Hawkeye21

As long as the pros are making their living off of catching fish they are going to care more about getting that fish in the boat any way possible before they care about the life of that fish.

You can try doing some plastic welding. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how to do it. I've seen some pretty large gouges that people were able to fix this way. Here's one video.

I find this debate to be as ridiculous as whether it's ok to keep bass for eating. Why do some feel the need to tell others how they have to fish or even do anything in life? Unless you are just making a polite recommendation and have facts to back up your claims then just keep it to yourself.

I only use them when weighing a good size bass but the main reason I bought mine was for taking pike off. Really don't see the need to get all bent out of shape when people do use them though.

Make sure not to turn down a kayak just because it's know for being able to stand on. You want a comfortable and stable kayak. Standing is just an added benefit that you can take advantage of or not.

Just get a tackle bag or regular duffel bag that you can put some boxes in and some soft plastic bags. Easy to carry and should allow you to bring everything you need for that day.

I just managed to catch my new PB yesterday afternoon. I didn't beat it by a lot but I was still really excited. Came in just under 5 lbs so I haven't reach my goal of going over that mark yet.

Use what ever is in your budget. A trolling motor will work just fine. I'd stick with the biggest thrust that works off a single battery.

I like to have a 7' MHF rod because it can be used for just about every technique. I have one for casting and spinning.

Mallard Lake looks pretty sweet. Plenty of deep water and some nice shallow areas. Right now the bass should be starting to move into the shallows and possibly even starting to spawn. I'd fish all around that island and in the shallow area to the left of it. I would then go to the lower left corner and try that shallow area. I also would cover most of the shore line and any type of cover you see in the water like trees, stumps, weeds and brush.

When it comes to buying lures it's hard to beat Tackle Warehouse.

Better not forget Wisconsin then, I believe they have even more lakes than Minnesota.

Could be a teacher. The pay isn't great right away but it's not terrible. Allows for tons of fishing in the summer.

My dad took me fishing and I loved it. Didn't matter what we were fishing for, I just enjoyed it. When I got a little older, like 10, my uncle would take me out on the river fishing wing dams.

Being a kayak fishing it's by far wind for me. Other than that I get annoyed by crowded bodies of water. I know it's just part of fishing public waters but when I go fishing I go to be relaxed and get away from it all. I like to be left alone.

If all I could have was one case then I'd have to have a bit of everything. Variety of hooks Variety of sinkers Bobber Square bill crank bait Chatterbait A few small, inline spinners A few Senkos and variety of other plastic worms and grubs Lipless crank bait Frog

They had a sale for up to 60% on certain items along with free shipping.

That's a pretty nice broomstick for $32.

Or just go fishing. TV can be watched during the winter.

Last Thursday I was fishing a small river and it was about 38 degrees and winds up to 20 mph. I was floating downstream back to my vehicle and casting to the shore along the way. Managed to catch my first and only fish of the afternoon which seemed to make the trip all worth while, at least I thought. On one cast I got my lure stuck in an overhanging tree so I had to paddle back up stream and into the wind to get it out. It seemed as soon as I tried doing that the wind blew the hardest and longest, like it was trying to make me mad. What made it worse was that about 20 feet down stream was another overhanging tree that the wind wanted to blow me into. I needed to stay out of that because of my poles sticking up. I struggled for what seemed like 10 minutes paddling up stream, trying to reel in loose line, trying to stay out of the trees, getting line tangled up in my poles, getting blown down stream and paddling back up stream. I was cursing the wind like crazy. I said I don't understand wind! numerous times. I was so frustrated and was trying to paddle with one hand while the other was holding my pole and still trying to get the lure out of the tree. At some point a raged so hard trying to paddle into a gust of wind that not only did I almost tip my kayak over but I ended up bending my paddle. Must have been a lot of force put on it paddling into that wind and current. It gets my blood boiling just remembering it. If I was smart I would have just cut the line, set my pole down and paddled up with two free hands then got the lure. Or just left the d**n thing in the tree.

My two rods should be at the door today.

Correct. A better way to think about it is comparing it to a flag in the wind. One end is stationary while the other goes in the direction of the wind.

They're the same thing. They are synonyms of each other.

Do you use a stake out pole at all? I just use an 8 foot fiberglass garden stake and it helps a ton. Bought it on Amazon for under $20.

First thing to do is figure out what your max budget. Then you need to factor in the cost of the kayak along with the cost of any accessories you want to add. Don't spend all your budget on just the kayak unless you don't want to add anything to it. You can easily spend an extra $500 on accessories if you want it to have more features like a fishing boat. Once you know your budget you'll be able to narrow your search down a lot more. You'll also be able to narrow it down by deciding on a sit in or sit on type kayak. If you want to be able to stand then you'll want a sit on top style and one that's fairly wide for stability. Keep in mind how you're going to be transporting it. If it's going to be a roof mount you may want to make sure it's light enough for you to load and unload. I almost forgot one of the most important things, the seat. You'll be sitting for a few hours every time you go out so it's important to be comfortable. You can get a cheaper kayak with a crappy seat and just add a cushion or replace the seat or you can buy a kayak that comes with a nice seat. The ones that look like folding chairs seem to be the best. My Pelican Catch 120 has a fantastic seat.