Darren.

Well, first, have a great time and be safe on the water. PFD is a must 100% of the time. Don't paddle without wearing it!! I don't have a lot of smallie experience, but I caught many when I was on a vacation via same tactics I use for large mouth bass fishing. Mostly soft plastics, finesse worms on a wacky rig, a couple caught on small cranks.

They work fine for starting rods, but IMO, better (if you stay with Ugly Stik) is the Ugly Stik Lite, or even the rods marketed for saltwater, the Ugly Stik Inshore Select rods. But for the same money, there are more sensitive rods out there, though not as durable (again, IMO).

Come on guys, ease up. Not everyone is at the same place with searching skills, questions, or fishing skills. These questions come up all the time, and always will!

Ah this question again! Not the first time asked, won't be the last. I like and use both. I do not like my gear big and heavy, so spinning gear is mostly 1000 size reels, and they work fantastic for all bass fishing I've done with them, even in thick cover. Caught many a 6 pounder and up with 1000 size Shimano Stradics. On the bait casting side I like small, light. So I now use Shimano Chronarch 50e models. Have some others, but those are the ones I use most of the time when BC'ing. Like JFrancho said, they're tools that do different jobs. I agree with that, but the way I fish them, I do a lot of similar techniques with each. I can throw light baits - I threw 1/16oz + 2" tiny minnows on my BC last week. Granted not far, but far enough to get to where the fish were. These things can be done with practice. I really like using BCs, but don't think they're absolutely necessary. Especially for "weekend anglers" like me. I don't fish tourneys, so I don't need a massive arsenal of rods/reels (and I don't really want a massive arsenal of such). And I also agree that there's a cool element to BCs for some. Won't go into why I think that way, though. Either way you slice it, both will get the bass into your boat.

I can't really speak for Jackson's yaks, I've seen them and touched them in-store, but never concentrated on them as they did not fit what I was looking for when I was in the market. But in terms of quality, I did notice how well molded both Native, Wilderness Systems, and Feel Free fishing yaks were. I considered all three, settled with the hybrid Native Ultimate 12. But I have read mostly good things about Jackson Coosa, and later the Cuda. Were all the models in store like that? Curious.

Welcome aboard!

That's good to know your experience. I emphasize the word "might" in my reply, but the more I read (and I've been re-reading reviews since this thread came up tonight), I may dump the idea and just do what I do now. Pull up the motor and paddle. Works for me, though when I do get hung up I have to pull over to an area I can get out and clear the prop. A pain, so pulling up and paddling has become the standard.

I've had 50 lb thrust as well. Unless there's something to cut the weeds on the prop, it may be tough. I may very well pull the trigger on one of those Kipawa props. If it solves the problem for $30, then it's all good by me.

I've upgraded my prop on my C2 30 (use on back of my yak), but find I have to pull out of weeds or I'm in trouble. The Kipawa 314 prop gets really good recommendations, claims 99% weedless, but some have complained that it burns out their motor. http://www.kipawapropellers.com/propellers.html I'd like to try one, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Hi Rich, welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard, Chris!

Welcome aboard!

Hey Nuke. Try this. Take your senko and rig it perpendicular to your hook. It's a "wacky rig". Fish it around laydowns like fallen trees, around/under docks, etc. Let the worm do the work, you need to be patient. But it is one of the most effective methods I use/have ever used to catch bass. And I can't say it enough, be patient!

Hey Sturgeon, welcome to the forums!

There's a lunker in my waters with large chrome and blue rattletrap in her mouth plus about 6 feet of line at the end of it. Not a happy day for me, that. Tis what it tis. C'est la vie.

You'll be fine. I use a 500 size for UL purposes. Actually use Stradic FI 1000 for my bass fishing. Love the smaller size, never a problem with the biggies.

I look at braid for strength, I do not try to match diameter equivalent with mono. I see no need to do that, but we are each different. I've caught some beasts on 10lb braid + leader, including my PB of 7.5 lbs in thick salad. Braid is only one part of the equation. Your drag, your leader, your rod factor in. If you set your drag too tight, you can snap your line on a hookset. You already know that, just stating the obvious. So on spinning reels I use 10 pound Power Pro, and i'll use a max of 15. I always use a mono backing. Prefer to not "waste"- in my view - an entire 150 or 300 yard spool of expensive braid. Never been spooled, so I put enough on it so as to be able to line 2 or more reels. 10 pound braid is very strong, arguably stronger than it's rating. I always tie a leader - and my leaders go from 6 - 15 lb test.

I have used both, have both, tend to use the rubber stops more. Not a huge fan of the rubber, but they're convenient. When i was using the string stops I would (sometimes) put a dab of superglue on them to keep them from unravelling. Now that was probably due to the quality of string I bought. It wasn't great. I've used other string stops that were fantastic. Have been considering using them again for TX and mojo rigs.

Totally agree. But I've heard the torqueedo UL is very loud. I'd actually consider one before a Pro Angler, to be frank. Just because it's almost 1/2 the price. and only 17 pounds in total with battery. Dang. Kinda back to the OP, If I'm not mistaken, you cannot fish a kayak tourney with an electric motor, right? I've fished with a buddy who's paddle-only, and he can outrun me for periods of time (probably because I only have a 30 lb thrust). If i had a peddle yak, there's no way he'd outrun me. So in a tourney, it stands to reason that peddle yaks can get to prime spots faster than paddle yaks. But then, a 175 will get to a spot faster than a 125 in a gas boat tourney. Both are allowed. Glad I don't fish tourneys. I can outfit my yak to my pleasure and fish as I wish!

If the Torqueedo Ultra light for kayaks is any indication, those Deep Blues must be the cost of a new car, LOL....

Same down here, but they're the smaller outboards. The one(s) I'm referring to is the Torqueedo Deep Blue: http://www.torqeedo.com/us/electric-outboards/deep-blue-for-commercial-operators-and-green-boaters

I'll hit DSG tomorrow and see what they've got here in VA. Sometimes DSG is just insane with deals. Love that place.

Indeed. Torqueedo has a full blown outboard now, though - as of last check - it is not for personal watercraft yet, just commercial uses. But that'll change, just like Harley Davidson's new electric bike. The future is green, LiON (variant) powered. If I could afford a Pro Angler, I'd probably have one, although I really like reverse. Though using a paddle for reverse isn't too difficult to negotiate out of a sticky situation. I'm not as big a fan of Native's peddle (bike) system, but it is getting better, with less effort to move faster. Heck, I built a motorized system for my Native Ultimate as I MUCH prefer hands-free fishing. Granted, I don't do tourneys, so perhaps there's a difference there.

Welcome aboard!