Turtle135

Great information Wayne! Any insight on this situation. I have a Humminbird 346c DI and a Humminbird 778C HD. Both are set at 5 on the FishID. The 346c DI always sees a lot more fish than the 778C HD ever does. Any reason the two should have such wildly different results? The 346 does have the DI puck and the 778 has the old XNT 9 20 T transducer. The bottom interpretation between the two is similar.

take a look at the Wilderness Systems Ride 135 as well

how dense are the mats you want to punch? would you need a one ounce bullet weight in tungsten to punch through them?

As flyfisher explained roto molded kayaks are really tough and durable. There are some inexpensive kayaks out there where you have a top half and a bottom half basically "glued/welded" together. On those kayaks I would not recommend applying a lot of torque at an odd angle in high heat.

I always have my tailgate down on my S10 with my Ride 115. However the Pescador is a roto molded kayak so I suspect that even a 3 hour ride on top of the tailgate with all that air flow would not cause any deformation unless you were applying a lot of torque with a ratchet strap.

I do a lot of roll casting. When I do that for 6-7 hours straight "one handed" I get a similar pain. I have to remind myself that I can do the same cast "two handed" (which results in no pain).

I save old line in a box and ship it off every couple of years to the Berkley Recycling Center. http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Berkley-recycling.html

The low position in the Max is lower than the "high only" seat (which is the "AirPro Freedom Elite - High" seat). The Max is higher in the high position which they can get away with since the design of the seat cradles the paddler (so that even though you are sitting higher you actually feel more stable in the Max). The low position in the Max is higher than the "low only" seat (which is the "AirPro Freedom Elite - Low") The Max seat is a really nice upgrade. I have heard that some extremely large guys do not like it because they are so big much of their backside winds up overlapping the onto the metal frame of the seat.

I started with the stock low seat, then bought the first high seat they offered (which I liked) but when a pro staffer let me try out the Max seat I knew I was going to have to get one. I do those sunrise to sunset fishing trips and I find the Max seat to be extremely comfortable. I do find that I can paddle faster/more efficiently with the Max in the low position, so I am in the low when I need to cover some distance. Then when I get to my fishing spot I will move to the high position as I have a better sight line and it is better for pitching lures.

Here is a picture of the prototype final fix (which apparently they will send out to anyone who needs it for free), so I guess it should be available in the not to distant future

If you are really nimble you might be able to raise and lower the seat while still seated. One guy I fish with can pull it off but I can't. I either stand up to do it or I slide forward off the seat to raise or lower. It is an extremely quick process and it only takes a couple of seconds. I fish with 8 other anglers who added that seat to their Ride 135 or 115 and none of us had the sliding out of the track problem. My 115 is a 2012 model and that was the first year Wilderness Systems added the track to the Rides so that a seat could trim forward and back. As I understand it it would be Rides from 2012 and 2013 that would be most likely to have that issue and a new Ride would not have that problem at all.

I had five MH Daiwa baitcasting rods with regular guides. A mishap with hatch on a friends SUV took out two of the rods (crunch, bye tips!). I really like having a bunch of identical setups so that when I switch from one combo to the next the "feel" is exactly the same. I could not get the identical Daiwa rods anymore as that series has been discontinued but I was able to pickup two of the same rods but with micro guides. I now prefer the rods with the micro guides (lighter and feels more sensitive to me). If I was a braid with leader user I might have second thoughts about micro guides but I am a straight monofilament guy so no worries here.

A 12-foot version of the Wilderness Systems ATAK kayak (I heard a "rumor" that they might be showing one at iCast)

Most of the bodies of water I fish get heavy fishing pressure. If I happen to catch 5 or 6 in that 14" - 16" size range I will generally upsize my presentation and change location/pattern to target a larger bass in the 20" plus range rather than continue to pound those average sized fish. I would rather not "educate" another 20 bass and will save those fish for another day. So 3-4 average sized bass and 1-2 big fish would be a good day.

Does the cable going from the transducer to the fish finder have male pins where it plugs into the head? Check to make sure the pins are not bent over (or corroded).

How you store and transport your water craft becomes a big part of the decision. I think it comes down to basic human nature, if something is easy to use you use it more frequently. I started kayak fishing back in 1991. In the late 90's I had both a kayak and a boat with an electric motor. Over a 3 year period I found I was taking the kayak 19 out of 20 trips. Eventually I loaned the boat to a friend who had a son old enough to become his fishing partner. I figured that way if I ever needed it for a fishing trip I could just borrow it back. In all the years since I have borrowed it back zero times. Currently I get out on the water 4 or 5 times per week. I really cherish the after work trips I sneak it. Fewer boats on the water, calm and peace. However I only get 2.5 - 3 hours on the water on a work day. The ease of loading and unloading make it worth it even for a short trip. I am most familiar with the Wilderness Systems kayak lineup. I would take a look at a Tarpon 120 and the Ride 115 or 135. The Tarpons are faster but the Rides have the stability to stand and fish. Good luck!

We are in year two of these "Bass Live" broadcasts I believe? I suspected/hoped that they will find ways going forward to improve the coverage but I am curious about your experience. Are any of these outdoor events covering similiar large expanses? For instance Toledo Bend is 65 miles long.

jig spinner form, see the link http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/jig-spinner-form/

I think what you are hearing is "pressured" water. Which means there is a lot of "fishing pressure". Lot of anglers, the bass see a lot of lures, many of them have been caught and the bass get wary of presentations that they see over and over again.

TFO has ML casting rods. I have the "GTS DSC733-1". While I do not use it that frequently it will put a small lipless crankbait into orbit. I pull it out in early, early spring in an area that smallmouth bass like to roam. It is a blast to hook up with a lively one at the end of an 80 yard cast. http://www.tforods.com/conventional-rods/gary-loomis-tactical-series/drop-shot-rods.html#.V0YHEPkrI2w

good thing there is a stop sign there! a groundhog might forget to look both ways before crossing

I use a five pound weight lifting plate and I do not tie it directly to my kayak. It is attached to a float (which I then connect to with a quick release line). To hold in high winds or current you need to anchor either off the bow or the stern and you need to let a lot of anchor line out. The book standard is a 7 to 1 ratio (seven feet of line out for every foot of depth).

Well done! I have some friends who can fish with piles of rods, camera bags and a net draped over their legs on the front deck. Me, I can't stand that clutter. A place for everything and everything in its place!

If you find you do have to go deep, one presentation I have used successfully to fish 30 - 40 feet down is a 5" stickbait t-rigged with a pegged bullet weight. Even a 1/4 ounce sinker will get that bait down to the bottom fairly quickly (and it will go into and out of cover without snagging). I can cast that on a MH baitcasting outfit with heavy line if I have to horse one out of the cover.