Crow Horse

You can add a storage box. I have a discontinued Malone trailer (it was the smallest of their line at the time) and used brackets (from Malone) to mount the storage box and then fabbed up mounts for a Harbor Freight cargo basket. The storage box is a Plano Sportman's Box. It has limitations but it serves it's purpose.

If heat is a concern while wearing a PFD, there are ways to mitigate the heat while still wearing one. I suffer in the heat but I'll never not wear a PFD. I've found that on extreme days using a cooling towel draped around my neck works a charm. Keeping hydrated is also very important. Proper clothing is also important.

Dead wrong. Not wearing a PFD does affect others. Consider the recovery divers who are charged with recovering a lifeless body. They put themselves in an environment of hardship & hazard. Valuable resources LE and environmental officers will be required for a situation that is preventable to some degree. Consider the anguish of the family members of a former co-worker when it took 5 hours to locate and recover his body. Not wearing one affects a lot of people.

Military APECS (All Purpose Environmental Clothing). Waterproof (Gore Tex) and built like a tank.

Finally finished the camera arm. The aluminum rod was bent and I ran a length of vinyl coated #80 stranded stainless steel wire under the sheathing to the camera to act as a tether/leash in the event that I strike an underwater object and break a component of the camera mount. This will probably require some tweaking once I get it in the water and see what adjustments are necessary. I will need to see how the arm will park when not deployed but for now version 1.0 is complete.

This is a valuable lesson that should be repeatedly heard. A distant second consideration (distant cannot be overstated) is leashing all valuable gear to the vessel. This can become a double edged sword. Leashes will make gear recovery easy but at the cost of the possibility of getting tangled up by the leashes while in the water. Remember Ahab? Everything on my yak is leashed and on the shoulder strap of my PFD is a blunt tipped dive knife so that if the worst happens, I have the ability to cut free of a tangle.

A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. As stated above, my routine fits that definition. On the trail leading to the launch point I leave a tobacco offering, a feather, and say a short silent prayer of gratitude. Immediately after launching I'll present another tobacco offering to the 4 directions and another silent prayer of gratitude asking only for safe passage and that any fish I catch will be released unharmed. I don't consider my routine superstitious. It's just my SOP. My fishing buddies accept (or tolerate) my eccentricity.....

My point is that with careful and proper handling we can reduce or eliminate one stressor in the fishing process. "Proper" is left up to the individual to define. I'd have to take issue with the "dominion" concept unless it's definition included, stewardship, guardianship, and protector.

Dr. Emoto might disagree with your approach......😁

I don't believe that is a valid comparison. We don't ski and swim in the water 24/7 and certainly don't drink from it untreated. Our skin is the first line of defense and that can be compared to a fish's slime coat. If we had a wound in our skin and stayed in the water 24/7, there's a very good chance that the could become infected. I believe that the same possibility exists for fish with damaged slime coats. To be clear, my method of handling fish is not practical to do from a boat. I'm in a yak and much closer to the water than one in a boat.

It might be something similar to slime coat syndrome, but I'm not sure how that would apply to LMB.

From a NYS DEC fisheries biologist that I'm in communication with..... ".........any fish that loses its slime layer (for whatever reason) it is susceptible to infection."

Like the title says, do you handle the fish you've caught? I don't. I net (rubberized) them and then secure them with a fish grip and they remain in the water while unhooking. My reasoning is that I want to avoid disturbing or compromising it's mucous or slime coat. The slime coat is their first line of defense against infections and parasites. The slime coat has a difficult job considering they live in a bath of fungi, bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Once unhooked they are released. It might sound like it's a bit over the top, but factor in the stress of the fight and it becomes something to consider.

Normal is subjective. Based on my experience, my "normal" is what most people would consider the "lunatic fringe" (I'm being charitable on my own behalf). 😃

It's tough keeping tackle dry when it rains....

For rust prevention you might consider the Zerust Plastabs. They are VCI's (vapor corrosion inhibitors). They work well. I use them in my Edge & Stowaway boxes as well as all my tool chests/boxes. They work and take up no room if that matters.

I agree 100%.

Thanks!

I'm going to reserve judgement until I get more information. I did follow up my first question with a second one.... If the DEC has no boating control of the lake, would that mean that the statewide fishing regulations are not in play? At face value it would seem logical that both boating regulations and fisheries management regulations should be warranted. I'm waiting for their reply. There's definitely a missing piece to this puzzle. I guess "high powered" is subjective. From my kayak perspective everything is high powered. I think we'd agree that the boat that swamped my buddy and his wife , being a 21 footer, center console, deep V with 200hp for this body of water is overkill and ridiculous. I did learn that personal watercraft are prohibited on the lake which I'm thankful for but it seems "bass ackwards" in logic.

I suffer from some arthritis and Raynaud's Syndrome. The medications I take exacerbate the Raynaud's. Consequently, tying knots is challenging. I found a product that makes knot tying incredibly easy. They are pricey for what they are. I'm going to modify some upholstery needles and they should work just as well for a lot less money. I'll grind or cut the point of the needle off and then round it off. I'll then dip most of the needle in some PlastiDip. Done. Easy peasy for a lot less loot. Rapid Fishing Solutions Line Guide

This makes my eyes leak......

That's a linebacker!

Thor & Loki, my trusted companions. Our bond was so deep that I dreaded the days that I would have to say goodbye. To honor them and others who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, i wear either their ashes or dog tags with all the names who have made that final journey. I always thought that losing a trusted furred companion would get easier as time went on and the next loss would be easier.Maybe I would become stronger, maybe even callous to some degree to make their passing easier on me. I was wrong. Each subsequent loss created a deeper wound and a deeper void in my heart. This became a vexing question that haunted me. It wasn't until we lost Amber and while I was grieving the veil of sadness lifted for a moment of clarity and the answer became clear as to why I was wrong. When we lose a loved pet they leave a void in our hearts. We realize in a real way that life is so precious and fragile and we respond by loving more fiercely and deeply to those who still remain in this 4D world. When they finally cross that bridge, our wounds and void are deeper than ever. Each loss becomes more painful because we have learned to love deeper.

Kudos to you guys and gals who have strong religious connections. I admire and respect all who choose that path in life. They are all honorable paths, regardless of which one you're on.......

No, I couldn't afford it. However, with over 30 litter boxes to clean daily, I have assigned myself the title "Lord of the Litter Box"! We might just have the western hemisphere's largest litter box. I made it to accommodate the 3 CH kittens. It measures 3.5' x 4'. Photo was taken while I was building it. Truck for size reference.