Darth-Baiter

That’s a 5 lb bass? I think pedal drive now. I have the Hobie Compass. And occasionally I go full paddle when the weeds are too thick, or I’m negotiating trees. It’s a pain. Paddle in my lap, rod casting, etc. it’s a lot happening. and don’t think pedals are effortless. It can be a workout.

Yesterday I was targeting a bunch of arches on my FF. Drop shot. I was enjoying the scenery when I noticed a swirl in the tule. It was like something did a tight u-turn just below the surface. I could see the v-wake of a half circle. I pitched my drop shot in. It was immediate. I felt the tug and I thought it twisted me up in the tule. Nope, just a 3,3lb bass wanting to get away. I really enjoy how a 2500 spinning reel makes every bass feel slightly larger. I got it towards me, saw color and grabbed my net. It was moving my kayak. Haha. so fun. I really need to watch out for bass signs. ‘’this was on a tiny gold course lake near my home. It gets hammered. and is oddly my most challenging body of water. I got a second keeper on a chatter and went home.

I couldn’t even use my pedal drive. I had to paddle with my paddies! The horrors. Haha. I tried drop shot on the few weed fringe spots I found. No luck. I had a WTH moment. I didn’t have my punch rod but I didn’t care. 12 lb flouro, 3/4 worm sinker pegged, and a Yamamoto flapping hog. On. On a 1/0 offset hook (not ideal) I pitched it into a thick mat where I could see the spine of a sunken log. As soon as I yo-you’d it once a bass grabbed it. Whoa! My line held fast and I forced my first punch bass into my kayak. I was so dumbstruck, I forgot my to use my net. I line lifted him into the boat and fist pumped the sky. I cannot believed that worked. NO SKUNK! The wind whipped up and I paddled back to the dock plowing thru weeds like an ice-breaker. oh, I did try a frog. No love. But when it gets warmer.....

As long as I don’t cast at 900fps or up into things other things eat.

As a rookie. I still enjoy simply “not skunking”. big fish are so smart. Wary. One day I’ll get a double-digit fish...one day. But right now, a 3-lb fish gets my juices moving.

The paint probably minimizes me ingesting lead with my beef jerky

I’m running thru my old reserves of plain old vanilla lead sinkers. Drop-shot and worm. Everytime I give a sinker to one friend, he pulls out a marker and colors it black. There is a tackle shortage here. Black worm sinkers are finally showing up on the shelves. But I have so many cheap lead ones. opinions? I seem to be doing okay with gray lead weights. But will I do better with black?

I have one spinner bait. It’s white - no fish ever on that thing. chatterbaits. I have three. Blue/black, grn pumpkin, and a white chartreuse just in case I run across a stripe bass. im not super successful with the chatterB either:(

I’m asking for a Zillion SV for my birthday. Fingers crossed.

I love the kayak. No $80+ visits to the gas station. but seriously, it’s exercise. I don’t know about you, but I could use more exercise. Today I brutalized myself. I really challenge myself with kayak launches. Today I had to trudge 200 yards from the boat ramp to get to the receded water. I got decent fish. Pulling my boat back up the hill and subsequent dried up boat ramp was like a CrosSFit drill. I was working! I burned some calories. and if you get a bigger bass, it will move the kayak. It’s tremendously exciting. I can get where boats cannot go. I fish all the time now. 3x a week normally. fishing from a kayak is much more difficult than a bass boat. It’s a bigger challenge in that respect. It’s more “dangerous “ too : so there that added element of excitement.

I’m going 2nd weekend of April. Doing a two day trip. My first visit ever. The Lake is HUGE and daunting to me. Double that because we will be on tiny kayaks. im hoping for a good jig bite. But I always have a t-rig ready. What’s hanging off your t-rig? Worm? Color?

I still occasionally will flub my cast with a DC reel.

I can’t get the hook to line up all the time with the Palomar. User error, I’m sure.

this knot lays the hook perfectly every time. Anyone know what this is called? Sorry I cannot embed I video from my iPad. https://youtu.be/EAJrju_91e8

Lovely bass. you weigh it?

Oh. I flipped it a lot and I have the self rescue down solid. Getting back on is easy if you get your legs kicked to the surface.

I bought a pack a few days ago. I usually rig them t-rig style. Clip off the head so the worm-sinker substituted the shape. I remember an old timer telling mr salamanders eat fish eggs (?). I believed him then. this time? I hooked it up on the drop shot. It was fantastic. I was pulling bass from the deeper pockets off shore, and pulling them straight off the bank. Just a plain boring brown zoom lizard. I love the hard tick of a bass hitting a drop-shot bait. I switched to a tuna bubblegum pink roboworm and the little bass went after it. Back to the lizard, the bass got bigger. It was odd. I don’t see a lot of people in my area fishing with a lizard much anymore. It all Senkos and Neds. (The work great tho). I got zero love with a SENKO wacky-style.

I hit a great body of water yesterday. The water temp was 66 deg. Bass were on beds. I just like seeing them there. I don’t always harass them. but standing up is key. My Hobie Compass is stable. But it isn’t “super” stable. The seat is also super low slung. You can’t get your feet under you to simply stand up. There’s grunting involved. I push off the backrest with one hand. yesterday, I forgot all of that in my excitement. I don’t even know how I stood up so quickly. I was just up. I even used my paddle awkwardly like SUP paddle and was gliding around the shallows. I didn’t fall off. I should have taken my iPhone out of my pocket - just in case, but duh! I can cast and pitch a bait. The hook set? No way! I’ll definitely fall overboard. I sat down fast to set the hook. Haha. I imagine I’ll get better and better. you standup kayakers. Is it true? You get better with practice?

Now that would be an awful awful ZOOM meeting. I bought mine last July. Right before the shortage. Mine was actually old-stock from the previous year. Unheard of these days. I stick see kayaks at stores. But the choosing your favorite color or model is a challenge.

3.5 pounds. She fought valiantly, way above her weight class. Super fun. gosh, bass fishing is a blast. I dragged my kayak to a hidden lake system. Portages, and trails got me from tiny lake to tiny lake.

My friend just got the NuCanoe F10. I have not seen it yet. We fish big waters together so he will put the trolling motor on. He was shocked at the battery cost. He ordered a lithium battery. Imagine a 70lb battery onboard if you flip? I think the battery he got was $500? But it’s light(er) I can’t wait until he can tow me around

When I was young. I was standing on a loose rock. It was fun teetering back and forth; right until the swarm of hornets/wasps came flying out. I broke a land speed record that day. now I always watch where I walk.

Crap. Lake Merced. That’s the one. Merrit is in Oakland.

Cant you attach at the battery?

How old is the battery?