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Has anyone upgraded to one of those seats that raises you up for the soggy part of the kayak seat. I have a Perception Sport kayak that has a molded area that fits your butt and Comfort Seating System pad and back. It is better than sitting on plastic all day, but it would be nice to get out of the water when it's cold. Is there a kit for this? Any other ideas? I already have Scupper plugs.

Just watched it Good stuff! Tough job that guy has, huh?

http://hookedonwildwaters.com/index.html#about

I just keep them. We have no closed season here. Plus I fish private places where there's no limit, clean water and it's a good idea to take some for the population. But I have caught a small bass with a hook deep in its throat that was almost rusted out. I don't know how it was eating, but it was.

Yeah, Gamakatsu worm hooks and Fireline have been responsible for me landing more fish lately. I don't need a bone-jarring hookset with this combo. I've never been great a setting the hook with a spinning rod.

Topwaters for me. It seems that fish never really get hooked well with a topwater lure. And minnow lures with those small hooks. Change them for large ones and you'll mess up the action. I caught a bunch of fish on a wacky worm last weekend I was using a 1/0 Gamakatsu finesse hook. I lost almost as many as I caught. But I'm just not used to setting the hook lightly. When I did hook up well with them, they were hooked deep in the mouth. And I lost a very good fish second time out this late winter on a spinnerbait. I can't imagine what I did wrong. Sometimes you just lose them. When they try to jump drop your rod to the water and gently pull them sideways. If they go left, you pull right. They go right, you pull left. If they go straight away, get your tip up high. That will help a lot.

My dad and I were trolling around jigging under docks for crappie during the spawn in the days before super long crappie rods. We were using 8' cheap fly rods with spinning reels and mini jigs. A homeowner jokingly asked if anything was biting way under there. He was actually laughing. We asked if he wanted us to see and pulled 4 out from under his dock. The we proceeded to do the same at the other docks in the cove.

And on those rare occasions when that fails, make an excuse.

I don't check the wind direction before I go. But many a multi-day trip has turned sour about the same time the wind shifted from the east. I was a kid then and we didn't know to change our approach based on what the fish want so we just went back home and did the yard work. We just accepted they weren't biting. It's usually following a front and accompanies bluebird skies and cool winds. Mostly in the spring or fall. In the summer, weather trends are less severe. In the dead of winter, conditions suck already and you may go several days without a bite normally. I caught the bass in my profile pic on a windy day following a heavy rain and a cooler front in the fall. My buddy caught one that broke his cheap rod the same day.

I get the opposite from tourney fishermen. Tourney fishermen hate for you to keep any because they have been trained to accept catch/release as the Gospel with no gray area. I DO eat bass. But I fish a lot of smaller waters where they will get stunted if someone doesn't take them. One place I fish they are already badly stunted. It goes against the grain to keep twenty 3/4 lb bass. But if I don't they will never reach any real size. I know they're stunted because many were females on the bed. I just match the tackle to the size of the bass and catch as many as I can. You need to take so many/acre/year even if you don't eat them. SACRILEGE!

I have a relatively cheap Perception Sport Pescador SOT. I have a fish/ski boat that I don't use because it's just too much trouble. I only drag it out when the water gets too cold in the fall. I didn't get into kayak fishing to go broke buying a boat and rigging and wiring this and that. I love the simplicity of it. I do have a homemade milk crate with three rod holders, but usually I leave it at home so I can put a Playmate cooler in the back to take some fish home. I've caught a lot of fish in places others can't or won't go. That's the reason I bought it...so I could be alone and not compete with others every time out.

Yeah, scour Craigslist for a SOT in your price range. If you see one above your range it doesn't hurt to lowball them. They might compromise. One you can stand in is probably not in that range. I have a $500 one I wouldn't try that in. You can craft some cool DIY outriggers from cheap PVC pipe and caps.

This may not answer the question. But I read recently that bass in captivity preferred crawfish to bluegill something like 9:1. But if you're trying to present a lure that resembles a bluegill in the proper location, I'd say find the bass and you'll be most of the way there. They won't be too far from the food source unless they aren't eating at all. If they're on the bed, a bass won't tolerate a bream near its bed. Then again, I catch bass on a lime colored Trick Worm in a small local lake. There are no 7.5" lime colored worms swimming in that lake.

Gamakatsu and Fireline. Then half the hookset will get the job done.

I fish small waters too. It seems the smaller the hole, the sooner they spawn out. Try a prop bait like a Torpedo at lower light times. Try a Senko during the day. I'm not far south of you and they're still doing OK here.

I hear that. I have friends who won't throw anything back. They can't seem to understand conservation or management. I fish other people's private ponds a lot. They're kind (and wise) enough to want me to take a good bit of their small fish. I want to keep fishing there, so I'm not so rude and ignorant as to take any trophies home. My rule is not to keep any larger than 3 lbs unless I KNOW there are only small fish. Then I won't keep any over 2 lbs. Little ones taste a lot better. If someone doesn't want me to keep any, I won't. Better to catch and release than not be invited back.

The guy who thinks Shakespeare spinning combos will do everything as well as the Johnny Morris BC combo. BTW, this is my FIRST post.