Hanover_Yakker

You can use a variety of options as long as it provides 12v. Some folks use the 8 AA battery approach in the battery holder they buy from Radio Shack. I have used both the 12v/7-9ah versions (deer feeder style) and I am currently using a 12v/5ah (basically half the size of the 9ah version). Lots of good cost effective options if you are diligent in your search. The key to any powered solution though is the wiring. Use tin-based wire from a marine store, not the car parts store. The wire sold at the parts store is copper based and will corrode the second it hits any salty or brackish water. Use tin-based solder (.15 content) and solder all of you wires prior to connecting them, then use heat shrink to seal the deal. Where possible, find a waterproof container for your battery and seal the area with a silicone sealant like GOOP or Lexel where your batter power wires feed into the container.

Congrats. The Slayer is a cool design.

Wonder if they would let me compete in my Hobie Pro Angler?

Glad to help. I use the Stewart Products STS like you see on HOOK1, but another option that is fairly new is Conseal also to be sold on HOOK1.

As a loyal fan for over 37 years now, the JJ era is one that pains me. The Romo deal is not the issue at hand, the issue is that JJ is living in a dream world where he undervalued the concept of a team and thinks that big splashes in free agency and the draft will be enough. Ever since JJ fired the real JJ back in 94, the Boys have spiraled downhill. Parcells planted and built a foundation that JJ has since succeeded in only adding overpriced talent and overvalued draft picks. Ware, Written, Ratliff are all good picks, but those three do not make up for two decades of mismanagement. The focus should now be on drafting a core interior line for both sides of the ball. If we don't shore up that line quickly, Romo will never survive the length of his contract. Monty Kiffin bases his defense off of a war daddy 3 technique, an athlete at middle linebacker and a savvy safety. We only have the ILB right now. We also still need a true C, two OGs, a RT, couple of RBs, another WR, and a QB in waiting. We are in a rebuild whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Face it, the Romo deal is a bandaid to make it appear like we are being competitive during a rebuild. Romo is a top 10 QB who would excel in many systems if given better protection. And for all of the nay sayers out there, look at QBs on teams with porous offensive lines and tell me how good there QBs look lying on their back play after play? Even Eli, Peyton, Tom, Aaron, Matthew, Matt, etc look human when they get no protection. That doesn't exempt Tony from some of his bad throws, but not all of them are truly his fault. Most of them can be linked to pressure.

Congrats on joinging the plastic navy! I have several friends on the JK Pro Staff and can offer one recommendation - if at all possible, keep the seats in the low position when paddling in choppy waters or heavy wind. First, it may be a tad difficult to paddle at times like that; and two, it decreases the chances of you getting tossed overboard. I had a friend who was launching at a boat ramp in some choppy water and he flipped/turtled at the ramp with his seat in the high position even after I warned him. He doesn't do that anymore Other than that, your approach on just heading out and enjoying the experience first is a great way to start. As far as rigging, I would take a single older rod with you so you can fish some, but also take with you vaseline. What you do is place a dallop of the vaseline on the butt of the rod and while sitting in the various seating positions, move the rod around you to see what feels natural and what does not. Then, mimic stowing the rod in a rod holder by seeing how far you can reach beside and behind you. When you feel you have reached your maximum comfort zone, touch the butt of the rod to the hull. This will now mark the spot and make it easier for you when you get back home. Then you just have to decide on what rod holder to use. I'll make a couple suggestions on this front for you that will pay off in the long run. First, draw out your plan first on paper - be precise on your measurements and know the various options out there before you go a buy something. Second, use the YakAttack GearTrac rail mounting system or Mighty Mount with Backing Plate wherever possible. Both of these moutning systems allow you to interchange rod holders, FF mounts, accessory mounts, etc by using the YakAttack Might Bolt based products like Screwballs (RAM products), VisiCarbon II Safety Flags, Scotty and RAM rod holders, etc. The beauty of the the GearTracs and Mighty Mounts is that they give you greater flexibility in positioning your rod holders for different situations. I use my GearTracs to position my RAM Rod Tubes slightly forward and angled outwards - it serves two purposes. First, it allows me to troll with my rod tips still visible yet the rods are stowed aft of my seating postion out of the way. Second, it works as a rod storage location while I land a fish. The rod is out of the way. Third, it also makes tying leader knots, lures and baiting hooks much easier without having to deal with a rod laying in my lap. Regarding your list of remaining items to purchase - do not purchase cheap accessories like a $50 paddle or PFD if at all possible. If you have to cut costs, do so on the PFD initially, because using a cheap heavy paddle will discourage you and increase the chances of you not enjoying your time on the water in your new Big Tuna. I recommend that people start our with a paddle similar to the price point of the Bending Branches Angler, Aqua Bound Manta Ray ($79-129 price point). As far as a PFD, USCG requirements state you must wear a Class III level PFD in most states, so make a trip to your local kayak shop and test fit your PFD while sitting in one of their Big Tunas on the floor. If the shop doesn't have any, then sit in the JK Coosa, Cuda 12 or even the Native Slayer or Ultimates. They have a similar style seat. The key with choosing a PFD is fiding one that is both comfortable and suitable for your paddling position while seated. If it's not comfortable when you paddlle, there is an increased chance that you won't wear it! Safety first!!! Other than that, once you have your PFD, make it a point to go to the water with only your kayak, paddle, and PFD first and launch into a shallow 3-4' section where you can test out your stability comfort zone. Learn the limits of both your kayak's primary and secondary stability and your overall equilibrium and level of comfort in each seated position. Once you have that nailed down, then you can spend more time on the water focusing on the fishing and not worried about whether you are going to flip or not. Everyone has been knocked out of a kayak or flipped it out at some point, and if they haven't they will at some point - it's not a question of whether you will ever turtle in a kayak. It's only a question of when will it happen. Most of the time, it happens when you do something beyond your normal limits and put yourself in a position where the slightest change ends up with you in the water. Like trying to unsnag a lure and leaning too far one way or the other or reaching for a fish in the thigh seat position (don't laugh - I've seen it ). It happens - just expect it and move on. Now go out and have some fun!!

Today was a tough day for me on the water. Got a late start with the full moon still out when I woke this morning. I went to a local pond to try out some new PTL plastics I had ordered but got no love from the normally hungry bass., so I switched gears and started slinging a MegaStrike Strikeback SB only to have it snapped clean off by a very aggressive snapping turtle - we're talking 30" shell here in length. He also chased after one of my PTL Sick Sticks and got hooked again only this time I go him closer to the yak and he turned suddenly and almost snipped the end of my Shimano rod off. With that lure now gone as well, I decided to do a 180 and try to seek out some aggressive fish perhaps hangin off the banks. The pond itself if only 5.5' deep at the deepest spot with most of the depths ranging between 3-4' after a short dropoff at the bank. Mucky bottom and murky water. Water temps hung around the shaded end of the pond at 52 degrees with the area exposed to the sun heating up to 56 by midday. I ended up parking the Hobie on a rock long enough to go back to the van and snagging my rod rigged with a CB. I ended up only catching one on the day, a lonely 17" LMB, but it was caught on a Rick Clunn square bill in the citrus shad color, and he flat out choked it. This was a first for me, as I had never caught a fish using a billed crankbait out of the kayak. I have to give props where props are due though. Thanks go out to the local kid who was extremely intrigued with my Pro Angler 14 who gave me the tip on slinging a CB. He said it is what he does when they won't hit his creature baits. Until that point, I had thought about it but didn't make the effort to go get it. It was a breezy day with winds gusting around 10-15 mph all day, but at least there was no skunk!! Also, a huge thanks go out to the good folks at HawgTech for their handles. I was cranking steady with my Revo Inshore, St. Croix AVID for three straight hours and never got tired once due to hand or arm fatigue. Those handles rock and are worth every penny!! Thanks again for a quality product!!

Looks like a walleye to me. Another cool tool utilized by many in the kayak fishing world for all fish but real handy for toothy critters is The FishGrip. $12-14 and it floats!!! http://kayakfishinggear.com/thefishgrip-madeintheusa-newcolorspinkandglowinthedark.aspx

Welcome aboard!

I think the reel spec you need to pay attention to is the IPT (inches per turn) or lure retrieval rate with each crank of the handle.

Let's see....... An order from PTL with a couple packs of the new Swinging Hammer swimbaits, 6 packs of Sick Sticks, 4 packs of Texas Rig Jigs and a pack of 10" Ribbon Hinge worms. Also just bought a Revo Premier from a fellow BR member, an AVID 7'0" MH/XF casting rod and some Bull Shad swimbaits from Mike Bucca himself........ Now I just need a swimbait rod!

Like Mike said. The easiest way to test spinner blades off the rack is to hold the spinnerbait and gently flick the edge of the blade so that it turns. If the blade does not freely turn with a slight flick of your finger, put it back. FWIW - I'll be using a couple of the Strikebacks myself this year.

I'll throw a different name into the mix for you. At first glance, the paint detail of the bait out of the package is not like a SPRO or Lucky Craft. No these are handmade by a fisherman and look "rough". His name is Mike Bucca aka "Triton Mike", and he makes the Bull Shad. It is a hard swimbait much like a SPRO but it comes in sizes that range from 5" all the way up to 9" and they flat out catch fish. http://www.bullshad.com/ Check out TackleTour's review - http://www.tackletour.com/reviewbuccabullshad.html

All I know is that my biggest three to date are going down this year! I am on a mission to catch some serious pigs this year!!!

Actually, I was fishing a small retention pond testing out a new color of a Ribbit and had just spooled up a new batch of 65lb PP braid (ie: it still had its coating on it) and tied a single palomar. The frog got crushed, and the bass buried itself under a thick grass mat. As I was reeling it in, the line went slack. When I got it back to shore, the knot had simply come undone. I had been using a single Palomar knot up to that point for over three years and never had one come undone. Hey, if Dean Rojas of frogging fame swares by it as the only knot he uses on his frogs, that's good enough for me .

Regarding braid, if you use a Palomar knot, consider tying a double Palomar. I've had a single Palomar come undone under a heavy load. A double Palomar has never failed me.

Wow.....some quality fish right there guys. Mine pale in comparison but are decent sized I guess......

A great way to rig a Paca Craw for this technique is using the Neko Rig or a 1/0 or 2/0 EWG Gammy and an egg weight. You basically insert a 1/4 oz egg weight into the tail section and shove it all the way in, insert your fizz tab, than rig the hook so that the hook point is skinned at the tail and the eye of the hook comes through the opening of the craw at the top. This works great when sight casting, flipping into pockets or vertical dropping alongside standing timber. This will give the craw a pinchers up and flared look. Like this..... https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SaZAyDfpxok/TiikPnMgULI/AAAAAAAAArg/Za8hehu29oY/s640/KBF+Tips+011.jpg

True but I guess I was taking the approach of trying to maintain some of the weedless characteristics of the traditional rigging of a soft bodied fluke.

Might work, but why not just tie on a length of flouro leader to the shank of the hook at the bend and add a single 1/0 or 2/0 circle or j hook? That way you thread it through the plastic and have a second hook closer to the taper. Possibly a little lighter than a treble and you could still rig it close to weedless as well.

Went to Green Top to exchange a rod and picked up a Shimano Clarus Crankbait rod, a couple River 2 Sea frogs, some Sunline Reaction FC, a couple tandem shad rigs and some shad darts. We have a charity shad kayak event in a few weeks I need to get ready for.

Another option if you are keeping one tied on to the rod and stowing it in your boat is to take a 20oz plastic water/soda bottle. Cut the bottom off, make a cut running the length of the bottle and through the neck. You can use a lighter to smooth the edges if you need to. Now just thread the line throught the opening and pull the A-ring semi-taught through the bottle.

Pay attention to topography and the geography of the area around you. There is a video by our own Glenn that outlines how to do this. Use your google prowess and find some contour maps. Many of your state DNRs have them for each public lake. Once you have a high level feel for what might be there, tie on three different lures on reels with braided or flouro lines- a 1oz jig, a deep diving crank and a lipless crank. Mark the line in 1' - 3' increments with a black sharpie and then drop the heavy jig down for vertical drops to identify where the ledge transition occurs. Cast the deep diving crank out and countdown to where the depth is and just run it back to you paying closs attention to any changes in the line direction or lure behavior. This can help you identify depth changes like holes or the variations in a ledge transition. The lipless crank is one you can use for a variety of things, but it is very useful in finding submerged grass. You can "feel" the rattle stop and when you rip it, it comes free. If you are going to do this though, make sure you have a strudy plug knocker or use soft treble hooks that you can bend and avoid losing a bait or two. Take a printout of the are you are working and a fine point sharpie or paper mate marker to make notes on the print out. Go back to your computer or ask some locals to confirm or refute your findings.

No problem at all - wouldn't want to give you any inflated sense of hope when using them If you really want to have some fun, tie on the 1/32oz heads to the Riverbottom or Raven tube and toss it onto a Bluegill bed. They love them as well. Fun for the kids on u/l tackle. The hook he uses is real small and easy to unhook. Jeff uses really soft plastic, so don't fret when you see a tentacle rip or tear. When the bite is on, you'll go through a whole mess of them in a hurry and will be ordering more. Before you know it, you'll have an entire tackle tray with various Draggin Heads, Little Tubes in three colors, Regular Floating Birds and Large Floating Birds in every color pattern he offers......dang just ratted on myself.

smart @$$ LOL..... In all seriousness, you can rig them using their regular tube jigheads (allows the tube to sit vertically) or you can use the 1/8oz. micro Draggin Heads. Either way works fine. The hooks are super sticky and don't require a hookset at all. Jeff's boys constantly hook 18-21" smallies by themselves without any help from dad.