Cuivre

If you break down and need assistance, you will soon find out how many people do not realize what three whistle blows or air horn blows actually mean. I went to help a vessel out on Perry Lake in KS and after going over to them to help, I found out it was an idiot letting his toddler blow the horn just for fun. I had to inform him of what the distress call was to be used for!

Fished my first 2025 tourney out of my BigRig FD with NK300:

I carry 10 rods with me on my BigRig FD usually, I keep my early morning rods in my starboard horizontal staging trough (I don't use my left trough because it is blocked by my MegaLive transducer turret.) I learned in my last kayak that the tubes attached to my crate can sometimes flip the side release plate on some of the baitcast reels I put in them (Lews, AbuGarcia)- so I have to use other rod holder types like Scotty holers or built in rod holes for those. I bring 3-4 spinning reels with me, so they fit in the crate attached rod holders well. The least used rods are typically on my left side, since I can grab rods behind me on my right easier than my left.

There is an old saying: "People mock that which they do not understand". Who would have thought that would have come around to something like a Donkey Leash? LOL! I like them so much, I have TWO of them- the older short length one when I'm around shallow snags where I want the fish close by, and then the new version with the longer length. Organization is everything on a kayak, and having things at your feet (and 'ready') when you stand to fish is stupid hazardous and a trip hazard. BTW, I also own two "Rod Mules". Now people can ask what they are instead of looking it up themselves! LOL!

I kept my bass boat when I got into kayak fishing back in 2015. I just got a new BigRig a couple months ago and plan on fishing 6-8 tournaments this year out of it. I have it rigged pretty much to the max- Newport NK300, Humminbird Explore 10 with MegaLive2 and SI/DI transducer and 10 rod capacity. I enjoy kayak tournaments and the people much better than the bass boat tournaments with people who take themselves WAY too seriously. I crappie fish out of my bass boat and when I need to hit a close by big lake, but towing a lightweight kayak trailer is hella cheaper than towing a bass boat long distance.

I fished that pond a couple times but never did very good. Too bad King Lake up around there is not worth fishing-it is very shallow and a lot of the fish were washed out due to a flood years ago. I don't think the MDC is trying to rehab it in any way. King City has a couple small lakes as well.

Yep- I've caught a couple in WillowBrook as well. My biggest to date was a 26 incher in Paho back in 2016 in my kayak. That took me for a ride!

I got hired back on with my old employer after being rehired as a contractor with no PTO, so I will get back into kayak fishing with my state club more often. I'm rigging up a brand new kayak and will put the a MegaLive 2 and Explore unit on it (old yak had Helix10 and MegaLive1). Already have a Newport NK300 and other rigging on it. Can't wait to get it slimes and fish more lakes in the southern part of MO.

Here's an article about wiper stocking in NWMO: Stocks of Hybrid Striped Bass show promise for northwest Missouri sport fish populations | Farm News | kmzu.com

I would check out the kayak scene if you're interested in it. (Gio Outdoors in Smithville is a small shop that handles kayaks etc. and EcoFishing Shop in Camdenton is a great shop that has a big showroom and lots of brands. That is where I bought my Jackson BigRig several weeks ago. I'll be selling my Coosa FD/Torqeedo 403 in the spring. Missouri has a couple great kayak clubs for bass fishing tournaments- KAMO (state wide tournaments) and Mo-Yak (southern MO focused). One of the big things I like about the kayak is the kayak+trailer I use is so much lighter than my 18' G3 and 150 Yamaha. It makes for better mileage and portability. Melvern is a good lake in KS that has decent smallmouth. I fished a couple kayak tournaments on it when I fished with a Kansas club and got into some 17" class smallies.

I'm sure we've hit most of the same water. I spend a lot of time exploring the lakes around here when I moved here in 2012. I work with a big animal health employer in St.Joe.

I used to do that as well. But it got to the point where the people who picked up the random numbers I dialed kept saying "who are you and why are you telling me this?" 😜 (I'm single and live alone.)

When I do to cold weather tournaments I keep two pair of hip waders with me- light weight FroggToggs and a heavier set of neoprene waders. Which set I use depends on the degree of cold I'll be in. They help with getting in and out of the yak without worrying about getting my feet wet when launching, as well getting in and out other places around the lake to address issues with gear or bathroom needs. Plus, they keep my legs from getting wet/cold from splashes.

I use my winch to its full advantage as well. I'm re-doing my kayak trailer and changing out the bunks and painting the frame to match my kayak (was green- painting it to black). I use carpeted wood bunks but also put plastic bunk skids on them to reduce the friction.

I just received my new Jackson Big Rig FD yesterday. Some things I will transfer over from my rigged up Coosa FD, but due to a chunk of money coming in and moving from a contractor to an FTE, I will make it the kayak I want. I'll keep my Native crate- it works well for me and isn't too big. I'll upgrade electronics to the Humminbird Explore series with he MegaLive 2 transducer. I don't know if I'll keep my RailBlaza turret mount or go with something else. Jackson has some underseat and accessory storage (and add on TriTrack) I'll probably get and I'll either transfer my Anchor Wizard or buy a fresh one. I have a "Da Bomb" anchor on order- a buddy of mine owns the company. I'm waiting on my Newport NK300 to come in and I already have a 36V 50 aHr battery. I don't know what steering system I'll use- looking at the Tim Percy system, I don't know if I would like foot steering. YakPower system and mounted nav lights will also come pretty soon.

That is a crucial decision. Anymore, the TM and the electronics are matched sets. I went with an Ultrex on my G3 HP180 last change out, so I'm locked into HB electronics, assuming I only want one graph on the bow, Fortunately, HB upped their game with their new Mega Live 2 technology, so I might have to sell my MegaLive 1 FFS transducer and move my Helix 10 to the console....since the MegaLive 2 transducers do not work with Helix head units. Looking at their Explore Unit heads for the bow.

That is a new requirement of KBF and affiliate local clubs-if that video is requested, it has to be available. Not every fish will be checked for a release video-that would be too ponderous. The last Hobie BOS tournament had the same fish submitted and counted twice by a high placing competitor. It cost another angler a lot of money due to them not catching that double counted fish, since he would have jumped up to that placing- I think it was over a $10,000 mistake, if I remember, plus the intangible impact. There was no way of knowing if it was a second unique catch of the same fish, or something more nefarious. Hobie BOS is no longer happening in 2025, but KBF learned a lesson from that incident.

That doesn't make sense on many levels, the least of which is "why would they want to do that?" The current requirement is CPRR, which requires the angler to record the fish being released live, swimming away and the empty Ketch board being shown. That has the added benefit of insuring the same fish isn't measured, stringered, and submitted twice and that the fish is alive. Any other on the water video of the fish/angler using a GoPro or even just a phone video will be much better than a still picture at a weigh in for use in marketing and social media. Plus- it reinforces and expands Ray Scott's ethic of Catch and Release, by using technology that has been available to anglers for years- cell phones, video, electronic submission and second party judging of the catch's length and health (standards have always been the clear and healthy eye must be visible on all photos and the fingers cannot be under the operculum). Constant relocation of fish just for the ability of angler to prance around on stage waving a dying fish around is just indulgence of shallow ego and false bravado.

I'm 61 and I fish out of a kayak and bass boat for bass and crappie. The only 2 times I fell into the water was on my bass boat deck crappie fishing. First was reaching for pole timber to tie off to, when the TM hit a tree I didn't see-so I was leaning forward, off balance and went in with the sudden stop. The second time was when I was tying a knot and the wind was blowing my boat down through the trees and one hit especially hard....and over I went. Both times where when it was warm, fortunately. I am getting a longer, wider, more stable kayak (BigRig FD-delivery is tomorrow) and a 3 hp Newport electric motor just to keep me from having an accident in the kayak- especially since losing gear risk is higher and I'm fishing out of that more than my bass boat. I've been using a stand assist strap for years- it also helps me lower myself back down into the kayak seat more gently. I got a Knot Assist 2.0 to help me with tying the FG knot- that makes all the difference in the world for me and this knot.

You referring to the Explore series and the MegaLive 2 transducer? I think it is a major step up from their first version, which was considered the third ranked of the big 3. I am strongly considering buying the set up for my new kayak. The YouTube comparisons were impressive and I didn't have an easy time picking up my lure on the old systems I had (Helix 10 and MegaLive 1 transducer).

I advocate for CPR or CPRR in some bass boat tournament related videos when they discuss the status of bass populations and health. It isn't just the health of the fish- it is the constant relocation of fish from where they were caught. That can change the dynamics of their distribution and the forage base they have and must compete for. Also, it can be a vicious circle, since many folks use the "retread pattern" in subsequent tournaments by focusing around the release areas from previous tournaments. Even kayak guys fish around weigh in areas the bass boat guys use.

Welcome to MO. I live in St.Joe area, but lived in NE MO as well. I wouldn't look past the lakes in KS either. I was a member of a KS kayak bass club and fished many of their lakes in addition to the MO lakes. NW MO is much better fishing than NE MO. Smithville and Mozingo are my favorite "bigger" lakes, but they are not big by the southern MO lakes standards.

I've fished bass boat tournaments, kayak on-site tournaments and monthly kayak fishing challenges where you fish whatever public water you want to get the best length for your best 5 fish. There is definitely an excitement at the launch of these on-site tournaments-even the road runner kayak tournaments where you can put in at any launch. I go into these with a healthy mindset- have fun and let the chips fall where they fall. Getting overly competitive in the fishing tournament scene isn't a big issue for me. I've been in that ego-driven mindset during my academic and professional careers and proved what I needed to prove there and then. That is also why I chose to be a 100% privateer WRT my fishing gear- I do not want to chase sponsors or be a member of some "Pro-Staff", and I kind of shake my head at those who judge themselves and each other by those standards. I've fished benefit tournaments in my bass boat for Fishing for Freedom where I take a wounded veteran out for a day of fishing in a tournament for plaques (no money). That is very enjoyable and fun. The kayak fishing club I'm a part of in MO is focused on camaraderie and learning. We have Experienced, Intermediate and Novice divisions in every tournament in addition to overall pots and Big Bass. That encourages the less experienced anglers to experience winning some money among their experience level peers. Our club president has videos on FaceBook talking about tournaments, techniques, processes etc- along with some SWAG hand outs. Basically- you have to find the tournament platform and culture that you like. I still do most of my fishing in a "me vs the fish" tournament, but I like to dabble in everything, in moderation.

I agree. These three organizations stumbled into conducting an experiment that will demonstrate how fish are caught, and who wants to watch what type of fishing. Although, BASS has a huge finger on the scale with their organization legacy weight. It may take a couple years for people to shift their viewing, express their preference and the viewing platforms to adjust so people can view conveniently and without glitches.

I know, right? It is called 'speaking out of both sides of his mouth'. But proof of licensure is likely a requirement to compete in his BASS tournaments (but not his YouTube videos in the off-season). Proof of being legal is a requirement in our local kayak tournament club events, but we had to ban someone who fished our events but wasn't able to buy a license due defaulting on child support (yes- they are connected!). Many kids still hang on his words and philosophy as their gospel. I see a lot of kids trespassing on private land to fish and getting into conflicts with landowners/HOA residents-that is kind of a meme in YouTube world. We don't need someone like Ben to teach them that fishing licenses are "the MAN trying to keep them oppressed!".