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I built a watertight PWM controller for my kayak trolling motor recently, and needed a way to let air circulate without letting water in. After thinking about this for quite some time, and seeing several high-cost solutions, I came across the idea to use an old KN95 face mask as a filter. I had remembered seeing where they won't pass water at all, but obviously pass air. So, some vent holes backed by a face mask held in place with marine goop, and problem solved for no money out of pocket! Just thought I'd pass it along. Also, the melting point of the face mask is about 160°C (320°F). That's a good bit above what most electronics can handle, as many electronics components aren't designed to be operated above around 105°C. So you'll likely fry your circuit before melting the mask material if that was a concern.

I always point the rod at the line when I get snagged and am trying to pull my kayak over. I get more line dig in that way, but it saves my rods. Rods can take a lot of abuse, but if you're putting 20+lbs of force on it, it's going to eventually snap. Especially in the cold weather.

It could have been that you just didn't see any fish. If the water is that cold, the fish will mostly be right on the bottom, in which case they often won't show up unless you really know how to read a graph well. If you don't see any fish by the time the water temperature gets into the upper 50's, I'd start playing with your settings. But for now, I wouldn't sweat not seeing anything.

6' is going to be hard to find. Most rods that go down to 1/16 are geared towards crappie and panfish, and they really love their 8'+ rods right now. The best I can think of that meets your criteria is a BPS Fish Eagle in light. 6'6", 1/16-3/8oz. and is available in a 2 piece. I have one in medium light, and it's not bad. It's a bit heavy for what it is and not super sensitive, but not terribly so. A decent rod for the money.

It's always windy here. And I feel like a buzzbait is about the only topwater you can throw in the wind. When the sun is low in the summer and the wind is up, I almost always am throwing a buzzbait, as they have been pretty reliable in those situations.

I try to determine the depth that the fish will be and position myself to cast parallel to that depth. That way I maximize time in the strike zone. Though I throw a lot of crankbaits. If I'm fishing downhill, casting from the deep to the shallows, I'm usually throwing something like a jig or T-rig. Something that naturally falls as I retrieve it. If I'm casting from the shallows to the deep, I'll usually throw a spinnerbait or lipless. Something that naturally rises as I retrieve it. I try to grab something that will naturally follow the bottom contour, so I'm not having to manipulate the bait too much to make it work for me. And I usually pick which direction based on the wind and waves, figuring the bass will be facing into the current, and I want to pull it into their faces, not sneak up behind them. Also, I usually catch more white bass targeting steep ledges, so maybe everything I said is wrong.

I use them carefully. To me, sealing cork takes away the advantage of using cork in the first place. If you're going to seal cork, you're probably better off going with a winn grip, in my opinion. So just keep the cork as is, until it needs replacing. Then I usually just get a new rod, because by the time the cork actually needs replacing, the technology has leaped so far that I'm ready for a new rod anyway.

I'd stay away from a super long rod. Probably keep it around 7' or under. The reason is because you're fishing from a jon boat, so you're going to be a standing at a level at or below the surface of the water. A lot of guys here fish from the deck of a bass boat, so they're standing up a good foot or more above you. So for them, a longer rod makes sense. For you, it might cause issues with the bait hitting the water next to your boat on the pitch. Otherwise, pitching is just a technique. It doesn't really require a special rod or reel. It does, however, often require you to set up your reel a specific way that might be different from normal casting (usually no brakes). And some people prefer a shallow and lighter spool for faster spin up, especially since you won't be casting too far this way. But most don't worry about that, as it's more of a luxury than necessity. Also, some prefer a stout rod with a soft tip. That way you can pitch into heavy cover and get the bass out, but the soft tip allows for pitching a bit longer. Then again, others prefer a slow rod with lots of flex. That's because you'll often be trying to set the hook with very little line out, and this will help to keep the fish pinned. My point being, the best rod for pitching and flipping will depend on your circumstances, preferences, and technique. So it's really hard to recommend anything to you if you don't have a lot of experience doing this. My advice is to just get out there and give it a try with what you have. Get out in your backyard with some lead weights tied on, and get the motion and feel for it down. Practice, practice, practice. Then, if you run into a specific problem that gear might be able to resolve, you'll know what you're looking for in a pitching setup. Until then, it's anyone's guess.

You can try auto ranging for the side scan as well. If that, or expanding the distance doesn't fix it, there might be a problem with the unit. I'd contact Lowrance if that doesn't fix it.

This is all good advice. Though I think that 10GA is a bit excessive for a fish finder. I'd look more to 16-14GA. Most fish finders don't pull much more than 2 amps. But nothing wrong with going over, so long as you don't get ridiculous. And the multimeter can be really helpful. Just a cheap one will be fine. And put a lithium battery in it (not lithium ion rechargeable, but something like an Energizer lithium). Two reasons. One, they last longer. I've had some that lasted for 15 years. And two, they don't leak. That way you know the DMM will be working when you need it, which will probably be very rarely.

I tend to throw soft swimbaits the most. Hard swimbaits just don't seem to work well for me. And while I love throwing glide baits, I find they tend to hypnotize the fish more than catch them. I'll often see a big fish following it back to the boat and not realize I'm there before breaking off at the last second. Though, I do have more luck with glide baits than hard swimbaits. And if you see a fish being hypnotized by it, a few more casts with the glide bait, or a follow up with something smaller will usually get that fish to bite. The thing for me is, it's hard to find a lake that I can throw them in. They tend to be large, and most lakes I frequent just don't have large bass in numbers, or large baitfish for them to mimic. So they're more of a novelty for me.

Most of the waters I fish are rust colored. I have not had any luck with orange or red.

Sometimes I just drop it straight over. Sometimes I cast it out. When I cast it out, I'll usually let it sit there on a semi-taught line for a few minutes, and then hop it once or twice, and let it sit there again. It's not so much a retrieve, as it is just letting it sit in place in a different spot. If I impart any action to it, I'll use my finger to just tickle the line. I feel like using the rod tip makes too much movement. And I might just do that once every minute or two. To me, the drop shot is a desperation move. It seems to work best when nothing else is working. It's one of my favorite presentations this time of year, when the water temperature is in the 30's to low 40's. I don't catch a lot of fish in the winter, but if I do catch one, it's usually on a dropshot.

I don't know. Maybe it's to grab a fish under the gills?

I'm right-handed so I mounted mine on the left. No matter where you put it, it's going to be in the way from time to time. On the left side, it's in the way when trying to roll cast to the left, across my bow. On the right side, it's in the way when I'm trying to skip. Mine mounts to a track, so I can move it back and forth. But for whatever reason, I feel more comfortable with it on the left.

It's starting to sound to me like your best two options are going to be either an inflatable boat, kayak, or a fishing SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard). Neither are good options in the wind or waves. And both will be larger than that 8' x 2' you're looking at. But they should provide you with a bit more stability, easier to handle on land than your current kayak, and be easier to store when not in use.

Are you talking about Konawa? If so, I think, but I'm not sure, that that's leafy pondweed. As for what to do, I can't tell you. What I do in the winter is hit up the northern side by the water outlet of the power plant. I tend to notice more bites on the edges and in the holes than through the middle, as that stuff can get really thick. And I fish from a kayak, so I kind of have to pick a spot and work it, rather than explore multiple areas. So I go for the warmest water first. But you fish that lake more than me. I'm not that familiar with it, so I haven't gotten that lake figured out yet. My usual lakes have almost no vegetation in them, so I typically like to go there for the change of pace and a chance to fish a completely different kind of lake than I'm used to. I probably tend to over focus on the vegetation, since it's a novelty to me. And I never do well when the water's cold anyway, on any lake. So my advice is nearly worthless. Here's an interesting report on that lake though: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/Status of Konawa Lake Fishery White Paper 02022021 Final.pdf It says to eat more LMB.

I'd probably look for a trailer instead. That way you don't have to do any lifting. I too am suffering from a herniated disc in my back. And car-topping my 85lb kayak onto the top of my SUV is no fun. But I "lift with my legs and keep my back straight", and I use a truck bed extender (hooked up in reverse so it runs high instead of long) as a pivot point to get it up and down, and it's not too bad. I never have to lift the full 85lbs at once. A kayak that small will probably have stability issues, making it harder to set the hook and land a fish without rolling over. Also, it will probably be harder on your back, as you'll likely have to correct for the lack of balance more with your body by constantly twisting your waist to shift your weight. Especially if there's any current. And I can't imagine the seating position would be very comfortable. And a kayak that short will not track well and be pretty slow, so you'll have to paddle a lot harder to cover the same distance. But ultimately, I've never tried it, so I can't say for sure.

I'm very Zen. I enjoy the act of fishing itself. I would be more likely to burn out on fishing if I never got skunked. So in a way, I actually like it. It means I have more to learn and am not yet at that place where the sport has nothing left to offer me.

Probably not. You could check your fuses. That would be simple and easy. Otherwise, it could be an issue with the speaker, the wires, the entire alarm system, who knows? It would take some electronics knowledge to track it down. It might be a simple fix, but it could take a long time to identify the exact cause of the problem. That's always the hard part about repairing electronics. Finding the cause. If you know the cause, the repair is often pretty simple.

Yes. Without a doubt. The only fish I'd keep is crappie. Crappie are super abundant in my local lakes. In fact, there's too many of them. And they don't live long anyway (2-4 years). For instance, in most of my local lakes the daily limit of black bass is 6 (with just one smallmouth), the daily limit of sauger and walleye is also 6. Both have size restrictions as well. Meanwhile, the daily limit of crappie is 37 with no size restriction. And the daily limit of white bass is... well there is none. So you're not going to hurt the population or ecosystem by removing some spawning female crappie or white bass. In fact, you'll probably be helping it. Now, I might keep a walleye, sauger, or saugeye if I ever caught one. But I'd probably release them during spawning season, as they're also restricted. And they're not super abundant. But I never catch them any time of year, so it's a non-issue for me.

The pork industry started slaughtering their hogs at around 6 months instead of 2-3 years. Their profits increased because that took a few years or so off of the costs of having to raise the pig. However, due to this, the fatback skin wasn't as tough, which isn't really a problem, because no one actually uses pig skin for anything. Except for anglers. So Uncle Josh couldn't get the pork skins necessary to make a good product, so they just stopped making them around 2015. https://www.onthewater.com/after-93-years-uncle-josh-to-stop-producing-pork-rinds Then the pandemic hit. And suddenly the supply chain broke down. Pig farmers weren't able to get their pigs to the processing factory as quickly as planned, so many opted to keep their pigs for another year for the space to open up at the processing facility. As a result, Uncle Josh was back in business (of selling pork rinds, they still made other things in the time between), and you can now buy pork trailers, once again! How long will it last? Who knows? But it would be wise to stock up while you can, if they're important to you. Finding them in stock can be a bit hard. I haven't ever seen any at any of my local stores, and I've looked. But you can find them online now.

They're a good value. At one time they were the best value in their respective categories, but times have changed. They didn't get worse, just other companies got better. I have a Pro Qualifier 2 rod and reel. The rod is really nice. Compares favorably to other $100 rods. Not as good as some. Better than others. If you can find it on sale, it's probably going to be nicer than most. The PQ2 is pretty decent. For $100, there are better made reels out there that will last longer. But again, on sale, it's gonna beat most reels in it's price range. I had a BPS Tourney Special rod. Great blank for the money. Terrible reel seat and line guides. But at $50, you get what you pay for. And I think this was a good value, as you normally don't get a blank this good at that price (though often find better reel seats and line guides). Still, probably worth spending an extra $20 to get something better. I also have a BPS Fish Eagle. Pretty nice rod for $70, if you like micro guides. It won't compare to a $100 rod, but it'll hold it's own against other rods in its price range. Better than my Kast King Perigee II, which was known as a good value for about the same price. Bottom line, if you get them on sale, you probably can't find a better rod or reel in their price range. If you pay full price, they're probably as good as the average rod and reel in that price range. So you might be able to do better if you shop around, if they're not on sale. But if you're looking to improve on the BPS gear you already own, expect to pay more than what you originally paid for those.

Fishing is my reward for being successful in other areas of life. A successful day on the water is one that facilitates another day on the water in the future.

All of the lakes near me are terrible for bass, and all of the lakes that are great for bass are far away.