haggard

While I don't have any experience with the Daiwa, I do have a CI4+ (1000 size) on a L/F rod and I liked it so much I bought a CI4+ (2500 size) for my M/F. Smooth retrieve yes, smooth drag yes. I haven't use it for drop shot yet.

I've heard good things about ACK but I ended up getting my yak (and yakcessories) through Delaware Paddlesports. Small shop brick & mortar shop (they have a website too), great service, and when I had questions the owner was very responsive/fast on emails and chat. Highly recommended.

Depends on your needs but if I was to go Lund, the Fury 1625 XL is what I keep coming back to after researching all their models. Very comfortable and fishable; small enough to be easily trailered / launched / loaded, yet big enough to feel roomy and comfortable with 2 (maybe even 3?) fishers. Quality is superb; plenty storage; plenty deck space. I'm "between boats" right now and torn between salt and fresh, but after seeing @jbmaine's 1625 in person on a few occasions and riding shotgun in it for a day of fishing on a decent sized lake, if I go fresh, the 1625 is among the very top contenders if not the top. Maybe the 14 footer but that gives up some comfort and convenience.

The weather already is b---- oh wait... You're in California :D

For me, in a 14 to 16 ft boat or 12 ft yak, it's usually 4 rods, all between 6'6 and 7'0. I'd rather not bring four; it's just what I usually end up doing: MH/F BC M/F BC M/F spin L/F spin (for panfish, if I'm getting skunked on bass) I'd really like to get confident enough to bring only two (M/F spin, M/F BC), as simplicity really helps when in a small boat. I find it also clears my mind, not just clutter on the deck. I wouldn't bring only one because I believe in backups/redundancy. What makes a big difference in how many combos are comfortable to bring is whether or not you have a rod storage system. Four rods lying on a small deck can be a tangly hassle, but having them stored on holders on the gunnel or in a locker could make it very doable.

This happens to me on occasion but I haven't tried very hard to figure out why. It's usually when I make a quick/hard "whipping" kind of cast to try getting some distance. Maybe try making a smoother, less abrupt cast.

In cases like this, humor is the best medicine.

My butt hurts from kicking myself so much for selling it, but when it came to one vehicle, it had to be a pickup. That Jeep in 4 low could climb, crawl and conquer any obstacle the trail threw at it. Big giant honkin obstacles. Never understood why people say "that Jeep must be fun" until I had one.

Follow the birds. Heard about it for a year now, but last Sunday actually witnessed it. Gulls were dive bombing a school on the lake, and I could see the fish jumping. Moved in with the boat and cast in but no luck. Repeated this scene 5 mins later. No luck yet but slowly learning.

Sad to see the end of the season. Gotta love the smallies. First fish in the boat looks great, and looks like it only got better from there. Congrats on a great season in the new Lund. Seems to be working well

Simplify. Lower it down to only the absolute bare necessities. Then cut that in half

Thanks for the reminder. PFD always. Like seat belts. Not in the yak I mean... in the car. Things going wrong are measured in seconds.

I've heard the "loosen the drag before putting the reel away" thing a couple times now. Someone said it's to relieve compression from a spring which would otherwise get permanently formed into the compressed position. I thought springs wore down from compression/release cycles, not from being held in one position for a long time. Can someone elaborate? Is there a difference between spinning and casting reels with regard to leaving the drag loose after use? I'm not too familiar with the drag mechanics of either type.

Just hold the fish in the water for 15 sec once every minute to let it recover, then take it out and resume hook removal. If the line is cut just make sure to lip it firmly so it doesn't get away with the hook still in. Or hold a net under it just in case. I use barbless hooks which makes it much easier to back the hook out in this situation (also makes it easier for fish to shake the hook off when landing, but I prefer losing a few landings to leaving a hook in on release).

In recent days I've seen a some references to a Hobie bimini top option for the 2019 Outback. Looks like it involves an adapter that fits into the sail mast hole in Outbacks and possibly Pro Anglers. Can anyone point me to specifics? Very interested in this option.

Last night dreamed I was fishing off a dock attached to my grandmother's house. Realized I forgot my tackle box and net, but made a cast anyway and caught a 41 inch "yellow trout" which was blue with yellow dots. Wasn't sure if trout had teeth so took a chance and lipped it, measured 41 inches and released and it swam off. Nearby there was a goldfish.. which was entirely black. Dreams are strange.

Sorry for your loss Derek. Were you at home / in your driveway? I did that and my neighbor recovered them, maybe worth checking with neighbors to see if someone found it and brought it to a nearby home. Happened to me a few months ago. I've caught myself placing items (yeti mug, phone, sun glasses) on the side of the bed since then, and every time, I remember what happened. Now stuff goes in the bed not on it.

Yep. I've never caught anything on a frog, rat, spook, popper, squarebill, spoon, spinner or skirted jig. Which is why I fish mostly soft plastics. Which is why I never catch anything on a frog, rat, spook, popper, squarebill, spoon, spinner or skirted jig.

1/8 oz spinner for some fall finesse, and a Whopper Plopper 90 because I watched this. Two rod socks, which could only mean I'm waiting on two rods in the mail

One fine boat.

Not necessarily. Youtube vids showed me the basics and taught me how to fish for bass, how to operate a rod and reel. Just learn to filter out the nonsense. Even if they're pitching a product, not that there's anything wrong with that, you can still learn some basics.

I just have to reiterate what others have already said because as a newbie to fishing, I still struggle to catch fish and find their advice is right on. - Location (most important). Fish like structure. You may catch something at random out in open water with a muddy bottom but don't count on it. Find structure, whatever that may be, and focus in that area. Also shady banks. - Downsize the lures. Bigger lures = fewer bigger fish; smaller lures = more smaller fish (I'm generalizing) - Youtube videos are showing you the catches, not the hours of not catching. Enough said. - Panfish are relatively easy and fun on ultralight rods and can boost your confidence and tune you in to what the bass might react to. I often started the work day with a stop at the local reservoir for 15-30 mins just to catch SOMETHING even if small, and it made the rest of the work day WAY better As a bonus you can claim you at least caught something that day. Extra bonus? Catching a bass on ultralight gear - Gear matters. You don't need top tier gear to land fish but keep in mind a cheap crappy combo might make fishing seem dull, not because of the fishing, but because of the gear. Keep it fun.

Why does an alarm go off when it really goes on?

$99 Shimano Caenan with 6.3:1 ratio. My first baitcasting reel, bought it a year ago knowing I wanted Not Junk but not over the top. Since then I've bought several "nicer" reels but last month thought I'd use it again for old time's sake. There's something about it that just feels great, so comfortable. High enough quality to instill confidence, but low enough quality to not obsess over it. This translates to focusing on the fishing, not the reel.

I haven't tried the Tatula but I have a Curado K 201 so glad to give you my opinion. The Curado definitely feels to me like a sturdy, full size workhorse compared to my other reels. Less comfortable but in some cases more capable. For example, compared to the Curado 71, I find the K larger and less comfortable (size, not weight) but the K has greater line capacity and the drag adjustment is less sensitive (in a good way... that is, one click on the 71 makes too big a change in tension). So far I haven't found the weight of the K to be a problem; I simply haven't noticed its weight. Then again, I haven't used mine a whole lot. One quirk to be aware of on the K is that at least in some samples (mine included) you can't latch the side plate closed until you loosen the spool tension.