JohnDubs

I've only been fishing about 5 months total. Since then I've bought myself 3 starter bait caster combo's. Abu Garica Silver Max MH '7, Abu Garcia Orra Winch 7'MH, Bass Pro Shops Tourney Special 7' MH. I also have a Lew's Lazer reel from walmart. Sometimes I switch it out on the bass pro shop combo because of the faster gear ratio. I'm looking to start kayak tournament fishing in April and besides a nice spinning setup, should I look to purchase like a Medium bait cast setup or possibly a heavy setup for punching? I'm still new to all this stuff and I'm really unsure of my gear. Next year after I have more experience under my belt I plan on upgrading my rods/reels to higher quality ones. Any feedback or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Thanks! I will definitely try to demo one. I believe the store I'm going to allows demoing because Old Hickory lake is right behind their shop. I was looking at a Bending Branches paddle (they any good?) and haven't looked for any PFD's yet. The tournament I fish in requires lighting on the kayak because the start times are 1 hour before sunrise. Is lighting expensive and where should I look to find that? Is it easy to install rod holders and a fish finder? I'm pretty handy, if there is a video guide available.

Recently moved from Atlanta, Georgia to middle Tennessee and got into bass fishing. A friend of mine let me try fishing from his kayak and I'm hooked! I was looking into a bass boat but I'm gonna wait another year or two for that purchase. In a month or so I'm purchasing a kayak from HOOK 1 to fish in KBFTN tournaments in TN. I'm 5'11" 190 lbs. What kayak would be a good fit for me? I've been looking at Wilderness Systems Feelfree 13.5 and KnotRide 135max. What do ya'll think? Just a note: If there is some other kayak I should be Iooking at these are the specs I'm looking for. I'm wanting a sit on top kayak and the ability to stand up. I have about a 2-3k budget. If I can find a decent one for around little more than 1k I'm gonna use the rest on upgrading and riggin the yak. Thanks for reading and any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Title says it all. I don't have the best credit so buying a new bass boat ain't in the picture. I do have around a 4k budget. What type of bass boat do you think that'll get me? What should I look for when buying a used boat and should I try to get the trailer included in the deal. Thanks for reading and any info would be greatly appreciated.