Hanover_Yakker

The number one factor in any kayak purchasing decision regardless of brand and model is real seat time on the water in as many different kayaks as possible. Word of mouth is a great way to identify ones you should consider. In the end, only your body will can give you true feedback on how comfortable you will be on the water. Never ever underestimate the importance of comfort while on the water. If you're not comfortable sitting in the kayak factory seating and footpeg position, imagine how uncomfortable you will be after an hour? 2? 3? Try 8-10 hours like some of my outings in the salt water where there is not way to just get out and stretch for a bit! The other thing to remember when it comes to comfort is actually wearing the PFD you will be using while on the water. If you aren't comfortable with the PFD on in the same factory seating and foot positions, two things are going to happend. One, you won't wear your PFD properly; or, second, you won't enjoy your time on the water in the kayak you just spent your hard earned money on. Now, not all retailers that sell kayaks have the ability to get you real seat time for a demo on the water. If that's the case, ask around some of the kayak focused forums in your area. Heck, you might even have a friend or two locally that has a model you can try out. If at all possible, avoid purchasing a kayak you have never paddled before. Save the rigging concerns until after you figure out how you will be able to fish out of your new kayak.

Well, finally got a chance to hit the water for some fishing today. Spent the better part of 8 hours on two different bodies of water. First, fished a body of water loaded with millfoil and submerged standing grass. Ended up only catching two smallish bass in the 12-14" range. One on a SPRO Fat John in the Cell Mate color and the other on a PowerTeam Lures 5" Sic Stik in green pumpkin with purple flake. When I couldn't find another bite, I loaded up the Pro Angler and made my way to Bear Creek Lake and hit some familiar spots. Ended up landing a total of 10 more fish, including a 15" channel cat, a fat 8.5" pumpkinseed and a nice 18.75" LMB all on one lure - the Sic Stik. Here's a photo of the bass and pumkinseed.

What snook said - for live bait, find out what others are using, but a great reel and one on my short list when I get the funds is the new Release Reels SG. Look them up! @ $249 and a lifetime warranty, they are hard to beat!

Welcome aboard - when you return stateside, be sure to look up a couple organizations dedicated to service members like yourself: Heroes On the Water and Project Healing Waters I know both have chapters in NC and VA that would love to have you as a participant.

Seat time seat time seat time. If you can't sit in it and then paddle it for real on the water 'feedback' and 'sensory perception' then don't buy it. Last thing you want to do when trying to get into kayak fishing is spend a lot of money on a kayak only to learn that you are uncomfortable or that the seat and foot peg arrangement cannot be adjusted to your body's overall frame and type. Ask around your local area for anyone that has a kayak (regardless of brand and model) and see if you even like it. Your overall budget also needs to account for other required items - a class III PFD and a decent paddle (both of which can be found for $50-100 each) but there are better models of both that can be found at good prices. Good rule of thumb when buying these two items is get the best that you can afford. You'll most likely need straps (ratcheting if possible) but the basic ones will work just fine. If you are car topping the yak, you might need some protective supports to prevent damage to your car if it doesn't have a rack. Go with pool noodles here. Cheap and always available. If you need a seat with better support, you can find options in the $75 range. Remember - in kayaking and kayak fishing, the goal is always to be safe first, be comforatble and enjoy your time on the water second, try to catch some fish (bonus) third and return to shore to come back and do it again another day. Regarding the Ascend line of kayaks, I can tell you one thing from firsthand experience - they are H-E-A-V-Y for what you get. There are several options out there under the $500 price point - Perception Sports, Native Redfish, Pompano (West Marine), etc..... Do your homework and don't rush to buy the first one you come across. Keep a close watch on Craigslist as well - lots of people will sell an entire setup that include the PFD, paddle, some other accessories. Regarding rod holders, never install a rod holder until you have figured out that the kayak is the right one for you. Then and only then do you start to accessorize. When choosing a location for them, take a fishing rod and a jar of vaseline. You place a dab of vaseline on the butt of the rod and practice your turning and reaching motion to see where you can comfortably get to and set the tod butt down to mark your spot. Now get some duct tape and a rod holder and head out on the water with it taped down in place and try it. If it works comfortably and you can still maintain balance, then you are ready to install it. Good rule of thumb to follow when installing accessories - measure twice, even three or four times - drill once!!! Even though there are plastic welders out there, it is better to try and avoid that if at all possible! When you are ready to talk about mounting accessories, consider looking at the YakAttack line of GearTracs, Mighty Mounts, and other accessories. They are designed by a mechanical engineer who kayak fishes and is a good friend of mine whom I fish with each year.

Actually you can make it yourself. Go to a craft store and look at their plastic container aisle (most of them are made by Flambeau or Plan anyway) where folks use them to store stamps, letters, cutouts, etc. and then get a piece of craft foam. Simply cut and fill the slots snuggly (even hot glue them in place if need be) and then insert your hooks. You can even use an exacto knife or dremel and trim any fixed dividers to custom fit an area.

Here's a neat little tip I saw a while back and will be employing myself here when I restock some of my hooks. Take a standard safety pin and thread the eye of your hook through the open barb before re-closing it. Now you won't have a loose hooks flopping around your tackle tray or on the boat. It's much easier to manage when it comes time to change hooks as well without the fear of getting stuck reaching for one hook or worse, pulling out one and several get caught and fall out. Like this..... Works great on drop shot and smaller hooks that tend to get caught up on one another. As far as my EWG, swimbait, Confidence Baits hooks, those all go in a 3600 Guide Series tackle Tray along with my other weights and such. Try it!

Welcome Max - where at in SE VA? I hit the salt from time to time down on the peninsula.

You have a couple options. When installing an anchor trolley, you want to have a little slack in the line when attaching the ring. The ring can be used either as the primary insertion point for the stake out pole and results in your kayak staying close to the anchored position. If you are using a tether or length of rope option, you simply stake out, then drift while holding the attached line and then tie it off or clip it to the ring on your trolley. This serves two purposes - provides you with greater movement/positioning flexibility in current and two, provides a stealthier footprint in the water when stalking wary species that spook easily. Works extremely well in the salt flats where bigger overslot reds and trout spook at the slightest unfamiliar noise like hull slap, the splash of a lure, the shadow cast by the novice or unaware angler, etc.

The YakAttack Park-n-pole has a notch in the center of the claw handle that you can tie off to. It can also double as a camera mounting point. The PNP also floats and comes in 3 sizes (3', 6' and 8'). The handle is also notched for use either as a lure dislodger in shallow water by guiding it down your line to the lure and as a duck decoy retriever by hooking the decoy lines and pulling them to you. When paired with an anchor trolley, the PNP is a killer combo and excellent for use as a flats pole just by reversing the pole and using the handle like a duck foot on a traditional flats push pole. The other thing to remember about them is that they can also be used as a make shift paddle for subtle small movements while poling. I have three myself (2 of the 6' variety and one 8'). I'll be adding another 8' version soon for a new idea I have for stake out positioning. Here - check this out for more info......

I have four Clarus rods and love them all - two worm n jig casting, one worm n jig spinning and one crankbait casting. At $79 each with a lifetime otc warranty, that is hard to beat in my book with the way rod and reel costs have skyrocketed for upper end equipment these days in this economy. Don't hesitate if you get the chance to get one or our like I did I've taken my worm n jig rods into the salt and can say they handle salty species as well without fail.

Drop shot a 5-7" "finesse style" worm on 5-7lb. flourocarbon is a viable alternative as well. Just remember, no hero style hooksets, just a reel and raise the rod technique. You can also use this technique to change up the lure profile and length until you dial in the right size. Then play around with the colors until you really get them turned on.

What's your target species? I have a friend who is a Colorado Native but he targets trout mostly when he's back home.

While you are away from your vehicle, inside the cab. If you are traveling, then remove the reels, insert the rods into rod socks and then place them in a 4-5" threaded PVC tube and cap both ends. Strap the tube down, but stow the rods once you reach a stopping point where your vehicle will be unattended. Otherwise, invest in some two-piece rods that you can stow in your cab and leave the high end sticks at home.

I fish the VA peninsula a lot!!!

I fished a kayak only charity tournament this past weekend to benefit Heroes On the Water and Project Healing Waters and finished with the 5th place bass at 17.5". Not the biggest by far but still had a blast. I was fishing out of Bear Creek Lake State Park with three other friends, since so many others went to Sandy River and Briery Creek. One of them landed a nice 21.5" chunk and my buddy Doug landed a nice fat 19.5" a few yards ahead of me. We were fishing in a line of four with myself in position #3. Funny thing is, I was the first person to land a quality fish and I caught it in an area that they had just fished but had breezed over. Go to baits on the day were PowerTeam Lures wacky rigged Sic Stiks and shakey head rigged 7" Finicky Ticklers in green pumpkin or black/blue due to the stained water. It's funny how the pattern between the three lakes was completely different. At Briery, the best bite came on topwater Super Spooks, while at Sandy the best came on a crankbait. These three lakes are located within 30 miles of one another here in VA. Biggest bass of the tournament came from Sandy at 23".

Actually, the mount is very sturdy and designed by a mechanical engineer based upon very strict tolerances. When the Panfish is installed on my kayak, you can lift the kayak using the Panfish or any other rod holder that is secured to the hull using the GearTrac or Might Mount base. I know folks in this area that use these same mounts on their center consoles, jon boats, bass boats as well as kayaks and have not had an issue yet. If you have any doubts or concerns, I would suggest calling the owner and talking to him. He loves user feedback and questions. Its what drives that brain of his to come up with these creations in the first place. In fact, he could actually design a solution for you over the phone and mock up a solution and send it to you for proofing before milling the solution. He lives for this and he stands by and uses his products. I hope you can make it to an event where I will be present, so you can see firsthand how sturdy and secure this design is.

Found a great deal from a fellow BR member on an AVID 6'8MXF spinning rod and a Crucial casting rod

I have something that might work for you.....it's primarily for kayak use as a platform for mounting a camera, but I don't see any reason why you couldn't use it as a FF base. Coolest part is two fold - one, it pivots and two, you can lower it by simply twisting the base and removing it from the bracket. Like this only use a FF instead of a camera..... Interested? If so, then here's what you would need...... 1. YakAttack Panfish 2. YakAttack GT175 4" GearTrac or Mighty Mount with Full Back Mounting Plate 3. Your FF and FF base 4. Attach the GearTrac or MM base to your hull 5. Attach the FF bracket via a 1" Screwball to your base or if its an Elite Series Lowarance, the quick connect adapter

Check this out - filmed at Jamaica Bay..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXuOqkVQlrA

They do work - quite well actually. If you're going to be using soft plastics of any sort, step up your jigheads to salt water grade. Saltwater species fight way harder than freshwater and can straighten a hook out in a hurry. If you're going after stripers, 6-10" jerk shads like Hogys, Bass Assassins, BKDs, Zoom Super Flukes, etc in Pink, White and Chartreuse all work. The trick with spoons and the like is to get them down in the water column using triple rigs or a weighted line using a an eggsinker and a bead about 12" in front of the swivel on the spoon. Other baits that work are gold bladed spinnerbaits, but again they need to be on the heavier side if you are in a boat. If you're in a kayak or working inshore flats out of a boat then 1/4 - 1/2oz large colorado gold and silver bladeb spinnerbaits work. Simplest lure though is a white Kalin's 4-5" grub ona 1/4oz red jighead. Good luck!!

It is pretty strong. It's the perfect knot for baits like twitchbaits and jerk shads. I use it in place of the rapala and mirrolure knots.

I use it a lot for baits in the grass because the tag is facing towards the bait minimizing the risk of grass or algae getting hung up on it like a normal line tie. It's also super easy to tie in minimal or no light.

Happy birthday J!

JB Custom rods are the creation of the now deceased Jesse Buchy. If you can find them, they are definitely worth the price. They are built to last. If memory serves, they are still around and supposedly the rod building techniques were passed on to his son before his passing. I know Oceans East 2 Tackle Shop on Northhampton Blvd here in VA Beach, VA has a few in stock in case you are interested. They have a FB presence now: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oceans-East-2-Tackle-Shop/124683504285151 Address: 5785 Northampton Blvd #104, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23455 Phone:(757) 464-6544