WestBranch

And the fish did trembled in fear, knowing that the small lakes and streams hidden deep in the forest were no longer safe.Yes little fishies, be afraid, be very afraid.

morning dawn and nasty shad

IMO the biggest question when deciding is what's more important. Stability or weight. You give up one for the other. I have both the old town predator 13 & the predator MK (with motor). Both are very stable. You almost have to want to flip them, leaning over to pull up a big fish won't do it. But they are 85 - 90 pounds empty. You're not going to toss these onto a car top carrier by yourself. Next would be gadgets they come with. Old town has a paddleclip, storage area with bungee cords, rod holders and a tray shelf under the seat for 2 3600 tackle boxes, other makers probably have similar features. Finally I'd consider either a pedal version or built in trolling motor version. Either one allows hands free operation while your bringing the fish in or maneuvering without putting down your pole. Though the motor version will require you to register it as a motor boat in most states, the pedal version won't. As for the 2 predators I have, MSRP is between $1300 - $3000 depending on widgets you want. My MK has a fish finder, AGM battery and a 40W solar panel to keep a constant charge on the battery, if the suns out I'm charging the battery, even when I'm fishing from it.

$1,000

I have an old town predator mk kayak, with the minn kota motor, etc. Between the motor, battery, fish finder, solar panel and other doo dads, it's close to 200 pounds and no longer acceptable to just lift into truck. So I've been looking for a trailer I could use looks a boat trailer for when I want to go to other lakes / rivers in my area. I decided on one from Triton because it was all welded,not bolted together which makes it stronger for those long logging roads the best lakes are on, plus it has a longer tongue to accommodate the longer kayaks. The triton kayak trailer normally comes with T supports to hold between 2 - 6+ kayaks,but I was able to purchase the base model stripped of the supports and instead bolted on 2 3" conduits to support the kayak. After a couple more expeditions I'll probably add a J hook to mount 2 regular kayaks for my wife's kayak. But I want to see hoiw this works 1st. 2 more shots

If you're on a budget I'd look at the kast king stealth for about $50 That will give you more to spend on the rod. I personally like the st Croix avid x.

NJ ANG 108 CAM Sq 74 - 80 AFSC 32850 working on the F105B thunder chief

I looked inside the battery box and realized the wires could be routed different and come out a different opening. I'll have to put a cable tie where it connects to the kayak to keep it from pulling out. (I keep my tackle bag between the seat and battery, and have knocked it out before)

Too stiff, it's a thick wire. I've thought about splicing in a longer piece, but at that point I'd probably redo the entire thing with different connectors from either a auto or marine parts store. I've also sent these comments to old town's customer service

This model used to be called the xl minn kota, but they changed the name this year with some cosmetic upgrades. I use it almost everyday day and am really pleased with it as a fishing platform, once you get used to the rudders and speed control, you can easily control it to either drift, or remain stationery in the wind / current. You can steer clear of hazards while reeling in a fish, etc. It is very stable and you can stand and fish from it with out a problem. It takes A LOT to flip this kayak. That comes at a price, as this kayak is around 90 pounds empty, add 25 for the motor and fish finder, and another 80 to 100 for the battery and wiring. It does have some design flaws thou. The worst (IMO) is the back electrical connection to the battery. 1 the wire comes out of the box at the wrong angle and makes that side rod holder unusable. (Pic 1) This wire could also be a little longer. The area that they put the connection is a very wet area (pic 2) and promotes corrosion on the terminals. Dielectric grease is a must here. The seat has a built in shelf underneath that will hold 2 3600 boxes. They put 3 grommets in the back for drainage ( pic 3) but they are too high and water still collects there. I put a 4th grommet in to correct this. The foot pedals are the rudder controls but they don't really have the adjustment range ( pic 4) (unless your 8 feet tall) I'm 5' 8" with a 30" inseam and have them adjusted almost at the near limit. If you were less then 5' 6" you'd probably have to sit on a phone book to reach the pedals. I put a 40W solar panel on the back ( pic 5) and it will bring the battery from 50% to 100% in a day. It has the added benefit to also charge the battery as I use it. EDIT Pics added

Same here, just fast enough to wag it's tail. I also use the morning dawn.

I've been doing real good in the evenings using topwaters like the BBZ rat. Unfortunately a pickerel bit thru the line and swam off with one.

I used to live in the log house up the hill. I've since moved so I should probably change my username to west branch, or something, since I'm now on the west branch of the penobscot river. DONE

Old town sells an mk battery box, that has all of that plus an in line fuse

I have an old town predator and have hit submerged rocks with ramming speed velocity and haven't done any damage to it besides the occasional new "battle scar". One of my favorite places to hang out is to wedge my kayak onto a rock pile in fast water just before a calm pool and fish it. Always have the best luck there.

Just outside Lincoln on rt 188 in Burlington is saponic lake and cold stream pond in Enfield The penobscot river has good fishing and several launches, picnic stops and places to pull over and park you can fish from on the east (rt 2) side and the west (rt 116) side

Where in Maine? Lots of places in the Lincoln / Millinocket area, but that's 250 miles up into the state. Even more shore access further north. Mid coast area has a lot of lakes, but you're getting into more housing buildup and less access.

Don't know about guides. Lead is not allowed. Top waters like rat BBZ and whopper plopper work well for me There's megunticook lake on rt 52 in Lincolnville, swan lake on rt 141 in swanville and lake st George out rt 3 in liberty, All have decent choice access

I have an 80W solar panel with built in charge control I got from northern tool. It'll fully charge a size 27 battery from just under half in a day, if the sun does it's part.

From the university of Maine webpage I'm going to try some Picaridin ------- DEET: DEET is the commonly used acronym for the chemical N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide. It has been extensively used as a highly effective mosquito repellent and also works well on ticks, fleas, black flies, and biting midges (no-see-ums). DEET can be found in concentrations ranging from 4-100%. However, studies indicate that concentrations greater than 30% do not provide added protection and have resulted in skin reactions and eye irritation on rare occasions. Exposure to DEET at high doses has also been associated with respiratory and gastrointestinal irritation. Depending on the situation and concentration, DEET provides 2-8 hours of protection. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) DEET may be applied to children over the age of two months but should be done so by an adult and in concentrations not exceeding 30%. Care should be taken when applying DEET to clothing or around certain materials including plastics, rayon, spandex, leather, and painted or varnished surfaces. DEET is an effective solvent and may dissolve some of these materials. Picaridin: Picaridin (Icaridin, Piperidine, Propidine, INCI, or KBR 3023) is another effective repellent of mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, black flies, and biting midges. It can be as effective as DEET, but without the toxicity and allergenic problems commonly associated with DEET. Picaridin is a relatively new product (introduced to the U.S. market in 2005) and allergenic properties may be discovered once use becomes more widespread. Derived from pepper, this repellent has minimal odor and does not harm plastics or fabric. Picaridin offers 4-8 hours of effectiveness, but, because it is relatively odorless, not irritating or greasy, and doesn’t damage synthetic materials, it is often preferred to DEET. IR3535: IR3535 (ethyl butyl acetyl aminoproprionate) is a moderately effective repellent of mosquitoes, ticks, and biting flies. Some tests indicate that the relatively non-toxic IR3535 can provide 4-6 hours of effectiveness, however, USDA laboratories found this repellent to be 10-100 times less effective than DEET. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus: Oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol or PMD) is one of many plant-based insect repellents and is effective against mosquitoes, black flies, biting midges, ticks, and gnats. Generally, plant-based repellents do not have the same level of effectiveness as synthetics such as DEET and Picaridin, however, oil of lemon eucalyptus has been shown to offer protection similar to concentrations of 20-30% DEET, but for much shorter periods of time. According to the product label, oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under the age of three and care must be taken to keep it out of the eyes because it can cause significant eye irritation. Citronella: Citronella is another natural plant-based product with minimal repellence to mosquitoes. Citronella is often used in candles, torches, and in some topical repellents. In general, citronella based products provide much lower protection from mosquitoes than other repellents and are not effective against ticks and other biting pests. Essential Oils: In addition to oil of lemon eucalyptus and citronella, commercially available repellents containing active ingredients such as catnip oil, geranium oil, peppermint oil, soybean oil, and a host of other essential oils are purported to have repellent qualities. While these oils may offer some mosquito repellence, they tend to do so for short periods of time and have not been found to be effective against other biting arthropods, ticks in particular. 2-Undecanone: 2-undecanone (methyl nonyl ketone or IBI-246) is an oily, plant-based repellent that has shown some effectiveness against ticks and mosquitoes. The use of 2-undecanone as an insect repellent is relatively new; it is most commonly used to repel cats, dogs, and even raccoons. Due to the limited use of 2-undecanone as an insect repellent, adverse effects have not been well documented. Studies indicate that the potential exists for some acute toxicity and mild irritation but further testing is needed. Permethrin: Permethrin is a pyrethroid that works as a contact insecticide as well as a repellent. The chemical is effective against mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas, human lice, and chiggers. It has low mammalian toxicity and is poorly absorbed by the skin. Products containing permethrin are for use on clothing or other fabrics (tents, mosquito netting, etc.) not on skin. The use of permethrin treated clothing in combination with a DEET application provides a formidable barrier against biting insects and can nearly eliminate mosquito bites. Permethrin yard foggers can be an effective short term solution for small outdoor settings, however, some concerns have been raised about potential respiratory and gastrointestinal irritation associated with the prolonged inhalation of permethrin. Metofluthrin: Metofluthrin is another relatively new chemical repellent. Although it is a repellent, metofluthrin is similar to permethrin, in that it is a type of pyrethroid and is not to be used directly on the skin. Metofluthrin is found in impregnated repellent strips that are placed near outdoor gathering spots, as well as in the replaceable cartridges of battery operated personal repellent devices. These devices emit a small cloud of metofluthrin that acts as an effective repellent against mosquitoes. Concerns have been raised about the safety of these products, as users are exposed to prolonged inhalati

Dryer sheets work great for black flies. I tuck one my hat band in back.

When you type a reply. Right underneath will be a paperclip with click to choose file.

I bought an auto inflating one from cabelas and Wear it all the time. Light weight and comfortably.

It shows what's on the screen while at the same time showing what's in the water using a camera. http://www.***/outdoors/***/story/1776179-how-to-read-fish-finder-sonar-technologies

DIF&W announced they've stocked waters with10,000 fish in the last couple of weeks. Here's the where and when http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/stocking/stocking.htm