Scott F

Mine is also attached to my life jacket. Anytime I get behind the wheel of the boat, the life jacket goes on and the lanyard never comes off. The thing is, if it is ever necessary for the kill switch to shut the engine off, it’s almost certain that I’m going to be in the water and the life jacket is going to be needed.

Rock piles. Isolated, especially in an area that isn’t all rock. One of the lakes I fish has a few man made rock piles that at one time were the bases for docks that no longer exist. There are ALWAYS fish on those rocks that few people ever fish.

I don’t think any of the Quantum reel will go $200. I don’t keep up with all the changes. My Smoke reels which were top of the line a couple years ago, were about $170 or so I think. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything in the line in the over $100 price range.

You can go pretty fast with a electric motor on your pontoon, just not the motor you have. Motors that have the same output as an 8 horse gas motor can cost almost $5,000.

I don’t know anything about Shimano spinning reels. I haven’t used one in over 20 years. I’ve used nothing but Quantum spinning reels for many years. For the waters I fish, I just find leaders do not provide any benefits that outweigh the the issues of having to have extra line, having to tie extra knots and having those knots go through the guides - which drives me nuts!

I use 7’, St Croix Avids, in ML F, and M F with Quantum Smoke 15 & 25 sizes with 10lb Sufix 832 line. (No leaders…..ever)

I throw topwaters, walking and poppers on spinning gear. The ones I use are always within the weight ratings for the rod and more importantly I always use braid. The lack of stretch in the line means I don’t have to move the rod as much to get the walking baits to move properly. Saves on fatigue in my hands and wrists.

I’ve found potential spots looking for rapids on Google satellite images. Because water levels change throughout the year, visible rapids or faster current can change. I appreciate you trying to use all the tools available but nothing beats finding the best spots by covering water with a rod in your hand. EVERY good river fisherman I’ve ever met has put in the time to learn every inch of the water he fishes. Lots of great spots are overlooked because there wasn’t an obvious sign.

No. I fish clear water all the time, always with braid, never with a leader. Never had any reason to believe bass are line shy.

I don’t like micro guides. I fish a lake on vacation while the cotton wood trees are laying down those cottony fibers all over the lake that get on my line and clog up the guides. When that is happening, I don’t even string up any rods with tiny guides.

I’ve been getting my hair cut by the same woman since 1979. Ever since we got married.

I use the Z-Man Finesse ‘Shroomz with a TRD Elaztech plastic. I’ll use the jig with a weed guard if I’m throwing into downed trees.

I’ve fished with a few guys who, when they saw me throwing a Ned rig, were chuckling and making fun of me, teasing me about fishing for panfish. When I consistently outfished them with it, their attitude changed and they started borrowing baits from me.

I was fishing on a fly in lake in Northern Manitoba out of a 14 foot boat with a 9.9 ho motor when the wind kicked up in a very big way. It was blowing so hard, that little motor could barely push us into the wind and the waves were getting very large. For safety (?) we pulled up on the lee side of an island to wait until the winds died down. Unfortunately, this island had burned in a forest fire and all the pine trees left were just big, tall, sticks. We weren’t there very long when these tall, dead trees started blowing over and falling near us. It was one of the most dangerous situations I’ve ever been in. Do we stay and get hit by a falling tree or risk drowning when our boat sinks from the rough water? We chose the water route and eventually made it back to camp.

I haven’t used a tackle box like that in many years. I prefer soft sided tackle bags. Lighter weight, with shoulder straps and side pockets for my tools and accessories. I used to live near the Plano factory and outlet store. Got all of my tackle storage containers at substantial discounts.

For the price, I’d be surprised if they had neoprene booties. If they do, great! If not, they probably are made from the same material as the rest of the waders. I hope you bought them a size larger than you normally wear. The bigger size let’s you wear more clothes underneath. Wading in cold water means you need to dress warm. Also, one of the first places waders will leak is in the seams. Tight waders put more stress on the seams especially if you are climbing over downed trees, over rocks and such.

I use braid exclusively and have never used a leader except steel to prevent bite offs. My belief is that a bass does not have the ability to reason. His brain is just not capable. Just because he can see the line, doesn’t mean he can figure out that it must be bad. If they were that smart, how come they can’t figure out that the hunks of plastic, wood or metal swimming by with the treble hooks hanging from it is also not real food? There are other reasons you might use a leader, but in my opinion, it shouldn’t be because bass are line shy.

You could apply felt, but I wouldn’t count on it staying on very long. Even companies who sell felt soled boots aren’t very good at keeping the felt attached.

I only skip with a spinning rod. My technique, is that I swing the rod tip low, close to and parallel to the water. Let the lure go when the rod is pointing at the target.

It looks it must be installed by a qualified dealer who apparently are only in New Zealand right now and costs over $6,000 New Zealand dollars. So you are right, not at all expensive.

Fish jerkbaits with long, long pauses. It would help A LOT if you knew where the spawning areas are. That’s where I’d be looking.

If you are talking about personal pontoons, they are extremely stable. Two inflatable tubes with a metal frame and a seat between them. You almost cannot flip one over. But for a 500 acre lake, they would not be my first choice. I’ve had a couple of them for 20 years and absolutely love them...for floating on small rivers. The current is the main propulsion. They come with oars but rowing for distance isn’t a lot of fun. I’ve got a small trolling motor for mine but seldom use it. The mount for the motor is directly behind the seat and awkward to use. They get pushed around easily in the wind. On smaller lakes or ponds 10-20 acres, and smaller rivers they are great. Guys do rig them up in all kinds of ways. Look them up on YouTube.

The picture might be deceiving but to me, it looks like the transducer might be a bit to low. Loosen the screws and raise it up just a bit so that the bottom of the transducer is just a little bit below the bottom of the hull.

Holding your rod in one hand, grab them by the back of the head squeezing them at the back of the gill plates with your free hand. The back of the head isn’t nearly as slippery as the body and you control the head with all the teeth. With your hand there, you can control the pike with your fingers safely out of the way. Set the rod down and with your free hand you can remove your lure with long nose pliers. (And jaw spreaders if needed) The pliers keep fingers clear of the teeth. Once the lure is out, drop the pike back in the water. I’m not a big fan of using nets on small to medium sized pike. They flop around so much, that they get tangled and it gets hard to get the lure out when you can’t control the fish like you can when you have a firm hold on the back of the head. Your net also gets covered in slime and it gets on everything in your yak. Fish grippers also don’t give you enough control.

Fish a week before they go on the beds if you want to catch them. Smallmouth on beds are not actively feeding. I leave them alone and don’t waste my time.