Turtle135

I have a Temple Fork Outfitters GTS DSC733-1 (7'3" medium light). It loads well with a light weight and launches a small jerkbait or a ned rig into the next county.

Spring will get here slowly but surely, good call on waiting for safer conditions for the maiden voyage. Congrats on joining the club!

I have used the jig head you mentioned. Good hook, paint job and weed guard. Nothing wrong with that jig head and it does a good job around weeds so you find me throwing one of those in the summer. I use football heads much more frequently than any other style. I will buy them painted and unpainted from a couple of different sources, I tie a lot with round rubber skirt material and wire tie my skirts. I hear you on breaking off a jig that costs $ 4.50. By shopping around my cost per jig is less than a buck each. I would pour lead but I do not have the proper ventilation for my work space.

Netbait Paca Craws, they also have the "Baby" and the "Tiny" versions

I also fish from a kayak and I have had a Humminbird mounted since the early 90's. Two types of places I fish. First are reservoirs (max depth around 60 feet) where the fish finder is a huge asset. Second, shallow Tidal Rivers where I could get by without the fish finder.

Caught this poor old girl in August of 2013 in a little creek off of the Tidal Potomac River. She coughed up a couple of crayfish when I landed her and I felt kinda bad about putting her through the stress of a catch and release. Her belly could not have been more emaciated and I always wondered later if that was her last summer. She hit a 10" ribbontail plastic worm and had no fight in her at all.

There is another thread discussing the discounted prices on the Lexa Rods. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/152406-daiwa-lexa-rod/ I do not have the rod you are looking at but the consensus is that those rods at that price are a good deal

I believe what they are talking about is that you can detect a bass popping a jig or a plastic worm without having a tight line with flouro (or with mono). You can feel that vibration transmitted up the line. With braid if you line is "slack" much of that vibration can be absorbed and you may miss that "tick" traveling up your line.

Thanks tater555! Although you just cost me $ 100.00!

Just saw this post and I have two of the 7' Medium-Heavy casting rods (and a 6'6" spinning rod). On the casting rods I like the sensitivity for jig fishing and that handle feels perfect in my hand (some casting rods have handles that are too thin for me). I do not use spinning rods very much but that 6'6" one is my favorite. You found these at "gm"? Please do tell what gm is because at that price I would pickup a couple more!

Thanks for conducting those tests and posting that information. I always like to hear the results from an individual who is not involved in promoting a particular product. For what it is worth, on my baitcasting gear, I use 14 and 17 pound test Trilene XT for pitching and casting jigs. I know the 14 pound test breaks at around 20 pounds so to some degree I combat the stretch issue with mono by using heavier line. I find that line to be very abrasion resistant and very strong. Frequently I find myself straightening out a hook (instead of breaking off on a snag). I do most of my jig work at close range fishing from my kayak. I change my line frequently, usually at least once a month.

Search Youtube for "How Denny Brauer Modifies his Bass Fishing Jig". I listen very closely whenever Denny (or Greg Hackney) talk about jig fishing. He covers when, why and how he trims the skirts in that video. I follow suit, in cold water I frequently want a smaller profile and in the summer I want a big profile.

just saw this on Bookface

For that time of year take a look at the Sante Cooper Lakes (Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion), if you hit the weather just right the big largemouth will be flooding the shallows of the "Hatchery" on Lake Moultrie. I think that is about a 15 hour drive for you.

I kind of doubt you will see a shorter version of the ATAK in 2015. I think something would have leaked out if that was on the table. Maybe if customer response for the ATAK really takes off a shorter lighter version would be available somewhere down the road. The Ride 135 was available for years before the Ride 115 was introduced.

I have the new seat on my 2012 Ride 115. It is the most comfortable kayak seat I have ever used. I get great lumbar & back support and the seat kind of cradles the angler so I find either in the high or low position I feel rock solid stability-wise. It makes a difference when I am on the water from sunrise to sunset.The only complaint I have heard from seriously big guys is that they are so large that they feel that frame in uncomfortable places on their back-side (and they have been happier with the standard high seat for the Rides). I believe that new seat is the standard seat on the Atak.

From what I have read it appears the big thing with the ATAK is that it is a more feature filled fishing kayak that than the popular Ride series (and it paddles faster).

Seems like once every couple of years I either deeply hook one or pull one from so deep it can't stay down. In that case, I do not waste and I will have a greenie for dinner. Fresh fish is always pretty good eating.

As I understand it, the motor is optional. Personally, I'm not looking for a kayak with a motor. I am interested in a kayak that paddles faster however. They are "teasing" the ATAK again today saying that is it faster and more stable than the Ride 135. Definitely a kayak I need to see when they come out.

They weigh less so your rod would be lighter if outfitted with micro guides. Also, sensitivity should be improved. The draws backs for me are first, I fish in the winter so those tiny guides freeze up faster. Second, if you use braid with a leader you may have issues with that knot banging or hanging up those micro guides.

I'm guessing that a specialized motor and battery like that will cost as much as the kayak if not more. For example, the Torqeedo Ultralight goes for around $ 1900.00.

Pointer 100SP in Aurora Green Perch

Finding a rod that you are comfortable with is an individual thing. I happen to really like the handle design on the Daiwa Lexa casting rods. That style and thickness of the handle feels most comfortable to me. I have used some other casting rods where I find the design of the "trigger" to be annoying or the handle is too thin for my hands. For a rod in that price range I find the Lexa to have good sensitivity for working jigs in the 1/4 ounce - 3/4 ounce range. Daiwa Lexa Casting Rod 7'2" Med Hvy, currently selling for $ 99.99 at Tackle Warehouse but I noticed Bass Pro Shops moved them off the shelf recently (makes me think there may be a price drop / liquidation shortly). I notice you listed Lake Anna as a favorite location, from what I know of that lake many of the docks there are in fairly shallow water (usually less than 8 feet deep). A good way to build confidence with a jig is to start pitching 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jigs at shallow cover items. The smaller profile jigs appeal to a wider range of bass size-wise so you will get more bites. More bites helps to develop confidence in the presentation. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Well, I'm not going to help here but I really like the Tiny Paca "Craw" as a trailer in the winter (when the water gets down to around 42 degrees or colder). I just have better luck with a small profile then. However, I really only carry 3 colors (Black with Blue Fleck, Alabama Craw and Summer Craw) so that is only about another 6 packs of soft plastics.

It does seem to be a numbers rig and does pretty well with a non aggressive bite. I have done better with it on smallmouth bass in rivers than anyplace else so far (allowing it to tumble in the current).