The sodium chloride in saltwater promotes corrosion because of an electrolytic action. Sodium bicarbonate world have the similar effect but to a lesser degree. As others have suggested, wash tools with plain water, dry them, and spray with oil (eg WD-40). You can also spray oil on a paper towel and wipe the tools down to minimize the amount of oil used…
I used to have a place in Bethel years ago. We would head over to White Lake and liveline shad just above the thermocline ( about 20ft down in 60 ft of water). We caught lots of brown trout up to 8 pounds! We used large spoons as well if you prefer casting/trolling. You can launch your yak to get to the spot. Best to be an early riser though so your getting off the water before the power boats start heading out!!
Thanks for sending out the website info. It’s really informative. I have fished the surf for years so picked up much of the info over time. But having it in one concise article is really nice. I generally fish the area from JAX Beach to Vilano. A lot of
area to cover but the tips in this article really help narrow down where to soak a bait.
Thanks again.
I’ve used Pyramid and ‘Hurricane’ sinkers in the past which work fairly well. I recently moved to Northeast Florida and find that many suitcases are using ‘Sputnik’ sinkers (see pic). I find they hold on the current really well. The wire buries itself into the sand so I can use lighter sinkers. If they do get snagged the wires flip over.
When launching, attach at least 25 feet of line to the front cleat of your boat attach the other inside the truck bed or near the hitch ball just before you launch. Back up, do a 'hard stop' and let the boat slip off the trailer. That gives you easy access to the line to maneuver the boat to the dock and tie it off so you can park the truck. For loading the boat I suggest installing a walking platform on the trailer tongue. You can buy them made of metal or polyethylene or DIY. It's a lot easier to walk on and off using a platform. Without it you're essentially walking on a balance beam in wet conditions, not a good mix!
The longer rod will cast further and the longer arc from the 7’ rod gives you more leverage to set the hook. Also, If you fish from a boat, the extra 6” could help you clear an outboard or trolling motor if a fish runs under the boat. It’s not a huge difference but I think the 7’ has a few advantages.
Hard to correlate engine hours to miles. You're right about it being in the 'break - in' period. With good maintenance a Merc 4- stroke should go 2,000 to 3,000 hours before needing major repairs. Great find.
Monark's heaviest 1979 16 foot = 475 pounds
https://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/1979/Mon-Ark-Boat-Co Mercury did not make a 75hp in 1979, so you'll need to look up the year and manufacturer to get specifics for the outboard.
But a high estimate would be 300 pounds
Trailer weight depends on its carrying capacity. So the length is only one piece of the puzzle. Their weight depends on length, width, strength of material, etc. A trailer rated to tow 2000 to 2400lb is likely to weigh around 500 pounds. But you really should get the specifics. The trailer should have a decal with that info on it.
https://www.glen-l.com/designs/trailer/trailer-wts.htmlA rough estimate for boat, trailer, and motor would be around 1300 pounds. But don't forget to account for additional gear such as anchors, trolling motor, coolers, rods, tackle, fuel, etc
FS Digest wrote:
The weird thing is the worst backlash I had I was able to get out in like 3 seconds, and like I said I just bought the combo yesterday.. will see if that helps though.
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by DanTheDamnHamMan
I agree sounds like the line was not spooled correctly... could happen from the manufacturer. If the line is not tightly wound throughout the spooling process the line will dig through to the wound line. As suggested, I would re-spool with the same line. Be sure to keep a lot of tension on the line as you reel it on. I hold the line with a microfiber cloth near the first guide holding as tight as possible. This gets your base layers down tight and prevents your hand from getting 'line burn'... Check out some you-tube videos online....
You didn't mention any details about your setup. Given that others were catching fish on the same bait as you, I am going to guess your rig is spooking the trout. So, I would go with a finer line, for trout in clear water I wouldn't go any higher than 6 lb test mono or fluorocarbon. I usually go with 2 lb test. Your rod should be flexible enough to prevent breakoffs of significantly bigger fish. Next I would use smaller and fine wire hooks like an Aberdeen in Size 12 or 10. With light line you shouldn't need a heavy weight. Use the lightest one that will reach where you believe fish may be. Lastly, though trout are usually close to the bottom, they can suspend so you should try different depth in the water column
Your best bet is to go to a local tackle ship and have them take a look at your setup. I'm sure they can offer suggestions to help figure out what the problem is.
As others have said, align the paddles so they are in the same plane. Don't raise your hand that's opposite the blade high as you would in a canoe. Essentially all you want to do is keep your hands 3 or 4 inches above the kayak and just clear the water with the blade that is coming forward.
I found it took a while for me to adjust the rubber rings so they were at the right distance from my hands so you can play with that. Mine are just under 12 inches from where the blade begins. Lastly, it's a kayak so no matter how careful you are you are going to get wet! If you plan to use it in winter, you may want to get a spray deck. It's a waterproof seal that you wear which seals around the cockpit to keep waterspray and paddle drips out. It's not essential for general use, but getting wet in freezing weather is no fun...😨
One comment on braided line. The diameter of braid is much finer than nylon monofilament so it can be cast further though that's probably not a big factor in pier fishing. Braid also has almost no stretch so you feel the bottom a lot better and get a better hookset. Mono can stretch more than 20%, so with 50 feet of line out there can be up to 10 feet of stretch.
The downside with no stretch is you do need to be cautious with braid as it can give you a nasty cut if you wrap it around your hand to try to lift a fish or break off the line. So you definitely need to use a leader of mono at the terminal end as others have mentioned.
Another downside to less stretch is that braid is less forgiving if a heavy fish decides to make a run. It can pull the hook or break you off. Just keep this in mind when setting your drag. Good luck.