B@ssCrzy

This......learn to fish a texas rigged worm. Simple to learn and catches big and small fish.

Catching one 8lber in a day would be a great day.....catching two would be epic!!! I will take the 8lbers.

Does not sound like a battery issue to me. If it was a battery it should not work at lower speeds and/or at higher speeds you would just not be getting the power that you needed. Take your batteries and have them tested and then contact Minn Kota to see if they may be able to have you run some tests on it or give an explanation for possible issues. Sounds like the trolling motor to me has some issues.

It is possible. Probably not the easiest thing to do, but if it will get you on the water go for it. They sell foam blocks that the yak can sit on and then straps that go into the car doors. Attached is a link....hopefully it does not get blocked.... http://www.amazon.com/Malone-Standard-Block-Universal-Carrier/dp/B000SXQCVA

Liking the 7" Rage Tail Thumper worm this year. Green pumpkin is the way to go.

Great job!! Hope you catch lots of fish with that thing!!!

No, No....Although I earned $60 for a big bass pot. So now that I have been payed for fishing does that make me a professional? Ok, all joking aside...no I would not want to be a professional angler if that means on the tournament trail 10 months out of the year. Life is not just about doing something that you are passionate about, it is also about doing it with people that you love and cherish. Spending that much time on the road away from my family is not worth it and would end up being too lonely and empty in the end. Caught my PB largemouth early in the spring by myself fishing. It was great, but I noticed that I have many more memorable catches. The only difference is that the ones I remember more are the ones that I caught when I was fishing with someone that I care about. My avatar is a great example. I will remember that for a long time.

Lew's Speed spool is a good one for the price. Especially with $20 rebate. Pro Qualifier has a good name on this message board. Only thing I would add is don't buy anything that doesn't retail for at least $100. Anything cheaper will make you frustrated and hate baitcasters. Baitcasters are the one area where I have found that you really do get what you pay for. If you can afford getting into something in the $150-$200 range you won't be disappointed.

Ever since I learned the technique that Jeff posted I have yet to have to leave a hook in a fish. It works perfectly. Hooks do not disintegrate in fish like some people say they do so leaving a hook in a fish will hurt the fish. Set the hook sooner on your fish and that should also help.

x2....I stand in a 32" wide kayak.....it is hard for me to understand how you would not be able to stand in that boat. I am sure you may not be able to move around and jump back and forth, but surely you could stand in it. I would take it out a couple of times wearing your swimsuit and no gear and get used to standing and seeing where it's limits are at. You may be surprised at what you can do.

Fishing a kayak tournament, catch-photo-release, and landed a hog at least for the lake that I was fishing. She was the third fish of the morning so I had a full "bag" if you will. Took some pictures and on the last picture she kicked and knocked my camera/cell phone in the water!!!! Another angler took some pics of her for me and won big bass and the $60 that went with it. Cost me $600 for new phone. Would have placed second had I had the other pics.

What a shame....glad he came forward, but so sad that he lived all these years under a lie like that. He and Lance Armstrong need to start up a support group.

The Jackson kayaks are mentioned a lot because they are great kayaks. They were specifically designed for fishing and with fisherman in mind. So they just work. Yes they are very durable as well. You mentioned people launching from concrete boat ramps and starting to form cracks in there boats. Normally that is from the skeg (very rear of the boat) just being warn away due to dragging on the rough concrete. One thing that I like about my Cuda is that it also has a replaceable skid plate on the back so if you do wear down the skeg you can just pop it off put on the new one and you are back in business. There are a lot of good kayaks out there and the ones that you are talking about are all good it just comes down to which one satisfies the most preferences you have. Only you can decide that. Good luck.

Saw that Dicks Sporting Goods is running a sale on a 11.5 perception angler. Says 500 lbs is the max weight.

I normally bring 3-4 rod and reel combinations, crate (with 4 plano boxes, spinnerbait box, carolina weight box, and as many plastics I can fit), Plano bag tackle carrier (that carries two additional plano boxes, fishing line for leaders, and my sonar before I put it on the yak) , sonar and battery, anchor, dry box (for my wallet, keys, cell phone, etc.), small cooler for JJ's Magic, net (if fishing a tournament), scale, scupper plugs, measuring board, water bottle and normally just have a Cliff bar or some beef jerkey for lunch. Probably have way too much stuff, but I like to be prepared. I mostly fish lakes and ponds, but if I ever fish a river I will cut way down so that if I do flip I won't lose anything.

I am sure that DarrenM would be able to comment more on the Native as I believe he fishes out of one and is a big proponent on them. Of the few things that I know...I know they are a good kayak that a lot of people like for their stability, open cockpit and great seat. I have heard it is very comfortable for most people. I don't have an ultimate, but have a Jackson Cuda and it has the same ability for high and low seat position. Yes, it is worth having that. It gets you up another 4" which may not seem like much, but it helps you to be able to see that much more and cast better as well. The only question I have is why would you go to a sit-in style yak when you enjoy the sit-on-top. I am sure that hoisting 79 lbs around is a big job (which is why I did not go with a ride), but there is also a middle ground that you might consider. Like the Jackson Cruise 10 or 12 angler....doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Cuda, but is still a SOT and weighs 16lbs less (cruise 12) without the seat in it. Also, if you don't have a kayak cart yet you ought to get one. It makes a world of difference in transporting them!!!

I use painted blades for smallies in ultra clear water and it is my favorite lure to use. White and Chartreuse or just white. Catch the heck out of 'em.

x2....sometimes those ticks are just bluegill or other small fish. The added weight/pressure on the rod is what I feel for....

I hope you don't tip. That is a heck of a lot of gear to see go down to the bottom of a lake!!! Hope it serves you well. I would probably think about putting some stabilizers on it to make sure you don't tip with all that added weight. Love being out on the water!!! Thanks for sharing.

Cool!!! I have yet to get out my motor boat this year due to buying a yak in the fall. I have fished two tournaments with it already and it is a lot of fun. Definitely easier on the wallet too. Great to see you had some success!!!

I think all the above posts are good comments. I use a 5lb bench press (disc) weight that I had laying around my house for my anchor. Sometimes if it is windy I will attach a second 5lb weight, but not anymore than that. I did buy a little plastic buoy for the end of the rope in case I needed to quickly detach and come back to the rope. It has been helpful when I have gotten snagged and needed to move to get my snag out. I just detach and then let the anchor rope float and come back to it. I have not fished the river yet so not sure if that would hold in current. I have just not wanted to invest in that yet. I plug all the scuppers holes on my yak because it keeps me drier, but also I have lost baits and lures by stuff falling in through them. I use a small cooler that I keep in the sealed hatch, but it is not really very big. I have an otterbox sealed hard case that I use to keep my wallet, keys and cell phone in.

Jackson Cuda Big Rig....big yak for big guys. Has a rail attachment to help with standing if needed.

Braid with a leader for everything, but my cranks/trebel hook rod. I have mono on that. The leader allows you to switch to whatever the situation dictates.

My suggestion would be to go through the scupper. I have a jackson cuda 12 and have it run through the scupper. Works perfect as it sits up in the scupper a little so I am not worried in any way of it getting hit or damaged, but it has a clear shot through the water and temp is not effected. Looks like the way the wilderness scuppers are located it is pretty protected as well. This where I got my idea....it has worked very well. I am sure you could modify it how you need it to fit your wilderness ride. http://headwatersfishing.blogspot.com/2013/02/home-made-jackson-cuda-scupper.html

What kind of kayak do you have? SOT or sit inside? I know that some guys do it that way, but it will throw off your temp gauge. In the spring and fall when temperature can be really important in finding the fish you will be missing out on that. If at all possible I would suggest rigging it in the water. You will get a better image and still have the temp gauge working.