Functional

I'm sure you know but there are other ways. Electronics for me are relatively new as I've only started using them the past 4 or 5 years. Before that it was either nothing or a super basic depth finder. Reading the above ground land and how it meets the water. More often than not if its relatively flat land its going to be shallow water and on the other side if its a steep hill or cliff it will likely be deep. Paying attention to water currents and inside/outside bends. Then the ole web navionics, google earth during a drought year, etc. before hand. All stuff I used to do before I got fancy. Now I can just do it much faster.

Idk what I am....maybe a 6 give or take? I start the day targeting what I think they will do but have an assortment of baits to try the whole water column. I'll start with my most productive spots from past history to find where they are and what part of the column they are feeding. However long it takes me to rotate all my baits at one spot is how long I give it. Usually no more than 30-45 minutes and then its onto honey hole #2 then 3. If I'm not producing by #3 I start looking for topography thats not in my first 3 spots. Unless I'm slamming them I'll still visit my best spots before I call it quits at least 1 more time in case I just hit the wrong time. If the spots produced for me before it mostly becomes a question of when, not if.

I do this exact thing and it's saved my A a few times. I just keep a small bag of zip ties in the anchor bag. Keep an eye on the pound rating on the zip tie though, you dont want to use a thick/big one and not be able to break it without tipping. I think I use like a 18lb zip tie? Saw a guy take a length of pvc and cap one end and put a cleanout plug end on the other side. Let him coil his line around the string, floats and is a dry storage. Havent made one yet but thought about trying it.

Granted, I have limited experience with a canoe but here is my take. With modern kayaks a canoe is really a "multi-person kayak". I feel modern kayaks are more suited for fishing with most of the same benefits as a canoe but excel in a lot of areas a canoe doesnt while keeping it's benefits. The benefit is primarily weight for a canoe, once you start getting bigger, wider, etc. to match the stability of some kayaks you start bumping up the weight and in a lot of cases in a larger profile than a kayak capable of the same stability. Clearly, once you add a second or potentially 3rd person you are better off in a canoe. Anywhere I've dragged a canoe (again from my experiences) I could drag a kayak just as easily. Maybe if the canoe we had at the time was super light like Katie's I may feel different but the weight difference was never enough to matter in my case. Since 95% of what I do has a boat launch my 3 weapons are Kayak, v bottom boat or bass boat. If I was regularly dragging something through the woods it would be kayak and likely some form of canoe for a guest coming along. As mentioned, right tool for the job. To me canoes still have a place, just less of a need for me personally.

I took it as when he realized you dont put hardly any action into it, he got better success but he was bored of the actual technique since it was just like sitting there and waiting with cut bait. Cant say I really blame him, if I'm not getting paid I'd rather be doing something that I'm active with.

I've been running bright blue. The yellows and greens sometimes blend in really well with some water here and definitely when we get "pollageddon" 1 and 2. Blue has stood out best for me. As far as for what, anytime I have braid is getting transitioned to this. Basically any bottom contact, jerkbait and frog rods.

Yes...but screw em. It's my money, my hobby and I enjoy it. Add up how much money in starbucks people waste yearly and most of us are probably ahead of the game. On the same hand someone could argue going out for the starbucks experience is their hobby. 🤷‍♂️ Bottom line, its your money, your hobby, do what you want as long as you arent putting yourself or family into dangerous debt.

we got a bunch in the lakes I'm at but none that have proven very big. Id say the biggest I've caught has been 2.5, maybe creeping up on 3. They fight good and hit hard so they are fun to catch, especially when you get a school of them wound up. Our state record is just shy of 6.5lbs.

I wouldnt say I fell for a gimmick because a lot of what doesnt work for me works for others here. I will say I was dumb and went in harder than I should have before proving it worked for me...I'll list those. Ned Rigs Jigs

when I was a kid my Father and I went fishing in a small lake in our 9' aluminum v-bottom with 9hp gas and 35lb thrust electric motor. Weather called for scattered sun showers. They were way off and a storm came up from behind a mountain next to the lake fast. It went from sunny to dark and a wall of rain and wind faster than we could get back. Made it about half way in before it hit hard. Had the 9hp maxed out and the electric motor on and was barely moving. If land was next to us I could have crawled faster than the boat was moving. Then about half way in from that point the thunder and lightning started which kicked things up a notch. Ended up beaching the boat and throwing the anchor up on shore and running back up to the camper. By the time we dried off and changed clothes the sun was back out and clear sky. Since then I've always though of an exit plan if caught suddently like that from stupidity or honest surprise. I've been keeping a "go bag" with thin thermal clothes, magnesium fire starter, fire starting materials, purification drinking straw and other small doodads in case I ever have to beach the boat and bail. Most places I fish its a short walk to civilization...but you never know.

we had a severe drought in my home lake the year before I moved in and its taken a while for it to bounce back. Lot of little fellas but the big guys took a hard hit. I'd say it took a good 4 years before things took shape to what they are now....and its still not recovered to what I'm told it was before I moved here.

All fair, I may have been hungry when I started this thread 😂

I wonder if with all of the commotion going on around him/her it was kind of like a sensory overload to the lateral line and he/she relied on eye sight the most. I'd be curious how he/she reacts to a shad casually swimming by in a still/calm environment.

I've liked the games for the Wii/Wii-U for fishing. Not so realistic but I like the under water imagery. I recently came across my copy of Trophy Bass 2 from around the mid 1990s. Havent had a minute to load it up on the computer but I remember playing that for hours when I was younger.

Minimal fishing this year but I'll play. Seems every year my tactics from the previous year dont work and I find something new. 1) Vision 110+1 JR.: Elegy Bone and GP Pro Blue, Matt Shad takes honorable mention in this bait. 2) Dirty Jigs Compat Swim Jig 3/8oz: Pearl Ghost Shiner 3) Seibert Supreme Arky 3/8oz: Henderson Craw 4) Zoom or Culprit 10" purple worm w/ 3/8 or 3/16oz weight. I listed 4 but 1, 2 and 3 were in my hands the most and #1 by a long shot. It just flat out worked everywhere. Obviously others like a frog, chatter/spinner but they were harder to make work for some reason this year.

I've been waiting to pull the trigger on a Mega360 for a while now. Might just replace my Garmin console with a Helix as well now that there will be quite a few on the market, just to keep it to 1 brand.

I never had one close when I lived in NY and when I was just slummin it Gander Mountain and Dicks were enough for me. After I moved south 8 years ago there has never been a Cabelas or BP more than 1hr from me and I went there often enough. Now I know about more online retailers from BR that carry a much broader selection and I can 99% of the time get everything I want in one order instead of from 2 or 3 different places or going with off brands. Around the time I came here I noticed BP, Cabelas and Academy started pushing their own brand of lures and baits. I've tried some and they are either no difference or completely different in quality/action. I still pop in when passing them but often dont come out with anything or much. Honestly, I found a local honey hole near my job that carries everything I need and my lunch breaks have gotten more expensive. I only order from TW or others for rods, megabass (although the honey hole is starting to expand here) and line lately. Honey hole really only carries Dobyns and a little St. Croix with a splattering of Daiwa and Shimano, often not in the actions/lengths I want/need. It doesnt help they carry archery, boats and firearm stuff either....you'd think I have direct deposit from my job to there sometimes.

Fish more...birth of my son in March bringing our total to 2 kids really sucked any "free" time I had. Not complaining, worth it every day, just part of life.

I knew I liked you two.... Was in a gun store yesterday and got some hands on the new S&W Bodyguard 2.0. Gotta say I really like it and will likely pick up at least one for myself. Would be nice for the days I'm going to be chasing my kids around and need a little slimmer of a pistol and lighter weight. I love my Shield+ but the bodyguard is right there with it. My wife even seems interested.

Some hobbies/sports to me I just get different feelings about. Shooting I really enjoy but I certainly get more of a thrill being better than most in competition and practicing towards proving it. Shooting without that goal just to stay proficient is enjoyable but not as exhilarating as competition. Fishing is the opposite for me, or what I feel like would be the opposite. I enjoy friendly competition with friends/family I go out with on occasion but I feel a proper tournament would put stress on something I find relaxing. My thrill comes from the fish catch but its mostly time for me to unwind and be alone with my thoughts. I'm sure for someone else on here it may be the exact opposite on these exact two hobbies/sports.

I've got a worked over P07 and its easily one of my favorite compact/full sized pistols. Just about a full cajun trigger parts replacement and cut for an RMR. I'm most accurate with it and shoot it the fastest. It's honestly almost boring to shoot with how easy it is. Less metal in the frame and lower bore height make it really controllable. Depending on what circles you run in the CZ is as popular or more than some Glocks and M&Ps. It's unfortunately now associated with people trying to be "trendy" or "crunchy granola" type people. Mostly labeled from sore glock boys.

This is all definitely off topic but to drive your point home I'll add this. I regularly shoot 22lr out to 400-450yrds in competition and now they even have a 22ELR league that shoots 22lr out to 1000yrds. you tell most people you do that and theyll call you a liar. People really dont know.

Had an airsoft bb penetrate through the foam on the vent of my eye pro and hit me in the eye....was not a fun experience...so I agree lol.

As can I. Old gun club didn't think very well and put a skeet shooting setup in front of the pond they had for fishing. Well those pellets travel further than they though they would so if you were bank fishing every so often you would have a few pellets hit you from the sky.

Couple of pellets never hurt anyone........