HookInMouth

Outlaw rodholders ... I've never fished an Outlaw so i've never used them. But they're out of the way really if you don't use them. Honestly, I kind of like the looks of them myself. But I don't use rodholders. Yet. I always just end up laying my rods in front of me in the deck. I bought two YakAttack Omegas and they sit in my garage. It's just quicker to grab off the deck. What I can say about the Outlaw is that it is stable. Not as stable as an SS127 but close. To my eyes the hull is very similar and the boat is wider so you would think it would eclipse the SS127 in stability but it doesn't for some reason. Length maybe? Also, I'm 5-7 and use a 260 paddle with the SS127.

I've paddled the SS107 and I own two SS127. The 107 is a little poorer tracking than the 127 and is also a little less stable. IMHO that 2' difference makes a difference. Still a good boat, but you know it's shorter when you're in it. I agree with Wilderness. I would definitely be researching that Recon if I were in the market right now. The Voodoo is a great boat.

How high of a seat do you want? My definition of a "high seat" changed when I bought an SS127 lol. The low position on that one is the high on most others. I like the looks of the Recon. I think in the $1000ish range it really looks interesting. But I don't really know much about it either. The Diablo Amigo with a Larry Chair is high and stable and $1000. The RS117 is basically the SS127 seat in the low position (so high for most other brands). From personal experience... don't overlook the Perception Outlaw if you want to save a few bucks. It's got a high seat (by most standards) and is very stable. I would recommend the Voodoo (awesome seat, great stability, paddles well for it's size, $1199) but if in hull storage is an issue the Voodoo is not for you.

The Bonafide SS127 works well for bigger guys. My son is taller and heavier than you and stands in the SS127. You would have the option of motorizing it as well. Primary and secondary stability. A lot of people think the SS127 is a little tippy at first (I didn't) because of this. It will rock some side to side but it reaches a point where it just stops. The high seat is very comfortable and I believe is the highest seat on the market still. If comfort is important, add the SS127 to your list.

The RS117 seat is close to the same height as the SS127 in the low position. The SS127 seat in the high position is a good bit higher. Sucks that Covid turned the market upside down. Last year I bought an SS127 for $1030 brand new in March before everything went to hell. It was a previous year model but brand new. Doesn't seem like those deals exist in this current market though.

If I'm not in the $180 range (Curado K) I'm usually looking at the SLX. I just think there's tons of value there. Feels great in the hand and it's a workhorse. No need to pay more unless you want to. Great reel in whatever flavor you like. The XT is in your range and is a very good reel.

I do the same thing, two rods on the kayak. I went with a 7' Medium Expride A spinning rod with a 2500 Stradic FL and a 7'2" Medium-Heavy Expride A casting rod paired with a Curado 200 K. I'm kind of a Shimano fanboy though. Can't get enough of those Exprides.

My wife and I kayak fish together all the time. She loves it and I love sharing the obsession with my best friend. Wouldn't have it any other way.

FishingOnline Has Reels 30% Off Black Friday They have the Stradic FL 2500 and 3000 in stock as of now.

I'll note too that I understand what he's saying with the grip but it doesn't bother me at all. I hold the rod the same way he does and I just get a completely different experience from it. Doesn't bother me at all. YMMV. What he says does make sense though. I get it.

Right in front of the reel. Perfectly. Look up punchfishing on YouTube. I think that's the guy that's a member here and actually the one who talked me into trying it. But he does a video on the 7' Expride M with the FL. Great video and review actually. Probably the best stuff on YouTube concerning the Exprides comes from him.

They punch above their weight class, for sure. Light and very sensitive. I'd actually like to replace my Dobyns with them but they're a little pricey and my kids spend all my money.

I only carry one finesse rod with me on my kayak so it has to do more than one thing well. I have a Shimano Expride A MF with a 2500 Stradic FL and I've been very happy with it. I use it for ned and weightless senkos mostly.

I think a lot of tournament winners are very happy that you don't. ?

Just picked up some 4.3 and some weighted 4/0 Owner Beast Hooks to try. Figured I would give them a shot where I can't effectively throw my baby bull shads (my most successful lure overall this year). Just getting into smaller (3.5-5") swimbaits and the soft plastic ones look interesting.

I like things simple. I take two rods, both 7'. A medium heavy baitcaster and a medium spinning rod. I guess I might add a third later but I can't see any more than that. Clutter stresses me out. I don't even take a crate with me anymore. I have a little walmart bad that carries 4 3600 boxes. No rod holders, I just la the rods in front of me. I've not anchored yet but to be honest, it's my biggest struggle. I just haven't convinced myself that I want to get into all of that yet. Might add a power pole or manual version at least. Until your comfortable I would avoid anchoring myself. I do a lot of holding position by coming upstream and beaching on exposed rocks (I'm a river guy mostly) or grass islands. Or I just get out and fish. I would make a trip or two without fishing and get used to the boat. Learn it's point of no return and what you are comfortable with. Then add the rods and you're off. I'll add that being mostly a small river guy I value accuracy over distance and that's why I'm not running longer rods. It really has nothing to do with being on a kayak. Larger water I would probably prefer longer rods.

It's all subjective. I had a boat and I now have several kayaks because I enjoy it more. I'e thought about adding a bass boat a few times but I always shy away because of the upkeep. Not so much the cost, but the labor. Low maintenance and simplicity are two of the big draws for kayak fishing for me. There are advantages and disadvantages for both.

Smallmouth heaven right there. Juniata too. Especially in a yak. I'm south-western PA (Pittsburgh area). As a river rat I love the choices here. That said, I've long flirted with making a move to Florida and I'd be lying if I said fishing wasn't a part of that. It's mostly a money lol. But fishing too!

I've not yet found a reason to add the flex wings or a rudder to my SS127. It tracks about the same as any fishing kayak. I think people mistake wind (with the high seat) for poor tracking maybe? If you're paddling long distances in the wind for sure, the $40 flex wings might help and it's cheap enough.

Have you sat in any of these? The seat makes a big difference in how much time you want to spend in it. From my experience the SS127/107 seat is the industry standard for comfort. I really like a 12' kayak though. There is a noticable difference in stability between the SS107 and the SS127 (I have a couple SS127 and my brother in law has a 107). The SS107 is still a comfortable and stable boat though. It's just not as stable and/or quick as the SS127.

I bought the yakgear 6' mudstick on Amazon for about $50 I think. Saw the DYI stuff and just didn't like anything that I saw enough to make me try to save money on it. Honestly don't use it much but I'm a shallow river guy and I've just found ways to "beach" my yak on rocks and other things or to just use the current itself to hold me in place.

Big stable fishing kayaks are never great paddlers. Some are better than others though. I think you made a good choice. Enjoy man. Congratulations.

I've got some time on one. It's stable, but not as stable as my Voodoo's or SS127's. Which is odd, because to my eyes, the hull looks like the hull of an SS127, just wider. So I would think all things being equal it would be as stable or more. But alas, all things aren't equal. Just not sure what the big difference is. But it's in the same "ballpark" stability wise. So it's stable. It's not as fast as the SS127 or Voodoo either and doesn't paddle as well. But it's a great kayak for that price range. Maybe, IMHO, the best in that price range. It's a solid well made yak. Yeah, it doesn't perform like the SS127 but it's less than half the cost of a 127. It's a good choice if that's your budget. If you have specific questions I'd be glad to help.

I'm predominantly a shallow river smallie kayak fisherman. I'm in a Bonafide SS127 right now. Excellent choice but I don't really know your budget. My recommendation is to not overlook comfort. Make sure you get a seat you want to sit in for the better part of a day. I have had the most luck with the Berkley Choppo 90 which is basically a whopper plopper. I tied that on one rod and have a NED rig on another to start each trip. If I can't get them to bit topwater that Choppo usually becomes a Picasso Shokblade Pro with a rage baby bug trailer.

My sister just picked up a Perception Outlaw 11.5. It's beyond stable and it's very well made for $729. Basically the Bonafide hull but wider. I'd even say it's probably more stable than the SS127 but not as fast or maneuverable.