HeavyDluxe

Try it with cranks... What can it hurt to try? I'm willing to bet that you'll learn to adjust to the action and utilize it just fine. Is it 'the perfect crankbait' rod? Well, maybe not. Technology has allowed us to make highly nuanced rods and reels that are specialized for a variety of applications. The downside, however, is that we can be made to feel that if we don't have the exact rod specifications for a particular application we're going to FAIL. I doubt that's truly the case, despite what advertisers want us to believe.

I've been told that the Perception Pescador is essentially the same mold as years-gone-by edition of the Wilderness Systems Tarpon kayaks. Might be worth adding to your consideration list.

Worthwhile clarification... To me, fishing is either done for food or for fun. I'm not fishing competitively, so there's just expenses in the hobby - no profits. Therefore, like any hobby, do what you enjoy. My grandfather used to fish a worm-and-bobber only because it reminded him of being a kid in the mountains of NC. Likewise, if anyone just enjoys fishing [insert bait or tactic here], have at it! However, if what you enjoy is catching fish, odds are you will have to learn to vary your presentations and setups in order to produce more consistently. Bottom line: Have fun. If you're not having fun, change it up!

This was my first full season of targeting bass... After reading RoadWarrior's post that guaranteed I'd catch fish (linky), I decided to focus on slowly fishing soft plastics at the start of the season. Whether it's t-rigged or weightless, this has become the most productive technique for me. I'm sure some of that has to do with confidence now, but I think there's some logic there as well. For one thing, I've learned to be a far more patient, methodical fisherman and - as another posted mentioned - that has benefits for me regardless of technique. In addition, I think that active/feeding fish may be keying on one particular bait sometimes. But, more often, I would think that they are actively feeding and will strike almost anything that looks like food and enters the strike zone. But, when fish are passive, you need to keep a bait in the zone and tease or provoke them into biting. By fishing more slowly in general, I think you increase the likelihood that you will get bit all around. I'm sure I've missed fish on days when I 'should have' thrown one thing or the other. But I have rarely smelled the skunk this year *and* I've caught both numbers and quality fish. Patience, as they say, is a virtue.

FWIW, I don't think anyone's arguing that we go through seasons where you're "tired" of catching [insert species, size, or number] and would rather be catching [insert different species, size, or number]. Heck, I just went out the other night and specifically went after carp for a change. But, that said, I still agree with most folks on here that - generally speaking - I'd rather catch small somethings instead of nothing.

No TV at home, but I've watched Season 1 & 2 via iTunes (which I download at the office). Looking forward to the new season!

My PB, a fish of roughly 5lbs, was caught dead-sticking a senko from the bank. Dead-sticking soft plastics has become my favorite technique - it's relaxing and it just produces fish.

Google Maps seems to think there is bait and tackle shops in Dover, NH.

This post is full of awesome and wisdom.

In general, I'll take the tight line - no matter the species/size. But, if I'm having a run of nothing but runts, then I will very, very intentionally pick lures and presentation to try to 'select' for bigger fish. But, I figure I can't really control what bites my line. So, I'm pretty happy so long as something is bitin' and pullin'.

In Vermont? Beautiful.

+1 what J Francho said. I don't know anything re: the Malibu boat, but I can tell you that you will learn all kinds of stuff if you can paddle the boats beforehand. In the absence of that, I can only say that I was very impressed with both the Ride and Commander series from Wilderness. I think they are both about the same in terms of tracking/speed and stability. The thing that distinguished them for me was really around my personal comfort in the boat. I flat liked the sit-on-top 'experience' better. Again, seat time is key. Still, I think that most people would be able to get along just fine with most of the name-brand fishing kayaks if they 'had' to do so. You adapt. People without our financial resources and the blessings of choice do it all the time.

Fair enough, but we're also using (I imagine) proportionally lighter tackle. Ergo, the drag can be just as important to fighting/landing the fish. Where I might agree is that, by and large, the trend in freshwater fishing seems to be towards "can't fail" tackle. That is, we're chasing 5-10lb fish on, in some cases, 40+lb rated tackle. If you're flipping in heavy cover, so be it. But I think that part of the challenge of fishing is having to play out the fish and use your equipment properly to prevent it from breaking you off. If you're like me, the drag matters.

Happy birthday... I have benefited so much from your posts. Thank you for serving us!

Depending on what's near you, there are kayak sellers/outfitters that will ship the boats to you - or, at least, to an air terminal near you.

Hi there... I also just put a deposit down on a 2012 Ride 115. I think it's a great boat, and I don't think it would be a bad purchase for anyone looking for a fishing kayak who doesn't have the availability of demo boats. *However*... If you have the chance to get to a shop and paddle a few boats for comparison, you should. I can tell you that you'll be surprised how many little things you'll notice sitting in a boat that - given the option - will impact your decision re: what kayak to purchase. So, if you can, you really should do yourself the favor of a demo before you make a purchase. Price may still ultimately influence you to purchase one boat over another, but you'll know what you are getting and giving up for that cost. FWIW... It's a good time to buy as the main fishing manufacturers have updated the popular boats for 2013. So, there are closeout deals on 2012 stock. If you want more info on my demo experience, you can read it here: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/25232-lets-hear-from-the-kayak-anglers-out-there/page__st__105#entry1175525 One last recommendation... I've heard a lot of people who bought the anglers but, in hindsight, wish they had purchased a 'vanilla' boat (for less $$) and outfitted it later to suit their own preferences. You may, for example, decide you really want a different kind of rod holder mounted somewhere completely different. Again, YMMV, but something to consider. Happy to give you any more feedback if it'd be helpful.

I would echo what everyone else has said... Whether for jigs, soft plastics, or whatever, I don't think color is as big of a factor as we might think. If you're using colors that are visible to the fish and seem 'naturalish' in the conditions, you're probably going to catch fish. Presentation and location mean far more. Now, I have seen it where you throw one color and you catch things, throw another it stops, and go back to the original and start catching again. So, color *can* matter - perhaps even immensely. But I think the number of occasions where that kind of 'color particularity' happens is so rare that you're better off not worrying about it.

Pretty much this: http://www.bassresou...-to-catch-bass/ Up here, the new ponds I get a chance to fish fit into one of two categories... Either there is limited open bank space to fish from (because the rest of the pond is 'wild' and not accessible) or there is limited open bank space because of houses/private property. Because of that, I tend to find a stretch of bank and work the heck out of it. If I am pressed for time, I take time to look for, and concentrate on, what appear to be points, drop offs, or other structure. But my default - especially on a body of water I don't know - is to start at one end of the bank and methodically work my way down and back. I can be more targeted when I come back and know the shore and castable area better.

Not sure about Powerbait, but: http://biobait.com/about.php

Thanks, JP. I had seen those combos before, but had no idea whether the rod was even worth that markup. Sounds like you get what you pay for (positively stated).

First off, thanks to everyone for the replies... I really appreciate it. Actually, the rod and reel I have are that exact combo (I love it, btw). I'd like two more like it, except that they don't make anything more than a M-powered rod. And, I can't find anywhere that has the 1-piece UL combos in stock. I can order them from Pflueger, but I'd like to slide in under MSRP if I could. Actually, they do make one-piece rod combos, and the one I grabbed (6'6M w/ 6535 reel) is one. Here's the link to the available combos on their site: http://www.pfluegerf...oducts.php?p=45 If they made a one-piece, MH combo, I don't think I'd be posting here. As it is, I'm hoping the M's which are still in stock at a local Wally World will go on sale. If they do, I'll buy them out. Thank you for the other rod suggestions, by the way. Thanks for that... 6'6 seems to be about the right length to me, as well. A local person strongly recommended waiting until either the BPS Graphite or Tournament Special rods ($40/$50 respectively) go on sale. Any thoughts there? Again - I'm just trying to compile a bit of a narrowed list so I can be watching for deals. I feel like I'd like to keep all my equipment as close to the same as possible.

Hi, all. Here's the question, then the background: In the $50 and under price range, what would you think are the two or three best performing rods? I'm a relatively low-budget angler, and have made it through the last couple seasons with just one rod for my bass angling exploits (a 6'6M, paired with a Pflueger President). I'm in the process of buying a fishing kayak, so what extra $$ I have is being thrown over into the boat. However, I'd like to try to slowly put together a couple other rod/reels so I can have a little more umph and not have to break off, tie on every time I want to present a different bait. Ideally, I'd like to be at three setups by next year - a UL/L setup for catching small fish (getting the skunk off), another M combo, and a MH or H setup for fishing in heavier cover. I'm really pleased with the President reels, so I'll be sticking with those... That way, when funds allow for an upgrade I still think I'll have a good reel to put on an even better rod. What I don't know, however, is which rods in that range are ok and which should be avoided. I know people on here speak highly of the Berkley Shock/Lightning rods, but I was unsure how they might compare to other brands - particularly some of 'store brands' of some major outfitters (BPS, etc). If I know what I ought to think about, I can watch for sales and the like now as the season is fading away. Thanks!

Not to threadjack, but I'm interested in hearing whether any of you have tried dropshotting from shore. I'm pretty interested in the approach, but just can't bring myself to try it from the bank.

I do C[P]R for almost all the fish I catch because we don't eat them at home. The exception are the trout that we catch occasionally and put on the table. One thing that has had me thinking lately, honestly, is whether we have taken C&R past its useful life. It seems to me that, historically, the emphasis on C&R was put in place because too many fish were being harvested (of all sizes) and the fisheries were hurting. Nowadays, I wonder whether we are not harvesting *enough* of those sportfish - particularly in the middle-ish size range - to keep competitive forces in the ponds balanced. In other words, it strikes me that a 10lb bass is easier to grow in a pond where the overall population of aggressive, 2-3lbers and smaller fish is kept under control. By all of us C&Ring a ton of smaller fish (with our "go back in there and get bigger") wishes, we may actually be putting pressure on the food chain such that large fish won't be any more common. Anyway, interesting topic.

I'm interested to hear what others have to say, but here's my guess just based on observation. I'd wager that 'resetting' the hook is probably not a great idea for a couple reasons: More likely to cause damage to the fish's mouth by snatching on it That damage is more likely to give the hook extra room to wiggle out if the fish gets slack in the line You're more likely to give the fish a little slack as you're getting ready to swing on it again If there's any abraded sections of the line or weakness in the knot, you're adding stress there that might increase the chance of breaking off (note that I fish mono still, so this might not be an issue with braid or other lines) In the end, I think the best move is probably to try to use sharp, lighter-wire hooks where possible and trust your equipment. That said, I will admit that there are times that the first 'pump' I give while reeling in a fish has a little extra mustard on it.