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Ta-Who? Half the time this is the typical response I seem to get when I mention the Tohatsu line of motors to a customer looking to repower. Just because you may not have heard of them before or seen an advertisement for them on your Saturday morning fishing programs doesn't mean that they aren't one of the big dogs in the outboard game. In fact they are one of the larger manufacturers and make quite a few motors for some of the other outboard manufacturers in the industry. With all of the Tohatsu outboards that we sell, and we sell a lot of them, the MFS40AETL and the MFS50AETL would have to be the most popular models. Heres why.

Fall means a lot of different things for the people here in Michigan, but for Michigan anglers it really only means one thing. They finally get to fish the annual Salmon and Steelhead push as they make their way up our many streams and rivers. To be successful landing these powerful fish not only takes skill but a special set of tools. One of the most important pieces of equipment needed by river anglers would be a flat bottom stacked with a two or four stroke jet drive outboard.  Vans Sport Center is a certified dealer for all of the top brand names in the marine industry, we know our jets and what river fisherman demand in a shallow water outboard.

For many boaters in the northern states, Labor Day weekend marks the last big hurrah of their boating season before it is time to pull the boat out of the water for the winter months.  Shortly after the holiday weekend schedules get busy, the kids will be back in school, and that north wind starts blowing cold air from the Arctic. But wait a minute. Just because Labor Day basically marks the end of summer that doesn't mean that your boating season has to come to an end too.

When helping customers pick out their next outboard motor whether it be new or used, one common question we ask is what style control box do they need? This information is important in terms of pricing and installation for rigging the most practical control box for your set up. Since every outboard manufacturer makes a handful of different style control boxes, knowing what style control is on the boat or what options you can go with is going to make purchasing a new motor a whole lot easier and less stressful. In this article I will run down the different styles and what kind of boats they are typically found on. 

Buying the right saw to fit your cutting needs really isn't that hard if you have any slight bit of experience with a chainsaw, but if your new to the game you probably have no clue where to start. Determining the right size for what you are typically going to be cutting is a big deal. You don't want to go too small and not have enough saw to get the job done but you also don't want to go too big and muscle around more saw than you need. When looking at chainsaws the size and guide bar length directly determines the type of jobs you can do with that particular saw. So basically, the chainsaw size will determine the largest object it can cut in a single pass.

In Michigan you are never farther than 6 miles from a lake, river, or stream which means if you are a boater or fisherman, you don't have to travel far to find a body of water to enjoy. Our state is fortunate to be surrounded by four of the Great Lakes, thousands of inland lakes, and countless miles of winding rivers and streams that support recreational and fishing opportunities. Basically our state is perfect for activities focused around water and whether your a avid boater or not, you really should take full advantage of our fresh water paradise before summer is over.

Auxiliary motors or kicker motors as they are commonly called, are used for a few different reasons. Fisherman typically use a kicker instead of their main motor when they want to troll for fish at slower speeds while boaters with larger rigs who run farther offshore like to have them as a back up in case their primary motor dies on them. Either way, having a secondary motor is a popular option for a lot of different types of boaters so here are some things to take into consideration when choosing your next kicker.

With Memorial Day weekend in a few days and the fourth of July not too far behind, I feel that reminding everyone of proper boat ramp etiquette is important. There is no doubt that the launches will be packed with boaters, ranging from the seasoned experts to the noobs or novice first year boaters. For things to run smoothly at crowded boat launches there is a certain set of rules that need to be followed by everyone. If you are an inexperienced boater just learning the ropes, I would recommend giving this article a look to familiarize yourself with the do's and don'ts while launching your boat at a busy public ramp.