Darren.

Well, as an owner of two Shimano Stradics, I will recommend the ... Daiwa Lexa 2000SH. Not trying to sound like a Daiwa schill, but dang, this is easily as smooth as my stradics, if not moreso. I'm super impressed. Over ebay you can find it for $100-110.... .02 Lots of great reels out there. I'm just really impressed with Diawa's entire Lexa line.

As an owner of a Native Ultimate 12, I am also a big fan of the Hobie Pro Angler 12. If I had a spare ~$3k I'd quite likely buy the PA12 over any other yak on the market. But I still love my NU12. It is a heck of a kayak, and infinitely customizable. Owners of the PA 12 will tell you that you can flutter the fins in shallow water and move around just fine. Standing is easy. With my Native Ultimate 12, standing is also easy. The boat is extremely stable. I stand in it all the time. I often stand and paddle to get a vantage into the water. It is much lighter than the PA12. The NU12 is similar to the Wilderness Systems Commander. They are all great, stable yaks. If you can get some sit-in time at a local kayak shop up in the DC area, you will be the better for it. You might be surprised what you fall in love with.

x2

Don't do it!! Just kidding. All I know is your expenses will go up, taxes, trailer registration, gas, blah blah blah. But seriously, if I could afford one, I'd have one, if for nothing else than to take the family out on the water for skiing, fishing, and general fun.

Welcome Tartan! You'll really enjoy the learning bit. I would start in the articles section, lots of great info there. Personally, I'd graduate you to the wacky rig. It is easy, fun, and catches fish. Rather than lay it out here, just search for "wacky" in the forums and start reading

Fantastic beasts there, Zurg. Awesome start to the year.

Very fun day! Nice vid, Hanover.

Welcome to the forums, Jolly Green!

Great catch!

Welcome Mike, nice hawg in your avatar!

Now-a-days I couldn't do all I want with just one, but I could maybe get away with two rods. In fact, at this stage in the season, I'm only taking two rods in my kayak: 6'3" Avid MLXF spinning 6'6" Premier MXF casting I primarily fish soft plastics, but have with me a box of hard lures including cranks, lipless cranks, some spinnerbaits, and an assortment of others. My M rod handles most of the lures, the ML can handle some of the lighter stuff, if I even throw hard lures. They're with me, just-in-case. Anyhow, I do not fish as many techniques like a lot of the folks here do, so I don't *need* a lot of rods (though my wife says I have too many). The two I mentioned have replaced my Compre rods, a Quantum, and a Field & Stream on the yak. Not that I won't take some of those with me at times, but I have become a huge fan of St. Croix of late, and they're more than adequate to the task(s) I am using them for.

I'll throw a slightly different take into the mix. But first, I'll agree that more sensitive (usually = expensive) rods give much better feel for bottom-contact fishing. That said... The different take, weight. My new favorite rod is a 6'3" Avid MLXF spinning rod. Why? It is paired up with my new Lexa 2000SH spinning reel and perfectly balanced -- LIGHT tip for me which means less strain on my elbow(s) fishing for extended periods with that rod. Couple that with this being a wacky/TX/split-drop setup, the sensitivity is amazing. Now I also own Stradics and they're paired with my Shimano Compre spinning rods. They are great combos, but not as tip-light as the Avid/Lexa combo. And honestly, for the money, I'd buy another Lexa spinning reel over a Stradic at this point. That's me. I'll point to Pat Cullen, guy's caught a thousand 10 pounders using Ugly Stiks -- but moving baits. I'll never catch that many (okay, never say never). I haven't even scored my first double-digit bass. So it can be done on inexpensive gear with great success.

Welcome aboard!

It is a favorite in my household (not of my wife's, but my boys and me). Enjoyed the Chernobyl episode quite a bit.

I don't remember the first time. I'm one of those people who doesn't remember a lot of their childhood. Only bits and pieces and "big" memories.... But I have snippets of being out with my Dad and fishing for bream, etc. As well as a snippet when I let my Dad's prized ultralight slide off the boat deck into the depths of Conesus Lake in NY...

When I catch a double-digit, I'll let you know :wink:

Welcome aboard!

100 bass in 5 hours is more like destroying the skunk and then some!

Welcome aboard, Trent!

Welcome, Casey!

Welcome to the forums, Rodney!

Wow, dude. Japan visit on my bucket list. Not just for sushi, but to oogle over the JDM fishing gear from Shimano and Daiwa, and whatever other brands they've kept secret from us.

I've got a Garmin Echo 100, and it's pretty much as Hanover says, a bottom finder. I can find fish, but I use it more for contour, etc. In fact, I only take it out when I want to scout out new areas now-a-days. Reason being that I already know most of the reservoir areas I catch bass at. What I'd use a lot more are DSI models, again, as Hanover mentions. But at this point in time, those are simply unaffordable and low on the priority list for me. Oh, the Garmin is an excellent little unit. Sturdy, very easy to set up. They're all pretty good these days. Don't think you can go wrong with Lowrance, Garmin, or H'bird.

Welcome aboard!

I use P-Line Floroclear in 6-15 lb tests depending on things like whether I'm throwing in laydowns or open water conditions. I have been using XPS Fluorocarbon in 8lb test (a spool I've had for about 2 years I decided to pick up and try again) on one of my spinning outfits, as well. Been working great, holding strength very well. Yo-Zuri Hybrid from 6-10 lb test, but more or less a backup or when I simply feel like switching from P-Line FC for a change. These are all used as leader material only. My spinning outfits are spooled with 10 lb yellow Power Pro as mainline, and my main baitcaster has 20 lb yellow Power Pro. You can certainly switch to 8 lb test and see if its smaller profile scores you more hits. It may or may not.