Choporoz

Yo Zuri Hybrid. It may not be 'according to Hoyle' co-poly, but what is significant, is that it is great stuff....up to 12#....and amazing stuff with KVD line spray.

Owner Ultrahead Finesse Jig Head is another that comes through rock extremely well

Sooo much good information in this article and the ones linked below it: https://www.bassresource.com/fish/spinnerbaits.html

I haven't been in a peddle/prop boat, so I cannot compare....maybe I don't know appreciate what I haven't experienced. However, switching the 180 drive to reverse requires surprisingly little fumbling -- reach down and pull -- it does require taking a hand off the reel, but it doesn't take more than about two seconds.....I'd say the edge goes to the prop, but perhaps not as significantly as you'd imagine. Offset that with extreme shallow water operations possible in the Hobie, and maybe it's a wash

I did a lot of research over the fall and winter and ended up buying a Compass in January. I have probably 10 outings so far....still early. Initial impressions.... -heavier than I expected; I cartop it, but Hullivator is a godsend....trailer is way to go if your storage can handle it -seat is much better than my Tarpon, but not as comfortable as I'd hoped. I can do a couple more hours than I could in my other yaks, but still going to have some issues anything over 7 hours -180 drive is a MUST for fishing. I absolutely love it....soooooo much more time fishing than the old days...I haven't staked or anchored yet -dealer offered to move round hatch forward and install rectangle in front of seat....I balked at the expense at the time, but its probably a good idea -I've been sort of shocked at the explision of trolling motors on yaks lately. Consider skipping the pedals and going right to a Torqueedo. I found this to be a good on-water introductory video to some basic differences:

If it weren't for lots of broke and lost lures, I'd probably have to find new excuses to spend so much time and money on tw.com. It's all about perspective....how you look at it.....to me, it's not a broken bait; it's an excuse to replace it with three new ones

Welcome, Mantis...from NOVA. Lots of folks from our neighborhood on here. Check the NOVA and MD ongoing threads. Also lots of local yakkers on FB groups - great for coordinating meet-ups

We got it the first time. Maybe take a moment and detail your honest, personal experience, or just let it be and respect that the overriding sensibility here is that public brand bashing isn't valued conversation for most of us

Putting aside the bashing, a lot of people don't even fully comprehend their brand prejudices. Years past, I didn't bash Quantum much, but I did feel their gear was inferior. But that was entirely because of a single bad experience with a very cheap combo....IIRC, a $50 spinning combo. Fast forward 8 or 9 years, and my 3 favorite reels are all Quantum. I developed serious myopia based on a tier of equipment in which no manufacturer would consistently fair well....and to which higher end equipment should not be compared, no matter the manufacturer

Clean it?

Wind blows. However, upgrading to Hobie has made an incredible difference in my wind tolerance.

Fished my first kayak tournament on Saturday...on Aquia. Went in a little confident, because I've fished tidal Potomac quite a bit the past few years, and I had a decent couple of pre-fish days, even though I'd never been on this creek before that. I settled on four main areas, all within less than a mile of each other. Very first cast of the morning, I blew up my frog/med swimbait rod reel with a backlash like I haven't seen in years. Despite spending way too much time with it several times during the day, it is still fouled...lol. I had looked at tide schedule, but didn't take it into account, nearly as smartly as I should have. Tides were opposite what they were on my pre-fish days. I have always had a lot of success in Potomac grass and pads with chatterbaits and that held true the previous week. Not so much on Saturday. I worked it hard, but couldn't keep the snakeheads and catfish off long to hook a bass. 7 snakeheads in an outing is a PB of sorts....maybe fun any other day, but maddening when they're chewing up clock....made even worse when one made off with a PopMax. The day was a grind. I scored a couple of small keepers on Structure Bugs, but nothing from my pre-fishing panned out until five minutes before 'lines-in' when I was back working the chatterbait and reached a limit, and my best fish of the day, which at 16.5 wasn't anything I'm too proud of...but satisfying at the time. Finished middle of a large pack, so not too disappointed for first one, but definitely a bit humbling. Two very different and interesting other experiences out there: one guy running and gunning over eight miles struggled; another spent all day on same short stretch of very shallow docks and took third. Funny, I'd looked at those docks pre-fishing and discounted them completely, because of the lack depth in the area....I love fishing docks, but have always skipped those entirely in less than 3 feet of water at high tide. Every outing is a learning experience.

There are a couple spots to hike to, but unless you are fishing for catfish, it is not worth it in my opinion. You can rent a jon boat at fountainhead and Lake Ridge, though.

I don't have to worry about that....this is my wife and I https://ispot.tv/a/dkQa I don't watch much fishing, but, fortunately, she always enjoys it when I put it on. Must have been some Jimmy Houston along the way, because, a couple years ago, she started kissing her fish.....she always talked to them, but the kissing is relatively new

Yes. A number of them. The buoyancy of some will be negated by putting a hook in them, however.

Lol.. .and if somehow he's still listening, explain that there's probably an inverse relationship between amount spent on freshwater fishing gear and percentage of fish kept to eat. Dude sitting on a bucket with $23 invested in gear keeps a LOT more fish to eat than anyone on here.

I was in Aquia Creek. It seemed that maybe a quarter of all the fishermen I ran into the last two days were targeting snakeheads. IDK....sometimes it feels like they get in the way....the fight, the landing, the release ....just feels like it steals time from bass fishing. The catfish yesterday was even worse....was a monster that dragged me upriver quite a ways....lots of time lost is how I look at it

Hooked a nice one this weekend. They hit like a freight train and put up a great fight. I admit, though, that they generally disappoint me. I've gotten to the point now where I can tell with a high degree of certainty what I've hooked, so at least now I can get the disappointment out of the way early in the fight....but I still prefer bass.

That was my reaction when I read this thread the other day. Never lost a rod... even when I flipped once, in the Shenandoah. Coincidentally, yesterday, I snagged one of my favored combos on the backswing with a crankbait. (New yak this year....I never had rod holders angled out before.) Tossed the rod right in the drink....somehow, I was able to reach over and grab the tip as it was going down, in apparent slow motion. I may have to rethink my position on leashes (that was very nearly a $350 mistake)....or maybe just avoid using the 'outrigger' holders....or most likely, be more careful.

Dicks has Columbia PFG summer hoodies on sale. I wear those and Huk Icon hoodies every time out.

Good topic. These two tools handle nearly all my needs....from snakeheads to pike to catfish....

I have this and its surprisingly versatile. 7 11 is long, but not too long for swimbaits, Carolina rigs, heavy flipping and A-rigs.....all of which launch from that rod just fine. That said, I use finesse rods much more often than that rod.

Textbook bluegill

I've been using the same Fishin Buddy on rentals for over eight years. Very durable and handy. Goes through a lot of AA batteries, though.

Welcome