Bankc

My own personal research shows that big bass are almost always located in the third most likely spot to hold big bass.

The best knot for fluorcarbon, and I've pretty much tried them all, is the Berkley Braid Knot. It's not, as the name implies, the best knot for braid. But in my experience it holds up better than any other terminal knot for fluoro. However, it's a mess of a knot to tie, so while I'll use it from time to time, I largely avoid it. I typically use the Fish N Fool, which is a slightly modified uni, and it works well enough and is easy to tie. I use that knot for most things, really. I hate Palomars for fluoro. They always fail prematurely for me, and always at the top where the mainline is pinched by the knot. The trick to most knots and fluoro is to work the knot when it's loose so you can mainly tighten it from the tag end side. If you stress the mainline side too much while cinching the knot, it seems to weaken the line. Kind of the same with mono, only mono is more forgiving. Braid doesn't care.

Fishingmickey pretty much nailed it. Do you want speed or spot lock? Also, the Xi3 will probably need to go on the bow and the Torqueedo on the stern. Depending on you kayak setup, this could make a difference.

I concentrate more on heavier spinnerbaits when trying to fish deeper waters. I typically choose the blade shape, size, color, and number based on the other conditions, like water clarity and how fast I'm trying to retrieve it.

I'll see your theft proof bolts and raise you one battery powered grinder with a diamond cutoff wheel.

Oakley vs. Costa is like Chevy vs. GMC.

Often times in the summer, when the surface temperature gets really hot, I tend to do better in deeper water where it's cooler. The mid to late summer is when I do my best with deep diving crankbaits. You can really burn them to get them down and keep them down deep too, because the bass are still active. I usually try to fish either at or just above the thermocline. Of course, I can still catch them shallow too. Fish are cold blooded, so the warmer the water, the faster their metabolisms. However, the warmer the water, the less oxygen there tends to be in the water, and that can slow them back down. So it's a weird mix. Fishing areas with current or near vegetation can help during the summer, as they'll both introduce oxygen into the water. But bass are definitely catchable in 90°+ water temps. I do it every year. Though on average, I do find it the second hardest time to catch bass, the hardest being winter.

Either or. There's a lot more factors that take priority for me over the wind. Casting from the bank vs. a boat will often change things as well. And I don't control the wind, so I usually fish a spot, and whichever way the wind is blowing will often not effect my approach. Though sometimes I'll fish a windblown bank because of the wind, and sometimes I'll fish a more open spot that I have a choice of where to set up. And if I have a choice, I usually go into the wind/current, if the wind isn't too strong to make casting at the distance I need almost impossible. The exception being when I'm on the bank, where I'll usually opt to cast with the wind at my back for increased distance and being able to reel back against the wind. So for me, wind direction is a factor, but it rarely changes where I'm casting from or to.

Big ones get called girl or her. Small ones get called boy or him. "Oh she's big!" But, there is a legend that goes by a different name. I hooked it once. I thought it was a stump because it was completely immovable, until I approached it to try to get unhooked, when it took off and broke my line. That, my friends, was Bassquach. I didn't see it, but I know that's what it was.

The Endura C2 30 is going to be your lightest motor available today. You don't have to run it at full speed, if you don't want to. And if you're not planning on running it at full speed often and want to conserve battery power, I'd consider the Endura Max 40# instead. It costs about twice as much and has even more thrust that you may not want, but it has what they call a Digital Maximizer, which is a PWM controller for the motor. The *** speeds of the Endura C2 uses a resistive system to slow the motor down at lower speeds, so it burns off extra electricity as heat to reduce motor speed. And that's fine in practice, but it wastes electricity when not run at full speed. The Endura Max's Digital Maximizer uses rapid pulses of electricity to control speed, so there's no wasted electricity (other than the additional circuitry, which is minimal), so you'll get longer run times on a more powerful motor, so long as you don't run it at full speed all of the time (in which case the bigger motor will eat more power). The downside is those PWM controllers like the Digital Maximizer can interfere with your sonar if you have one. They create a lot of electrical noise which can cause some sonar units to reproduce garbage results when the frequency of the motor and the frequency of the sonar ping are in harmonic resonance with each other. So the usual fix is to keep them on separate batteries, which solves the issue.

Don't plug all of the scupper holes, if you plug them. They're there for safety, to drain water. Sometimes water splashes up from them, and that can be annoying, but if you ever get a big wave crashing over and your scupper holes are plugged, it can completely flood kayak. And that will weigh down the kayak and make the scupper holes nearly ineffective, as the scupper hole will now be below the water line. Trust me, I used to have mine plugged and it worked great for about a year until a wake boat buzzed me and almost sank me. It was tough getting the plugs out of my scupper holes, as they were really jammed in there and slick from a year of mud and debris. What I do now is I made some one-way valve scupper plugs. I used PVC pipe adapters and put some little Nerf balls (ammo for one of their guns) in there and plastic welded some thin strips of PVC across the bottom to keep the balls from falling out. Then I used either rubber tape or glued EVA foam (depending on the hole diameter) around the edges for a friction fit in the scupper hole. When the water comes up from under, they block the hole. Otherwise they lay low and allow water to drain. Sometimes if the water builds up on top, they'll want to float and block the drainage, but you can easily poke them back down and they'll go back to draining. There are some tutorials online for ideas of how to make them if you look up "DIY valve scupper plug" or something. You can also buy them premade for some kayaks. As for your current kayak, I'd say just keep using it for now. They all seem pretty unstable and hard to paddle at first. But over time, you learn and get used to them. The more you use it, the more it'll teach you about what you want and don't want in your next kayak. Then, when you're ready for an upgrade, you'll know exactly what you want.

Personally, I'd wait until he actually WANTS to get in a boat. Forcing a 2 year old to do things they don't want to will ruin everyone's day within earshot. And then, tell him he has to wear a PFD at all times, just like Daddy. Set the example by putting yours on first. Associate the PFD with water, not with comfort. Don't even mess with it if he's not around a pool of water. He's old enough to know he doesn't need it for playing with sprinklers and hoses. Take him to the lake or a pool, so he can see how they work and what they do. A trick that works surprisingly well with 2 year olds is to give them options. They don't have to be good options, they just have to be options. 2 year olds really like making their own decisions. So I'd say get a second PFD, maybe one of those orange Type II's, and ask him which one he wants to wear after you've put on yours. Don't make it about wearing or not wearing a PFD. Make it about which PFD he gets to wear.

Both! Theoretically, the optimum approach is to know a lot of good spots and what times of year and under which conditions they work best. Then, as the seasons and conditions change, you go to spots that worked well for you in the past. But, that's also more of a tournament angler's mindset. Sometimes I like to try out new spots or revisit old spots that weren't productive (but I also didn't give a good chance), just because I want to try out new spots. Not every fishing trip is about catching the most or the biggest fish. Often times, it's about learning something new and becoming a better angler.

That's not generally a problem around here. Most of the lakes I fish don't have many or even any docks. And the docks they do have are the floating variety that are hard to fish anyway. And they almost always have "no fishing" or "no boats within 500 feet" (if it's a fishing pier) signs posted. I tend to be pretty non-confrontational these days, especially with strangers. There can be value in sticking up for yourself, but rarely when it's to someone you've never seen before and will likely never see again. Though I would probably call the authorities and turn them in. It's illegal to claim ownership of public property and impede its use, and they're starting to crack down on it as it's becoming a more common problem. Just make sure to use the non-emergency number.

I'm sure it feels that way. It feels like that here sometimes. But 95% at 95° would be a heat index of 154°F! I can't say as though I've ever experienced a heat index above 125. And that was plenty for me.

I would want to know why your friend believes this, because it's not something I've experienced. Though, I'm not a huge fan of tubes, so I don't throw them that often.

I do a bunch of bank fishing in the summer. And I only need one rod and one bait. A Texas rigged worm or craw of some kind. If I think the bite will be slow, I'll even go with a shaky head and trick worm instead. Sometimes I won't even pack a backup worm, weight, or hook. If the worm gets worn out, just cut the top off and rehook it half inch down to get the hook buried into new plastic. If I get hung up and have to break off, call it a day. If find that with bank fishing, that setup is generally all I need. And if I concentrate more on placement and pace, I tend to catch more fish than if I'm constantly swapping out lures. Plus, bank fishing where I fish, you almost HAVE to use a weedless presentation of some kind. Even things like spinnerbaits and jigs don't pull through cleanly enough to be of much use.

I do this all of the time. Typically, I'll use a wacky worm, Ned rig, or a shaky head as the second chance bait. Usually I'll run the big, fast, and loud bait around an area with a bunch of casts. Try to cover a lot of water. It's just how I normally prefer to fish. Then I'll pick out the best spots and just make a couple of quick casts with my follow up bait. I'll do the same thing anytime I get a strike that I missed the hookset on. I've got a spinning rod that I use almost exclusively for this type of thing. I don't really see it as a 1-2 punch combination, but more of a "one last try before giving up on this spot" type of thing. I won't say it works well. But it works better than not doing it.

It all depends on what your needs are. Are you installing it yourself? Do you need range or speed? How are you wanting to control it? What's your budget? I went the Minn Kota, lithium battery, and DIY mount direction. The advantage is I saved a ton of money and get a longer run time. I cost me about $400 and a weekend, and I can run it all day as far and as long as I want. The disadvantage is it took a good bit of work on my end and it won't go as fast as a Torqueedo or E-propulsion. I top out at about 4.2mph, and that took a lot of tweaking to get it that fast, and even then, only under optimum conditions. Newport also makes a kayak motor. I've never used a Newport before, but I've read lots of good things about them. They're working hard to become a major player in the scene. Also, keep in mind that kayaks with powerful electric motors will still be hull limited for speed. So while the motor may advertise a certain speed, actually getting your PA 12 up to that speed may not be realistic. And the more powerful the motor, the more sturdy your bracket will need to be to keep from tearing up your kayak. Still a faster motor should equate to faster speeds, even if you don't reach the full advertised speed.

Let us know how it works!

Everyone has cancer now. It's just that your immune system keeps it in check until it doesn't. It's hard to find even cheap sunglasses that don't protect against UV rays these days. I'm sure you could do it if you really tried, but you don't need to buy high-end sunglasses to get adequate protection. But it's something that's definitely worth looking out for when buying new sunglasses. And if you have an old pair you're still wearing, no matter how high-end, it's a good idea to throw them out. The UV coatings wear off over time. Now, a lot of people who are in the business of selling sunglasses will tell you to replace them every two years. I think that's probably a bit extreme. They have a vested interest in convincing you to buy more glasses, after all. But there is a usable lifespan you should be aware of.

And it's not just the heat. It's the humidity you need to pay attention to as well. The more humid it is, the less your sweat will evaporate, which means the more heat your body will retain. There's a formula for how much heat a person can survive, and it's as dependent on humidity, wind, and solar radiation as it is heat. They call it the "wet bulb temperature" (different from Heat Index). You can survive 115° temperatures at 30% humidity (in theory). But 95° at 95% humidity will kill any human, even if you're resting in the shade and drinking gallons of water. Fortunately, we almost never see these conditions on earth, but it's important because it points out that temperature alone isn't the only factor to consider.

Yeah, I'd recommend buying new as well. The reason being that transducers have a crystal piezo in them, and they break easily, especially on the larger side imaging units. And they may not fail completely. They may just stop creating such a strong signal which leads to loss of detail on your screen. So you might see rocks and other hard structure, but soft cover like grass and stuff might go unnoticed, as the unit can no longer differentiate between it and noise. And if you've never seen it work when new, you might not realize how much you're missing. At least that's a problem I've had.

I've seen quite a few around here for less than that. Sometimes even free! Though, they come with a broken jet ski or boat attached that you have to pay to dump. And I don't know what that costs, but I'm sure it isn't cheap, because I've seen a few boats dumped around lakes and along the side of the road, that you could tell by their condition was not left there on accident. Plus, you'll probably need to replace the tires just to get it home. But do your math homework, and you might come out ahead.

If you patch it right, it can be stronger than it was originally. Plastic welding doesn't compromise the integrity of the plastic, so long as you do it right. It's not like a glue where you create a weak point at the joint with two different materials joined together. A good plastic weld will be a solid, continuous piece with the hull with no joints. As good as new, though admittedly, matching the color and texture is pretty difficult. So it's usually obvious on an aesthetic level that there was a patch, but mechanically, it's 100%. Plus, it saves hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, a ton of time, and keeps some unnecessary junk from filling up the landfill.