Darren.

Nice! Pray tell, what is that white stuff on the ground?

Welcome aboard! I'm with Catt. Wacky rig 'em.

Nice catch!

Yeah, took me a while. I wasn't as impressed with the Avid as I had hoped, didn't want to drop the coin to send it back and replace it. Couldn't justify the fees to myself when I was perfectly happy with the Carbonlite rods for the same $$ to replace the Avid (when the CL are on sale, that is)....

A Birthday of happiness....congrats.

Welcome aboard, first off! What have you tried to throw? I can't say much for the Potomac, but there are plenty here that can offer assistance. I like to start people fishing with soft plastics as that's what I have personally have the most success with. Wacky rigging with a 4 or 5" Senko style bait, Texas rigging, or the like. Give us a little info on what you've been trying.

Like WRB said, distance from reel to tip hasn't changed so much as the butt end. I discovered this when I cut a 6'6" rod down to 6'3". My main rods are 6'3" (spinning, casting), longest I use is 6'6". All from kayak (or shore). It is entirely personal. I hate longer rods as I fish a lot of close-quarter cover, under bridges, etc., and rarely have to make really long casts. That's me and how I fish.....

Well, I went from an Avid to a Legend Tournament so the difference was $135, I believe. I had the Avid for about 4 years, 3 of those it sat broken for the most part while I decided what to do... I looked at the price of admission to a much better rod as a nicely discounted purchase, so-to-speak.

Ribs poked

Ah First World problems, eh? I say go with your gut. Not the monkey.

@Scoonie, welcome aboard! I have found that, for me, braided mainline plus a leader solves all my problems. I fish wacky rigged senkos, TX, Mojo, jigs, etc. Leaders are usually copolymer (Yo-Zuri) from 4-15# test depending on what I need for the targeted area. @HeavyDluxe great avatar. I can't wait till Babylon 5 finally (hopefully) hits the streaming sites. Drives me nuts because I want to watch but can't afford to buy the series.

Worth it? Yep. Easy to see when needing to line watch. Use it on every reel I have (plus a leader).

This is what I do, as well. As for the Thule mentioned by @Choporoz I have a buddy who is close to your height who uses it to top his yak on a Jeep. At least I think it is the same one, he has an extra piece that goes across the middle of the back that allows him to prop his yak up, then walk it up from behind the vehicle.

Great advice in the thread. I, too, have had excellent service from Croix, and I've only had to use them one time (though I've called them several times). I'm with the replace the tip crew mostly. I've both done the repairs on rods, and have had them done by a rod builder. I like the builder's repairs, he's got more tips on hand so can find the specific size needed. But doing it yourself is not really hard at all. If it is a thorn in your side, give SC a call and see what they'll do for you. The other option is to take the opportunity and upgrade to a new rod - which is what I ended up doing.

Welcome aboard! May fortune favor you as you hit the trophy bass lakes down there! Some day I hope to make it there. I like to poke the ribs of all the guys who go down there...

Welcome aboard! Welcome aboard to you, too!

Yes. You could spend copious dollars and go to warmer climes with bass trained to bite every lure that enters the water. *cough* *baccarac* *cough* Or Play PS4 games and/or watch movies. You pick. Wait! You could set up a bucket in the back yard and practice pitching and flipping. OR you could save up $$ to go to "massive bass-in-a-bucket" locales that A-Jay and the other boys go to. Hey, your choice

Welcome aboard! Not knowing where you're from, if Virginia, look at the Dogwood trees. Blossoming? Then bass are spawning.

Great catch, Luke. Get yourself a scale and you can record future PBs!

If my Chronarch 50e came in 8.1:1, I'd have bought it without hesitation. As it stands, I upgraded mine to 7.0:1! I love fast baitcasters. I slow my retrieve for other techniques. But when I want my line back for another cast, I want it NOW, not at 5.4:1, LOL

My best recommendation is for you to get into a Bass Pro, Gander, Cabela's, or local shop and try every reel that piques your interest. If the one on display feels like crap (too many hands playing with it), ask to see one in the box. This is really a great way to narrow down what feels good in *YOUR* hands. I did this fully expecting to walk out with a Pflueger, only to find that I really liked the "feel" of Shimano better. I did buy a Daiwa Lexa never having touched it. V. good reel, but I gave it to one of my boys.... You may have the opposite experience from me! That's the beauty of it all. We are all different and like different looks and feels of different brands. It's all good so long as it works for you and you like it!

Welcome aboard!

My gosh, some monsters there. Fish in the OP looks as big as the kid!

Having used both, I vote the hybrid option! If I had the $ for a Hobie, I'd probably have one, but I absolutely love my Native Ultimate 12 which is a hybrid between a kayak and canoe. Space aplenty for storage, customization ease, etc., and low to the water like a kayak. And light.

If I had the choice when buying my Chronarch 50e, I'd have picked the absolute fasted available. So if it were 8:1.1, that'd have been MINE!!!