Darren.

Might it be Harwood's Mill Reservoir? If so, yes, that's where I got my PB of 7.5!

She's a beaut! Salad and all!

I can tell you that I avoided as much of the "big water" as I could here at Gaston. Sticking close to shore and so on. Even so, there were plenty of knuckleheads who disregarded the "No Wake" zones even when they looked right at me. PFD 100% of the time!! Okeechobee is on my bucket list. I'd definitely hire a guide there.

Welcome aboard, Joe. Sorry, mate, no idea what you've got there, but I totally agree with @Maxximus Redneckus that you've got bones galore in that there fish.

The manager's name is Vic, he's a great guy, quite knowledgable and can help you with a lot of kayak knowledge, even if you don't end up buying from him.

I wish I could say Gaston has been that awesome. Can say that I've had ZERO skunks, which is good. My youngest scored the biggest fish, a 6-7 pound catfish. Weighed on my Boga, but my old eyes could only find the major marks in low light, alas. I learned a pattern from an old timer that works here, according to him, but I didn't have success fishing it tonight. Was in a smaller body (Lizard Creek) but probably would have had better luck on the main body with deeper waters. Ah well. We will likely vacation here again. Has been absolutely wonderful. Fantastic lake. I'd love to find a guide and get properly schooled to fish this body of water.

Good gravy man, that's a fantastic blow up. At Lake Gaston on vacation, threw a big jitter bug and got a fantastic hit, no take. I threw a wacky worm to follow quickly (hey @A-Jay they really do work) and hauled in the little fella. I dream of big bass hitting topwater baits....

Absolutely best way is to get yourself in as many kayaks as possible before putting down your hard-earned $$ on one. We all have favorites, but we're also different body types, have different desires as for what we are looking for in a yak. For me, I wanted a hybrid and it was between the WS Commander and the Native Ultimate. I got to sit in each and felt *for me* the Ultimate was the better fit. Both are excellent hybrids. Just about every brand makes great fishing yaks now-a-days.

I'm with @Bluebasser86, they're my stick of choice, esp., when on sale. I do stock up on certain GYCB colors that are not in other brands, though....

Sweet cat! And yeah, the glove was quick thinking. Good to give it perspective.

A happy birthday to you, and congrats on the sweet catch!

Welcome aboard, Joe!

You want to be careful using scuppers unless they were meant for (reinforced) for a cart, like Hobie's. That said, you can build a sweet one with some reinforced hose from Home Depot, 12" wheels from Northern Tool, and a few other parts. Or buy the best out there: http://paddlelogic.com/trailtreker-kayak-carts.html

Welcome aboard, Olivier!

Welcome aboard, Skooter!

Not sure of the kayak stores on the South Side, but in Hampton (just a little ways down from the Bass Pro) is Appomattox River Company. They are great folks and have a number of new yaks you can sit in. However, if you want to keep your spending down, you should look at used models, or even previous year model kayaks. My $300 yak from BJ's was sufficient to get me off shore and on to fish I never would have seen otherwise. But it also showed me what I *wanted* in a kayak. For one, the ability to stand and fish. So it had to be wide and stable. I settled on the Native Ultimate 12, but since then, a TON of standable kayaks have hit the market - and you can find some pretty good ones at the Bass Pro in Hampton...

Welcome aboard, Dylan!

Welcome aboard, LT! On the Peninsula myself, so don't know much about the South Side other than what other guys have told me. And yeah, Lake Prince is supposed to be a fantastic place with some plate-sized bluegill. I think a state record or something close came outta Prince if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure a lot of the guys on that side of Hampton Roads will chime in with areas you can fish. If you are up to it, I highly recommend getting a kayak (I started with a $300 fishing yak from BJ's Wholesale Club) so you can hit areas off shore to broaden your reach.

D. A. N. G. Beast!!

Congrats!

Welcome aboard, Brad!

Welcome aboard, Eric!

Welcome aboard!

Excellent crappie! Nicely done.

Excellent catch!