Darren.

Congrats!

Paradise, indeed! Although some would call it a jungle with too many beasts that can kill ya! (Not me, but some, LOL). My older brother and I would love to participate in a python round up down there! However, I'd be tough to pull from hunting peacock bass to snake hunt.

It just couldn't resist whatever you were offering! Nice coloration on the crappie.

Holy cow! You ain't kiddin'!! Congrats on some real lovely ladies!

Hi all, there's been recent discussion on how to car top a kayak. So I thought I'd throw out my own DIY to y'all. Hope it helps someone out! The suction item is from Northern Tool: A Grip 4-Head Suction Cup Dent Puller, cost is $10, I cut it down the middle of the handle to break into two pieces. A 1 1/4" PVC slides over it securely, but you can either heat-gun the PVC and press on to mold it, or you can drill in and screw to handle, etc. Since I have a fairly wide hull with my Native U12, some side-load ideas just wouldn't work. So I took general ideas and made a mount that works for me and might for you. Pix below, captioned but I didn't post lengths of the PVC as each person's modification should be made to fit their hull. Starting with the complete setup, kayak mounted so you can see what it looks like first.... Weight may be an issue for your yak. Mine is 55# empty, this supports and rolls just fine. To beef up you can use suitable wood dowels through various parts, and simply gluing it all together will also add rigidity. Part II, breakdown.

Welcome aboard! Sounds like you were looking in the $100 range for a spinning reel. I'm also a Shimano guy for spinning and use Shimano Stradics. You can find them in the mid-$100 range up to about $230 depending on model. I prefer 1000 size, but the 2500 is what most consider a standard size for bass fishing, tho there's no true accepted standard.

This is a subjective question...as so many have stated, it depends. Line, lure weight, etc. I'm not sure what "normal priced setup" really means, either. $50-100? $100-200? I have spooled one of my Stradic 1000 FI reels. The arbor knot saved the day . Have come close to spooling my "super-tuned" Chronarch 50e, as well. Both when casting heavier lures. Probably easier to do with my setups since they're smaller and hold less line than a 2500 or 200.

We'll be seeing 4 of these along the back of one of the boats on a saltwater fishing show pretty soon. Because you can never get to the wrecks fast enough. Or you can never outrun a storm fast enough. Dang. That thing's a beast.

Based on all the pictures at TW, it looks like you've got everything.

I must be missing where it says 5+1 on the site. However, if I were to guess, I'd imagine the handle being spinning and casting count as 2? Then the rest of the rod is 3, 4, 5 and the case is +1? Except this: I assume then, the handle breaks apart?

Yeah, so are you a size 7 or...13? Perspective is everything!! LOL. Would love to have a couple days like that on my local reservoirs.

Looks like a *fairly* good two days

Welcome aboard, Richard! Probably should have a moderator move this to Introductions. But good stuff and quite true about the amazing resource that is Bass...Resource! Has helped us all, and continues to.

Sweet! Congrats!

Man, not a whole lotta stuff you can do if it's a public place with others around....if it's isolated, then a tree is your best bet... Has hit me while out on the water, and when loading up at the dock. You find a way if it can't be held.

Yanny. Actually sounded more like "yammy" to me... <ducks, runs for cover from @J Francho>

I run flukes thru the top when nose hooking.

Welcome aboard! Probably a spawning or roving female. They are tough to catch no matter what you throw at them. Though being in Texas, I'm not sure when the spawn is over there.... We've all had those big girls shrug off everything we throw at her....

I've researched them, they're great tech, super light, but as you point out, prohibitively expensive. I'd love to have a 10 pound Lithium battery that provides as much juice as a lead acid trolling battery....

Well now, that makes much more sense. At least another person had a snake bite kit. I actually keep one in one of my fishing kits. As much of a snake guy as I am (collector, etc.), I would never attempt to pick up a venomous snake w/o proper tools, and even then, I probably wouldn't. Granted, he did not know what it was...and that's part of the smarts. If you don't know/can't identify, DON'T! Like others, I was suspect of this because rattlers are rarely, if ever, in a tree. But not impossible, so I figured it was one of those rare circumstances. Black Rat snakes, and other colubrids are often in trees and a far more likely "drop", tho it would have been an accidental slip on the snake's part. Anyhow, good that the truth came out. Glad he'll be ok.

Lived in the Dallas area during my teen years. Don't recall much flooding, certain there was some, and most definitely recall the fire ant menace.

Flooding does present a whole other set of circumstances when it comes to wildlife. Thinking of not just snake dis- placement, but fire ant colonies (islands). *shudder*

Totally agree with @J Francho that weight does not equal stability. Similar to his Commander is my Native Ultimate 12 which weighs 55lbs empty. Serious stability, and the most important, secondary stability - when you go past the first point and suddenly you feel stable again. Both our yaks are hybrids, part canoe, part kayak. Probably two of the lightest-yet-stable fishing kayaks out there

Welcome aboard!