Darren.

Some fanTAStic movie choices in this thread. Shawshank Redemption Tombstone Gladiator Boyz in the Hood Aliens Good Fellas Etc. But for me... The Princess Bride! Humor is off the charts.

Awesome! Right up my alley. Would post my own footage of a cottonmouth facing me down when one of my sons and I were long-pole fishing off a dock at Harwood's Mill here in VA. Vid file is too big. It came from across the reservoir directly to us at the dock. I picked it up with the butt end of one of the 10' poles and moved it to the other side where it continued its belligerence toward us for fishing in its water, LOL.

Current: Ned rig, drop shot, wacky

Congrats, David!

Welcome aboard!

I use(d) Gamakatsu circle hooks in size #8 and had plenty of success on bluegills, yellow and white perch, all the way to cats and bass. The #12s will work, just beware that, at least in my experience, circle hooks under a float do not always yield a lip-hooked fish. I've had a LOT of gut-hooked panfish with circle hooks... As for bait, we normally use night crawlers, but I've run the gamut of canned/preserved grubs, crickets, etc., to Gulp and I prefer live whenever I can use 'em. Gulp does work, though, just that they can dry out when they sit for a spell. Maggots and grubs ordered online is great. I never did so, but wouldn't hesitate to when I eventually circle back to long-pole (no reel) fishing. I love the technique's simplicity and fun when a fish hits. Fantastic for kids, too.

Silly as it may sound, they remind me of a quality tennis racquet! LOL. I've long been a tennis dude, so anything that has the curves of a cool racquet like these get my attention.

These nets have long been on my "desire" radar, but priced out of my reach. Perhaps some day!

I'm not so convinced Amazon and other online retailers are the cause. Contributing factor, perhaps. I've bought one fishing product on Amazon that I can recall. Chinese-made bobber stops. Other than that, I've used TW, ebay, and several other online retailers. I actually am one that would rather visit a BPS for the atmosphere, the fish tank, and so on. There used to be a sense of wonder at the place. Something that garnered an excitement for the sport of fishing. The problem is, those things are not the same attractions they once were. Again, this could be me, but BPS used to have things going on all the time. Feedings, pro sessions, excited, helpful, and knowledgable sales folks. Those things have dwindled to semi-occasional attractions, and the knowledgeable sales folk are fewer and farther between. I used to visit to run things by the fishing manager, who became a friend. He was sharp. He left for better pastures. It was a sad day. BPS became less personal ever since. I'd run stuff by folks there and nobody could give me solid advice I was seeking. Also agree with @fishnkamp that Johnny's Empire of products has usurped other brands' products. And JM himself, a man worth billions, seems to have surrounded himself with advice that steers the "a fun place to visit" atmosphere of his stores into something other than that. Just my 2 cents.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard! My sons use something like this from Dick's: https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/field-stream-youth-fishing-life-vest-15fnsyfsythfshngppas/15fnsyfsythfshngppas Lots of ventilation. Great for kayaking, though now that they're older, we're looking at better, more kayak specific models. These are great for boat, canoe, or yak.

I know my BPS has, as of my last visit the other month, Diawa, Shimano, Pflueger in casting and spinning... Used to make weekly trips down to the Hampton, VA Bass Pro, but over the past few years those trips have trailed off to a few times a quarter, or year. For one, I'm not able to get out fishing as much as I'd like, and two, I'm trying to keep purchases to a minimum except for bait/tackle replenishment. That said, the general atmosphere of BPS seems to have changed, and not necessarily for the better. Can't quite put my finger on it but you know how a new Walmart is great for the first couple years, then it starts ... getting stale, run down? Maybe its just me that has changed.

Hi Ken, welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard, Kyle!

Welcome aboard! Never take my dogs fishing, so can't really relate

Nice! Well done modification!

Interesting conundrum. I have a smaller battery box for a 35AH wheelchair battery and the cables have openings in front and back rather than sides. I imagine that would work fine, or at least a little better.

Good review! Could you reroute the batt wire to be less of an obstacle to the rod holder, or is it just too stiff? Perhaps a bungie around the battery box could snug it closer?

No clue as I'm in VA, but welcome to the forums! Lots of Cali fisherfolk here, plenty of advice to be had.

Agree with @J Francho that it is similar to the Freedom Hawk with the pontoons. And it isn't my kind of fishing kayak, I want to be sitting high as possible! That said, I can see how it will appeal to a great many folks. And I love the long-pole-no-reel fishing he's doing. That's quite a bit of fun, especially when you hook a large fish. I've got rods like that from 10' to 20'. A blast. I need to break mine out and fish them soon. Too much fun to sit unused.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard! For you, I'd start with a spinning setup, unless you are preferring bait casting. I'll stick to spinning since it is easier to get up and running with. If you have a Bass Pro, head on in and look at several of the combos - or on their web site. I'm a Shimano reel guy, so I would lean that way, but there are reels down in the $50 range like the Pflueger President which has quite the following. Rods, I'd look at Bass Pro carbonlite, St. Croix Premier, Mojo, etc., Abu, and so on. Find a reel you're interested in and ask to put it on different rods to get a feel for the balance in your hand. Try different lengths. I'd regard a 6'6" as a general all-around length, but for me, 6' is my fav. But today's market gears toward long rods...but that doesn't mean they're the best

Welcome aboard!