The one that got away

I would keep an eye out on FB marketplace for the next couple months before the prices go up in the spring. I have an older Old Town canoe that I used for many years before I bought a Bonafide SS107 last spring (2023). I stand in the Bonafide, but I could also stand in the Old Town Guide by moving midway and spreading the feet to each side (the canoe was 36" wide). Never stand in windy conditions or wavy situations. A good sit on top kayak is light years more comfortable to fish out of, but you have to manage your gear more efficiently. Most of the bigger guys I see in tournaments lean towards the Nucanoe Unlimited. It's a big, open layout and the rigging options are almost infinite. It also has a swivel seat, which gives you better access behind you. There's other good options out there as well. However, you are going to want some type of electric motor, or at least a pedal system, for a sit on top fishing kayak. Most of them don't paddle well. You can go all out and get a bow mounted Motorguide xi3 (although they have recently stopped production), or an electric motor on the stern. Some of those are very pricey, but if you watch some YT videos, you will see a lot of ingenuity with a $100 40lb trolling motor operated from the seat via a pulley system. Go with at least a 12' kayak for better stability (I have since replaced the 10'7" kayak with a used SS127 which is 12'7" long and feels like a completely better and more stable kayak). Also, never lean or reach for anything that falls over the side. Use your net to get whatever falls overboard. Any kayak (or canoe) can flip, but thinking before reaching will almost eliminate that possibility. Buying used will save you a good amount, and you won't take as big a hit if you end up selling it. Hope this helps

The xi3 motor I bought was a non-GPS version, which came with a non-GPS remote. I also bought the GPS upgrade kit, which comes with a GPS remote. So I have two remotes. One is the GPS remote that has the spotlock features, and the other is the base remote that came with the original motor. Got both off Amazon

I have an xi3 on the bow of my SS107 (shorter version of your SS127). Works just like it should. I bought the base motor and the GPS upgrade separately because it only takes about 15 minutes to install and that saved about a hundred bucks or so. Another bonus is I have a backup remote (the remote that came with the base model) so I'm not stranded if the GPS remote konks out for some reason, which it hasn't. The overall cost was definitely cheaper than a Torqueedo or Newport Vessels, and I have spot lock which those motors don't. I also don't have to worry about too many moving parts with pedal to rudder connections and so on. I have a generic Amazon 100ah battery that I got for 1/3 of a comparable Dakota Lithium. No issues whatsoever with the battery. If it dies in a couple years, I'll buy another one and still be ahead. I wish I went with the SS127 instead of the SS107, but that's another story for another day. I have no buyer's remorse at all about the motor setup. Good luck with your decision.

I've been on this forum since 2009. I was never that active with posting, and even less nowadays. I will say I learned more about fishing on this site than anywhere else on the web. There was another member from MA named Crestliner who was a wealth of knowledge and experience. His posts were always to the point, and written with pure class. I never contacted him directly and I'm not sure if he's still around, but it would have been an honor to cross paths with him somewhere on the water. Will Wetline is another local name I remember. A-Jay also gave me some guidance recently, and I'm thankful for that. I remember most of the names mentioned in prior posts on this thread, and picked up some helpful hints from all of you. Much appreciated.

I would go with a Nucanoe as long as you're not cartopping it.

BOOM! Looks like you had another great year AJ! Lots of great fish, but I especially liked the photo of the mist coming off the water at sunrise, and the photo of that bent spinning rod with the fish coming to the surface to your right. And being a canoe guy at heart, I'm glad to see your OT still getting some work in.

If I were bank fishing, I would leave that area after a couple hours of no bites and drive a few miles to a different section of the river

Hope the road back to good health continues, and hope you get into a few good ones Saturday!

Yes, I paddle when the weeds choke out the trolling motor. The motor is great for moving from spot to spot in clearer water. I just retie while I let the motor do the work. I also hate paddling when it's too windy, so the motor's great for that too. Agree 100%. My knees also stiffen up if I can't stand up and stretch after a few hours

Most of the places around here have heavily wooded shorelines, and therefore limited areas to fish from the shore. I finally got off the bank when I bought my Old Town Guide 147 in 2008. I added a trolling motor the following year. Best fishing decision I ever made was buying something, anything, to get to areas I couldn't get to from the bank. Too many places I fish don't have a boat ramp, so I don't need a "real" boat. My fishing locations would be limited if I needed a ramp to launch. I still have the canoe and use it several times a week. I replaced the yoke a couple years ago, so my maintenance cost has been about $2/yr. 90% of the time I am fishing with my buddy up front. I'm too old to stand in it, and I'm considering a kayak for a bit more comfort but it works for now. This is from our last launch last year:

Many many small small fish on the Charles this morning. These are two of the stupider ones.

Used my canoe to fish my first kayak tournament (they allow anglers to fish from kayaks or canoes) today in Brewster. BRUTALLY windy out there. Water temps were 50-51 range. Got a real nice fat one to start the morning, but the fish got smaller as the day went along. I squeaked out a limit, which was all I wanted because I'm not very familiar with the place. All fish caught on a green 4" Keitech Swing Impact on a 1/8ounce tungsten jig head. Nothing else was working aside from a pickerel on a jerkbait. Finished 6th out of 25. The smallie was second smallie lunker for the tournament. I want to also thank A-Jay for some tips on how to approach an unfamiliar body of water for smallmouths. I just don't do a lot of smallie fishing and A-Jay was a big help. I took his recommendation on where to start and what to use and the pic shows the result. I recommend everyone take a look at the pinned Brown Bass Tools thread in the Smallmouth Bass Fishing forum here on BR. The man knows his stuff!!!

Made a trip to the Cape for the weekend. Fished Walkers Pond in Brewster yesterday and took a skunk after a few hours of battling whitecaps in the canoe. Today I fished Upper Mill Pond in Brewster this morning with calmer conditions and landed a few decent smallies on a NetBait STH Finesse series tube rigged with a 1/8 Keitech tungsten jig head.

Made a drive to Snipatuit in Rochester on Sunday afternoon. Never been there before. Was hoping a shallow place further south of me would be warming up sooner. Water temps were between 49-52. Could only manage two pickerel in about three hours of fishing. One on a ned rig and the other on a Vision 110. I think I could find Bigfoot sooner than I could find a bass this time of year.

I got out with my buddy today for the first time this year. Went to the shallow side of Mirimichi, which I think is in Plainville. I picked up a Megabass Vision 110 over the winter to see what all the fuss was about. It lived up to the hype as far as pickerel are concerned. I got about a dozen pickerel, including FAT ones that were 24.00 and 24.25 inches respectively. The second big pickerel bent the hooks out. Those Megabass hooks are super sharp but I was a bit disappointed that they bent out fairly easily. My buddy got a bass just shy of 2lbs, a crappie, and a bunch of pickerel as well. Would have been happier with more bass, but overall we had awesome weather today and a good numbers day.

That was SUCH a bad call on 3rd and goal. And the whole Rams line jumped on that play and no flag for false start. Then it seems they threw flags on every play.

Congrats to the Bengals. I thought they were toast when they lost the coin flip. I'll be rooting for them in the SB.

The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle

I'm certainly not qualified to be anyone's mentor, but agree with the above responses, and would add that you may become more comfortable with some techniques more than others. It sounds like you are already pretty proficient at some different styles of fishing already. For example, I would always start with a frog in the type of area you described, depending on the time of year. But that's just me and where I usually fish. Other anglers might always try flipping a creature bait first, or some other technique, could be anything, in that type of area. I try to dumb it down - I just try to see if the bass are closer to the top or the bottom. So I would go with a frog (or popper if it's not too thick) to see if there are any surface bites, and then try a weighted plastic that will get through an opening if no top bites. Try a couple things and move on if no bites. I don't think you need to try 6-7 different techniques at every weed bed. Maybe try a couple different techniques at the next weed bed, say a spinnerbait along the edge or a wacky rig in one of the openings. If nothing, move on to the next weed bed. Try the same things, or mix it up if you want. You will get a feel for what works at different ponds/lakes/rivers the longer you fish at one particular body of water. You will find out what you like to use the most. My fishing buddy throws a frog or popper 50% of the time, a wacky rig probably 40% of the time, and maybe a spinnerbait the other 10%.

OK so it looks like most have some variety in their arsenal. Especially you new2BC4bass, you're my new idol lol. I was thinking it was only me. I have a Shimano, a St. Croix, a Loomis, 2 going on 3 Dobyns, 2 Kistler, and a Fenwick. Thanks for all the replies

I'm going through my rods/reels to pass the time up here in freezing New England. Winter makes me absolutely stir crazy and I blame winter for my recent irresponsible financial transactions at TW for stuff I really don't need. Anyway... My question - how many different rod brands do you use? Do you stick with one brand, two, or just whatever "feels" right, assuming you're fortunate enough to find a rod in stock at your local tackle shop that you can get your hands on instead of buying online. I like all the stuff I use, but I use 6-7 different rod brands and as most of you know there can sometimes be a difference in power and/or action from one brand to another. I'm thinking of selling some off and replacing with one brand for more consistency throughout. I'm not trying to start a debate about who make the best rods, just seeing how many different brands you guys use. Thanks

I catch more pickerel than I would like. It's what I mostly catch until the water warms up unfortunately, so I usually target trout early in the season with small spinners and jerkbaits - and I still catch some pickerel (depending where I'm fishing). But I must admit the larger pickerel can put up a good fight. Most people around here also catch a decent amount of bluegill, perch, and crappie as well.

1/2oz Cavitron buzzbait (black)

Try a pork trailer.

I think we all fish because that next cast could be the one that gets the fish of a lifetime. Besides the thrill of the chase, it's great to be outdoors and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. When the bite is slow, it gives me some solitude to reflect on all the things I can be thankful for. And then I cast again...