Hanover_Yakker

Regarding the Moken Angler series, I would recommend waiting. Feel Free just redesigned their hulls and released the new ones within the last 3 months. The newer ones have a very comfortable seat, better ergonomics and better handling characteristics compared to the older models. if you want to talk about the differences, PM me and I will put you in touch with the right person to talk to that tell you more about them.

A good PFD is $100 by itself and a quality paddle will usually run you at least $125, so realistically the cost for both approachs $250 pretty quickly. There are decent PFDs around the $75 price point but the point is don't skimp on safety or your paddle. A heavy aluminum paddle may seem light at first, but after 2-3 hours of paddling against the wind or in heavy current and your thoughts will quickly change. Other costs that are commonly overlooked..... Straps - have to be able to secure the kayak to your vehicle. Racks - some people do not have a truck or a factory roof rack. Bed extenders - for truck ownerss, while you can transport your kayak without one, it is not recommended as the bed and tailgate can crease your hull. Storage space - how are you going to store it? You may need additional itmes to build a rack or storage option Accessories - common ones include: safety flag, rod holders, paddle leashes, rod leashes, fish grips or bocas, tackle management solution, etc. A budget of $900 is doable but that is stretching it. I spent $1200 on my first setup that included: Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Stohlquist Fisherman PFD Aqua Bound Manta Ray 230cm paddle Paddle Leash 2 Flush Mount Scotty rod holders Anchor trolley Tie down straps Total cost out the door - a shade under $1200. None of these items were high end by any means but you can see how quickly they add up just to be able to get on the water safely.

Lucky Craft Pointer SP78 - American Shad

I have one tied on right now if preparation for throwing it on my next outing planned for next week.

As a professional and respected dog breeder, trainer, groomer and handler among my peers, I feel qualified to comment on this post from the breeder's perspective. As a potential dog owner, the choices can seem overwhelming - you have any number of outside pressures to deal with. For some of you, this post may come off as harsh and rub you the wrong way, but I can assure you it is not intended in that way or tone. It is simply a truth that I am trying to convey, albeit one that many fail to admit or own up to. In the last 10 years or more, you have seen the constant barrage of commercials and mainstream media almost guilting you into helping out shelter animals. What these media outlets fail to communicate to a prospective owner is the troubled past that many of these animals have endured. Not saying that a shelter animal will not turn into a terrific, loved and loyal family pet. Only sharing the darker side of shelters and humane societies. Often times, an animal is turned in for simple reasons like the owners are military and just received orders for a long term assignment precluding them from taking any animals with them. Or you might have a scenario where the owner is no longer able to care for the animal properly. These are the situations that you dream for, because more often than not, the transition for the animal is easier. Just remember that most humane societies and shelters depend upon donations and other support. So, not all of them are equal nor are the facilities in which the animals are cared for. Remember, the people that work their are volunteers most of the time, so if they are rude or harsh towards you, imagine how they might treat the animals on one of their "bad" days. Don't disregard this - I have seen it firsthand. Nothing turns a scared animal into a fearful/aggressive animal quicker than a harsh hand in an unfamiliar situation. Where this becomes a challenge to the prospective owner is understanding breed type and ingrained behaviors. For adding a purebred dog to your home, your best option is a breed specific rescue - http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm. The list of groups are the ones specifically dedicated to finding new homes for animals that have been returned for any number of reasons. Many of them have local or regional breed rescues (like VA and MD for Labs, Retrievers, etc.), unfortunately it is directly correlated with the degree of breed popularity. With regards to the term "purebred" and "AKC registered", anybody can take a Labrador Retriever, breed it and have it AKC registered. All it means is that you submitted the requisite paperwork and fees to have your dog registered with the AKC. It does not prove the dog was pure bred at all. It is one of the biggest fallacies and misconceptions by the public. Remember, the AKC is a business, and they have to generate revenue. As a professional breeder, every one of my litters and resulting puppies are AKC registered and certified on all applicable health certifications to demonstrate the great lengths my wife and I have taken to ensure that our puppy owners are adding a helthy member to their family. But we also go to great lengths beyond this paper trail for our owners. Please read on.... As far as purchasing a dog from someone advertising their puppies as AKC registered, ask them to provide the Registration #'s on the parents and the grandparents of the pups. If they are unable to provide them to you on the spot, walk away. Not saying that the puppies will not be a wonderful pet and grow up to live a long and fruitful life with you. It is only intended to demonstrate that some people are out to make a buck. If you question my point, then ask that same breeder what their policy is on any of their pups that does not work out for the new owners. What is their return policy? For my wife and I, we sign a contract with every new owner that clearly states that we will take back any puppy we have bred no questions asked. Also ask to see what other family members are onsite when you got to visit. Is the sire there? Grandsire? GrandDam? What are their temperaments? Behaviors around you, your kids? If you don't have any kids, have a couple of your friends come with you with theirs and see how they interact with kids. If they shy away or are aggressive, walk away but do it politely. Regarding health, any reputable breeder can provide to you unannounced the full health history of almost every member of the puppiies' family tree. My wife and I have full detailed health records on over 5 generations in our lines plus all of the health information on the puppies we have bred. We also ensure every pup that leaves our house is fully vaccinated, crate trained, microchipped (1st year fee pre-paid by us) and early stages of housebreaking and leashbreaking. We also don't allow any pups to leave our house until 9 weeks of age - that ensures they get two full doses of dewormer and their first round of vaccines. As far as selecting a pup, once you actually get time with the pups, make sure you spend time with momma dog first. She has to be comforatable with you before you can even think about touching her babies. When you do get time with the puppies, what is their living arrangement? Are they outside in a kennel? Were they raised on elevated pens? Is there stool and urine everywhere? Are they clean? Nails trimmed? These are all indicators of how the owners care for their dogs in general. Now don't let the appearance of the home affect your decision. Many professional dog breeders live modestly and the dedicated breeder (for the betterment of the breed) will actually sacrifice their living conditions to better the ones for the dog. I personally went over $30,000 in debt for my dogs - what would you do? Choosing to add a dog is a big decision of which I equate it to adding a child to your family. Don't laugh, because that is exactly what you are doing. A dog is a four-legged family member that needs to be nurtured, guided and loved just like a child. If you are not prepared to include this dog as a member of your family, then please walk away. Ever wonder why there are so many dogs sitting in shelters? Because all to often people get a dog for the wrong reason. Granted there are situations where an animal is turned in for a justified reason, but you have to ask yourself if that person did everything they could to re-home the dog before turning it in? Will you show the same disregard and lack of care for the dog if the situation ever arises in your life? As you can tell, I am very pro-breeder in this debate, simply from past experience and now with the knowledge of both sides of the equation. If you take on thing away from this reading, please ask yourself this question..... How much time can I dedicate to nurturing and raising this dog as member of my family? If you have to sit and think about it like you are setting aside time on your calendar, you are not ready for a dog. Please, I beg of you just to quietly walk away. Thanks for listening......

Stalag 17 Band of Brothers Saving Private Ryan Act of Valor Zero Dark ThirtyThe Kingdom Patton Dirty Dozen Pearl Harbor Midway

It was on from 7-9am for day 2. The final day is at 10pm on ESPN2.

It's the go-to line for fishing heavy structure like bridge pilings in saltwater. Use it all the time for my heavy live bait rig. Usually pair it up with a 50-80lb. ANDE or PLINE leader. In fresh water, you can use if for puching heavy mats. Not the greatest line for distance casting frogs though but it can be done.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention James Brown from Fox Sports, along with Tim Ryan (Sirius NFL/former Bears DT), Pat Kirwan, Romeo Crenel, Cliff Branch, Wade Phillips, Scott Pioli, Todd Haley, Rob Ryan.....

Ralph Sampson Ish Monroe Shaw Grigsby Jason Sehorn Roger Craig Charles Mann Jay Novacek Jim Nelford Al Davis John Madden

Polarized Half Jacket XLJ's with both the blue mirror and the bronze iridium lenses. Been using them for 4 years now and love them. Paired up with a set of CABLZ to keep them from falling overboard.

Same here.

I'll throw in a different perspective. When I fish, I enjoy the social aspect as well, but that doesn't mean I need my fishing buddy sitting 3 feet away from me with a 7' rod slinging treble hooks past my head. I prefer the flexibility of fishing out of a kayak because we can still fish the same area together yet still be apart from one another. Less likelihood of my buddy startling the fish by simply moving around in the boat or dropping a lure or a pair of scissors. Another factor to consider is safety. When you add additional weight and tackle inside of a limited space, the level of awareness has to be raised by all in the boat. In a kayak, you are responsible for only yourself, but that also implies that you are not going to be caught off guard by someone shifting their weight to far to one side or bringing to much gear (coolers and such) making the balance and operability of the vessel compromised. With that said, the beauty of a kayak is that you can still own a boat if you desire. In fact, several of the kayak anglers on this board also have a powered vessel of some kind. Where that comes in handy is when you want to fish a remote location or an area that you typically couldn't reach from a boat due to shallow water conditions. You use your boat to "mothership" your kayak to your desired location. You would strap your kayak down inside the boat, motor out to where you wanted to go. Then you would drop anchor or lower your Talon or PowerPole in the shallows, pull the key and lower your kayak into the water. Grab a couple rods and a small preset tackle tray with hooks and lures perhaps a bag or two of plastics and paddle your way back into the shallows. No one can steal your boat, and you open up an area of fishing that you previously could never get to due to the shear distance you would have to travel by paddling. A win-win scenario!!

Not trying to be critical here, but I think you mean Irish Setter like these As an avid professional dog breeder of sporting dogs, it is a passion of mine to know the different breeds in my group. For those interested, the other setters in the AKC Sporting Group are: English Setters look like this.... Gordon Setters are black and tan (the largest of the setter family) Irish Red and White Setters are the rarest of them all and are relatively new to the AKC. Another uncommon setter is the Llewellin Setter which is actually a specific strain of the English Setter from which the majority of the English Setter breeding stock present today originated from hence why they are almost identical in appearance.

Welcome aboard!

For the kayak newbie, the Perception line of kayaks (and West Marine Pompano series) are the old pre-2008 Tarpon molds. It is an older but proven design. The most common upgrade I recommend to anyone with these molds is a new seat. You can find several options on the web and online auction sites. I had a "knockoff" I purchased for my old Wildy Ride 135 that I sold to a new Perception Pescador owner. It was the same as a GTS Expedition seat (retail of $175-225 depending upon which version you got) that I paid only $80 for online.

4-5 bottles of water (3 usually are frozen that act as ice packs in the Hobie soft-sided cooler I carry), 2-3 granola or fruit bars, 2 mini bags of trail mix, a bag of beef jerky and an apple or two. Occasionally, I will throw in a PBJ or a ham/turkey sandwich on wheat. Part of this is to make sure I have something on my stomach each hour on the water and increase my energy level without need for leaving early. In the event that my day is cut short, I have snacks for the ride home.

Welcome aboard!

Well said RM!! Truer words could not have been spoken. It takes years of experience to know how to read a person's desires and measure them properly to get a rod that is truly custom versus just built.

The man the myth the legend - welcome home Jim. Now if we could only get him out of La Jolla and the saltwater long enough to chase some bass on a consistent basis

Actually, the lifetime warranty starts with the Convergenace line of rods (usually around $59), but per the OP, if it comes down to price, the Compre, if you can get the Crucial on sale then Crucial hands down.

I think an important distinction needs to be addressed here: alternative methods of propulsion are not for everyone. While the Native Mariner and Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks are not for everyone, they do offer unique and distinct advantages to the angler who prefers to move often, has long open water to cross or has a medical condition that precludes them from extended paddling sessions. I fall into the last two categories with the last reason being most prominent. I have tendonitis in one shoulder, and a damaged labrum in the other. While I use to paddle for periods of 5-6 hours at a time over the course of a day on big reservoirs, it was murder on my shoulders the next day. Often times I would even have trouble sleeping because of it. As flyfisher pointed out earlier with the movement differences on the drive systems between the Native and the Hobie, there are also disadvantages to both drive systems. While the Mirage Drive may create additional pressure on your lower back, that most often times is due to improper seat adjustment and Mirage Drive pedal distance adjustment. Most people sit too upright and have the pedals adjusted too close believing they need a long reach of their leg to move the kayak. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, movement of the pedals on a Mirage Drive kayak a mere 2-3" will propel the kayak, the Native still requires a full revolution to move the kayak. The movement required for the drive is on a lateral/horizontal plane and is less stressful/more natural movement on your knee and ankle joints over the course of the day on the water. As far as the Native in concerned, the challenge with that drive system is that it is a recumbant drive meaning that your knees, hips, legs and ankles are all utilized which for some individuals can be difficult over the course of the day and can actually place more strain on your knees over the course of time if not executed efficiently and properly, just like riding your bike. The are also three huge differences between the form and function of the drive systems when compared to one another. First and foremost, the drive system on the Native is a fixed mast system and has no flex, meaning that in shallow water situations where the mast can bottom out, the drive is not as useful, because it protrudes from the bottom of the kayak over 6". For the Mirage Drive, the fins can be opposed to one another and not require removal in water that is 12-16" deep, and the drivehousing only protrudes a little over 1" from the bottom of the hull. Second, in shallow water, the Mirage Drive fins can still be utilized by performing a fluttering action of your feet on the pedals that will still propel the kayak. The Native is not able to execute this maneuver due to the fixed mast. Third and most significantly, pedaling efficiency is not equivalent between the two drive systems. The Native has a fixed propeller size and does not increase your speed significantly with a fast pedaling action. In fact, you will tire out and risk injury to yourself in trying to do so. A rapid pedaling action in the Native also increases the noise resonance of the hull, because the drive system actually vibrates and creates a loud humming/grinding sound. The drive was never designed nor intended for that type of usage. The Mirage Drive system is easier on your lower body and more efficient as you increase the speed of your pedaling. The fins of the Mirage Drive are based upon the physics of penguin flippers and will flex as you increase your speed. I used my Elite 5 DSI this past summer and tracked my speed on my Revolution 13 and was able to maintain a speed of 5 mph for 35 minutes straight with a nice steady cadence in my pedaling action. I left a fellow kayaker using a Mariner in the dust, because the drive system could not rotate fast enough to keep up with me. Remember, the Native is a single gear, not like a 10 speed where you can change sprockets and gears to get more power. However, it important to understand this overlying principle here regarding these kayaks and shallow water. If you are in either of these types of kayaks, you can simple pull both drive systems and paddle the kayak just like a normal kayak. It all boils down to the types of water you want to fish and whether these types of kayaks are ones to consider. It should also be noted that while I am a member of the Hobie Fishing Team and support their brand, I am good friends with a couple Native reps in my area and have spent time in most of their models, including the Mariner. I can tell you from personal experience, the Mirage Drive system is more efficient and less stressful on your joints. In the end, seat time, physical limitations and your overall safety and comfort are the key factors in making the decision. Listen to your "body" and then go ask your spouse for the funds !

Be forewarned though......it can be addictive and you will slowly gravitate to your sinful desires..... I started with this....... Tried out a Tarpon 120 & 140, Commander 120, paddled an Ocean Kayak Trident 13, Native Manta Ray 12, Ultimate 12, thought about a Jackson Coosa but settled on a Hobie Revolution 13.... And now I have this

Yozuri Hybrid is one to consider as well as XPS FC. If you watch the sales carfeully, PLine goes on sale where you can buy two spools and get $6 back. BPS is currently running that promo during their Fishing Extravaganza.

Skip technique specific rods and stick with three rods total to get you started. Here's what I would go with: 1 - MH XFast casting combo (which you might have) for skirted jig-n-craws, frogs, carolina rigs. Spooled with 15-17lb flouro or 20-30lb. braid 1 - M F casting combo for lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, square bills, larger top water walking baits. Spooled with 12-15lb. flouro. 1 - M/XF spinning combo for senkos, weightless flukes, shakey heads, small top waters like Zara Pups or Rebel Pop-Rs. Spooled with 8-10lb. flouro. Keep it simple.