Boomstick

I'm thinking it's more people from up north, even a few states going to Texas to try for a new PB. As mentioned many of them were out of state anglers, and Texas has certainly become a destination for people looking for large bass the past few years.

I'm not too terribly picky on what I throw spinnerbaits and chatterbaits on. A 1/2oz chatterbait with a heavy trailer goes on my MH/XF rod, but sometimes I'll throw them on my MH/MF rod as long as I'm keeping them moving. I have a M-MH/F Tatula Elite that may see some use this year as well depending what else I bring or don't bring on the kayak.

Wow! I'm not super familiar with the model, but that does not strike me as a thin hull model.

What kind of kayak? He specifically mentions fishing kayaks. For example, I am aware the hull of a Bonafide SS127 is 7/32" thick, at least in some areas. Your lightweight paddlers kayak that is not geared towards fishing does not nearly have as thick of a hull, so it's relative to the style and model you have.

I would go no more than 10# mono if you really want to go heavier line, but I think you would be fine with 8# and it will perform better. Pick a line with a thinner diameter like Trilene XL or Maxima Ultragreen. If you go the Sufix route, you could go with Sufix Advance or Elite 6lb and it's nearly as the prior two in 8lb.

Good point, I didn't even think of that.

I would say 10# max on a 2500 reel and I would only use 10# on a reel with larger diameter spool like the Daiwa BG. I would use 8# on the Sienna. Typically people will use a 5000 size reel for 17# and that would be more applicable to offshore fishing than bass. I personally use braid on spinning reels. You could get away with 20# or 30# which would give you something stronger if that's what you are after. I could be of more assistance if you told me what you were looking to throw with this reel.

Yeah, I figure I would generally stick near the US shoreline. There may be a few areas I might cross to go near an island and a few of them are right by the line though, depending where I end up going. There are some big boats there.

Some people will say get a Daiwa reel with the SV spool like the Tatula SV, and others will say a Shimano DC such as the Curado DC. I have no experience with a Shimano DC reel, but the Tatula SV works pretty darn well, I mean if you turn the brake up to 12 and I'm casting the proper weight for the rod and the wind isn't too extreme I don't even need to thumb the spool.

I don't have a pedal kayak, but in some cases you can an oar to quickly veer one way or get yourself unstuck even if you have one. There is always a cluster of stumps close together to the point where you can't get by, but so far I have been able to get myself unstuck almost every time. The one time I couldn't, I snagged a bush on the shore and my kid was able to get it for me because that bush had me pinned down pretty good.

Thought I'd share this, being an interesting test and some good laughs. If you don't watch around the 8:15 mark and not laugh, there's something wrong with you.

So I have never fished the St. Lawrence before. I was thinking of booking a week at either the Cedar Point State Park or Kring State Park in early August. Both state parks have a point that look like they could produce fish from the shore, then I have my kayak. Do I need a US and Canadian fishing license? Or do I just need to stay in the US side?

Have you tried a chatterbait? I mention this because they come through the gunk a little bit better than a spinnerbait and you can pop it off. If it's too gunky, try a frog. I'd probably go with a full size frog to make the most commotion possible.

From the shore, I will almost always opt for a T-Rig over a jig with the exception being if I have a nice deep spot to throw into, which means there's a drop off and thus good structure. Most of these spots are not accessible by shore, or if they are I can't cast due to a very low tree line. What I will use in my kayak really depends on the pond or small lake. Some small lakes yield good size bass and jigs can be as effective as anywhere else, and others I pretty much only catch dinks and the jig is almost as large as they are.

If I'm looking for big bass, I'll usually start off throwing a larger bait to begin with. And if they happen to be hitting a smaller soft plastic that day, then I'll keep throwing what's working. You can't catch a larger bass if you don't put your bait in front of a larger bass's face so they can eat it. Remember while smaller bass will generally not hang out with bass that are large enough to eat them, sometimes when you get on a bite of smaller bass, the larger bass will move in right after the smaller bass bite dies off. Also I've read that with any cover or structure, the largest bass gets the best spot. So typically if you identify the best structure and cover with quick access to deep water, that's probably the prime structure in the lake. Some lakes can be hard to find the "prime" structure, and some it's pretty obvious depending on the layout of the lake etc.

The first time I took my Bonafide SS127 out (which is known for its stability) I stood up when I launched the kayak, and quickly sat down to paddle away from the current as I launched by a dam. There was a strong wind and a lot of motor boat activity, and when I tried to stand up, the side to side motion made me feel like I was going to fall over. I probably wasn't going to flip the kayak, and if I did fall off, it would be my own clumsy self losing my balance. The next time I took it out, I took it out at a small local lake with no wind or motorboats and fairly still water. I had no problem standing up. Over time, I did find that I would get used to the side to side action and it no longer phases me. One thing about the Bonafide is that it does provide a lot of side to side action. My youngest son's Topwater 120 might be easier to flip, but the bottom shape keeps it from rocking as much.

I ended up going the kayak route because it was what I could afford. I would also have to pay to store a boat so factor that into the total cost. I have been adding to my setup, and the kids as well a little more each year. Now we all have fish finders and can all carry at least 5 rods, an anchor trolley with an anchor wizard and now each kid has their own tackle selection as well. I have to add flags with LED lights so if we stay out late in the day, boats can see us. It's not quite as functional as a bass boat, I can't carry as much tackle, as many rods and can't get place to place nearly as fast, but with a solid game plan, it can still provide a solid day of fishing. And to be honest, I enjoy the smaller, quiet motorless lakes that I can't take a bass boat on which is probably the best part. One of the things I like about fishing is the quiet, so it suits me very well.

Well it arrived today, several days earlier than I was expecting. You're right though, this one really is stiff. My Tatula extra fast isn't quite this fast and is nowhere near this fast relatively considering it's a slightly heavier power rod. It's a bit scuffed and I had the clean the reel seat, but everything else is intact.

I have been using Trout Magnet's 2lb line. It's a little bit thicker than Trilene XL 2lb, but not quite as thick as 4lb and handles decently.

Honestly, I was more worried it might be too underpowered for larger spinnerbaits or chatterbaits. I can deal with it being too stiff, just not underpowered. It's a secondary application for me as I'm mainly interested in the ability to throw a spinnerbait or a chatterbait in the event I only bring two or three rods with me on the kayak. I ended up picking one up because I found one used that seems to be in good shape so saved me a few.

My oldest son broke my Mojo Bass. I contacted the company, and they sent me a new rod for free. They have a pretty solid warranty.

That's what I was getting at by going deep too. Sometimes when there's no rocks, there may be a slope that slows current. And of course, a decent rock can make a current break and such a spot is a prime ambush location. They definitely like current breaks more than water that's always stagnant. Likewise, sometimes areas that have current when the slow melts but later become stagnant can be good during or after the period the snow melts and there is current. On a normal year, we would experience that right now and have to wait for the current to die off a bit, but we didn't get much snow this winter. While it's better known for producing massive brown trout than smallies, there is an area in the river that runs near my house that gets deep and moderately stagnant down low. The particular spot is maybe a quarter mile from my house.

I never catch anything in a decent current without a break or a pocket somewhere or a particular deep spot that slows the current.

Yes they do. What I was getting at is they tend to prefer to prefer smaller rocks sitting on the bottom as opposed to boulders.

I have the 6'8" M/XF Mojo bas and this is exactly what I use mine for as well.