HeavyDluxe

... or bad hooks. I had similar problems with some of the jigs that I had in my tackle box previously. The start of this year, I made a commitment to the jig and upgraded accordingly to some of Siebert's jigs. I don't think I'm swinging any harder on the fish, but my hook-up ratio has increased and I attribute it to the quality of the hooks.

Live upstream from Crestliner, but right on the banks of the CT River in Vermont. It's a mess, and - with more rain predicted - it's not getting any better. Be careful out there.

Hanover's post is *solid gold*, baby. I fish flat water in New England with an occasional outing on a slow-moving section of river being the most current I'll face. I picked a SOT for two reasons: Safety/righting... As a larger guy, I was worried that I'd have an easier time turtling a kayak when fishing (shifting my weight around the boat, etc). The self-bailing aspects of the SOT were attractive. Comfort... The low profile of the SOT makes entry easy and angling very comfortable for me. I felt crowded in the hybrids and SOTs I tried. Again, wherever possible, getting out to paddle boats you are considering is a MUST. You'll learn more about what you like and don't like in a few minutes of seat time than you'll ever learn from reading other people's post - no matter how well-intentioned or informative - online.

I've been a longstanding mono user and, despite experimenting with braid, I haven't seen a reason to change. I'm basically a single-rod kinda fisherman. And, in that vein, mono still seems to be (IMHO) the best, all-around compromise line. As I said in another thread, I'm fishing 8lb test mono on a M/H spinning setup as my main rod (cranks, dropshot, weightless and weighted soft plastics) and haven't had a problem detecting strikes or setting the hook even when making long casts and getting 'immediate' hits. Sure, the line stretches, but it's not a rubber band. This year, I wanted to start jig fishing seriously. So, I added a MH/F spinning reel spooled with 12lb Trilene-XL. So far, I've pitched into nasty stuff and horsed a couple decent fish out. I've also hooked the cover and been able to get my jig back without the line breaking. It just seems like I can get most of the performance I could ever need out of mono. Two things, though, in the interest of full disclosure: First, I like the idea of having to work to land a fish. In other words, fishing with 40lb braid and really heavy tackle doesn't appeal to me on the surface, anyway. I'd rather have a little more sport in my fishing - not just in terms of location, but in terms of the fight. Second, I *am* going to experiment with braid again to see if I change my tune. Right now, the barrier is that I'm having too much fun learning to fish out of my kayak to worry about another test. And, with the weather in the northeast like it is so far, I would rather capitalize on just being on the water and fishing what I know. Braid may likely be the 'right', or even 'best', choice. But, FWIW, I think using mono is a more viable alternative than most of the static online suggests. Good luck. And be sure to post your experiences so we can all learn from them!

As someone new to jig fishing, it'd be great if a couple of you would post before/after pics to show us your mods. I think I am following the whats and why-fors, but I'm probably wrong.

Take this with an appropriate grain of salt (one about as big as your fist might be a good start): I would advise against 2pc rods. In my limited experience, there is a noticeable drop in sensitivity compared to the 1pc counterpart. If you're spending that much to get a rod, why sacrifice a significant portion of the performance that's supposed to justify the increased cost? Now, if you have money to burn on the hobby or serious space/transport restraints, then a 2pc rod may make more sense. However, if you're trying to buy a nice, quality setup, I think you'd overall be better served with a one piece rod at a given price point (and maybe sacrifice a bit of length in the rod to help with any space issues).

FWIW, I'm increasingly feeling like the bulk investment should be made in the rod. If I were to do it again in that price range, I'd buy a $100 rod (***, Shimano, St. Croix, whoever) and stick a Pflueger Trion on it for $30. My son has had one ('35' sized) on his rod for a year and it's perfectly adequate.

And, subscribe to Glenn's Youtube Channel, watch, and learn. Welcome to the site!

1 - If you can get to your local StuffMart, you'll occasionally find Booyah and Strike King jigs on sale for cheap... Might be a good start. That said, I think you'd be better served to look at Siebert Outdoors, a site sponsor. Their jigs are very economical and the quality difference between what you'd get at the Big Box Store is huge. I've bought at least 20 jigs from Siebert (start jig fishing this year, myself) and I couldn't be happier. 2 - Other things to try? Soft plastic worms (GYCB Senkos, Strike King Shim-E-Sticks, or BPS Stick-os), craws (Rage Tail, Zoom Speed Craws, or others), and just about any other soft plastic fished slow.

Look at the Perception Sport Pescador - it's actually an old design of the Wilderness Systems Tarpon series hull. A great boat and will save you coin. If that is still too high, I would suggest going on Craigslist and looking for boats.

+1. A small set of fish grips that can be easily stowed until needed are, I think, a far better choice.

I'm still a mono (Trilene XL) guy... 8lb on my M spinning outfit, 12lb on my MH spinning. I've yet to find an application I fish consistently (not a lot of punching here in the northeast) that I can't handle with good quality monofilament. This year, I started seriously fishing jigs for the first time. I've been 'pitching' them on my 12lb mono. I've wrenched some fishes out of what I think rates as heavy cover without an issue. My father, fishing salt water with me when I was a kid, used to say, "If you can't pull it up to the boat on 14lb Stren, I don't want it in the boat with me." Between the flexibility of the line and the challenge to (still) using it in the face of ridicule, I guess I'll probably stick with it. (edit: I should add that, at some point, I'm going to try to experiment with braid again... Probably PowerPro in a 'highlight' color with mono or fluoro leaders. I want to be fair and, if I'm missing the holy grail, I want to know. But, I am doing that more to see what it gains me as I don't really think I'm losing much.)

Not to pick nits, but just so everything is on the table. This past week, fishing a local lake for smallmouth (and not huge ones at that) I'm sure I got pulled double that at least a time or two. And, of course, they kayak can continue to 'coast' once you have the fish in the boat.

Fishing out of a kayak is its own, unique experience... and, having my first two kayak outings under my belt, I love every minute of it. As has been mentioned, the 'sleigh ride' actually becomes something you look forward to, and I don't think there's a freshwater fish that would put you at risk of tipping a contemporary fishing kayak (esp if you have your reel's drag properly set). Buy a yak. I don't think you'll regret it.

Any number of soft plastics (senko, ika, craw/creature), tex-posed and slowly twitched back to me.

I've always had great luck at Bomoseen... Very clear water, thanks to the zebra mussels. So, bring your clear water colors if you're a big believer in color rules. Mostly caught smallies in the cooler, southern section of the lake. Jigs, Ikas, and other craw plastics have been my best producers. Largies in the warmer, weedier north end (up to and past the bridge) on much the same, though the bite has always seemed slower. Toothy critters south on cranks/spinners.

This has been hashed over time and time again, here. Short summary, IMNSHO: Just about anything can/will catch on a given day. Some people love 'em, others hate them. If you have success with them, that's all that matters.

Whatever bass fishing bait you really don't want to lose is the best thing for picks and pike. They sense your fear and are drawn to it. Seriously, though, moving baits (cranks, spinners, spoons, etc) all have the potential to produce. Pike and pickerel like to pursue and attack.

Just a quick plug for Alden of Sunapee (link) if you're looking for kayaks in NH. I got my first fishing kayak there this spring. They have demo lakes where you can paddle the different boats, and their customer service is absolutely great. They also are a Hobie reseller - Hobie being a site sponsor. (Hey, mods... I don't know if this treads too close the marketing provision in the site's TOS. If it does, just delete this post.)

1/4 and 1/8 from the bank all last year... 1/4oz gets down in most of the vegetation here (VT) easy.

He'll fit wherever Belichick wants him... or they wouldn't have brought him to New England. Remember Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, and others? You do what the coach asks here, or you leave. Tebow wants to play QB... I'm sure the Pats know that. But, I'm also sure Tebow knows that he's going to have to do other things to keep a job here. In the meantime, he'll have the chance to be mentored by one of the best QBs in the history of the NFL (by just about any measure). That is, I think, the very definition of a win-win situation.

If there's one thing the Pats/Belichick have had a knack for it is picking up discarded talent that's been forced to get rid of ego and then cashing in on it. Tebow will get in line with the Pat's mindset... He'll play several roles on the field, including a down-the-line-backup for Brady. And he'll do pretty well, too, I would think. Say what you want about the guy, he's a solid athlete.

For the spinning combo, your local StuffMart should have a Pflueger President combo (6935 President reel on a 6'6 M/F spinning rod). Runs about $70. Ridiculous value, IMNSHO. It will serve you well, and the reel would be transportable onto any future spinning rod you'd like to upgrade to. I thought I 'upgraded' my rod this year, so I gave the 6'6 M to my son. I want it back now, but he's refusing. It's a really solid setup. As far as baitcasters, I dunno.. I would think you'd want to go with a MH/F to compliment the spinning setup above. Since I only fish spinning gear, I'd have to leave that to someone else for a recommendation. Good luck!

I basically settled on carrying four colors in my hard and soft baits: Green Pumpkin, Black/Blue, Dark Pumpkin (orange), and grey/silver. These four colors mimic just about all the natural forage that fish in my area could be feeding on (perch, bluegill, shad, smelt, craws, etc). While there may be other colors that will work 'better' on any given day or under particular conditions, I'm betting on the fact that I won't go far wrong with these in *any* situation.

Does the spot look fishy? (Confidence) Have the fish shown any interest in anything I've thrown - appealing to both active and passive fish? (Presentation / Pattern) How long do I have on the water today? Can I keep waiting here for them to turn on or to find something that gets them hungry? (Convenience)