Angler Andy

How much tackle? As a recreational angler; my kayak is light enough to throw on top of my car and my tackle is "just enough". I try to be as minimalist and efficient as possible. In my case, two rods and three 3600 sized boxes that have different baits in a storage tote-like container.

I put split rings on.

Friday, Oct 24th Partly cloudy to sunny skies. Calm winds. Air temp in the A.M. was low 40s. Water temps all day was 55-57 degrees. Fishing time: 8am - 1pm. Interestingly, the only fish I caught was LMB. No panfish or pickerel. Jerkbaits was the lure of the day. The first hour is when I caught most of the fish. Then it seemed to just die with an occasional bite here and there. Mostly up shallow too near the steeper drop offs. As I fished my way in for the day, one LMB followed the jerkbait but didn't bite. I changed to a different jerkbait, and the same, it followed with no commitment. Then I threw a wacky worm as a followup and caught'em. All in all, 6 LMB bass, and 3 LMB that shook off the bait. Hopefully, I can get one more day in before I call it a season.

Yes, these are one of my favorites for shallow water as well. Stop and go retrieve is what I use most in the late spring / early summer months. I've caught, Bass, chain pickerel, and a rainbow trout (a surprise for sure). I once caught 4 LMB out of 5 casts with this lure.

Boeshield T-9 for guides.

Many years ago a relative had a home by the river in Maine. Fishing was great. Caught the biggest smallmouth bass there. We called them "paddle fish" because they were as big as our paddle!

Normally, I just use nail clippers, but for some reason I bought a Boomerang (I may have got tricked into the, "spend another $5 and you'll get free shipping spiel). Overpriced stamped metal with loose tolerances of the cutting blade. and I'm not impressed and I won't be buying this again.

Sat, Oct 18th. Mostly sunny with air temps in the AM hovering in the low 40s and by lunch time it was about 60. Water temps was in the mid 50's. Mostly bright sunny skies. Calm winds from the northwest. Water levels were still low but not as low as the last time I visited this pond. I started in the deeper part of the pond and by late morning I moved in shallow. An area with lots of rocks with some pockets of vegetation since most of the vegetation is gone. It was in this area I caught most of my fish. I had a LMB slam my lure with such aggressiveness, it took me by surprise. The chain pickerel were in high spirits this day and one was a fat 24 inches long. The others were of good average size. Then to make the soup complete, a sunfish and white perch were thrown in. I was hoping for a SMB but it did not materialize. In total, 4 LMB, 1 sunfish, 2 white perch, 8 chain pickerels. The lure that shined was a jerkbait. As I was loading the kayak, another fisherman who stayed deep did not have the same luck as I did. He only caught one LMB on a jig. Cheers.

I spent some time looking at keel guards for kayaks. I then decided to use .080 gauge "Kydex T" which comes in different colors, I choose grey to approximate the color of my kayak. Watch out for the color black because it may be a recycled-grade "Kydex V". Although still useful but may not be as durable. Then I used WEICON Aqua-Flex Adhesive and Sealant since it will flex with the kayak and still have a strong bond. Aqua-Flex seems to hold to the kayak plastic better then other materials. Cheers.

Reminds of an event many years ago in South Dakota. Fishing with a friend in a reservoir and he caught the biggest yellow perch I ever seen. I told him it has to be a state record and he should check it out. Some days later I asked him about it and he said, "Nay, I ate it". He was more interested in dinner

29th Sept Few clouds - clear sky Morning Temp: 57°F Water Temp: 70-72°F Wind: Mostly calm - light breeze Wind Direction: N - NW Cloud Cover: 20% Humidity: 91% Sunrise: 6:40am On the lake by 7AM. Caught 7 LMB, 2 Yellow Perch (fat too), 1 sunfish, 1 Pickerel. I got bit off again by a pickerel but was it awesome because I saw grab the fluke tail, then reposition it within it's mouth. It happen right at the kayak. Sometime later, as I lifted the lure out of the water for another cast, a small bass jump out and over the lure. Apparently, it followed it to the kayak and made a last ditch effort for the lure. I kept hearing splashing but not seeing anything. As I scanned the area, I seen movement, then a splash. The bass and pickerel were up tight against the shallow shore. The yellow perch were suspended for the most part. Most productive lure was the wacky worm and crankbaits thrown up tight against the shoreline.

While at Bass Pro Shop I walked by the aquarium to observe the fish in the tank. I had a couple of lures in my hand and put one up to the glass. I shook in a manner of "Look what I have". A bass swam right up to the glass to look at the lure. The other people around me could not believe it. I was a little amazed by it as well. Yep, I'm buying this lure.

My friend once pulled out a lure to use and inside I just kinda said, "Pfft, that won't work". Well, it caught a fish and I said I'll never say that again because, "We're not supposed to, but..." catches a lot of fish!

Sept 22 Overcast clouds Temperature: 57 - 62°F Water temps started at 67°F and warmed up to 70°F by 12pm. Wind: Mostly calm - light breeze Wind Direction: NE - E Cloud Cover: 99% Humidity: 81 - 89% Sunrise: 6:32am On the water by 7:10am. Did not have as productive day as last posting despite being at the same pond. One big LMB on a fluke. One slightly larger than average chain pickerel on a spinnerbait, One small crappie on a crankbait, One small yellow perch on a crankbait. The LMB made the day Mostly suspended fish and the LMB by the edge of the lily pads near a drop off.

Almost overboard!

Wed, Sept 17th. Major Feed Time: 08:22 am - 10:22 am Morning Air Temp: 55° Water Temp: Mostly 70° but 68° in some areas. Wind: N-NE, Gentle breeze to 7mph Partly Cloudy Humidity: 96% Sunrise: 6:28 AM I went to a different lake than yesterday and was on the water by 7am. Water levels were really low, probably 3-3 1/2ft. This particular lake I went to last week and did not do so well. However, today was different. The best quality fish I had this year. LMB: 1 beast (short of a pin), 4 big, 2 decent size, 1 junior size, 1 sunfish, 2 yellow perch, 1 pickerel. Also, got bit off by a pickerel. Productive lures included: top water, crankbait, and a jerkbait. The best bite of the day was when I seen some fish activity on the surface. I threw a popper and a LMB exploded on it. When eye contact was made between the fish and I, the fish made a run. I kept saying, "O, this is a good fish" as I reeled it in. It ended being the biggest fish of the day. P.s. This time I had my paddles!

Agreed.

I posted this story on May 3rd of this year. No pictures but here is the link:

Mist, foggy, light rain, overcast clouds but cleared up fairly fast. Morning Temperature: 59 - 60°F Water Temp: 71°F Wind: Light breeze, Direction: N - NE Cloud Cover: 75 - 100% Humidity: 95 - 97% Sunrise: 6:26am Parked the car and started to unload the equipment. As I was about to take the kayak off the car, horror struck me - I left the paddles at home! I was going to call it off but I had an "emergency paddle". Whew, the day was not a disaster. I on the water at about 6:45, . I did not wander far but stuck close by. My paddle speed was limited. Despite that, it ended up being a good day for me. Caught 3 pickerels, 10 LMB, 1 sunfish. Two fish leaped into the air and threw the lure winning that round. I rigged the fishfinder on a very temporary setup and fooling around with it. Worked well. 2 fish on wacky, 2 on topwater, the rest on a jerkbait. I've been using various brands of jerkbaits and I am really liking the X-rap. It catches fish without the cost of the "other" brand. The wacky rig was thrown during a miss on the topwater. According to the solarclock, major feeding time was 07:28 am - 09:28 am. The bite slowed down about 10ish.

I happen to using Zorin OS as my main computer, Windows-like interface, discovered some apps/software I liked and wished I found earlier. I'm moving away from windows as much as I can. P.s. I moved to Zorin OS to revive an older computer in which Windows said, "O no, no you can't", whereas Zorin OS said, "Yes I can".

I don't have any DIY/Hacks. I usually find myself spending more and the last DIY project, I end up in the Emergency Room getting stitches.

@Swamp Girl It's against the law to catch that many fish! You had a good day.