ClackerBuzz

I'm with atchoa and use zip lock bags instead of plano boxes. boxes look pretty and organized but they are extremely insufficent compared to bags. i use a master duffel bag full of zip locks and a fanny pack. depending on the lake i'm fishing i load the fanny pack for shore fishing. and load the fanny plus take 2-3 zip locks for of gear for kayaking. I take the full duffel bag in the canoe/jon boat and the bag always stays in my truck so I can cherry pick whats needed

congrats! I felt like I was there

i start with 4 basic retrieves and get creative from there. 1 gentle jerks on a slack line w/ short pauses 2 hard/erratic jerks w/ long pauses 3 constant gentle jerks 4 constant hard/erratic jerks. i also play around with rod tip up vs. rod tip down. rod tip up is def easier to play around with in shallow water. rod tip down and longer pauses are def more beneficial in deeper water.

i catch far more bass retrieving uphill

If you are gut hooking small fish it means you're missing the big ones.

when all else fails...head to the weeds. shallow/surface breaking weeds usually have smaller fish. the deeper submerged weeds usually have bigger girls. paddle perpendicular to shore (toward deep water) while using a jig to find the deepest weeds in the lake. park/position ur kayak where you can cast past the deep weeds to sediment and drag ur jig/shaky head back till you feel the first sign of weed growth. stop ur lure there and wiggle at the edge of the deep weeds. someone should poke their head out to say hello

this is wrong. you need to set the hook at the first tap or sign of a bite. it's hard enough to feel big fish b//c they inhale/exhale the lure so fast. Shaw Grigsby said there are 3 taps you'll feel with a bite: 1st tap= the bass inhaling the lure 2nd tap=the bass spitting it out 3rd tap= is shaw tapping you on your on shoulder asking 'why you didn't set the hook!?'

one of my winter projects is to tie on my own bait keeper using a bent paper clip and sewing thread. very easy especially on open hook lures like chatterbaits and buzzbaits

tighten down ur drag more

this is one of the major reasons i use a sit in kayak. there just isn't any back support w/ sit on top kayaks (unless ur willing to spend $1000+). i go a step further and make sure i like the seat when fully 'reclined' and is pressing against the frame of the kayak. lord knows the straps slip and I end up back there every hour. so many kayaks come with cheap plastic seat/hinge components that i don't trust them to last unless my full weight is resting on the frame.

experiment with every retrieve from fast to painfully slow. the other day i couldn't get bit unless I ripped a fluke hard and fast but with 10+ second pauses in between. it was a weird combo retrieve that i wouldn't have thought of unless i was being creative

add a crankbait rod and you'll be in heaven. buzzbaits require a frog like pause before the hook set. that is where mono...and crankbait rods shine. basically you can achieve the same result with either the line or the rod. i use braid w/ fluoro leader on a glass rod

wow that's one heck of a first frog fish!

do you really need the Sparehand kayak saddles? I'd take them off and turn the kayak upside down. and turn up the music

need to spend more money b/c i haven't seen a thing

somebody has been eating snacks

you can also think of the length in terms of water clarity. clear home water means longer casts are needed. if ur water is usually stained/murky you can get away with a 6' rod b/c you can literally get on top of the fish.

pre-spawn has become the definition of junk fishing to me. seems like the only rule is 'there are no rules'.

you first cast to an area has the greatest possibility of catching a bass (big mama or an aggressive dink). i'll fan cast a reaction lure/spinnerbait 6 times from 9-3 o'clock. the only time i will continually retrieve of the same area is if there are weeds or stumps. like Tom said shoreline real estate is limited so if no taker on the spinnerbait I am quick to so silent reaction/swim jig. then i'll try weighless senkos and/or jigs on bottom. if you relocate 3 times and nothing make sure to try topwater and something that suspends like jerkbaits. cover the water column top to bottom, fast to slow and after relocating a few times you should see some activity. if i go through 8 relocation's and still nothing i'm going to reallllly slow down my retrieve.

when i watch buddies struggle in these conditions it's usually b/c one or more of these: 1 they are fishing too fast 2 they aren't casting far enough ie if you can see the bass, they can see you. 3 they are standing in the same place for 2+hrs ie don't fish, hunt fish. i can virtually always get the skunk off shore fishing by relocating often while slow dragging plastics.

the ones on their site

x2 on working open water. I always fan cast an area and save the deep water/perpendicular to shore cast for last. wait for a spinnerbait/chatterbait/swimjig etc to hit bottom. Keep ur rod tip low on the first half of cast... but slow raising it as you get closer to shore will prevent snagging. One time I was literally finished cranking my reel from a 100+ft cast and using my rod to lift my lure out of the water for a re-cast when a 3lb blew up on it and hook himself. not a monster but I will never forget the amazing experience. he was stalking it the whole way. follow every cast thru till the end b/c sometimes that's when their 'baitfish fleeing' instinct kicks in

TW has a Shimano Clarus 6'8" 1/4-3/8 oz on sale for $50. And they have Diawa's for $47.

I wouldn't want to battle that smallie in ur pix on a Light rod I'd go with the ML if not a Medium. why are you leaning so light? i have two ML rods that easily throw a 1/16oz drop shot

bass don't care if they are painted or not.