i mostly catch surf-perch up until now.  i will catch what i can eat,  and simply pack up on leave no matter how they are biting.  i get them on ice and go home.  FAST.

i never bled them.  i may make that a common practice from now on. 

the rest of my catches are released.  (freshwater)

how do you bleed your fish?

i just got my T_bone bed-extender in the mail.  what a cumbersome behemoth!!  at least its lightweight!

got me thinking.  you roll up to your kayak spot, unload..you toss that thing into the truck?  thankfully i can shoehorn it under my camper-shell.  seems like an easily stolen item?  even a hitch lock is low hanging fruit for a sawzall.

in general, i like it.  i will tie my red-flag on it instead of the nose of my kayak.  i keep forgetting to do so.  i'm destined for a violation ticket.

I mountain bike a lot.  I bring my bike into hotel rooms etc.  now, I kayak fish. Somehow, my crazy wife thinks a cargo van is the ticket.  Home Depot runs will never be the same.

I can pull up to,....say Clearlake, go to sleep wake up at dawn and go fishing.  Sleep in the van.

I also bow hunt and hunt-hunt.  Birds, big game, etc.  it wouldn’t suck.

I have a loyal 4x4 Toyota Tacoma I adore.  I’d keep it.

Any van pilots here? 

i've been working on my computer and my eyes are crossed.  for some reason, it isnt clear to me.

i am so over carrying a backpack full of stuff in the back of my kayak..i need to organize somewhat.

i'm also considering hitting up a hardware store to see what type of compact toolboxes i can use instead. 

What’s the procedure?  Do they poke around inside the kayak?

I’m surprised how damp it gets inside my Hobie. I inserted a fan in there to move some air around. Dry it up.  ( a simple ducted fan with some flex hose would be very effective)

Do the inspectors need a bone dry kayak?

Hit the Delta today.  Friend invited me on his boat.

We did well on the bass. The boat?  Exhilarating!  Carving down those channels is so exciting.   I even took the opportunity to seek out a few kayak spots.  What a completely different experience.

I bought fuel, and was shocked how much money you can spend to barely move the needle. But the wide open deck, the speed, the gear....kinda nice.

I’ll never get one.  Storage is the Achilles. I have no space.  Plus I don’t want to buy a bigger truck. 

Conclusion?  The best bass boat is a friends bass boat. 

I’m a bass rookie;  he taught me a lot today. I need a punching rig!  He got a whopper punching.  I was a spectator in the best weed sections.

I spent a lot of time this afternoon falling out of a perfectly good boat.

I really worked a few techniques. Some were exhausting, some resulted in me flipping the kayak, some I ended up falling off the other side.

First, I have a Hobie Compass. I added a small T-handle at the H-track for a good grip point.   Tip:  I bought a $4 handle used for pull starting a small gas-motor.

What worked for me.  Know your boats grab points. Then hold the boat and kick your feet to the surface. Like your pushing a swim board. Once your floating up on the surface, start pulling onto the boat. Keep kicking.   Go until your belly button is centered over the boat.  Now here is the key: stop moving and calm down. Let everything settle.  You, the boat, your HR, etc.   once things have settled.  Roll over on your butt. 

I’m not sure I even need my extra t-handle. Trying to “swim cross the top of the boat”, your hand on your near side of the boat seems to be doing most the work.

I also practiced flipping an overturned kayak back up.  Fairly easy.  Just try to climb on and grab the other side.. IT rolls over automatically. Because you are not trying to swim across the top. 

I think occasional practice is key. Especially if you add accessories to the kayak.  It would suck to realize too late you blocked yourself with the fish finder.   

I hope this helps another rookie.