Crow Horse

Other more specialized tools I use to crush barbs. I believe they are dental tools that I found at a yard sale. They work great. I'm a toolaholic....

I crush the barbs on all my trebles with a pair of needle nose non serrated jaws. Hemostats can sometimes be used as well.

That ship has sailed for me. I always assume when I get unusual emails that it's a potential scammer or hacker. I'm sure I got one but deleted it.

Is there any other way of checking to see if we qualify?

Can you get them out?

I carry a small IFAK on my yak but have a huge one in my truck. Having some training in first aid can be a life saver. The time to do that training is before you need it and not after....

Added another full tray of Oneten's, Jr.'s, and X-80's. I think an intervention is in order.

I relate more to Queequeg but share the obsession with Ahab......

Yep, my yak is the USS Pequod Also pictured is a constant reminder.....

Can you expand on this? The Shin Fukae knot is really easy to tie and I'm seriously considering using it for my braid to leader knot. My concern was hanging up line on the spool when casting. Thanks!

I was intrigued by the toit knot. I've been practicing it and that will be my leader to lure knot.

For what it's worth.... Always tell someone where you are going and when you intend on returning. If you are in a desolate area and you experience a no start, have no cell service, no other boaters around, at least someone can call authorities and know where to search for you.

One habit that has carried over from my surfcasting days is that whenever I left the water, I backed off the drag (spinning reel) until it had no pressure. The belief was that if it was left tightened down, the washers would take a "set" and be less effective. I don't know if that still holds true now with more advanced materials used in drags today.

One item I neglected to mention is that when a fish is taking too much line instead of tightening the drag I'll palm the spool to apply some braking force. Tightening the drag on the spool might be a recipe for disaster for me. I will loosen the drag if need be when the fish is very close to my yak and still has lots of fight left.

4# Chatillon (probably from WWII era) 50# Manley (1980's) Good old time quality.....

Is that a Chatillon scale I see?

I've read the same. I was curious as how drag setting factors in being that my yak is not in a fixed position (unless anchored). Maybe it has now impact on the setting when a bass takes a sudden run. In that case, the drag setting has more relevance.

Like the title says, what's the best way to set the drag. I tend to have it on the looser side and if needed I can palm the spool. The reason I ask this is that when I have a sizeable fish on, it'll tow my yak around. I'm think that the tow factors into the drag setting. Any thoughts on this?

Cold Water Shock Cold Shock And Swimming Failure

Thanks. It took 8 years and many changes to get it to this point where it serves me well.

A budget yak that I built on....

My wiring is pretty simple on my 10' yak but in other electrical projects, having the correct tools is important.I've acquired hydraulic crimpers, large lug manual crimpers and ratcheting crimpers. Other tools that are helpful are good cable cutters, and a heat gun with curved nozzle, I even have a thermal wire stripper (used in the aviation industry) for smaller gauge wires. Adhesive lined heat shrink, cobra style tie wraps, and braided sleeving make for a professional finish. Use marine grade wire and Oxguard or dielectric grease where appropriate.

1. Regret not crushing the barbs on your hooks. 2. Regret trying to save some loot when you purchased a cheap small bolt cutter.

x4 on sharp hooks. New hooks right out of the package aren't sharp enough for my liking. Having really sharp hooks can't be overstated.

Not a life threatening situation. Imagine being in the water with heavy clothes on. It wouldn't have a very good ending. In this situation, we towed him and his yak back to the launch site. There wasn't any practical spot to exit the water other than the launch site. It wasn't a long tow but it took 2 yaks and a great deal of effort to bring him to shore. I used to be a beach rat/jetty jockey. Jetties were the most dangerous at night. I once was swept off a jetty by a "rogue" wave. I was very lucky. It could have ended badly. In retrospect, an inflatable PFD would have been the right thing to wear.