Darren.

Nice report. I can't agree more with @A-Jay, wear a PFD 100% of the time. I know it can get hot and sweaty, but that's a tiny irritant compared to capsizing and hitting your head on something that knocks you out and you drown. I see too many kayakers and canoeists on the water w/o a PFD on. Of course you only need to have one with you, not *on* you. But it will only work if it is *on* you...

I can only say "maybe" if they also have products for boaters...which some do around lakes and such. @Choporoz gave you a link, so that might take care of your attempt to find some.

Welcome aboard, James!

I can't speak for him, but my kayak is a hybrid, sits really low to the water and I have a bunch of holes in it. In fact, I even changed where my foot tracks are. I simply patched the holes and I'm good to go. Drilling into a kayak is not something to be afraid of It hurts when you first do it tho. Just use the proper marine goop and you're all set. There are a lot of different trolleys out there, including DIY. If you have a West Marine or store like that, you can piece the kit together, or use the Harmony, Yakattack, or visit some online stores like austinkayak.com and paddleva.com and check theirs out.

Wow. Sorry you feel that way. But don't buzz a kayaker, please. Think of a kayaker like a motorcyclist on the road...or better yet, a cyclist. They can be super irritating, but a close buzz to one can do some real damage. I know you're ranting, and I'm not taking any offense. But a couple things to consider. First of all, pretending to fish is not what we do. Just because you have a boat does not make you better than kayakers. Yes, there are plenty of newbie kayak fishermen that have no clue what they are doing. But that is not all of us. Those people irritate me, too. It's a craze, yes, but it'll pass eventually.

Welcome aboard! Yup, the Flea Market is what yer looking for.

Ditto. I still haven't stopped modding my yak after years of owning it. I'm always looking to streamline and simplify the outfitting. Less is more in many cases.

agree with flyfisher, what specifically do you want to do with your new yak? modify it with a crate, rod holders, anchor trolleys, a trolling motor, etc.? kind of yak would also be helpful as not all are very easy to mod.

I'm having a real problem with your picture If it is in your gallery, you have the option to change it's orientation from upside down to rightside up.

Welcome aboard, Bucky! I think a MF will be fine, although Croix rods tend to be a tad stiffer than their rating. I had a MXF Avid thinking it would be great for what I used it for, didn't like it. Granted a MF might have been better, but the rod broke and I ended up trading up to a MLXF Legend Tourney. That rod is *awesome*. I did find the Avid to be more tip-heavy than I like, have not tried the X series as @Steveo-1969 mentions, but he's right. It (and the Avid) get a lot of love here. As for braid, you'll be fine with either. I use 10# PP which has a 2# diameter, and 15# PPSS8 which has a 4# diameter. I always use a leader to keep from cutting and retying my braid during a trip too often. Plus I have 100% confidence in using a leader...

Awesome, Tim! Zander is like our Walleye?

Very difficult to qualify "most sensitive", as it is a subjective thing. I find my Carbonlites "sensitive", but not as much as my Legend Tournament. My Avid was somewhere in between, and my Premiere below the CL... This is just me and the way these rods feel in my hands. I also think braid mainline *really* helps the sensitivity issue.

Daiwa's reputation is pretty great. There are a lot of Daiwa fans on the board here. I'm sure some will chime in soon. If it were me, I'd pick a Shimano. I've got a Chronarch 50e and it's a stellar reel. I've also got a Daiwa Lexa which is an excellent reel, as well, tho not in the Chronarch's class. That said, I'm not in the market for casting reels any time soon. I've been concentrating more on my spinning setups these days. I don't have experience with Ardent reels.

Welcome aboard! If the choice is between those two, I'd pick the Tatula.

Welcome aboard, Mike! Beautiful brownies!

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard! Here's to a speedy recovery!

If the braid is the mainline, I always use it to tie that knot. Never the leader. Hope I understand you correctly.

Nice pix, tho sideways! That looks like a hefty lady on the bed!

The boys and I took "Mom"/My wife out to see the movie today - her idea - and we enjoyed it. Not the best, but good. Actually thought it slow in a few parts (story development), and the "civil war" thing is still taking me time to digest. The makers certainly put us in a position of choosing sides, but hating every minute of it, seeing the "right" of each side. Not sure I'd give it an A. Rogue One does look good, another "not sure" is "Independence Day: Resurgence". How much more destruction can the world take! LOL

That was the guys from Saltwater Experience: They call it the J-knot, but it is actually what you are describing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nasG2Wy8wD8

Kudos to @mojojojo & anyone who can tie this knot!! Seriously. I mean it sincerely. For me, I've tried several times and been nothing but frustrated each and every time. And tie it while I'm out in my kayak?! No sir. It may be the slimmest, but far from the easiest to tie, esp. with 10# or 15# Power Pro and 6-8# leader line. In fact recently I found that the Uni-to-Uni goes through the micro guides on my Legend Tournament better than even the Alberto! I think the reason is length of the knot. The UniX2 is short while the Alberto is longer. I think that length was causing me to get hung up at the tip top often. No more with the uni-to-uni. My experience and I'm sticking to it

Uni-to-Uni is excellent, as is the Mod'd Albright/Alberto.

It is braid + leader for everything in my book.

Welcome aboard! When I got back in the hunt the articles on this site were immensely helpful to me. I highly recommend you read up on it. As well, the forums were and continue to be the place to find great tips, help, how-to and such. Personally, I would start by finding laydowns and docks. Throw some TX rigged worms in natural colors (watermelon, green pumpkin, junebug, etc.). Fish it slow. When you think you're slow enough, slow down some more. My favorite rig is the wacky rig. I use that more than anything other than the dropshot now-a-days. There are articles on each of these, as well as videos that can get you "re- started". Good luck!