huskertko

Yeah, he got me today. I went to Cabelas just to look at Depth finders and accessories.....walked out with a Eagle Fishmark 480, ordered a mount for it that will be in sometime this week which means I will have to go back and pick it up, which means buying even more stuff that is not entirely needed right now. Evil little

Cabelas has units that start at $199 and go up to Over $900. I have the Arrow Backpack one that I think I spent less than $250 for.

I tried an inflatable boat and hated it. Then I bought a single person pontoon/kickboat and love it. Very manuverable, lightweight and very stable. I use scuba fins to propel myself for the most part but they come with oars as well. I transport mine on top of my mitz galant just using tie downs and have no problem, but they are pretty easy to assemble if you wanted to take it apart and reassemble each time. You can really trick them out if you want, there are people who have TM, livewells, rod holders and electronics on board, in fact I just bought a depth finder today for mine. Here are a couple of links to some clubs that are float tube/kickboat exclusive and they really have some tricked out boats. www.scbbbc.com or www.bass-n-tubes.com

I am going to get a D/F for my kickboat so I don't need something with speed indication or all the bells and whistles, what I want is a good reliable unit. I have narrowed my choices down to the Lowrance x86 and the Eagle 320, does anyone have any input on which one may be a better choice? I have seen a couple of folks here say they have had good luck with the Eagle unit so I am leaning that way, but it seems that Lowrance has a pretty good reputation as well. Also does anyone have any input on the transducers that mount via a suction cup, again keeping in mind that my mode of propulsion is with oars or kick fins so I am not worried about it coming off at high speeds.

My suggestion, and what I usually do with GC's is buy something that I either wouldn't buy with my own money or buy something that I felt was too expensive to buy with my own money. The GC is free money, so use it for something that you wouldn't normally buy.

Dicks Sporting Goods is starting to carry them but you almost need to be there when the unload the truck. I talked to a salesperson today and they had to put a 10 lure limit on them because guys were coming in buying 20-30 of them at a shot and selling them on EBAY for $20-$30 each.

I just bought a smaller version, a single person one and so far I love it. This is the one I bought,http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0035752318813a&navCount=1&podId=0035752&parentId=cat360011&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat20431&catalogCode=UF&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat360011&hasJS=true. As far as gear storage, mine has a small platform on the back that i can put a small tacklebox or cooler or both. It also has two fairly decent sized pockets on the side for smaller items. I am getting ready to get a depth finder for it and rod holders so i can better store the extra rods. Here is a couple of links to clubs that exclusively use the kickboats, and they have them pretty decked out, www.scbbbc.com or www.bass-n-tubes.com. These boats may not be the best at covering a lot of water but the upside is you will work over a section of water much more thoroughly since you can't just run to another section. Another upside in my opinion is the fact that you can't take a lot of tackle, it will force you to become better with what you have. It will again force you to really give a lure a chance before changing it out.

I am, however I am not sure I will renew it when it comes due. I just don't fish tournaments and I feel that I can get just as good if not better information about fishing from this website, so I am not sure I really see the benefit to paying to be a member of BASS.

Thinking about going out today, but need suggestions. We have had cool rainy temps for the last week, over 3 inches of rain in the last week. The water temps were mid to upper 60's, but we have had a cool front come through. I have a case of paralysis by analysis. Anyone with some suggestions as to what to try today?

I am not a good jig angler...yet, but I am taking the approach that Woo Daves teaches for fishing a plastic worm. Learn what the lure feels like when there is no fish on it, which is most of the time, if it feels different than that feeling set the hook. He made a comment that too many people want to learn what it should feel like when the fish has taken the bait, but in reality, that sensation is only a couple casts out of hundreds a day. If you know what the lure feels like when there isn't a fish, when it doens't feel like that anymore, there probably a fish on the hook.

I actually used this method last weekend. I was fishing a wacky rigged senko and got distracted for a couple of minutes, I lifted the slack line and there was a 3+ lber on the other end with a really deep hook. The method worked like a charm.

I have been wanting to get off the bank and get out on the water for some time now, so I broke down and bought a kickboat last night and took it on the water today. I have to say this may have been the best investment, fishing wise, I have ever made. After getting it put together and inflated I headed to the lake on a beautiful day, very light wind and bright sunshine, so I was ready for a tough fishing day. After getting to the lake and realizing I left my oars at home, :-[ I was glad I had purchased swim fins. It took me awhile to get the hang of controling the boat with the fins, and I am still learning it, but after about 2 hours of really not getting a bite, I stumbled on a pattern. I was throwing a wacky rigged senko about 30 yrds off a swimming beach and caught 5 fish in a matter of about 20 minutes, the largest being 3+. I had my scale but the fish was hooked pretty deep so after getting the hook out, I didn't want to keep it out of the water any longer to weigh it. Overall the kickboat really is a great inexpensive way to get off the bank and do some fishing out in do "new " water. My next purchase is some electronics for the boat to "see" what I am actually fishing in.

Hopefully tonight the fishing from the bank issue will be resolved. I am going to Cabelas to get a pontoon/kickboat so maybe I can get out to some of the better areas.

Went to another lake, Shawnee Mission, last night and still a lot of small ones. I caught 3-4 on a wacky rigged senko, and another on a trick work on a spot remover, but all were less than 10". I saw a couple small ones guarding what probably were beds but I couldn't coax them into hitting anything, they were very curious but stared the bait down, but then ignored it.

Cool, thanks.

So, if water temps are in the mid 60's I should be good to go.

What should the water temp be before I start using topwaters, like frogs, spooks, etc?

I didn't check Kill Creek last night, but Shawnee Mission was 68 yesterday about 1 PM.

Thanks. I have been throwing a lipless crank the majority of the itme lately. Fishing from shore is kinda limiting me now, but very soon I think I am going to get a kickboat so i can get out to the larger fish.

I don't know what the problem is all I am I catching are dinks. I mean the lures I am using are almost bigger than the fish. Saturday, I caught two fish on an X-Rap and the lure was 3/4 the length of the fish. Last night I had three fish throw the hook fight before I landed them, i thought it was because of poor hook ups, but when i saw the fish, I realized that is was becase the fish was so small it couldn't evne get the hook in its mouth. Could it still be too early for the bigger fish to have move into the areas I am fishing? Or am I just simply catching small fish? The water temp is probably mid 50's, my cheap pool thermometer says about 65 but I don't think I really trust it.

I find myself using power fishing techniques a lot more than I should be, even when the conditions dictate a more finesse approach, maybe this is why I suck at finesse fishing :'(. I am in a catch 22, I am not good at finesse fishing so I don't do it, but I am not going to get any better unless I do it more. This year I am only going to really try and focus on my weaknesses even if it means leaving all my power fishing equipment at home.

Thanks guys, I just drove by a large pond on the way to work this morning and it was smooth as glass and I just got to thinking. I guess I was thinking that a little movement on the surface would have less of a chance of frightening fish than a glass surface.

I know this has been discussed before but I couldn't limit my search parameters enough to get a good answer. Do topwater baits like the Sammy, Spook, and even buzzbaits work better on a day with a little breeze so there is some surface disturbance or do they work better on "glassy" water conditions?

not saying this isn't true, but if you have ever been to Lake Tahoe, you can see a red ball from the surface in 25' of water.

The newpaper listing said Arrow Pro Fiberglass boat, but i guess it could be an ArrowGlass