JKay

Nice going; I love to hear those kind of stories 8-) Good luck with your new boat!

You'll definitely be able to catch bass with plastic worms with that set up. Here's some food for thought: when I changed worm rods from a fast action rod to extra fast, my hookup ratio went up. I use a 6'8" St. Croix Avid with Shimano Symetre and #6 YoZuri UltraSoft. I would give your current setup a try. If you feel like you're missing fish on the hookset, try a rod with extra fast action. May help you get a few more on As for hooks, the octopus would probably work for wacky rigging. For weightless, c-rig or t-rig I use wide gap worm hooks; various sizes depending on the size worm that I'm using. Have fun out there

If you've got a Dicks nearby, you could try there. You could also try the Cabelas - Hamburg, PA store. Grab a couple friends and split the cost of gas. Its getting tough out there

The 6'6" Shimano Compre, med, fast is a great sub-$100 rod and good for all around duty. I've got one as the second rod on my kayak and boat. The primary rod is a St. Croix Avid. I'd give the Compre a try. Hard to beat for the $

Yo Zuri Ultra Soft #6

I got snagged by Reel Magic too. The only reason was that BPS in MD has been continuously out of stock and I was too stinkin cheap to pay the shipping. Got the Reel Magic instead from Cabelas as part of an order that I placed. Stuff doesn't do s**t Placed my order tonight for the KVD L&L through Clever Innovations. Hopefully I can clean my line using some soap and water while on the spool to get the other "junk" off, then spray on the KVD when it's dry. I don't mind admitting that I felt "Reel Stupid" after buying Reel magic and finding out it does nothing but pick up dirt.

I've got a Hobie Revolution and it's a great fishing platform. It's not important to me at all about the ability to stand up. A lot of the fishing I'm doing is finesse and skipping up under trees and in tight areas. Being close to the water definitely has its advantages. My accuracy for that type fishing is much better in a kayak. Sounds strange, but I can put a lure right up against the bank in my yak. The mirage drive also lets you cover a lot of water with ease. I can easily leave other paddlers in the dust without killing myself. When you experience the ease of pedaling against a hard breeze, it's really unbelievable. Best kayak ever? It depends what's important to you.

Hobie Revolution is a great fishing platform, and the Mirage drive will let you get onto bigger water without tiring out from paddling. I have a jon boat that stays on my lake. Whenever I fish other waters, I take the kayak and throw it on the rack on my car. Check out KFS (Kayak Fishing Stuff) on the web. They are great guys and can help you with kayak decisions.

Shimano Symetre. I have a few of them in 2500 size. Built to take abuse and still run smooth. I have them spooled with Yo Zuri #6 Ultra Soft and it's a nice match with my 6'8" Avid.

Black, black with blue flakes or green pumpkin. I'm getting better results once I moved from 4" worms to 5". The fish caught tend to be bigger. Still have a whole pile of 4" to get used up though.

Dave, I'd forget about the duct tape and try some Gluvit. If done right, it may be the last time that you have to mess around with that seam. I got the recommendation some years ago by my uncle. He fixes motor yachts and high end sail boats for a living out in Long Island. I loved the stuff on my 12' jon. Just be sure to paint over the area that you've repaired since Gluvit has no UV properties. Good luck

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. The Home Depot hand reel looks interesting and you can probably take up that line quickly!

I've got a chene anchor that works pretty well in the lake that my boat is on. The problem is the rats nest of line that gets all tangled up in the bottom of my boat. I'd rather not mount a permanent line reel like an Anchormate since my boat sits in my neighbors yard and any accessories could get stolen. What do you guys use to keep the extra line organised? I'm usually too busy fishing to worry about coiling it up neatly as I pull the anchor up. There's got to be a better way. The lake I'm on is pretty windy so I like to anchor and pound my favorite spots. I won't be happy with a drift sock since that won't pin me in one spot. Any ideas?

I bought the Sospenders at Cabelas for about $150. It was one of the more comfortable vests and it's a little longer to fit us bigger guys better (230#). I looked at the Mustang that you're referring to. I went with the Sospenders. I don't think you can go wrong with either; as long as you're wearing it The Sospenders was personal preference.

Malaysia is capable of producing extremely good products. Many circuit board manufacturers and computer parts manufacturers have built plants in Malaysia, Singapore and other countries in Asia and SE Asia. These are major names that have done this. I put less emphasis nowadays on where something is made outside of the US. I just try to look for quality and what's proven. Having said all that, when possible I will give preference to things made in the US. If the quality is there, functionality if what you're looking for and price is competitive, go American Every once in a while when fishing, I still notice the USA at the bottom of my St. Croix rod. Makes me pause for a split second and think about it every time. I own a few Symetres and they are great reels for the price!

Maui Jim. I've had 2 different pair for 18 years. Some of the best lenses for anti-glare. Lost one pair when they fell out of the wife's minivan at the gas station. Have changed the frame twice in the second pair. The last time I sent the glasses for new frames, they changed it out for free (years out of warranty). Their customer service is the best. Once you get a good pair of sunglasses, all the cheap ones just seem like pieces of junk.

This stuff is the real deal. I've used it on my aluminum jon boat and it works great. If you do the surface prep, it's extremely durable. I haven't used any of the other products that were suggested in other posts and never would; not after using this stuff. There is no UV protection in Gluvit, so you'll have to prime and paint the areas afterwards. I sprayed on a primer followed by an aluminum colored overcoat. I think they were Rustoleum products. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2091&engine=adwords!6456&keyword=gluvit

I bought the Sospenders Long model at Cabelas during the winter for about $150. I've worn it twice and it's very comfortable. I looked at the Guardian series, but felt like it might be a tight fit for larger frames. I didn't think they were as comfortable as the Sospenders.

Hey M-Gunner, I fish 3 different spots on the Gunpowder. The first (and my favorite) is Bunker Hill Road coming from York. The next is a left turn off Monkton; a bit past the fly shop. They were doing a lot of construction down there last fall. The last is a couple miles north on York. There's a pulloff just at the bridge. Last time I was there the water levels and flows were really high. Probably on the dangerous side. I kept to more shallow water, threw streamers and got skunked :'( That's OK; sure beats the heck out of a day of work John

Hey M-Gunner, Thanks for the tips. I looked up Loch Raven on the net and it looks pretty nice. Depending on when boats have to be back to the dock, maybe we will rent a boat in the late afternoon. I travel to MD enough that I got my license a couple years ago and pretty regulary fish the Gunpower with a fly rod. I have yet to go bass fishing down there. It should be fun. Thanks again! John

I got my swivel seat clamps from Cabelas. I think they were around $20 each. I don't know how they compare to the BPS model. Here's an exerpt from a post that I made a few days ago regarding the clamp type seat mounts. "You chould be able to mount a swivel clamp and seat and it will still be stable. This combo only raises things by a few inches. Some folks don't like the clamp, but there's some things that you can do to make it a whole lot better. First, ditch the wingnuts. They are cheap, won't torque down enough and will probably break. Next, get (2) locking nuts for one side of the clamp. Put the seat on and figure out where you want it positioned. Take up on the locking nuts so that the seat is where you want it. On the other side of the clamp, put (2) regular nuts. Keep the factory supplied washers and use them too. Note the position of all the nuts when you can just fit the clamp down over the seat. Next, take a dremel tool, hacksaw or sawzall and cut the excess threaded rod off. Leave yourself about 3/8-1/2" extra sticking out beyond the nuts. When you go to clamp the seat to the boat, leave the locking nuts where they are and tighten the regular nuts with a deep socket and extension. You'll be able to torque down enough so that your seat isn't going anywhere. No need to overtighten. Just get it nice and tight; it will be a lot tighter than you can possibly do with those crummy wing nuts. Since I put the seats on with each outing, I'll probably pick up an extra 9/16" deep socket, extension and ratchet wrench. It will just stay on the boat while I'm out and in my fishing gear at home."

Nice!! What were you throwing?

You chould be able to mount a swivel clamp and seat and it will still be stable. This combo only raises things by a few inches. Some folks don't like the clamp, but there's some things that you can do to make it a whole lot better. First, ditch the wingnuts. They are cheap, won't torque down enough and will probably break. Next, get (2) locking nuts for one side of the clamp. Put the seat on and figure out where you want it positioned. Take up on the locking nuts so that the seat is where you want it. On the other side of the clamp, put (2) regular nuts. Keep the factory supplied washers and use them too. Note the position of all the nuts when you can just fit the clamp down over the seat. Next, take a dremel tool, hacksaw or sawzall and cut the excess threaded rod off. Leave yourself about 3/8-1/2" extra sticking out beyond the nuts. When you go to clamp the seat to the boat, leave the locking nuts where they are and tighten the regular nuts with a deep socket and extension. You'll be able to torque down enough so that your seat isn't going anywhere. No need to overtighten. Just get it nice and tight; it will be a lot tighter than you can possibly do with those crummy wing nuts. Since I put the seats on with each outing, I'll probably pick up an extra 9/16" deep socket, extension and ratchet wrench. It will just stay on the boat while I'm out and in my fishing gear at home. Have fun with your new boat

I've got to attend the HPLC Show in Baltimore in May with a business fishing buddy. I was hoping to sneak off early with him one day and get in some bass fishing. Any suggestions on lakes or reservoirs close in to Baltimore? Any tips on specific spots along the shoreline would be much appreciated. I won't have a boat, so it would have to be decent for shore fishing. Thanks in advance!

Minn Kota has a good guide on what wire gauge to use. I lengthened the wire on my TM lately and used this guide. http://www.minnkotamotors.com/support/faq.asp?pg=general&lp=gb&pt=6