NJBasstard

I use my Dobyns Champ XP 702sf for neds and dropshots.

I was gifted a Blackpak and added the NuCanoe hinges. Love it but not sure if I would've spent that much myself.. and if I did I'd probably get the Nucanoe crate (same as Blackpak but easier to get 3700 boxes in and out of)

Yes its 6 for $6 on certain jigs

Came here to say the CRR3 and CRR5. I have many left and still pick them up off the auction site sometimes. No experience with the 14 but might have to find a couple now.

Is the handle side plate on these aluminum or a CI4 material?

The only ones I'm seeing that are in stock are the midnight red. Dobyns website

I use what I believe is a Kershaw Cyro. It's a 2.75" half serrated blade with spring assist. I got it as a cheap EDC knife (<$40) but it's held up surprisingly well considering what I've put it through. A lot of good suggestions so far.. If I was looking at something solely for fishing I'd probably lean toward a Leatherman.

Yeah I've been fishing it in the creeks off the dirty Delaware atleast 1-2 times a week since mid November. Just cleaned it after taking the photo earlier this week. Nothing wrong with that! I was trying to stay at a certain budget and had my eye on the market for a few months before seeing this one. I think I paid a fair price and its in excellent condition so I'm happy. Might add a jon boat or another kayak this season or next for the times I have company.

I picked this up on Craigslist back in November as a birthday present to myself. Not as nice as some on here but a big upgrade for me. Gonna wait til I get more seat time before I add anything but definitely need to decide on an anchor setup soon.

I keep one of the slit foam boxes with an assortment of swing heads, swimbait heads and belly weighted hooks. I've had it for two seasons now and no complaints. Well built and the single latch is nice.

I use both but throw smaller jerkbaits on a 6'6" M/F spinning rod paired with a 2500 size reel and 8lb line.

Short answer: Casting > Shimano Spinning > Daiwa I've had a number of casting reels from Shimano, Daiwa, BPS, Lews and Abu. I always come back to Shimano. I feel they have the best ergonomics (for me), perform as good or better than others in there price range, never failed me on the water and it's always been easy getting parts. If I had to switch to something in the $100-$200 range I'd go to Daiwa. The only reason I don't still own them is because they felt a little big and didn't palm as well. The Lews Speed Spool I wasn't that impressed with. No idea on there higher end reels. I had two BPS PQ's and a Abu Revo all give up on my in less than 6 months so I stay away from those now. Spinning reels I max my budget at $150. I've had Shimano, Daiwa, Lews, Pfleuger and Abu. For around $50 I think it's hard to beat Pfleuger. At the $100-$150 range I feel Daiwa offers the best value with Shimano being a close 2nd. Cant recall the model Abu. The only Lews spinning reel I have is a Tournament Speed Spin that I wasted $100 on.

I typically use whatever rod I have in hand at the time, but a favorite of mine for texas rigged senkos is an old Kistler Magnesium TS "All Purpose Special". It's a 6'9" casting rod rated 1/8 to 5/8. The action and short handle is perfect for me wether I'm sitting or standing on the kayak or bank.. It's paired to a Curado 50E with 7:1 gears which is currently spooled with 30lb braid to a 12lb flouro leader. I use spinning for exposed hook plastics like a wacky rigged 4" senko. I'm comfortable using either but my ideal length is 6'9" to 7' for both. Any longer and I feel like I'm working harder and I'm not as accurate.

I don't own a boat so my fishing is done from a kayak or on the bank. Wether they're in a rod rack or I'm transporting them I have sleeves on my rods and covers on my reels. I also use velcro straps to keep them together when transporting in my truck. I do it to hopefully prevent accidental damage to my gear. If I break a rod today I'm not sure I could comfortably go replace it tomorrow. I do the same with my fishing stuff as I do my tools and guitars. I buy the best I can afford and take care of it in hopes that it last me a long time. If something as simple as a $8 reel cover and a $10 rod sleeve can prevent any damage than it's worth that to me.

Arky jig & craw Squarebill Fat Ika Chatterbait 5" senko

I've only tried a BassX once and didn't care for it. If your looking at Dobyns I'd consider stepping up to a Sierra and pair it with an SLX XT. For those baits I prefer the action and taper on the Sierra over the Fury and Champ of the same power. A little shopping around and you can easily be under your $300 budget. A 3 power if staying at 3/8oz or a 4 power if at 1/2oz or fishing cover.

The frame on the 50 platform is still a favorite of mine.. Curado 50E, Chronarch 50E, Scorpion XT1000, Core 50 and Aldebaran 50. Of the current Shimano lineup I'd say the Bantam is a must have. Can't comment on the 2020 Met since I haven't used one yet.

Mostly people and trash left by people. There was this one time about 5 years ago.. I drove 1hr 30mins to a small lake that doesn't get much pressure. Nobody was there so I pull right up at the ramp to unload my kayak from the bed of the truck. Go to open the door to get my gear and my doors locked and my keys on the drivers seat. Couldn't get in so I had a friend get my spare key and drive it down to me. After waiting a couple hours he finally shows up and I'm anxious to get on the water so I grab my gear and realize my paddle isn't in the truck. Not sure if that even counts as a fishing trip. I was so PO'd at myself that I packed up and went home without even wetting a line.

Finesse - 7' ML/F Spinning Cranks/Treble Baits - 7' MH/MF Casting Frogs/Thick Cover/Heavy Jigs - 7'2" H/F Casting Everything else - 7' MH/F Casting When kayak fishing I'm most comfortable with rods in the 6'6"-7'2" range, but that's just my preference. I typically carry 3 - 6 rods. I listed 4 but I could easily swap or add a couple depending on conditions and time of year.

The Crush 50X has become one of my go-to squarebills. The Hybrid Swim Crank did good for me last year too.

As of right now I keep a small assortment of belly weighted hooks, underspins, swimbait jig heads, swinging football, shaky head and whatever else in a Gamakatsu slit foam box. I actually like this since I'm able to place everything in order (hook type/weight/size), it all stays in it's place and is easy to access. At the end of the day I look in the box and it's easy to see if anything needs to be replaced. I don't use spinning a ton so I also have my spinning box which is a double sided 3600 Plano Worm Stowaway. One side is drop shot baits, weights and hooks for the day. The other side is ned baits and hooks. I normally have some spare wacky hooks somewhere in there.. My regular plastics and trailers are in a KVD worm bag. All of my various worm hooks, weights, clips, bobber stops, spare trebles, spare split rings ect. are in a standard EDGE box and not as organized as I'd like. I like the standard Edge 3600 & 3700 and I love the jig box, but not sure if either of the terminal box would be worth it to me yet. Theres also the $15 terminal box from Academy I've been tempted to try. I fish from a kayak or on the bank. That has an impact on how I pack and sort things so I'm not sure if any of this helps.

Rods No brand loyalty. Preferred length 6'8"-7'2" Cork grip. Split or full. No micro guides. ECS reel seat is preferred. Casting Reels Shimano. How a reel palms is #1 for me. Using 6.?:1 ratios for most moving baits and the 7's and 8's for top water & bottom contact. Grips matter more than handle length. No preferred spool size as long as it holds 70-80 yards of whatever mainline I plan to use. Spinning Reels No brand loyalty. 2000 or 2500 size. AR is a plus. No T-handles for me.

I use the Baby Menace in black blue flake and falcon lake craw. I haven't tried the Baby Bug.

Lucky Crafts MS American Shad

Mine would be a 6'6" MH/F St Croix Triumph paired with a 2000 size Lews Tournament Speed Spin. I've had that combo for around 7 years now but I'm just not a fan of the rod or reel. The rods action is a lot more moderate than it is fast. It occasionally gets used for small jerkbaits. More often than not it becomes a loaner rod for whoever I'm with. Next in line would be a ML/F Dobyns DC702sf. That rods for drop shots, neds, open water wacky worms and any other small baits with light wire exposed hooks. Everything else 3/16 or more I throw on casting.