Marty

Me too. The winter is interminable. :'(

Ditto to the previous reply.

I am not a canoe expert. However, I have just finished my second season with a canoe I bought in May 2007, a Wenonah Kevlar, the14' Fisherman model. It's the only canoe I've owned, so I have no basis of comparison. I have no reason to believe that Wenonah is not a high-quality line. As to Kevlar, it was that or nothing, as I'm an old codger and no way did I think I could hoist or lug around around a canoe weighing close to 60 pounds. Kevlar is not as tough as Royalex. I see people dragging the latter across gravel and treating them roughly, but Royalex is supposedly indestructible. I'm more careful with my boat, but it has survived a lot of collisions with stumps and the like just beneath the surface and banging into cars, trees, the ground, etc. There are plenty of visible scratches but no apparent compromise with the integrity of the hull. The Fisherman model is wide, stable and roomy, but the price paid for that is less paddling efficiency, but I knew that going in and was more than willing to make that tradeoff. If I had it to do over again I'd buy the same boat. I could probably keep rambling on, but I don't know what information you're after, so feel free to ask more questions if you'd like, either via post, e-mail or PM.

The Rooster said what I wanted to say in another thread, but he beat me to the punch (he wasn't talking about the box you're asking about, but I think it applies to any tackle storage system):

The Jitterbug is my favorite topwater and I use it from spring through fall in conditions ranging from midday sunshine to lower light, but I don't fish at night. Yesterday I caught four big bass (big by my standards, not yours) on one in a small pond with 55° water. I don't know if this helps; I think conditions where you are might be a little different from where I am. ;D

The last I read, the Swim'n Image runs to 18". It has replaced the Baby 1- as my favorite supershallow crankbait. I'm not sure how to describe the action. Maybe a little wider than what would be called a tight wobble.

Maybe if Singletary suits up and plays linebacker... ;D

Why not give faster-moving horizontal baits a try? Crankbaits, topwaters, spinnerbaits, inline spinners, etc. I fish mostly shallow ponds but on my last outing, the water, coincidentally, was 64°, and my fish came on a Shallow Shad Rap and Jitterbug.

Dave, I didn't make myself very clear. That is indeed a gripper only and it has a hole in one of the handles. So I use it to grip the fish, put the scale hook through the handle hole and subtract the weight of the gripper (4 oz.).

I can't answer your questions, all I can do is tell you my experience. I fish water ranging from stained to very clear. I've used two superlines, smoke Fireline and green Power Pro and have never used a leader. Would I catch more with a leader? No way to know, all I know is I have full confidence in the leaderless lines. Even if I used a leader it would be impossible for me to catch enough fish, over a long enough period of time, under controlled conditions, to ever get a definitive answer.

I've used both the Normark/Rapala and Berkley scales. Both can be very accurate, but I wouldn't generalize. They need to be tested by weighing stuff that's already been weighed on a certified scale, like at the supermarket. And just because they're accurate, don't assume they'll stay that way. Accurate scales can and do go bad, as I learned when I tried to weigh a nice pike on my previously accurate scale. Test them multiple times every year. I used to sharpen the scale's hook point and insert it in the fish's lower jaw immediately next to the hard outer lip so the lip would support the weight of the fish. Since I've owned the lip gripper from Cabela's, I use that to weigh fish. I don't weigh bass unless I think they're 4# or more. I don't need to know the weight of every fish. If I'm telling you what I caught, I'll say, for example, a 17" and 18" rather than estimating the weight.

I'm very used to fishing clear water and the full variety of lures work. Topwaters, cranks, spinners, soft plastics, etc. As always, take into account the depth, cover, weather, water temperature, etc.

I've used DBNs for years and they're outstanding. I agree with the earlier poster who noted that they might require more tuning than other cranks.

I'm very used to fishing clear, weedy water. For years I used 10# mono, in the last few years I use Power Pro 15# much more than mono. I use the green and don't bother with a leader. As an earlier poster said, the fish care less about the line than some of us do.

I use Power Pro, from shore and boats. It doesn't cut guides. The green is low visibility, at least to the angler, but I don't bother using a leader and it doesn't seem to have any negative effect that I can tell. I only use Palomar knots and they're easy to tie. Braid is incredibly abrasion-resistant to wood and vegetation and allegedly very poor in rocks, but I don't fish rocky water. Be careful with braid, it can easily get tangled up in your lures, wrapped around the rod tip, and the like. The most common reason I cut and retie is tangles around lures and hooks that I can't untangle. For me, the pluses greatly outweigh the minuses.

I'm always solo. Yes, I sit on what is normally the bow seat. That gets my weight a little closer to the center, but it's nowhere near enough to keep it from being high in front. I always take a 5-gallon pail with lid and wedge it between the front seat and handle, with perhaps 20-30# of water in it. That gets the boat trimmed well enough for my needs. I've seen canoes out there with the bow about 30° above the water and don't know how those guys can stand it. The wind drives me batty, but we've got to take the bad with the good. I deal with it because this canoe was the only boat option for me.

Daiwa Regal-XiA, $50.

Good article, although I never heard of him. This is not meant as a negative against him, but he must be an exception, not a rule, being in baseball for so many years never having played a major league game. RIP, Mr. K.

Have you fished from canoes before? Are you knowledgeable about them? If not, I'd suggest you educate yourself first by learning about the basics of construction, materials, etc. This information can be found on manufacturers' site and other canoeing sites. Canoes involve tradeoffs. For example, the wider and more stable the boat is, the less efficient it is to paddle. I bought a canoe last year for fishing ponds and a few lakes. I gave up the paddling efficiency for width and stability. However, I know nothing about using them in rivers. (In fact, sometimes I wonder if I know anything about using them in ponds and lakes). ;D Good luck.

I do the same thing. For most bass I catch, it's good enough for me to know that it's 17", 18", or whatever. But I always carry a scale which is tested a couple of times per year by weighing stuff that's already been weighed on certified scales at the supermarket. Whether you weigh a lot of fish or just a few, I highly recommend testing it a few times a year. Scales that have been very accurate for a few years can and do go bad. I know that all too well.

Many years ago, when I first started casting spoons for trout in Lake Ontario, the tackle shop owner told me to replace the trebles with single hooks, which I did and have done ever since then. I have no way to know how they'd compare to trebles. I suppose if one is cynical, he could say that the guy wanted to sell me some hooks in addition to the spoons. But I also remember reading an article explaining why single hooks are more efficient than trebles or doubles. I don't remember the exact reason that was given, but probably something like a single hook involves a direct path into the fish's jaw on a hookset, whereas trebles have points not in a line and could possibly work against each other. Regardless, I was always satisfied with the results on my single-hook spoons.

Jare, The Swim-n Image is my favorite shallow crankbait too. They can be purchased directly from the manufacturer if you'd like. http://www.lurenet.com/productdetail.aspx?id=4632

I'm no marketeer, but I'll just throw something out as a long shot. If the shop does something in the way of charity and/or community service and can get a mention on the local news, that would be great and positive publicity.

One more suggestion--I suspect a biologist at your nearest DNR office would be happy to talk with you.

None whatsoever.