Keeeping It SIMPLE

Mark, I like your style. I always take my sonar with me out in the salt and on lakes (mainly to determine depth and see the bottom structure), but don't bring it with me on rivers, tidal creeks, or estuaries, where it is just useless ballast. Maybe I'd need it for locating sturgeon holes on the Big C, if I ever got around to that.

I leave my marine radio and flares, etc. at home for trips on the creeks, estuaries, lakes and most rivers, too, although I wouldn't head out on the ocean, Strait, or the Sound without 'em. For the creeks and rivers, I bring along one extra thermal top in my dry bag (and an extra stocking cap when its cold out), in case i fall in.

 I make good use of my anchor system fishing from my Ultimate 12 in the lakes, rivers, estuaries and creeks, but haven't ever anchored out in the salt (along the jetty here) on my SOT. In fact, I quit taking an anchor with me on the SOT, since I have never felt the need or desire to use it. I drift and jig, drift and cast, or troll.

Outfitting and rigging for a fishing trip out on the ocean is very different from rigging and outfitting for a fishing smaller inland waters, in terms of what safety gear is necessary.

This was my fishing fix for the day. Now, I've got to go to work 

Good thread. I do tend to over-gear. One thing I have found is a reasonable replacement for a ff is the navionics iphone chart app. Its alot lighter than my humminbird device+battery!

Flip side of the coin is...i kinda like futzing around in the garage with my fishing gear. Finding new and efficient ways to rig is alot of fun.