Kayak Koz

For years my son was my fishing buddy, but he's 16 now and has other interests. @flatcreek and I fish together occasionally and I enjoy time out on the water with him - I just wish we did better in tournaments. But I spend most of my time fishing alone on my kayak, It's a good way for me to decompress. I'd like to say it gives me time to think, but really it doesn't. My mind goes blank out there except for the task at hand of fishing. It actually allows me to get away from my thoughts, and that can be a good thing.

I'm definitely intrigued by the Livescope. So much so that I might consider it for my kayak next year. I see people mounting it on kayaks, but it's going to take some thought and preparation. I also need to make sure it's something I really want and not an impulse purchase.

You can bank fish for bass anywhere in that part of GA and just across the border in SC. Even small lagoons (ponds) can hold nice 5-6 pound bass. You'll find thousands of lagoons in that area. Just keep an eye out for alligators.

Have you tried a deployment arm system like the Yak Attack Switchblade?

You're welcome ? I have a Lowrance Hook2 5 Tripleshot (sonar, downscan, sidescan) on my Seastream. I bought a reconditioned unit from the Lowrance website, and as far as I could tell it was brand new. There was not a blemish on it. I would bet it was a demo unit at trade shows. Best of all, it was about half price of a new unit. So before I go on, how much do you use your Garmin and what do you expect out of a fishfinder? Are you using it to accurately target fish and places to fish or do you find you use it mostly for depth and water temperature readings? The reason I ask is that I may see fish on sonar or downscan when I'm traversing deeper waters, but I rarely stop and target those fish because I'm just not a good or patient deep water angler and I prefer to fish shallower waters. I'm still on the fence about my sidescan. First off, the lake I fish is pretty much featureless. It's a muddy bottom with little to no vegetation. There are some rocks and timber in some spots, but not an abundance of those things where I fish. I mean, really, there is nothing out there. Not on my side scan or on my downscan. I'm better off look at bathymetric maps and targeting humps, drop offs, points, and flats. The other issue I have with my sidescan is that it's tough to see things on a 5" screen. It would be great to set the scan distance at 60-100 feet, traverse the area, and mark structure. But it's hard to see the detail you're looking for on a small screen. And let's face it, you're not going to cover a lot of area moving 2-3 mph in a kayak. You could spend hours out there and not cover that much water. I'd rather spend that time fishing. Of course, if you're in a boat you could cover a ton of water with your sidescan in an hour or two. So the question isn't whether or not sidescan works with a kayak (it does), but rather is it practical when you can't cover a lot of water and mark structure? I've set out some days to try and take time to use sidescan on some areas, but on a big lake with lots of boat traffic it's not all that fun and I'd rather be fishing and not just pedaling and staring at a screen. Sure, I could put a bigger unit on there to make it easier to see what's on the side scan, but for me space is at a premium on my kayak and I'm already casting around the pedal drive, the fish finder, and my Yak Attack CellBlok. Sidescan is also nothing like Live Target. Yes, you can pick up fish if you set a narrow field, but by then you're already past them and you've got to stop, back up, or turn around - things that are easier to do with a boat and a trolling motor than in a kayak. I'd rather be actively fishing my way along that area than staring at a screen. My opinion on sidescan for kayaks is you need to consider the size of the body of water you're fishing, how much structure you know is already out there, and how much patience you have to spend a lot of time out there marking structure. You might be that guy that has the patience to do that. I'm not that guy, although I keep telling myself one of these days I'm going to spend hours scanning and marking. Maybe I need to leave my fishing rods behind that day.

Well, that was a bust. I woke up Saturday with blurry vision that took 5-6 hours to clear up and by then I was binge watching Ted Lasso and didn't feel like heading out. I headed out today and the weather was beautiful - for a while. It took me about an hour to pedal out to where I wanted to fish, and after less than 30 minutes the clouds rolled in and the wind changed. The showers and thunderstorms were due in much later in the day, but being that far out I didn't want to take a chance so I headed back. As luck would have it, the storms held off. But I got some good exercise in today, so there's that. I'm finding that I don't like making long pedals to get to a fishing spot. Now I don't mind covering miles and miles drifting and fishing most of the time, but these long runs to get to one particular spot are no fun. It's days like today that I miss bank fishing bank in SC where I could hit dozens of lagoons in a day.

I had been with AT&T forever, and the major reason I left was the price. They were ending the promo and the grandfathered plan I was on, and when I saw the new price they offered I started shopping around. It was shocking to see that AT&T offered a 55+ plan in only two states, and mine was not one of them. I was fine with my old iPhone 8+, but with the plan savings, and the money T-Mobile offered me for my old phone I could get the top of the line iPhone 13 Pro Max for just about what AT&T wanted for my old phone on their new plan.

I haven't had any issues with FedEx, but the USPS and Amazon are both really ticking me off lately. I live in a rural area and have to drive 90 minutes to go to any major store other than Walmart, so I buy a lot of things off of Amazon. Part of that is the convenience of having items delivered to my door. But here the USPS will not deliver any large or heavy packages. They leave you a note telling you to go to the post office and pick it up. A few weeks ago I ordered a boxspring far my son (the metal kind that you have to assemble) and the USPS refused to deliver it. I called Amazon, they refunded my money and told e to order it again. Now for those of you that don't know, Amazon uses an algorithm to determine the carrier and according to them, no one has the power to override that. A few years ago I had to order the same item 4 times because the USPS would not deliver it and on the 4th time UPS was the carrier and it was delivered. After ordering the boxspring a second time they same thing happened - USPS would not deliver it. This time Amazon called the post office and they said they would deliver it. Sure enough, they did. They also dropped of the one that was recalled the week before. But wait - there's more. Supply chain shortages are really hurting the hotel industry. It can be impossible to get hotel soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. So after my supplier had yet another delay, I ordered two cases of each off of Amazon as our inventory is extremely low. And sure enough, Amazon sent it USPS and they refuse to deliver. This stuff won't fit in my little Genesis Coupe, and for liability reasons we don't send hourly associates out on errands for the hotel. So now I have to contact Amazon again. The thing is, all Amazon has to do is tweak their algorithm so they don't send oversized or heavy packages via UPS. It's an easy code tweak.

That is, if the thunderstorms hold off. My plan was to be out on my kayak all day, but the weather is calling for thunderstorms in the morning and later afternoon. The other day I fished off the docks of my hotel for about 30 minutes, and every time my bait hit the water it sent the baitfish jumping and scattering. Then I started hearing some big splashes. In the back end of the lagoon the bass were pinning the baitfish up against a seawall and just feasting. It was constant blowups the entire time I was out there. I saw some decent size (3-4 pound) bass breach the surface as they were feeding, but it was out of my casting range as there are a few trees that blocked casting to that area and I did not want to go on the neighbor's property. But I still landed four 1 - 1.5 pounders within that thirty minutes. But Lake Oconee is in rough shape right now after the severe storms last week. There's a lot of flotsam and jetsam throughout the lake, but where it piles up and the end of coves it does provide some cover. But the sedimentation is unreal. See the picture below. Last weekend I kayaked to a cove about 2.5 miles away (45-50 minute pedal) that I had not fished before, but the water was even murkier then. I landed a few, and saw one bigger girl breach but couldn't get her to bite. I want to fish there again this weekend and was planning to hit another cover further out, but I'm not sure if I want to head out that far with impending storms. Both these coves have access to deeper water than is found around my hotel, and there are a few points I passed on last weekend because it was really windy on open water. Maybe I'll just try my cove first down in the area I could not reach when bank fishing. Other than a few 4 pounders, I haven't run into any decent sized bass so far, but it is exciting that the numbers are coming back on Oconee this year.

It's actually better than the AT&T coverage that I had. It's even better with all of the free stuff and T-Mobile Tuesdays. Next Tuesday they are giving away a Tesla.

It tends to ride up too much in both the front and the back, and it's not comfortable when around the top of my back when I lean back into my seat. Maybe I just haven't found the sweet pot adjustment yet. I plan to be out on the water all day tomorrow, so maybe I'll experiment with it a little bit. As for the inflatables, they run on the pricey side and knowing my luck I'll keep setting them off and have to fork over even more money.

I have an Onyx MoveVent, but there are times when it feels to bulky, so I'm looking for a replacement. At this time I don;t think I want an inflatable. Does anyone have any suggestions for a less bulky PFD? Has anyone tried the NRS Ninja?

I have the 7' medium version paired with one of my Curados. I can't remember if I paired it with an MGL or K. The slightly shorter handle is a definite benefit when you're sitting in a kayak as it's less likely to get caught up on your PFD. By the same token, it feels "different" if you're standing and casting, but not annoying like a pistol grip rod. If you're used to a longer butt end, it might take a little while to adapt. But when on a kayak and fighting a bigger fish, there are times where that longer butt end can interfere with a bulky PFD. It feels and plays heavier than the Dobyns or Expride, but that's more because the others are so light. I don't get worn out casting it all day and there are times when I did fish that rod all day long. The grips are comfortable enough so you don't even notice them. There are no surprises with this rod. It's everything you would expect a 7' M rod to be. For example, I have a ton of 7' MHF rods and some are quite disappointing with their feel, weight, action, stiffness, sensitivity, etc. But my Mojo Yak doesn't disappoint in any way. The sensitivity is very good, but not outstanding. Overall, it's a high quality rod. It was my favorite rod until I bought an Expride. When I go out on my kayak I usually bring 4 rods, and my Mojo Yak rod is NEVER left behind.

I have a Dobyns 703C and a St. Croix Mojo Yak. I like both of them. But none come close to comparing with my Exprides.

I can't imagine why someone would be in a kayak without a PFD. I wear mine all of the time. Sometimes it gets uncomfortable, but it's better than the alternative.

Berkely Pit Boss or Rage Tail craw depending upon whether I want a high profile or low profile trailer. Occasionally a paddletail. One thing to note, if the blade isn't engaging quickly, check the alignment of your trailer.

I had my Seastream up over 5 mph trying to outrun a thunderstorm. I was motivated. And gassed.

It's interesting that with all of the different makes, models, price points, and propulsion methods that we're all at the same cruising speed. With pedal kayaks becoming more popular by the day, I foresee some company out there coming up with a more efficient human powered propulsion system to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. While one thing that comes to mind is a taller gear, I'm thinking there may be speed limitations because of prop design and how much water the prop can push. Maybe going from a two prop to three prop system would help with that. I may have to experiment with that if I can find the time. Going from 3 mph to just 5 mph would open up a lot of new waters for me. Yes, I know there are trolling motor options, but one reason I picked the pedal kayak was for exercise.

I'm curious what kind of cruising speed everyone else is obtaining with their pedal kayaks. I'm not talking about an all out sprint speed, just the speed you get from a normal pace when you have to cover some distance across the lake. In my Seastream Angler 120 PD, my Lowrance shows my typical cruising speed of 3.2 mph with a steady pedal. I can usually keep this up for a few miles before I start to get gassed unless I'm fighting wind and current. I had a two mile run to fish a new spot today and that got me thinking about this. I like my kayak a lot, but I wish it was a few mph faster. That got me thinking about other brands, and also got me thinking that somebody needs to come up with taller gear options for pedal kayaks, like shifting gears on a bicycle. There has to be a way for someone to come up with something like this for chain drive pedal kayaks. But they would have to include some sort of cover plate so you could put the chain back on if it came off the sprocket. So, if you have a pedal kayak, go ahead and add to this thread with the make and model of your kayak and your typical cruising speed. Again, not your sprint speed - just the speed from an easy pedal when you are covering a long distance of a mile or more.

I went with T-Mobile and my new iPhone 12 Pro Max is due to arrive tomorrow. It was kind of a no-brainer in the end because not only do I have a cheaper plan but also Netflix is included plus I get a year free of MLB.TV, Apple TV, and Paramount+.

If you have the right setup it's not hard. Somewhere on here I posted a video of a 100 pound girl loading her 100 pound Hobie pedal drive on her car, She had a pull out extender off the back of her roof rack and it made it an easy pivot to put up there. That's only if you try and run full speed everywhere you go. I can do a steady pace of 2.8 - 3.2 mph with a fully loaded kayak and be out there for 6 hours. What kicks my butt is pulling it back up the big hill to where I store it in my hotel.

On Twitter I follow mostly baseball topics, BR, and a few other fishing accounts. Next to one fishing tweet there was a link to see more tweets on fishing, so I clicked on it. Who knew so many beautiful, scantily clad women were posting fishing pictures on social media? Can this be real? (sarcasm) When I go out fishing all I see are 300 pound women with missing teeth on beat up old pontoon boats. I guess it's true what they say about fishing - location is everything.

I think the Grim Reaper is stalking me. We've had some extreme weather here in GA the past few days. Yesterday after work I went to the grocery store and as I'm leaving the store my phone blares with the warning "TAKE SHELTER NOW" because a tornado has been sited in the area. My first thought is, "Lord, please don't let me die in Ingles." As I'm hurrying to load my car I see the power go off in the store. Uh oh! So now I'm thinking that the tornado must be close. I look around and listen, and I don't see or hear a tornado, so I jump in my car and head home, keeping an eye out for funnel clouds. As it turns out, the tornado passed overhead in my area but never touched down. But then today happened. As I'm driving home the sky is getting darker and darker and the rain starts coming down even harder. Keep in mind that I live out in farmland, and we have some narrow country roads with culverts on either side. There's a section of road near home that goes from pasture to some dense trees for a small stretch, and it's at that point where all hell broke loose. The rain was coming down so hard that it was just a sheet of gray outside. I can barely see the road right in front of my car. Normally I rip through there at 60+ mph, but I was doing about 20 -25 in the driving rain. I got on the phone (hands free) to let my hotel know that extreme weather was about two minutes out and that if the power went out to give me a call (we don't have a generator, but we have various UPS devices to keep computer systems powered). As I'm talking, there's a flash and lightning strikes a tree just up ahead. I slow down even more. Then I see the telltale purple sparks of electricity, but I can still barely see the road up ahead. I let out a few choice @#%$ and and the next thing I know power lines are right in front of me, going from 15 feet in the air to the ground right across the road. It turns out that right where the tree hit the power lines is where the lines normally cross the road to the other side. The power lines were just above me and right in front of my car when I finally saw them and stopped. If I was in a truck I probably would have hit the power lines. If I had been on that section of road 3 seconds sooner the lines would have fallen right on top of my car. 3 seconds. So now I'm trying to back up on a narrow road with deep culverts on both sides, in a blinding rain in a car that even on clear days has little visibility out the rear window. I can't turn around in the road because I can't see and it's too narrow. There's not a driveway in site. I hang up with the hotel and call 911 to get them to block the road on either end so no one gets killed. As I'm backing up, I have my flashers on and I'm in the left hand lane. Why the left hand lane? If someone comes up behind me in these low visibility conditions and I'm backing up, that gap between us will close fast and I don't want to get rear ended. Sure enough, a pickup comes up the road and as he starts to pass me I'm leaning on the horn while at the same time talking to the 911 dispatch. Thankfully, the guy stops about 30 feet in front of me so I'm able to pull up to tell him what's going on. Another 50 feet and he would have hit the power lines. He had a big pickup, so he used it to block the road and wait for the Sheriff or fire department to arrive. I backed up, found a driveway, turned around, and took the long way home. There was still lightning everywhere, but I finally made it home. All I kept thinking about was those 3 seconds. We're still in for heavy storms and under a tornado watch all night. So now I'm wondering what tomorrow has in store for me. Or maybe I should just buy a lottery ticket.

I've had AT&T forever, but I'm thinking of changing. At first I was just looking to upgrade my old iPhone 8 Plus to the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and it has snowballed from there. I have an old AT&T rollover plan, but now they are doing away with the plan and that got me looking around. T-Mobile has some 55+ plans, and AT&T's senior (oh how I hate typing that) plans are limited to just a few states and I don't live in one of those. I can save some money on a T-Mobile plan, and they are giving me more money for my trade in. Those are all great, but I'm interested how current T-Mobile users like their coverage and service. T-Mobile also seems to nickel and dime me on the back end with upgrades for things like spam protection and service (another $18 a month). Do you have any good or bad T-Mobile stories?

I bought the HUK Men's Tournament Wind & Water Proof Rain Jacket on sale for $170 (Amazon) and it does a great job with wind and rain. I like both the inner and outer velcro around the wrists as it really helps keep the water out. I do wish the hood was detachable, but that's a minor inconvenience.