Bankc

If you're just starting off, it's better to learn one technique at a time, and get good at that rather than try to get good at everything at once. The subtle nuances you learn while really focusing on a single technique will translate over to other techniques. If you never dive deep enough into learning a single technique, you'll never allow yourself time to pick up on those subtleties. So each technique you learn provides a foundation for each new technique you take on. Most of the pros are pretty good at lots of stuff, even if they're best known for just one or two things. So ideally, you want to be great at everything. But it's far easier to learn to be great at just one thing. And far more useful.

I wear old tennis shoes with holes drilled in them (to let the water out) when the water's warm. And then rubber boots in the cold-water months. There usually gravel on our ramps, or at least stray rocks and such. And I like to keep my skin covered, so I don't get sunburn. So I don't typically fish barefoot. But I do recommend being barefoot as often as possible. Walking around barefoot strengthens your feet which helps reduce foot pain, knee pain, back pain, all of that stuff.

Bump stops at the pedals would probably be easiest. I use the NovelBee foot brace pedals on my kayak. They work pretty well and can be set to not allow you to turn too far. Plus, they stay in place to make paddling easier when you want to do that. And they're not crazy expensive or hard to install.

All great advice. Though, I would be cautious about adding an RC plane prop to your trolling motor. They work great for kayaks and such, but a kayak, with a person in it and fully loaded, probably weighs around 350lbs, tops. So it doesn't need the full torque of the trolling motor to get going. A 1,200lbs, 16-foot boat probably will. So I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the plane prop didn't actually slow you down. But they're only a couple of bucks, so it might still be worth the experiment. Your best bet would probably be to add a kicker motor. They make electric versions now. Or maybe try using a drift sock to slow down your main motor. Hard to say without knowing more details. I guess the real question is, how fast does your current trolling motor pull you, how slow can you get your big motor to go, and what speeds are you looking for?

Patient: "Hey doc, my trolling motor gets stuck when I turn it too far." Doctor: "Don't turn it too far." What you're experiencing is a design flaw with the V-wing attachment on the trolling motor that you have your cables connected to. There's not really a way around that, other than replacing the V-wing with a complicated pulley system. What's happening is you're getting close to the threshold where the force of the cable pulling forward wants to turn the trolling motor in the opposite direction. And the amount of force needed to turn the trolling motor when you near that point is going to go up considerably, because you're losing the leverage of the V-wing. The best solution is to add some stops so you don't approach that threshold.

I've been in this situation before. Trust me when I tell you that it'll be a lot easier to find someone else to fish with who has a nice boat that you actually enjoy spending time with than it will be to "fix" this guy. And yeah, I know how hard it is to find new friends when you move to a new area as an adult. Especially friends who fish and own boats. But it's nowhere near the amount of time or effort that it would take to coax this man into someone that you feel comfortable being around. In fact, the better he gets to know you, the more comfortable he'll feel around you, and the more violent and angry he'll become. Believe it or not, you're seeing the good side of him. Don't wait until the bad side comes out. The longer you wait to cut him off, the more dangerous he'll become. If he were an old friend and you had a lot of history, it might be worth it to talk to him and be patient and help him through his troubles. But since this isn't the case, doing so would be a bad investment, where the more you put into the relationship, the more he'll take from you.

This got me thinking. Maybe there's an online map that shows where the blinds are located. So I look it up, and sure enough, there's one on the official city government's website! And they update it every year, so I made sure that I was looking at the one for this year. And guess what. The spot those hunters had set up was not on the map. It was about a mile north of any approved spot for a blind, so it wasn't even close! Which means they were hunting illegally! Am I surprised? Nope. But I am frightened now. Had I known that, I would have called the police.

That would indeed be a challenge for me. I don't think I've ever caught a bass in January. At least not that I can remember. Even catching a bass in December and February are rare occurrences for me that don't happen every year. March can be tough too if the weather doesn't cooperate. Even April and May can be dicey because of the high winds and spring thunderstorms keeping me off the water, often preventing me from even trying. But usually from April to November, so long as I can get out on the water, I'm good for at least one bass. I rarely get skunked in those months. I rarely catch a limit (which is a measly 6 here). But I can get that one pretty consistently.

I just wish they'd put up signs or buoys marking the hunting areas. On my local lake, they have a lottery for spots where they can set up duck blinds, so there are only a few, specific locations where you could be in the line of fire. And with my kayak, they won't hear me, so I'm going to have to rely on them seeing me, because I won't be able to see them. Last weekend, for instance, I accidentally stumbled into the path of some hunters and didn't know it until they came out to retrieve their decoys. It was about 10:30 a.m., so they were probably about done anyway, but I felt bad for getting in their way. And since I was there on the lake before sunrise and didn't hear a single shot, I figure it wasn't a good day regardless. I only saw one duck, a mallard drake at the launch that would not leave me alone because someone had been feeding it. But I don't want to ruin a hunt, get accidentally shot, or get into a fight with an armed stranger over an honest mistake. So some kind of warning system would be greatly appreciated. Especially since this is on a city owned lake that is always heavily populated. It would benefit both the hunters and the anglers.

This is really the most important point. Some of us are older guys, and hitting 35° out of a kayak could be life threatening. Others are younger guys that could right their kayak and crawl back in in under a minute. Some of us are Polar Bear Club types, where the cold water is invigorating. Some of us might go into shock when we hit water that cold and lose control of their body. For some, the best option is to stay dry. For others, it's to stay warm. Some will chance the worst conditions, and others will stay home. It's not going to be the same situation for everyone. You're just going to have to figure out your own plan that works for you. One thing I would suggest, no matter where you're coming from, is to never kayak alone in cold weather. If you can, take a buddy. If not, stick to lakes and areas that will be heavily populated in the winter. And keep a signaling device on your body, like a whistle. That way, if worse comes to worse, you can call for help, and help will be nearby. In cold weather, you often don't have long if you hit the water, so having someone within sight and earshot can be a life-or-death difference.

Fishing rods were invented thousands of years before fishing reels. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things was to cut down a stalk of bamboo and tie on some line and go catch some fish. I'm not saying reels aren't important, but if you can only afford one good component and one cheap component, I'd splurge on the rod.

If the switch is protected from the weather, you might consider installing a smart switch. That way you don't have to remember to flip it yourself. You can (fairly) easily program it with your smartphone to come on and off at specific times. The main problem people run into with them is the switch needs to have the hot, common, and ground wires in the box. On some older houses, they'll just have the hot and ground. In my house, each outlet has the common wires, but they weren't hooked up to the old switches, so I had to connect them. They make some switches that don't require the common wire, but they're a bit more expensive, and you'll have to buy them specifically. I'll admit, the first time you install one, it's a bit confusing, dealing with the app, the wifi, and the wiring. But after the first one, they're pretty easy to install. And it shouldn't take you more than 2 hours or require any special tools. There are instructions and YT videos to help you through it, to make it a lot easier. Just remember, as always, to flip the breaker so you don't shock yourself.

I won't claim this as 100% fact, but from what saw when I looked it up, it does not seem that it is currently required. My guess is that either they changed the law, or they never were laws to begin with, but everyone just assumed. Back before the internet, to look up a law just about required hiring a lawyer. At the very least, it meant placing a few phone calls to the appropriate government official. Plus, back in the day, most motorboats were smaller and a lot lighter than they are today. So you actually could paddle them in an emergency. So maybe they got rid of the laws because for most people today, if your motor breaks, your cell phone and a tow rope is your best emergency backup plan.

Bank fishing is a 180 from kayak fishing for me. I don't bank fish for long periods of time. So I just bring one rod and one bait. And when I lose it, I'm done for the day. I'll even take a worn-out worm and cut the head off and rehook it a bit further down until I'm left with a TRD. With the limited time, it doesn't make much sense for me to try multiple presentations. About the time I figure out the bass won't bite what I'm throwing, it's time to go home.

I'm always digging around in my tackle box. I fish from a kayak, so I have a strict 6 rod limit, so it's rare for something to get rigged up and left alone. And I typically choose my lure based on where I'm fishing (cover type, depth, etc.), so as I move around the lake, I'll need different lures. And sometimes, something isn't working for reasons I don't understand, so I'll try something else. On a typical day, I'll get up early and start off with 2-3 rods rigged for topwaters. The wind usually dictates which ones I'll tie on. And different topwaters have a different pace, so you can experiment to find out how aggressive the fish are that day. Then, about an hour or so after sunrise, I'll switch to squarebills, spinnerbaits, T-rigged worms, jigs, whatever I think will work that day, as I'm usually chasing fish in 6-15 FOW. And sometimes that'll be targeting weeds, sometimes rock piles, and sometimes submerged timber. Again, different lures for different conditions. Around noon, I'll switch out to deep diving cranks, drop shots, maybe a spoon, or anything else that'll get to into the deep water. Anything that'll get down to 15-30 FOW. Sometimes I'll beat the bank and toss a jig or T-rig worm into thick cover in skinny water, but there's very little shade on the lakes I fish and lots of fishing pressure on those spots, so what little shade you do find usually isn't very productive. But not always. And then, as the day wears on, I'll backtrack from the deep back to the shallow and then topwater. Unless I stumble across a pattern, then I narrow down my approach. It's really hard to pick a plan and stick to it on a heavily pressured public lake. First off, you have to beat everyone to the good spots if you want to try your plan. And second, you have to hope something has changed recently that changed the fish's behavior. Otherwise, the most obvious plans will be what everyone else has been doing for several days or more, and the fish will be very weary of what you're offering them. And I'm just not good enough or smart enough to figure out how to fish the seasonal pattern, the weather pattern and the fishing pressure pattern combined. So I do a lot of junk fishing looking for patterns to build on. Once I've had a bite or two, I'll slow down my lure rotation to try to focus on what's working that day.

A bigger Shad Rap perhaps? You can't really alter the weight of the Shad Rap without altering the characteristics that make it so deadly. That's why they're still so popular after all of these years, despite the fact that everyone hates how light they are. But, there are some alternatives worth exploring. The Rapala Fat Rap is a bit heavier and usually does well when the Shad Rap does (cold water, slow bite). Same with a lot of flat sided cranks, like the Berkley Frittside. They're both a bit more aggressive in wobble than a Shad Rap, but much less so than most of your traditional crankbaits. Or you could try weighting the ones you have. I've never tried it with a Shad Rap, but I'm sure others have.

Sometimes they'll swat a frog to stun it. So if it looks like your frog got blown up, but you don't feel any weight on the line, let it sit there a minute before retrieving it. Make it look like a stunned frog. Also, sometimes it's a good idea to bend the hooks up on frogs to get better hookup ratios. They'll catch more weeds that way. But if it's not too thick and the frog is mostly going over the stuff, it can work. And Casts-by-fly's suggestion of a follow up bait is also a good one. I prefer T-rigged Senkos for this.

Medium-light power in a fast action spinning rod is my choice. I've got a couple of those rods that I'll use for Shad Raps and similar baits. Typically, I like a more moderate action rod for cranks, but since you're using a medium light power rod, it still flexes well enough to keep a fish pinned. So it's a good compromise that allows the rod to do more than just one thing. These are the same rods I use for Ned rigs, Drop-shots, and wacky rigs.

Foam PFD's are great in winter! They keep you warm! Also, bring an emergency Mylar rescue blanket in case you fall in. Wet clothes will wick away heat, so if you take a dip, it's a good idea to strip out of your clothes and get under that blanket to keep you warm while you make your way back to your car. I'm in OKC, so probably about the same climate as north Texas. Here's my winter fishing setup. Tall rubber boots. That way I can wade in the water and keep my feet dry. Important for launching. Two pairs of socks, one over the other. That just helps to keep my toes warm. Thick wool socks might work just as well. Long thermal underwear. Longjohns are great for keeping you warm without adding too much bulk so you can still move around. Jeans. My jeans usually get damp with all of the water splashing up on the kayak, but with the Longjohns and tall rubber boots, my legs don't get wet. It would probably be better to get some kind of waterproof pants, but the jeans work for me. Thermal shirt, under my normal t-shirt. Just to help keep warm. A hoodie sweatshirt that's easy to take off. A water resistant jacket. It doesn't have to be waterproof, but something that can have water splash up on it and won't absorb too much. I usually wear a leather motorcycle jacket. Something like a beanie that covers your head AND ears. Scarf. It can cover your face and nose when the wind kicks up. And two pairs of gloves. One are neoprene gloves, which do nothing to keep your hands dry, but do pretty well at keeping them warm, and some regular winter gloves that I can swap with the neoprene gloves to warm my hands up if they get too cold and wet. Sometimes I'll bring a hand warmer as well. I like the neoprene gloves because my hands are gonna get wet. So it's nice to have gloves that can get wet. And the second set gives me a warmer, dry only set. I'll also usually wear fishing gloves, like the summer fingerless, fishing gloves that block UV light, under either pair of winter gloves. I don't like casting with gloves on, but if it's cold enough, I will. In other words, dress in layers. In the wintertime, it can be hard to dress for the morning, afternoon, and evening temperatures. And as you move around the lake, the wind and sun will play varying roles on how warm you are. So you can overheat in the winter if you're not careful.

I'm getting out tomorrow as well for the first time in quite a while! Still not sure where. The usual, which I'm familiar with but hasn't been a very good this year, or something different? That might have to be a game-time decision.

Depends on the paint. If it's a water based paint, then typically a hair dryer will dry it quicker. If it's an oil based paint, then a black light (or any high UV light) and air circulation will dry it quicker. But dry it too quickly, and you'll have adhesion problems. However, drying isn't the concern. It's curing. And all paints take about 3-4 weeks minimum to cure. So while it might be dry to the touch, enough to handle without smearing the paint, the paint will still scratch and chip easily for the first month or more. Hence why a lot of people like powder coating. Once it's cooled down from the oven, it's good to go!

Any way that gets the curly tail worm wet has a chance to catch fish. They're as close to a do-everything lure as you're gonna find.

Look for the fish. Use your sonar and drive around looking for where the fish are concentrated. If they're all around the same depth, slow down and concentrate on that one area. If you can't seem to find any anywhere, or they're all over the place, then keep moving and trying different things until something starts working. If your water temperature is below 50° F, then my guess is they're probably going to be found along main lake points, in their winter hiding spots. Pretty much any place with steep transitions and access to deep water. And if they're not there, they're probably making their way over, which means secondary lake points near main lake points. Or at least that's what they do here in water that cold. In my area, once the water gets into the 40's, the bite really slows down and the bass go deep. And once the water hits the 30's, they're pretty much locked down and you've got to fight hard for every bite. Right now, the water temps in my local lakes are right around 60°. So the bass will likely be chasing the baitfish all over the lake. I'll find out tomorrow for sure. But they should be active, and the old rule of find the baitfish, find the bass, should apply. But bass don't always listen to the rules. Ornery little critters....

That's what I was thinking. I often go fishing with just one rod and one lure (on my lunch break), and sometimes when you can't get them to commit, just pausing the crankbait and letting it sit there, sometimes as long as a full minute, and then resuming can get a bite. Or doing the opposite and popping the rod on a steady retrieve. Anything different. And sometimes fishing it like a jerkbait works as well. I've fished a lot of jerkbaits like crankbaits and crankbaits like jerkbaits in my life. It may not be the best approach, but I can vouch that it works, at least sometimes. I probably fished the Rapala Floating Minnow for a good 20 years before I even knew what a jerkbait was!

One 24v battery will be easier to set up. However it will be twice as large and twice as heavy as each 12v battery. Two 12v batteries will probably be cheaper. But you'll have to worry about compatibility with both batteries able to run in series. And the wiring at the battery will be a bit more complicated since they're in series. You can also use a 12v charger with two 12v batteries. But you'll probably want 2 12v chargers, or a 12v charger that can charge two batteries at once. And you'll want to add a switch to disconnect the series connection between the batteries while you charge them, or do it manually, if you go this route. Otherwise, a 24v charger might be best. Just make sure whichever route you go, they're lithium (LiFePo4) compatible. But as far as performance is concerned, they're equal. LiFePo4 batteries only put out around 3.2 volts (nominal) per cell. So on a 12v 100Ah battery, it'll have four 3.2v - 100Ah cells. So two of those big 12v batteries will be made up of eight 100Ah cells. And one 24v, 100Ah battery will also come with eight 100Ah cells. So they're pretty much the same thing on the insides.