.  Still, I’ve had grease fires on gas grills and wood-fired grills too, so it’s been pretty rock-solid.  I’ve gone through a few bags of pellets, but fuel is fuel – grill, smoke, or roast a lot of food, and you’re going to go through it.  It’s slightly more expensive to fuel than propane, but with a load of flavor, so again, I’m not against paying a bit more for a quality result.

In App controls are reflected on the base unit, so you can monitor from afar or up close.

For that reason and others above, it’s become my go-to for about everything I cook, and I continue to find new ways to incorporate it into everyday cooking.  Grilling used to be for weekends, but I’ve done some really great mid-week meals that don’t heat up the house and are a blast to do.  The more I use it, the better I learn to make use of it for the varied styles and recipes it excels at.  For just about every task, including pizza-making, it does better than the other grills in my stable.

Over the long-haul, I expect it to phase out my other grills for all but a very few specialized tasks.  Even then, knowing what I know now, it would definitely be the one grill to replace them all had I only room for one.  I’m excited to own it for years to come, and look forward to sharing more I learn along the way.

Underwater Viewing - The Camera 1 - 2 Punch

Cameras are a key part of Tony Roach’s strategy for jumbo perch.

We’ve lived in a world with underwater cameras for several years now, and though technology has raced forward, the basic video feed of a swimming fish can captivate and inform nearly any angler.  As cameras have become lighter, smaller, and more crisp, new advancements in sonar, live-imaging, and side-scanning have entered the fray as well.  All of which makes for some tough decisions when budgeting for how best we can fool a fish.

Tony Roach is no stranger to that game, as he fishes across northern Minnesota each winter, doing his best to put clients continuously on panfish, perch, and walleyes.  It should come as no surprise then that underwater cameras are a key part of his strategy, and have been since their inception.  His camera approach mimics his now-famous “ice-trolling” concept of roaming select structural elements while drilling holes continuously, in an effort to both locate fish and stay on them.  Few have drilled as many holes in the ice as Tony, and fewer yet have followed that up with as much underwater viewing as he has either. 

The upshot is a 1-2 punch of underwater viewing that focuses on two main parts; the finding, and then catching, each of which utilizes different strong-suits of cameras vs. traditional sonar or even newer live-imaging devices. 

Finding

Perhaps the most crucial portion is finding them, and cameras accomplish that goal in a variety of ways.  The most obvious one, seeing a fish, shouldn’t be understated, as other means of finding fish rarely reveal speciation.  Many an angler has chased suckers while thinking a walleye was the belly-to-bottom target they saw on the graph.  Tony says, “We take out the camera when something isn’t adding up on sonar, and also just when we’re searching down a break.” 

Certain species like perch, are curious and actually drawn to the camera.  “We’re looking for the better jumbos, and even though the graph can be full, we drop cameras to stay on big fish,” says Roach.  He recalls a recent trip to Winnie where perch were everywhere, but better fish were tough to stay on.  Tony says, “There was a blizzard of perch down there, and we talked to other anglers that didn’t do well because they couldn’t tell the difference from small perch to good ones on their graph.  We just drilled until the camera revealed more jumbos.” 

Tony uses a camera for other scouting purposes too, especially for panfish.  “Standing green cabbage will always be great places to look for gills, but it’s hard to determine cabbage from other less desirable lake weeds without a camera,” says Roach.  These can be shallower locations too, where the sonar cone angle means a relatively small footprint on the lake bottom.  Translated, that means cameras can cover more area, especially when the water is clear.  “You can pick up on the structure and condition of the weeds too,” continues Roach, noting that pockets, points, and inside turns in a healthy weedbed are hard to detect in any other way.

Tools of choice for the finding game include lightweight, pocket-sized screens with equally small ducers.  “It’s just easier to jump hole to hole with these models vs. the larger lunch-box style versions,” says Tony.  I’d agree, in saying that the best underwater camera is one you’ll use.  Smaller versions are easier to deploy, so even if the screens aren’t huge, you’re much more likely to use them when searching for schools of fish across larger areas. 

Catching

Of course, catching more fish is the primary reason anyone buys an underwater cameras to begin with, but there’s a pile of ways you can extend that idea.  At face value, simply seeing a fish inhale your bait gives you a distinct advantage, but this is especially true on tough bites.  I recall a bite on Devil’s Lake where perch were thick, but would only eat when a live minnow was set on bottom, made to struggle against the weight of the jig that secured him.  Perch would nose down, stare, and eventually pin the minnow to bottom, leaving the angler without a camera non-the-wiser to any perch’s presence. 

Tony notes similar experiences with perch, “They’re the fish you love to hate – they can rise to a bait so quickly, like they’re going to crush it, and yet sometimes you can barely see or feel the bite.”  Whether targeting finicky perch or other species, Roach is quick to admit that cameras make him a better angler.  “Just having one down allows me to study how the fish are biting, and that can change from one hour to the next, or one area to another,” says Tony.  “Sometimes we ‘sort’ by only allowing larger fish to eat the jig, and other times we’re using the camera to see what jigging technique will trigger them, it’s an invaluable tool.”

I’ve also noticed how well an underwater camera can train your jigging stroke.  I heard Clam-Pro and guide Jason Durham speak about unnatural jigging motions by saying, “you’d look at a hamburger suspiciously if it suddenly jumped to the ceiling too.”  I think underwater viewing can certainly prevent and inform that, as any new lure I test comes under close visual scrutiny with the camera.  It’s helped unlock key twitches, stops, and swings to popular lures that have always done well for me, making them even better when a fish comes into frame.

Here’s where you can look towards a larger screen camera model, whether lure-training or trying to trick a bluegill.  Camera screen size is really the premium when it comes to stationary viewing, and new HD models are great for the wheelhouse too.  For select units, HDMI cables can transfer a true-HD signal to TV units in the house, such that picture quality is preserved instead of stretched and blown out when taking it to the big screen.  All of which could be argued is more entertainment than educational, but we’ve all grown tired of pixelated views of either photos or video, such that what you get from the experience can be limited.        

Whatever your model of choice, I don’t see underwater cameras going away anytime soon.  They provide the most cost effective way to get a fish’s-eye view of the underwater world, and capitalize on images that only the human eye can interpret.  Learn to use them for both finding AND catching, and you’ll soon consider them just as important as your flasher. 

Choosing the Right Ice Fishing Sled

What are you pulling? Different designs serve different purposes on ice.

Pictured - The Otter Sport Sled - a perfect hand-tow model.

Ever thought about the best sled for hauling your gear onto the ice?  If you’re like most people, it’s not a strong consideration, at least until it’s spills over at the launch, runs into the back of your ATV, or weighs you down when pulling it through snow.  It’s a gear category that most of us really take for granted, even after disaster strikes, as most of us tend to make due with whatever we have.  Like many things, I’ve learned the hard way that not all sleds are created equal, and depending on how you’ll be using it, some features lend themselves to success better than others.

The Cheapie

I’ve towed ice gear in everything from red plastic kids sleds to drywall mud mixing utility tubs.  The chief upside is price and availability.  Chances are, you’ve got one laying around, and if you’re pulling by hand over fairly even terrain and little snow, it may serve your purposes just fine.  Downsides are plenty however, from the way they pull over deep snow (plowing through or floating unevenly across the top), to how well they secure your gear inside.  No slopes, no high speeds or with machines, and no expensive gear should be some basic rules of the road with these sleds.  They’re the first to disintegrate, quickest to frustrate, and fastest to end up back in the garage from my experience.  If you ice fish or winter recreate even only a few times per season, you can probably do better.

The Hand Tow

In terms of price, you’re looking at a sled that’s mid-range.  They tend to be large, but not overly so, as the poly rope that’s typically attached is meant to be hand-pulled in a variety of conditions.  The sled is heavier duty, but again, not to the point of feeling overweight, as the main goal of these sleds is for foot traffic and transport.  You want higher sides if possible, along with a good lip at the edge all around, such that you can use bungee straps or other means to secure a load over the rough stuff. 

I’m in the camp that everyone should own at least one of these kinds of sleds, for a variety of reasons, including the off-season.  These sleds are almost always under 100 bucks, and can haul over dry land and snow just the same.  The angle of attack on the front of them allows for better towing in deep snow, and good grooves running the length of them help it to track straight behind you as well.  They’ll float a deer across a small river, and haul landscaping plants around the yard.   

You may wish to upgrade the rope to something that feels a bit better to bare hands, and also make it longer.  Easier yet, a strap system that secures around your waist, paired with that longer lead makes pulling a breeze over longer distances.  There’s a million uses, but these improvements apply pretty well to most applications.

The Machine Tow

If you haul gear around the ice by snowmobile or ATV, the sled you need is entirely different than the first two mentioned.  Higher speeds, more torque and tension, along with the temptation to tow heavier items requires something made specifically for the job.  For that reason, roto-molded is the only way to go.  It’ll cost you more money, but the investment ensures even thickness of the sled throughout, especially in corners, angles, and pockets where it counts.  Most other sleds are thinner and weaker in these locations.  The manufacturing procedure adds some weight, but when behind a machine, you won’t notice it, yet have the durability advantage for your efforts.

Next you need to think about how you’ll be attaching the sled to your machine of choice.  Again, my opinion is fairly strong in saying you need a rigid hitch system.  Long ropes are great until you stop suddenly or are on glare ice, in which case your gear quickly becomes a projectile that slams into the back of your machine, or catches and edge and flips over.  Rigid steel bar hitch systems completely prevent that and are the premium option for towing.  Make sure you’re using an appropriately sized pin and key that adequately secures said hitch to the machine, as looking for pins in the snow is the worst.

Equally important is how the hitch system attaches to the sled.  Bolt through options, though common, put too much pressure on small areas of the sled, often resulting in failure.  A better design is the hitch-pocket system, molded into the sled, that utilizes a pin pushed through the sled, hitch, then sled again.  Pressure is distributed evenly throughout the front of the sled, rather than at two individual points, making it far more durable and trustworthy. 

From here, you can consider hyfax runners that wear out before the bottom of your sled will.  If you go over gravel, concrete, or any rough patches with regularity, these pay for themselves in time.  So too do travel covers that secure the load inside of the sled, keeping it relatively snow free and dry while you pull.  If you’re not worried about it floating, I drill a single small hole in each of the small longitudinal wells in the sled at the back end.  This allows any water that was trapped inside to escape in my garage by simply propping up the front of the sled slightly. 

Choose a purpose-driven sled this winter, and enjoy the benefits no matter how you fish or recreate.  Especially if you’ve purchased some nicer ice gear over the years, consider it an investment in the whole setup. 

Online Fishing Tourneys - The Future of Competitive Angling?

Online organized tourneys like Shack Slam have plenty of advantages over traditional formats. Click here for more information - https://catchcover.com/shackslam/

Whether you’ve ever fished an actual tournament, or have casually followed the many series of events that happen nationwide, chances are your own fishing has been dramatically impacted.  Traditionally, fishing tournaments have been a way for the best and boldest anglers to showcase their talents, all while under pressure posed by everything from fellow anglers to ma nature.  The result has been an incredible string of product innovation that follows in its wake, born from incentive and driven need to outcompete.  Of course, fishing tournaments can be smaller club or less serious affairs, providing anglers another excuse to hit the water and get better.  They exist for almost all species in a variety of formats, from kayak-only, to catch and weigh, all the way to ice events that dot the hardwater landscape. 

With the act of catching a fish being so…well…hands-on, it’s tough to imagine bass-slinging or walleye-netting that’s online.  Yet, web or app format tournaments are gaining popularity for their simplicity, among other things, mostly in the way that they organize tournament proceedings and bring people together.  Darren Amundson, founder of FishDonkey – an app-based automated tournament software – discussed with me some of the reasons for this surge in online tournament growth.

An online tournament works like this says Amundson, “A tournament organizer works within an app to roster anglers, manage entry fees (if any), and determine tournament logistics.  From there, anglers connect via a smartphone, and manually photo and video each catch to verify length.  Catch statistics are entered on the water, and managed within the software to give all anglers a sorted, running tally of real-time results.  If there’s no cell connectivity, catch information is collected and stored in-app to be sorted later.”  The process sounds simple, but there are other benefits to running a tech-based tourney.    

Amundson started their app in response to some negative bass tournament press they learned about in Austin, TX.  “The equivalent of Texas’ DNR did some studies on catch and immediate release vs. catch and weigh bass tournaments to find nearly zero mortality in those quick release versions.  The same wasn’t true for fish that were put in a livewell, driven around the lake, weighed both in the boat and off, then released later.”  From experience, there are plenty of species in warm water like walleyes, that simply aren’t able to be released after a traditional weigh-in.

Amundson continues, “While there are other catch, measure, and release formats, an online tournament can take place on a number of water-bodies, over any length of time the organizer chooses.”  Spreading the pressure then over time and space then, definitely impacts individual resources to a lesser degree, which is something that tournament critics have long been concerned with. 

Online tournaments also give anyone the opportunity to organize and carry out a fishing competition, provided local and state guidelines are still followed.  “That usually involves that spreading out of opportunity, holding a tournament over a broad area over a longer length of time,” says Amundson.  A group of buddies can hold their own event and use software to sort and compare catch real-time.  “We track weather, news, stock prices, and everything else via our smart-phones,” mentions Amundson, “it only makes sense to use the technology to allow competition in a smarter, more responsible way.”

However, tournament cheating is a problem as old as the sport, and web-based tournaments are not immune to deceit.  For that reason, most online based tourneys require in-app photos and video.  “If they alter the photo, or measure the same fish twice, the tournament organizer is notified immediately.  No outside images or video is allowed to interface,” says Amundson.         

For organizers and anglers who spend large amounts of time and money on day-of logistics, online tournaments are a way to fish competitively with less costs.  There are even ad-supported means of funding prizes, and fishing companies may grow to value the content derived from it.  “At the end of the day, partner companies get photos of real people enjoying their time on the water, which may be of interest in fueling social media content for brands that participate,” mentions Amundson.

It’s a whole new world out there, and each year sees new events, series, and formats run the rollercoaster of tournament popularity.  To me, real-time tracking and organizing, along with the ability to compete with anglers across the country over less-restrictive times and areas sounds interesting.  Whether it will replace traditional formats remains to be seen, as huge bass fishing events are more popular, yet volatile, than ever.  Still, as the tech improves, I see this being a way for anyone to hold a tournament or compete in one, all while giving anglers the choice to harvest or release within the bounds of existing fish and game regulations.  Surely, that flexibility will garner more attention from more interested anglers. 

Can One Camper or Fish-House Do It All? - 4-Season Buying Guide

A few years ago I took the plunge and decided to invest in an ice-house.  More specifically, a wheelhouse that could be taken onto and off-of any lake I decided to fish, for any amount of time I wished to stay.  At the time, ice-fishing was to be its primary use.  To date however, I’ve used it for family camping trips, trout scouting, turkey adventures, hunting-land reconnaissance, and yes, definitely ice fishing.  It’s even served as overflow sleeping for visitors when beds are full.  While I knew I’d use it for more than just fishing, I guess I was a little unclear as to the details.  Even though I did my research, I look back at how unprepared I was and what I know now.  Here’s what I wish I knew then, and how to get the most out of a 4-season fish house.

Versatility

As much as you may think this is your fish-house first, it’s hard to justify the price of a modern wheelhouse on a Midwestern ice calendar.  I’m not selling the wheelhouse short on its ice convenience, as its taken my family fishing to a new level, but even better if you can use it for all seasons.  As anglers, hunters, and campers, we tend to view our interests seasonally, and give disproportional credence to the immediate needs of that calendar month.  For example, ask me in May about ice-fishing, and I’ll find a way to turn it into a turkey hunting story. 

What does that mean for your wheelhouse purchase?  It means you need to train your brain to think on the year-round clock.  While it may be an ice purchase, modern wheelhouses are very much a 4-season RV, meaning you have to plan for spring, summer, and fall as much as you do winter.  With that in mind, make sure your wheelhouse is RVIA certified, which simply means it complies with RV safety standards adopted by law, and also means it jives with their liability insurance.  State parks and most private campgrounds require it, as I found out at a private campground full of massive RV’s and 5th-wheel luxury trailers.  As nice as my wheelhouse is, they looked down their nose a bit at our “fish-house.”  That certification eased their concerns and made our stay easy.

As I’ve come to find, it’s easier to fish out of a camper than camp out of a fish-house.  By that I mean it’s easier to swallow any slight fishing inconveniences for 3 months, than it is to do without for 9 months.  Of course, if you don’t camp, hunt, or otherwise plan to make use of it for any other reason than fishing, by all means deck it out as a fishing-only wheelhouse.  That said, before ownership, I would’ve said my priorities would be 75%/25% fishing over all other seasons, and now I’m 50/50 or even closer to opposite to what I thought when first buying.  Keep in mind that your motivating factors may change as well.

Features to Consider

Length and configuration are probably the first fork in the road, so think on this with some detail.  Longer is obviously more expensive and heavier, but also offers you the space you’ll likely want when camping with a family or hunting buddies.  That said, I own a 21 footer, and when hooked to my truck, the whole works is pretty long.  That doesn’t work very well in certain state parks, or even some northwoods campgrounds in tight quarters.  Many campsites are modeled for single-unit RVs, and while you can usually find a way to unhook the wheelhouse and back the truck in elsewhere, keep it in mind if you’re looking at a longer model and want to camp in more secluded places. 

Over 16 feet or so, and you’re probably looking at a hydraulic lift/drop system.  For ice and camping alike, this is a very worthwhile addition.  Make sure that the tongue has a hydraulic cylinder as well, so you can backup to it and easily hitch up, as well as drop and unhitch quickly too.  Mine runs on a key fob and is as easy as locking or unlocking your truck.

A big configuration concern is whether to go with a drop-down back door, or seal off that back end and add windows and a couch.  I’ve ran with both options, and this one really comes down to how much you’ll actually be towing an ATV or snowmobile in that toy-hauler back end.  Because I own an ATV, and it can go in ramps up on the truck, I can honestly say that I don’t miss my toy-hauler version save a few large ice-trips where it would be nice to take another sled or perhaps a UTV.  To each their own, but I have personally found the more roomy back end and a couch on that end wall to mean more space for fishing and camping.

Water and bathroom are another early consideration with any wheelhouse you’ll buy.  A few years in on my end, and I still don’t have a perfect answer.  So far, we’ve camped in places that all have good shower facilities, and bathrooms are readily available.  More off-grid stuff, and the shower/toilet combo would be a no-brainer.  For me, water is really nice to have, and makes your fish-house much more like a camper.  In the private campgrounds we’ve been to, full-time water hookups pressurize the system, and especially when paired with an on-site sewer drain, the system is ultra convenient. 

Keep in mind, most state parks do not have water hookups or sewer at the campsite.  Some don’t have power either, though many do.  At which point, you’re filling a small water tank and filling a grey-water/black-water tank that needs to be emptied at some point.  If I was looking at camping primarily at state parks, I personally would not opt for a bathroom and water hookup in my fish-house, and just make use of the on-site facilities.  You’ll save money and the hassle of having to maintain the system.  That said, if you’re like me and doing a mixture of off-grid hunting, private/public campgrounds, and ice-fishing, water and bathroom is worth its weight. 

You could always go with the portable dry toilet systems too and forgo the water AND bathroom.  They’ve come a long way in terms of both cost and convenience.  You can also shrink your bathroom into just a closet and have more storage and shelving for the rest of the house.  My dealer tells me that interest in either is still split, and he sells about 50/50 between bathroom and water vs. none.

Once You Buy

Now that I’m an owner, I’m realizing that planning and organization is everything.  Effectively, my Yetti has two-seasons, fishing, and everything else.  Early on, I pre-measured most holds in the fish-house, and found small tubs and organizers that fit into each compartment.  I’ve got a set for ice and a set for camping.  Moving day in the spring involves getting all of the fishing tubs and baskets out of the fish-house and into the garage, while moving the camping organizers inside.  Rod holders and other fishing paraphernalia comes off the wall, and the water system is hooked up to a hose and purged of winter anti-freeze.  The reverse happens each fall as I prepare for the fishing season. 

You’ll find that no solution is bullet-proof, and you often sacrifice either convenience or money to find what works best for you.  Still, purchasing with versatility in mind, while organizing everything down to winter vs. all other seasons has truly made our fish-house a full season camper.