Fishingmickey

Food for thought Quarry man. If you add in three large heavy batteries. A large deck, Trolling motor, couple of six gallon gas tanks, couple of large guys, cooler, loads of fishing tackle, etc. You might find that you have exceeded the boat's weight carrying capacity. it will ride low and slow and be dangerous in choppy water conditions. I do like how the one in the pictures is set up with the additional mounting plates for seating changes while running. FM

Chubaka, Belly boats can be a lot of fun and enable you to get very sneaky. I found using regular swim/diving fins worked much better then what they try to sell as float tube fins. Good for small ponds, lakes and slow moving rivers. As far as leaks go. Bring along some duct tape or a patch kit. Have a inflator/12 volt air compressor in the car. FM

Hi Jason, A couple of things to try or thoughts on my part anyways. Don't overfill the reel, fill to about 3/4 or slightly more. Fluorocarbon is the hardest line to cast without getting a backlash. Because it is stiff it likes to keep coming off the reel. Try using some Berkley XL 12# or 14#. Berkley Big game is another favorite here. Try it in that same pound test. If you want to go to 30 or 40# braid. You might try going out in the backyard and making some short casts before going to the lake. With a baitcaster you have to "load" the rod to make it cast well. What I mean by this is when you bring the rod back it has to bend then start the forward motion to complete the cast. It doesn't work well if you bring the rod back and stop. Stopping lets the rod unload and then you bring it forward and release the reel and it creates the back lash. Last but not least, what your trying to cast might just be too light. That's where the spinning rig comes into play. Good luck and hope some of what I typed makes sense for you. Regards and tight lines, Fishingmickey P.S. I wouldn't go with the bargain basement cheapest you can buy line. That may cause problems in itself. p.p.s.s. ya gotta use your thumb.

I have had success with Chapstick on zippers and boat cover snaps. FM

Two screaming spinning reelS in harmony?

From your picture Wurming It looks like you already have the brass insert. It has discolored/darkened with age. The brass insert works with the "T" handle or lever style plugs. On those type of plugs you can screw the "T" or the lever and it should cause the rubber portion of the plug to expand. I'd do this out of the boat first then insert it in the sleeve/tube and try screwing it tight. It should tighten/expand as you turn the "T" or lever with the plug inserted. If all that is fine. Then a close inspection of the tube is in order. If it leaks at the tube then replacing the insert is in order. that is another "fun" job. Good luck and hope the above helps. Fishingmickey

97.5 baitcasting, 2.5% spinning

I think your OK for the smaller ploppers (110 & 90). Your rod might be straining with the 130 and it will be in pain with the 190. Check the lure weight rating on the rod. You can push the top end a bit but not a lot. FM

I've had my Scorpion DC for about 6 months now and have been very pleased. FM

Another thing to add is avoid casting light weight lures (balsa crank baits) or bulky (high wind resistance) lures like a spinner/buzz baits into the wind. FM

I also fall into that odd lefty category. Cast with my left, reel with my right. I like it. No switching hands involved. FM Did you see that Academy had the Casitas on sale for $69? I suspect Father's day sale. Might still be good today.

Here's my fish lost story. Choke Canyon Reservoir in South Texas. Late evening just before sun down. I was fishing a on-line charity tournament and pre-fishing for another tournament. The on-line tourney was a three month long largest two fish event and I had already logged a 24.5" fish and had another 20 or 21"er that had me in the top ten and tied for big bass. I hooked into a big bass just as I was about to quit fishing for the day. I had her whipped and along side the kayak and net in hand. As I was guiding her into the net she made one last effort and got her head out of the water and made a weak head shake. My lure came loose and I made a stab with the net. Got half her body in it but not the head. As I lifted the net she slid out and free. It was easily a 26"+ fish. That one is still replaying in my mind several years later. FM

Was it a wacky rigged or Texas rigged McNuggett Catt?

Have the motor and hull checked out at a certified shop. If those two items pass muster you can worry about the fiddly bits yourself. FM

Dipped in Spike it and slathered with Megastrike?

I feel torque/horsepower (lower gear ratio reels 5:1 or 6:1) is more important then speed if your frog fishing heavy grass or cover and having to drag a fish out possibly buried pounds of slop. FM

Hobie Compass is at $1950.

Pitot tube/pick up tube for the speedometer. Tubing should lead/goes to the back of the speedometer (in dash) gauge be my guess. The water wheel is the speedometer reading for your depth finder display.

Since I kayak fish and carry fifteen combos. I probably need a intervention. Fishing a Hobie PA14, Nine rods on the milk crate, four rod holder Engel cooler and two in the horizontal storage on the Hobie. Yes I agree it is overkill Fishingmickey

Find the depth the schools of bait are holding at (shad in Texas). Find the fish.

Honestly I don't know what the favorite flavors are regarding brands. I'm sure there is a good bit of Daiwa, couple of the guys are sponsored by Johnson outdoors. FM

Hi Optim, I also primarily use bait casting and so does most of the field. There is a fair amount of spinning tackle used though. If I go out fully loaded for bear I'm packing fifteen combo's. Three heavy's Curado 300's 1 e and 2 ej's with appropriate sized rods, 8 MH baitcasters 30# braid and 14-16# fluorocarbon, 2 med/light bait casters 10 & 12# fluorocarbon and 2 spinning rods 8# mono or braid and leader combination. No I probably don't use every rod each time out. But I do use a high percentage of them each time out. I do agree it is too many and I will pare them down if I know what I am going to be fishing primarily. Fishingmickey

Your spot on, Usually when there are the most drunken boaters are out and the most water related fatalities occur. Just like the highway patrol.

I have five spinning reels, three are the 2500's one 3000 and one 4000. The three small one I use for very light lures like the original floating rapala's, bandit sized 100 cranks, the small sized balsa shad raps, drop shot, finesse jig and Ned rig The 3k I have spooled a little heavier with 20# braid and usually a 12-16# fluorocarbon leader. The 4k I use for power shotting (oversized drop shot) 30# braid with 14#-20# leader.

Yes I do, I've been kayak tournament bass fishing for about five years now and loving it.