OperationEagle

Wow...what great perspectives from EVERYONE. I owe you all an update. The transition is in progress. I picked up a Ranger RT178 w a 60 Merc. Although the fishing season is over, the fishing and boating equipment clearance sales season has been in full swing. I can tell already that this will be a markedly different experience. (Half of you are saying "duh" and the other half are saying "that's what we have been telling you"). Equipment investment alone is a big step function difference up. I plan on buying two finders, both at least 7 inches. (I bought the boat w/o electronics so I could rig it the way I wanted it.). The new Helix series seems to pack a lot for the $$. The rigging itself has been interesting and fun figuring out where and how to wire through existing channels/chases. Trolling motor will be something that has 80# and spot lock. Some things that are tradeoffs... Being low to the water on a kayak just gave fishing a different feel. Took some adjustment but something I really enjoyed. I cant count the number of times I pulled up to the dock to unload, passing people w trailers waiting for a spot. Looks like I will be an early riser to avoid this! Maybe I will be adding an on board coffee maker. Overall I am seeing my fishing possibilities explode this coming season. Having it in the garage until spring is a good thing as it allows me to be methodical about planning my deck out as well as find the best deals. I am a consummate saver and this was admittedly a tough purchase for me. The kayak fit the bill for a while but I could feel it start to cost me in different ways. Most of us are getting older (the rest of you are in denial)...with growing limitations. Also just my "maturation" process of recognizing that life needs to be lived to its fullest certainly played a role. I look forward to having my daughter and pup join me this season. I'd love to hear more advice, tips, perspectives and I can certainly continue to share mine as this transition continues. Thanks to all of your for sharing your experiences...I hope this thread helped others considering a similar path. Best to all of you during this special time of year.

OK so to be clear...if I buy two helix's I don't need to buy two Lakemaster cards. I can just take one and transfer the data to another blank card... then use the Lakemaster card in one helix and the copied card in the other helix?

I can't confirm either way but in researching this model I found a review that stated the screen is difficult to see in sunny conditions. This has been corrected on subsequent "HD" models. Maybe someone can confirm or challenge that.

I think for DSI to have maximum use, having a screen big enough for 2D and DSI side by side makes most sense. having to toggle back and forth from screen to screen is cumbersome at best and I bet you will not do it often enough to make it worth it. DSI makes it "interesting" but not near a necessity...or for that matter useful in my opinion.

Wow so many great perspectives. Thank you everyone. I too have thought about adding (as many of you have already) a trolling motor to my kayak. This just adds that much more complexity to my kayak than I am personally willing to deal with. Maybe you all can convince me that its not a big deal? If getting a bass boat is inevitable, I want to do it sooner rather than later so I can enjoy it for a longer period. I moved to MN in 1995 and getting a boat was below the budget line. As fishing kayaks really started to come on in 2011/2012 I was able to affordably get off the shore; this opened a whole new level of fishing. From 1995 to 2012...it took me 16 years to recognize that I was a complete fool for not taking advantage of the fishing holes around me here in Minnesota. I think that a dedicated bass boat will help me explore and enjoy the waters that much more. Thanks for all of your perspectives...agree with many of you that these two vessels do very different things...thank God I have room in the garage for both.

Completing my 4th season kayak fishing and have loved every minute of it. However, there are a few things that are becoming more problematic that are pushing me to consider buying a bass boat. These are: a. The physical strain on my back getting the boat on and off my car despite having a decent lift assist system. b. Needing to get off or stay off the water when winds reach 10mph. And with such a short summer in MN, every fishing day counts! c. Not being able to hold position when there is even the slightest wind. d. Staying limited to smaller waters as boat traffic makes fishing in a kayak that much more difficult. e. Staying limited to smaller waters as it takes too much effort and time to paddle long distances. Especially with a. and e. lifting heavy objects and paddling mid/long distances will become even more burdensome as I age. I love the utility of my kayak and have fished it hard. I want the same for a bass boat and therefore am considering only aluminum and keeping the fiberglass boats out of consideration. Looks like these aluminums have come a long way in the past ten years. As I consider this new direction I want your perspectives on the pro's and con's. Will getting a bass boat resolve the limitations of a kayak? If not why? If so, what are the tradeoffs (beyond the obvious like financial, garage space, car tow capacity needed)? I do see kayak fishermen a lot older than I but they are few and far between. I figured there might be a few other middle aged kayakers like me (without bassboats) that might benefit from this topic as well. Call it a mid life crisis or call it reality. I just want to maximize my time and enjoyment on the water with this obsession we all call fishing. Thanks for your perspectives and help.

Found them stacked up in 6-9 FOW today (SUN). Was able to catch 4 17-18inchers in a row all from the same spot. All caught on a Dirty Sanchez Sweet Beaver using a 5/16 offset jighead. Got a few on a jig as well. Green pumpkin Netbait Baby Paca Crawl as a trailer. Water temp is about 48. I was surprised at how aggressive they were hitting the lures. I thought they would be slowing down by now. MNbassman23 you may be right...best is yet to come! Call me a wuss but it gets a bit cold for me when the air temp drops below 50. Next SUN might still break 50 so we will see.

Thoughts: Best foam blocks/straps for loading: Walmart pool noodles but you are out of season for these to be out on the floor...FYI. Waterproof containers: Walmart waterproof boxes are inexpensive and work. Net: I don't use one...just takes up space. Even when landing a muskie, a net would have only gotten in the way. Everyone's different though. Mono line backer: Backer for the braid you are spooling I assume...any will do, really. Life jacket: I have yet to see a bad review on the Chinook or Stohlquist. I bought my NRS Chinook sight unseen and I love it. I never hesitate wearing it as it is comfortable against the kayak seat. In fact many times I forget that I am wearing it. Like others have said, don't skimp here. Roomy tackle boxes: I have one roomy box and one "essentials" Plano box that I keep under my seat. The roomy box holds those lures and extras that I need on occasion including a small digital scale. Stake-out pole: Bought an 8 foot tree stake for like $6 at home depot. I use it sparingly. Anchor: Picked one up from ACK...2.5-3 lb. Does the job and inexpensive. Electronics/Finder: Get a finder that has the basics. Color would be great. GPS a bonus too. Skip down and side imaging. DIY your battery pack in a watertight box from Walmart. Transducer arm: depends on your setup. many suggestions here on BR. I glued Silent Traction System on the floor and love it. Minimizes noise. In a kayak stealth is the name of the game/greatest benefits. Honestly, I try to minimize things I bring to... A. Fishing gear: tackle box, rod/reels, electronics, rod holders. B. Safety: PFD, wet suit when needed C. Propulsion: Paddle, anchor D. Personal: Food...Granola bars that I stuff in my PFD and phone that I stick in a $5 waterproof ziplock that hangs around my neck.

Good advice AND I will go even further...I wear a john (armless) wetsuit. Be informed...take a sec and google hypothermia. I bet A-Jay will chime in here soon....he's always a good reference on this stuff.

BINGO...Spot on.

I have a bird w DI for my kayak. I never use the DI. I would say the features in order of benefit: 1. Color 2. GPS . . . 10. DI

My deep jig fishing skills remains in the frustration zone. I number of strikes but couldn't land one today from the jig. They were on the finder at around 19-22 feet....all bunched up. Fished weeds in about 8-10 fow and struck gold. Look for those weeds and drop a lure down in an opening. Will head out again in the morn. Also tried a Rapala DT10 to see if I could get any strikes to no avail. Anyone else having luck?

I am a weekend warrior...wish it could be more. In fact when I am not on the water, I am obsessively thinking all week about what my fishing plan of attack is going to be for the weekend. Weather forecast is checked at least once a day. Being in MN, May through Oct are really the only months I like to be on open water. Nov through Apr is spent obsessing over May through OCT. You see the pattern here? I need help.

Some of you are on your fourth or fifth boat...at close to if not over $1,000/boat I am blown away! Was thinking about what I would think about next and when to replace my kayak. I will probably fish my Jackson Cuda12 until I wear a hole in it! That Lure 11.5 looks interesting however. The hull design looks like it would be pretty stable. Does it take a lot of energy to paddle? How about to turn? One last question. Many boats have a rod holder recessed in the kayak near each side of the seat. How do you cast without catching the rods on the backswing? That has the potential for major backlashes on a baitcaster if and when you catch the stored rod...I have never figured that one out? I use a RAM mounted holder that I can angle the rod way down to remain of the way....and I STILL catch it on occasion.

Was on the water both SAT and SUN (Today). Beautiful day on SAT only to yield one northern. It was a nice size northern but I prefer not to catch them. It hit on a sweet beaver in about 10-12 FOW. Tried everything on sat (incl a lipless near weeds and square bill)...saw them on the finder but couldn't get them to bite. Today was quite a bit different. Found them both shallow and deep. Caught about 10 today with 4 measuring 16-18. Shallow bass hit a weighted texas rigged pumpkin baby brush hog. Deep (16FOW) one was picked off using a 3/8 jig w dark blue craw trailer.

Punch! OK yep you got me there. Looking at their history it took about a year or more to get beyond six pages. So from that scale we aren't doing so shabby. OTOH since the start of this thread the KC area thread amassed 38 pages of comments....and...compared to 2006, the interweb and threads like these are so much more a part of our social fabric. Add to that Minnesota has the highest fishing license sales per capita in the US (MN and MO population are very close in size so no population size advantage for MO). Those reasons led me to think that this thread should be much more populated than it is. Anyways...thankful for those few contributors as I love learning from others. Was out on SAT and SUN in the southern metro. Slow go for me. Closest pattern I could find was to target clumps of weeds that were hovering over 5-10 ft of water. Used a texas rigged brush hog. Only caught a few with nothing of great size.

There are over 11,842 lakes in MN but only 2,727 in Missouri... Yet the KC area fishing reports thread is 384 pages compared to our 6 pages... WHAT GIVES?

Hey boostr...not sure why this would be redundant. I THINK what you meant was need to get to a spot fast (which in a yak you think is contrary with the purpose of a yak?) but I am not sure. Anyways... General rule of thumb is to spend least amount of time getting to your destination so you can spend more time fishing (unless you are floating down a river, or sightseeing along the way). I have some "go to" lakes with favorite spots that I just want to travel to quickly. Second rule of thumb is to get to my spots with the least amount of energy as possible (conserve energy). The easier it is to move around in your boat the less energy expended and the more distance you can go/longer you can stay out fishing without feeling tired. This is why at least for me, I felt getting a boat that was a bit faster and easier to paddle would pay dividends each time I was out with it. I also know this is why I look for the lightest cargo to accompany me. I question every piece of equipment I take...all in the pursuit of the conservation of energy. I might be different than most...IDK. I stand almost every time I am on my yak fishing. But I spend the vast majority...like 90% of my time, seated. Therefore, if I had to choose which attribute takes priority, standing or speed/maneuverability, I would give the edge to speed. Of course I would want BOTH...I think the Cuda gives me a decent balance between the two. This is also why you will hear (and I think its fair) that there are boats more stable than the Cuda...but I always know that something got traded off. Sorry for the ramble. Hope this helps the OP.

Hey atown...call some online shops. Since you are looking for a pfd, etc see what total package price they can give you. I used Wildcat Creek Outfitters in Indianapolis (my home town before moving to MN). Looks like they have the 15% off as well. You might have to act a bit faster to ensure you get the color you want. They gave me great advice. I bought my pfd, paddle, cart, and JKCuda12 from them. I was satisfied with everything they suggested for me. I am so glad you are choosing to spend a bit more to get what you want. Eliminates the "starter set up" syndrome which either ends of with extra work, costing more in the long run, or not being very satisfying as you would always be eyeing the kayak you should have saved up to buy the first time. Tight Lines.

It was tough going for me yesterday. No bass. One tiger muskie. 45incher. Landing it in a kayak w no steel leader was a thrill. Was at Steiger Lake today. Started slow then heated up towards noon. Found them in the lily pads. A 20 incher and several 15-17.

That's how much I paid for my JC12 in its inaugural year 2012. I think that is a great price for a kayak that has a well laid out deck, well balanced hull design, and ready to fish from day 1. In fact I bet you wont use some of the accessories it comes with. Only permanent mod I did was to install silent traction on the floor area. Absolutely nothing else needed...for the yak that is. Don't forget the car carrier, a good lifejacket, a decent paddle, and anchor. I have not paddled the lure or ghost. Looking at the ghost, the first concern I have is the low seat. There is a huge advantage to being able to sit up high. Allows you to get a better angle to sight fish, and helps with getting to and from the standing position. This was a feature that interested me a great deal with the JC12...to be able to get up and sit down w control and as little noise as possible. Since then, a number of manufacturers incorporated a similar the "lawnchair" design. BTW, on a related note, I placed a very high priority to standing stability and/or the ability to stand and fish. With the high sitting seat, I really don't feel the need to stand up to fish. I still however place a premium on stability as this contributes to confidence and therefore safety. I've had a positive experience w the Cuda but am not necessarily pushing it as it's all personal preference. Sit in as many as you can. Think of it as picking your fishing partner ....so take your time, do your research, and do it right the first time. A lot of experienced yakkers on here who are very helpful....so ask away!

dpittman, your comfort level depends some on the kayak design but also your sense of balance. Some people are going to be more comfortable in a kayak than others. If you choose the widest most stable platform, you will most likely have to trade something else off such as hull speed, maneuverability, and also weight. Try as many yaks to get a feel for each boat's characteristics. Think about what you are willing to trade off...then jump in and enjoy it. I am confident you will find fishing from a kayak a blast. As an example...I hooked into a 45 inch tiger muskie today. I was amazed that I was able to control and LAND the beast by dragging it into my kayak (just by chance a Jackson kayak similar to what you tested (Cuda12)). What a thrill. No steel leader(as I was fishing for LMB), no net, no pliers, caught from a kayak. I paddled with one arm to the nearest bass boat for a pic. They were impressed and jealous of everything about my adventure; esp catching it from a kayak. A memory I will have forever...truly awesome! Good luck w your search!

I think the HF hoist the OP is thinking of is motorized. Ones listed by others are pulley systems.

Full moon this weekend and weather looks ideal here in MN.

What an ingenious solution that most of us have in our bags already Hootie. I watched the video and can imagine your solution working the same and for less $$.