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Behold, the Land Hatteras
There's a subculture of fishermen who not only don't like to trailer, but eschew the idea of boats altogether: mobile surfcasters. They do all their fishing from the beach, and they rig their trucks with enough angling equipment and amenities to rival an offshore battlewagon. Deep down, they'd rather be on the water, where the fish are, which is why a fully decked-out beach cruiser is known as a Land Hatteras.
We can't see why anyone would want to sit on the beach when all the action is beyond the breakers. But for those of you who are thinking of giving it a try, here are some of the things you'll need to turn your pickup into a sportfisherman.
- Most beach anglers drop in a Lance Camper (www.lancecamcamper.com). Prices from $10,000 to $30,000.
- Dual batteries let you run all your extras without burning out the alternator so that you're able to get home.
- Power take-off air compressor. If you must, opt for a weaker12VDC version.
- The widest possible tires that will fit on your rims.
- The lowest axle ratio available for your model.
- Skid plates to keep rocks, beach debris, salt, and sand off the chassis.
- Fiberglass fender flares, which don't rust and are easier to rinse.
- Rhino Lining or any equivalent spray-on or drop-in liner to protect the truck's bed.
- A winch mounted on the front with 3,500' wire-cable capacity to pull you or others out of trouble.
- Low intensity fog lights. Bright lights spook fish when night fishing in the surf.
- Fender-mounted cooler rack with rodholders.
- 12VDC aerator to turn a cooler into a baitwell.
- Overhead rodrack installed inside truck bed cap.
- Horizontal rodracks on the outside.
- 12VDC coffeemaker-critical for staying awake.
