Darren.

I'll hope WxRisk is wrong here and we'll have a balmy 70º with winds from the south at a lovely 5mph. Yesterday's temps never getting to 30º down here were cold enough, thanks very much.

What kind of stuff are you throwing? Soft plastics, cranks, etc? I ask because there's a pond I frequent with a buddy that has no boat access, and no shad either. We've caught a number of bas over 2# and upward of 5#+ as well. 99% of what we throw are wacky worms, usually in the 4" range, sometimes 5". Watermelon Magic, June bug and other "regular" colors tend to work well. Also have caught on drop shot using Yamamoto Shad Shaped Worms.

When AM speaks, people listen. As a fan of high speed reels, I like what he has to say. Makes a lot of sense. Tom's comment, too.

Probably see leaks of the ads in a couple weeks. Last year was Feb 6-15, probably same range this year.

Welcome aboard! You could also spool up with 20-30# braid and tie on a leader.

IMO, yes. I personally prefer M rods for a lot of my fishing, but it depends on who makes it. I like the BPS Carbonlites a lot, they load up well for what I throw, which is a lot of weightless soft plastics. Bottom line is that it felt better in your hands than the MH. That's what matters. Now after you fish it a bit, you'll know better if it is the right fit.

Agree with buzzed bait concerning length. I went from a 10' to a 12' and don't think I could go any bigger. But there are plenty that like the longer yaks, so it's a "to each his/her own" thing. As well, please explain the rod locker thing. I thought at first you were meaning something akin to Hobie Pro Angler's "rod locker". Perhaps you mean a rod stager? I customized my Native Ultimate 12 to have my rods in front of me, laying flat, staged as it were. If you want that, consider adding the Native Slayer 12, Jackson Cuda and Coosa, and the Feel Free Lure yaks.

Welcome aboard, Matthew! Sounds like you're doing well with your own observation! Hit up the articles section on the site and you'll find a wealth of reading material.

I use braid + leader on every setup, spinning/casting. Line management is so much better in my experience, and I've had no issues with my line-to-leader knots. I use both 10# and 15# test PowerPro on my spinning rods, and leaders anywhere from 4-15# test depending on the circumstances. A spool of good fluorocarbon will last you a long time as leader material. I have some fluoro, but actually use copoly 98% of the time for all my soft plastics fishing.

Noticed this over the past year, as well. Fewer and fewer YZH spools until they were gone and not replaced.

Good grief, those are awesome catches! Congrats to you all!

Woo hoo!! Congrats, Jimmy!

Welcome aboard, Mike!

Welcome aboard, Yawai!

Welcome aboard, Collin!

Agreed. I think the Pats will be a force again should these guys find their game quickly after being out...

Tyrod is my man! Can't wait to see what he can do next year. Now Rex? I dunno... Was really excited with his hire, but reality has set in. Hope he gets it together next season.

Welcome aboard! I love their Carbonlite series of rods. Reels? I've never owned one, but haven't been overly impressed with my hands-on experiences in store.

Oakley. Makers of fine sunglasses, and the name of my son's black lab.

Welcome aboard!

Assuming the store you're going to is a yak store, then they should have some fisherfolk on hand or at least some that can give you good suggestions. Lighting can be had at just about any kayak store, or over the internet at the various sites like paddleva.com, austinkayak.com, yakattack.us and so on. As for paddles, yes, BB makes a good paddle, and please, remember to wear your PFD 100% of the time you are on the water!! Can't stress this enough, and I know you see a lot of pictures of kayak fishermen on Google that don't. Don't be that guy. Wear it! As for rod holders and fish finders, there is a lot to offer here. But first and foremost, may I suggest you get out in your new yak and fish it before you start outfitting it, drilling holes, and so on. You'll get an idea very quickly of where you want rod holders to be as opposed to where the manufacturer places them. And Google is your best friend with DIY stuff. There is SO much out there.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard! 2-3K budget can get you a lot of yak. The models you list will all work for you, and you should be able to stand in any of them. But if you can get to a store to demo, or at the very least, sit in each of the yaks you are interested in, you should do it. Reason for that is that you may hate how the WS sits compared to the FeelFree, or vice versa. Otherwise, you buy one and may/may not regret your purchase. Other brands to consider for standing are Native Watercraft (Ultimate, Slayer series), Hobie's, Jackson, and there are others. Just make sure you account for a paddle and PFD in your $.

For cork and such, you can use a Magic Eraser and some U40.

Happy Day, sir!