RDB

Since you are in Dallas, call or go by Mariner Sails. They are a Hobie dealer but carry a number of the top brands. They are also a Hobie service center and have some of the most knowledgeable people you will find in the kayak world. They have a showroom with pretty much everything you could ever need and the owner is very generous with his time and knowledge. Mariner Sails 11110 N. Stemmons Fwy. Dallas, TX. 75229 (972) 521-3894

Focus primarily on the kayak…comfort and fishability will influence how often you use it. Like @Koz said, I wouldn’t just jump at the first thing that comes along. You can usually find good deals if you are patient. In my area, there are several kayak distributors that have times scheduled on weekends during the warmer months to allow potential buyers to try kayaks with different features and prices. You might see if that option is available in your area…determining what is nice to have v need to have is important. They also often have a line on used kayaks in the brands they sell as people consider upgrading. Personally peddles, hand steering, and a comfortable seat were my drop dead requirements but I am getting old. I also like to stand the majority of the time. My choice was Hobie but they aren’t cheap. As far as a lot of the other components, you have some DIY options. You can get a milk crate for $10 and attach PVC pipe to the sides for rod holders which will cover tackle and rod storage. Another inexpensive but useful purchase is a retractable clothesline ($15 at Home Depot) to serve as your anchor line. I have mine attached to the side of the crate and replaced the line with paracord. That will eliminate any excess anchor line and open up more room. Also like @Koz said, you need an anchor trolly and wheels, both of which will probably come with a decent quality used kayak. There is no need to pay big dollars for all of the components. Kayak companies overcharge…I would use that money on the kayak.

Four of the six I listed have under 4” options…the LC Gunfish & Sammy and Evergreen JT & SB. The 5th is 4.5” but has a thin profile ?.

I don’t tube fish a lot but that’s what I use most of the time as well. I sometimes use the other in the pic. Several companies make them but I don’t remember the brand of this one.

I don’t know what they are called but nurses and doctors always wear these. They swear they are the most comfortable if you are in your feet all day. Probably a lot like Crocs but I haven’t worn either type.

Probably 40% of my lures have never been fished…I just like getting packages. Makes it feel like Christmas morn. I did try the poop lure last Friday though and that’s exactly what I caught on it.

Yep, it’s made with bits of real panther, so you know it’s good.

If you watch Ott Defoe’s MLF win at Lake Athens a few years ago, he won by catching schooling bass near the ramp. He was fishing next to a no wake bridge and when the bite would slow down, he would ask other boaters to run their big motors through his spot to stir up the bait. If you can find the video, it was one of those dream situations. I don’t remember the exact numbers but he caught something like 60 pounds in the last hour or so.

Lol…fair enough. I’m not sure how that discounts my suggestion. I imagine you could try all sorts of new things and still consider the conditions, etc. Anyway, good luck and sorry for the honest attempt at providing a suggestion ✌️. p.s. Try a 1” paddle tail swimbait…they work great in our crystal clear waters with 25’ of visibility ?.

On a lot of mine I will add a treble stinger from the main hook secured with 2 bait buttons. Edit: I just noticed your last sentence about cover problems so the teaser hook wouldn’t be a potential solution.

I wish that was me. I end up getting baits that look like the swimbait in the bottom row of the left picture, in @A-Jay’s post. I realize you are going to get a few but I seem to get more than normal and end up having to boil them back straight. Those Keitech’s just have such narrow tail sections in front of the paddle.

I agree…however, I think a lot of the success with these new baits is it is something different that the fish haven’t seen 100k times. Others will disagree and say bass can’t be conditioned but I’m not of the same mind. There are so many examples of lures that were hot early but lost some of their effectiveness over time.

Lots of great choices…LC Sammy & Gunfish, Evergreen JT & SB, MB Dog-X Diamante…Ima Skimmer if you want something a little more slender.

Instead of looking for specific baits or brands, it might be better to look at the type of action you want for the season and conditions you are fishing. In warmer months I will typically use a bait with more action/movement. In vegetation/slop, I want something with fewer appendages that can slip through the cover more easily. Sometimes you want something that promotes a slower or faster fall, etc., etc. Almost any plastic will catch fish if it matches the mood.

Take the one you are most confident in. Most of the bait suggestions on these posts are just a reflection of what the responder is confident with. It’s your confidence that is important.

Many trolling motors today have Bluetooth and a remote. Just float your boat, deploy your trolling motor, hit spot lock where you want it to stay and go park. It’s pretty handy when you launch by yourself. It sux if you forget to turn the trolling motor on or don’t pair the remote.

I usually don’t like to use marker buoys because they show my spots to every fisherman that drives by. Friday I had 2 out about 30 yards apart marking the bend of a roadbed and another boat drove right over one. Thousands of acres and they couldn’t avoid my 30 yard offshore spot. I guess he was too focused on the yip yap Pomeranian standing on his deck. Some people are idiots.

I may end up having to go back to storing that way. For me it worked if I kept the boxes flat but I couldn’t really store them vertically or the baits would ball up at one end. Maybe I’m being too anal about it. In the video above, Zona stores his loose in a bag. I feel like if I did that they would look like a pretzel. For some reason I can’t keep from damaging the clam shell. Pretty much all of mine have had the boot tail section crushed at some point. Even though you can try to pop it back, most of mine remain deformed and the tail no longer sits correctly. I also hate that every company seems to use different package dimensions which makes storing a hassle.

Instead of making a new post, I thought I would resurrect an old one. While I often use Keitech (and other) paddle tails, the packaging is a pain. When the clamshells are pristine, they work great. Unfortunately, they bend easily (especially the paddle sections) and they never seem to return to form. The packaging sizes of different brands also varies making storage awkward. I have looked everywhere for generic clam shell or blister packs to replaced damaged packs. My preference would be to find deeper blister packs (not clam shells) that can slide back into a package. I have even considered having some made but most I have found require a 1000 unit order. Has anyone found someone who makes blister packs in more reasonable quantities? Below is an image of some Keitech’s stored in a Shadalicious blister pack and for me, it works better than the original clamshell and the size is consistent without excess plastic for advertising or hanging. I would even be willing to split the cost of a run and would be fine giving the excess quantities away to others on the site.

Said it before and I’ll say it again. Have your gear sent to the neighbors house. Just make sure the wife isn’t good friends or you’ll be in even bigger do do.

Why not take a second reel spooled with fluoro…it only takes a few seconds to change out reels. IMO, 20lb mono is not a great choice for jerkbaits. The strength is overkill and the larger diameter floating line is going to influence the jerkbaits performance.

I would not mess with it…that’s an excellent topwater as is. There are a number of similar pencil popper style baits (I.e. the Berkley Cane Walker) and they are all 3 treble baits. I have caught a lot of bass on them and the more hooks I can get in the fish the better. They will almost always have 2 hooks in them by the time you land them.

For me it would partially depend on water clarity and fishing pressure. In clear or heavily pressured water, I would normally downsize. Otherwise, summer is the season I use larger worms more frequently. Not saying you can’t catch bass on big worms in clear/pressured water, just that I usually start by downsizing.

I never think about it…that’s what your thumb is for. Without using my thumb, most of my casts would consistently go past my intended target. IMO, the most important thing is getting your lure on line. You can adjust the distance as the lure gets close to the target.