FryDog62

I got a taste of Father Time creeping up on me this past year. I don't feel like I'm slowing down, but I'm probably in the 4th quarter somewhere well ahead of the 2 minute warning (I hope). But it makes you think about longevity for what we all like to do. I recently saw a video that inspired me. Most of you aren't from the North, or fish walleyes... but we have a Legend in the fishing ranks here in Minnesota. The stud multi-species/bass fishermen I know around here (Lindner, Pennaz, Schara) look up to a man named "The Griz" which the video below is about. It's a pretty good watch even if you don't know who he is. Some other personalities make cameo appearances. Anyway, watching him with just enough balance and strength to launch a boat at his age is not lost on me ~ https://youtu.be/cEEn-oLe374

I use the Zolo Dragger and Levante Perfect Pitch for those jig weights. Zolo slightly beefier of the two…

I’m on board with this vs. a slack line snap hook set… too many things can go wrong there…

Not Lake Erie, but this is my experience on Northern Minnesota lakes with both species present. Some overlap, but you are usually catching one versus the other in any specific area. Primary lure is a jerk bait, but some others too. Keep moving and get both throughout the day...

Thank you, I just sold my bass boat up North and we are moving to Florida just for the winter as we visit SC and find a final spot to build/buy. I really liked Cane Bay and will have an Autopilot fishing kayak at least for the next 1-2 years until we get settled and buy another full sized boat. Will let you know if we are over your way and say hi. -Chris

In the vehicle...

This one I learned by trial and error. Year One I tried a soft pack that just wasn’t very functional - so Year Two I went with the BlackPak Pro. I bought it at a big box store that only had the 16 x 13 size. I also picked up various Plano boxes to go inside and just couldn’t get the right configuration for maximum storage. I did further measurements and returned the 16 x 13 and ordered a 16 x 16. It all fell together with the larger box. I experimented with various box sizes and decided I really needed the big Plano Edge Plastics Box to start with. Around that, I was able to fit 8 of the Plano 3650 boxes perfectly. I could also attach 8 rod holders - 3 on each side and 2 in the back. They keep the rods organized and directly behind you and a little more out of the way when casting than the rod holders that are built into the kayak hull. https://www.yakattack.us/blackpak-pro-kayak-fishing-crate-16-x-16/ https://www.omniafishing.com/p/plano-edge-plastics-box Also, I don’t recommend the Boonedox Landing gear for a couple reasons. 1) You have to drill into the hull which likely voids the hull warranty if it were to start cracking in that area. 2) The Boonedox mounts fairly far back in the hull so pulling it at the bow is EXTREMELY heavy and poorly balanced. If you are only going 20-30 yards you can tough it out, but it will wear you out any further than that. I switched to the Wilderness Kart. You can center it for balance and pull the kayak with 2 fingers longer distances with relative ease. https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Systems-Heavy-Duty-Kayak/dp/B07JQMZJLM/ref=asc_df_B07JQMZJLM?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79852149837939&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451676420343&psc=1

Yes, you can stand and cast/skip/flip... obviously when it's calm or low chop. Bigger waves/wind probably not. I think there are after market casting bars you can buy to stand/rest against.

I found the Expride too powerful for Neds and I would think small tubes as well, but depends on weight. The rod wouldn't load well to cast the light stuff.. I've settled on a Phenix BFS Classic 7'1" for the lighter stuff (1/16th-1/8 oz hair jigs/Neds) and the Phenix Feather Medium-Light for 1/8-1/5 oz Neds/Tubes). I definitely like the added length of these rods when trying to get casting distance with light lures.

Thanks Ken, the zip code changes but friendships continue across the country thanks to BR !

Jewel Baits Live Spin is a good search bait at deeper depths. You can countdown approx 2 feet per second to desired depth in water column: https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Jewel_Baits_Live_Spin/descpage-JSCS.html

We are moving out of state and have 2 moves planned - the first we know where, the second (a more permanent location) we don't yet. I really hated selling the boat, but it just didn't make sense to tow it a long way and store it for an indefinite period of time, and then move again. In the meantime, I have my Autopilot with Livescope and plan to fish freshwater, salt, and who knows maybe even a Bassmaster Kayak event. Life's an adventure...!

Living in Minnesota, I did the heated vest thing about 5 years ago. It wasn't that great and a bit of a hassle with the battery life, charging, etc. Best thing I did was to buy a thin down jacket (with sleeves) and wear under a Gore-Tex Shell. Much better warmth. And second, was to buy some water proof Thinsulate gloves. I didn't need to take them off except to tie knots. Keeps hands good and warm down to 30's. Below freezing I had to go to Mitts. https://www.kuhl.com/kuhl/mens/outerwear/spyfire-jacket/?color=BLACKOUT https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Fish_Monkey_Stealth_Dry-Tec_Light_Weight_Glove/descpage-FMSD.html?_gl=1*1exdcf0*_up*MQ..&gclid=CJDT3-2SjNECFZCMaQodOJECzA

THIS ! And can tie it in 30 seconds or less....

Just ordered a Right On Ruff Trailer - rated for highway speeds (70+) and capable of wet launches in fresh or saltwater. $1000 assembled and ready for pickup in Atlanta on my way from Minnesota to Naples…

I prefer Tatsu and yes it is too expensive. So I buy it in bulk spools when on sale and it lasts long enough that I forget the sting of the purchase.

Interesting, I sold my Ranger Reata and bought a Lund Pro-V Bass 1875. I went from a fishnski “jack of all trades” boat to a pure fishing platform with the Lund. A major upgrade for me as I was much more fishing focused and always somewhat frustrated with the Ranger. For what it’s worth, I had a 150 hp on my PVB and never felt inadequate. The money savings allowed me to buy some kick-ass electronics while still being able to go 50 mph if I needed to (rarely ever went that fast, and never wanted to go faster). I also towed my PVB with a Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 rated to tow 6400 pounds. I towed it from Minnesota to Arkansas to Rainy Lake in Canada and never felt under-powered. The best 2 things about the Lund are the XS seating and the plethora of storage. Sadly, I sold my Lund and my last fishing trip with it will be in 2 days. The day after that a new owner drives it away…

I fish smallmouth and walleye a lot with jerkbaits and prefer a graphite crankbait rod. Dobyns makes the same exact jerkbait rod in both a 6’8” or 7’0” so you can pick your length (Champion Crankbait series 685cb or 705cb). These are the rods Gary himself uses. I throw jerkbaits on 10 lb Invizx. Provides some stretch and keeps me from over-working the lure in cold water periods (as can happen for me at least with braid). 10 lb fluorocarbon is dense and I feel like it gives me a uniform sink rate and stays down, true to the rated depth of the lure. If I need to go deeper, I switch to a +1 jerkbait. Works for smallies, largemouth, and big walleyes too ?

Got a Girthy Gal today on a Slobberknocker. 5.86 on the Richter scale..

Yes, to be fair the fit & finish of the Champ Extreme is well above the Phenix... but the action was similar enough. I had a chance to trade to get a different rod I really needed for another application and received much more in trade value for the Dobyns. It's a very good rod though - If they had a 701 at the time I would have kept it as a BFS rod.

No, I traded off the 702c and Alphas 70 SV... The 702c was nice but very similar to the Phenix Feather ML I already had. And over time, I've just decided that I'm not particularly a fan of the SV reels anymore unless I'm skipping lures.

It is extra fast, but also a light rod with a little more softness in the tip than the standard Phenix Feather. I think you potentially could throw some cranks, but wouldn't use braid... some stretch and give would really help.

Will be interesting to see your mount... for comparison sake here is mine:

Yes, really like the store. Some of the guys there used to work at Capra’s too. Most days you can get stuff for 20% off, this sale was 30%. Nice to have a quality (non-big box) store on the West side. They sell a lot of JDM baits (Deps, OSP, Fish Arrow) too… not all your standard, run-of-the-mill stuff ?