Janderson45

I hear you, if the ride 135 came in the "X" version I'd be fishing out of that to be honest, as the 115 is pretty cumbersome (really slow) but it doesn't really bother me enough to make a difference. Like I said I did tons of research, so I knew exactly what I was getting with the Ride 115x, and well.. it's exactly what I thought it would be! One thing I'm actually happy to report is how easy it is to stand and fish out of... that was a huge factor in my kayak shopping, and often times people talk about how it's more difficult to stand in a kayak than a lot of people make it out to be or make it look to be.. I can happily report this is not the case with the ride 115, I practically use it as a stand up paddle board sometimes... In fact now that I've gotten used to standing and fishing out of it I rarely fish from a seated position. The stand up strap is a necessity however..

Just came across this thread, few months old but I've wondered about this in the past myself. navionics has an app that shows you lake contours and depths, and is updated with user generated sonar information as well.. Not as good as having a fish finder/gps unit with a navionics chip, but still helps me get a general idea of the depths around me and in other parts of the lake when fishing out of my kayak... It's like 10 bucks or something so It'll have to do until I bite the bullet and put an actual sonar unit on my kayak. I also have used "Scoutlook fishing" in the past, it gives you weather reports, solar/lunar details, and allows you to keep a fish log. Didn't really find it too useful however, I pretty much exclusively use noaa.gov when looking for my weather reports... as for a fish log? I only keep one mentally for the time being

For what it's worth, I'm 6'2 200lbs and fish out of an 11'6" kayak quite comfortably.. now granted it is a WS ride 115 thats super stable and has a super high weight capacity, but I don't personally think if I was 3" taller and 80lbs heavier it'd be much of an issue at all.. Could be wrong, as obviously i am NOT 6'5 280, but I could see someone that size fishing comfortably out of my kayak or perhaps a 12'. I did a TON of research before finally purchasing my kayak this year, the kayak was in the price range you speak of, and with all the accessories and adds ons (PFD, paddle, anchor, rod holders, etc) ran me about 1,500 dollars. That being said, I think the advice to look used is your best bet. You could get a yak in the 1k range new for hundreds of dollars cheaper if it's seen a season or two of fishing. Good luck!

I vote largemouth. Edit: jk i don't know maybe it is a spot? I don't catch spotted bass either lol

Glad to see some activity on here! I fished Tucker's pond in Rhode Island on Tuesday and landed 5 largemouth with the lunker at 3.5 lbs. caught 2 on a finesse rig similar to what rhino posted, 1 on a hollow bodied frog, and two on a flipping bait (shell cracker) in the thick weed cover. Conditions were pretty bluebird, sunny and 80 degrees. Was on the water from 5pm-830. Would love to meet and go fishing with anyone from here at any point. As I've stated before I'm a kayak fisherman, so itd be easy enough to meet another member from here at the water body of their choosing. Would also of course love to get out on a bass boat, gas and beers afterwards on me . Got an opportunity to fish China lake in southern Maine over Fourth of July weekend, I've heard and read some good things about the fishery, hoping for the best!

WRB- I like the thought, and I'm certainly not familiar with the rod so I'll look into it a bit more, but from a quick look on tackle warehouse it seems these rods are a bit more suited for large swimbaits, which I did mention in the techniques I'd like to theoretically use this rod for, but it's at the bottom of the list. The moderate action that it lists makes me a bit weary of hook sets on jigs/flipping baits/frogs but then again I've never fished an okuma so I'm not sure how their moderate action compares to others. I'll do a bit of reading on it though.

this has been talked about ad nauseam I'm sure, but to sum it up in a few points for me... Bait casters are typically used for heavier techniques, and hold heavier line. For me, the casting rods and reels feel much more equipped to readily throw and retrieve heavier baits, and winch fish out of heavier cover. Notice i said "winch".. the design of bait casting reels seems to give you a good deal more power over the fish, the line is being directly laid flat on a spool instead of coiling around it, leads to a more powerful "feel" even if the drag may not necessarily be stronger. The second major advantage for bait casters in bass fishing is accuracy... with some practice using different techniques you can practically place a lure in the smallest places with little or no disruption to the water surface.. this is important in making fish holding heavy to cover strike out of pure reaction instead of feeding instinct. With my casting rods I can flip or pitch a bait anywhere from 8-25' away from the boat and land it nice and easy in spots the size of a coffee cup. Good luck doing that with spinning tackle. Everyone is different, and there certainly is a bit of a learning curve, but I think getting into baitcasting reels is well worth the time and money you'll invest. I got into them 3 years ago and haven't looked back, I rarely reach for a spinning rod now.

Anyone on here a member of any Massachusetts or area bass fishing clubs? I know a few exist and I've checked out some of the clubs listed for Massachusetts here on bass resource.. Just wondering if anyone that frequents these forums is a part of any of them? I've certainly got some interest, would love to start fishing with some new people and learn some things. Most of the time I fish by myself or with a buddy or two, which is great, but they don't share the same knowledge or passion for it that I do, and I'm certainly not going to pick up any pointers from them... In fact when I do fish with friends I often find it limiting in the sense that they don't want to be on the water as long as me, and I'm always stuck fixing their birdsnests/backlashes and tying their tackle for them.

also- as far as the super expensive top of the line rods go- Durability is a big factor for me as well.. I tend to beat on my rods a bit more than some anglers probably would.. This hasn't been an issue for me so far with any of my rods, but I know some of those super sensitive high modulus blanks are more prone to breakage, and I would really hate to break a 450.00 loomis.

Good question, I don't really have a budget per say, but for a rod and reel combo I typically like to keep it between 300-400. I've never spent 450 dollars on a rod, nor do I really plan to on this one.. I would say the megabass perfect pitch would be at the top end of my price range. Dobyns champion or savvy series have gotten a lot of consideration, as has the IROD you mentioned, along with the LTB stick and the Avid/Avid X series I'm familiar with. The megabass "perfect pitch" looks really attractive as well, but as I mentioned that would be the top of my price range probably. I had looked at the tatula rods one guy mentioned as well.. 150.00-300.00 Is ideally what I'm looking at, most of the rods I fish are between 100-200 dollars with a couple exceptions. Obviously I'd like to get the most "bang for my buck" but that doesn't necessarily mean the lower end of my price range, just that if I'm spending a bit more on a rod I really better love it

I currently fish all St. Croix rods, including a legend extreme, and all bass pro shops reels .. so that should probably answer that question. Granted they are pro qualifiers and johnny morris signature series so they are the higher end BPS reels.. One exception is my inshore spinning combo that I use for bass fishing as well.. It has a Stradic FJ 3000 as I needed a reel that could be used in salt... I am considering trying out a Lews tourney pro on my next outfit too. As others have described, I feel that as long as I can cast the reel well without lots of backlashes, get some good distance on my cast, and have a reliable and smooth drag.. that's all that really matters to me. I feel that all of my reels accomplish these expectations for me. I do like the stradic the most though..

within the St Croix lineup I've given lots of consideration to the LT rod you mention along with the newer model Avid X 7'4 H/F rod. As for a reels- I suppose it's all preference but would you guys fish a 7:1 or something more like a 6:4? I'm leaning towards the 7:1 lews tournament pro.

thanks for the recommendations everyone, I'll start doing some research into the megabass, irod, and loomis flavors you've all described. The dobyns 735c was already on my radar, I've heard great things about dobyns but have yet to fish one. as far as pitching/flipping heavier baits in the yak goes... I haven't done much of it as i described in my first post, but I don't see it being too much of a problem. I fish a WS ride 115x that is just about as stable as I could ever imagine.. I stand and pitch 3/4oz and 1oz lures to cover without any issues.. perhaps launching a heavier swimbait may present more of an issue though, guess I won't know until I give it a shot. That Irod looks mighty interesting as well, I don't know much about the company but have seen them getting more and more mentions lately..

So I know there's going to have to be some compromise here, as obviously all different lengths powers tapers etc are meant for different techniques.. but basically what I'm looking for is a MH/H action rod that I can use for a few different techniques.. I fish from a kayak, so having multipurpose rods becomes more important. I don't have the luxury of being able to use all technique specific gear and bring 20 rods along with me.. so with that in mind, I'll explain what I'm looking for and what techniques I'd like to use it for.. I'm looking for a rod that I can use to fish the following: -flipping/pitching jigs and plastics -carolina rigs -possibly frogging -possibly lighter swimsbaits looking for a rod ideally between 7'-7'4 but I'd consider a 7'6 stick if you guys feel the extra length will really make a difference. Obviously with the techniques listed this rod needs to have some serious backbone... ideally I'd like to be able to toss lures at least 1 1/2 oz, 2oz would be cool as well... but clearly c rigging and pitching jigs/plastics generally call for slightly different rods, they both may be longer rods with some backbone, but generally I see people fishing 7'6 sticks with a MH action for c rigging.. where as people typically use heavy or extra heavy rods for flipping/pitching. Frogging becomes less important, as any rod with a bit of length and backbone typically serves well as a frog rod... as far as swimbaits go??? I'm totally clueless, where as most of them have treble hooks I assume people usually fish them on long a rod with a softer tip, but I truly have no idea. They just look interesting and I'd like to start to get into them a bit if I could, but I don't currently own a rod that is really even capable of throwing them. What do you think, any recommendations? I fish all st croix rods currently, but am open to trying other brands, especially if it fits the bill well.

Sometimes I think I'm getting better at this sport, then I see this thread.. LOL. I caught a 3lb smallmouth once (wachusett reservoir) and was stoked! Can't imagine bringing in fish like you guys do regularly on Erie... I'll have to get out there one day, looks like a dream! The lakers and walleye are awesome bonuses too...

Might be a bit of a no brainer, but I've had a lot of success fishing right after a heavy rain... I try to target river inlets/outlets where the water is moving pretty steadily into or out of the lake... this bunches up a whole lot of bait in a predictable area and the bass are typically gorging themselves on said bait... caught almost 20 bass in an hour one day throwing a crank bait during the scenario described above.

Some great ideas in there, I'm fishing Watchaug pond in Charlestown, RI tomorrow which I think probably shares some similarities with Great Herring pond...goes to about 40ft deep with pretty clear water and I've struggled in clearer deeper ponds in the past and have definitely had more luck in shallower water with less transparency and more weed growth.. But I want to challenge myself and keep improving at all types of fishing. I'll definitely throw some more finesse like smaller baits with weed guards tomorrow. I have some 3/32oz tungsten ball jig heads that I've been using with the elaztech "zmann finesse TRD" which I think could work nicely. I've also got some VMC wacky rig jig heads with little weed guards that I like, I've only got 5" senkos but I'd bet they'll still whack it. Are you fishing all of these presentations on a spinning rod? Lighter fluorocarbon? I fish a medium action (although more like MH as it's a tidemaster inshore model) st croix spinning rod, other than that I've got all casting rods meant for heavier baits. Currently I've got 20lb braid on my spinning rig but I'm considering changing to 10 or 12b seaguar invisx that I've got laying around. In the past when I've fished clearer water I've simply tied on a fairly large fluorocarbon leader and had pretty good results, but I'm not sure if fishing straight fluorocarbon would trigger more bites or if it would just be easier to manage and have one less failing point. Here's one of me setting the hook on a topwater in the slop the other night

Yup, here's the mass . gov pond map of it... http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dfg/dfw/habitat/maps-ponds/dfwhalf.pdf I've only ever been on it when 2 other kayakers were on it, and that was only twice. Pretty good sized little pond too.

I'd be interested in what baits are typical producers for you here? I've yet to fish great herring but it's on the list along with numerous others in the plymouth area this season. Massrob- I can't speak to whether or not it produces like the others mentioned (the only pond i've fished in plymouth more than once) but "Halfway Pond" has been a pretty good producer of small mouth, large mouth, and pickerel for me in recent years. Can't speak to the numbers of smallmouth there compared to the mossbacks, but I've caught numerous good smallies there... it's a real hidden little gem too, I typically have the whole body of water to myself if I go during the week. Access consists of only a few holes in the brush that run along side the dirt road abutting the pond, so you're only really going to get a canoe or kayak in there, but a great spot none the less in my opinion.

That looks awesome. Great job!

Interesting, some areas I fish do have signs posted that say something to the extent of "park closes at dusk". "No trespassing without written permission" etc.... However most of those same signs also state that fishing is the one exception. Are you fishing from a boat or from shore? I frequent numerous places that you can do both, and on the off chance you're not allowed to, I've certainly never been approached or told otherwise.

Was out on Wordens pond in Charlestown RI again a few days ago. 1000+ acre pond that's fairly uniform in depth and runs to a max of only 7'. Supposedly one of the premier LMB fisheries in RI and super close and convenient to my buddy's house down that way.. Anyways I've yet to pull anything too impressive out of it. Fished it 5 times this year so far and have yet to be skunked, but a few times I thought I was going to do significantly better than I actually did. Got out there a few days after the recent cold fronts and rain passed through, air temps had started to creep back up and it was a partly cloudy evening. Was out there from 630pm-10pm in our yaks with head lamps. Only managed two fish, a good sized pickerel and a 15" LMB. Was throwing a hollow bodied frog almost exclusively, as I had myself convinced that the conditions were right for a good top water bite (just happens to be my favorite way to fish as well) but it just wasn't the case. Tons of emergent weed beds all over this pond, and I was chucking the frog every where, skipping it, hopping it, walking it, working it slow, working it fast... Just wasn't productive. Typically when I frog fish I'll at least get numerous "slaps" or small little blow up reaction strikes on a frog where the fish doesn't really try to eat it or just flat misses the bait. Wasn't the case that evening, had two fish that ate it good and landed both of them, didn't have a lick of action other that that. One of my buddies was also out in his yak and taking some nice photos with his DSLR camera, he got a sweet action sequence of me setting the hook on one of the fish, hopefully he sends me it soon and I'll share it here on the forum. Good hunting boys!

Was out on the Norton Reservoir today from 11-4 in my kayak. Have only fished there once previously but have read and heard decent things about it over the years. Forecast called for a lot of clouds and wind today, so with that in mind I was thinking about fishing in the many real shallow weedy areas around the reservoir with a hollow bodied frog. When I got there this morning it was only partly cloudy and it was almost noon, so although I did throw the frog for about 20 minutes when I first got there I only had one blow up on it (that I missed) and then quickly decided to change tactics and paddle around a bit. I saw a ton of empty bass beds, which I haven't really seen too many of so far this year to be honest. I figured it had recently changed to a post spawn pattern so I decided to go with a finesse technique thinking the bass would be recovering and a bit sluggish. Finesse is not my cup of tea, mainly because I've never been good at it or gotten comfortable with how to fish different rigs. I decided on a "Ned rig" of sorts. A 2.75" Finesse TRD in green pumpkin rigged on a 3/32oz ball head jig also painted green pumpkin. It was MONEY. Only trouble was I couldn't keep the pickerel off of it... Managed 20+ pickerel, 5 crappie and 2 modest large mouths. I was fishing it on a fairly fast retrieve, letting it fall and shaking the rod tip, repeat a few times then burning it back to the boat when I thought I was out of the potential strike zone. In certain spots it was almost constant action with the pickerel. In the past I would've enjoyed this a bit more as these days I'm starting to find pickerel a bit more of a junk fish, but none the less I can't complain about catching 30 fish in 5 hours, especially since time fishing vs time paddling around was probably only 2:1. If you haven't checked out the "Ned rig" yet be sure to give it a look/try. I havent loved "down sizing" my baits in the past but this trip today showed be how a little bite sized morsel can be infinitely more attractive to all sorts of fish than a big power bait that's only going to get strikes from the larger bass around.

Bite was tough the other day out of the canoe on the A1 site in Westborough. Managed 1 pickerel and 1 LMB in 4 hours myself, and my buddy got skunked. Neither fish of mine had any size. Both came on a carolina rigged lizard, short leader, like 10" fished pretty slow still. Day was made when he got a call on his cellphone in the middle of the day with an acceptance to his number 1 med school. He didn't care that he didn't catch any fish any fish anymore .

Change of plans for me today, I'm headed back out to westborough. Buddy of mine called me this AM and said he wanted to go fishing so we'll be taking my canoe out and I'll be leaving the kayak at home. We'll see how the bites warmed up there in the past week. I'm assuming the answer is a lot... Fingers crossed!