Turtle135

Without knowing anything specific about your pond if I had to fish any bass lake in the country at those water temperatures and could only bring two lures I would bring a Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and a 3/8 ounce jig and craw. You sweep the Pointer down to depth then just let it hang in the water column (from 5 seconds out to about 45 seconds).

Wilderness Systems Ride 115, just about the perfect kayak for the types of water I spend most of my time on

what is the deal with that?

No that is not normal but before I jump to any conclusion, you already have line on this reel? and you are tightening the cast control knob to slow down the descent of a lure dropped to the ground in free spool? check this video on how to setup your reel

I have been bass fishing from a kayak since 1991. I would say the number one reason I choose a kayak is the ease of access. With my pickup truck and a kayak cart getting on and off the water is a 3-5 minute process. I got to believe I get as much or more time on the water as anybody with a full time job (there is one retired guy who beats me in that department). Those summertime after work trips are pure gold!

Good to know. I have had a couple of their earlier Tournament models in that same price range for two seasons and they are really holding up well to a lot of hard fishing. These seem to be easier to clean and lube than other baitcasting reels I have owned over the years (or maybe I am just getting better at the process).

Can't help on the co-angler front but in case you were not aware check out "Indiana Kayak Anglers" on Facebook. They run a tournament series. April 23 - Geist Lake June 25 - Statewide open water event in conjunction with Wildcat Creek Outfitters July 16 - Fort Wayne Three Rivers multi species event August 27 - White River Indianapolis

I do not know. I never weigh them. Don't like hanging them by their jaw as that can do damage to the big ones. I would weigh them in a net but then that would be another thing I would have to carry along in the kayak!

some kayak bigs:

1/4 ounce Dirty Jigs Swim Jig (Black & Blue) with a Netbait Baby Paca Craw (Black Blue Flk) trailer It can be fished as a swim jig (fish it just like a spinnerbait) or fished on the bottom as a traditional jig & craw presentation. Works in water temperatures from the 90's down to the high 30's.

I know one guide who runs this type of service on a river. A couple of notes: 1. his guided trips are tailored to the individual, if they are just getting into kayak fishing he will focus on paddling skills and basic presentations, if an experienced kayak angler is looking to sharpen his skills he tailors the trip towards eliminating water, finding patterns and refining presentations 2. he is located on world class river smallmouth fishery, clients are drawn to fish that water

Check your local regulations on lighting requirements. In Maryland, if the kayak is not motorized, we just need to display a light that is visible from 360 degrees. Google "Yakattack" and see their "Visipole" lineup as examples.

how to rig a stupid tube (a great presentation for skipping by the way)

I have found other jerkbaits to be very effective when an active retrieve is the ticket. However, when the water temperature is in the 40 to 50 degree range the Pointers are deadly on river smallmouth and reservoir largemouth. Sometimes they suspend perfectly right out of the package and sometimes I have add to add just the smallest section of fine wire wrapped around the hook shank to get them to suspend perfectly. When you can get one of those Pointers to hang motionless in the water column for 10 to 15 seconds it is usually more than a bass can stand.

The hooks on Pointers are pretty weak. One would expect a bait at that price point would have better hooks but they do not in my opinion. So that would not be an indication of it being a counterfeit. Truly a great lure that probably needs new hooks right out of the package.

here is a youtube video going over basic spinning reel maintenance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJcNgunOhrU

Gears get "reel grease" and bearings get "reel oil". I am no expert but I would keep vaseline and WD40 away from you reels. Are you working on spinning gear or baitcasting gear?

I have been using Trilene XT for years and years (and still do). Last winter I gave Trilene Sensation a try as was looking for a more manageable line when the water temperatures are around 40 degrees or lower. Trilene XT, which has a large diameter for it's "rated" break strength, can get rather unmanageable in cold temperatures. The catch with XT is it way over tests. 10 pound test XT breaks around 18 pounds. I use a lot of 14 and 17 pound test on my baitcasting combos (very strong line). I gave 14 pound test Sensation a try last winter on my baitcasting gear. While Sensation did perform better in the cold it was not exactly comparing apples to apples. 14 pound test Sensation has a diameter of .014 inches. 14 pound test Trilene XT has a diameter of .016 inches. I would need to drop down to 10 pound test XT to have an equal line diameter of .014 inches. In my experience going with the thinner line helped the most in cold water. Does Sensation have less stretch than "equal diameter" Trilene XT? My hands tell me it does have a slight edge in that department but not a tremendous difference between the two lines.

I fished the first KBF Open on Santee Cooper back in 2013. It was a great experience as it was the first time I met a whole bunch of people that I only knew online through fishing forums. Like a lot of things you learn a lot from the first tournament you participate in. I wound up fishing our local trail for the past 3 years. Won a couple of events and did poorly in a some events, you do continue to learn from each time you step up to that plate. I am not fishing this one in March but it should make for an exciting tournament. Good luck to those who make this one.

you might try shooting them a message on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Confidence-Baits-189741334412027/

I put Trilene XT 10 pound test on my spinning combo (I have seen tests where that line breaks around 18 pounds). I am very wary if I am making a long cast as the stretch in mono can negate your attempt to get a good hookset. Mostly I try to avoid bombing a long cast. If you have to make long casts because of conditions where you can not get close to your target you may want to considering using braid with a leader.

They are still in business, I just received some stuff. Did you place an order on their website?

Many have covered this already but just to reiterate: 1. jigs generally catch bigger bass 2. you can purchase pre-poured and powder painted jigs for less than a buck each and tie on your skirt (I buy rubber skirt material in bulk - very inexpensive) When the water temperature is in the high 30's - very low 40's I only get bit on jigs crawled on the bottom at a snails pace, they will not touch a t-rigged soft plastic retrieved at an equally slow pace. Anyone else have this same result? Here is a fattie from last December when the water was around 40 degrees (football jig).

Thanks! Those are not scars on that smallmouth bass. That type of discoloration is becoming more common on our smallmouth and largemouth bass in the mid-atlantic region. Early reports indicate that those dark spots come and go on individual fish and I personally see more of it in the cool water period. Biologists are reporting that this is not a health problem for the bass but I do not think anyone has a complete handle on what is causing it.

Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, 41 - 42 degree water, dead sticking a tube on the bottom. It looks like our weather for the next week is trendy warmer!