Fishes in trees

I used to have a boat very similar, slightly heavier than the Pelican 10E. I presume you're going transom mount. I've never seen a foot control mount on one of these little pond boats - don't mean it can't happen, just means I 've never seen it, and at that point you're getting way over $220. Anyway, on my boat I ran a 36 lb thrust trolling motor for a couple of seasons - then it broke (my fault) and I used that opportunity to upgrade. I got a 55 lb thrust variable speed motor, and that's what I'd recommend. I don't think the brand makes much difference, but I got a Minn Kota, because of the Maximizer they advertised at that time. With the 55 I could get from point A to point B quicker and that was a plus, but the coolest part of that motor was how slow you could go. With the other 5 speed motor, sometimes back in a cove with light variable winds, speed 1 was too fast. I thought then, and I still do, that a very slow constant speed didn't spook fish as much as the on & off does. You might want to get more battery. I started out with 2 of the biggest deep cycle batteries I could find at the time (wired parallel to stay 12 volts ) and after a while went to 3. The 3 batteries helped to balance out the load a little bit better also, because I was closer to the other end, with the hand controlled trolling motor. You'll find that getting the boat balanced it pretty important so that it sits right in the water. I knew other guys, who only ran 1 battery, who kept a cooler in the back & filled it with water to help with the weight balance. I'm pretty sure that boat can be comfortable to fish out of, but what with you being 300 lbs, there will be a learning curve to getting the balance right. Either way, to answer your question, I'd go with the biggest 12 volt trolling motor you can find that has the variable speed and 2 big deep cycle batteries wired parallel and don't forget a 2 bank charger so you can keep the 2 batteries charged the same. At this point you're over $220, but there isn't any substitute for trolling motor power on the water and more is almost always better. BPS 2020 Master catalog suggests a price tag of $289 for the Endura Max 55 lb thrust, 12 volt, variable speed, 36" motor shaft.

Along the ago, I ran into this product and tried it and while I think it is a great idea it didn't work real well for me. I'm not sure if this new variation is exactly like the one I tried, but the one I tried was actually a tube between the two skirts - so it didn't stay put on the jig very well and slid down and bunch up with whatever trailer I was using. When I tried it on a spinner bait, it slid down to the hook bend on every cast - the bait holder on the shank of the hook wasn't enough to hold it in place, plus the plastic was very soft and didn't want to be held. Around the same time, or maybe a little later (early 90's) Berkley marketed a spinner bait with a powerboat trailer and a powerboat molded skirt. The powerboat, being less soft than the Yamaoto plastic held quite a bit better. Out of the water, the plastic skirt looked kinda weird, but pulled through the water it looked ok. One season, maybe 2 and Berkley didn't market that bait anymore that I know of. I think if the connection between the two skirts was solid and if you used superglue to attach the skirt to the jig hook that would work ok. Try it & and out.

I'd like for Berkley to bring back some of their older discontinued baits. The 6" Pulse worm comes to mind. Bring back the 8" Shakey worm, the one with the molded in tail, the one that would straighten out when you moved it and curled back up when you let it set, the one that I can't remember the name of. Bring that one back in Red Shad/green glitter and Blue Fleck. While you're at it bring back the SOB ( small okie bug) short arm single spin, the 3/8 size with the slightly smaller than normal single Colorado - hammered either gold or silver would be nice. I don't care about the Berkley Beasts - I didn't catch fish with that bait when it first came out, but it caught me and I've got 8 or 10 packs in a plastic shoe box somewhere in the fishing shed. Chompers used to be a very popular soft plastic bait, readily available in Walmart & other bait shops, not so much anymore. The Mann's paddle tail worm, the one that Ike used to win the Bassmaster classic, are still made I guess, but hard to find. I'm sure there are more, but I can't recall right now.

How much money? Buy or rent? Urban or suburban? There are some very nice subdivision lakes that are VERY private, and kinda pricey, both on the Kansas side and the Missouri side. Some if not all of those subdivision lakes have kinda restrictive zebra mussel regulations, where it is just easier to keep a boat somewhere on the lake than it is to trailer it. Bluebasser might have a good option, I'd check that out for sure. 25 minutes from Gardner, Kansas to KU Med Center is pushing it any time of the year. On the Kansas side of the metro area there is alot of road building going on right now, supposedly with plans to do much more. Concerning the areas you mentioned, don't know anything about the Wyandotte lake area - other than I've driven through it once or twice and parts of it looked nice & well maintained and other parts didn't. Longview Lake/Jacomo lake area - good luck getting to KUMed in 25 minutes. There are lots of nice areas - lots more not so nice areas, if you want to go semi-rural/suburban I'd expand the search area to 40 minutes.

I've had a few of those allegedly dirty water spinnerbaits with the red forward blade on them. War Eagle markets a few different ones & Terminator used to. Never got bit on one of those spinnerbaits which had a red blade on them. Don't know why, except I didn't. I think that in shallow muddy water, with visibility less than a foot, a chatter bait with a kinda bright white/chartruese trailer or a Timber Tiger DC4 are better bets. Favored Timber Tiger color in this situation would be the Texas Shad color, white belly shading up to a silvery back, rose colored tinges on the side. spot of red underneath the lip. I have had a couple of days where fish didn't want the Timber Tiger, and I didn't know about chatter baits yet (yes, it has been a while) and the ticket those days was a half ounce Rogers glass eye single spin bait. chartreuse & purple with a white/chartruese BPS Cajun trailer and a single Colorado blade in the copper color.

Over the past couple of years I've replaced a bunch of Plano boxes - in various sizes - because they had the old style latches and sometimes my short, stubby, arthritic fingers had trouble with the old style latches. The newer pro-style latches work better for me. Every so often I might drop a box and it will crack or snap a hinge, something like that and I'll replace it. Pretty frequently I'll buy a bunch of new boxes to store different stuff, but that really isn't replacing, is it.

Your notion of a proper rig and somebody else notion of a proper rig might differ. I think that you're on the right track though, what with trying to get a notion of the total weight of any given bait. Electronic postal scales are around $25 at Walmart. Spend another $15 for a waterproof/dustproof box to keep it in. Take the battery out after every use or it will corrode over time sitting in the box. I think that it is worth it to bust it out when you need it, but stow it correctly once you're done. Finding out what any given bait/hook/weight combo really weighs takes less than a minute. For me bobber stops would be a constant and not worth including in the weight. My scale is going on 8 or 10 years old now. It wouldn't have lasted as long as it has if I had just left it out setting on my work bench or work table or shelf. Don't forget to take what line you're using into account. For instance, a 5/16 oz pitching jig with a Chompers trailer throws & drops different using 17 lb Abrazx than it does using some braid/fluorocarbon leader combo. Not a lot different, but significantly different if you're into nuances.

True fact - hemostats don't work real good with heavy hooks - they only work ok with lighter hooks. Still, I carry a few pairs in my on board tool box - like your surly old shop teacher barked - "Use the right tool for the job!" Sometimes hemostats are the right tool. I would add that I'm not concerned about weight at all in my boat. I carry quite a few things that I might or very occasionally use. Tools that I might use once or twice a year, or some years not at all, are par for the course. I don't use my secchi disc or push pole very often, but I don't leave the dock without them on the boat. Oh, I remember that the original intent of this post was pliers. I have several different sets of needle nose pliers and needle nose vice grips scattered around the boat. Not a big fan of those pliers that have the split ring wedge on the tip. That is what the Texas Tackle split ring pliers are for.

*** has an extensive list of bass clubs, listed by state. A quick glimpse of Virginia revealed more than a few in the state. Of course there is always BFL - most likely a little more money than local clubs, but a chance of larger rewards as well.

Be careful with that thing. I got a very similar seat 18 years ago when I got my boat. It was comfortable, BUT - leaning on it placed me closer to the bow of the boat than sitting on the butt seat did - uncomfortably closer if I happened to smack into a stump running my trolling motor and my balance wasn't perfect. Also it looks to me like the foot control is very close to the pedestal. Got to wonder how comfortable that is going to be steering the boat. The most comfortable pedal position for me is off to the left of the post, 10 or 12 inches off the center line, steering with my left foot and right foot moves to brace depending on which direction I'm casting. When I first got my boat, I tried putting the foot steering centered like you've got it and it was uncomfortable. Maybe the tray for the pedal makes a difference, I don't know. Anyway, I do know that for me the leaning post wasn't nearly as "safe feeling" as sitting on top of the butt seat feels.

Those are real old - early 80's, maybe later 70's? I remember I had a pack. I remember that I got bit, got the fish in and as I was working to get the hook out ( using my fingers, not my pliers, my bad ) the fish flopped and I got stuck pretty good in the thumb with the little point on the top of the shank. I didn't use them any more after that. As I recall the experience soured me on tx rigging with slip weights and for the next few years I went down the rabbit hole of throwing Brewer Sliders 80% of the time, and one of the reasons was that I was less likely to get stung removing hooks. Of course these days I've changed my attitude and I find it necessary to have a tx rig 10" worm rig a tx rig stick bait, and alternative soft plastic tx rig - all right next to the Brewer Slider Rig.

I have 4 of those baits, purchased the year they came out. I fished them some the first year, kinda the way I'd fish a Sammy, but underwater all the time, and didn't catch anything. I might try them again this year.

Call me bigoted, but while chartreuse & certain shades of gold are allowed in my boat, yellow isn't - at all. Don't like that color - superstitious about it - no yellow baits, yellow line, yellow logos , won't wear yellow shirts or shorts, won't wear yellow hats - don't like nothing about that color. I can't exactly describe the difference between chartreuse and certain shades of gold and yellow, but I know it when I see it and chartreuse & gold are ok and yellow isn't.

Some the Pomme specials were made with an R bend in the wire and that was what you tied to. I've seen earlier models ((mid 70's ) that had a loop and affixed to the loop was a 3 or 4 inch piece of wire, with another loop at the end of the wire, and you tied on to the end of the wire. Supposedly this was because Pomme de Terre has a modest population of Muskies and they were known for stealing spinnerbaits at this lake. Which ones do you. have. I'd like to get my hands on some of those old baits, just for my collection if for nothing else. I've only seen the ones with the loop & wire extension once in a southern Missouri bait shop once, and I didn't have much money in my pocket at that moment so I didn't buy any. I'm kinda suprised no one has marketed that idea lately.

If you're going to take up skipping with your bait caster, be sure to buy yourself lots of spare line when you get your new rod. I don't know about you, but I can throw close to cover, very close to cover, but when I try to skip into cover, that is just asking for it, and I backlash alot. For those times when I feel like I got to throw into and underneath stuff, (like dock fishing at Lake Ozark and other lakes with lots of docks) I carry a spinning rod with a braid/leader combo for that application. I've just gotten tired of buying line. I have a Curado DC, which is supposed to be just the ticket for skipping with a bait caster, but I'm still not very good at it. My advice is to go spinning. The gear is just as sensitive, drag on the reel is just as good as a bait caster and I have much fewer line issues.

Maybe telescopic rod could be the ticket? I have a 7'5" Kistler Flipping/pitching rod. The blue one - Argon series I think. I've had it for a few years now, not sure if it is still available. It is a great heavy duty jig/soft plastic rod and it is easy to store in the truck. Maybe shipping gear to your destination prior to your flight is an option - or buying gear once you get there and shipping it home after you are done. Maybe getting one custom built would be your best option. Like a previous post, I also have a 7' Muskie rod and I think it is a little heavy to use for more than a little while. I use mine for throwing heavier A-rigs, when I get over 2 - 3 ounces.

I have several personal bests. PB farm pond fish was 7 1/2 (weighed ) caught early in the year - black & blue tube, 1/8 oz head 6 lb line. PB Conservation Lake fish was around 7 ( educated guess ) caught on a wacky senko, green pumpkin with purple glitter, 1/16 Falcon weedless wicked wacky hook. PB 10" worm fish was around 5. PB major reservoir fish happened last October at Truman Lake, 6 something (educated guess) on a half ounce Biffle Bug weight/ Zoom Craw trailer (green pumpkin with glitter and chartreuse dyed claws.) Biggest fish from other Ozark reservoirs, Beaver, Table Rock, Stockton, Bull Shoals, Taneycomo are nothing to brag about, i.e. slightly larger than the 15" minimum. I think I caught a 19" spot at Bull Shoals once.

I used to have one and I liked fishing out of it - just out grew it. I had a 10' Buster Boats Trophy (pretty sure that they aren't made any longer). I ran a Minn Kota 55 lb thrust 12 volt trolling motor with 3 batteries wired parallel. Never ran out of power and I fished a lake where I frequently had to make 15 - 20 minute runs to the far end of the lake & back. Bought a 3 bank charger and while I didn't have it mounted in the boat, I did have it on a rack in my garage where it was fairly easy to attach the leads to the batteries. ( I found some extra long eared wing nuts that were super easy to use when I was tired and my fingers were fumbling. To address the concern that water can get inside the pontoons - yes, that can happen. Happened quite a bit when I first got my boat, then I figured out that the plugs shipped with the boat were poor quality and when I got new plugs that fit that issue was lessened quite a bit. I had my boat on a trailer so I was limited to lakes with ramps - not really an issue in Missouri because there are lots of Conservation department lakes and they all have ramps - some ramps being more convenient than others. I would really recommend getting a little trailer for your boat. Good luck - those little boats are fun to fish out of and after a short learning curve they are very stable.

Didn't the Nasci replace the Saros? Not sure but I think so. Anyway, my point is I wouldn't buy a reel on line, look at it in person to make sure that it has all the features you want. Case in point - I'm a Shimano guy and I got a Nasci reel a few years ago, didn't look at it very closely and when I got home I found out that it didn't have a manual anti-reverse switch. Shimano says their drags are so good now that switch isn't necessary. I don't care - I like a manual anti reverse switch, for tightening up the line with the bait hooked on the rod if for no other reason. I didn't get rid of the Nasci, but I don't use it very much. I think that the Pflueger President is a good reel for the money and it has an anti reverse switch and comes in different sizes.

Late 70's through mid 80's, when I was a meat fishing bush hippie and bank fished alot, I ran across snakes from time to time. Not a fan of rattle snakes or copper heads, but on the rare occasions that I ran across one, I didn't bother them and they didn't bother me. One pond, ( which was within a mile of the Missouri River ) I ran across a 3 foot long dark colored snake, kinda fat as snakes go and it came after me. It hissed a couple of times and raised up and its mouth was kinda whitish looking. I figured it was a water moccasin. A couple of my buds were with me and we pounded on that snake with a stout branch til it was dead. On a lake that I fish now, I occasionally run across snakes that are full bodied and have that diamond shaped head, but I don't bother them and they don't bother me. They seem to stay away from the ramp area . Rattle snakes & copperheads are the reason I don't go mushroom hunting anymore - basically because mushroom hunting nearly always turns into rattle snake or copperhead finding. As I've gotten older and not as nimble as I once was, it has occurred to me to get a 410 shotgun to keep in the fishing truck to deal with snakes but I haven't bought one yet. I know Boyd Arms makes a 2 shot 410 derringer called the snake charmer, which might be in my future, should I find one on sale at a pawn shop.

First, let me say that you're doing a good job, accumulating gear and helping to keep fishing tackle companies in business. Next, I have that 6'10" Falcon Finesse jig rod. For me it works great. Most of the time I'm throwing a quarter ounce Brewer Spider slider head, with some soft plastic, generally a 5" paddle tail worm. I put an older Curado 50 E and 10 lb Abrazx. It is just a great rod, with great sensitivity for throwing that weight. A little bit of history, that rod used to be referred to as the "Eakins Jig Rod". Jim Eakins was a jig fisherman of some renown, mostly in the Ozark area lakes and eastern Oklahoma, as far as I know. I remember I saw him often taking home checks when I fished BFL's. Anyway, at some point he parted ways with Falcon and the rod is referred to the the catalog as a " Finesse Jig Rod" rather than an "Eakins Jig Rod." Maybe you don't know, but the Eakins Jig ( sold by Jewel Baits ) was one of the first finesse jigs ( that I remember anyway) with the trimmed up jig collar and for the longest time it only came in one size - 5/16 . They make a very similar rod in their Bucco line, with the synthetic foam handles/split grip, instead of the cork. That 6'10" rod is a great rod for throwing lighter jigs and if you don't have one, and you want to throw smaller jigs, you ought to get one - or two, maybe if you really like it another one as a back up. I know what it is like to have a favorite rod and break it and find out that model is discontinued. Edit - took a few minutes to go to the Jewel Baits site and look up the Eakins jig. Turns out it isn't the "Eakins " jig any more, it is the " Finesse" jig. Same jig, same variety of colors, pretty much the same bait descriptions, it is like they took out the word -Eakins - and inserted the word - finesse. Makes you wonder what he did to steam both Falcon rods and Jewel baits that made them take his name off the products.

That looks like it will work great for messing with baits & stiff while you're in the drive way, or floating on a calm day. My thought is that going a few miles with even a modest chop in the water and all those jigs are going to end up on the bottom of the bin. Without changing your set up any I'd get some of that brush on or spray on rubber stuff and cover up the holes. Once that has dried, you can replace the jigs and I think that the rubber edges will hold the jigs in place better. Every so often ( once a year, maybe, more or less ) you'll have to touch it up. Just my thought. I have a buddy who bought the commercial version of what you rigged and on Lake of the Ozark, where the water is frequently choppy and the chop can come from any direction, more than a few times he opened up his lids to find a bunch of baits laying on the bottom of the bin. The brush on/spray on rubber trick worked for him. He still finds baits on the bottom of the bins, but not nearly as often as previously, and generally on the slots where the rubber has worn thin.

kind of off topic but you can go to o-rings.com and get 1000 of them for mourned $10, plus a little shipping. That's what I did - 8 years or so ago, maybe 12. I'm sure I got at least 500 of them left. later edit . . the size you want to get is 3/8" o.d. by 1/4" i.d. This size will work on those senko o-ring tools. You can put them on without the tool with a little bit of slobber. I've torn senkos , to the point that they were useless, trying to put the o-rings on without some kind of lubrication.

Is it windy where you fish when it is jerk bait throwing time? It is where I fish when it is time to throw jerk baits. That is why I use spinning gear, it is a little easier for me to use in the wind.

So, you're trying to make gear purchasing decisions based on perceived needs rather than wants. Good luck with that. I gave up trying to do that a long time ago. What I do is ask myself one simple question, i.e. "Is there a chance that this particular piece of gear will help me catch a fish? ever?" If the answer is yes, then I'm probably going to get it. If the answer is yes and it happens to be one of those times when I'm temporarily broke, then I revisit the decision sometime when I'm not broke.