Felix77

I absolutely love my Ride 115x but that is one SICK idea! Not sure if it would sway me if I was still on the market but this is a very nice idea.

Finesse swimbait. Shakey Head with a finesse worm maybe.

I like the Ocho. Great shimmy. Already mentioned by others ... durability is not it's strong suit but the way it is works.

I like 5 and 4 inch.

Agree ... Backup with a senko is always helpful.

KVD 1.5 - Sexy Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Chartreuse/Black back Red Eye Shad (1/2oz) - Chrome/Black, Gold/Black Bullet sinkers (1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 3/8) 3/0 EWG hook Strike King Fat baby Finesse Worm - Dirt Rage Cut-R worm - Green Pumpkin (Weightless you can use it as topwater) Yamamoto Senko 5" - green Pumpkin Chartreuse JJ's

You are definitely NOT crazy and I believe it is natural for us to gravitate to what we are comfortable with. The most important thing is to produce with what you use. This made me reflect on my collection of rods/reels. When I first began fishing I was fortunate enough to go on a charter with an FLW pro (John Cox) and I asked him what rod/reel combo would be best to begin with. It was a 6'6" MH spinning. Because he was using all Abu Garcia that is what I invested in. To date I still use that rod/reel as my go-to. I have expanded my collection since then but they all have to provide the same "feel" as that rod/reel does when presenting my lures.

My PB Smallmouth was on a Shakey Head and magnum shakey head worm. My PB largemouth was on a small senko rigged on a drop shot.

Amen brother! Nothing kills confidence faster than not getting bit when working a new technique.

to me this depends on the situation. On tournament day I definitely rig up what I feel most confident in and try to leverage those to catch my fish. The trick is to build a base set of confidence presentations which you can use most often and cover the water columns. For me my top 3 are a mojo rig for the bottom/through grass, a finesse swimbait for the middle and on top it's a Zara Spook. Add a t-rig/weightless senko and you have 4 presentations which you can use anywhere and anytime to catch fish. ANY and I mean any other time I generally try to learn something new and dedicate time to learning it. Last year was the Mojo Rig for me and it became a top producer for me and quickly became a go-to as you can see above. FWIW - This year it's been the finesse tube (Gitzit) and drop shot. Both have been producing for me after learning how to "feel"/ present them. Good luck!

Just showed my kids. The 6 year old was not smiling at the suggestion we do this with her next tooth.

I am biased towards the kayak. I am also biased towards the Wilderness System Ride 115x. It is everything you would want in a fishing kayak. As for roof racks. I am in the market for one. I have a small car. Here is where I am leaning ... Thule Outrigger

Absolutely! It's the same as the Ride only it has the console for the fishfinder in the middle. There is a strap to assist with standing up. The raised seat also helps.

I have the new Ride 115x. You will not regret the purchase. Great Yak!!! Welcome to the club

Ha! Very funny.

The new VMC Swinging hook Rugby Jig! NICE!!!

I have a Lowrance 4x on my Yak. I am not sure what to look for during the summertime besides humps and deep ledges. Anything else I should be on the lookout for?

New rods and reels from Abu look cool. So does the new Strike King lures. Namely the 1.5 shallow.

I don't bring more than one plano filled with terminal tackle and another small plano with some items I might want to try on that trip. With bank fishing you get to know your spots and know what works and doesn't. With that said 4 plano's filled are way too much for me. I keep things light and simple. As a sidebar. For rods I generally bring no more than two. More often than not it is a single rod which I use for all of my tackle.

I take the following for actual fishing. 1 - 3601 Plano for all my hooks sinkers etc. 2 - 3449 - Seven compartment pocket stowaways. One I converted into a "finesse tube kit". The other into a Keitech swimbait Kit. 1 - soft sided bag with all my plastics. holds 10-15 bags of plastic. 3 - rods. 2 spinning one baitcaster. I also carry a basket in the back of my Ride 115x with all my essentials including emergency kits, anchors, paddle leash, etc.

What they said. Plenty of times I ended up in this situation and a swimming worm (Zoom's UV Speedworm or Rage Cut-R) with a 1/4oz weight do the job. Also try finesse swimbaits. Like the strike king swimming shiner.

For what it's worth I have tried both. While the inflatable PFD is definitely more comfortable once you find a good quality Kayak centric PFD you will be better off. You never have to worry about the recharging kit and you will be just as comfortable. My 2 cents.

They had tungsten bullet sinkers on clearance too. I racked up on Strike King tungsten bullet weights. Around $2 per pack. All that were left were 1/8oz when I was done.

8+ lb Smallie. Speechless. Wow!

nice write-up. Welcome to the "Dark Side"