kjackson

Hmmm...just returned from a trip to Venice where I got hooked twice. The first hook went into the calf of my leg when I brushed against a rod with a topwater on it. We were fishing the jetties off Southwest Pass, and it was kinda rough, so I guess I kinda stumbled into the lure. That hook was easy to remove with the string trick. However, this lure had two trebles, and as I was the "patient", I had to hold the offending hook down, pressing firmly to ease extraction. It doesn't take a genius to guess what happened-- when my buddy jerked the hook out, the second treble slid neatly into the finger pressing the first hook down. That hook went into the distal joint of my left index finger and under the pad of that knuckle. It hurt like you might guess and really hurt when they (my buddy and the guide) tried to cut the second hook and when that failed, worked on removing the second treble from the split ring. The string trick worked again even though my buddy said it felt "like a chunk came out when I jerked". I'm treating this like a learning experience: take a pair of good side cutters along whenever I fish, remove other hooks before trying the string trick, and carry a good antiseptic to apply to any wounds. I don't have the pix back that my buddy took, but I should get them this weekend and will post for fun.

I have the MX, and it is a great kayak. Wished I needed another one...

We didn't see a pike--at least that was what I heard--doesn't mean that they weren't there, but most of the fishing I did with pros was in deeper water, and the general emphasis was on bass. One of the guys I fished with did catch a walleye.

I fished Green Bay last week for a day trip, and when we went after big fish, the guide used clip-on weights to bring the deep-diving crankbaits down close the bottom. With the newish deep Bandits, we were able to get down to 30+ feet. In the past, I've used downriggers, Dipsey Divers and Jet Divers to get gear down to where i wanted it, and clip-on weights are the easiest. The only issue I have with them is that you have to remove them when bringing a fish in, unless you put the weight close to the lure.

I fished out of LaCrosse three years ago in the same timeframe at a media event. Swim jigs, crank baits and some finesse stuff ruled. No pro was fishing a frog that I heard about, and given that Spro was one of the sponsors, frogs probably would have been used... I just returned from a week in Wisconsin, and water levels are still extremely high, FWIW. I'd sure give the shallow stuff a chance especially if the weather holds.

Rather than do that, I'd use a clip-on weight ahead of the crank bait...or lead core. An in-line weight is another possibility, but that takes more effort to dial in.

Number 5 are not Wally Divers, and I don't believe they are Cordell baits. Bargain bin. generic baits seems right, but I'm pretty certain they aren't Cordell of recent manufacture.

Sold, pending payment.

I have an older version of the Mesh Master II fly vest made by Patagonia-- probably the original Mesh Master. It has never been used and is in unworn condition and is an XL. This is a great vest for warm weather as the fabric of the vest is a mesh. This thing has more pockets than you'd want to fill-- there are six pockets in front for fly boxes and assorted gear plus two large, zippered inside pockets accessed from the front. Inside the vest are two more long, slim pockets with zipper closures There is a neoprene collar that spreads the weight of the vest a bit. Can't tell you what the differences are between this vest and the Mesh Master II, but here is the link to the newer version: https://www.patagonia.com/product/mesh-master-ii-fishing-vest/81961.html?dwvar_81961_color=FGE&cgid=sport-fly-fishing#tile-52=&start=1&sz=72 I'm asking $45 shipped to you.

Here's the second article I've written for Bass Pro's 1Source ezine. https://1source.basspro.com/index.php/component/k2/81-kayaking/4050-shopping-for-the-right-fishing-kayak-answer-these-five-questions

I've seen a few pods of whites go crazy on top on the upper end, but as soon as they come up, they disappear. At least they are there, which is more than I can say for last fall.

For those interested in the new style of what I really don't think is a kayak, but fun, check out https://blueskyboatworks.com These definitely not car-toppable and may not even be something you can slide in a pickup bed. But with the wheels on the hulls, they would be easy to slide off a flatbed trailer and get them in the water. I saw two yaks at ICAST that I might consider adding to the fleet--one is the Old Town Topwater, a 10-foot boat with a cathedral-hull bottom and the new Jackson Big Rig angling kayak. It was definitely a trailer boat--fairly large and with some fishing bells and whistles I've not seen in other kayaks. But what I need is a boat to leave in town so that I can fish the strip pits, and that means a beamy 10-footer. The Topwater paddle version would be a good choice for that...but all I need is money...

Kayaks are fun-- no doubt of that. I've been fishing out of an Old Town Predator since last October and love that boat. It is a sit-on-top and easy enough for old legs to get out of. While I've done more paddling than real fishing out of it, it's become an addictive way to fish. The whole stealth thing is hard to believe. I've had fish--carp and carpsuckers-- hit the boat. Turtles will pop up at boat side, and I've seen a lot of things--like a flock of turkeys on shore-- that I am pretty sure I would have missed in my big boat. The fishing kayak thing is an explosive trend--at the ICAST show this year, there were something like a dozen kayak manufacturers there plus the not-quite-a-kayak boats. One of the latest versions is a double-hull type of platform boat. Think pontoon but with the pontoons being really narrow kayaks joined by a platform. One, the Bi-Yak is designed so that you can slide the deck/platform a bit and make a wide boat into something like a very wide kayak. That one, as I recall, was rigged with a small gas outboard. There also were a several kayak accessories exhibitors at the show and plenty of others that had kayak-targeted accessories on display.

Crestliner is an obvious one, and so is Lund, but the sticker on the Lund may be a shock... I'm looking at Alumacraft; they are pretty good boats and less expensive than some others.

Dunno on the last as all the info I got was that they were an intro this year. The casting versions cover the bases. Haven't done more than look at titles of things as I leave early tomorrow and still have to pack and do the usual stuff before a trip... One thing that came in this morning was a preview of Livetarget's new soft-body baits. One that should strike a chord with the Table Rock guys is the hollow-body crawdad. It looks good and may well be too good. There are quite a few fishing apps and games this year, and the new electronics look really good online. Kinda wish I was there tomorrow to see the on-the-water demos.

Couple of things popped up today: St. Croix has the Mojo Yak series of rods new this year as well as fiberglass spinning rods. I've tried the FG casting rods, and they feel very, very good Also, 13 Fishing has a lipless crank bait out this year as well as a new walking bait.

Since I'm going to ICAST on Tuesday, I've been getting releases on new products. And, yes, Lew's does have some new reels this year as well as some things that are still under wraps. Virtually every exhibitor will have new products or be at the show for the first time. While it would be fun to keep adding to this thread with new items, that's about all I would be doing for the next few days... Some things that have popped up recently: a hybrid monofilament/copolymer that incorporates GSP, the material used in super-lines; several new kayaks or kayak companies; at least two versions of bladed jigs that are very different; enough "new" types of frogs to fill a pond; too many soft plastics; a small-bodied, deep-diving square bill from Strike King; new electronics that network with everything including your socks; Evinrude/Alumacraft/BRP exhibiting for the first time; a lot of new rods; new reels from everybody-- you get the idea: virtually everybody has something new that is a real "game changer". Virtually everything is a either "new", or "game changer", or whatever will be the latest superlative to become a cliche. Despite the hype, it's a fun show. I'll try to report back, but unfortunately, I have to work while there, and that limits fun time. .

My son caught a nice drum in Beaver that we decided to fillet to see what it was like. It was not a walleye, but it was pretty good. I think the texture of the meat would be perfect for some things.

I would think fairly soon, but I can ask at the show.

Could well be-- I was trying to do it from memory, and you only have to ask my wife how good that is...

It is being marketed for the Craw Z... We're starting to see some interesting things coming out for the show.

Thank you, sir! That, and the rest of the entry under that date is impressive. I can tell I'll have to up my game in cooking. The burger recipe looks outstanding, and it will be on my list when the piscivore-vegetarian son visits next week. I'll have to look at the rest of the blog once I stop drooling...

This is way off the food sub-thread (but I like your idea there), but you should try some of the Smash Shads in the UV finishes. The purple tiger and green UV version (can't remember the exact name of either) have been very good to me this year. I may have to try your version of a fish burger tonight. Fried crappie is getting boring...

Thanks, Phil. Normally, I don't post articles I've written, but 1Source likes to see traffic. I've two more articles under contract, and I'm hoping for more down the road...and I'm guessing the more readers an article gets, the better the chance I have.

Bass Pro 1Source just posted an article I wrote on kayaks, crappies and docks. Find it here: https://1source.basspro.com/index.php/component/k2/81-kayaking/4026-the-perfect-spring-fishing-trio-from-a-kayak-to-docks-for-crappie-video