HeavyDluxe

I'm in the midst of following this advice myself. At least not the way I would like to fish it... We have a very interesting little lake (spring fed, very small) in our town that - for its size - provides some truly excellent fishing. It is free from all the invasive species that afflict other bodies of water in our region and is even home to a very rare type of vegetation. That is the case because, when the land was given to our town, it was deeded with the proviso that there be no watercraft of any kind on it. So, the place I could fish the most is not going to get any of my kayak mileage, sadly.

Boy, will you ever! Greetings from a fellow NE'er.

Another newbish, bank-bound angler here... But here's what I've learned. 1) When possible, take time to explore the body of water before you really intend to fish it. It helps to identify 'fishy' spots beforehand so you can plan how you'd fish them and from where you'd attack them. Several times early on I would walk along a trail and stumble on a nice spot around the corner only to see a splash and watch the fish I wanted retreating out of reach. 2) Don't underestimate the need to be as stealthy as possible when moving along the bank. The vibrations from your footsteps and the shadows you cast on the water (to say nothing of voices, etc) can have a much larger impact on your success than you'd expect. You don't need to be a ninja or anything, but move intentionally and quietly. 3) On a related note, learn to fish/cast parallel to the bank from your location or learn to cast out a good distance. If I cast further up the bank, down the bank, or out from where I am standing, I have had better success (likely because fish haven't been as aware of my presence). 4) Simplify, as much as you can, your tackle. The more moving you do, the more you have to haul the 35lbs of soft plastics and jigs that you've got in that bag you bought last Christmas. If you can do that, so be it. But I've found I'm more effective at getting around the water when I economize what I carry. This also helps if you intend to try to get off the beaten trails to some areas of the bank that are generally not accessible. The more stuff you're carrying, the more hang-ups in trees and brush you'll deal with. 5) Consider investing in slightly heavier tackle than you might otherwise think... especially if you're trying to work with a single rod/reel combo. See below. Lastly, and take this with a huge grain of salt, but... Plan to simplify the tactics that you employ, too. Here's what I mean... In the two bodies of water I frequent most, there is a fair bit of vegetation and the bass seem to hold along the outside edge - towards deeper water. In a boat, you'd pull up there and either cast in towards the weeds and retrieve back out over the down-slope or you would cast parallel to the weed edge and work. Both are hard to access, obviously, from the bank. You'll be casting out - either straight out or at an angle - and retrieving back *into* (through) the cover. Of course, this is fine but it will certainly mean that you leave most of the treble hooks at home. At least, it has to me. Learn the body of water as much as you can, be patient, and setup so you are flexible and can make the most of the access to the water you do/can have from shore. Can't wait to hear other replies so I can learn more, too.

I'm an admitted n00b, so take this with a larger-than-average grain of salt. Nonetheless, I'll just throw in that I am becoming converted to the idea that color selection (within reason) isn't all that big of a factor. I think if you carry GP/Watermelon, something black-ish, and maybe one brighter color (like a burnt red or orange) you will probably be fine. Up here in VT, the ponds and lakes that I have fished are really clear... And, as far as I can tell, I haven't seen a massive difference in quantity of strikes between any of the dark/natural colors. YMMV.

Does anyone else feel like less of a man, somehow, when reading Big O's posts?

Welcome! You'll learn a ton here and have a blast.

One other note.... At your size, I wager stability will be less of an issue. It seems that most of the angling kayaks are now being designed with stability in mind for a 250lb+ angler and their equipment. I think any of the major offerings (including the ones you listed) would probably be fine unless you have no sense of equilibrium. :-).

I am in the market for a fishing kayak to close out this season or start the next. If stability is the key factor for you (it is up there for me, as well), here is what I have been told: The Wilderness Ride series is supposedly ridiculously stable. If you spend a little time on YouTube, you can find several demos of people standing on the boat and shifting weight back and forth in an effort to flip. The Ride series is a sit on top.... If you prefer something a little different, Wilderness also makes a hybrid boat called the Commander (half yak, half canoe). It is supposedly even more stable than the SOTs. Another company, Native, has a comparable series called the Ultimates which has similar reports of stability. Finally, Jackson Kayaks Coosa and Cuda series are lauded for their stability and comfort. Bottom line: get to a dealer and get time in a boat. There are lots of very stable angling platforms on the market right now. Finding the one that feels the best to you requires time behind the wheel. Er, paddle, that is.

I will add my vote to RW's suggestion of the Fat Ika. The three best days I have had targeting largemouth came back at the beginning of this month on Lake Bomoseen in central VT. On the way to a week at a lake house we slipped into the nearest D's sporting goods and, lo, and behold, they had the Ikas in stock. I had read about them here on the forums, but not seen them in any store locally or while traveling. I bought one bag. Fishing from the same dock behind the house (no boat) over the course of three evenings, I fished a combination of spinners, cranks, senkos, and the Ika. The fish, smallies and largemouths, tore the Ika up. I went back to the sporting goods store on the way home and bought them out. Since then, the bait continues to produce.

+1

I'm trolling all the kayak/canoe fishing forums right now as I contemplate a purchase. I don't have any back issues (yet), but at my size I'm concerned about balancing stability and performance with comfort. There are a couple companies that make hybrid boats - the Wilderness Systems Commander line and Native Watercraft Ultimates being the two that I spring to mind. From everything I've been told, they are a really good blend of the open, stable feel of a canoe with some of the aspects of a kayak. Weight tends to be higher than the canoes you listed, though. There are also fishing kayaks that have higher seats (Jackson's Coosa and Cuda and Wilderness's Ride series) which are supposedly much easier in that regard. Bottom line, I think you'd have to try things to see what fits.

I guess I just meant that, as a percent of the total population, a 4 or 5lb fish is probably closer to the top of the class up here (I'm in VT, so we're latitudinally like OR) than it would be in the south. Clearly we get big/quality fishing up here. Then again, perhaps that's a wrong assumption. (/ending threadjack)

In a way, I would think that a 4lb14oz fish caught in northern climes is an even bigger deal (statistically speaking) than the lunkers down south. Perhaps not as much fun on the line, but just as (un)likely.

1. Always say "There's one!" after you set the hook. 2. If you're with someone who just hooked up, the proper response is "Oh, nice fish!" or something similar. 3. If the fish is not self-evidently large when you get it to boat/shore, refer to it as soon as possible as a "nice, healthy fish" and that "he really hammered that [insert lure used]" 4. Immediately narrate the bait you were using and location where you hooked up. Based on what I've seen in hours of watching GoPro videos on the internet, these are crucial steps in improving as an angler.

This is cool... I've been picking through Lunkerville episodes while doing the dishes and recently came across the one you (LBH) were in. Since you mentioned BR in the show, I was surprised I hadn't seen your posts. I was bummed as I liked the way you spoke on the show and wished you were back online. And here you are... Very cool! Welcome back.

You're supposed to use a different kind of worm as a trailer, you know...

That video is very, very helpful!

Question about massive reels like that... Assuming the line is kept in moderate temperatures and out of sunlight, will the line "age" adversely on the spool? 8000 yards of line is a whole lotta fishing.

If you move somewhere with smaller fish, just lighten up your tackle.

Welcome to the boards! Look forward to seeing your posts!

Not the OP, but I want to chime in here how thankful I am for this thread... I am hoping to purchase my first fishing kayak next spring. I've been picking through the old threads I can find on here for thoughts, but it's great to have another thread to read!

That is just a thing of beauty right there.

Just a curiosity kinda question... Most of the discussion on this board (and, from what I gather, everywhere else in the bass fishing world) centers on using artificial baits as opposed to rigging anything live or using cut bait. How much of this, in your opinion, is driven by increased effectiveness of artificial baits vs marketing to the tackle monkey in all of us? Or, is it perhaps that the methods for fishing artificials make it easier to target a specific species like bass? Or maybe it's economics (number of fish possibly caught with each worm, lure, etc)? No agenda here, really... just curious. The question is prompted by the fact that this past week our family spent some time on Lake Bomoseen in Central VT. Three of the largest bass we caught were caught on #8 Aberdeen hooks covered in nightcrawlers - close to shore in the midst of the panfish and perch the kids were catching. I was able to 'focus' my catch on bass by casting artificials farther from the dock, and tagged the two biggest fish of the week. Just got me thinking and I thought I'd see what you all thought for kicks.

I am trying hard to simplify the colors I carry in soft plastics... I guess I'm borderline OC when it comes to tackle and organization. So, my organizational side would love to get down to one green pumpkin/watermelon plus flake color, junebug, and one black plus flake color. But, the obsessive side of me that is sure the fish will be biting the very specific, exact color combination that I don't have in the tackle box won't let me get there. Regardless, the one color I have had the most success with has been GYCB's smoke with silver flake - regardless of season. And I think that, in effect, speaks to the primacy of water clarity and forage playing a bigger role in color selection than season.

Another novice, bank-bound angler here... I would add my voice to what others have posted. If the bass are passive and holding down in cooler, deeper water, then slowly dragging/twitching a soft plastic sounds like a reasonable approach. Gets the bait to them, keeps it down there and provokes a strike. I know *I* don't want to chase anything much this time of year... The best advice someone gave me was to watch bassresource videos on YouTube about jig basics (I was using GYCB Fat Ikas on the end of the line). That has made a huge difference in my fishing so far this summer.