NYWayfarer

Walmart sells a brand of alcohol wipes called “nice and clean” They come in a 100count box that’s cheap. I use those and a micro fiber cloth to dry. No scratching issues with this method.

I forgot to mention, the Whopper Plopper is a great search bait. If something swirls on it but doesn’t commit, I generally throw a stick bait in the same area and have had great success catching something.

Before I needed prescription sunglasses I used cheap strike kings I got from Walmart. Not the best but polarized which was what I was looking for. Mine came with the strap to keep you from losing them. I remember my Father in laws friend losing a pair of $400 prescription sunglasses over the side of the boat so I was glad to have them. The new new line from Kastking look great and the most expensive pair is $40 with soft and hard case.

The Perigee II is a great rod for the money. I highly recommend it. I have 2piece versions of the spinning and casting models. My next purchase will be a 1piece casting rod as I like them so much.

The Whopper Plopper 90 in Bluegill color was working for me this morning at 7:45 am cloudy skies temps in the high 60’s here. Cast out, let the ripples fade, pull on the line like the lure is a popper and then let it sit. Fish were hitting it on the initial entry into the water or after the first “plop” today. Other days they hit it on a retrieve. If the fish are there it’s all about finding what they want on any given day. I have the most success with this lure in rivers.

Grats on the PB! That's a nice sized fish for this area.

The thing I think about when these discussion's come up in my head... Will the reel last until I am tired of it and want to move on to a new one? Since I like to buy new reels every season or two the answer always seems to be yes. I have a few favorite reels (Shimano Symetre, Pflueger Supreme, etc.) that have lasted years with proper maintenance and not fishing them every outing.

I find it impossible to do all of the above with one rod and reel. I carry a baitcasting set up 6'10' MH/F rod and a spinning set up with a size 100-200 reel on a ML/F rod. With these 2 combos I can cover anything from casting a 90 Whopper Plopper to using a Johnson Beetle Spin. Since I fish the baitcaster more often I make sure the spinning set-up is something I don't mind getting beat up. It usually is resting against a tree or on my tackle bag when not in use.

These look interesting. Seems like you can use them to trim hedges as well https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-LEWACC.html?from=basres

Perch perhaps?

I have a set of rod and paddle leashes. Don't use the paddle one but I do use the rod leashes. All it took to convince me they were needed was watching a combo sink to the bottom of the river. I did retrieve it but I might not be so luck the next time.

The heat made it tough for everyone this weekend up here. I had my best luck on the Hudson and some of the small canals up here with all the moving water from the rains we had. When I was living in Brooklyn I would take trips to Harriman state park. It wasn't a bad trip from the city and the fishing was great. We are talking decades ago. Don't know how it is now.

Upstate NY past the capital region. Near Lake George.

Have you looked at any reels that have both magnetic and centrifugal brakes? Seems to me that is the best of both worlds. I have a Lew's Tournament MB reel that has both. Using that reel I only backlash when I do something dumb, like snag a tree on my backcast.

My father in law has the same kayak and I agree don't invest too much money in it as you will want an upgrade sooner rather than later. His biggest complaints are the seat is very uncomfortable, the backrest stinks and the stability and tracking are poor. He likes my cheap Pelican kayak much better even though it's a sit-in which he didn't want. @Hawkeye21 I always pictured in my mind that stake out poles were shoved through one of the scupper holes down into the mud or sand to anchor the kayak. I quickly realized what a disaster that could be if you had to move quickly or a wake hits your boat. Your way allows a quick release if needed and you can always go back and retrieve the pole.

I have the Piscifun line spooler and I really like it. Takes some getting used to as there are no instructions in the clamshell package. I watched some YouTube demonstrations on the device and learned that way. Still have some attachments that came with it that make me scratch my head. Baitcasters are simple with this device. Spinning reels are when it gets crazy. The spool of line is supposed to spin as you load the line on your reel to eliminate line twist. Setting the tension with the two adjustment dials is not that hard once you get used to it. Can't say I notice a difference in line twist as I usually have none with or without the device. For the money this is a great device that I recommend.

My Nephew came for a visit this weekend. I took him and my son for a fishing trip to a local spot for some Smallmouth action. Everyone caught fish. It was a good trip. We got them on Ploppers, Dingers, Berkley Atomic Tubes and Ned Rig TRD's

Looks like that scene outta Jaws where Roy Scheider is chumming over the side.

My favorite spinning set up at the moment is a St. Croix ML/F 6',6" rod Paired with a size 100 Lew's Mach II reel. I also like my Kastking Sharky III paired with a Denali AttaX 7' M/F rod while kayak fishing. When bank fishing I like to carry a spare spinning set-up. My go to is a Lew's Carbon Fire size 200 reel on a 6'10" Lew's Carbon Fire ML/F rod (DSG exclusive)

I agree! I throw the Ned on several setups, depending on where I fish. I used to fish it exclusively on a ML/F rod with a size 1500 reel until a 6-8lb channel cat took me and my kayak for a ride. This weekend I had only one rod with me, a MH/F casting rod. After fishing for an hour with no bites I switched to a Ned rig. I was fishing it from shore with 12# line. I caught a few Smallmouth Bass with no issues.

I remember those days. I bought one of the first snapshot reels they made with the firing pin for one handed operation of a spinning reel. Still had it up until a few years ago, meanwhile my son purchased the modern version of it for $19 The thing fell apart on his first trip out with it.

I agree going with 12 pound big game. Treat it with some line conditioner like KVD L&L or Reel Snot and you should be fine. Make sure you are not casting lures that are to light. That was my biggest source of backlashes as a beginner.

I use this popper but they have limited colors. The OP is looking for one with a dark or black bottom. The Kraken popper doesn't have one like that unfortunately.

Arbogast makes a good old fashion all black Hula Popper with a black and yellow tail.

I used the Z-Man Hula Stickz last night and caught 3 fish. They worked well. My only complaint was I use dollar store nails as weights and I had to keep pushing them back into the elastech material after every few casts.