FryDog62

Funny, I'm contemplating either the 2024 GLX JBR or 6'11" Destroyer P5 OneTen Special. Like everyone, looking for the perfect jerkbait rod to both impart the right action and also keep fish pinned. Hard combo to find. I'm a recovering Expride jerkbait rod owner. Absolutely disliked the long handle on that rod - and the two rods I'm considering above, the handles are a good 1.5-2.0 inches shorter.

Wind + Spinnerbait = success

One of the all time great lures - unless you’re around weeds.

Funny, I hung out one night with a couple Old Town pro staff. Great people, and one has the airplane prop on his Autopilot. He said it gains him .6 to .8 mph. Worth trying, but we’ll still be eating the bubbles of the Torqeedo team.🫧

Here’s a photo that also illustrates some of the challenge that Koz and I face as owners of Old Town Autopilots. Overall, they are a great, stable fishing platform… but they are the “Winnebago” motor home of the kayak fishing world competing against Ferraris of sorts. In the high-tech world of kayak fishing now, the Autopilots are just plain slooooww. In the photo is just before sunrise with our navigation lights on. Within a few minutes you can see the 2 white dots of the Torqeedo-powered kayaks that are a 1/4 mile ahead already. They get to the key spots we’ve all been practicing in the days prior. Probably 5+ times a day, you get all the way down to your spot and they’re already there fishing. With a slow boat to China you fish a lot of recycled water. But you learn to adapt and maximize the water you’re in…

LOL I’m new to the kayak tournament world, but just finished in the top half of anglers in the Dale Hollow Bassmasters tournament. Ok, I was 116th out of 233 but that puts me in the 49th percentile! Wish my mom were still alive to tell her I finally finished in the top half of my class at something haha. I dumped an 18 incher with a few minutes to go or I would have placed in the top 100. I want a participation medal 🤪

I did not, decided to stay with the Tatula 100 because it has the same spool as the Tat elite. Smooth casting distance is what’s most important to me anyway. That’s being said, I’ve heard the 80s is very nice too.

I have an 843 and it is extremely versatile… although I think it’s best uses are 1/2 oz spinnerbait and 3/8 oz swim jigs. For things heavier than that I would go 4 power…

I get the Mayo thing - I grew up in Rochester as a Mayo/IBM brat. It’s not for everyone. Are they good - yeah, but do they miss from time to time absolutely. Main thing is for you to get the right quarterback for your specific situation. You’d be surprised to how much health you can win back. Pulling for ya Man!

The Cara BFS is very similar to my Cashion Icon BFS rods which is just a touch light. I think I need something to cast the lighter lures, but have more backbone than a traditional BFS rod. Somewhere between an ML and a Medium… Or maybe I commit the unthinkable with a Medium-Fast casting rod and a BFS reel 😮

The Lowrider 7’0” Medium “Moderate-Fast” is an interesting rod to me. Question - that rod is rated for 1/4-1/2 oz lures. I have a very small Texas rig that with 1/64 oz sinker, plastic and lure weighs exactly 1/4 oz total. How well will this rod load and cast something that light? I’ve found most traditional Medium-Fast rods can’t quite do it. Will the Lowrider being Moderate-Fast be up for the task? Thx!

Getting a competent doc whom you know well to quarterback this has to be a big help👍

Tokyo Rigs…

It’s crazy, whenever I do anything like this (reverse the braid, cast in the yard to refine reel settings, cast in the nearby pond to check if a lure is tuned, etc.) my neighbors show up like a peanut gallery full of lots of comments - “Catch anything? What’s for dinner? Stay off my lawn hahahaha!”

Prayers Ken - for the right diagnosis, treatment plan and full recovery. Minnesota needs you on their waters for many more years 👍

*5 inch Caffeine Shad on a 4/0 Owner Twistlock Light *Stunna 112 jerkbait/Northern Lights *1/2 oz bladed jig *Airtail Rattler Neko + 1/16 oz nail weight *Senko/wacky worm * Ned *Range Roller jig* Sakamata Shad *ToadZ on 5/0 Mustad *105 Shower Blows *5 inch Caffeine Shad on a 4/0 Owner Twistlock Light

WarPig fan here…

Side arm cast with a lift of the tip as the lure gets closer to the water/target.

I did like the quality, action of the Expride - but man that extra handle length is a PIA!

That Major Craft is a very intriguing rod, but I do want to make sure the handle is noticeably shorter than the Expride, which is the reason why I returned both the 6’10 M and 7’2” ML Expride.

Possible, although I believe it has a little bit of a longer handle than I like for working lighter/finesse lures. Agree, it’s another good rod though! Looks like a great rod. Just wondering if I received and wasn’t quite right, the shipping costs back to Japan might be as much as the rod?!?

I have one ordered that went on backorder right after I hit send. What other 7 ft Medium-Fast rods have the same unique type of action - moving baits as well as the sensitivity for at least some bottom contact. Very versatile which is needed when you can only take a handful of rods on a kayak… Ideally something less money would be fine, I’m not hung up on a rod being boujee necessarily, just versatile, sensitive, etc. TIA

I tend to keep them in order, I have a Blackpak pro and the first 2 rods on each side are what I go into the day planning to use most. I DO put any treble bait lures on the opposite side of where my landing net is stored. They stick to it like Velcro!

I’ve been looking for reliable snaps for BFS crankbait fishing that aren’t completely impossible to use. Everything I’ve tried takes 3 times longer than just re-tying!

Done with short-casting SV’s except the two reels that I have for skipping. Am thinking of a Tatula 80 for a Medium-Light rod - for lures somewhere between BFS and Medium. It’s a question of if you can get enough distance with the 80… is the start up inertia to cast a light lure better on the 80, or Elite? I plan to find out next week…