Bankc

That was me and it was Lake Monster. Having used it more now I can say that it's not as useful as I originally hoped. In the summer and winter, everything is either hot or cold. But in the transition times, it could be helpful for knowing which lakes warm up (or cool down) first, and which side of the lake would be best to launch from. But the information is usually at least a week behind. So it's not the magic wand I was hoping it would be. But it'll get some use. In any case, more information is always a good thing. You may not need it, or even want it. But the fact that it's available if you decide you do can't be a bad thing. So thanks for sharing! I, for one, appreciate this information. And while I probably won't be using this for fishing, I could see it being useful for one of my other hobbies, photography.

Either pull the scupper plugs or replace them with scupper valve plugs so the water can drain out. As for sealing it, maybe cut out a peice of EVA foam to place over the hole help keep the water from splashing up. Or maybe the problem is the kayak if overloaded and sits lower in the water than it was designed to.

Are you paddling the kayak? If so, you'll want one with big arm holes that don't restrict your arms. The auto-inflate ones have this feature. Also, you'll probably want one with a high back, so you're not resting the back of your PFD on your seat. Again, the auto-inflates do this. So they're a good option for kayakers. Pretty much any PFD that is USCG approved would be fine. Personally, I don't like the auto-inflate kind. I'm sure they'd be fine 99% of the time, but that's just one more thing to go wrong, right when you don't need another thing to go wrong. Plus the cartridges aren't cheap. And you need to replace them and perhaps the activator whenever used or after 5 years. And they don't inflate right away. They take time for the jacket to notice it's underwater, and time to inflate. And while this may be only a couple of seconds, I like the idea of one that's ready to go before you hit the water. Plus, the old fashioned style jackets are cheaper. However, they're not as comfortable and hotter to wear. So if comfort is a priority, it would be wise to buy the one you're most likely to wear. Also, in some states, you must wear the auto-inflate at all times (or when the boat is under power), while the old foam types just need to be in the boat with you, if that matters to you. Personally, I'd wear any of them all of the time. Whatever you do, don't get the belt kind that just go around your waist (Type V). They're useless in my opinion. Type III is probably what you're looking for, the regular life jacket, vest style. Type I and II are not comfortable to wear. And while a Type III has a chance at keeping your head above water if you fall unconscious, they're not designed to do that (only Type I is). Their primary purpose is to keep your body near the surface so someone else can rescue you if something goes bad. So the best practice is to always wear a PFD and never go out alone. And while the auto-inflate is technically a Type V, it functions like a Type III once it's inflated. Type V is just a catch-all category, and auto-inflates came out after PDF Types were established.

Yup. The Palomar isn't bad (other than with crankbaits and such). But it's also no where near the strongest knot out there. The Fish N Fool is almost as easy (and easier with crankbaits and other larger or treble hook lures) and it holds stronger. It's basically a modified Uni. After years of the Palomar, about the only time I use it now is with drop shots, or occasionally speed clips, if I'm being lazy.

Don't care. Sometimes I fish those slow, sometimes I fish them fast. Somewhere in the middle is probably best, but I don't have issues slowing down or speeding up to get the retrieve speed I need. So just about any reel will work for me. If you don't like to speed up or slow down, then you might want a faster or slower reel to help with whichever extreme makes you uncomfortable. And this is how I feel about most baits. The only two lures where gear ratio is really important to me is buzz baits and deep diving cranks. It'll wear me out trying to retrieve a SK 10XD on an 8:1 reel or trying to retrieve buzz baits on a 5.4:1 reel. Other than that, I typically find something in the 6-7 ratio as a good all-around that can get me through year-round with just about whatever I have tied on.

What's your budget? On the cheap end of the scale, you have a bunch of digital luggage scales on Amazon. They're as accurate as any fish scales, but a whole lot cheaper. Replacing the hook with fish grips would be a good idea, but that does eat into your savings or a real fish scale. The downside is, they're not nearly as water-resistant as some of the nicer ones made for fishing. So you have to be careful when using and storing them. But replacements are cheap. Then, at the top of the line, you have the Brecknell MLF tournament scale. It's what the pros use. And you can probably find one for under $100, so they're not crazy expensive. But they take up a lot of room and aren't the easiest to use if you're by yourself. In the middle, there are a whole lot of options available. I don't know if one is considerably better than any other. I use a Rapala RHCDS50. It's supposed to have a high contrast screen, but I can't read it if the sun is shining directly on it, like all digital fish scales I've used. And while it seems to be accurate and consistent enough, I sometimes have problems with the power button not registering.

I'd say just try it and see. I have a few rods that were designed for one thing, but I prefer them for something different. I also have a few rods that aren't really good at anything. It doesn't take long for me to figure out what a rod is good for. Either it casts a bait well, or it doesn't. Either it hooks and pins a fish well, or it doesn't. Either it's sensitive enough for a task or it isn't. Take a day and run it through its paces and find out what it says it wants to be. Everyone's preferences are different, so you never know until you try.

I just keep my phone in my pocket. It's water-resistant. So I'm not worried about it getting wet. I am a bit worried about it falling into the lake, but I don't ever let it hover near the edge of my kayak, and I only pull it out while sitting down, so it's never more than about two feet off the floor. My wife has an Apple watch and she loves it. I could definitely see it being helpful in situations like this for some people. But for the price of the watch, I'd rather take the risk. If it does fall into the water and I lose it, I'll just take that as a sign to upgrade.

It seems to be a good deal to me. But there's probably a reason it's priced so low. I'd be weary. And traveling out of state is a big commitment to a boat that may not look so great in person. You could feel pressured to buy it anyway since you would have invested so much time and money getting to it. So be careful. The best advice I can give you is to find a boat mechanic nearby or bring someone with you that knows boats and have them give it a good once over for you before you buy it. If you've never owned a boat before, there's a lot that can go wrong that would make it a money pit that you wouldn't otherwise be able to recognize. If the frame is rotten or the motor shot, it could be several thousand dollars more before it's ready to fish out of. So it's best to have a set of trusted and trained eyes with you. They may not be able to spot everything wrong with it, but they should at least be able to spot any major, glaring issues.

I'd just go with some Senkos, some 3/8oz. bullet weights, and some 1/0 hooks. If you're going to focus on just using plastics, that's all you need to catch bass. And paring down the options will help you to focus on technique. Once you get the hang of it, you'll figure out how easy it is to expand out with more techniques and presentations. Most days when I go bank fishing, this is all I bring. One rod, a few worms (or craws or whatever, it doesn't matter), and some hooks and weights. And most days I do alright. It's truly more about where you cast and how you retrieve than what you have tied on. Crawl, hop, swim, long pause, no pause... lots of ways to change it up if the bass aren't biting without changing any gear.

That motor draws about 52 amps at full speed. So with a 100 amp hour battery, you'll get just under two hours of full speed. At speed setting 4, it should draw about 26 amps per hour. Basically, every step down on the speed dial will cut the previous speed setting's amp draw in half, or there abouts. So 2 hours on 5, 4 hours on 4, 8 hours on 3, 16 hours on 2, and 32 hours on 1... approximately. If the battery is old, it won't hold as much charge. Also, how well it was maintained will effect it's life and how much charge it can carry. And on a lead acid, you're not supposed to drain it past half way (because it'll significantly shorten it's life), so it would be wise to cut all of those times in half, and not drain the battery too far. Plus if it's sat for long periods of time with a low charge, it'll sulfate and loose capacity, as well as if the water and acid ratio hasn't been maintained. As you can tell, how long the battery lasts largely depends on how fast you run it and what the battery's history is. In general, most people can get a full day's fishing out of a100ah battery in good shape. But if you're making a long run at full speed to get to your spot, that'll have a huge impact. And if the battery is pretty beat up inside, that too will have a huge impact. So there's just no telling until you try yourself. Always have a backup plan in place incase the battery dies.

It really does look like UV damage in the first pic. But it was really nice of them to give you an appeal, as it doesn't look so bad in the last. A story with a happy ending! What's not to love?

I don't sweat much, so they're not very good by themselves, for keeping me cool. I avoided them for a long time, due to them making me too hot, and just used sunscreen. Without water in the fabric to evaporate, they do a pretty bad job at keeping you cool. But eventually I got tired of constantly reapplying sunscreen, so I decided to come back and give them another shot. This time around, I've discovered if I keep a bottle of water, and keep the shirt wet, it actually does a decent job of keeping me cool. Maybe not as good as bare skin and sunscreen, but good enough, and a lot less messy. So I now bring a second water bottle to periodically spray myself down. It works out alright that way. You're right, they won't do much for keeping you warm. But anything that keeps you warm, is probably going to be thick enough to protect you from UV rays anyway.

Best: Jig Crankbait T-rigged worm Worst: Jerkbait Swimbait Swim jig I can't get any of those "worst" ones to work for me, but I know they're popular with others, so they must work, so I keep trying. And if they're not biting on one of my "best" lures, then I'm probably getting skunked. I'll fish lots of stuff, and certain times of the year other baits will temporarily work their way into my "best" category, like shakey heads in early spring or topwaters in summer. But those I listed are the ones I can count on, just about year-round.

I have that rod (Veritas PLX ML/F spinning 6'9"). It's actually closer to a medium than a true ML. I use it most for wacky rigs, and it's great for that! I don't use it so much for neds and drop shots, as it's a little stiffer than I'd like for those. I use a different, softer ML/F rod for those baits, one that fishes a little closer to its rating.

I'm not saying you're wrong. In fact, I'm going through this right now with the Norman Fat Boy. Part of me wishes that I had stocked up on these since there were one of my all-time favorite lures. Part of me is thinking I should buy some on eBay for ridiculous prices. But mostly, I'm just thinking that eventually I'm going to have to find something different and move on, so I might as well do it now.

I fish just about every day. And I'm not retired. But I like to get in a half hour of fishing during my lunch break. Maybe that counts, maybe it doesn't. But I always look forward to fishing. I can tell you that happiness is just a state of mind. Which means, believe it or not, ultimately it is you who is in control of how you feel. Fishing won't make you happy. Fishing might make it easier for you to make yourself happy. But at the end of the day, how you feel is totally under your control. I've known people who've maintained happiness in some of the most absolutely tragic moments of life imaginable. And I've known people who couldn't overcome their depression even during the most joyous events. We may be influenced by what happens to us, but we are not controlled by it. My point being, don't rely on people, events or things to make you happy. Instead, train yourself to find the happiness in anything, and you'll thank yourself everyday, for the rest of your life. Because it's not the amount of joy that's possible that matters. It's the amount of joy you find.

I keep my backup lures at the store. I just buy one, and if I lose it (and it was actually a good one worth replacing), I'll go buy another. I drive by a quite a few tackle shops on my way to and from work every day, so it's not inconvenient. And I almost always have something else on me that's close enough to what I lost to keep fishing the bite.

I use a Rad Sportz kayak hoist system you can get online for $30 or so. I set the straps about a third of the way in on either side. I've recently added a 2x4 to the back one, because it was denting the side of my kayak. So the 2x4 sits on top of my kayak and pushes the straps out just past the sides of my kayak to keep all of the weight on the bottom. The dents are easy to fix with a heat gun, if you find your system isn't working. It's a great pulley system, but DO NOT use the supplied lag bolts to attach it to the rafters. I did, and like so many other people in the reviews, one snapped in half on me. I only put about 20 ft/lbs of force on it, so you know they're poorly made bolts. Instead, take those bolts to a hardware store and buy new ones of the exact same size. I bought stainless steel, but I'm sure the zinc plated ones would have been fine. The other bolts with the kit are all fine.

And risky. There's a reason people don't take them apart. Getting it back together and keeping it water-tight may be more difficult than you're imagining. Personally, I'd just grab a 90° scratch awl, drill a small hole in the dent, soften the surrounding plastic with a heat gun, and then pull it out. Then patch the hole back up with a plastic soldering iron and some spare plastic (I'm assuming it's HDPE). There are ways to feed lines through without taking the thing apart as well. I use a guide line attached to a steel screw and feed it between two holes with a strong magnet. Then pull the wires back through. Lots of ways to skin this cat.

Agreed. Tape and backing are an ancient solution to problem that's been otherwise eradicated.

I feel for you. But I do a lot of small mechanical repair and maintenance, and let me tell you, that's nothing. I've had to remake broken or lost springs, cut new gears from bronze and nylon, and even cast parts out of aluminum. And I don't even have the professional tools to do all of this with, so everything is DIY. My foundry is a bucket full of POP and charcoal briquets powered by a hair dryer.

If you can't store it, then you probably shouldn't buy it. Maybe look into a kayak or something smaller, like an inflatable. Storage is why I don't own a jon boat. But I can store my kayak in my garage above my car with a pully hoist.

Give it a try. If your trolling motor has a continuous sweep of variable speeds, then it might cause interference. You'll notice it as the sonar screen will show noise at certain speeds that goes away when you either turn off the trolling motor or run it at full speed. If it's a set speed (like 5 forward, 3 reverse), then it shouldn't create any interference. But you never know until you try. Some sonar units are better at filtering out noise than others. If you do get a second battery, a 10-12 Ah battery should last you the full 8 hours, no problem. Usually, you don't want to run them down below 50% capacity (unless you go lithium), but these batteries are so cheap, then I don't worry about that. And I've found some smaller sonar units that claim a draw of 1 amp don't actually draw anywhere near that. I run my Hook2 5 off a 7Ah battery and it lasts 8 hours, easy.

10-30 minutes each time I load or unload, depending on how motivated I am. First, I have a lot of stuff, and I remove it all from my kayak when transporting. Second, I have to car top my kayak on my SUV, which involves attaching a truck bed extender so I can load it over the spoiler on my back window without damaging it, which is a whole mess in itself. I even have a hitch extender on my bed extender, because it won't clear the bumper otherwise. Third, there's all of the wires and cables for the sonar and trolling motor, plus I have a few mounts, like for the trolling motor and rod holders, that I have to take down and reinstall every time. For this reason, I always try to load and unload my kayak on the ramp, if possible. On some lakes, I can find a ramp that's in bad shape, one made of dirt, or just an out-of-the-way one that no one uses, and just park my car on the ramp and do it all in 10 minutes or less. However, if there are other people around, I don't want to be "that guy", so I'll load it all up, away from the ramp, and then roll it over to the ramp on a kayak cart, so I'm not preventing other people from using the ramp. This usually takes me about 20-30 minutes to do, but only two minutes on the ramp. I usually have to make several trips, because the kayak is just too heavy with everything in it.