Darren.

LOL! Welcome aboard anyhow!

I use 10 lb yellow Power Pro + leader on spinning gear, 20 lb yellow PP on bait casters. Line watching is part of the reason. The other reason is that it is plain easier to see -- even when not line watching, per se. I switched to hi-vis lines after reading Gary Yamamoto's rationale. Green and camo'd lines, for me, are just plain hard to see. Hi-vis is easier to watch a cast for knowing "hey, thumb reel now!" And as for knots, yes, they can be seen as a weakness, but properly tied, they're not. I use, primarily, a modified albright/alberto for braid to leader. I caught my personal best of 7 1/2 lbs in thick slop with 10 lb braid + 10 lb leader. Nothing failed, obviously. And it wasn't luck. I've practiced tying knots over and over. I'm 100% confident in the leader knots I tie. Edit: added link to Gary Yamamoto's spinning article.

Sweet! Well done!

Agree. One of my reservoirs is getting slammed with algae blooms. I have been throwing weightless wacky, but find the fish are closer to the bottom, catching more when I throw a weighted wacky. But 8 out of 10 retrieves are full of one kind of algae, weed, or snot grass (also algae) or another. Pain in the butt, especially the black stuff that doesn't want to let go of your line, hook, or worm. I'd throw topwater, have done so a few times, but never had success. So I put up with the crap, mutter under my breath every time I haul in 4 pounds of reservoir crud, cast again....

Agree, always buyer beware when on auction sites. On ebay, for example, I won't buy from anyone with an under 99.6% (typically) rating. For hooks and terminal tackle, I buy retail, either online or local. Yet to buy off the flea market! If I had some cash right now, I'd snag a casting rod currently available!

Worse than dogs, IMO!!

I've organized tackle several ways over the years. I used to keep worms in original bags, but have since switched back to using 360 sized BPS boxes that allow me to store worms up to 6" long. I keep the original bags with the ones I didn't use. Jury is out as to whether I truly like this method or not. I keep 3 boxes in a large box under my raised kayak seat (along with other gear in the box). Is easy enough to slide out the big box, pop the lid and access my JJ's magic, Megastrike, and Plano-style boxes. Before this I was using the original bags in Ziplocks along with using a BPS worm bag, with each ziplock holding original bags. I will always experiment with new methods, old methods modified, etc. It's in my nature!

Agree with others, can't hurt to try 'em whenever. I've not had the best luck with blue color. Well, I used some black/blue fleck Stick-Os about a year or so ago, and caught several bass, one being a 6 pounder. That's was about the only day I had a lot of luck with the color.

Very cool fish. Almost looks photoshopped (by nature), top half a smallie, bottom a largie.

Welcome aboard, James!

Welcome aboard, Bryce!

The second pic, which I didn't see when I first posted, looks closer to a 3++ range. I find taking pix of bass my boys catch (while they're holding it), never look as plump as they actually are. This is one of the reasons I like to carry a Hawg Trough in my yak to snap a pic+measurement. Helps when I've forgotten my scale. Next best thing is what you did, snap a pic next to your rod. You can always measure the rod later, then estimate the length of your bass. But like others have said, time to buy a scale!

I'm in the 2 pound range, on the plus side..... FWIW, weight charts aren't always accurate. They tend to "average". I caught a fish the other week that should have been 5.7 pounds but my scale weighed her closer to 5. She was a tad undersized, length was great, but girth was on the shallow side. Depends on the variables.

Pflueger makes a good reel, no doubt. I really like Shimano and the new Daiwa Lexa spinning reels (ebay for around $100) for their smoothness. Shimano makes fantastic reels under $100, the Sahara, and Symetre are hard to beat. Make sure you can get to a store and "feel" each reel. That'll tell you a lot about what YOU like.

Senkos, Zoom Finesse and Trick worms are about all I use now-a-days. I've been skunked, but the days I catch far out number the days of skunkness.

I use 10 lb braid on all my spinning rigs, all have leaders as well, length varies.

Welcome aboard, Stryder! (LoTR reference?)

Welcome aboard!

Welcome!

Welcome aboard, Haylie!

Here's a recent post on wacky hooks. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/121446-wacky-rig-hooks/?hl=wacky+rig#entry1328869 Also Google the topic, there's a wealth of information on it. It is my #1 go-to setup, fished both weighted and weightless. Size of the hook can depend on the size worm you're rigging. Some guys swear by big hooks, I do not, biggest I use for wacky is a 2/0 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse. I use the same brand/style down to a size 4. Most common I use is a 1. And I have caught big bass off a size 4 on a 4" Senko. For me, Zoom Trick worms, Finesse worms and Senko-style are the best. Rig them in the middle, or if they're heavier at the head, experiment with where you place the hook. Let the worm do it's job. Wacky style lets the worm float horizontally down the water column and if the worm is a good one, it will shimmy/wiggle irresistibly to the bass. On windy days, I use a weighted wacky hook, with a weed guard. Plenty more info out there.

Nice review, RW. I have moved on from YZ Hybrid and Floroclear (for now) to XPS Fluorocarbon. 3 spools in 8, 10, and 12 lb test. So far I really like it. If this test continues to work out for me, I may eventually move up to a higher quality brand.

I use braid on all my gear, no issues like this. I always use a leader, which will add some shock absorption to the equation.

Here's an example of a great stand-and-fish yak - used: http://www.paddleva.com/new/APP02026-Wilderness-Systems-Ride-135-with-Low-Freedom-Outfitting-2013-USED-DEMO

I went out tonight (before the storms hit) and had a LOT of strikes that were telltale bluegill. Rapid hits, then nothing. As I paddled over the shallows, I could see bluegill all over the place. Mostly small ones. They were, as you say, "pecking" the surface after little bugs and such. But in my experience, there can be other species that do this, but by and large (by my experience), they are mostly bluegill.