Darren.

I've just started fishing a jig again in October, normally I don't, but it was staring at me every time I opened a particular box of lures, LOL. Anyway, I've been experimenting and have found that a slow drag across the bottom is the best in my waters. By best I mean most productive. I keep my index finger just under the line. Like Sam said, it can be very very slooooow.... When I get a strike, I react on instinct, it seems. After the fish I try to replay what I felt. As well, when I get a short strike, I reel in and throw a worm. Have caught the shorties this way.

Are you close to a Bass Pro, Cabelas, or other sporting goods store? If so, take your rod in and try out several reels in your price range - on your rod. Obviously a question like this can start a fan-club war. So you already have experience with Pflueger. If you want to try another brand, you can definitely look at the Diawa Lexa in 2000 - 2500 size. I have a 2000 and love it. Also have a couple of Shimano Stradics, but those are out of your stated range. Shimano makes the Saros, which is at the top of your range. A very good reel. So Pflueger, Daiwa, Shimano are all good, solid reels. Okuma makes some good stuff. You may find one that feels perfect in your hands when you try different brands on your rod in-store.

Welcome to the forums! For some reason the pic is not showing up for me, so I can only guess based on what others have suggested. A solid 4-5 lber!

Welcome aboard!

I do it all the time from a sitting position on my kayak. Granted, my sitting position is pretty high, but yes, it can be done. I can both flip and pitch. Can't lower the rod tip like when standing, but it can be done.

I use 20# yellow Power Pro on my bait casting setups and always tie on a leader. Braid keeps line management issues at bay, the leader keeps me from cutting large amounts of the braid every time I retie a hook. Also use M Fast and M X-fast rods for soft plastics. Actually, my main rig right now for soft plastics (casting) is a ML Carbonlite 6'6" paired with a Chronarch 50e.

Welcome aboard, eh!

Thanks for the info, Tom. I use the split shot rig often, and I also enjoy Craig DeFronzo's articles. Dick Trask is not a name I see much these days. I love going back to older fishing books and articles, some things my Dad gave me. Uncle Home is one such guy I looked up to.

I buy 600 yard spools off eBay from highly reputable sellers (99.7% and up).

Wow! Really nice work and paint job on those!

I'm a soft-plastics guy and always have at least 2 of my rods rigged wacky, or wacky and mojo/TX or something like that. This week I decided to tie a jig on to one of my Chronarch 50e rods. That caught me some decent bass. I went out and bought some Booyah Baby Boo jigs last night along with some tiny paca chunk trailers. A combo of hard and soft... But I'll aways use soft plastics as my mainstay bait.

Welcome aboard, David!

I agree with fly and JFrancho, these days there are many different kayaks with excellent reputations for what you mention. The options available today are much more than when I bought my yak. A couple other names to look at are Native Watercraft, FeelFree.

Welcome to the forums! I'm fishing November like I did previous months, with soft plastics wacky rigged, both weighted and weightless. Also fishing a football head jig with a crawdad trailer, and some small (4") swimbaits. Shad are running where I fish, and everything I've mentioned is working for me.

Beautiful smallies. Man I wish we had them in our waters down here in southeastern VA!!

First, welcome to the forums! Sounds like you've tried just about everything short of dynamite or electro-fishing. I'd suggest slowing down your presentations a bit - specifically your soft plastics. Have you tried simple nightcrawlers (live)? As for treatment, is this a reservoir, or a lake in a housing community? Chemical run off from lawns, etc., can certainly impact the fish. I've fished lakes right after they've been treated with copper sulfate and had success. Not to say it doesn't have an impact.

Welcome aboard!

I'm a big fan of the Carbonlites. Have a spinning and a casting model. They are exceedingly light and worth the money, especially when on sale! Their warranty on the rods - in the first year - is pretty awesome, too. No questions asked returns.

You should be fine. My old 80 a/h batter fell out of the back of my truck as I pulled onto the road from the ramp. I used it a few more times before replacing it with an AGM battery (lighter, lower A/H for kayaking). It did leak battery acid and I did get burned by some. But the battery was none the worse for wear.

Hi Rob, welcome aboard!

Welcome home! Now you can spend the money you had for golf on fishing!

Welcome aboard!

D - double - A - NG! Nice find!

I didn't read it... Or did I?

Here in VA a citation chain pick is 4 pounds or 24". I've actually caught at least 5 over that citation mark, but never filed for the "award". Believe the longest I caught was 26-28", several were well over the 4 pound mark.