DogBone_384

I put a Lowrance Ghost on my RT178. It was worth every penny.

I toss it in my truck’s bed when it’s just me. I strip them down and put the hulls on my truck’s ladder rack when I trailer my Ranger or have two kayaks. The ‘nekked’ hulls weigh about 75 pounds, they’re manageable. It weighs 125 + - rigged.

Here's my net. It's a Yakattack net in a Yakattack holder. Sorry for the delay. I had lots of grown up stuff to do.

For a Kayak, a 5 or 7" does fine, unless you want live sonar and have the budget for it. I have a Lowrance Elite Ti7 on my kayak, mounted on the right side rail. Lowrance's user interface is good, but screen is awful compared to Garmin. I believe Lowrance improved their screens since the Elite series. I have my downscan transducer mounted through a scupper and later added a sidescan unit on a removable arm. I have a 12 aH lithium battery in a Pelican case that's stored in the hull with disconnects so I can remove and charge it. If you have a marine store, or Cabelas/Bass Pro near you that has fish finders on display, go play with them in person and see for yourself. Best of luck choosing your fish finder.

Jigs - Braid w/mono leader and fluorocarbon for crystal clear waters. Chatterbaits - Mono. Crankbaits - Fluorocarbon. Topwater - Mono.

New.

Everywhere I’ve driven from Boston to Harwich are open.

I packed up the kayak, a pile of rods, and half the Tackle Warehouse catalog and drove to one of my regulars in Plymouth. The first three hours was a grind: no bites, not marking much, and uncooperative fish. I started back to the launch and about 2/3 back I was pleasantly surprised by a 4.63 LMB on a chartreuse jointed Rapala Shad Rap in roughly 25' of water. I first thought at least five pounds when I landed it. I'm going to double check my scale. That was it for the trip. I threw small paddle tail on underspin, a @WRB hair jig from @Siebert Outdoors, blade bait, Tactical DD crank, and 6.8" Keitech ALL OVER THE PLACE. Water temps at the northern end were 43.x and 40.x down south. Air pressure was 29.2. Winds were 5 - 8 mph from the south. Mother nature was also good to me this year and opened up water just enough for me to catch fish each month so far, so I'm still on track. Best of luck to everyone getting out, and don't forget the New Hampshire Outdoor Expo, this weekend, at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, NH.

We also live on the coast. The biggest benefit we get is less snow compared to downtown, unless the winds come in off the water.

I bought a tether and silicone case that keeps my phone attached to my PFD.

Welcome to the New England weather pattern!

Maine. I spend a lot of time in SE Mass and Cape Cod and some time in NH & VT. Maine is full of great food, people, and clean EVERYTHING. So why not?

If you choose to change brands, I fish out of a 2018 FeelFree Lure 11.5 with their Overdrive (pedal) unit. It's a very good fishing platform because you can paddle, pedal, or use their Motordrive unit that plugs into the Overdrive unit. The hull weighs about 75 pounds. I'm 58 and can lift it onto my Tundra's ladder rack. It weighs about 125 lbs fully rigged w/ Overdrive and isn't a problem loading into my truck's bed. The best part of the kayak is its seat, which is ALL DAY comfortable. The keel mounted wheel is great for crossing packed terrain, but a cart is necessary for beach sand and longer distances. I have a Elite Ti7 mounted on the right side rail and keep the battery in a Pelican box in the hull's storage. A milk crate keeps my tackle organized in the rear storage. My kayak gets a lot of usage and replacement parts are readily available. FeelFree's customer service is outstanding. Like @nso123, I bought a boat when I want to cover a lot of water. Just food for thought. Good luck choosing your next rig.

Talk about a LAYUP! I'm biting my tongue Mike!

I use a mono leader to add a little cushion. I don't find any loss in sensitivity when compared to a fluorocarbon leader. I'm 'pretty easy' with my hook sets too.