Darren.

Dadgum! Incredible catch, man. She's a BEAST! Would it be rude to say I'm jealous... :cry4:No seriously. Take the pic in and have a mount made. That's a lifetime fish. Something to tell the grandkids about. Wow.

Awesome! Congrats to ya!

Welcome to the forums!

Another Zoom Finesse and Trick worm vote. But also a Senko fan. And also agree with roadwarrior, why restrict yourself to just one?

Like others, I'm a mixture for rods. If I'm not on a leash when at BPS or Dick's SG, I'll pick up any rod(s) that catch my eye. Fan of St. Croix, Shimano, high-end BPS rods, and a few others. But my main rods are Shimano, my main reels are Shimano (spinning), and Quantum (bc). Beauty of all the opinions: to each his/her own. What feels great in your hands may not in mine. C'est la vie! Heck, I just started saltwater fishing with my kids because we live near a s/w dock, and we're using my old Ugly Stik Lites (and the Shimano stuff). They're awesome for that kind of fishing where "feel" is not an issue. But to the point, I have switched over to all Shimano spinning reels. Love the darned things so much more than any other brand I've fished/tried. Have never fished a Shimano bc reel, thankfully. Rods, Shimano b/c of the OTC warranty, but there are plenty that catch my eye which I'd buy, if I had the money.

I don't doubt the truth in that. The BPS's in Richmond and Hampton, VA both told me they're lifetime replacements OTC, replaced with whatever happens to be the equivalent rod to yours at the time you bring it in. This from managers at both shops. FWIW. Again, no doubt some are sticklers. One happens to be a huge Avid fan, too, but said it was Shimano's warranty that is second-to-none. Would I choose an Avid? Absolutely. I really like the rods. So not a knock against St. Croix....

I think both are great rods, but I'd take the Crucial for one [main] reason: over the counter warranty. I actually went with a Compre spinning rod over an Avid 1) for the otc warranty, and 2) they actually felt better in my hand. Your mileage may vary. And an XF tip for a nice hook set with soft plastics. I prefer XF as there's just not as much hoooah! motion needed to set the hook. Just one man's opinion.

5'9" primarily, 6', 6'3", 6'6" in that order. For me, I prefer the casting control of shorter rods as opposed to longer casts. I may be in the minority, but I've always preferred shorter rods. And I love them for kayaking, i.e., easier casting and rod control in tight areas. Would I use a longer rod? Maybe. But just prefer shorter rods.

Doubt it'll happen in our lifetime(s). Earth is cyclic. El nino, la nina, warming, cooling. I agree with the sentiment that it'd be nice if the peacocks move in! :-) In the mean time, I'll keep playing catch-n-release.

Wow. Nice for a drop shot. Never pulled one like that using a drop shot myself. May you hook a sweet, chunky bass next time!

Hi Chris, and welcome. Tons to learn here, enjoy yourself!

There's definitely a stigma placed on them as "simpleton" or "beginner" reels, so when you see a pricey model you (generic "you") look on in wonder at how good it could be. My kids and I have caught some nice bass, cats, crappie, pickerel on the Abu 276U (under spin caster). My kids have pretty much graduated from these onto Shimano spinning reels, but they're great (as stated) for loaner reels. There are plenty of fishermen who've been using these for decades who see no need to use more complicated gear. Kudos to them. Heck, periodically I'll use fiberglass or graphite long poles w/o reels! Talk about fun fishing. Sometimes I need to just let go of all the complication and return to the very basics of fishing. Just to clear the head. For some, an $80 Zebco is just the ticket. Just my .02.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard! Manufacturers seem to be tending toward the long rods of late. I hate it. I'd recommend, if you can find one, a 5'9" Shimano Compre - last years' model. My fav spinning rod hands down. Not happy Shimano dropped the shorter rod range. From what I understand, St. Croix rods are a little stiffer than their rating, so a M might actually rate out (feel like) a MH. The Fenwick sounds like it might be your best bet. While I've never used a Fenwick, I did find this HMG 5'9" at Gander Mtn. Also in Light at 5'3"... Hope this is helpful.

I started out with a $300 fishing kayak I picked up at BJ's Wholesale club. It's a Pelican, and it was (is) very functional. If $400 is your limit, you can find a decent vessel. I've since moved on to a Native Ultimate 12 because standing was a necessity for me and I didn't want to futz with outriggers. I tried out a number of different yaks and fell in love with the U12. Out of your price range for now, but worth considering in the future. BJ's no longer carries the model (Pelican) I have (it's orange), but carries this which is more outfitted for fishing. Dick's Sporting Goods has their kayaks on sale (I think it's still on), good place to check. Two rods is great. I usually carry 2, well, sometimes 3... okay, even 5, but normally I'll take 2. Or 3. I started with the notion that less tackle is more. But, that changed. Unfortunately. LOL. Allow me to give you a piece of fishing advice, take it or leave it. Buy a kayak that can be used for fishing, not necessarily a fishing kayak.Why? Because you may find that the way the company outfitted their fishing kayak may not be an efficient fishing outfit. You may say, "why didn't they put that over there?" If you were to outfit a yak yourself, you decide where you want things. $.02. Finding a demo day at a dealer is a great idea. Also buying from a kayak-specific dealer is great as well as their staff will be more versed in the sport than DSG, or other retailer. I bought my Ultimate from Appomattox River Company in Hampton, VA. Fantastic folks. As for SUP (Stand Up), they'll be pricey. A Sit-inside will keep you drier, but not my choice, personally. Sit-on-top is probably the top choice. My U12 is a hybrid kayak/canoe. The SOT will have scupper holes allowing water to drain. Hybrids and sit-insides will not have scupper holes for drainage. There is SO much you can do kayak fishing in terms of outfitting the yaks. Happy to help with other questions, as are the other yak fisher-folk in the forum.

Hey, you don't need to buy braid scissors or anything special. Fiskars kid scissors at Walmart work great. I happen to have some medical scissors from an old Army medical kit I picked up at a gun show once. By far the best braid cutter I've ever used. Like buttah! They're now with me fishing at all times on a retractable lanyard on my kayak fishing PDF.

I'm a bigger fan of wacky than Texas, but I will do both. In addition to split-shotting, drop-shotting, etc. Weeds can be a nuisance for wacky rigging, but I still throw non-weedless hooks all the time. Just get used to cleaning it after each cast. Sometimes a few choice words are thrown in for good measure, LOL. Part of the reason is I'm out of weedless hooks... For me, wacky presentation brings in the most fish - by far. My primary go-to worms are the Zoom Finesse 4.75", Trick 6", and I'm testing the magnum out; other primary is Yamamoto Senkos. I keep trying the off-brands believing they'll work just as well, but they just don't. Not that they won't catch fish, I just have more strikes and hook-ups with Yammies than anything else I've tried. Got plenty of colors, but the most successful are the stand-bys: watermelon (magic), green pumpkin (magic, and with chartreuse tail). Senkos - watermelon gold flake, magic, green pumpkin/magic, gp/wmln laminate... Hooks: Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse in #4, #2, and #1. I caught my personal best 7 1/2 lber in thick grass on a wacky rigged senko with a #2 hook. Brought in a couple 2 or 3 pounds of grass along with her, not a single issue with the hook whatsoever. Also use the Split-shot/drop shot Gammies, have some Owner, but prefer Gammies. For TX rigged, usually stay 1/8oz bullets unpegged or 3/16oz, black, anywhere from a #1-4/0 hook, typically a round bend. Like the smaller profile Zooms here. Senkos typically thrown weightless. Just need to let them sink, work 'em slowly or vary the retrieve speed. Love to use around timber. Still fish wacky around timber, often to my frustration...glutton.

I hear ya. What I didn't say with my 7 1/2 pounder in thick weeds is that I had to play her and give her a bit of space. It isn't that I wasn't worried I'd break my line, I was sweating with each dive into the grass. Point being, if I was smart enough to have had my MH on hand, I would have, LOL. The lake I frequent is getting heavy with weeds about now, so I might just have to have it on hand just-in-case. I think we can all agree that in heavy junk/cover a heavier action rod, heavier line is gonna be better. That said, if you don't have it on hand, play the fish for all it's worth and have the net ready. That or do a Larry Dahlberg and jump in after it.

If a M-power rod is working for you in Kansas, where you say the bass are smaller, then that should tell you your answer. 99% of my bass fishing is on M-powered rods (Shimano Compre), 95% spinning with smaller 1000-sized Shimano reels, too. I have big-time confidence with M-powered rods. I have 1 MH rod (which lost 3" of tip, so a tad between MH and H now) rarely used. A M-powered rod in one brand may tend toward MH while another brand's M may tend toward ML. For instance, St. Croix rods may be rated at less power than actual rating. That's what I was told when rod-shopping at BPS, other places. Too, have a read here. My recent personal best of 7 1/2 pounds was caught in very thick weeds on a M baitcasting setup with 15 lb test leader (10lb test braid mainline). I pulled in a ton of slop, and she fought hard. I understand the golf-club metaphor, using the right tool for the job and all that. But not everyone can have the right equipment and have to use what they have on hand. YOU have to make it work. The right tool might make it easier, but you have to use what you have in your hand at the moment. If you were finesse fishing on a weed edge with 8 lb test and a 9 lber takes the line into the weeds, you can't say "wait, hold on, lemme switch to the H rod"... (crude example, but you get the drift). You're stuck with whatever is in your hand. So you can't set the hook as if it were a MH rod with 65 lb test and a stout hook. Play it with the tool you have an hope the line and hook holds.

Braid for mainline, anything else as leader. You only have to change leaders, tie 'em on with an albright, 7--10 wraps up, 5-8 wraps back down, or a uni-to-uni. Best of both worlds. Get used to braid for mainline, and a single spool of whatever will last you a very LONG time. I use BPS aluminum pliers with tungsten cutting blades to cut the braid and leader. Best cut for both. Clean and efficient. Got on sale for $20. I'll second the Symetre. Personally a huge fan of the Stradic, but Symetre is a fine reel in her own right. Today I caught a 5 and 3.5 pounder. Retied after each one. A lesson learned is a lesson not forgotten! (retying often, that is).

4 or 5" senko, watermelon gold flake

On the flipside of roadwarrior, I do trust the line. But I sincerely respect his opinions! :-) Learned a lot from reading his posts. I only use mist green between 6-15 lbs, and only for leader material now-a-days. Pulled in plenty of bass (including 6lber in my avatar on 10lb test), not to mention plenty of heavy, water-logged branches. To be sure for yourself, buy a spool and try it out. We all have horror-stories with various lines. One fisherman's fave is another's most-hated line.

That was a very interesting video. I use mono backing on my spinning reels so as to keep expense down and spread PowerPro spools further... Rarely, if ever, get to the backing when fishing. However, I have a question on the braid-to-leader knot used in the video. Personally I use an Albright (7-10 wraps up, 5-6 wraps back down the line) 95% of the time, uni-to-uni the other 5%. What is the point of having two knots with a loop in your leader? I understand saltwater angling uses different line-to-leader knots like the bimini, but I've not understood exactly why the extravagance and complication of such knots. My saltwater angling ignorance is showing.

Sometimes the honesty is refreshing, and funny. I'm sure it would have been edited out of the show if they thought it would tick off the sponsor. But Jimmy's got a point about people going in after them at some point. That's a lot of $ to lose on a snag.

That's a hoot! Bass thumb. Wait for his first catfish thumb...