Bankc

I've seen days where any sound can shut them down. I've seen days where they don't care about sounds. I've even seen a guy beat on the water with a paddle and tell me it was to scare the fish away, so that when they came back in a few minutes, they'd be more active and curious. And it worked! In all of my years of fishing, there's really only one thing I can say with 100% certainty. Boat owners have the absolute worst tastes in music!

I'd be wearing of trying to land a large striper in one. Especially at night. It looks pretty narrow, and probably isn't very stable. And I don't see any scupper holes, and that might be a problem in rough water with waves crashing over the top and nowhere for the water to drain. So I probably wouldn't take it out on the bay or any other area you might encounter rough water or high waves from boat traffic. It could be dangerous. All in all, I'd say that's a good find for $400. The seat is not going to be very comfortable, and will likely start hurting your back after an hour or so. That's probably why they're selling it. That and the stability. But, it'll probably move pretty quickly through the water, being so narrow, so there's that. It's hard to find a fishing kayak of any kind for that money, and you'll likely have to make some compromises at that price point. But you'll also likely get your money back should you decide to sell it later on, and this will open up more water for you in the meantime. So it's up to you. Either treat it as a limited use kayak for the short term, or save up to get something better.

Actually, the Mercury 7.5e is only about 1HP. But due to the increased torque of it being an electric motor, it's supposed to run like a 3.5HP two cycle gas motor. The 7.5 comes from it having a 750-watt motor. https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/engines/outboard/avator/mercury-avator-75e/ The batteries are supposed to be light and easily replaceable, which is good. Because they claim you'll get about 45 minutes of run time at full speed. Which being a main motor, instead of a trolling motor, is probably how you'll be using it most often. https://electrek.co/2023/01/06/mercury-avator-7-5e-electric-outboard-boat-motor/

It looks like Lund is creating a new brand called Veer as an entry level boat. They're releasing an X13, which can come with either a small gas or electric outboard. What's interesting to me, is it has a polyethylene hull. http://www.veerboats.com Starting price is $12k. What do you guys think? To me, I'd rather have an aluminum Jon boat for that kind of money.

It's all just personal preference. Some people prefer the higher torque of a low ratio reel, as you don't have to turn as hard. Some people prefer longer handles for that same reason. Some people prefer a higher ratio reel so you don't have to crank as fast. The right reel to use is the one you feel most comfortable using. The best thing to do is to try it out with what you have. Don't buy a specific reel just for deep diving cranks until you know which direction you lean. Find out where your preferences lie. Personally, I prefer about a 6:1. But I can get by without complaint with anything from a low 5 up to a mid 7. Then again, I'm not nearly as picky about reel ratios as most people.

I can't answer your questions. But I can tell you what's going on near me. My local lake is one of three reservoirs for the city. We've been under a drought for several years in a row now, and the water levels all year long have been about 8-10 feet below last year's levels. Last year, we were still under a drought and the water levels were 2-3 feet below the year before. However, if they declare that the water levels are low, then they have to impose water rationing, and no one wants that. So, rather than admit we're in a water crisis, they just adjust what "normal" levels are as the water drains. So while we sit officially at "normal" water levels, three of the four boat ramps are closed along with all four floating boat docks, because they rest on solid ground.

Not every lake falls discretely into either category. My main lake has many steep sides on one end, and mostly flat and shallow on the other. It gets up to 100ft. and has a large chunk of the lake that at least 60ft. deep, yet is highly stained. It has almost no vegetation, but lots of standing timber. There are no creek channels, feeder creeks or tributaries. It's all fed by a pipeline. It started life as a large random valley in the middle of some flat-ish land that got turned into a man-made reservoir. And honestly, if fishes like either type at different times. The good thing about having a main lake is that you can spend a lot of time on it and learn it really well. And honestly, those tips and tricks with specific lake types work a lot better if you've never fished a lake before. If you fish the same lake often, you're better off taking notes and developing your own guide.

I disagree on the premise that I don't think it's right to tell other people what to do with their lives, even if it doesn't make sense to us. There are about a million things that I don't understand why other people do, but they do them anyway. And those decisions are up to them. So long as they're not hurting anyone else, who am I to say what they should or shouldn't be doing with their lives? I enjoy fishing whether I'm catching fish or not. And while I do enjoy catching fish, I don't need that to have a good time and make the trip worthwhile. So I agree with the statement on a personal level. I probably wouldn't spend much time fishing if I only enjoyed catching fish. Because, especially this time of year, I get skunked a lot.

By that logic, why should you not avoid all inflatables? Why take a chance on moving parts and unnecessary complications just for comfort when your life is on the line? Honestly though, the Bass Pro units are fine. Think of it this way, if any of these units were to fail in a catastrophic way, which company has the most to lose? Big companies always do risk/reward assessments. I'm not saying they always get it right, but they at least fully believe the potential risks (both financial and to reputation), don't outweigh the potential rewards. If BPS thought their PFD's could in any way cost them more in lawsuits and reputation damage than the small profits they pull in from them (they are really low priced), there's no way they'd sell them! You don't risk a billion dollar business to pull in an extra few tens of thousands of dollars a year. And lastly, they've been selling these for years, and I've never heard any horror stories. Have you? I'm not saying they're better than the Mustangs. Obviously the pressure trigger versus the dissolving trigger is an important feature to consider. I'm just saying that in the end, they're probably all statistically equal in their reliability.

There's also an occluded front. However, I'd try not to focus too much on this subject without taking a more nuanced view. The degree of the front (how much the weather changes) will have a large say in how much the front effects the fish. A cold front that drops the average temperature by 30° will likely have a larger impact than one that drops the average temperature by 5°. Also, the time of year can matter greatly. For instance, it's not uncommon for a severe cold front in the early fall to have the opposite effect on fish. It's usually during the spring that fronts have the most impact as expected. Plus, there are a million other factors to consider. Sometimes the presence of a front plays a major role, and sometimes it doesn't. The clarity of the water can often change the degree of impact. My point being, it's something to consider, but I wouldn't place any serious bets on it. Just because a cold front passed through the day before does not mean the fish a guaranteed to go deep and slow down. And just because a front is about to pass through doesn't mean the fish will be aggressive and shallow.

Lots of factors to consider. Is the water clear or stained? Are you fishing a fast moving reaction bait or a slow moving finesse bait? Are the bass active or passive? How's the fishing pressure? In my lakes, I prefer braid most of the time because I can use a smaller diameter line that's also limper, so I get better action. But if I'm fishing something slow, like a drop shot, I'll tie on a FC leader. It seems to work best for me.

Just one rod. And the rod will change depending on what I want to throw that day. But to me, bank fishing is all about simplicity and finding the right spot. And the more gear you carry, the less likely you are to go hunting for the best spots.

Everyone has different preferences, different approaches, and different needs. There's no one right answer that applies to everyone. But if I had to make a broad statement that would best suite the most amount of people, I would say that the bottom contact rod should be your best quality rod.

I'd pick Maui. I love bass fishing. But I could learn to love saltwater fishing just as easily. And waking up every day to beautiful weather would be hard to beat! And if I did get a hankering for bass fishing, there's always Lake Wahiawa over on Oahu. It's got a nice peacock bass population. But I prefer the pace of life of Maui. Plus, let's be honest with ourselves. In last part of our lives, fishing will likely become very difficult, if not impossible. My grandfather loved bass fishing more than anything. But in the last 15 years of his life, he couldn't get in, out of, or stand in a small boat. Even walking down to a bank wasn't possible. It would be better to find a retirement spot that would suite all of stages I would go through. That way I'm not stuck on a lake house staring out the window at reminders of what I can no longer enjoy.

The best thing to do is to practice and experiment. Since you have a home lake, just fish it often, in all different conditions. Try exploring different areas, different times of the years, with different lures. Initially, you'll have to rely heavily on luck, but with enough practice, you'll start to notice some patterns. Each lake will be a little different. What works on one won't necessarily work on all. But there will be patterns that translate from lake to lake and season to season. It's just easier in the beginning if you concentrate on just one lake to keep the number of variables you're juggling from growing too large to recognize the patterns that form. Go ahead and read up on how to break down a lake by season. There's lots of articles and videos out there that discuss this. But know that not all of that information will apply to your situation. That's why experimentation is so important. But some of it will, so it's good to have that knowledge at your disposal. To get really good at breaking down a lake, you need to take into account hundreds of factors and weigh them accordingly. What matters and how much it matters will change, almost by the hour. Learning how to do that well takes years, if not a lifetime. But if you spend most of your time on just one lake, you can more quickly learn the patterns of that lake. Then, when you're starting to get the hang of that lake, you can spread out to other lakes and take what you've learned from that one lake and apply it to others. Some things will translate, others won't. But with more practice and experimentation, you'll grow in your ability to break down a lake.

I'd probably still stick to the used market. But at that price, you might actually be able to find a peddle kayak. The cheapest new kayak I would recommend is a Lifetime Yukon (or Teton Pro, same thing but sold at different locations). At 11.5' long, it's about as small as you'd want to go. I have one, and I like mine a lot. They're slow and heavy, but stable enough to stand in in calm water, and will handle bigger waves well enough to get you home.

$25 state (Oklahoma). Then another $20 for the city (OKC) permit. No trout stamps or anything anymore. The only fish that requires an additional permit is a paddlefish, and they're free. You just have to apply for them. Lake Texoma requires its own, separate permit, if you decide to fish that lake. Plus many lakes have fees. But all-in-all, it's not bad here. And while I have to pay a city permit for my kayak, I don't have to register it with the state, even though it has a trolling motor. We don't even have to get a tag for our boat trailers here.

Chrome is going to present some problems. Paint doesn't like to adhere to naked chrome. It'll likely flake off pretty easily. I would scuff it up with some sandpaper first, and then use an etching spray paint (most automotive primers made for metal will work) as a base coat if you wanted to go this route. Then, once the primer has fully dried and/or cured, you can use whatever you want over it.

I just leave my plastics on my rigs and hooks. On the rare occasion, they will rust a hook. But most of the time, they're fine. And at the rate I lose lures, I don't worry too much about losing a couple a year to rust. Most years, I don't lose any to rust, but it does happen on occasion.

I never mess with them anymore. It seems to me like if they'll bite a white, dual willow, they'll bite a black, single Colorado. Plus, I lose them at a rate that makes it not worth my time getting too attached to them. If a spinnerbait lasts a year for me, it's because I've forgotten where I put it.

Any of their bass-oriented, moderate rods should be great for cranking. But the one thing I'd point out with St. Croix is their rods tend to be a bit more powerful than their rating. I have a MH/M Premier, and even though it's rated for 3/8-1 oz., I'd say it's closer to a 0.5-1.25 oz. rod. It'll cast a 1.75 oz. lure about as well as a 3/8 oz. A 5XD or Deep X 300 is right in the sweet spot for that rod. But if you're frequently going to be throwing lighter lures as well, I might consider a Medium/Moderate if you go with St. Croix. They tend to cast better at the upper end of their rating than the lower end.

At $500, you're going to be looking at a used one. And that means you're going to be at the mercy of your local market. And even then, it's going to be hard to find one in your budget that will do what you want. You'll just have to make a list of needs and keep a look out for when one pops up that checks all of your boxes. Definitely find a sit on top. You get more storage space, stability, and they're self draining. A sit in is faster on the water and much lighter, but you'll immediately regret ever hooking a striper in one. Fishing in a bay, you'll probably want a minimum of a 12 foot kayak. And keep in mind that a fishing kayak will require a lot more energy to paddle than a sit in. You sacrifice speed for stability. Also, the weight of a fishing kayak will be dramatically higher, so make sure your car roof can support it. The bigger and heavier the kayak, the safer it will be and the tougher conditions it can safely navigate. You'll also want a longer paddle in a fishing kayak, due to the wider kayak. You don't paddle the same way in a fishing kayak. Your angle of entry is much more horizontal. You'll probably want a fiberglass handle, as metal ones get too hot and cold. Carbon fiber is best, but also very expensive. You can find a cheap PDF pretty easily. They may not be as comfortable, but if you're young and don't weigh much, it probably won't bother you that much. I've been using a cheap Onyx for years, and it doesn't bother me in the least.

I don't factor that stuff in. It doesn't matter to me. Bass don't pull like a swordfish or tarpon, so you can usually land them easy enough. I've even caught some pretty big catfish that will outpull a bass, and haven't had issues. Sure, they'll pull my kayak a bit off where it was, but it's not like I wind up miles away from where I started. A few feet this way or that doesn't matter. Even if they pull you into something like a tree, it's not a high-speed collision, so you just take the bump and keep on reeling. Same with rod power. I don't worry about it. Sure the kayak gives a tiny amount when setting the hook, but you can compensate for that easily. Besides, sharp hooks cure all. You get used to fishing out a kayak after a while, and any adjustments you have to make vs. normal fishing become second nature. Pitching and flipping from a kayak is most definitely worth it! Again, you get used to it with experience. You learn to position your hips and legs so that you can get a good hookset and not throw yourself out of balance. Fishing while standing in a kayak is harder than a bass boat, for sure. But once you figure out how to use control the kayak with your weight, it's all second nature. The kayak becomes a part of your body. Just keep your knees and hips loose and flexed. My kayak is pretty tippy, and I don't even think about it when I'm standing while fishing unless I get hit by an unexpected wind gust, wave, or stump. And even then, it's just a microsecond scare before I regain control.

Don't use anything you'll use for food with this stuff. Lots of pigments use toxic chemicals which you don't want to ingest. There are a lot of heavy metals in the pigment world that won't harm you if it gets on your skin, but will if it enters your bloodstream. Maybe Van Gogh ate cadmium yellow paint because he was crazy. Maybe Van Gogh was crazy because he ate cadmium yellow paint. Either way, don't eat your paint. As for the enamel paints like Testors, they don't last as long as powder coating, but they last a lot longer than most other paints. With a clear coat, they'll last even longer still. So while it's not as durable as a power coat, it is a whole lot easier to use, as it just takes about 72 hours to fully cure. No baking necessary. And it can be easily touched up as it wears. Even powder coats will chip off over time.

In my opinion, you won't really find one rod that does all sized crankbaits well. You really need three distinct rods to run all of the common sized crankbaits: a ML for the smallest lures like the Shad Rap 05's, a M for most squarebills and roundbills up to about a DT6, and a MH for deep divers. If you don't want to get three rods just for cranks, I'd focus on the medium power rod first, as that's the one that you'll probably use most. And I've found that a ML/F rod will still have enough bend due to being a medium light power to do a good enough job at keeping treble hooks pinned, and with the larger baits that require a MH rod to throw, the treble hooks tend to be thick enough on their own that throwing lures isn't as common as it is with the smaller baits. If you go to a two rod system for cranks, I'd make the second a MH rod, as that'll likely be your second most used cranking stick. If you want a hybrid rod for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and deep diving cranks, a MH/MF rod is what I use and recommend. Not perfect, but good enough and saves money and space. Otherwise a MH/M would be my choice. As for glass versus composite versus graphite... that's up to you. All three will work. All three are a little different. If you're doubling up on techniques with the one rod, I'd go graphite for the sensitivity. If it's just for crankbaits, I'd consider either a glass or composite. Personally, I'd lean towards composite to get a bit more sensitivity and a bit lighter weight. But they're all designed to do pretty much the same thing, so the differences won't be huge. There's so much that they can do with tapers and resins these days, that the core material itself isn't as important as you might think. And lastly, if you want to save money, cranking sticks are the place to do it in my opinion. Even a cheap crankbait rod will usually give you enough feedback to properly work the bait. Save the big bucks for the bottom contact stuff. I'm not saying that a higher end cranking stick isn't better, because it is, and you'll know it. I'm just saying that you won't be punished as severely for cheaping out here as you would elsewhere.