Chode2235

I have the 30 as I fish a lot from shore and in rental boats. The 30 is cool cause you can cast out the transducer, but I wouldnt spend the extra money if I was always going to be fishing out of a boat. Although check the 10, and see how many lines of horizontal resolution there are. I think the 30 has 160, and that is about as low as I would want to go. The castable transducer is pretty slick. You can cast it forever and I do some pretty good fan casts of an area and check it out. It really helps for shore fishing. I have read elsewhere that the pike like to attack them though, so if you live in an area with pike be careful, or put a treble hook on it. In summary, I recommend the 30 if you move from boats to shore for fishing as it is incredibly versitile. If I was in a boat I probably wouldnt spend the extra money. But check the resolution, you want to be sure you get a good picture with the 10 and can see the subtle stuff on the bottom. I might even consider getting the 20 (same price as the 30 roughly, but a better unit and transducer) and buying the portable case for $15 off of humminbirds website. Heck that might be a good option for any of the units if the 10 is not up to snuff for you.

Yeah, these all sound like good options with particular strengths. It all really depends on how you fish and what you are looking for. I really want to get out and try the kayak some more, the fisheagle sounds like a good option too, and also the inflatable pontoons seem like a good option. Too many choices.

What do you do when/if your trolling motor battery dies and you are out in the middle of a lake and the wind is blowing? It seems to me that the fish eagle would be almost impossible to paddle and control without a trolling motor. I am intrigued by the fish eagle, so let me know how it handles for you. I think the appeal of the kayak is its simplicity. You just throw it in the water and go, you spend more time fishing and less time setting up and tearing down. They kayak also seems more versitile, you can take it miles out into the ocean if you want to, and also down tiny shallow streams. What type of water do you fish out of your fish eagle? I am currently in OH, near cleveland so I want something I can take on the many small lakes and rivers, but also venture out into Erie once in a while. I am also possibly moving to upstate NY (Ithaca) or Boston and want something with the versitility for those areas too. Putting the boat in the trunk of your car is really appealing, as the big thing that has kept me from getting the kayak is storage and transport of the boat. Thanks.

I'm just thankful that we have so many choices these days and can really customize a rig to our own needs. All the way from 21 ft bass boats to little kayaks. I have been reading some more on the pontoons, and I believe the better ones can handle the rocks and rapids pretty well. they were designed out west for floating the whitewater and being able to catch some fish.

Do you guys find it difficult to position the boat and fish at the same time? I know boat control is such an important piece of it all, and I can just see myself spending more time with the paddle in my hand than the fishing pole. It seems to be a segment of the fishing population that is growing leaps and bounds. There is a lot of stuff out there, but not a lot of 'yeah I catch a lot more bass with a kayak' type of stuff. Thanks for the responses.

I have also been considering a small inflatable pontoon boat, but am leaning more to a kayak. The big advantage of the pontoon is that it seems to be easier to mount a trolling motor on it, and it seems more stable. It also seems slower, and more prone to being blown around by the wind. The legs in the water also drew me back, because I want to be in a boat to be out of the water. Has anyone fished in one of these and also in a kayak, I would love to hear some comparison of the two from people who have actually spent some time in each. Rocght now I am leaning more toward a kayak because it seems quicker to get into the water, more durable, more manuverable, faster, less hassle and more customizable.

I have a humminbird Pirhana portable. It works awesome in the canoe. The only problem is keeping the transducer cord and the unit itself out of the way. Since the canoe doesnt really have a transom to attach the transducer to, I usually just stick it on the side. It works fine, but does drag a little. Nothing like dragging a bait bucket along through. I recommend one completely, the Pirhanas are great values, as it make a ton of difference when you know how deep it is and what is underneath your boat.

Thanks guys. I have actually been looking a lot at kayakfishingstuff.com. Its a really great site. I decided to bring the discussion up here, as I am a bass fisherman and that site has a lot of focus on saltwater fishing. Thanks for the links. I am in the position that I want to get off the banks and get fishing, but dont have room/$ for a 'real' boat, the kayak seems like the best option for me.

I have been thinking and thinking about getting a kayak to do some fishing out of. Not having my own boat and getting very tired of fighting trees and other fisherman for the best spots on the shore, the kayak seems like a great choice. I have been looking at the hobie outback (http://www.hobiecat.com/fishing/models_outbackfisherman.html), as it looks really apealing to pedal and fish at the same time. Does anyone have one of these and do they like it? I have fished out of a kayak a couple of times, and it was difficult as you are so close to the water sitting there. Any advice or opinions on this? I just want to know if there are any kayak fisherman out there, and if they like it as a fishing platform. They seem so versitile and cost effective.

We water ski and tube behind my old mans bass boat. We just tie the rope to the trailer loops off the back. You can get a small float that keeps the rope out of the motor better too. But it works great. The 20' foot boat shouldnt be pulled too badly by the skiier.

Yeah I keep them in a tackle bag too. Usually sorted ,but it usually breaks down. Of course I spend a lot of time before getting out on the water to make sure everything is resorted and ready. I myself have a Falcon double worm bag, I like it a lot. http://www.***.com/descpage-FTO1107.html

My old man and I were out boating in his 89 bass boat with a 150 merc XR4. The blasted thing has had problems for years and never has idled at low speeds. We were on the Mississippi, coming out of a lock and dam headed upstream when he put the throttle down and cut to the outside of the rest of the boats to leave 'em in the dust. About the time we get out of the wall and out into the river the thing dies on us and we are unable to get it started again. The only thing I remember is watching the dam rollers get closer and closer, seeing the logs stacked up and the junk washed up on the rollers, tightening my lifejacket as we try to use our trolling motor to get to shore. Unfortunately it was the end of the day and we were out of juice. We got a quick pull to shore, out of the way of the dam itself, thinking that the motor was just flooded. We never got it started again, and ended up paddling the boat back down through the dam and into the marina on the other side. If you have ever tried to paddle a fiberglass bass boat you realize what a crappy situation this was. After we got back we had to walk about 5 miles further downstream back to the truck and come put our broken boat on the trailer. By far and away the worst day on the water. An adventure if anything though.

I saw the duck lures on sale at Cabelas for 15.00 last winter. So if you really are interested, keep your eyes peeled. Can you get the videos on DVD or just VHS?

I don't usually complain, but I do get upset when it is the large females that are being kept (regardless of the species). The large females are the backbone of any fishery and need to be protected to ensure that there is successful reproduction. The big females have the best genes, which enabled them them to get big and fat, and you can greatly harm the future of the lake by keeping the big females. I am a big fan of slot limits (so long as they aren't too confusing), as I think they put the emphasis on keeping the good sized eating fish while protecting the large fish which serve as the foundation of the lakes population. I think if you look at the reduction of large (10#+) largemouth in FL as a result of increased fishing pressure (see the previous In-Fisherman Q&A with Doug Hannon), especially at spawn time, you will have to come to the conclusion that the big fish in any fishery of any species need to be protected. I keep fish to eat, but for the most park the biggest fish in the lake need to stay there.

I know that back in MN and probably in other states that bluegills are illegal to use as bait. That being said, I remember when I was a nino I used to fish this private rock quarry lake, and the locals had a strategy for catching the big bass that lived there. They would bring a can of corn down, put a piece on their hook, dangle it in the water next to the dock to catch one of the small bluegill that hang out there. With that small bluegill they would then cast it out and use it like live bait, and within 5 or 6 minutes they would reel in a nice bass. I always wanted to try it, but alas my dad wouldn't let me. I would use bluegill on occasion as bait if I were able to.

Yeah, thanks a lot for the information. Hopefully we can find something a little closer to home. If not, it looks like GuideDog and I will have to start our own.

I am interested. I just moved to Cleveland this past summer from MN, and am very anxious to get back into fishing. I will send you an email to discuss in further detail. Feel free to email me too with any further information. No website? Thanks.