JKay

I've bought from them a number of times. They're a reputable company and good to deal with; just not really well known as you get away from the west coast.

Try the Appomattox River Co. I think they have several locations in VA and have tons of kayaks in stock. I've never personally dealt with them, but they have a pretty good reputation in the kayak fishing community. Good luck!

Hi Shooter, When I first started out, I wanted to make sure that I was getting into a boat that was very stable. I learned quickly that the a boat that may feel a bit tippy (initial stability), may still have great resistance to roll over (secondary stability). As I started making longer paddle journeys, I wanted something stable, but fast with decent glide. Some of the fishing spots are a few miles paddle/peddle to get out there. I wanted to be able to get out there quickly without killing myself. The big difference also comes with having to paddle in or against the wind. I've had to tow a buddy once or twice in heavy wind and/or chop. He was riding a Malibu 2 XL as a single You're on the right track with the investigating. I would haunt the KFS board for a while. You can get some good information about kayaks and it's a good community of guys. Even better fun when we all get together for the annual Jamaica Bay tournament. I've already started the countdown. We've just got to get through the pesky winter first :'(

Gluvit marine epoxy. This stuff works and is specifically designed for these type applications. Google and read up about it. I've used it on several boats and it wears like iron.

I do the same thing with the back end of an old dried up Sharpie permanent marker. Snapped it in half, pulled out the inners and away I went. Works great with the o-rings. Just wish I could fish wacky style more often. Too many weeds where I like to fish. Every cast seems to dredge the lake and I spend more time cursing and picking weeds than fishing >

I'm with TopDog. Try hammering them first. Essentially you're tightening up a rivet that works a bit or very loose. Make sure you have another hammer on the back side as you're doing it. If you still have some that leak, don't use JB Weld. It's not meant for marine applications. Use Gluvit or similar product instead. Do a search on the site for Gluvit and you'll find more info. The last time I used it was a couple years ago and things are still watertight. The stuff is bulletproof when applied correctly

I've got a Tierra spooled with 17 lb mono for stripers and blues. I'll probably put some braid on the spare spool. I like the Tierra considerably better than my older Shimano Symetres that I have, but they aren't really in the same price bracket. My buddy just bought a Saros and I really like the feel of that reel. Very smooth for the price range. I don't think you could go wrong with either. Sorry, no experience with the Soron

Don't feel too bad. I got skunked at Split Rock yesterday. The wind was howling up there by 2pm. Fish were suspended at 4-5' in 9-12 ft of water, but couldn't get much of a bite. I had one on and didn't realize that he was swimming toward me. When I did finally wake up, I tried to quickly reel up the slack to set the hook, but he must have felt it and spit it. Oh well. Better luck next time

I have a Yakima rack on top of my company car (Chevy Impala). I put my kayak on that rack, but have not tried the 12' jon that I have yet. Work great for the kayak and yeah...it was expensive

Yo Zuri #6 Ultra Soft. Use a little Line & Lure conditioner in conjunction and you've got a great line

I'll second the Gluvit. I've used it on several boats and it's awesome stuff. Tough as hell and seems to remain flexible. Just use it on the bottom. It works great to seal small leaks as well as building up a sacrificial wear coat for the bottom of the boat. If you drag your boat occasionally like I do go a little heavy on the drag points on the bottom. Gluvit doesn't have any UV properties, so a top coat may be needed. I store my jon boat upside down, so I top coated with an aluminum colored paint and it blended well with the aluminum color of the boat.

I just installed a fishfinder in my kayak this past week and am itching to get it out on the water. Lakes are still frozen over up here in Kinnelon. That 60 degree day coming up will be a total teaser; warm day, still lots of ice. Maybe I should install an icebreaker bow on the yak next? If I paddle like crazy I could probably make it to some deeper open water

I had all Shimano Symetres for freshwater until last year. I bought a Daiwa Tierra 4000 for salt water surf fishing. The Tierra is smooth and strong. I won't be pitching my Symetres, they are good reels, but I'd opt for the Tierra over the Symetre now. Sorry Shimano...time to move over

I've got a 6'6" Med-Fast Shimano Compre as a back-up rod and still feel that it's one of the best rods in the $100 range.

1. St. Croix 2. Shimano I'm sure I'd probably like the Loomis rods, but I'm not about to drop that kind of money; especially after I see all these 401K statements coming in now :'(

In the spirit of "low budget", I broke the back end off your standard Sharpie marker, pulled out the colored felt and use the hollow back end as a DIY O-Wacky tool. Works great and cost me nothing 8-) I pick up the least expensive o-rings I can find. Now if I can only stop spending money on cigars ;D Any suggestions on a decent inexpensive med-full bodied maduro in 5x50?

X2 I've had one of these for a few years now and it's great. Holds lot of stuff. My only complaint is the overall weight when loaded up. I've really scaled back and have another much smaller bag that I use for kayak fishing and shore fishing. If I'm taking the boat out for the day, the larger Advanced Angler bag comes with me. I've got to think about yet another bag for when I got striper fishing in the surf. Where am I going to keep all these bags :-/

If you're fishing alone, I would also consider a kayak. Easy to transport and a lot of fun being close to the water. Most are not really built for standing, but I don't mind sitting. My 12' jon hardly ever gets used anymore since I bought my kayak. You can even get the kayak out in salt water. Hook into a nice sized striper and enjoy the sleigh ride Not something that I'd want to try in a jon!

I don't like the power hump either. I've got 2 BPS rods with them. I'll sell the 1 rod after a while and keep the Crankin Stick. After that...no more buying BPS rods. There's too many better alternatives out there.

Hi Joe, Just as a suggestion, I'd make sure to try on that PFD before buying. I tried the Guardian 3500 in the store and did not like the way it fit. Besides being uncomfortable, it seemed to ride high and was too short. I'm 5'10 - 230 lbs and I'm not sure these vests were designed for guys with my build. I wound up with a Sospenders instead. A bit more money, but where safety is concerned, easily justifiable

Wow, great deal

I regularly go over with my salt water rods. Some of the lures weigh a ton and take a real heave to get them out there The salt water rods have got a lot of backbone to them and I feel comfortable pushing them. I don't go much over though on my freshwater rods. Maybe 1/2 oz if I'm careful. I'll lob it then like the other poster suggested.

Shimano Symetre. I haven't tried the new ones, but am still on the lookout for some old models on extreme closeout pricing. The old ones can take a beating

I can't speak for their spinning gear, but I do have an Albright A-5 5wt, 9' fly rod. Great rod that easily competes with rods that are 2+X the cost. I bought this instead of a Winston and Sage that I was looking at. They had a blowout sale on a lot of their stuff recently. I don't know if the sale is still going.