Elkins45

I don’t know how much impact the wind resistance would have but the weight of the whole rig is probably only around 600 pounds. I think it would be doable unless we’re taking about something like a Ford Fiesta.

I have a Lowe 1648 right now and I’m perfectly comfortable walking from front to back, and as long as it’s not too rough I will plant my feet wide and stand up in the middle very comfortably. And I’m not nearly as agile as I used to be. I don’t remember If I stood up in my old 14 but I normally fish from an elevated seat so it’s not a huge priority to me.

I can’t imagine choosing a kayak over even a 14ft Jon boat, but maybe that’s just me. The ability to stand up, add an outboard, customize etc., and the low initial cost make it the natural choice to my way of thinking. I fished for a LOT of years in my grandpa’s old Sears Jon and even pulled it behind my old Dodge Dart with no issues. You can probably find a used one on a trailer fairly cheaply. There seem to always be Jon boats for sale. Just as one local example $2200 gets you a 1448, trailer and 15hp Yamaha. Add $200 for a trolling motor and battery and you are ready to fish. https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/bardstown-jon-boat-1448/7023723973.html Or here’s a boat and trailer for $725. https://lexington.craigslist.org/boa/d/stamping-ground-lowes-14-jon-boat/7025934990.html These are just a couple I found on the first page. I’m sure there are similar deals where you are.

I used mostly scrap 3/8" plywood I had left over from another project, two 2x2 boards and some rod clips I bought from Amazon. The base is from a thicker piece so I could sink the holes for the rod butts a little deeper. It needs some finish but I can do that anytime once it gets warmer. It holds 8 rods and 12 Plano boxes. I added a front slide to keep sun off the boxes and water out when traveling in the rain. In the future I may decide to hinge the front instead of using the slide but I didn't have a set of small hinges in the junk pile, or at least I didn't see any... Heh...that's the BPS model. You posted before I added my pix. I wish my work looked that good!

I just completed (except for applying finish) a bait box and rod holder project for my boat. It was inspired by a product I saw at BPS. I would have been perfectly happy to pay BPS except that theirs is made from what appears to be fiberboard with a veneer. It would be fine for the garage but since I wanted to use it in the boat I suspect it wouldn't take too many rains before it disintegrated. This is the BPS product that inspired my project:

My grandfather (who died in 1977 and had quit fishing several years earlier) swore a 6” Creme purple Scoundrel worm was the single best bass lure that existed.

BPS makes sense. Thanks.

I only have one of these left and I would like to get some more but I can't find the package and I don't remember who made them. It's a big (7 inch) stick worm made from some fairly tough plastic. A 5 inch Yum Dinger is shown for size comparison, so it's like a knockoff Senko on steroids. Any idea?

I can’t stand hot, humid weather so I don’t fish much in the summer. I do most of my fishing in the spring and fall. Unfortunately we have had very short good weather seasons the last couple of years since I retired. It’s either been blazing hot, freezing cold or pouring down rain. If I’m going on a multi-day trip to fish a lake out of state then I fish regardless of what the weather is doing any particular day. When I’m at home and considering going somewhere close I usually won’t go if there are storms in the forecast.

I’ve never been to Weiss but I would like to go before the water gets too cool. I’m perfectly comfortable camping in a tent somewhere as long as I can pull my boat up onto the shore by my campsite. If that’s not possible then a decent waterfront motel where I can also rent a slip. I really want to avoid having to launch and load every day. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just decent. It’s hard to tell about a lot of places from their poor (or nonexistent) websites so I’m hopeful someone has some firsthand knowledge to share.

I caught a baby gator on a floating worm, but the craziest was a raccoon. I overcast and my plastic worm landed on the pebbles. A big raccoon jumped out of the weeds and grabbed it but fortunately it grabbed the tail and not the hook.

I hate to sound dumb but I can’t quite figure out how you put the worm on that jig so it is flush with the head and straight.

Between work and the heat I’ve done almost no fishing since June. I went a couple of days last week and caught most of my fish on a Texas rigged six inch worm. For 2019 overall the Ned Rig has been the big winner for me

If your battery can’t handle the very minimal drain of a livewell pump kicking on a few times an hour then it’s probably not trustworthy enough to reliably crank your starter at the end of the day.

When my livewell switch is set to auto it kicks on the pump for a few seconds every 4-5 minutes. I have no idea if the timer function is built into the pump or the switch wiring somehow.

I don’t fish with minnows often but when I do it’s usually in hot weather. I have one of those battery power aerator pumps but D batteries get expensive. Once on the water I can just submerge the bucket in the water but for situations where the bucket needs to be in the boat for a while I would like a better solution. Since I have access to 12v power in the boat is there a good 12v aerator pump someone would recommend?

My trailer has bunks but I also added a set of these: The lights on the guides were something I added myself. No matter how strong the current or crosswind is, the tall guides keep the bow from going too far past center. They are also super helpful when backing the empty trailer down a steep ramp where otherwise you have no idea which way it’s heading.

I did this to my Lowe 1648: I’m pretty heavy so I wanted to make sure the weight was transferred to the ribs. I mostly used scraps of 2x4 left over from another project. I put my seat on a temporary support so I could decide where I liked it best before I mount it permanently.

It doesn’t hurt that they also seem to underprice the competition fairly often,

Unfortunately young people think bad stuff won’t happen to them. I know I did some really dumb stuff in a 14 foot Jon boat after sunset. It’s a shame he had to pay such a high price for his lack of safety gear...and also that the guy who hit him apparently didn’t even try to give aid.

You can camp almost anywhere you like along the eastern shore of Kentucky Lake, since it's on the Land Between the Lakes recreation area. I have a couple of favorite spots. You do have to watch for ticks in the summer because they seem to be everywhere and they are those tiny little ones. It's the same on the western shore of Lake Barkley, although I've never fished there.

You got lucky. When I did the same thing it destroyed the swivel ring on my jack and I had to replace the whole thing.

When you retract that motor how far does it overhang on the port side? It looks like it would stick out a bit. I’m getting ready to mount my old Motor Guide on my Lowe 1648 but my trailer has bunk guides. I’m afraid the motor would snag on the guides when trailering.

What model minivan? You can put a trailer hitch on many of them. A Jon boat on a low trailer pulls pretty easily. I used to haul my grandad’s 14 footer with a clamp-on bumper hitch behind a 71 Dodge Dart. IMO pulling a boat behind your vehicle is better than putting one on or in it.

I recently discovered plain ol’ acrylic yarn as a skirt material. It soaks up water so you can use a fairly light head and still have it cast like a heavier one. Just tie on four strands and then unravel them.