kikstand454

Rods- shimano, Abu Reels- shimano, quantum, daiwa Line - yozuri and power pro.

As far as I know. ..yes. the newer ( pt and above) have an external centrifugal brake. Now. .... the older ones, the skinny oval grey ones with silver on the front, they have a dial as well but I'm not sure if it is magnetic or acs. I want to say that it is acs where as the pt and above is "acs2". Edit: either way- my accurists are some of the most trouble free reels I own. Good stuff.

The four accurists I have- are all ACS.

X3 2) use what ever is on the reel NOW as backing. ... 3) Palomar or improved cinch knot for me.

Gammy skipgaps - 2/0, 3/0. Best hook around for a fluke.

12# yozuri hybrid.

Holy cow what a deal! I want a Slayer baaaaaddddd! OP- to add to the above advice, you're full load should only be 2/3 of the kayaks rating for optimal performance and draining. So you would actually be looking for a 5-600# yak. That being said, I do just fine almost at my kayaks Max..... but I MUST use scupper plugs or I'm getting wet. If $400 dollars is your budget including paddle and pfd, then craigslist is your only hope. I got my tarpon140 off craigslist with paddle and pfd for $400- so it is doable.

If you part with them, let me know. I have some hand me downs that I use for my inshore kayak fishing. Four of them in fact. Lol. DVT, I may have to treat myself to a supertune for Xmas.

If you paid for it with a credit/debit card and or used your academy rewards card- then you won't need the receipt. Its a house brand rod - they know you didn't get it somewhere else. Its worth a shot. ....they're normally pretty good about it.

Ditto

^ this. Other ideas: shaky head, flutter spoon.

As both a bass fisherman, and a bass player ( no treble) ..... I approve.

I think the best black Friday deals are on store brands. Last year I got an academy brand h2o mettle reel for $26. This year I will buy 3 if I can.

Bogo some old stock veritas rods in a medium power and I will buy them.

....... its been my experience that if you just continue your retrieve, most buzzbait bites- and topwater bites in general- can be hook ups. Most people see the splash and either jerk the lure away ( what I believe you're doing. ..) or stop their retrieve and wait till they "feel" the fish. The latter is better than the former, but it still gives the fish chance to not only have time to spit the lure, but it also introduces slack into the equation. . We don't do these things with crankbaits or spinnerbaits or what have you- why do we do them with topwaters? When a bass comes up and breaks the surface for a lure- it really, really doesnt want to be there . It has spent its entire life avoiding the surface, and its coloration and habits of hiding under and around cover have evolved from avoiding predation from above. Your average bass strike on a topwater is an up and down motion- or a hit and run back to cover motion of some form or another. So with this in mind. ... if you just keep your retrieve going, the fish and the rod will do most of the work themselves. Much like a crankbait bite. Or.....a single hook bait such as a buzzbait, I treat it like a spinnerbait. ...where I just keep reeling and when the fish loads the rod, THEN I basically sweep set the hook. I think all the excitement of a topwater bite has led to bad habits. When I get a blow up, I laugh and keep doing what I'm doing. ...and see if the fish hooks up. Jmho

Any fish, on any topwater. But I really, really like stalking tailing redfish at first light in my kayak.

Keep them inside in the AC and they will last a long long time. Think about how long some baits sit on a shelf at big box stores warehouse, then back rooms, then shelves. You'll be fine.

No. It doesn't. ....until it does. ......

^^^ kayakers do it all the time. For that matter a few weeks ago, I was punching mats in my kayak.

? I wouldn't call the ride115 "fast". Awesome, stable fishing platform. ....yes. but fast? If you want speed and hence the ability to extend your range. ... you need two things. A skinnier kayak (read: you're not standing up in it) and you need a longer one too. Longer kayaks track much better and come through rough water better as well. Off the top of my head, I would say the fastest two sit on tops I can think of are the WS tarpon 140 or 160 and the OK trident 15. You can comfortably paddle these kayaks at about the same speed you can idle a powerboat. For the type of thing you're talking about though. ... I think the ride115 would be great. Or the aforementioned coosa, the native ultimate12 or the native slayer12. Basically most companies 12ft offerings. Keep in mind though. ... you're current pescador ( being a tarpon) is going to be the "fastest" of all these boats.

I used to get it at sports authority. Now I have to order it from TW or eBay.

12# yo zuri hybrid

You have already tried a wilderness system kayak. .... the pescador your in love with is a pre-'09 WS Tarpon120, rebadged by perception to sell in box stores. I have the '09 Tarpon 140- its great in the ocean, rivers and lakes. Its fast. You will not be standing up in it to do anything. That being said, most manufacturers have different models designed to be specific for a "type" of fishing. But it really comes down to ones personal preferences, physical abilities, skill set, and price/ perception of value. I really, really want a Native Slayer140. Really really bad. *shrug*

There's something for everyone on Seminole right now. Do what you like to do most and see if that produces. Otherwise. ..... warm water still? Frogs and punching mats. Cooler/cold water- traps! And more traps! Cold? - jerkbait time! Also. ... jigs on channel breaks I haven't been lately so I don't have an up to date report. ... but my best guess would be topwater early, frogs and punching as the sun rises. If you get there and the water is <70° ....you may want to toss a trap and/or squarebill around the mats and adjacent grass flats. Good luck.

Whatever you decide- for the best CHEAPEST combos, look no further than academy's h20 line of rods and reels. The mettle reel is awesome and I ever heard good things about their house rods as well. With the holidays coming, you should be are to catch them on sale for less than $40 each.