Darren.

First, welcome aboard! Second, budget needed. I'll assume you're in the $150ish combo range, thus I'll suggest a Bass Pro Carbonlite, or any rod in the $80-100 range plus a Shimano reel in the $60-70 range. Of course, not knowing your budget means I'm shooting in the dark. There are plenty of options that aren't Shimano to choose from. Just that for me, Shimano is my brand of choice based on great experience. As well, if you hit eBay, you can find a Daiwa Lexa spinning reel (2000SH is my rec) for well under $100. A good, solid, quality reel for the money. 2 cents...

Hi Barry, welcome aboard!

No question, my Chronarch 50e reels!

If it was a cottonmouth, it would have been rather belligerent and would have challenged you for the right to the rock A black rat snake was just wanting to get out of your way and on with is life.

If you're talking something like Zoom's Finesse Worms, then you can fish them any number of ways. 1) Carolina 2) Mojo 3) Jika 4) Wacky 5) Texas 6) Split shot 7) Drop shot 8) etc.... For me, I fish them wacky on spinning gear quite often.

Welcome aboard, Jacob!

Cottonmouth is a plentiful snake here in the Hampton Roads area. They typically do not range too far north of our area.

Leader material tends to be a bit thicker/stiffer than filler spools. Which is why you get less line but still spend $$. IMHO it is not worth the extra $$. I just buy regular spools and cut lengths for my leaders.

I use 10lb PowerPro + Leader on spinning 20lb PowerPro + Leader on casting. I'll use from 6-15 lb test Yo-Zuri Hybrid or other leader material. Works for me with 4, 5, 6, 7 inch Senkos and Senko knock-offs greatly.

Braid + Leader always. Not necessarily fluorocarbon though I do use it. Mostly copoly leader.

Love it! Reminds me of some of my Mom's (RIP) jokes. Q: "Where does a sheep go to get its hair cut?" A: "At the baaah baaah shop"....

They might, good price, but in my experience, with hooks, not all brands are equal... I personally only use circle hooks in saltwater situations, as we fish "live" baits like shrimp, etc., where the fish will take the bait and swim off.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard!

Just edit the post and fix the typo

I read the article yesterday, and was also left scratching my head as to why it is a doppleganger for the Curado I (for the most part)....

All good advice above. For me line-watching is the number one method to avoid this, and I've experienced it a number of times over the years. One of the reasons I use a yellow braid plus a leader. As bluebasser said, the braid will jump, or stop falling, or start moving off. Quite often I feel the bait getting taken. Now this isn't a hard/fast rule. Sometimes there is zero indication a fish took the worm until you start reeling in. And FWIW, like Sam said, 1 or 1/0 is a great size. Personally I use Gamakatsu split/drop shot hooks in those sizes, and I've gone all the way up to 3/0 in Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse hooks. I make my own weed guards out of 20lb Malin nylon coated wire.

Well done. What an adrenaline rush, eh?

Welcome aboard, PJ!

Very exciting game. Almost as exciting as when I was a kid and a hockey nut watching my NY Islanders win 5 cups in a row!

Nicely done!

Welcome aboard!

Completely understand your concerns over a motorized yak. Personally, I was also concerned, but realized the amount of exercise I was actually getting was minimal. Granted, I wasn't pedaling, using the biggest muscles in my body. I also have a Native Ultimate 12 which is only about 55 pounds w/o the setup. With the motorized setup (which I usually leave hooked up), it's maybe 25 pounds heavier. I bought a 25 pound deep-charge wheel chair battery (AGM) that saves plenty of space and weight. If I had to do it again, I'd buy the Ultimate 12 FX and motorize it. Light, easy to paddle and a blast to fish out of. But that's me... I still like the idea of a pedal-yak, but that won't come anytime soon for me. The new Propel-drive Native kayaks are much more efficient than previous models, require less effort and better seating to pedal. You still have to deal with weeds, that goes for both Hobie and Native. There are some really good reviews out there comparing the two side-by-side, both styles of pedal systems have advantages and disadvantages.

If I may suggest, you really want to scour Google for reviews of the Slayer Propel, the Pro Angler, Outback, etc. There are a lot of video reviews, and extensive write ups of the Pros/Cons of the Hobie Mirage Drive and Native's Propel drive. If reverse is a deal breaker for you, then the Slayer Propel is your answer, if not, Hobie is in contention. Really depends on you. Do you prefer pedaling motion or the back/forth of Hobie's system. If you can demo each, you'd be best prepared to make the right decision FOR YOU. Your third option is to buy a BassYak kit or pre-rigged kayak and forego the pedaling for an electric yak. That's what I do