Bluebasser86

You're probably right in the middle of the fall transition time in your area, which is tough fishing. We're still at the tail end of it here with the fish finally starting to hit the banks and feeding up. You're in a bit of a tough spot because of fact that you're in a kayak. Normally, the best way to fight the spread out fall fish is to tie on a moving bait and be mobile, cover water and try to contact as many active fish as possible, but that's not really an option for you in yak. So what you might be best off doing is finding those high percentage areas and really picking them apart. Places like mainlake and secondary points (secondary probably getting the nod at this point with fish moving back into coves with the bait), would be some of the main spots I would target. Try several different baits and try to contact any active fish that may be in the area.

If you were going multipurpose, that would probably be your best option. Cranking is one of those techniques I feel you really benefit from having a dedicated combo for though if you can afford it.

I've been fishing the red, 8.1:1 model for a couple months now. It's a solid reel that's done everything I've asked it to. I'm using it with 20lb braid for bigger topwater walking baits and ploppers but would have no issues fishing a jig on it. The cast controls are easy to adjust and seem to have more input on the cast than some of their other reels do. I'm not personally a big fan of Lew's, great reels but I hate the handles and have had longevity issues with the lower end reels.

I fish a lot of days it doesn't make it to 30 for a high lol. I stay home if it gets to 50 during the winter. The fishing is always terrible and there will be 50 or more boats on both power plant lakes. I fish during the week, add in cold temps and I enjoy a lot of solitude on the water in the winter, it's great. Doesn't hurt that I almost always catch my biggest bass of the year during the winter months either.

This is the TCS model I would get for cranking; TCS-C-701MH A 8-15 LBS 3/8-3/4 OZ 9+TIP 7'0" MH M/MF Personally, I don't like a moderate action for bladed jigs (I don't fish swimjigs much at all), but others do. I think it really depends a lot on personal preference. I felt I missed a lot of fish on the moderate action and feel I need more a jig type rod with the big single hook.

I have a Big Game Prowler II. I consider myself to be pretty stable, no way I could stand and fish in it. I'm 6' 220 FWIW. I also hate the rod pod in the center of it. I'd much rather have an open floor design. I got it for so cheap I couldn't pass up the deal though.

I'd guess a big catfish. Even a really big snapping turtle doesn't fight very hard, especially in cold water. I've caught some 20+lb snappers and it's just like dragging in a log, even on fairly light gear. A big catfish will swim off slowly and would be hard to get the hook to hold if you stuck it in the tooth pad in the roof of it's mouth. The other wild card would be a beaver swimming through your line. Happened to me last winter with a jig and I couldn't slow that sucker down even with 20lb test and a heavy jig rod. Thankfully the hook didn't penetrate it's tough skin and it just popped off.

I've fished a few bodies of water where getting a topwater bite is extremely difficult. Put on a subsurface bait and it's game on, so it isn't like they aren't biting, just won't come to the surface for some reason.

Savings not so much, but I've been putting in the max amount my employer allows and they match that amount since I started in LE when I was 21 (32 now). I'll be eligible for full retirement from my current department with all the benefits for my wife and I for the rest of our lives, when I'm 53 and have 30 years of service with them. Once things are paid off like my wife's student loans and some other foolish debts we got ourselves into, then we'll be able to save some money as well. My career isn't glamorous, it's tasking on the mind, body, and soul some days, but I'm sticking with it knowing that if it doesn't kill me first it will allow us to live a good life when the work is done.

Either 12 or 15 Big Game is what I would suggest as well and the line I use a lot of the time for the baits mentioned.

I sold all my E and I series Curados and now own several Okuma reels, both the regular Helios and the Helios TCS, as well as a few others. I really like them and I don't feel like I'm paying extra for a name like I did with Shimano. You can find them for way less than retail price (the regular Helios even cheaper), which is just another bonus. I've got one of their new Helios SX reels that are super nice too that they just came out with this year. Quite a bit more expensive, but man is it sweet!

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Haven't tried them but I was so unimpressed with the KVD Sexy Frog that I doubt I end up trying either of them.

Welcome!

The Rozante has a tungsten weight transfer ball that makes them cast like a bullet for a little bait, makes a very distinct "click" noise every cast you make. I actually fish them on a spinning rod with 8lb test but they'll fish on casting gear just fine too. Very similar size to the LC Pointer 78, but they cast way better, similar in price too, big difference is they come with super sticky hooks while the LC comes with mediocre hooks imo.

TW usually has Seaguar on sale for their 25 days of Christmas at about the best prices of the year.

There's usually one of these that runs every fall that does pretty well until the temps warm up and hunting winds down. I'm starting to get some bucks on the trail camera behind the house but don't know if I'll have time to hunt this year. No big ones, especially for Kansas, but being able to take them out of your own back yard is pretty special. It was a foggy morning but you can still make out the rack and body of this one, looks like a decent deer anyways, he's facing straight towards my stand in the picture, I'm sure he walked right past it.

Bottom contact baits, and I use mono or copolymer for some of those as well.

Hey the prices aren't as bad as I thought, a guy can dream ?

Interesting to note that it seems all of your DD's were caught during the hotter times of the day? That was the case both times I've been as well.

And I've run out of ways to say I'm jealous ?

You poor guys had to be getting worn out by now didn't you? Fighting all those big fish ?

Cassidee has been going with me almost her whole 6 years. Chloe is only about 6 months and still getting the hang of it, but once she calms herself down and starts relaxing like Cass does the whole time, she'll be good. Cassidee is an expert in boat relaxation though.

Tatsu if you can afford it, InvisX if not. On a side note, zero reason to use fluoro for the applications you described imo. Save yourself some money and get a good mono or copolymer for cranking and moving baits.