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Professional fishing is more of a sales job than an actual fishing job, if we're being honest. I mean, the fishing skills involved are unquestionable. But at the end of the day, they make their money not so much by selling tickets or TV revenue, but by endorsements. Just look at how their clothes and boats are covered in ads. As such, I doubt fancy new electronics will ever be tightly regulated. There's just too much money behind it. Though, perhaps they should be. It would make for more exciting fishing, in my opinion. My opinion is that they do present an obvious advantage to professional anglers. A good angler will know how to use them to find and catch more fish. It's after all, one more arrow in the quiver. And if you know enough to know it's advantages and disadvantages, then you won't let it hurt you and only rely on it to help you. However, I could also see the technology hurting many anglers who aren't pros. Even with livescope and such, you're not going to be able to see every fish. And just because you can see a fish, doesn't mean you can catch it. So I could see how it would definitely encourage more inexperienced anglers to waste time focusing on fish they CAN see, but CAN'T catch, and less time focusing on fish they CAN'T see, but CAN catch.

I think you have it backwards. Kayaks don't lend themselves to junk fishing very well, in my opinion. Their limited range and speed make it even more important to have a plan before you ever hit the water. In a big power boat, you can cover a lot more water, which means that junk fishing won't hurt you nearly as bad. You can quickly cruise a shoreline and skip over barren areas that you know won't be productive. You can hit up a little bit of everything to see what works, because there's very little penalty for traveling. In a kayak, if you're junk fishing, you're not going to be able to cover nearly as much water. And good junk fishing is all about covering water, not meticulously picking apart spots at random. If you're going to get meticulous with spots, then it's best to have a plan of attack so you're not wasting time working areas that you know have no chance at producing. So I usually hit the water with a pattern in mind and will launch nearest an area that will maximize my plan of attack that gives me the most options for that pattern. I try to pick areas with multiple spots I can try nearby each other and have an efficient route in my head that transitions between them the night before. Sure, I can't cover as much water as a big, power boat, but that's why I'm more deliberate in my decisions, and less quickly to abandon them and resort to junk fishing.

There are instances where I'll set the hook immediately and there are instances where I'll wait maybe a full second or more. I usually try to set the hook immediately, but if I'm missing hookset or especially if I reel back my bait and find the worm has been pulled down the hook, I'll slow it down and start giving them more slack before setting the hook. I never know what's going to work best until I find out what's not working.

I wouldn't spend a dime on it. If it's 70lbs, then it's made of thick plastic, so I wouldn't worry about dragging it (except over concrete or asphalt). That's not a kayak that was designed to be fished out of. It looks line one of those you rent at a marina. Those are made to last, and not do much else. Still, you could probably fish out of it, if you're so determined. But landing fish, setting the hook, casting, and storing and accessing gear will likely be a challenge. You'd be better off investing any money you would put into upgrading it, into a savings fund to buy a proper fishing kayak for later on down the road, if you find you really enjoy kayak fishing. I don't think any amount of money would make it a decent fishing kayak.

If it works for you, then go for it! I tend to stick to neglected boat ramps and banks where I can easily back my truck up to the water's edge and load or unload at my leisure. That way I can take my time and not have to worry about the big bass, ski, and pontoon boats. I will also try to launch and load up during off peak traffic times, if I'm forced to use the main ramps. I try to hurry, but not rush myself. Sure it might take me longer than your average bass boat to load and unload. But it's not a race. And there's always someone that takes a lot longer than me. On occasion, I'll share a ramp with another boat or kayak (asking permission with the other person launching or landing first). If they can spare 3 feet on the side of the ramp, that's all I need.

Definitely not. I would agree that depending on the size of the body of water, you may not have full access to it in a kayak. Then again, there are some lakes that are big enough that you won't have full access to them in full sized bass boat either. But that doesn't mean you're stuck to junk fishing. You just have to spend some time studying the lake before you go out, so you're not wasting time running around at random once you get there. I always have a plan. And I have a backup plan and a plan C. After plan C has failed, then I resort to junk fishing. Besides, 1,000 acres is a lot of area. Probably half the lakes I fish are around 1,000 acres or less. And I rarely fish them from end to end. If you do your homework before you go, you'll be able to narrow that lake down to 1/10th it's size.

Surface rust is nothing. Just clean it off and it's good. It's not like a virus or bacteria. The question is what caused the rust. Acids and salts can speed the rust process really quickly (pour vinegar on high carbon steel and it'll rust in minutes). And they can evaporate into the air and spread. So if you fished in slightly acidic or salty water, it can speed up the formation of rust. Also, some steels are really bad about rusting with very little to provoke it (I'm looking at you, Eagle Claw).

I just bought a cheap $60 aluminum frame one off Amazon. I don't even know the brand name, but there are a bunch, and they're all really similar. I modified it by screwing two PVC pipes with pool noodle on the outside that run perpendicular across the top, like the Malone Paddle Gear WideTrack ATB. It had a tendency to let the kayak get askewed in rough terrain before the modification. Now it works perfectly with a strap! It would be hard to build one from scratch for less money, and these fold up, which makes transporting them easier. I can keep it in my kayak if I need to, without taking up a ton of room. It's held up for four years now without any issues.

It's hard to say anything predictive. I've seen fronts have the opposite effect you'd expect, many times. Most often, when a bite is triggered by a front, it seems that the closer to the actual front you get, the better the bite. Many times I've been fishing with no luck, and then suddenly the fish start biting everything, and I'm almost immediately forced off the water by bad weather, just as they start to bite. Also many times, I've caught a bunch of fish right after the storm, during the storm, and especially during a small a break in the weather. You never know what's going to happen until you're out there. As for where the front is, it's usually accompanied by a change in wind speed or direction. Sometimes the storm clouds will be out in front of the front. Sometimes they'll lag behind it. The atmosphere is a 3-dimensional space, so fronts don't always come in and out in a flat plane. If you've got any experience as a pilot, you'll find that conditions on the ground can vary wildly from what's going on just a few thousand feet in the air.

I was on the lake the other day and my trolling motor got completely jammed by some old fishing line and stopped working. I had to paddle almost a mile in 100° heat. You'd think I'm glad I had my paddle with me. But in retrospect, if I didn't, I probably would have hopped in the water and swam my kayak to shore, and kept a lot cooler in the process. I was beat! Another option, which I've had to do in extreme winds, is to take your anchor, throw it in front of you, and after it hits the bottom, pull yourself forward and repeat. But yeah, I use my paddle all of the time. More often for pushing off docks and trees and stuff, but also for positioning and getting out of weeds. I don't think I'd turn around without it, but I'd definitely feel a bit naked.

There are a ton of factors involved. And I certainly don't know them all. But I can say that last year in early August, the water temperature was in the low 90's around here, and I was catching quite a few in the shallows. This year, the water temperature has been in the low 90's for the last few weeks, and I can't find nothing but fry in the shallows. Even the deep water has been a tough bite. Though, in past years there tended to be more vegetation along the banks. For some reason this year, there hasn't been as much.

Oh, I wasn't considering it. That's how I got stuck in it. And I wasn't doing any fishing, just fighting to get back to the dock. Winds were probably around 15 mph when I set out, but in Oklahoma, the winds and weather can change on a dime, and completely unexpectedly. I had considered turning around and going with the wind to get to the bank and ride it out. But instead, I used a combination of tossing my grapple anchor and dead-sprint paddling to fight the wind for the 1/4 mile distance to the ramp. It took me over an hour, and I was beat! It was a dumb move. But I learned that my kayak can handle a lot more abuse than I can. It can get submerged by wave after wave and remain afloat, so long as you don't get hit from the side. And I learned next time to not fight the wind, and just let it blow me to the nearest bit of safe bank where I can ride out the storm, or walk back to the car. Because that was scary and tiresome!

Except kayaks were originally made to hunt seals in the Arctic Ocean. And lots of people take their kayaks out on the ocean to fish for big game. Ed Gillet kayaked solo from Monterey Bay, California to Maui, Hawaii. So one might also argue against that as well. But I'd agree there are limitations with a kayak over a bass boat, like the speed and convenience of which you can travel large distances. And being able to haul 200lbs of gear or take friends and family along with you. But I frequently navigate large lakes in my fishing kayak all of the time. On any of the lakes in my state, there's not a place a bass boat can get to that I can't. I've even been out in 40+mph winds before (not fun, and not on purpose, but the kayak can handle it). I've had boats in the past. I have a kayak now because, let's be honest, they're significantly cheaper and I can store one on the ceiling in my garage without losing a spot for a car. Plus I don't have to worry about loan payments, gas, maintenance, insurance or registration costs. And my favorite part of fishing is the solitude and connection with nature. You get a closer connection in a kayak. It's like the difference between walking through a forest and driving through one.

I doubt bass can hear the actual frequency of a sonar. It's WAY up there. It starts off around 80kHz on most freshwater sonars and runs up north of 800kHz. Even a dog can't hear above 60kHz. Most fish can't hear above 5kHz, which means most fish can't hear as high as humans. That being said, there are other, lower frequencies that a sonar puts out. You've probably heard a sonar clicking before. It's not the frequency of the actual ping, but a residual tone far below it. Obviously, this click is in the human audible spectrum, and might be detectable by fish. However, as you can tell, it's not loud. The question is, do bass hear it, and does it mean anything to them? A lot probably depends on what else is going on in the water and how far away you are. High frequencies don't travel as well as lower frequencies. As you've noticed, when you put your head underwater, the high frequencies get diminished pretty quickly. And, if it's windy or there's a current, you'll have the sound of waves to mask you. And there will be the sound of waves crashing against your boat, plus the sound of your trolling motor, and you walking around your boat that will also give you away at much lower frequencies that bass are much more likely to be able to hear.

I agree with the Rx sunglasses. I wear glasses and occasionally wear clip-ons. They present two problems. First is the glare. When the sun gets in between them, you're going to have glare. There's not really a way around that. Second is the added weight. For me, it makes my glasses slide down my face easier, so I have to use a strap to keep them on. The only time I wear them is when I hit the water before sunrise, as I don't want to carry two pairs of glasses with me in my kayak. The wrap-around sunglasses will present the same problems, though maybe to a lesser extent depending on design.

I change out the hooks, only if they are bad. Most all lures I've bought in the last 5 years come with good enough hooks to fish with, right out of the box. If they're dull, I'll sharpen them. If they're bent, I'll straighten them. I have very rarely lost a fish due to a hook malfunction. Almost all of my lost fish can be traced back to bad technique. If you're livelihood depends on it, then I would take every advantage you could get. If you're a professional, then leave nothing to chance. But as a person who just enjoys the sport of fishing, I'm going to miss all of that money a whole lot more than the one, maybe two fish I lose a year due to bad hooks. Quality hooks aren't cheap!

I'd probably go with a fast taper. It's a good middle ground for what you're wanting to do. Also, I'd get the best rod you can afford for those baits. Some of those bites will be oftly subtle, and the more sensitive rod, the better you'll be able to detect them. A moving bait rod is the place to save money, in my opinion. As for line, that's up to you. The more I fish, the more I'm leaning towards all braid, all the time. But everyone's different. As for a reel, there are several decent spinning reels out there for not too much money. I have a Daiwa Regal LT that is pretty nice for $60. That would leave you $120 minus taxes to get the rod.

Can you easily stand on one foot in the jon boat? I'd take the boat out and practice putting your weight on just one foot and see how stable you are. You don't have to raise the other foot completely off the boat, but get most of your weight off it and wiggle it around to see how you get along. That should tell you if you can work a foot controller. I'd go with a foot controller if you can manage it. It would keep your hands free, after all. But if it's going to turn into a circus act to do it, then a hand controller is the answer. And only you can determine what's possible for you. Everyone fishes in different waters with different conditions and has a different body. What one person may say is easy, another might deem impossible.

You can do it. I do find it harder than flipping or pitching from a bass boat, because you're standing level with the water. So I usually have a bit less line out when I swing the bait forward. However, I typically do something else entirely that you can't do in a bass boat. It's a sidearm cast, but not a roll cast, from the seated position. I'll let out about a foot of line off the tip and dangle the bait about 3" above the water. Then cast out with my rod remaining parallel to the water the entire cast. It takes a bit of practice, but you can get the same soft landing as you would with a pitch or flip. The downside is, you lose a bit of accuracy. But you can regain most of that with practice. I prefer doing it that way, as I'm often seated to control the kayak because I'm often constantly moving while pitching or flipping a bank. The only times I really stand to pitch is when I really want to pick apart a large chunk of cover, or if the wind is blowing parallel to the bank and I can just drift along it (usually with a drift sock to control speed). This avoids the constant getting up and back down.

I went the other direction, from boat to kayak. The three biggest drawbacks for a kayak, and biggest pluses for a big boat, in my opinion, is being able to take friends and family, being able to quickly traverse and explore large expanses of water, and being able to more easily fish in rough winds. I also miss having a trailer and the ease of load-in/load-out that that provides, but that's something I could buy for my kayak if I really wanted to. Things I don't miss: bills. Between the initial cost, maintenance, repairs, gas, registration, storage, etc... it's a serious investment for someone like me. And I actually catch more fish, more consistently in my kayak. But I equate that to having more angling experience than anything to do with the boat itself. My point being, a big boat might allow you to catch more fish but only by allowing you to spend more time on the water fishing than moving. But it won't, in and of itself, make you a better fisherman. There are some other minor things, like more storage space (especially for rods), space to walk around, a platform for bigger and better electronics, a livewell, and a cool factor in owning a big boat. But all of that is stuff that I'm pretty much indifferent about.

If you get some clear PVC cement, which is actually just a strong solvent, you can repair those cracked bills. The hard part is getting the cement in between the cracks in the bill. But if you can fill the crack with the cement, let it dissolve for a minute, add another round of cement to let it dissolve further, than place the broken pieces together and hold them in place for a few minutes, they'll melt and rejoin to be as strong as new. You're basically chemically welding the two plastic parts together. The downside is they'll likely be kind of cloudy, and you may wind up altering the shape or size of the bill. So it's possible they won't run true anymore, depending on how well you did the job. But I've done it to a few Rapala and other brands of crankbaits over the years and have had a pretty high probability of success. Probably around 75%, which isn't bad considering it saved a broken lure using stuff I already had on me.

Do they? They're crazy if they do. Honestly, if you can convince my wife to let me have a full bass boat, I'll give you my kayak.

1-tackle bag with 7x 3600 boxes, pliers, scales, and all of the other fishing accessories 6-rods in vertical rod mount behind me 1 ea. of anchor, anchor extension rope (tow rope), drift sock in front hatch. 2 batteries, one 7ah for sonar, one group 29 for trolling motor 1 ea. of trolling motor, speed controller, wire sets 1 paddle 1 seat 1 PFD 1-2 bottles of water, sometimes a snack, also kept in the front hatch 1 sonar with transducer mount (Scotty #141) 1 microfiber towel on my seat 1 pocketknife, in my pocket. I think that's about it. I keep my phone, wallet and keys in my pocket. I used to keep them in a dry box, but I've lost that inside my kayak's hull before and spent an hour in the hot sun trying to fish them out. My phone is IP67 rated and car can work without key fob battery so it's safer on my person anyway. I can't imagine why I'd ever need another set of clothes, since I won't be camping overnight. I also have a kayak cart, but I rarely use it. And if I do need it, I'll take it back to the car so it's not taking up space in my kayak. In the winter, I'll also bring waterproof boots and neoprene gloves. But in the summer, I just wear UPF gloves, a hat and old sneakers to and from the lake. My car's interior is designed to get wet. I car top and just back up to the water's edge. With that group 29 battery and trolling motor, it's a nightmare to haul around in the kayak cart. Especially on uneven and bumpy ground. It's probably about 220lbs fully loaded (without me).

I let the fish tell me what they want. Sometimes it matters. Sometimes it doesn't. I haven't been able to decipher what conditions correlate with which rattle. Just sometimes one works better than the other, but most of the time it doesn't seem to matter, so long as it has rattles. Rattles vs. no rattles seems to make more of difference than different kinds of rattles, and I typically choose no rattles when the bite is slow or the water is very clear.

2 piece rods are your ticket. Most of my rods are 2 piece from back when I only owned a pair of 2-door coupes. 2 piece rods are surprisingly good. I've seen people do it. But it's not common. You have to tie down the hatchback and they typically stick out a long ways. So you might need a truck bed extender to support it. Plus they'll get your carpet muddy and wet. And all of the other stuff in your trunk has a way to get out while you're driving. Most people, myself included, put them on the roof rack with an SUV.