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I fish over in the "bad side of town", so the bass I'm catching aren't too snooty about fancy lures. So most anything will work for me. I might think differently if I fished in one of those gated private ponds or golf course ponds. Though I won't buy those hard to pronounce branded lures off Amazon that come in a package of 500 for $3. I'm not too good for Ozark Trail, but I might be too good for Kachewphish.

I never tried the Alberto, but the FG has never failed me either. So I'm sticking with it. Except when I'm on the water and in a hurry and don't have the time or room to mess with an FG. That's when I rely on the double uni. Though, I think sometimes a knot will just leave a bad taste in our mouths, when in reality, it's a good knot that is just the victim of bad luck/poor craftsmanship. Like I know the Palomar is highly regarded in most circles, but that knot has failed me so many times, I've abandoned it for most everything outside of dropshots.

WD-40's exact formula is a trade secret, so there's no way of knowing exactly what's in there (unless you work for the company and in which case, you probably signed an NDA preventing you from speaking about it). People look up the MSDS on WD-40 and see "45-50% LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon" and assume that it's primarily made up of a solvent like mineral spirits or hexane, because they are the most commonly used chemicals that fall into that category. But that's a very broad category and if you take a can, spray it into a jar and store it for a few weeks out in the open, you'll notice a few things that suggest it's not a solvent. First, a paraffin wax like substance settles on the bottom and an oil separates to the top. Second, you don't see 45-50% evaporation. This, combined with its rust converting properties leads me to believe it's more likely "mineral seal oil", which is also classified as an "LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon". Though, it also contains "less than 25% Aliphatic Hydrocarbon" (not LVP variety), which due to its glue dissolving properties, leads me to believe that there is definitely some solvent in there, and that's probably it. So it's probably about 1/4 solvent and 3/4 lubricant. Mono fishing line is made of nylon, and nylon is generally resistant to chemicals like mineral spirits and oils. So it probably won't hurt the line any. Though since we can't be certain on the exact chemical makeup, we'd have to run some tests to say for sure. And it could vary by brand, since not all mono fishing lines are made from the same type of nylon. So my point is, the old myths might actually be true. Or the new myths might be correct. It's hard to say. Until someone runs some controlled experiments to find out, we're all just guessing.

Yeah, it's the exact same thing sold under two different names depending on which store is selling it. And I've seen the Teton Pro 116 from Dick's cheaper than the Yukon from Walmart from time to time in the past. But usually, the Yukon is the cheaper one, so that's generally the one I recommend. And while I haven't tried all of the kayaks out there, I honestly believe these are the best deal in a fishing kayak that you can find. You're going to have to double the price to find a better one.

I find glide baits are most effective when they're almost suspending. They seem to work best when you can pause them and let them hang out there. If they sink more than a half foot a second, they're too heavy, in my opinion. It's not like a jerkbait where the action is erratic. Glide baits seem to hypnotize fish with slow, gradual, subtle movements. Often times I'll have a fish follow it back all the way to the boat without noticing I'm there until the last second. Then I'll cast it back out, or another lure, and usually get the bite. Often times, they work better for luring bass out and getting them in the mood than for getting a reaction bite on the first cast.

Get yourself some toads. I'll fish them from time to time and let them sink. Though, they typically work better retrieved quickly across the surface. But they're versatile enough that you can fish them either way on the same cast. Just unlike a frog, you can't let it sit there and expect it to float.

I don't have a loyalty towards any particular brand. There are certain baits that are hard to find in other brands, so I'll buy that brand for that bait. But mostly, I buy based on need, price, and availability.

Dicks sell the same kayak as the Yukon under the name Teton Pro 116. It's usually a bit more expensive from Dick's, but it's the exact same kayak. I got mine at Walmart from their website and had it shipped to the store. I actually had it shipped to the Neighborhood Market store nearest me and just picked it up out back when it came in.

Naphtha. It's safe on most finishes and plastics and will dissolve adhesives very quickly. Just pour a little on, let it soak for about 30 seconds, then work the sticker off, starting from a corner. If it's still sticky, pour a little more on under the sticker and let it work its way through. It's much safer than most other solvents like acetone or mineral spirits, while still being effective. Plus, it's readily available just about everywhere, either a hardware store as naphtha or a convenience/grocery/general store, sold under the brand name Ronsonol (cigarette lighter fluid, not charcoal grill lighter fluid, which also might work, but I don't know how safe it is).

Save up and get the Lifetime Yukon. It's a little bit more expensive, but it's 10x's better. It's what I've been fishing out of for the past 5 years and I'm firmly convinced it's the best value in a fishing kayak out there.

I'd go with the hose clamp idea.

I look up the lake temperature online of either the lake I'm fishing, or ones similar in size and location to one I'm fishing. It's not 100% accurate, but it's close enough to allow me to make the decisions I need to make without having to carry extra gear.

Yeah, people mix colors all of the time. Mixing hardness would be the same principle. You can either use injection molds or open pour, you just have to have a plan for how much to pour of each.

Whatever you feel most comfortable with. I'd focus less on versatility and more on your confidence baits on a new lake. Unless you know a bit about what kind of lake it is before hand. Like if it has lots of wood, docks, or grass, you might want to plan around that.

And she probably weighs like 90lbs and fishes from a Hobie PA 14. I've seen photos of her standing on the bow of that thing, a move that would slip the kayak out from under me if I tried. Honestly, short of autopilot, I don't think there's a good way to pull it off. Anything foot controlled will likely cause you to lose balance. Anything hand controlled, and you're having to take your hands off your rod. What I typically do is fish sitting down when I'm on the move. I've found if you side arm cast and keep your bait parallel and low to the water, you can pretty much mimic a pitch, with the soft landing and all. It's harder to pull off and less accurate than pitching, but it keeps you from having to stand up and sit back down constantly. It allows me to cover more water at the expense of fishing an area more thoroughly. I'll still stand to fish from time to time, but that's typically only when I'm drifting or anchored. I've got cable foot controls on mine (stern mounted TM) for steering and a power box for speed control that I can pull up by my feet, and sometimes I'll fish with the motor on and bend over to make an adjustment, without having to commit to a full sit. But it's rarely worth the effort. If you can get the wind out of the right direction and deploy a drift sock, sometimes you can fish for long periods of time without having to make a major adjustment. Though I'll still usually have to make a micro adjustment here and there by swishing my rod tip in the water or changing the angle of my retrieve (if the bait that your using has some pull, like a big crankbait). Sometimes shifting my weight can help too.

The best shoes are no shoes. The reason your feet hurt probably isn't your shoes, especially if you've tried a bunch of different kinds and they all hurt your feet. The problem is most likely that your feet aren't strong enough to support your body. And they got weak on you because you wear too soft of shoes too often. Go barefoot as often as you can. Walk on hard surfaces as often as you can. Get yourself a pair of those bare feet type shoes with the individual toes on them and walk around in those whenever you can't go barefoot. Go to the store, walk around the neighborhood, wherever you feel brave enough to get caught in those hideous things. Go running in them if you can. It'll train you to walk more on your midsole and toes and less on your heel, since you won't have the padding to cushion your heel, and it'll strengthen your feet. Then the shoes you wear won't matter, so long as they fit. Otherwise, you'll spiral down the rabbit hole of constantly needing softer and softer shoes with better support until eventually, your feet hurt no matter what you wear.

Yup. Vanish isn't worth buying. Honestly, if you're not going to buy a high-end fluorocarbon line from someone like Sunline or Seagar, it's not worth owning, in my opinion. The cheap stuff doesn't last and never fishes nearly as well. Maybe consider using a copoly line if you like fluorocarbon. Something like Yo-Zuri Hybrid works really well as a cheaper alternative.

I did the Rapala loop knot for many years. It's a good knot for bass fishing lines. However, I eventually made my way to snaps and typically use them in places where I would have used a loop knot in the past. They're quicker, more convenient, and provide just as good of action. Get the VMC Duolocks if you're worried about adding weight. They make a 30# version, which probably won't last much beyond 20#'s, that's super tiny and weighs next to nothing. They're plenty strong enough for use with the 10-16# line that I use them with.

They do it on purpose, you know. It's supposed to be good luck when a bird does that to you. And they definitely have a preference for shiny things.

We have a lot of lakes like that around here. On my local lake, I've never caught a bass over 3lbs. Catching one over 2lbs isn't that common, maybe one in ten. I'm sure there are some bigger bass in there somewhere, it's a big lake. But I'd doubt anyone who told me they broke the 5lbs mark there in the last 10 years. Not saying it's impossible, but definitely improbable. Oddly enough, the problem isn't overfishing or lack of culling. While the more avid bass anglers don't typically keep their catch, there are a ton of minnow anglers who show up once or twice a year that do. But not so many as to hurt the population. There are plenty of bass in that lake, yet they're far short of being overpopulated. The real problem is it's a water reservoir, and the city sprays chemicals to keep the vegetation down (I know, right?). That prevents a baitfish from gaining a strong foothold, as they have nowhere to hide (the lake is mostly a muddy, featureless bottom). Combine that with the overpopulation of white bass and channel cats, and it's hard to find any fish in the 3-6" zone. Which means that while there's plenty of food for smaller bass, there's not much for bigger bass. A big bass will have to spend a lot of time chasing down small fry to keep its weight. There's a decent population of crappie and redear sunfish, but they grow fast and most are too big for a 1-2lbs bass to eat. So it's just hard for a bass to get over that 3lb. hump. But if they somehow managed to get big enough to feed off larger crappie and sunfish, they'd probably do alright, as there wouldn't be much competition there for them.

Fishing from a moving boat is a lot like fishing in the wind, in that you have to adjust your presentation to the conditions. It may not be ideal and may not be the conditions your most comfortable with, but it's the better angler that adapts to what they're given, rather than forces what they want.

Do this if you can. Sometimes it's a case of fishing pressure making bass harder to catch. Sometimes there are environmental factors that mean there are just less bass there for the catching. Fishing pressure can be worked around, as the bass have to eat. But if there just aren't many left in the lake, it might be better to leave them alone and search out different waters.

I coil my transducer cable up and secure the loop with a couple of zip ties. Then I use carabiner to quickly secure the loop to a plastic pad eye behind my FF screen on my kayak, so it doesn't flop around. I'd shorten it, because I'm pretty good at soldering so I bet I could pull it off, but I'm afraid that going from 25 feet to maybe 2-3 feet would mess with the impedance too much. Also, instead of using shrink wrap and electrical tape on a boat, I prefer to use liquid electrical tape. A couple of thick layers of that stuff keeps connections water tight and seems to last longer than the other two options.

My wife fished a bit before she met me, but doesn't really enjoy it. I don't even invite her along anymore. And that's fine. As with any casual angler, the key is to go at their own pace. Don't try to fish your normal way and get super involved. Just let them set their own level of involvement and have fun. You can't make someone enjoy something, but you can set up the circumstances so that they have the option to enjoy it. From there, it's up to them.

I fish just about every day. Though, M-F, that's about 20-30 minutes during my lunch break. I don't really have time to fish before or after work. On the weekends, I try to get out once for around 6-8 hours. And I'll do that pretty much year-round. Sometimes I get busy with other projects or the weather won't cooperate, so I miss a lot of weekends, especially in the spring when the wind kicks up too high. I probably average around 40 long days a year.