RB 77

Some key Kayak advantages: Super stealth, can fish the skinniest of water, no registration fees or hassle, can fit as a car topper or in a truck bed, a very eco friendly option, almost zero maintenance cost, etc.

I have an Outback... but usually drive my F-150 to fish and hunt! Haha You LITERALLY might be the only person on this entire website with a mini van! Nothing wrong with that though, I have a station wagon as a daily driver in addition to my pick-up truck. Haha

I feel like it's the most versatile of the 3 for me anyway. I don't like the RES for burnin' and I don't like the Trap for yo-yoin'. I have no problem using the LV for either of those and probably my favorite lipless technique of "stop n' pop" which I love for open water and covering ground.

RES for deeper fishing or Yo-Yoin', Trap for shallower stuff or burnin'! My two got-to lipless right behind the LC LV 500.

My first "confidence" crankbait. Awesome old school lure. Hardly ever throw them anymore, but always have a couple of few in my trays.

They all certainly work just fine for LMB out this way on the WC and I have all of the tackle to employ any of those techniques at any given time.

Never! Haha. Might be a So Cal thing, but I have never even had interest in throwing that color. Natural shad, silverside, trout, BG, craw colors for me with the occasional obnoxious top water color (IE: LC Crack Blue)...

I like how #3 above and the post right below it go hand in hand! haha

Dang son! Hahaha So good! Haha

Well, just like so many other years recently, I did not get out nearly as much as I would have liked. However, I may have had the finest day of top water fishing for LMB ever. The highlight was a Fathers day trip with my father and we got on a 4 hour long drift of straight top water fishing. To say it was phenomenal would be an understatement. We've had better number days at this place, but I didn't put down my Sammy for 4+ hours straight... Then there was the opposite end of the spectrum on a Tuna trip with my father, our buddy and my friends father. We had Tuna anywhere from appx 75 up to 150 pounds, but I was a little worse for wear due to celebrating a little too much the night before. When I should have been laying the wood to them, I was laid up myself. Still pulled on fish, but was definitely not firing on all cylinders. So, thats my highlight and lowlight for the year. Everything else was just somewhere in between.

Regular old lead head seems to work the best.

Seriously! I used to watch and follow the Elites and then when they all jumped ship and started this nonsense: "Now there’s heat winners, cup winners, group winners, stage winners and 20 different championships with 40 different pros hoisting trophy’s being “Champion” I just tuned out and never looked back.

I wash everything on hot and dry everything on high. I want my clothes as clean and dry as possible. With that being said, I buy up one size knowing that this is going to lead to clothes shrinking.

Dang A-Jay, that was a savage hook set on that branch! Haha. Really nice fish right after it too! ?

What percentage of time? Depends on the day. 90% of my gear is casting. However, if all they are eating that day is finesse baits on light line, then it could be 90% + time spent use spinning gear.

Like others have said, a tube bait is the king of the spiraling fall.

All relative to where someone lives I suppose. Im here in So Cal so it never really gets that "cold" so to speak. One piece of gear that has been a game changer for me is the Aftco Reaper Windproof Pullover. This thing is perfect for cooler mornings running across the lake. When it heats up, simply take the thing off and you're good to go.

Glad you put your PFD on first. Sounds like it saved your life. In my kayak, I don't even take mine off, to sketched out over careless boaters. Always wear mine in the big boat too when on the big motor. Most of the time I don't even take it off running the little motor unless anchored, beached, docking, etc.

Out of all the setups I own, exactly TWO are spinning setups. One is a dedicated D-Shot set up that has never done anything else. The other is for every other single light weight/ line duty a spinning reel would be good for. Thats how important using a spinning reel for drop shotting is to me. I also say this being in So. Cal. where drop shotting can make the difference between putting fish in the boat or going home empty handed some days.

I have a love/ hate relationship with A-Rigs. Hate throwing them, but LOVE them when they are working. Had so many days now when they just straight up out fish everything else and its not even close. Yes, they are a chore to throw (especially all day), yes I have a box full of them and an expensive, dedicated setup to throw them (bye bye $), but when they are on, THEY ARE ON! I can see why they got banned on the tour level. As for OP, they are not bank fishing friendly. Heavy equipment (300-400 size reel, 20-25 lb test (mono/ flouro, heavy power rod). Like others have mentioned, they are a huge investment of time and money and best suited for boat fishing with a lure retriever or a nonchalant attitude if you lose one.

Honestly, for buzzbaits, the faster the reel the better. Ploppers, it doesn't matter.

Yeah, those Makos can get airborne! Yikes!

Yup. Hammer down a hookset and keep em' pinned with steady pressure until they are in the boat. No problem with ripped mouths. Braid, mono, flouro, etc. it's all good.

20 of the 25 biggest Large Mouth Bass ever caught...

Man, there is one reservoir out here in particular it is an all time deadly producer for me. Fallen out of favor there with me the last couple years for an Underspin, but it historically has just been killer. Works at other places too. The key for using a Spinnerbait for me it the presence of Shad and stick-ups with the Bass foraging on the Shad against the bank. Better yet if they are pinning and crashing against them. Toss the bait upon the bank, run it through the stick ups and BAM, hold on! Of course they work well in many other presentations and other baits would work well in this situation as well too.