onefinalcast

Well as some of you know, I have been dedicating this year to learning how to fish with a jig, and finally late last week and into the weekend I finally caught my first jig bass! I ended up catching a few on both Siebert Outdoors and NorthStar Custom jigs. The largemouth was fairly decent and the smallmouth was my personal best for a smallie, and what a fitting fight it was! I had to work pretty hard for them, and at one point I was just about ready to give up and switch to a different lure, but I persisted. I didn't catch very many, but the ones I did were decent sized and I was pleasantly surprised!

Hey guys, After having issues with the mounting of my Elite 4 HDI transducer on my Jackson Cuda 12, I finally found a solution that works..for now. It wasn't my idea since I found it online, but it worked out really well and just thought I'd share with you all. Since there is already an existing skid plate, I just had to fabricate a bracket to mount to the skid plate and transducer. Then I got the chance to try it out on the water yesterday and it seems to work and hold up. It's the easiest and most convenient solution I could come up with for now so we will see how it holds up over time. Let me know what you guys think. Here is the original link/post for reference: http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2013/10/07/jackson-cuda-skid-plate-transducer-mount-fabrication/ Here is also another project I got done over the weekend. Kayak crate that doubles as a cart as well!

Ran across this article today on some cheating in a bass tournament on Lake Guntersville. http://whnt.com/2014/05/12/two-bass-fishermen-accused-of-using-previously-caught-fish-in-tournaments/ I don't fish competitively but do people really go to these extents?

Awesome pics of the bass swallowing those jigs! Anyway been out only once this week and still haven't had any luck on the jigs but I keep throwin' em anyway. Hopefully soon I'll get a bite. Maybe if the weather stops acting up.

I just made a thread about this same topic too, except with a Cuda 12. I'll keep checking here for solutions that might work for my kayak too.

Recently I purchased a Lowrance Elite-4 HDI unit which I am in the process of mounting onto my Jackson Cuda 12. I was already set on installing the transducer using the through-scupper-hole method, which mounts the transducer flush with the hul'sl bottom. I had seen this done with other transducers on the Cuda 12, so I figured this would work the best. However, it seems that these new Elite-4 HDI transducers are much larger than the previous generation transducers, and don't fit into the scupper holes. And since it is an HDI unit, I don't want to install the transducer inside the hull using the shoot-thru hull method. So far, the only other option I have come across is using some sort of transducer arm mount over the side of the kayak..but I am not sure if that is the best way to go. So what other methods would you suggest? What methods have you used and how has it worked for you?

No bites on the jig today, and lost a perfectly good new jig because line lashed midair and the jig flew off and away.. Better luck next time though!

Thanks for the continued positive responses guys. I prepped all my gear today for the week and have a jig tied on all ready to go. I don't have a jig rod yet but also plan to get one as well (Powell Endurance 714) and pair it up with the new Curado I later this spring/summer. Also I will definitely pick up a few of those pocket knockers, they might be useful for crankbaits and stuff too on top of jigs. p.s. I got the fishfinder!!

What are pocket knockers?

If I remember MN opens a week after WI?

I tired to start with a good base of jigs. For colors green pumpkin, black/blue, and brown craw seemed like good coverage colors. Then for each color I got arky style and football style heads in 1/2 and 3/8 sizes. In a one to one hands on comparison the only way I could tell the two brands apart was by the hook types. Otherwise the quality of the skirts and jig heads are both similar and of good quality.

Wow all this positive feedback has me crazy excited to use them. Unfortunately tomorrow is opening day here in WI but I won't be able to fish it... But I will fish the heck out of my new jigs in my new Kayak next week!! Hope both turn out to be a good experience but for now I must contain my excitement...and keep wishing that tomorrow my girlfriend will still buy me a new fishfinder.

This year I made a commitment to learning to fish with a jig. So I figured that some new jigs were in order and went ahead and bought a handful of new jigs from Siebert Outdoors and Northstar Custom Baits. Just thought I'd share with y'all. I'm hoping to catch some hawgs with 'em!

I haven't seen any decent ones at Walmart. They are just the plastic crates with really thin webbing/walls that flex too much imo. The Container Store and MilkCratesDirect sell them for a few bucks but the shipping is like three times the price of the crate lol.

Some neat ideas in here. If anyone wants to sell their crates I could use one and would pay a fair price. Especially if it was a rigged up with rod holders already! Can't find one local and would purchase from online except the shipping price for one crate is ridiculous.

The Northstar website went back up today for any of you that use/are interested in them. Just an fyi.

Music was on point. Epic battle!

Where in WI are you? I'm currently in the Menomonie/Eau Claire area. I picked up trout fishing about two years ago too. Some pretty good trout fisheries around here. Decent lakes for bass too I suppose.

I don't always get excited about fishing in early March...but when I do, it's because yesterday was 51 and the extended forecast looks warm! ...of course by warm I mean high 30's to low 40s, which feels like 60 in my mind after the winter we just endured!

I believe that video was on the previous generation of the Elite-4 models. The newer ones just came out this year in January and are the HDI models. Thanks though!

This is awesome news guys. I have yet to see one in person still but from reviews it is sounding really good! Post more reviews when you guys use them!

Do you guys prefer matches or lighters? I could see matches being a problem if it gets wet/rainy, but could also see problems with the lighter possibly breaking, or not working under the same conditions. Hmm...

I did, and am still seriously considering that particular rod too. I wanted to start with some brand variation, but the Endurance line gets so many good reviews it's hard to not want a bunch of them. lol

Thanks for the good advice. I almost never fish alone at night. Usually about half an hour past sunset is the latest I will be out by myself, unless I am deliberately going night fishing with buddies. I intend to fish mostly smaller inland lakes, but it is probably not a bad idea to have a compass and flares as well. A knife and lighter will be a must also. As far as PFD's go, I don't think I'll ever go without it. I will always try to have a buddy with me when kayak fishing, but I know that won't be the case, and for those times, I will never do without a PFD. And I always try to tell someone where I am going. I use to do some trout fishing and would always tell my girlfriend where I would be and for how long. I feel this may be the most critical piece of information in a search and rescue type of situation.

I am curious to see if many of you carry a first-aid kit and or survival gear in your boats/kayaks. I am getting into kayaking this year and am probably going to be getting a small first aid kit and some basic survival gear and storing them in the hatches in my kayak. What do you guys have in your boats as far as these things go? Anything in particular I should absolutely have?