Hanover_Yakker

For the money, a BP Pro Qualifier or Cabelas Prodigy (aka Daiwa) can't be beat for under a $100 new. Even used Shimano Curados (old and newer models) will run you more than a c-note in good condition. The smaller Abu Garcia round reels are pretty bulletproof for the money as well, but that may not vbe your cup of tea.

I see your point about being a co-angler. My recommendation there would be to discuss that with your partner the night before or before the launch and come up with a system you both can follow easily. Basically, whichever method the front angler chooses will be the modus operandi for the day. It is his/her boat anyway and most likely their culling system.

I've often wondered the same thing, but in my mind length is not the concern, since you will only be culling keepers anyways. Therefore weight is the only factor to consider. The best method of comparing apples to apples so to speak is the culling system that uses a balance to weigh one fish against another. The lighter one is released and the heavier one stays. If you do this throughout the day after you have your limit, then you should only be culling one fish. Right? So, only one fish would actually need the culling identifier. If you don't have your limit, then you shouldn't be culling at all if they are all over the legal minimum size.

Wow - there have been so many over the years....... Favorite live performers - Metallica hands down with Godsmack a close second Best Live performance - Iron Maiden and RUSH Most bang for the buck - Testament, Motorhead, Heaven & Hell and Judas Priest (Masters of Metal Tour before Ronnie James Dio passed away) Most anticpated - Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band (waited for years to get tickets and saw them both last year for the first time) Best festival - two actually. In 2011, Mayhem Fest (Megadeth, Disturbed, Godsmack) and last fall with my son at the Uproar Festival (Adelita's Way, Staind, Shinedown) Best Small Venue Performance - a few actually (Savatage '94, Dokken '95, Alice In Chains '10, Megadeth '08-'11, Govt Mule '12 and Halestorm '12) Band I will not pay to see live anymore - Motley Crue

Congrats Mike!!!

Are you talking about fresh water or salt water? Casting from a boat or from shore? This alone will change your setup. If you are dead set on not using braid or mono, the Izor line would be my choice - 15-17lb. or PLine flouroclear in 15lb.

Now that sounds fun.......also sounds like you need to adda small kayak to your arsenal of techniques I'm thinking a nice little Commander 120 or SUP would do very nicely and give you the ability to stalk the canal and get closer to those fish without fear of getting hung up. I do it all the time in my kayak and can honestly tell you there is nothing like stalking fish in 8-24" of water and not have fear of running aground.

If your looking for graphics related to fishing then in my opinion, go with the best - FISHDV8. Alan designs almost all of the major kayak tournament banners and logos as well as their site logos (KBF, YakAngler, YakAttack, et) . He has designed vinyl decal logos and tournament trophy artwork. He also designed the new one for my site...... His site is http://fishdv8.com You will not be disappointed!

After a little more thought, the best bang for the buck for me in gear was actually three separate deals in the last 2 years...... 1. St. Croix AVID casting 6'8 MXF - retail $179, mispriced at last year's Fishing Expo for $79 2. Shimano Curado 200DPV - used less than 5 times for $100 3. Shimano Calcutta 200B - used three times for $125 The smartest choice I made was switching to a Hobie kayak for hands free fishing.

40" black drum and caught on a Medium/XF spinning rod with 20lb braid and a 10lb FC leader!!

School has to be the priority - college teaches you more than just how to study and pass a class. It teaches you social skills, business accumen, time management, money management and how to "promote" your skills in obtaining leadership opportunities. With that said, your focus should be school for the first year or two, because your foundation classes will set your baseline GPA for your entire college career. Once you enter your designated major (JR year), your GPA is very difficult to raise significantly if you are in the lower ranges. Simply because your core classes the first two and a half years typically out number your major classes. As far as the fishing goes, I would ask around and see if you can find any regular fishing partners while at school. Eventually, any success or skills you have will find there way back to the Fishing Team. You can also reach out to a current member of the team and ask if they would mind if you joined them while they practiced. If you have skills, it will show pretty quickly. When that happens, they will approach you!

School has to be your priority - without it, your long term social and business accumen could suffer. Not many folks are able to make fishing their career and very few are able to survive long term. It takes a sound business mind; a social and public repetoire to handle the demands thrown at you; integrity and determination. College is one of the many situations that will help mold the boy into the man and help you mature in various phases of life. As far as College Fishing, I would suggest reaching out to propsective teams for the colleges you may be interested in attending and seeing if they have any specific requirements. Heck, you probably already know someone who is or was on the team prior to you. They could provide a realistic feel for what all is entailed if you should be provided that opportunity. If you do get accepted into a college, I would focus on the school the first year, then approach the team in the off-season and maybe just go hang out with them on the water and talk casually with them. Another option is to post ask around with your friends if they want to fish. Eventually, your skills and success will filter back to someone on the team and they may actually reach out to you.

And FWIW, you realize that this forum is not protected or restricted, so everything you post or state is now visible to the entire internet community. I would suggest you take this situation offline and refrain from continuing any discussion about it in public forums. While it could help you in a sense, it can also be used against you. Just throwing it out there

Another scenario I have seen happen is fishing in cold weather where the line guides may have iced up and nicked the lines, but with warmer conditions the ice is not present and may not indicate any knicks or burrs anywhere to be seen or felt on the rod or reel line guides.

My first guess would be either the line guide on the front of the reel or one of his line guides on the rod. Take a cotton swab and run it gently around the inside of each line guide. If it catches then you may have found your culprit.

To anyone that has fished them - Can these be rigged on a thinwire EWG hook? If so, are they neutrally bouyant or have any floating characteristics to them? I have an evil idea I want to try courtesy of one of our BR faithful.

I can see both sides of the argument, especially when cost is a concern. For me and my style of fishing, the best setup is a mono backing, braid for the main line and a FC leader. Even with topwater, you can use braid, the key for me is to not have your drag too tight and to allow visible slack in the line as it lays on the water. That way when you get a strike on your spook or other non-frog topwater bait you make a smooth sweepset to drive the hook home. Now for my frog/heavy jig combo, I use straight 65lb. braid. The beauty of braid is that you can reverse it onto another reel and get another season or two out of it before it needs replacing. Keep in mind that most of my fishing is in water that is stained to some degree, so clear water is not an issue especially since I use a 4-6' leader of 15lb FC. I think the determining factor is going to be the style of fishing you do and in the type of cover you are fishing.

My advice would be to first go outside with just the main head unit and some duct tape. Take a seat in your Loon and reach forward to the point that you feel comfortable yet not risk tipping over. When you feel your primary stability starting to falter, you know you have passed your limit of reach. Lean back a few inches and place a piece of duct tape. Then afix the FF main unit with a couple pieces of duct tape and see if it feels right and permits you the ability to fish like you normally do. As far as mounting it, the cockpit of the Loon allows you to mount it right on the bow in front of the footwell opening. I would recommend using a Mighty Mount and a Screwball from YakAttack (assuming you are using a Lowrance). If not, the factory moutns on RAM holders work well for other FFs like Garmins, Eagles and HBs. Then you could add a couple pad eyes on the inside of the hull riveted and sealed under the bow to attach a small dry bag via carabiner clips or other waterproof container for the battery. Now for the transducer, that will depend upon which FF you are using. If it is a standard FF (no DI,SI, DSI, etc) then a through-hull install will work fin placed up near the bow of the Loon right in the portion of the keel where it starts to flatten out. The risk of course is knocking it with you feet. If that is a concern, then check out the RAM Transducer ARM install I have posted on my blog (the link is in the signature below) or come up with your own DIY. I would also purchase the 4" section of the GT175 GearTrac and add a couple more screwballs to pair up with a couple of RAM Composite Tubes. You could mount them aft of the seating area on the stern to the left and right of the seating area. Doing this would allow you to angle the rod holders forward at 45 degrees or so to permit trolling yet still facilitate stwoing of the rod when you land a fish. This position also affords you the option of laying the tube straight down facing forward when working in areas with low or overhanging limbs. The other added benefit of using the GearTrac & Screwball approach is that it permits complete removal of your mounting components when preparing to transport your kayak. You can check out the different mounting options on Luther's site: http://yakattack.us I have a variety of his products including the GearTracs, Screwballs, Panfish & Panfish Portrait Camera mounts, VISICarbon Pro II safety light and the Park-n-Pole. FWIW, I am not on his Pro Staff, I just believe in his products and use them everytime I head out. Best part of it is, Luther is a mechanical engineer and an avid kayak angler himself!

I've owned four Gen 1's and one Revo Inshore - love them (still have 3 of them - 1 I lost overboard ). The new Gen 3's at $99 is a steal considering you can add a decent rod in the $75-100 range and have an awesome setup that will last you many years. I also have a couple Shimanos that are every bit as good as well, The key is finding a reel that not only feels good on its own, but pairs up well and balances well with the rod you plan on using.

If you had to ask if it was 22", you already knew the answer and that was no. Having someone "inflate" your catch to citation qualifying level by simply signing a form only serves to cheat not only yourself, but the moment of the catch. Don't degrade your integrity - go back and try to catch a legit citation! I've come within a 1/2" of a citation twice here in VA myself with the tail laying naturally, but I didn't pinch it to try and make it a citation. If the natural lay of the tail doesn't touch 22", it's not a citation in my book. Other's opinions may vary, but I won't cheat myself or the moment.

If you are budget conscious, then BPS has the Berkley Lightning Rod (not the Shock series) at $35 in a 6'0" M/F size that has about an 8" butt section behind the pistol grip that might work for you. It also comes in a 5'6" length, but that may be too short depending on what you are throwing. They are both rated at 1/4-5/8oz. They also have their own branded rods like JF mentioned. Right now they have their Tourney Special rods in the same specs I mentioned already @ $49 in a 6' rod length. Do some hunting around and you'll find one that appeals to you. Just make sure you take your reel with you and pair the two up so you can feel what the balance and weight will be.

Welcome aboard!

I tend to listen to what pros like Gary Klien says about his success. He clearly states that success in fishing has more to do with the way the angler positions themselves relative to the target area, the precision in the cast and the presentation of the given lure. It has less to do with the specific make or model of a given lure. He goes on to say that pros have a duty to represent their success accurately, and attributing that success because of the lure is just no accurate and creates an inflated hype over a given lure that may or may not be warranted. I'm in the same boat, hence why I have been cutting back on my tackle the last few months or so. Tyring to simplify my approach.

Shrink tubing! Great idea, now I have a use for the kit I bought that has somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-100 pieces of the larger shrink tube sizes

I'll add one more to my list - Gary Klien - just the techniques and knowledge that could be bestowed upon you would be worth the trip!