Rick D.

Here is a little news about the Manta Ray.It will be listed with Native Watercraft as the Manta Ray. All the same company different divisions. If you want to see a Manta Ray at workgo to Out-Of-State Reports and look at "Sunset or Sundown". Thats my Manta 12 without any outfitting. If your looking to lighten your load getting it into the water try the 10. Rick

WOW! We need a couple of you computer/video composition sayve ISA guys to help out with TOSA. Those streams look just like the northern streams of Ohio. I'd sworn I fished, paddled and worked in several just like those. GREAT WORK!! Rick

Tim, Have a teenage son that lives & dies paddling & fishing helped to get on the water. I drove he carried. Now he has his own family and I have to work to get to the water. I'll be fishing three days this weekend with son, brother and best buddy. Looking at least 26 hours of fishing.

Man Rule #18 When taking a photo of smallmouth the angler may NOT hold the fish at arms length in the foreground to distort the factual size.

Mike, Come on! The manly rule here is, " No smallmouth under thew measured length of 17" shall not be photographed or reproduced.

I'm looking thru my mega files of photos. Have a pics of one, my son & I found last year(I think) with a small darter. It was about four inches and found in the water edge of a root wad.

Tim, If this was an Ohio question I'd have no problem. I range from 300-600 hours on just my home water of the Hocking River. Thats not counting others I sample. Annually I fish in the range 0f 500-900 hours just for smallmouth bass, alone. I'm slow this year while concentrating on a home remodeling. This is down from my seson best of 1100+ hours four(4) seasons back.

My #1 All-round rod is a 6'6" Fin-Nor - Mega Lite. #2 is a 7' Far North Gapen - Medium #3 is a Fenwick 6'6" HMXS, Medium/Heavy #4 Berkely 7' Trout Series, E-glass, Light (old school favorite) Reel are Shimano Sahara, Okuma Alumina & Metaloid. Stradics S--K! The don't work when they get the slightest amount of dampness! This season to date!

When I need a visibile line I use a Stren Clear Blue or a Hi-Vis Stren. These progressive Bi-focals & alolergy eyes are starting to make me think of moving to a Hi-vis line more often.. My flute playing is getting bad too. The bronzebacks seem to resist lining up to jump on the hook or in the kayak!

I work four hous as in a yak as safety boat yesterday for a water test/Demo Day. It an annual event at one of the dealer/outfitters in the region. Many folk tried the Tarpon , Synergy and Manta Ray SOT's. At the end of the day we meet for food and fluids at the boat shop. The #1 selling boat of ALL kayaks was the 10 & 12 foot Liquidlogic Manta Rays. That over ALL kayaks SOLD. at approximately 25 boats. OH! I purchased MY Dagger Approach and will be putting it to work below Class 2-3 drops for smallies. If You have heard some that there isn't enough room in the cockpit then they need to stick to bass boats or learn what it takes to catch a smallmouth bass and leave the kitch sink at home. If I need masses of room I have a Pungo 120 or a 13ft. Sawyer solo canoe. Plenty of room for this 6', 225lb. angler and enogh gear to land several 5lb. bronzebacks. GET to the Manta Ray. Those pushing 200# better fit the 12 foot with angling gear.

Dick G and Nick. I have paddled and fished the Tarpon. Good boat. Better on the slower open water but its always beeter if its a deal. I just picked up an Ocean Kayak Scupper Classic. I've sold in one day and will finish the outfitting for angling by Saturday. The Manta Ray kicks butt! If you guys have big wallets and want a SOT that is fast, spacious and STABLE!!! yet manuvers very well. Check out the Malibu Extreme. I have stood on it with my flyrod and casted and strolled around the deck in smallmouth streams and open water. The $1000 price for this 14' yak hurts but it has options and stability with good preformance that is big for that speciality paddling/angler I'm looking at a Dagger Approach for the smallie boat for regional class 2-4 smallie streams. I my have this one in a couple weeks. If anyone jhas need of outfitting questions drop me a note. Have a good time on those SOT's

Wow! That's a BITE about the waders. A couple of tips I use for wader care. I use TENT SEAM SEALER on potential leak areas periodically thur the season. I have two lengths of PVC pipe mounted to plank The pipe has addition 1" hole in the side and an cap on the top end. I slip my waders over the pipes into each leg and hanging upside down. The pipes are long enough so the chest wader com to about 6" from the floor. This offers air flow to allow moisture to drip out in this inverted position. I don' wad or roll may waders when dry. I hang them and add a powder. I've had little issue with Hodgeman or Orvis waders

I wish you were a little closer and gas wasn't $3.30@gallon. That fits my local limited HP lake needs! Darn!!! Maybe MapQuest id lying?

April and May are normally the most notable tick infestation month. Just because your not finding on your person you maybe transporting them into your vehicle, homes or other individuals. Find a DEET coverage for personal use and remove all clothing before tracking thru your home. Here's one for you all. My 20's something son and I where fishing in a SW Ohio stream gorge two years ago this month. We beach our canoe so he could pass water under a ledge about 8-10yards away. Upon his return I noticed a tick on his shirt. Upon closer examine we removes 17 of the pesky bugger. He now uses a repellant.

I have a Fenwick 7' 6 wt. Fenglass that is the most awesome! It is the FF70' 3oz. 2 pcs. It moderate in action and loads nicely. This is one of my favorites over all the graphite and boron rod at any length. Cane is my next favorite material choice. I had landed smallies, brown trout, largemouth, pickerel, walleye, saugeye and gar with this rod. Ebay has had several of this model between $45 -$85.

It would be great if the newsletter came this far south! It still haven't seen one, except the backdated ones Jim J. has sent. Am I missing something?

I've had to sit out the warm weather and now the return to winter planning for the waters seldom travelled in the coming season. I have been able to do some research and windshield scouting while the right leg mends. Just thought to share this site I used for topo mapping. http://www.bassresource.com/maps/maps.html . Its a MapTech Map Server site that is handy. Time to put the leg up and tie up some 1/100th oz. hair jigs!

Wow! Great discussion! Shows the depth of the anglers and their experiences. There is no shame in dinks. Just don't get stuck in a rut utilizing the smae old favorite patterns. It tough to build confidence in something new, but its the change that might work. Remember this! Catching dinks is not a failure, but the educational step to landing your next successful memory. Great topic and participation!

I wish I had read this earlier in the week. I just sold a Old Town Guide 147 canoe with paddles I got at for a song. It had only been on the water 4 times and still had the Manufacturers stickers on it. I have a big guy looking for a yak like the 138. I'll check around and see if I can orchestrate a swap with a TOSA member. Give me a good excuse to drive to Illini waters and tease the smallies. Check out chicago.craigslist.org or a similiar board in your area. Rick

Jonn, I feel for you on this one. I a wound/sore on my ankle and not allowed to contact water for 10-14 days. The rains have stopped and several streams look great! I said look!!! That hurts worse than the ankle!!! Just think? April showers are next!

I have many applications using Colodaro, willow leaf and Indiana. I've been experimenting with the V-blade or a V-blade with a small Colorado. This offer a really erratic action. Its like a bass agitator along deep stone edges of deeper cuts and banks. OH! Watch out! The river muskie are attracted to them, too.

Keep the fiberglass rod and put it to good use. I have several St. C and Fenwick that are the best! I have two favorite materials for fly rodding. Glass and cane. The glass is my favorite. Graphite is fine but it not that classic finesse feel the glass and cane offer. Get a quality WF8F or DT8F and start casting. I will bet a WF7F will also perform well with it. You soon master the loading, control and feel. You'll learn to love it. If you don"t I may be able to find a caster for it! Good luck

Caught two on a glass beadhead Mallard Streamer. Caught two on a beadhead yellow/crystal flash wooley bugger All were near sun warmed banks of eddies. I was surprised! That was before all this rain!

Scott, Your right. MY BAD!!! Too many 75 hours work weeks since the time when this was written. Accepted new position that will allow reality to normal hours and clarity of the mind. OH! Sahara's are the one of the best far as Shimano value. I'm looking more to Okuma. See ya on the water in Illini waters this year? GO Blue! !

Try http://chicago.craigslist.org This board may have something or another location in Illinois.