Darren.

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.

Great stuff, man! Nice fish.

Welcome, Leeuwin! Florida folks will help with where. Can you give us an idea of what you already have and use for fishing? For folks beginning, I like to recommend using soft plastics like Senkos, and such. Rig them in the wacky style, or the Texas style and cast to fallen trees, stumps and such in the water. Wacky is simply tying the hook on and piercing a Senko perpendicular to the hook, right about in the middle of the worm. As it drops down the water column it presents a shimmy (dances a little) that bass find hard to resist. Hooks: Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse in size 1 or 2 are my favorites. Texas rigging simply hooks up the worm in the same direction as the hook. You can find all the info you could want doing a search in the forums here for "wacky rigging" and "texas rigging".

There's really no one best way to do wacky (IMHO). This season I am using weighted wacky rigs more than in years past. I'm using Buckeye rigs I picked up at BPS in 1/16, 1/8, 3/8 oz. Heavier weight on my baitcaster. All the hooks are 1/0, larger than I normally have used for wacky presentation, but it hasn't mattered. My main non-jig wacky hooks are Gamakatsu Wide-Gap Finesse in a size 1 or 2 (I go down to 4 as well). Caught my PB on a size 1 of these hooks. As far as baits, I love the Zoom Finesse worms, and I love GYCB Senkos. But I also use BPS Stick-O worms, all predominately in the 4-5" range. As far as hookups, you can have a bad hookup on virtually any hook. Some like long shank hooks for wacky, some like short, among others. IMO try several varieties of hooks and see which you like the best. I personally think small hooks are plenty capable of handling large fish, but they need to work with the bait you're using. Too big a worm on a #2 hook and you may miss that hookup simply because there was too much plastic to hold well....

That's a pretty fun video to watch. I've been out a number of times over the last couple weeks, and caught the majority of bass on my 6'6" Premier + Lexa 100H combo. Now in my Native Ultimate, I've rejigged some things this year, including my seating position. I'm higher up now than ever. Even when seated lower, pitching wasn't too difficult, now it's even better. But I tend to stand and pitch more with no problems (either spinning or BC). I've also reduced the number of rods I'm taking to 2 (unless I *need* more). With my new setup, I can slide stuff under my seat, so I no longer take my crate and store rods vertically. So I worry less about catching a rod behind me now. Made my life a lot easier.

I whooped and hollered and high-fived him. I was probably more stoked than he was.

Yep! That's what its all about!! Well done, young lady!

I've had most success with a 4 or 5" weightless Senko-style bait dropped in the disturbance, ASAP.