Brad Reid

Well, a knot of any sort has to be snug as it is required for what makes them work best: surface or skin friction. But, if one really yanks hard on a tag end, what you are in essence doing is flattening and stretching the line from that end, especially so with monos and stretchy lines, and making it harder for the wraps above it to bite down. It'll fail more often. What you really want is similar to a tight ring stuck on a finger where as you attempt to pull it off, your skin bunches up in front of the ring in the direction you are pulling. It blocks the ring from coming off. So, you soap up your ring finger, friction is eliminated, and the skin doesn't get dragged up into a hump. But, for a knot, we want to be "dug in." You want the wraps to press down as much as possible into the tag end material in a relaxed state. Stretching line taut makes it rather denser, harder to dig into for a good hold. You want the wraps tight, yes, as in that taut state they'll dig in better, but you want the tag end line down, the receiving end, rather relaxed (comparatively) for the best contact. I first saw this demonstrated by an elite angler and lure maker, Bo James, warning viewers to not over-pull on the tag end of a double uni knot he ties as best as any I have ever seen. Man, he ties a great knot! Brad

The rod I never leave home without taking along when I fish from my kayak? A St. Croix PS56MF spinning rod. At 5'6", it is just so handy from a kayak for all sorts of finesse applications. I usually take along another rod or two, rarely need to reach for them. My essential theory is that we rarely need to make casts of any length from a kayak so I just sidle up or glide to a position stealthily and work the area. It's our great advantage over bass boats. Of the two techniques, I pitch and a short rod with enough line out to sort of grab the bait can be slung with great accuracy. And, a short rod has a shorter lifting point, better leverage, so when you get a big bass on the hook the rod handles them very well. But, I get it, the drive and the attraction to lengthy rods. I just feel like anyone who'd ever try a 5'6" rod for kayak fishing will likely add it to their arsenal. Whether it becomes their "go to" or not, I'm less sure. Brad

The best I've used in homemade. Buy the cheapest little can of Sardines in oil you can find. They'll be the stinkiest and most broken up ones (If you want to eat fabulous Sardines, get King Oscars!!!). Anyway, advert aside, just open them up (outside to keep your spouse from divorcing you!!!) and drop then in to a plastic container. I use empty coffee containers. Add just a bit of cheap veggie oil, any will do, and take a fork and sort of mash this up. I set this in my kayak so I can dip a plastic into it, move my rod tip out of the vessel and shake it a bit, then make my cast. You can actually see the oil coming off the plastic for many casts. Seems natural to me that fish will be attracted to what is essentially a salty bait fish. Brad

See if you can find some statistical sources, say using state/lake records and calculate a ratio using stats from states where 10 pounders are more common. So, if Lake Fork in Texas has 10 twelve pounders caught each year, and your lake has about that many six pounders caught, your 10 pounder should weigh 5 pounds to be about the equivalent. Oh! Take a look a Carl's videos. He fishes cold water up on the east coast, I think in the NJ area. He has morphed over to using larger swim baits and has had considerable luck catching much larger bass over the past several years. Nice guy, I always learn something from him. Brad Here: Targeting big bass in colder climates

Water flow would be a mechanical reason for something to stay afloat a bit longer. With a rain event, another reason is simply that as things dissolve in water (washed into rivers), water becomes denser. So, objects take longer to drift downward. A best example we are all familiar with? Salt water, with its dissolved salts, is much more buoyant than fresh water. Brad

Several "great" things about Old Town hitting the fishing kayak market so hard just a few years ago with its Predator series, then others. Old town seemed to get so many things right from the very beginning including making good looking, muscular boats, good colors, angler friendly yaks. And, good pricing. So, Hobie and others also stepped it up a notch, Hobie with the 360 series and way up there in price; but, also they brought out pedal kayaks in the mid-teens pricing. Hobie attacked the high-end AND the price-conscience/sensitive markets in short order with new models exploiting both ends. This caused a cascading down in prices of Natives and many other makes and models . . . to stay competitive. And, paddlers? Wow! Same thing is happening where it is now going to be danged tough selling pure paddlers for what one can spend on an entry level pedaler. Several makes are going to have to fall in line on price very fast, I suspect, else lose market share. Eddyline paddlers come to mind and so does Bonafide. Gonna be tough selling pure paddlers, regardless of their quality, for prices one can buy low end pedalers. Well, on Old Town, one last thought: I really like the way these new TM powered kayaks work. The TMs are so functionally integrated. Man, are they going to put pressure on the after-market units with their sky high after-market prices and often extensive rigging work. Yep! As long as the government stays out of kayak development and pricing, we'll get more and more bang for the buck year after year. An example of deflation when it is a good thing!!! Brad

You might take a look here, see if it would fit your needs. Brad Liberator

I really like the GrandeBass Airtail Stickbaits. These have an air chamber in the tail of the plastic so the tails float up. Oh! Since these are heavily ribbed, they have increased surface area and when I throw them out weightless on a light finesse hook, they often sort of get held up by surface water tension but eventually sink. I normally fish them with a weight up the line by about a foot or so, poor man's Carolina Rig. Brad

Right, J Francho, good knots tied correctly . . . always best. And, the more knots in a "system," the more chances of a failure so all the more care required. And, the more line out, the more likely to experience an imperfection in it. Let's see. Instantaneous response vs static weight. Your point, again, is correct. Imagine two men, same weight, with nooses around their necks being hanged, same rope size tied using the same knots around their necks. They drop the floor out from underneath them, one man though has a 20 ft rope tied on and drops that far, the other man a 5 ft rope so he drops less far. F = MA. Different forces acting on the ropes owing to the length of the fall, the longer rope under more force. Same for setting a hook to the extent different lengths of line out, or stiffness of the rods and more act on how much actual force the line is exposed to. Brad

My mention of a scupper-less Native and not being self-draining is important. So, I wanted to mention that many two-skinned, heavy, polyethylene scuppered kayaks actually don't drain or drain well. Why? If the vessel is pressed down into the water to the point where the outside water line is > than the floor of the kayak, water will actually come into the kayak, no possible way for it to drain the other way. Why? First, most kayak capacity figures are literally just made up. In other cases, they are calibrated differently. Eddyline, for example, publishes its kayak's capacities and they are defined as being including the weight of the vessel. So, if it says 350 lbs. and the vessel weighs 50 lbs., it means there is only 300 actual loading pounds left (person and gear). Second, people are just so much heavier these days and then add a lot of gear. For BTB, it is critical to get this right else you will get swamped. Water is very likely going to come over the gunwales, the bow and the stern. I suppose my general warning is if not having scuppers is a concern, and it should be, just know that a lot of kayaks have scuppers . . . and they don't work under certain conditions. Brad

J Francho, I liked the other post about one advantage of a longer leader is if its knot is reeled in and wound a few times, it is out of play. Good point. No, though, to there being any advantage to a shorter piece of leader out versus a longer length of it out. Line length is not an issue, that is, a longer line can support as much hanging weight or force as a shorter one. If you have a 10 feet piece of line and can successfully hang a 25 lbs. barbell plate from it, you can do the same with a 100 feet length of the same. Same force/area. And, the same holds true for one knot still under tensile force versus two. Having a leader knot reeled up on a spool and out of play does't change the pressures on the knot down at the terminal end holding a lure. Well, to this, let me add . . . ALMOST. J Francho and others well know that the more line of any sort you have out, the more chances you have for it to have an imperfection or flaw in it. So, "science" assumes perfect, un-flawed line. The reality is often different. And, same for knots. While not having one knot exposed doesn't take any pressure off another, if you have two knots under the same pressure, you have two weak points instead of one. A knot is always the weakest point in a line . . . again, unless the line has a weak spot in it. What? Lab results versus real time "on the water" results I think. Brad

From the kayak crowd here in Texas, we occasionally post dreams of returning to the basics we used years earlier, simplifying things, a minimalist approach. Of course, this is for non-competitive fishing. I rarely go out with more than two rods, rarely use the second one. Two 3600 Plano boxes is more than enough for me, if that. Say! I know a handful of anglers here that have all but stopped fishing for numbers, target big bass using large swimbaits. They don't catch many but when they do, it is photo time!!! Others sort of figure out they are finesse presentation guys only and do away with power fishing gear. Others have just found they really like 3 or 4 presentations, to heck with the rest of them. I'm a bit this way, spending the majority of my time year-round with a Keitech 4" shad-like bait and I like to drop shot on lakes set up for it. If you do trim down, consider contacting a local HS with a fishing team, even a college. Brad

There's a similar thread working here and you might look at some of the thoughts posted over there. I posted that I have recently bought a 2020 Native Ultimate FX 12 Pro from incoming inventory to a dealer here in Texas. My cost with a discount is $854. It should arrive this coming week. 12'1", 30.5" beam, 60 lbs. w/o its seat, 65 with, seat has a high/low adjustment, under-seat tackle storage, seat can be trimmed forward and back, lots of gear track, rod stagers, front bow hatch standard, feet pads standard, hard handles front and rear. One important point or distinction is this kayak doesn't have scuppers (it has no bilge area) so it can't self-drain, more like a canoe in this respect. It is intended for rivers, lakes and smooth bay fishing. Because you stand with your feet a bit lower than the water line, it is supposedly a pretty stable kayak. Brad

michaelb, No, no scuppers and you are correct that it is really a, more or less, canoe with "fishing" kayak features. Native also has a Ultimate FX Propel 13 which is a bit longer, same general construction . . . but has the Native pedal drive. It is also not recommended as an offshore vessel since it can't shed water. So, the Ultimate FX 12 Pro one has you seated or standing a few inches lower below the water line since there is no bilge area comprising two skins of plastic with space between the hull's bottom and the cockpit floor. This is an advantage for stability as your center of mass is a few inches lower. The disadvantage is any water sloshing in from the outside, waves or rain or prop wash from a boat, stays inside the vessel. I'll likely use it only in rivers, lakes and Galveston Bay staying pretty close to the perimeter in the last two circumstances. I'll carry a sponge. And, really, almost all fishing kayaks are "hybrids" and not very pure. Some are part stand up paddleboard, some part canoe, some part jonboat, now a few in catamaran orientations. Back to the Native Ultimate FX Pro 12, it has: a high and low seat adjustment, and removable, too; lots of gear tracks; rod stagers; much lighter weight than most other 12 footer kayaks; standard anchor trolley, underseat storage, front bow hatch cover, etc. Lots of vessel for $854 brand new. I'll use it as my minimalist choice and for specific circumstances. Brad

J Francho, for sure. And, since this is meant to be a "throw it back in the bed of my truck and tie it down" and get on the water in minimalist form, I think the rudder might be overkill. Most reviews on this kayak that I have read said it tracks well without the added rudder owing to what you mentioned: the double tunnel hull form. I am like a lot of kayakers where I love paddling and pedaling depending on the situation/location. I'll report back once I get this kayak, get it "wet" and see how she performs. Brad

Well, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, that I'd add a pure paddler to my little pedaler, my Native Propel 10. And, what sort of "flipped the switch" for me was the dramatic price drop I have been noting in posts. It all sort of started when some pedalers with good names appeared on the market with low price points. Old Town was one, then Hobie came out with a pedaler in the $1500 range, others. So, it was just a matter of time before fishing paddling kayaks dropped. The other day I was looking on a well known kayak retailer website, saw that the 2020 Native Ultimate 12 FX Pro was listed at $899. I called one of their nearby shops and the man told me they'd be shipped in a week, that he would apply some demo days discount dropping the price to $850 +/- TTL. I bought one. No, don't necessarily follow my make and model decision, just expect, rather demand, that if you do buy a paddler that it not be priced like pedalers. Some makes and models have a way to go in this respect and need to bite the bullet and adjust their retail prices. Well, I say they should if they notice their sales are declining. If not, no, I guess. So the FX Pro is 12'2", 30.5" beam, weighs 60 w/o, 65 with seat, has a hi-lo seat adjustment and the seat can be trimmed a bit forward/back, adequate gear track, an anchor trolley, pre-configuration for an optional rudder. What I don't know is whether it'll come with a bow hatch cover. One photo shows it, another doesn't . . . and the specs on Native's website don't mention it. Oh! The Native rudder? Over $300. So, I'll begin without it and see if I think I need it. Some recent year models have had under-seat storage for two Plano boxes. Hard to say whether the 2020 does or doesn't. Brad

I'd at least take a very hard look at a Native Slayer 12 XC, priced about the same as the two Bonafides, in that range as I recall. It just has so many more important built in features than a Bonafide. It has a chain chute, one of my favorite ways to anchor quickly, adjustable seat, horizontal and vertical rod storage, an operable skeg, tons of storage under its seat and more. I'd think at its 36.5" width, it'd be more stable than a Bonafide. I've owned a Big Rig, a really stable vessel but I'd buy this one if I were getting another paddler. Brad

I think the original post on shortening was, no doubt, referencing trimming in the tip end. Spoonplugger1, well, no, shortening from the butt end, yes, you'd get the same action; but, more power, not less, as trimming off the butt end would shorten your lifting lever. Your hand will be closer to the load on the rod. So, from the angler's perspective, for a given flexion in the rod owing to some big bass tugging on it, he or she will feel less load in his wrist and hand if the butt end is chopped off some amount. Brad

Same here as with Rich's comment. 50 seems so very unnecessary, so much overkill. 30 better, heck even much, much less would be okay. Better handling on a spinning reel than 50. For 50, I'd want a 4000+ series for sure.

Either a small #1 or a 1/0 Roboworm Rebarb hook is really hard to beat. Use a weight that will pin its position well. Roboworms have already been mentioned repeatedly and they are one of my favorites. Another plastic that really works really well? A Jackall Crosstail Shad in either the 3" or 4". They are super salty, sort of amorphous in shape and and bass love them. Brad

J Francho, they know that if they do so, you won't buy another kayak upgrade. Data is the "oil" of 2020. Ha!

Daniel, yours looks a bit like my former Bluesky Boatworks 360 catamaran style "kayak." It was slow as a turtle using just its pedals for locomotion and in dire need of a TM . . . of any size !!! . . . to move around. Brad

Ha, Tom!!! Good catch. I haven't posted in a while owing to a move, saw this topic under "View New Content" and missed its inception date. Anyway, you are so correct that this is an issue in the kayak and other small vessel worlds. For big boats, speed and crossing lakes with TMs is never a discussed issue; that's what big motor are for. For big boats, the issue with TMs usually centers on battery life. It is also the reason TMs target thrust and not speed: big boats are relatively heavy. Then, us kayakers took over the world and 3 vs 3.5 mph suddenly became a thing. We'll discuss it forever. This post proves it. Brad

JB, sorry, not trying here to be argumentative, just informative. The other poster I quoted said it cut his travel time across the lake in half. That is, by definition, a doubling of speed. Right? Isn't that what he was implying? Anyway, Minn Kota and the other TM manufacturers have it right, understand the physics involved here. I can't even imagine a situation where any TM manufacturer would NOT want to advertise a large increase in speed outcomes if they could say it with accuracy. You know they all would do so. They can't . . . so their charts reference such matters relating more to run times on charges, thrust benefits (there are some, of course). You will never read any advertising claims about meaningful top end speed improvements for a reason. We'll let it drop,, right? No harm here regardless of what someone believes or doesn't believe. And, small TMs are pretty cheap anyway. Brad Daniel, yes, not much speed increase running one or two . . . and you correctly point out where the benefits of extra thrust lie. Good real world experience. Brad

"Nobody said a "big top end" speed improvement." Sure they did. Here's one: "I went to a 54 from my 30 on my old Jon boat and I was very glad I did. It cut my travel time across Lake Frederick almost in half." Others, too, suggested a noticeable improvement in top end speed. No, whatever your suggested real world experience means, I'm not sure I quite understand, you could put five 30 lbs. thrust TMs on the back of the jon boat . . . and it'll still top out roughly at the same speed as a single unit. What it would do better with 5 30s for its power is overcome resistance better. But, again, not top end speed. Brad