Felixone

I don't think I like you anymore... Just kidding, and a bit envious. I wish I could find a lake where catching 30 fish in one day is considered bad.

So I need to correct my previous comment. After looking at the pictures posted above I reorganized mine and was able to get them to lock in securely. I will have to see how well they stay, but for now I am much happier with the box.

I am having the same problem. Last week I actually bought one of the low profile plano boxes (the one you bend the bait to secure it). It is complete junk. I have several different sizes and all but the smallest ones simply pop loose. Don't even bother with buzzbaits. I should have believed the reviews saying that the don't work. Since most of them seemed to be worried about bending their baits I assumed they simply were not securing them enough. I have tried and tried, and maybe I am still doing it wrong but even when I think they are secure but the time I get to the water most of them have popped free again. If space wasn't an issue I would get one of the boxes that let you hang them, but I just don't have space for that right now. I might have to make room though as I am really starting to enjoy using spinners. I might pick up another small worm binder though as that is what I was using before I bought the plano box and it worked well enough.

Given I was on a kayak I have limited visibility to the larger lake, but based on recent reports there is still a mix of pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish. I believe most of the spawning beds are further down the lake though.

This was/is at Wateree. I don't have the specifics right now, but it was something like 3' over the target level. When I checked this morning it was still up by a foot. I expect it will be balanced back out by the end of the week. Hopefully the water level will stabilize and the water will clear up. It was very high, rough, and muddy on Saturday when I was there. I am keeping my fingers crossed that conditions will clear up and I will have the most productive day yet when I head back this weekend.

WIGuide - You make a good point, and that probably explains why bass were still being caught in the shallows this past weekend even though the water level was dropping. Come to think of it all of the action I received was probably 10' from the shoreline, and in probably 5' of water. This completely lines up with what you are saying. I should have put that together myself, but I am still learning and not always good a picking up the clues like I should.

So last night I happened to be channel surfing and caught a bit of an episode of River Monsters. Although I like this show just to see the giant fish he catches this episode had a nice encouraging message for me in a roundabout way. I can't remember what type of fish he was going for, but I had to laugh when he caught a little one and then said that he was happy because he had been fishing for an hour and caught nothing. What he said next is what shocked me. He talked about how when you go for a little while without catching fish you tend to zone out and not pay close enough attention. As a result when the big one comes along you will screw it up because you weren't expecting it. The funny thing was after I came home on Saturday I was telling my wife about how it went. One of the things I told her is that because I am so unaccustomed to actually catching fish right now that when I did get hits my reaction time was way off and I ended up missing them. It was nice to hear that even "pros" can experience the same thing I am going through (or was going through). Now as far as Murray goes, I might have to put that lake on hold for a bit, unless I poke around Dreher Island. As I don't have a boat getting to the deeper fish on a kayak can be a little stressful with all the boat traffic. Lake Marion/Stumphole is a definite in the very near future. That place looks like a dream for a kayak. All those little pockets that regular boats can't reach make me drool. I had originally planned to put in a bit further north, but based on what I have just seen I think the extra drive will be worth it. Thanks again to everyone for the great information!

So one of the lakes I just started fishing has been very high the past week or so due to rain. As a result they are lowering the lake level back to it's target depth. I have read that bass try to stay out of the shallows while water levels drop. My question is, how soon after the water level stabilizes do the fish come back. The projections for the lake have it returning to normal levels tomorrow, perhaps Wednesday. Assuming it reaches normal levels and stops falling, would the bass have moved back in to the shallows by Saturday?

Bassin, thanks for the follow up. Definitely sounds like I need to go back to Wateree for a bit. This is especially true as I was planning to hit the very upper part of the lake as it is the closest to me. Going down to the bottom of the lake almost doubles travel time, and getting there on the water would be completely out of the question in kayak. I will definitely looking into that area though. Maybe I will hit it in a couple weeks. Regardless, good luck on your tournament this weekend. Here's to a 25+ lb bag!

Retiredbosn - Thanks for the input. I have fished Murray a lot but for the most part I put in at Hilton Recreation Area and work that whole cove. I have been wanting to try out the Dreher Island area, and will definitely have to fit it into the schedule. blackmax135 - Skunked, at least in this case means no bass, even if I have caught other species. For those that are interested I took a trip to Lake Wateree this past weekend. It wasn't overly successful in regards to landing bass, but I did manage to bring one in. I lost and missed quite a few though. It was the most action I have seen in weeks, and was definitely a confidence boost. It also gave me a few things to work on. Primarily being improving my hook-ups when using heavy hooks (chatterbaits in this case), as well as staying more focused so I don't miss strikes. At this point I am still contemplating whether to go back to Wateree or heading down to Marion this coming weekend. Since this was my first trip to Wateree it was more of a getting a feel for the water. I am thinking if I go back I will be even more productive as I have a better understanding what to expect.

I have been in a similar situation this year. I started out strong, but hadn't caught a bass in over a month. I was starting to get frustrated, and began doubting whether this whole fishing thing was for me or not. Then this past weekend I decided to hit a new lake. I did some research, found a likely place to put in, and had one of the best days I have had in a while. I didn't catch much, but the action was on all day. In the end I only caught one, but I lost several, and missed even more. Of course there was also apparently a tournament on the lake that day and I just had to choose to fish from the same ramp the tournament launched from so everywhere I fished had already been picked over. The lost ones I believe had to do with the bait I was using, and my lack of experience with getting solid hook ups with that bait and that heavy of a hook. I was fishing a chatterbait, and until this weekend I had only caught pickerel on it. The ones I just completely missed were from me being out of practice with actually catching fish. When the strikes came I was typically distracted and not focusing on what I was doing. As a result it took me a second or so longer to react. I also had a few short strikes. The tail on my trailer kept getting bitten off. In my experience this is usually bream of some kind, but given how hard they hit I don't think it was completely that. Next time I head out I am going to try a trailer hook to see if I can't catch some of the shorties. So to summarize, I had a very long dry spell and decided to try new water. Although the dry spell wasn't completely eradicated it was enough fire me up again. Given this I would highly recommend doing a bit of research and find a new place to hit up on your next trip at least for a change of scenery. Now to decide if I want to try another lake this weekend or go back to the one from last weekend. I am still new to all of this (FW fishing for just under a year now), but I already found myself falling into a rut where I kept going to the same spots, throwing the same baits, and just not finding fish. Getting out on new water got me energized again, and wanting to do and try more. It might just be the ticket you need too.

Bassin, that would be great. Weather permitting it sounds like we might be there around the same time as I am planning to head down there the weekend after next if it isn't storming. I don't mind rain, but I try to stay off the water during thunderstorms. Good luck this weekend. I hope you figure the fish out and kick butt in the tournament next weekend.

Awesome! Thanks again, I will look into those spots and see if I can't make a trip up there in a few weeks. I was actually hoping to get to Marion this weekend but they are calling for thunderstorms so that is a no go in a kayak for me. Weather permitting I might head down the first weekend in May. I might try to hit Wylie the weekend after. Again, thanks for the input.

Thanks for the reply bassinbrady03. Other than a slightly better catch rate than me it looks like we are in similar situations. Overtime I am probably getting skunked 60% or more of the time. I am about the same for boat/bank except I fish from a kayak so my range for traveling is much lower than if I was in a powered boat, but at the same time I also can go places boats can't. So how do you like Lake Wylie? I have a friend who lives nearby that lake and thought about making a trip up there. Are there any good areas that are within a mile of a public boat ramp? One of the issues with some of the larger lakes I have been on is that all the good areas I have been told about are usually too far from a ramp for me to paddle all that way safely in a reasonable amount of time.

I have a bit of a poll for all of you South Carolina Anglers (specifically in the Midlands area) if you are interested. I would appreciate it if some of you can answer the following questions: What percentage of fishing outings to you get skunked (Zero Bass)? Do you primarily fish public or private water? Do you fish from a boat or from the bank? What is your favorite/most productive body of water (optional)? The reason I am asking this is because lately I have been getting skunked more often than not. Sure I catch lots of bream, crappie, and pickerel, but I am just not catching bass like I want to. I know this is probably due to the primary body of water I fish. I typically fish a HIGHLY pressured local pond so not catching bass is somewhat expected. However, I still believe that I am catching far fewer than I “should” be. I am trying to determine whether or not it is the water, or my technique. Even when I find a technique that works one day it never seems to work again. It is almost like the fish are having a nightly meeting where they warn each other about the lures that fooled them, ensuring no other fish will hit that same lure again. I have been looking for new water, but reading the fishing reports for other large lakes in the area, it doesn’t sound like many people are catching bass there. This just makes me less interested spending the time traveling to these areas when chances are I will still get skunked when I can just travel 5 minutes for the same result. I do want to point out that I am not looking for a specific spot, but more an idea of whether or not a lake/river is truly viable. My goal is to find water that I should be able to catch bass regularly so I am better able to work on my technique. After all, how am I supposed to improve my technique if I am not receiving positive repeatable feedback on when I do something right. Thanks in advance for any assistance you all provide.

**Slowly raises his hand**

Thanks for the input. My kayak didn't have a rail system, but it did have a DIY dashboard located at the front of the cockpit. It already had a Scotty mount for a rod holder installed on the dashboard. I mounted the FF directly in front of this. For the transducer I put together a mount using PVC pipe. I used 1/2" PVC which fit perfectly in the mount. I did have to notch one side to let it slide all the way in, but that helps it from rotating as well. I managed to dodge the weather and got to hit the water this past Saturday, and it worked flawlessly. Even when I ran into heavy surface weeds the tranducer hung on and never experienced any issues. All total I believe the rig for the transducer cost me less than $10. Of course most of that was in stainless steel machine screws and nuts. Since I didn't have any primper/cement for the PVC bolting everything together actually came out a little cheaper. If you have stuff to work with PVC you can probably get by for less than $6-7. The battery is where I spent a little extra money. I bought a waterproof Plano storage box, and a Marinco trolling motor plug. Using this I was able to create a water resistant battery box. I found the idea online, and pretty much copied it exactly. The box was less than $15, the plug/receptacle was about $20, misc part like connectors for the battery terminals, wire, heat shrink tubing added a few more $$$, but all total I spent about $45 on the battery box. Given all of this I have a fully functional FF mounted securely to the kayak and thanks to a great sale I managed all of this for about $155. If anyone is interested in more detail or pictures just let me know.

This reminders me a phrase I heard years ago. A boat is nothing more than a hole in the water you throw money into. Of course that hasn't stopped me from hiding pennies in hopes of buying my own hole real soon.

Thanks for the suggestions. I actually just ordered a Plano dry box and a waterproof connector to build a battery box. I took at the battery you linked. I can't believe I didn't think of Li-Ion batteries before. I used them all the time when I flew RC planes. I am a little rusty on my battery terminology but isn't 12,000 mAh equivalent to 12 Ah? If so that little battery would last longer than the SLA battery I just purchased, and is less than half the size. I might have to look into this down the road when the SLA battery dies. Thanks again for the tip.

What the!!!! That thing is crazy. Shoot on tough days I would be thrilled to catch even one that size, let alone use it as bait.

Florida is like a mini version of Australia in the US. Everything down there wants to kill you, and probably can

I know I am little late to this party, but I was curious about something. How do all of you store the battery within the kayak so it doesn't get wet?

I just purchased the Lowrance Elite 4x HDI. I am planning to build an arm to mount the transducer to. I already have a "dashboard" that is made from a cutting board. It currently has a Scotty mount on it, and there should be enough room to mount the FF just in front of it. I fish a lot of shallow water so I won't always be using it. Having a mount that I can swing up when moving over shallow water will be nice. Since it is a sit in I don't have the a scupper hole to use. I might try to mount it inside down the road. However, since water temp is one of the things I really want out of the FF I think having a mount that will let me put it in the water will be better.

Well, I finally bit the bullet and ordered a fish finder. I bought a Lowrance Elite 4x DSI to use on the kayak. Looking forward to finally getting a look at what is under the water. So does anyone have any tips for mounting on a sit in kayak, or perhaps tips on how to use it?

Again, this all great advice, and I appreciate it very much. Just to touch on some of the additional points mentioned... Senko - I did the same late last season when I started trying to learn to fish spinnerbaits. I actually kind of liked the extra weight with the lighter rod as it seemed I could feel the action of the lure just a bit more. Of course I imaging it is funny to watch the rod bend while I retrieve. I am sure it looked like I was always fighting a fish, even though it was just an oversized lure for the rod. Kikstand - Unfortunately I am still better at casting while standing than sitting, but I am definitely getting better. I know for sure I am better at the soft landings in the kayak than when I am on shore. I too hate the long "butt"end of the rods. I have actually been looking at the rods KastKing put out last year specifically for kayaks. They made the butt end shorter, and even put a ring on the bottom for attaching a leash. I know some of the guys around here use them and really like them. I received one of their reels for Xmas and so far I love it. I am sure other more recognizable brands have similar products, but I also really like the prices. Also, I think I will probably try a Copoly line first. I am still not quite comfortable using braid for the baitcaster. I really like the line, but still want to try a few others. Also, thanks for the tips on lure colors. I have to admit when I first started fishing this pond I didn't fully understand lure colors. I think I am getting better though. Hatrix - Using a leader with the braid is a good idea. I have actually been contemplating doing that anyway. Almost all of the local water is very heavily pressured, and most of it is pretty clear (little suspended matter). As a result I started wondering if my line was giving me away more than it should. I am going out tomorrow and plan to give it a go to see what the results are. RMS - Excellent point. I went to my local mart of walls the other day and bought three different sizes including the pup. We had some really heavy rains a couple nights back and the pond I usually fish is nearly flooded out so I am not sure when I will be going back. Since it was actually very low just prior to the storm, and is not flooded I don't expect the fishing this weekend will be very good there. Based on reports I am thinking of trying some new water out that apparently spooks and spinnerbaits are killing there right now. Since I am want to learn the spook and am still learning spinnerbaits this might be a chance to test them out where I know they have been biting recently. Anyway, again thank you all very much for your input and advice! Hopefully by the end of the season I will be walking the dog like a pro.