Dangerfield

Daiwa Fuego MR 6' 9" Casting rod works great for topwater and jerkbaits on a budget, got mine for less than $100 CAD a piece. Having two of the same blank is handy when I want to load up on the same technique for opposite ends of the season.

where's the pics @Hook2Jaw?

The rudder system on the Natives might be exposed for hauling to and from the water but it's better if you want to add a trolling motor down the road and keep the existing rudder system. The PWR129 has really caught my attention, for it's rigability, lots of flexibility on outfitting/personalizing and the possibilities for mounting motors. Take the motor out of the AP120 and try paddling it - I bet it would be an absolute chore compared to the PWR, which is a river kayak first. AP136 would be DOA in any kind of wind or heavy current scenario. These two kayaks are wildly different, and the all-in-one solution vs. tinkerers dream is what sets them apart. Let's not forget price, you could get an Torqueedo 1103 AC, PWR, side kicks, a captain's bridge, massive battery plus fish finders and still save $$$ over the Old Town + all the accessorizing you're going to end up doing no matter which kayak you end up in. OT does have a pretty good warranty. Bonafide is made in the USA, if that's important to you. You won't be car topping an AP120 or 136 based on it's weight alone. So trailering or truck bed are a must - do you have the space? Do you have a truck?

Maybe consider building a little DIY foam platform to raise the BlackPak but not adding any weight. You could tighten the bungee cord that has the Omnihooks for the BlackPak to pin it down to the tank well. I had my rod holders in the original lower setting when I first got mine and quickly realized they were better off raised up. For easier access when turning around, keeping the rod butt out of water and the fitment was better.

I had a Salus Regatta Sailing Vest for a couple of years, it was great for paddling but not so great for storage. I upgraded to the NRS Chinook this past year and it's fantastic, the high back foam is really comfortable against my seat, plenty of pockets and a good sized phone pocket with a zipper. Like others have said, I don't feel it when I have it on, and it pairs nicely with the Champion Bibs.

Scored a new PFD for next season, enter the one and only NRS Chinook

I picked up a Rod Mule earlier this year, it has worked great so far rigging mine up with 10 rods. Quality of materials and stitching are really good, The top rod sleeve is double the thickness of a regular one. The strap and lower buckle have really good range to secure any combination of rods and reels. Well worth the money.

Blown away at how small this bait is. I bought the 7g in pink and ice blue. Thought I’d throw a picture up for comparison to a Spro BBZ-1 Baby Shad for anyone that’s curious. It casts like a bullet.

That profile looks very similar to the Miyagi Swimmer, have you tried those? I like the idea of the smaller sizes on a swimjig

Treat that bait like it’s made out of Elaztech.

My gear arrived! Really surprised at how much smaller the 5" Magdraft is compared to the 6", same goes for the Duo G87 15A which is monstrous compared to the Dredger. The BlackPak Pro is outfitted with 10 tether tubes now.

I went down the rabbit whole looking for a good-long lasting Lithium battery for my FF. Don't be fooled by Li-Ion, they're oddly priced close to LiFePo4 batteries but do not maintain consistent voltage like the latter and are less prone to combustion and thermal runaway.