Fishingmickey

When your outlay for fishing tackle exceeds the GDP of a third world country. When the inside of house looks like a Cabela's or Bass Pro shop blew up. When you have enough rods and reels to equip a boy scout troop. When the bait monkey has asked have you had you "fix" this week. When you have every color of tackle warehouse tee shirts.

Dang Swims, You are on a roll! First that monster bass 6.5 now this absolute monster beast of a Pickerel! Keep it rolling! Fishingmickey

Best thing I can recommend is do not overfill the reel spool, Don't swing for the fences (by trying to make excessively long casts). Learn to feel the reel spool with your thumb. Chunking a large spinner bait or light crank bait into the wind is a recipe for disaster. Fishingmickey

Our family used to sailboat race on the weekends. I was too small to crew so I was stuck on shore. I think I was five or so when I started with a hand line and popcorn jerking dock bluegills. Mom said it was the best baby sitter ever. a ten cent bag of popcorn and me wearing my life jacket. Simpler times for sure. Fishingmickey

Hi Mitt, Semper Fi! Have you read Louie's "The Walking Drum" or "May there be a road". Sorry for the thread hijack guys. I'm a former marine who grew up cutting his reading teeth on Loius L'Amour. Had to share. Fishingmickey

Gosh dang it OTP, Don't be telling everyone bout that combo. Shhhhhh.

Two fish covered with drum dookie...

Hello Jim, 27 year old fishfinder.... Might want to look at up grading. I don't think Eagle is in business anymore or was absorbed. Most of the new depthfinders/fishfinders come with the transducer. I checked on Ebay and they are still selling them there. Regards, Fishingmickey

Bassman, The Seaguar Red label is a fairly moderately priced fluorocarbon line as far a fluorocarbon lines go. The stuff is pricey for sure but it is a pretty good line from what I have read and deduced using it. One of the things I do is to fill my spool halfwayish or so with mono of close to the same diameter and add the top shot (50-75 yards) of Fluorocarbon. So a 200 yard spool might get my three line changes/fillings at 65 yards a fill. Dunno if that helps ya much, Fishingmickey

For nylon monofilement, Berkley XL is my old time favorite, I don't think there is much difference between the XT and Big game. 8lb for spinning, 14lb for general casting and 20lb for heavy cover. All of the Berkley Monofilement lines break at over their rated strength. Just like Yozuri hybrid or the P-line CXX. They say a lower rating on the box but the diameter of the line is thicker so it breaks at a higher test then stated. I have been trying out the Sun line Defier and it seems pretty good too. FM

Dude, I'll give ya my two cents regarding crank baits. Basically three categories, small square bill and shallow divers to about 10-12' less then 1/2 oz. Medium bill for mid range from 12-20' normally 1/2-3/4oz. Over 20' big cranks, large billed heavy lures 1 oz - 3oz. Figure 7' - 7'5" medium/medium light power, fast action on the light lures. 7'-7'6" medium heavy power moderate/fast action for the mid range. 7'3" 7'10" heavy power, moderate action for the deepest of divers. Using a slower retrieve ratio reel makes it easier to reel in like a lower gear on a vehicle. less inches per turn more power/torque at the handle. Faster retrieve is fine with the small cranks, you can get away with 7:1 for the medium but you'll work harder. Big cranks need a big reel, Curado 300EJ, Tranx, Diawa Lexus, Revo winch or go round reel like the ambassadors or Calcutta's. I also tournament kayak fish. I don't like having anything longer then about 7'6" or shorter then 7' in my kayak. You need 7' to reach around the bow and 7'6" gets a little long trying to get the fish close enough to net. FM

Add Pro's: Your crankbaits will never get deeper. Add Cons: How hard it is to tie a knot that doesn't slip under tension.

Nope, check it and continue to fish if it is good. If nicks or questionable re-tie. FM

Sierra Trading Post... usually half off or better. FM

I have used the improved clinch knot for line to lure for decades and the alberto for line to line.

Howdy Y'all, I figured I'd throw my two cents into the ring. I recently purchased a Hobie PA14 with the 180 drive. I have had no issues with breakage of the reversing pull handles. I do try to be gentle when I switch and not throw it into reverse when I am moving forward at 3 or 4 mph. Nor do I yank the handles hard to get them to reverse. I have had the kayak since last August and fished it a bunch. I test drove the Titan 13.5 last summer (rented it for a tournament) so it was a eight hour test drive. All three of these kayaks are too heavy to roof top on a car "IMHO". You can probably do it for sure but your asking for trouble. All three are big heavy boats exceeding 130#'s hull weight. Hobie PA12 weighs in at 130#'s, PA14 - 145#s and the Titan 13.5 is 178#'s. Not sure where your coming up with a Titan 10.5 from. Is it a new 2018 model? Native has the Slayer 10 propel that weighs in at a mere 94#'s. So if your planning on car topping one of those beasts you might think about getting a pickup with a roof rack or get a trailer and tow your car with the yak on the roof. Fishingmickey

Tyler, You'd be hard pressed (next to impossible) to be able to build a rod that is as good quality wise as a good quality off the shelf rod for $130 dollars or less. The St Croix Mojo bass rods or the Dobyn's fury rods are excellent quality and reasonably priced. I know that are several other brands that would probably fill those same shoes. I just don't have any experience with them. Fishingmickey

MBB, Best advice I can give you if your just getting back into bass fishing is to learn how to fish a texas rigged worm! After you acquire a good sense of feel. That sense of feel will transfer over to jigs or other plastics you'd fish. My favorite set-up for that is a medium heavy combo with 14# flouro and a 3/16th oz worm weight on a 3/0 straight shank hook (owner or gamakatsu). I do like the Berkely power worms for that set up. That combo would be fine for chatterbaits also. If you decide to go with a second combo. I'd advise another MH set-up or go with a spinning set-up for finesse fishing and smaller baits like Senko's, Ned rig, drop shot, small cranks and small poppers like the Pop'r. Basically lures that are under a 1/4 oz that would be harder to cast on a bait casting rig. Run a lighter line like 6-10lb mono/flouro or 20# braid on the spinning rig. Fishingmickey

Same boat as Dupert, been running the Garmin 93SV for almost two years now. Good unit. Go big with the screen which ever ya get. FM

MBB, I'll assume that is a BPS carbonlite combo your talking about (MH rod with a 8.3:1 retrieve ratio reel)? Rod length and action would help narrow it some. I will assume it is between 6'10" and 7'2" and fast action. You have a great multi-tasking rod and reel set-up if that is the case. It should be fine for fishing worms, jig's, carolina rigs, spinner baits, top water etc. Pretty much everything between 1/4 - 3/4 oz. I'd spool it with something between 12 - 16# mono or flourocarbon or 30-40# braid. Good luck! Fishingmickey

Awesome, serious kudos to you A-jay! Nothing like paying it forward! Fishingmickey

Big Nick, I'd go with 14#-17# mono. Don't fill up the spool, fill till you have 3/4 or maybe a little more. Don't swing for the fences (trying to make super long casts) until you get comfortable with the reel and using your thumb. Using the electrical tape is a great idea. Casting a bait caster is different then casting a spinning rod. You have to load the rod. In other words when you bring the rod back to cast the rod has to bend. Don't bring the rod back, stop then try to go forwards from a stop. Make your cast in one continuous movement like starting at 12:00 back to 10:00 then forward to 2:00. As others mentioned use a heavier weight like 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz. Adjust your cast control to your lure weight so your lure falls slowly to the ground and the spool stops without over running. Good luck and once you get used to it, you might not go back to spinning! Fishingmickey

I'm happy with mine so far. I've got one Curado K. Thinking hard about another one or I need to decide on the Scorpion DC or the new Bantam MGL. Decisions, decisions. FM

JJ, I use the Ram mount also in my Kayak. I use a track mounted ball to attach the arm to. Really works well. I don't tighten the clamp much just snug so if I hit a stump or something submerged it will swing. It's a snap to remove. FM

Smalls, They just don't have the growing season in Michigan that they have in Florida, California or Texas. The Florida strain largemouth is the other side of the coin. It will not fair well in Michigan. FM