Hanover_Yakker

You need to set it up for two, so I can strap mine on there and go fishing together

Don't forget to bring along an ultralight rod with a beetle spin, some rooster tails or maybe even a bobber and some earthworms or crickets. You'd be surprised at what a little panfish activity can do to stir up the bite....... Personally, I'm now carrying my fly rod with a small popper or cricket tied on. Even on the hottest and slowest days, a bluegill fight on light gear can be just the ticket to fight the doldrums.

PowerTeam Lures 7" Finicky Tickler and 3.6" JP Hammershad.

Like flyfisher said, if the pole is down, your stability is increased, so crawling to the back is minimal concern. The challenge for me at least would be rearranging my rods out of the way to get back there. If this ever happens to me, I would be able to sit on my crate assembly and then fiddle with the PowerPole. To get it unstuck, all you have to do is cycle the power and that automatically forces the motor to lift the pole. If you're asking what do you do if the pole is stuck in the down position, but not necessarily stuck in the muck, then all you do is pull the integrated release lever and the entire housing now is able to be rotated out of the water.

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and thermonuclear war.

Depends on how long your arm reach is to be honest - do you have arms like an orangutan or a T-Rex ? Makes a world of difference. You can even do the arm raised cupped hand test with someone else's paddle or even the cheap ones offered at stores like Walmart, Dicks Sporting Goods, Bass pro, etc. just to get a feel for the length you'll likely need. I'm 6'1 and with my arm length, I use a 230-240cm paddle depending upon which kayak I am using. Hope that helps you some.

x2 - you also need to keep in mind the kayak you are paddling. If you are paddling a SOT with a normal seating arrangement vs elevated seat will change your paddle stroke as well as the length of the overall paddle that you will need or if you have a SINK where you are sitting lower to the water which results in a shallower or flatter angle on your paddle stroke and would lend itself towards a thinner blade style.. This was shared with me by the staff at ARC when I first started kayak fishing - the easiest way to get a close approximation on the correct sizing or length of paddle you need is to stand with your feet together and simply raise your right hand directly above you and cup your fingers. The paddle you select should be long enough so that the blade will fit inside your cupped hand. It can be longer, but that is usually the best way to identify the minimum length you will need. The overall length will vary based upon the kayak and seating position you will be in.

I'm with flyfisher - I use a hand-poured keel weighted style hook for all of my small craws that plasce the craw slightly in a defensive posture. Other than as a trailer on a skirted jig, but I position the trailer in the same orientation to give more of a defensive posture at rest.

They are very comfortable John - They were delivered on Monday of last week, and I wore them three days straight around the house and running errands in the rain before taking them out on the water. As someone with high arches, it is difficult for me to find shoes in general that are comfortable to stand in for any length of time. I love my Keens for everyday wear to work, but for casual and on the water, the Porters are primo!

Astral Porters - best shoe Ive owned and so comfortable, you can wear them as casual shoes to boot. I've had Keen Newports, Columbia PowerDrains, Salomons, Crocs, Tevas and more. Until I tried the Astral Porter, the Keen Newports were my favorite until they came apart after only one year of use.

I personally wouldn't just on principle of the Sit Inside Kayak - too risky for my tastes. You as the paddler can do everything right and all it takes is someone in a powerboat screaming around a bend in the river or a point to catch you unaware. A wake is easy to manage with experience in a SOT, a swamped sit inside kayak, canoe or small boat is quite different. Sit on Tops are much safer. I'd pass if it were me. While the Pelicans are decent hulls, you can find better values out there. The local warehouse store here sells new Pelicans for under $300.

You can never go wrong with a little straight forward rock and roll! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn0w7vciQCE

Capt. Ken Daubert #4 Brown Spotted Bull Clone Frog - http://www.floridakayakfishing.com/clone-series-frogs.html

I'm kind of partial to the Ken Daubert Clone Frog myself. Doesn't require super heavy tackle, nor a He-Man Mr. Universe jaw ripping hook set. My setups I use are: a 7'0" MH/Fast casting rod, GEN3 Revo Inshore, 65lb. braid and 20lb flouro leader, and a 7'3" MED/Fast spinning rod, Stradic 3000FJ, 30lb braid and 15lb flouro leader.

Virginia is fortunate in that it has trophy awards for both fresh and salt water. For fresh water, the VA DGIF runs the program: http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/trophy/ In salt water, the VA Marine Resource Commission runs the program: http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/vswft/Angler_Guide/index.shtm

Welcome aboard!

Darren is right. The trough is plastic and can crack over time. To prevent that I added 3/8" dowel rods into the rear channels. They snap right in and it adds flotation to it in case you knock it overboard. Knock on wood but I've used it now for four years like that and have had no issues. I've even re-drawn the measurement lines with a black sharpie then clear coated it. Over time, fish slime and cleaning it will wear the markings off.

Not a problem. If you have any kayak retail shops in the area, they normally carry them in stock on the shelves with their own logo on them. They're all the same though.

Well the measurement marks start at 8" which may cause self esteem issues for some

It's It's called a Hawg Trough and can be found for $15-20 online all over the U.S.

The scale wasn't certified, and I'm not killing a fish on the chance it may be a weight citation. I practice C.P.R. In fresh water. That's Catch, Photo, Release so that someone else might experience the same feelings I did.

She was a shade over 8.

Fished a private pond this morning with a fellow HOW volunteer and my son. My son missed a few but caught a couple on this slow and hot day. My buddy missed several bass blow ups on his hollow bodies frog. I on the other hand had a decent day. Managed seven total on the day, the most memorable being my first ever citation fish out of the kayak. This big girl breached the pads like Air Jaws and was an absolute fatty! She nailed my Clone Frog with a purpose! She measured out at 22.75". An awesome day!