kenmitch

Can't you just put your beer in the drive cover? Mine has a cup holder built into it also. Have you contacted Native Watercraft and asked if you can buy the combo rod/beer holder? I cast with the right and reel with the right also. The left hand rudder control does somewhat suck at times. I like to go into a spot stealth mode and try to move as little as possible most of the time. What I do is just carry 1 part of a 2 part paddle with me and use it to pivot when I'm sitting still and do really sharp turns when I'm under way. Works pretty good for me at least.

What kayak did you wind up getting. So many to choose from in the end. I used to have the Humminbird Helix 5 G2 Chirp Sonar/GPS Combo on my Slayer 10 kayak and it's a nice unit. I had the transducer mounted over the side and it does pick stuff up at times but was easy to clear as it was just to the left of me anyways. It's not convenient but if one was to mount it underneath a kayak and you do pick up stuff how would you clear it off or even know it was there anyways. Hard mounted to the bottom of your kayak might even be more damaging in the end. If you go really shallow and bounce on some rocks or stumps, etc. Side imaging does have it's benefits but does cost more. Depending on how much water you want to map it does save time as it incorporated the side image data with the sonar data. I upgraded my unit to the Lowrance Elite Ti in April when Bass Pro shops had it on sale for $349 after rebate as I wanted side imaging from the get go but at the time the units were too expensive. The transducer is huge! I'm using the Ram mount over the side mount that is made for the total scan transducer and it works really good. I pretty much take my kayak anywhere I can go in the lake and do have to clear it off once in a while when I pick up a stick, log, or even some vegetation but it's really not a issue as it's just to the left of me anyways. My mount has a bendable aluminum shaft that will give when needed so I'm not really worried about it getting damaged. I planned on mounting it to the bottom of my kayak but decided it's safer on the side anyways. I'm mainly fishing Lake Perris as I live a couple of miles away. Once I had my Elite Ti I got into the making my own map thing. The lake level was drawn down around 30ft a decade ago due to dam issues. During the process they did some reconstructive surgery to the east end and parts of the southern shoreline which wasn't on the maps I had at least. They added road bed, gravel, rock piles, etc which I wanted to be able to easily find when the lake is at full capacity. I'm only mapping the parts of the lake that I'll fish in the future from my kayak. I still have to upload some more sonar files but I'm already up to around 600 acres or so. Takes a long time to map in a kayak!

I guess if one was to watch some episodes of Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Zona's, etc they could easily jump to the conclusion that CA fishing sucks compared to other states....Although Zona did have a awesome Bullards Bar Spot episode. I like to watch a episode of Major League Fishing the night before I plan on going out again. Seems more realistic when some anglers get skunked for hours and fight their way up the pack while others struggle on or even begin to struggle as day goes on. I can relate to the hours of nothingness as I've done it many times on Lake Perris as I'm kind of set in my ways on how I wan't to fish. I know that I could change up and possibly catch more fish in the end and I do carry a full variety of offerings....But in the end I'm a lipless crankbait grinder. You just got to find the flavor of the day. Guess it's the rush I get when it gets slammed that keeps me chucking along or possibly the areas I like to target. Kayak fishing gravitates me towards the shallower water which is infested with lots of submerged vegetation, brush,cut down trees, rock piles, etc. Luckily for me the lipless works pretty good in these areas. I get skunked once in a while just like everybody else. It's more about the fun and relaxation I get from the experience so in the end it doesn't really matter how many fish I catch. Anything from 1 Bass to 6-7 is a good day too me. Think the best day I've had was 6 Bass for 17lbs with a 5.12 lb and 4.53lb. The water level at Lake Perris has risen 23ft or so in the last 6 months. I'd imagine the Bass are somewhat dazed and confused as I doubt there's a fish alive in Lake Perris that remembers the good old days.

I did pick up the BPS Carbonlight baitcaster combo when it was on sale for $119 a while ago. I'm not a fan of white rods either but the price was too good to pass up.

Thanks guys! I try to get them back in the water quickly so don't really check them out too closely. Just a quick look and a photo or two. I now fish from a kayak so I can take a little more time to inspect them if need be. Lake Perris was just recently raised back up 30ft after a decade of low water so I'm hoping it'll rejuvenate itself in the near future.

1st off I'm new here and not sure if this would be the correct sub-forum to post the question or not. If not I'm sorry. I live by and fish Lake Perris for the most part as it's only a couple of miles from my house. It was once one of the best Spotted Bass lakes in the country. From what I've read recently it seems like the consensus is there are no more Spots left or they have interbred with LMB and are no longer Spots. Viewing my photos of past catches (May of 2017) I notice this one has the Spotted Bass look and characteristics. Most of the time I'll snap a few different angles but it was a pretty dang small specimen about .5-1lb and on the skinny side so this is the only photo I took of it. The features make me think Spot while the mouth size makes me think LMB which makes me think a Hybrid. Thinking do to it's age and current body structure judging by the mouth might not be the best anyways. Thanks, Ken

Does the issue go the other way if you swap the relays around?

I've been Kayak fishing for about 6-7 months now. I have a Slayer 10 and sit down 99% off the time. I can relate to the casting while sitting down as it's a new ballgame compared to standing. It's going to take some practice but once you get used to it there really isn't much difference as the rod and the lure pretty much to all the work in the end. I'm getting much better at it with practice. Depending on what combo I'm using and how my thumb is reacting I can pretty much plop my lure wherever I want. When I first started I'd just go into open water and practice casting as it was strange casting while sitting down. To this day I will still do some open water casting while peddling out to where I want to fish. Just remember that your so close to the water that it's possible to dip the tip of the rod and lure into the water when going for the super long casts....Baitcaster and tip/lure dipping can make a nasty backlash scenario.

I also have the Slayer 10. I have a 2pc paddle and carry 1 part with me all the time. I also hold rod with left and real with the right hand. I use the paddle if needed to maneuver with my right hand. Works great if I just want to pivot and not move forward or back or make really sharp turns while underway. Calm water and a overly feisty bass make for some really fun fights. I caught a super feisty 4.5lb LMB that literally pulled me in circles for a couple minutes. The Slayer is kind of pricey but so are all the other similar options. The seat is a little noisy at times but it's really comfortable. Been out close to 30 times so far this year as the weather has been nice in SoCal so far.

Here's mine. Native Watercraft Slayer Propel 10. Kayak fishing is the bomb and I'm really glad I opted for it rather than a boat. I was literally a day away from buying a boat but decided on the Kayak instead. Picked up the trailer for $200 for more of a convenience thing as I live about 3 miles from Lake Perris as it saves my wear and tear on my back on the loading and unloading part. Nice weather here in SoCal so I've been out about 25-30 times this year so far!

I was a day away from buying a new boat and decided I'd go for a kayak instead. It took a little getting used to but I really enjoy Kayak fishing. Stealth like and being so close to the water makes it much easier for catch and release action. 1 man powered