Bankc

The old saying is it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. And there are a lot of expert anglers in this world. Most aren't even professionals. What are you doing wrong? That's hard to say. But I'll offer the same advice that I'd give to anyone else in this situation, be it an athlete, artist, musician, whatever. Find people who are better than you and learn from them. Maybe try to find one of these tournament anglers see if you can tag along from time to time and find out what they're doing differently. See if you can get one to take you under their wing. A lot of times the people who have really excelled at something like to pass their knowledge on to others, especially of a younger generation. It was likely an important step that someone else gave to them which helped them get to where they are now. So many won't mind paying it forward. Though... some like to keep their secrets, secret. So don't be offended if you hear a few "no's" at first.

They're all pretty much made the same. There are some tiny differences in the quality of the cells and the BMS (the circuits that control the batteries), but usually nothing major. What you pay for, when you buy an expensive one that's made in the USA, versus a cheap one made in China, is product support. If you buy a cheap one on Amazon (or whatever), and something goes wrong, you'll likely not get any support from the company. And you'll have to buy a new battery out of your own pocket. With the name brand batteries, you're paying more, but you're also getting a company that will stand behind their products. Of course, you're often paying 2x-3x as much for virtually the same thing. But that's the gamble. Pay a lot for something that you know will work, and someone will stand behind it if it doesn't, or pay a little for something that probably will work, but if it doesn't and your past the return period with the seller, you'll probably be out of luck. Personally, I went with a Weize Lithium. I've had it for about six months now, and it's been nothing but a joy! Will Prowse has a YouTube channel where he dismantles and discusses various lithium batteries. He's pretty knowledgeable about this stuff and his channel is worth checking out. He mainly focuses on batteries for solar power storage, but all of that information translates over to trolling motor use. You don't need a deep cycle or marine lithium battery. LiFePo4 batteries can do both just fine. They're not like the old lead-acid or AGM style that require different construction methods to pull each duty. However, if you go with a smaller battery, like say 50 Ah or less, make sure it can handle the full draw of your trolling motor. There should be a listing called something like "max continuous current draw". Make sure it's below your trolling motor's max draw. But if you're looking at 100Ah batteries, that shouldn't be a concern, as those shouldn't have any issue putting out more than enough amps for whatever you plan to use it for. Pretty much all lithium battery will take being drained down to around 10-20% without issue. They're deep cycle by nature.

Did that for years. Still do it from time to time on small ponds. The question is, what's your focus on? Did you come to enjoy a day of fishing or a day of kayaking?

Yeah, I read an article about it after seeing your post here. It looks like it's going to be pretty big! I used to live in Sand Springs, so I'm somewhat familiar with the area (it's changed a bit in the last 15 years). I just haven't had many reasons to make it up that way, plus there are few things on this planet that I hate worse than that mind-grating drive on I-44. It's somehow both stressful and boring. I'll often take Rt. 66 or go one up to HWY 51, even though that adds another 45 minutes to a 1.5 hour drive.

I see these all of the time! I always thought they were the result of exhaust from all of the outboards or some other pollutant mixed with the water. I usually don't see them so well defined, or so many at once, however. But it's good to know that it's not a sign of pollution AND has some significance for fishing!

The DT's are some of my most used lures. I love them! Though, I don't pick them up in the winter. Perhaps I should?

Dick's has fishing gear in Tulsa? I've been to four different Dick's in OKC and haven't seen so much as a bobber. Let me know how it turns out! I might have to make it a point to stop by if it's any good.

I just realized the one at the trade show has a gas outboard attached. I'm guessing a 9.9? I'd like to see someone hit 20mph in that thing! But not someone I know or care about.

Your gas engine probably has more RPM's than the electric motors.

My first thought is, that looks like the most difficult thing to peddle man has ever invented.

Anything's possible. But the odds of catching a fish on any given day will probably never be zero during your lifetime. That being said, there are definitely days where the strike zone shrinks so much, that it's not statistically likely that you will catch a fish.

I think I have six. That's about five too many.

Flutter spoon, jigging spoon, and blade baits for me.

There's a small lake about a mile from my job. I fish it just about every day I work during my lunch break for about 15-30 minutes. I rarely catch anything, as it's hard to catch stuff from the pressured banks of a city lake at noon in such short time. And often the weather is uncooperative. But it still beats not fishing.

Where I live, south and west winds usually mean a warm front has passed through. And north and east winds usually mean a cold front has passed through. So "North and east, they bite the least. South and west, they bite the best." usually holds up. But that's usually more in general terms. For example, often the winds will shift to the east just before a storm passes, which is usually a great time to catch fish. Though, where I live, if there are any "winds", it's usually a bad day to be on the water. Because down here, 10-20 mph isn't considered windy. That's about average. "Windy" days, are days with 30+ mph winds, and we get a lot of those.

I don't think the solution to this extremely rare event is buying something. I think the solution should be: don't travel 40mph in shallow waters you're not intimately familiar with, especially if there are stumps around.

I'll buy whatever is the best bargain and meets my needs. So long as it's a major brand with a good reputation. Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Lew's, Bass Pro, 13 Fishing, etc. Mostly I own Daiwa Tatula CT's, as they're cheap and work really well. But I wouldn't claim loyalty to them. I really like their Z-brake system. Though a dual magnetic/centrifugal brake is good as well. Really, anything that can easily keep up with changing wind conditions, as I face that a lot.

Every year it's something different. And it always seems like last year's best producer doesn't catch me squat the next year. So if the trend holds, it'll be something that I either never fish, or only rarely fish. So, probably an underspin swimbait?

I tend to fish them in the early morning hours from mid spring until late fall. I just use a trailer hook. I tend to fish them in shallow to mid depth water, say 3-15 feet. The most important thing, for me, is to tune the arm so the blade just nicks the jig head on the retrieve. That, and having one that's properly worn out and squeaky. It seems like there are years when they work really well, and years when they don't. But the water needs to be kind of warm for the bass to want to chase them, in my opinion.

There are times of the year when I don't really need it. But there are times when I definitely do. During the winter I'm looking for creek channels and other structure down deep. I won't catch nothing fishing shallow most days. Believe me, I've tried it for years. During the prespawn, I use sonar to look for where points end. Sure, I could drag a football jig or something to find them, but sonar is so much quicker. During the summer, I need sonar to find the thermocline. When the sun is low, I can fish the shallows and do pretty well. But we typically don't have much shade on the water around here, so most of the fish head down deep once the sun rises, and I'm looking for structure near the thermocline. During the fall, I'm looking for balls of baitfish. Sometimes I'll see them busting the surface, but sometimes I need to look for them a bit deeper. If it's a lake I'm familiar with, I probably don't need sonar. But if it's one I'm not, then sonar is often really important.

What I'd do is measure where the motor attaches to the stern down to the bottom of the keel. Typically on kayaks and canoes, you want the top of the motor just below the bottom of the boat. That'll ensure it doesn't come out of the water, and keep it as shallow as needed for optimum performance. A-Jay's picture shows the motor in the right spot. However, if you're going to be using it for the rental boats as well, then you might want to go for the longer shaft. You can always lift a shaft that's too long up and keep it in place with the collar. But you can't easily extend a shaft that's too short.

Craziness. Also, this makes me feel old.

You're definitely overthinking this. But talking to saltwater guys and gals will do that to you. What's more important than type of knot is how well you tie it. You would think that everyone who ties the same knot will get the same results. But it doesn't work out this way. And yes, different types of knots will work better with different types of line. And two different brands of the same type of line might have different knot properties. So in theory, you could run your own tests and figure out which knots work best for you in which situations. But most of us just use the knots we're most comfortable with, because we rarely have problems with knots breaking or coming untied. And when we do, it's usually the fault of tying the knot incorrectly, not retying the knot often enough, or using the wrong kind of line for the situation, rather than using an inferior knot. What I'm saying is, try not to get too bogged down in theory, as it has little practical application.

I just use powdered pigment. I have a bunch from other projects I do, so it's what I've got on hand. For white, I use titanium dioxide. Though the advantage to a dye is it mixes a lot easier. Mixing powdered pigments can take a while, so it's probably not worth it if you're microwaving your plastisol. You'd have to reheat it several times, I assume, as it will cool off while stirring, and there will be a lot of stirring. The advantage to powdered pigments is you have more control and it's a lot cheaper. $100 of titanium dioxide is about a lifetime's supply. And if you're heating over a hotplate like I do, it's not too bad.

If it's a public frisbee golf course, then they have just as much right to be there as you do. Being there first doesn't change that. They were probably equally mad at you for standing next to the course. I'm not saying you were in the wrong either. I'm just saying that it's probably not a well laid out park if the two activities are supposed to take place on the same grounds.