NYWayfarer

That is the worst case of Bass thumb I have ever seen! Worst and best can be used interchangeable here.

That sucks. You never think these things will happen to you, until they do. 2 weeks ago, while kayaking the current and wind carried me into some low hanging trees. In my haste to grab my paddle I knocked my $200 rod and reel combo into the water. I was lucky in the fact that it went in at about 5 feet of clear water and the reel was white so I could clearly see it. The problem was the river water was in the high 40's and I was in a sit-in kayak so jumping out was not a nice option. I tried hooking in with my other rod to no avail. I was eventually able to get my paddle under it and raise it to the surface, then slowly work it towards me without it slipping off the paddle. If it had went in any deeper it would have been lost for good. As soon as I got home I ordered paddle and rod leashes.

It was probably in the tree because the owner misjudged how heavy it was when he or she cast. Or it could have been in the tree because they threw it there in frustration at not catching anything...

If they don't eat them they do take swipes at them for sure. I observed a male Bass on a bed yesterday chasing away a Perch that swam by. I tied on a firetiger colored floating crank, cast it out and swam it through the bed. On the third pass the Bass swiped at it and I landed him.

Berkley Havoc Pit Boss. Something about the shape of this bait makes it magic when flipped, pitched or retrieved through the water. The flapping "legs" make a nice commotion. Looks like a craw, a frog or a baitfish on it side.

I would take the Missile Baits 48 worm over both of them. It is a very versatile bait.

Pressured or not it's hard to beat a wacky rigged stick bait. If there is a lot of vegetation then use a weedless wacky hook. This presentation works well due to the freefalling bait through the water column. When the bite is on I get hit as soon as the bait enters the water. When the bite is slow it might have to fall closer to the bottom before a strike. It even works deadsticking it. The bite comes when you twitch the bait on the bottom after a few seconds at rest.

Two rods come to mind both are around $50 to $60 The Abu Garcia Vengeance and the Kastking Perigee II Both of these rods feel and perform better than their price would have you believe. I suggest a medium action 6'10" rod for all around fishing.

My thoughts and Prayers are with @Bluebasser86 and his family. What is happening to his son hits close to home for me.

Could it be the wonky weather we have been having all over the country? All that is working is finesse for me as well at our local pond. Water temps should be way north of what they are right now. Seems like we get a few warm days sandwiched by cold ones and even colder nights.

You said he gets mad when he is not catching. Hopefully he is not getting mad at you. If he is then you are not being a jerk and he needs to get the boot. If he is getting mad in general then be patient. A nice solution is to have a couple of loaner rods all set up with the same rigs you are throwing on the boat. Whenever he is getting frustrated, hand him one and say, "Try this, it's what I am using" Hopefully his luck will pick up then and it saves time rigging him up.

Add my vote for Big Game in 10lb & 12lb

I have been asked to show my license twice in the many years I have been fishing. I always have it. As others have said there is a shortage of officers to enforce. One of the YouTube fishermen I watch was talking about how in his area there is one officer to patrol a huge area of Pennsylvania.

I fish alone 90% of the time. The 10% with others is enjoyable but I hate when it turns into a competition. I am the quantity over quality type.

I’m confused,but I have partaking in a few adult beverages this evening...

My response would have been, “Yeah it’s small, I don’t have to compensate for anything!”

You might be better off with some Berkley Powerbait pinched crawlers or maggots. I have fished these on a small hook under a float. Panfish love them.

The newest 2 piece rod in my arsenal is the Kastking Calamus. I have fallen in love with this rod and highly recommend it. It comes in everything from ultralight to medium heavy. Watch this vid to see why I like it so much.

I checked and I don’t have any Red Eye Shad in that size. All I have are 1/2 oz versions. I have to order some. When fishing 1/4 oz cranks I like the Leland Trout Magnet cranks. Bass love them as well!

I looked at DSG real quick at kayaks in your budget range. Unfortunately the max weight on the 2 I found (both future beach, 1sit on,1sit in) is 300 lbs. you might have to look for something used that has a better max weight range.

You wouldn't if you saw some of the rivers around my way. They have been dredging to get rid of contaminants for years. It will be decades before the fish in them become safe for human consumption.

The comparison I am making is you can catch fish with a cheap rod. A cheap car will get you to your destination. You can catch fish with an expensive rod. An expensive car will get you to your destination. The end result is the same, however you will feel the difference in the end as the more expensive options are better quality.

My tackle bag always has one of those Berkley Worm Blowers in it. As mentioned in another post in this thread, sight fishing for Bass when using Nightcrawlers helps. I patrol the banks quietly looking for shallow Bass. Toss the Nightcrawler past them a bit and then hold on for dear life when they hit it.

Both get you from point A to point B. One does it in style.

There are a lot of great 2 piece rods on the market. I own a few for traveling vacations where a one piece would be troublesome to transport. That is the only advantage a 2 piece has over a one piece IMO.