Smalls

Same thing I listen to while driving, taking long walks through the park, etc. - hardcore and metal.

I just bought an iRod 705 for basically the same thing. Haven’t fished it, yet, but I’ve pitched it around the yard/kitchen a lot since it came in. I’ve had a hard time putting it down, honestly. It’s got a fantastic tip for skipping. It’s got some backbone to it, but far from a broomstick. It’s in the Fiber line, which is priced at $100. They’re the same blank, but if you want nicer guides and what not, you can step up to the Genesis for $150

How much you wanna spend? You could probably host a small circus on a Hobie PA17. And everyone knows a Hobie attracts the biggest fish.

What/how much gear you bring is strictly personal preference. Some guys bring 1-2 rods and a couple packs of soft plastics in their pocket. Some guys bring enough gear to fill a small bass boat. The kayak accessory rabbit hole is deep. You can spend $120 on a super cool manufactured tackle crate, or you can make whatever crate/cooler/bucket you have at home suffice. Some things are worth DIY’ing, other things you should just bite the bullet and buy. But a lot of that is you deciding for yourself what an accessory is worth. Here’s my opinion, but that’s all it is. Just starting off, 1) I’d go to Home Depot and buy 2 $5 milk crates. Cut the bottom off of one and fasten it as a lid for the other one. Bungee crate to tank well. 2) Buy some rod tubes for the crate, and drill a small hole at the top of each and attach a coiled lanyard to them. This will prevent losing rods overboard. 3) Tether anything else you would miss if it went overboard, but don’t have 100 lanyards going across your boat. They can be dangerous if you do happen to take a swim. 4) Wear your PFD, and practice common safety sense out on the water. Learn and respect your limitations. Kayak fishing is whatever you want it to be, that’s the beauty of it.

Awesome, thanks!

I fish out of a BF105. It’s beyond stable. Could probably do backflips on it. But it’s a barge to paddle. The tracks are also goofy, and you either have to buy the expensive adapters, or DIY something up. It’s been good to me, but I’ll definitely be upgrading after this season, and if I did it all over, I’d probably have gone with the Bonafide. I think they have a better “floor plan”, more storage, and easier to customize/ modify.

https://www.sportsmans.com/fishing-gear-supplies/fishing-rods/rod-cases/plano-46102-guide-series-rod-tube/p/1282397?channel=shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2-mLgZf15gIVr__jBx1UVAXFEAsYAyABEgK1H_D_BwE Check around Craigslist/FB marketplace for a couple of these, first. I moved cross country a year and a half ago and found a guy selling 2 of these for $15. I couldn’t build pvc pipes for that much, and I still use them for traveling to tournaments. If you can’t find any, and go PVC, I’d stick to 4”, and build as many as you need. 6” and 8” tube is gonna run you a pretty penny. Unless you’re planning on using them after your move, for constant transportation, then splurge on the 8”. I do have a couple 4” tubes on my kayak trailer. Without reels I can get 4-6 casting rods in each.

I don’t cut it up, but I do put it in something else, that won’t break open. A pop bottle, or something similar. I didn’t know BPS/Cabela’s recycled line, though. Idk how I missed that ??‍♂️. I’ll probably do that from now on.

https://www.ebay.com/i/142731523787?chn=ps&var=441728790318&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=441728790320_142731523787&targetid=537215837008&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9030452&campaignid=6470552775&mkgroupid=77829366456&rlsatarget=pla-537215837008&abcId=1139336&merchantid=136055569&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6uDGqcPh5gIVDvDACh3pWgYCEAQYBiABEgJlivD_BwE 50 for 2.20 shipped. I don’t think you’ll beat that.

I just picked up my first iRod. Haven’t fished it, but I’ve pitched it around my yard/kitchen. I found the weight rating on it to be spot on, so I’d probably bump it up to the Jr Swim, in case you wanna throw stuff a little heavier.

Flippin jigs are the only thing I lost this year. Putting em in the heart of flooded trees, and being used to pitching Texas rigs for the most part cost me a bunch of em this year.

Other than the trailer itself, I have less than $150 into it.

If you can drill a couple holes, and put bolts in, you can do this. Uhh, idk why the second picture showed up. Or how to remove it. Sorry

Shimano fixed the thumb bar issues. It was just the plastic cover, not the entire mechanism. Mine started getting wiggly, so I took it off and super glued it. If you did lose it, Shimano will send you a new one to super glue on. Every product is going to have a few units with issues, but I’ve never heard of any mass problems with the gears. It’s a solid reel. There’s a reason it’s one of, if not the most popular reel on the market

My local Cabela’s seems to be thinning their reel selection and trying to push the house brand more. They have like 2 Shimano models, 2 Daiwa, 4-5 Abu, etc and 20 Johnny Morris reels there.

Swimbait Universe is the big one, tons of good info on there, too. Just search “swimbait” under groups and you’ll find a ton.

I think you made a good choice. I got to fish someone else’s for a day, and it was amazing.

That’s a really good point. I totally understand not wanting to spend money you don’t have to, but a lot of people expect too much from one piece of equipment. “What’s the best all around jig, crankbait, shark rod”. And swim baiting is one of those things you can’t get away with that mentality.

I’ve had success ripping a squarebill during the colder months. I’m not sure why it never occurred to me to do the same with a jig. Just like everyone else, I’ve always crawled the jig

Musky rods are completely different than a swimbait rod for bass. Yes, it will handle what you want to throw, but that’s where the similarities and usefulness end. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Okuma’s Nomad travel rod, and it’s well below your budget. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/catpage-OKUMARDS.html?from=basres If you can save your pennies for a while longer, it’d be well worth looking into the F5 Departure rod. I’ve found myself at the local ditch with no bass over 1/2 lb chucking swimbaits with mine because I love throwing it so much. The iRod Genesis rods are extremely popular, too. While not a “two piece” rod, per se, the handles on the longer rods are removable to help transport. Might work for you, figured I’d toss it in there. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/iROD_Genesis_II_Series_Casting_Rods/descpage-IRGCT.html

Pretty much what everyone I’ve talked to who owns one has said about them. They look sweet. If I wasn’t too klutzy to not drop everything off the side, I might’ve looked into one of the Kaku’s.

By design, The deck on SUPs sits up a little higher than other types of kayaks. That, and there being nowhere for water to pool, is why most don’t use plugs with em. You might get a little wetter on one, but it’s water coming over the side. My only real experience with a SUP is a Vibe Maverick, so I don’t know how high your seat sits, but a 260 should be plenty. I don’t think many companies offer a longer paddle. You’ll never eliminate paddle drip, either way.

I think Vibe’s take on the drive will be a good one. I think Pelican tried to hit an unrealistic price point But the lack of reverse would be a dealbreaker for me. For just a couple hundred bucks more you can buy a Hobie 180 drive. That’s really not that bad, and that’s the road I’d take. My plan is to wait till the end of next season, pick up a used/demo Shearwater kayak only, and throw a Hobie drive in it.

I leave all my plugs in, but I have FeelFree “pop top” scuppers for the front and back. So if I get water in, it’s easy to get out. with no scupper plugs, you’ll only see minimal water inside, and usually only if the water is rough/ choppy, or you catch a boats wake. You’re not gonna see a puddle of water. If it’s cold, I wear water resistant boots, if it’s warm, I wear whatever. Or no shoes.

My wife and I bought ours through them. YRC delivered them. No issues with AKC. YRC, however, was terrible. AKC let us know they had been picked up, so I tried tracking it. The tracking number didn’t work so I emailed them. They gave me a new tracking number, which said it had not been picked up. Called AKC, who told me they had definitely been picked up. Called YRC, they said they hadn’t picked it up (another call to AKC confirmed they absolutely were). They never updated the tracking the entire time they had possession of my kayaks. After 3 weeks, they called me saying they were in front of my house. I rushed home from the store, they dropped them off, and refused to give me 5 minutes to inspect the boats in case I had to refuse delivery due to damage. Luckily there was no damage and everything was fine. But they were incredibly rude both on the phone and in person while delivering. I called and had it out with customer service that day. Be sure to inspect the hole where the sonar pod goes. That’s where most guys who are delivered damaged Big Fishes seem to have issues.