the reel ess

Thanks for the responses. Just using the boat once I'm reminded why I like the kayak so much better. Such a hassle to haul it to the big lake and catch one dink bass and lose a small striper at the boat, then haul it back home. I also had to gas (and oil) it up and rig up a drain plug because mine broke the night before on a Sunday night.

Thanks for the reply. No. In fact, I have the ear muffs for running it on land. I'm thinking it's just too big a coincidence that the thermostats were out when I got it. During lunch I went digging thru a bucket of things the guy gave me with the boat and there are two old ones in it. I must reasonably assume there's my sign. I'm not immune to doing something stupid though. I was ready to take it to a mechanic once because it wouldn't crank. My dad suggested I check the kill switch. Bingo!

The impeller has been replaced and barely used since.

Thanks, Yeah, it seems to be "peeing" with a sufficient stream. The impeller has very few hours on it as well. I had it changed by the same Merc mechanic that did the rest of the work a few years ago and haven't used the boat 5 times since. I'm not certain I agree that it should pump the same volume at idle though. The impeller speed is directly tied to engine RPM, correct?

No it was pretty much weed-free. I was slow trolling at idle though-not much water circulating thru the motor. Like I said, when I got the boat the thermostats were missing. Now I must assume that's why. When I took it to a mechanic he asked me if the motor was cold-natured. I said it was, extremely. It can sometimes run the battery down cranking for the first time. He wanted to return it back to stock at the same time the oil injection was disabled. I guess I need to remove them. I guess I should have known better because I bought the boat from a car mechanic who had been the only owner. But I figured a Mercury mechanic's opinion was better than a car mechanic's.

I should mention that the oil injection system was professionally disabled by a Merc mechanic and I premix 50:1 fuel, so I don't think the alarm should have anything to do with oil injection operation. And the water pump impeller was also replaced at the same time. There has been very little time put on the motor since then.

Yesterday I got this alarm after trolling at idle for maybe 15 minutes. I switched off for a few minutes, cranked it and it was still alarming. I sped up and it went away. Is this overheating? When I got the boat, there were no thermostats in it (If I remember correctly, there should be two). I had a mechanic put them in.

One way of fishing in the summer slime without always being fouled is a weightless Zoom Trick Worm, Texas rigged. But that'll require a spinning combo. May I suggest you start writing down what happened on your trips, what worked, what didn't and the results. Also include what to remember for next time. When the season rolls around next year, the details will give you a have a head start. The summer doldrums can be really tough. You can fish all day for a couple bites-maybe. Everything you thought you knew from spring/early summer just is not working. Bass in ponds can find a spot in the vegetation on the bottom and hunker down for a long time without biting. You have to put a hook in their face to get one. They're being opportunistic and only eating what gets close to them. I bought a kayak as well and use it to cover more water. I can tell you all the big fish I've caught this year came from the kayak, not from the back of my buddy's Bass Tracker. When they're not chasing bait, making a lot of casts to specific targets with slow-moving, bottom-bumping baits gets more bites. I also like the last couple hours before dark. I'll use a T rigged craw with 3/16 oz bullet weight and topwaters.

I was taking pics of every fish I caught over 5 lbs, but I realized they all really look alike because the biggest this year was 6.3#. Taking a phone pic from the kayak is difficult and I don't have a GoPro yet. So I just write them down when I get home.

We obviously think about fishing a lot more than the average person. I think too often we attribute human thoughts and feelings to an animal with a pea-sized brain and very little in the way of thoughts or reason. I think a fish might see the line, hook, boat and person standing 7' over their heads. But when they see something shiny or delicious looking their brain says "You must kill this!" If the water was gin clear, I might be open to some debate. But here it never is even when it's most clear.

Do you guys really believe florocarbon is invisible to a fish, a creature that lives underwater and starts its life off eating things so small we cant see them without a magnifying glass?

Yes, I do. I was bummed when the Johnny Morris nameplate fell off my favorite reel. It still works just as well, but seems lower quality now.

Yeah, this right here. I've started fishing with straight braid on single hook lures and even some trebles on a medium spinning combo. I've caught as many and some very nice fish on braid that I can plainly see in the water. It took me 45 years to get to this point.

I am going to try to troll for stripers on Lake Wateree, SC Monday. I was planning on using Rat L Traps and a Yumbrella Rig. Does anyone know how to know how deep you're getting your umbrella rig? The entire thing weighs 3 3/8 oz. Just weighed it on a food scale. Thanks.

You can usually use bigger baits in the fall because the yearling shad are bigger now. It's starting to feel a little fall-ish 'round here too. I have Monday off. I'm hoping this little bit of cooler weather will turn them on.

They set an ambitious date to get people hyped, then they deliver later when people are in a frenzy! (Maybe) I'm sure it'll be worth the wait though. They make great stuff. I'm very impressed with them.

The Wee Craw takes no prisoners.

I use a glass bead between my bullet weight and hook on a T-rig. As you pull the bait over a limb or snag, the weight falls first and separates from the hook. Then you pull the bait snug to it again. That's part of the appeal of the T-rig. I still get bites and I think bass like the click it makes. So I doubt it matters much. Anything to get a reaction when they aren't very active.

I have a Chevy 1500 pickup so it's pretty easy. Straps are in the truck. If I think I might go, I'll leave all my tackle on the back porch and strap the kayak in the bed of the truck the night before. I even have a cable and lock if I feel it's needed, but usually not. I don't carry a fish finder or any other electronics. I always keep the rods I think I'll need rigged up for what I think they'll bite. I have a crate that holds 4 and the kayak holds one. I'm usually going to a reservoir 2 miles away. Then I throw a few bags of plastics behind the seat and paddle away. I can go from unprepared to on the water in 30 min. I have a real boat that's too big of a hassle unless I'm going to a big lake. I have to crank it in the yard with the water hose attached every so often to ensure it still runs.

I just yard sold 2 25 year old 5'6" BC rods, both of which I'd fixed the tips on and they stayed fixed. I also have a 9' (now 8') crappie rod that the tip broke on. I filed it down just beyond the next guide. It works fine and has a little different function now.

If you'll walk in to the closest Bass Pro Shops and ask them what bait they sell the most of for bass, you'll get a 6" or 7" Texas Rig plastic worm of their brand. At one time I'd caught more bass on this in purple color than all other baits combined. Then I branched out into basic crankbaits in the shad or chrome colors. When I was a teen, I had a combo for the T-rig and another for the crankbaits. This covered most of the water I fished and most of the fish's moods. Then I branched out to spinnerbaits, Carolina rig, topwaters and other techniques. For the first combo, a MH spinning combo, 6'6" long, with 10-12 lb mono will do for an all-around most versatile. Again, you can branch out from there. If you want to buy a BC reel at this point, same criteria applies. But the spinning will allow you to cast more light baits. Start with what's comfy to you that catches fish and move forward. Some days you won't need but one lure. I usually take 5 combos with me and only use 2. One is a T-rig because they'll bite it even when they aren't biting. The other is a quick reaction-type like the Rat L Trap or the aforementioned crankbait. I'll also generally take a topwater bait and a spinnerbait. For weight on the T-rig worm, use as little as you can get by with given the water conditions (roughness) and wind. Start with 1/8 , 3/16 & 1/4 oz bullet weights to cover the basics. You just have to maintain contact with the bottom. 3/0 or 4/0 Texas rig worm hooks will suffice. Buy a premium brand and you'll be glad you did. They'll set a lot easier. Watch the videos on this site and YouTube for advice on any technique you're interested in. If you have access to an overpopulated, underpressured pond, try these out there first. You'll gain confidence in it faster. My current best baits (mind you, I fish mostly in about a 20 acre reservoir): T-rigged Craw T-rigged Trick Worm, weightless Rat L Trap A popping topwater, like Pop R (early or late in the day) These have caught 90% of my bass since the water warmed.

You can use tubes that are so big they discourage bites. There was a movement toward huge ones after Ish Monroe won a big tourney one them. But that was in FL and he was catching hawgs. I think medium to small tubes should get about as many bites as a small T-rigged worm or craw.

Two things I don't have with my $500 Perception Pescador 12.0 that I wish I had are stadium seat with an up and a down position and the stability to be able to fish standing. That said, Perception is coming out with a Pescador for 2016 with both those features. MSRP is $800, so it'll probably run a tad over $600.

My dad started me off with a cane pole and worms. Then we moved on to pole and minnows for crappie. Finally, we started using jigs to compliment the minnows. He did a good job of keeping me interested by making it easier. We probably would have stopped there, but I wanted to start bass fishing so he got the right kind of boat and indulged me. Since then I don't think I've ever intentionally bass fished with live bait. I just like casting and "fooling" them more.

This is a sure-fire, tried and true method for beginners (children and women). Put them in the back of the boat with a beat up Zebco 33 on a mismatched rod, some lure you never use from the bottom of the tackle box like a white grub or Mepp's Comet Minnow & tell them to just keep casting. They're almost guaranteed to beat the pants off you. Works every time. You'll beat the water all day for a few bites from bass and they'll fill the livewell with all species. Then they'll shame you into cleaning them for dinner.