Hanover_Yakker

Just as a point of clarification, the NEXT is a hybrid canoe, not a kayak. Completely different paddling and handling characteristics. A good friend of mine has one, and I witnessed it's handling characteristics up close and personal and can say from the naked eye test, it is lightweight, very fast (for those with proper paddling technique) and relatively stable. Time on the water in one is the only cure for satisfying your personal questions.

Love it. For small watercraft up to and including Jon boats, it's a no brainer.

I prefer the PowerTeam Lures Food Chain Tubes - they come in 3.5" and 4.5". They are very durable with a couple flat appendages and several small tentacles.. The body of the tube is built such that there is a solid head for use with a variety of hook styles including ones with keeper pins. The body compresses almost flat letting you use even traditional worm hooks instead of EWGs. Upon the hookset, the tube compresses flat and allows the hook to penetrate with ease. I've used them on everything from bass and pickerel to speckled trout and redfish. Drop me a PM if you want more info.

If you're keeping for consumption, then a fish bag with some ice in it is usually the best. The bag is placed on the bow of the kayak or inside the bow hatch. You insert the fish and seal the bag. The bag acts as a cooler and insulation/buffer against the noise. If you mean for tournaments where they need to weigh the fis, it depends on if the tournament is a live weigh-in and release or is a kill tournament. Most bass tournaments I know of are live weigh-ins with releases. If this is the case, then a livewell is your best option. Google/YouTube and look for cooler live well. Basically it is the cost of the 25 qt cooler, plus the aerator and valve kits plus a battery. Not too expensive and a cool of that size can hold 4-5 decent size fish. Biggest issue is the overall weight, so unless you are using something like a Hobie Pro Angler, Jackson Big Tuna/Big Rig, etc you'll ifnd it's too much weight. if you're talking about a livewell for smaller fish like crappie and such, then Goolge/YouTube for dog food bin live well. If it is a tournament where it is your two best fish, then do what I do - buy a couple FishGrips and attach them to retractable or homemade lanyards (paracord works beautifully for this) with small carabiners to hook onto your kayak. When you land the fish, simply clip the fishes lower jaw in the FishGrips and place it back in the water. You'll find that the fish actually is fairly docile and will only thrash about once in a while. Hope that helps.

Oh there is!! Some nice up close thrashing about.

1st fatty fell prey to a PTL Sick Stick 2nd fatty fell prey to a PTL Gator Guess you could say she really like the Gator!

Long overdue, but here is a pic of my 2015 Hobie Outback rigged as I hit the water yesterday. The only thing missing from the photo is the actual Power-Pole Micro Anchor. I didn't need it yesterday, so I left it home.

Depends on the outing but most often..... -3 rods -2 tackle trays (1-terminal tackle and the other is for a couple jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and skirted jigs) -assortment of plastics -YakAttack BlackPak -YakAttack Parknpole -Lowrance Elite-5 CHIRP -PFD with river knife, pliers, Boomerang SNIPS, ssafety whistle and fishing license -paddle Basically like this......

Zebco 33 - can't go wrong with a classic!

Accept - Pandemic from their Blood of Nations release in 2012 - killer album and a rippin' song. Gets my blood pumping! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJxS1Bpnkl4

This concept also needs to be taken with a grain of salt relative to the body of water you are fishing. If the topography and orientation of your lake is west to east in orientation, then you need to adjust. If the NW portion of your lake is also where the dam is or the deepest part of the lake, then the logic may not apply. I've always keyed in on protected shallow areas relative to your lake's characteristics. Where I live in central VA, the winds are predominantly west to east. As you approach the coastal areas, that wind influence varies more and is highly inconsistent throughout the course of a given day. In my opinion, your best bet is to find shallow coves with deeper main lake access (ie: channels that provide escape routes but also food highways) and then pay attention to the winds over time. Best way I know how to do that is Google Earth, Navionics webapp when you can't get out on the water, then followed up with on the water time during non-peak windows (ie: winter, mid week, during rain, basically when others aren't around). That's just my .02 worth which won't get you far in this economy

Welcome aboard!

Ran my champion welsh in several hunt tests and events. Earned his Working Dog Excellent and Junior Hunter titles and a leg on his Senior Hunter.

1. Have fun 2. Improve as a kayak angler 3. Take my son as often as possible (weather permitting)

Airbourne - Live It Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn0w7vciQCE

If you are looking for a ready made solution, then I highly recommend using the new RAM Zooka Tubes. They are designed to work with both spinning and casting rods. The holder has designed notches and cutouts to hold the different rod styles. The holder itself can be rotated from vertical to horizontal and any angle in between and then locked to prevent the holder from loosening. I use two on my Hobies. One for a stake out pole anchor point near the front and one on the opposite side either fore or aft depending on how I want to use it that day (ie: trolling versus storage). It looks like this mounted and in use as either a vertical or horizontal....

Not sure of other specs out there but it would depend upon what rod type, action, etc. you are looking for. I can tell you that the lightest rods I personally own and use religiously are my Bull Bay Rods Tactical Series AR-15 spinning rods. They have a composite 7'2" blank MED/XF, American Tackle Company Microwave guides, and such all resulting in a blank that weighs 2.9 oz. Lifetime warranty to boot. Drop me a line and I'll put you in contact with the owners.

Welcome aboard!

Koppers Live Target Bluegill - $10, I know it pails in comparison to some of the swimbaits that you guys use, but what hurt most about this one is that I had literally just tied it on and made one cast. It got hung up on some sunken submerged chicken wire pens on a managed lake. Sucked!

Top water frogs are killer on the 'mac!!

I would recommend doing a google search for Jeff Little and river paddling skills - he has a good example of using the river as your energy to propel you upstream. In its simplest form, its generally pointing your bow at approximately a 30-40 degree angle and paddling on the downstream side across the current. It is more efficient and can help you save energy. Once you reach an eddy or slower moving current, you can angle your bow the opposite way and repeat. This might help you some also: specifically the 3:23 mark...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N3bstswReM

Welcome aboard!

Started my day off right..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rL4em-Xv5o

Good question - the rods are proprietary composite handmade blanks made in California. The blank itself is an intermediate modulus blank with a base layer of glass for added flexibility when placed under high pressure.