haggard

As much as I love the idea of gathering and analyzing the data, my advice is (at first anyway) to experience the enjoyment of fishing by keeping it simple: Two rods (one to use, one as backup), 4" Texas rigged soft plastic worm with a bullet weight, no fish finder, and just go explore. If you start obsessing about every possible type and color of lure, line, rod, reel, etc. the magic might wear off. Then, if it does, you always have that reference; you know that it's possible to get back to the enjoyment. Also: Fishing shallows, structure and close to shore will likely give better results than open water.

Congrats - that's a great quality yak and the higher price compared to some yaks seems to be put towards important features (built-in wheel, comfortable seating, stability). I came very close to buying the same one. I always had a hard time choosing between 10 (maneuverability) and 12 (tracking) so the 11.5 should be good middle ground. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Just to make sure - do you mean sit in or sit on? I don't know of any sit in yaks that are stable enough for standing. I think the Lure Feel Free yaks are sit on. I definitely recommend sit on for yak fishing over sit in.

Amazon??

"Patience, grasshopper."

In my opinion look for a sit-on-top yak with a comfortable seat, an anchor trolley and a couple rod holders. Pedal drive is a huge plus but the price goes way up - if you want cheaper, a paddle (not pedal) yak is fine as long as you have the anchor trolley. In your $600 budget remember to figure into that your anchor trolley (and anchor) and accessories such as paddle and most important a personal floatation device (PFD). Safety first, always, no exceptions. #PFD

Depends largely on two things: physical and mental. Physical: How big is the yak; does it have rod storage / holders to manage multiple rods easily, or is it so small that you're fumbling and getting tangled? Mental: Does having a lot of choices make your fishing harder (overwhelmed by too many decisions) or easier (the right combo for the situation is right at hand)? Environment: Are you fishing water that doesn't vary much in terms of structure and species (could get away with fewer rods), or in a single outing are you fishing everything from panfish to big stuff in various conditions - heavy cover, open water, shallows, vegetation, etc. (might need more rods). Oh wait that's three. To answer the original question, for me in a yak in fresh water it's usually 3 combos. New yak has storage for 4 plus 2 holders, so I might go with 4 now. But I'd really like to get down to two. For kicks this season I might spend a day with only one and see what it's like. That's a nice boat and a beautiful body of water.

When I read "Ranger bass boat is done" I seriously thought you meant you were doing a custom build and it was finished Aluminum or fiberglass?

Not sure about efficiency but running them in parallel (assuming identical batteries) will keep the voltage the same and basically double the current capacity, and therefore the running time. On the downside, it will also double the weight....

That is one fine boat! Is that its bimini top in the background of the first pic? How do you sleep at night knowing that thing is only a few weeks away?

I'm thinking more like "what age will you stop hauling your bass boat..." I'll be 50 this year, and more and more the fleet (and haul methods) revolve around the ability to safely solo launch and load the boat or yak. I ain't getting any younger.

I feel the yak is all about simplicity (just me) so in the old yak kept it to 3 combos. New yak has 4 tubes plus 2 holders so I could take 6 combos but don't want to. Haven't had it on the water yet but will probably do 4 combos max, and hopefully just keep it to 3. Trying to make the rod choices before I get in the boat, rather than when I'm in it. I don't like retying (would rather fish) but would rather force myself to think more carefully about which lure to use than manage more rods. Besides, when I get swamped, I lost only 4 combos because I'll be too stupid to remember to leash them.

I have a StC 5'6 UL/F (Premiere not Trout series) that for me is perfect for panfish plus small bass, and a StC M/F as my go-to bass rod (mostly open water here, no heavy cover). In my opinion if you want to target bass, the UL will be a little light. Yes you can land bass on it but as others said, you'll really need to make sure your drag is set light at first, be ready to point the rod fishward on the bite, consider netting rather than lifting... If you're really bass oriented, the UL can do it but if you may find yourself tuning the tools rather than focusing on the fish. I'd recommend a M/F or if you want a little lighter a ML/F. I've landed an accidental big (well for me big, for others it would be dinks) bass with the UL/F and it was a blast - fish felt huge but if I'm expecting bass, I use the M/F. StC will probably be slightly stiffer than some other brands so that helps you if you want to use the UL. I can't remember if it's the trout series or the panfish series, but one or the other is a blend of a stiffer blank (SC VI?) at the base combined with a less stiff blank towards the tip - as opposed to the Premiere which is a single material - so might not be a fair comparison. The blend would give you more backbone for the larger bass which helps in your UL scenario. Nothing wrong with trying what you've already got; it will work. But if you find you really want to target bass with the occasional panfish, consider using the UL setup for the latter, and a dedicated (slightly heavier rod) for the bass. Unless you're fishing laydowns, pads, frogging, thick cover, I'd go no heavier than M, especially if you're used to a light setup.

Just curious (as I'm thinking of going from various lb test of mono to YZH 6# (spinners) and 12# (baitcasters) in the name of simplifying. What's the tradeoff with hybrid? Only experience here so far is mono. edit.....on second thought I replied without first reading all the other replies... going back to catch up....

I've placed one order from them (just started fishing last year) and will be placing another.

Oh. You will find him. More likely: He will find you.

I'd go with fewer rods and less tackle but that's not one of the choices. I'd go with lots of rods and then just take four rods max with me at any time, because lots of tackle means lots of choices to make and retying every time. I'd go with lots of tackle because lots of rods take up way more space than lots of tackle. I'll go with lots of rods and lots of tackle so I can sell lots of rods and lots of tackle and just go back to 2 or 3 combos and a single box of tackle That post gets a lot of mileage and rightly so.

Sahara 500FE here for my 5'6 UL/F on panfish, very happy with it and its quality, around $70 I think. The bigger Saharas probably not too much more I would guess.

My rec would be 6'6 for an UL. I actually use a 5'6 UL/F spinner for panfish from shore and yak. I find too long gets too noodly/whippy on an UL, and the short length seems more controllable (accurate). Occasionally I wish it was longer when casting from the bank, but a plus is that it doesn't catch nearby tree branches as often as a longer rod could. The shorter length is also helpful in the yak. 99% of the time I use a 1/16 oz crappie magnet with it. Bluegill, crappie, perch are so much fun to catch on the UL setup, and that occasional larger bass is a blast (the one in my avatar I got from the yak using this setup).

Experience: Just started fishing last year, freshwater bass (and whatever else hooks up). Recommendation: St. Croix PC66MF2 for a high quality, yet not over the top price, 2 piece, medium power, fast action, general purpose bass rod. Typically $120. That's a baitcaster - if you want a spinner I think they offer the same in a spinner format. I admit I don't have a lot of experience with different brands, but own and use Ugly Stik GX2 and a several St. Croix (UL, L, M, MH, all in fast action). the 6'6" M/F is without a doubt, no question, my "if I had to have just one" rod. St. Croix is said to be a little stiffer than some other brands so the M might be more towards MH without being a full blown MH. This can work in your favor as a general purpose bass rod because it gets you the ability to handle heavier fish or denser cover without going MH. But if you fish a lot of heavy cover consider MH/F instead - that seems to be the norm rather than M, at least from what I've seen in my limited experience. The PC66MF has become my #1 go-to rod for freshwater bass fishing in open water. Or the 2-pc PC66MF2 if I know I need to be more portable or want to store it out of sight in the truck cab. Keep in mind I generally prefer a little on the lighter/finesse side of things as opposed to heavier, prefer the sensitivity and bite detection abilities of the lighter rod. Sometimes the key to figuring out what your best rod is... is to find it and then ask what it won't do. For the StC 6'6 M/F, what it doesn't do well for me is panfish (too heavy a rod) and (I would guess, never tried it) pulling bass out of heavy cover (pads, stumps, laydowns). No doubt there are plenty other makes/models out there besides the above. I just don't have any experience with them. Reels, a whole 'nother subject and won't bore you with details, but I'm partial to Shimano and have some, so if you have questions about specific reels let me know and I'll be glad to give you my opinions/reviews (Shimano: Caenan, Conquest, Sahara, Sienna, Ultegra).

I also bought a cheap Sundolphin Journey 10 SS ($185 walmart), as a "last resort" boat that I can throw in the truck bed and easily transport (weighs just 44 lb). Anchor trolley is the first mod I want to do and I quickly found out there's no access to the inside of the hull. Haven't found the solution yet but consider attaching pulleys to the front and rear carry handles. If you include a tensioning element in the anchor trolley line, it might work. You don't necessarily need to mount the front and rear pulleys to the yak body. Have them suspended from the grab/carry handles. I haven't done this yet so not entirely sure it will work, but thinking about it.

Sounds about like my 6'8" jig MH/F jig & worm rod - good to know - I think I'll start with what I've got and go from there. Thank you.

Good point... leashes and rope can tangle you quickly in a tipover. Maybe there's a happy medium in there.

Congrats on coming up on owning your yak outright! I'm very new at yak fishing but based on my experience from a handful of outings, high on my list would be: 1. PFD, worn at all times 2. spare length of rope for general use, readily accessible, perhaps with bowline loop already formed at each end. 3. anchor trolley. Being blown around by wind is annoying and happens too easily. If you have access to the inside of your hull on both ends, consider spending the $45 on a quality kit like the Hobie Universal. I've spent too much time and money on DIY solutions. But I'm going to try it again on my cheapie Sundolphin Journey SS 10 because I never learn 4. seat comfort. Whatever it takes. 5. rod holder in front of you or on the sides - Scotty or similar. This is for when you're changing lures, unhooking a fish, or just need to temporarily put down your rod without fear of losing it overboard. 6. paddle holder, even if it's just a leash and dropping the paddle in the water. Basically some way of allowing you to quickly drop the paddle while handling the rod, without having to worry about losing the paddle (for example, laying it horizontally across the hull, where the ends tangle with your line or even the slightest tipping will cause it to slide overboard, when you have to grab it and then risk letting go of the rod....)

First off thanks to Dave (The Fishin' Pastor) and bassresource for today's video on the pitching technique. I really enjoy these brief instructional videos that show up on the home page so frequently. https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/pitching-for-bass.html On my list of things to do this season are learning and becoming pro-fish-ient at new techniques including pitching, flipping and drop shot. After watching the video, in particular the part about recommended gear, I still have unanswered questions. The suggested gear included a 7'3 rod, braided line, and a high gear ratio baitcasting reel, for reasons such as being able to pull a fish out of heavy cover (braid) and being able to reel it in quickly (gear ratio). But those reasons seem to be applicable to any technique, not specific to pitching. My most comfortable and common go-to setup is a 6'6" M/F with a baitcasting reel around 6.3:1 with 12# mono. I'm 5'10" tall. Will this setup be okay for learning how to properly pitch? Thanks for your help and again to Dave & BR for the video.