Dens228

I'm trying some Smackdown this year and is by far the smoothest braid I've experienced

Patience and don't rely only on what worked last time.

Just last week I was fishing a place where I see beavers all the time but they always whack their tail and dive before you can even get close, often before I even see them. I was in my kayak and came out of a channel and a huge one was just on the edge in the water chewing on something and facing the other way.......as I silently floated past within about 5 feet or so and came into it's view it just froze..........lol It literally stopped mid chew. I kept floating and after I got about 30 feet or so it went on chewing.

All my reels but two are Daiwa Elite's. Love them.

I am 5'9 and fish out a kayak and my shortest rod is 7 foot even. I have no issues using any of them. I like the longer sweep of the hook set with a longer rod but in reality don't think it's much of a difference.

I have a Bonafide SS127, more stable than most, some say it's a pain to paddle. I have a Bixby motor but no issues paddling either. I have mine in a 6 foot bed with an extender, no issues, a 5 foot bed shouldn't be a problem. I have friends with Nucanoe's. Probably even more stable than mine but they are WIDE and even they say they wouldn't want to paddle it all day fishing. I also agree that you should get a 12 foot minimum.

OP, are you looking for a topwater bait? You keep asking questions about specific baits asking if they're topwater.

I'd tie on a 3/8 oz swim jig with a paddletail of your choice, 30 lb braid or above and rip it through the grass. Wait, I do that..........

With you being 6'6 I'd think the bigger the kayak the better. Or a complete open deck. You may want to look into the SS127 or a Nucanoe also.

I prefer cork but have never decided on a rod because of the handle composition.

Swim jigs or underspins............. Jigs, or t-rigs

Very true with everything. I catch most of my best bass on a jig. Either bottom or swim jig. But then again I am throwing one of those most of the time.

For a chatterbait I use 30 lb braid. But I'm partial to braid. I'd also use a MH/Fast rod for that.

What lures do you plan on using with it?

I use brown with some purple stands, and some brown with orange and red. Green pumpkin with and without red flake would be my most used trailer.

Great idea! Now add submerged trees and branches!

Nice! Hopefully it doesn't go Way2Slow!

Ditto the Lowrance..........that's what I started out on.

Unfortunately it's going to happen.

It was last summer or the summer before I was bass fishing and caught a decent muskie. It cut my line at the kayak. My first thought was "d**n, that was a $15 chatterbait!"

At it's current direction we'll be getting that "And Scene" post soon........lol Or maybe the "Goodnight Irene"

I suppose if you reel them super fast...... But no, that's not their intended purpose.

You had me until you said their products but so are everyone else's.......there are plenty of low quality baits out there.......

Can't comment on the Doobyns but I had a BassX. I have had plenty of St Croix rods with no complaints at all but did NOT like the BassX. It seemed lighter in action than advertised and as a whole was a bit "whippy".

Congrats! Have fun!