Smalls

I’m throwing baits less than 2.5-3oz on a Curado K. I know you can get em used around $125-140 A lot of bigger/wider reels just feel uncomfortable in my hand. A Tranx is probably in my future for >3 oz baits, though

That’s a pretty good deal.

That’s surprising for a 9 inch. I think my 5 inch draws just a little less than that. If that’s the case, disregard my comment. A smaller battery should suffice.

The only issue you’ve gonna have is a battery. A battery with enough juice to power that is either gonna be a pretty heavy SLA battery, or a really expensive (more than you paid for the graph) lithium battery.

I think ACK does a big sale just before Christmas. If you don’t find a deal now, I’d wait to check that out.

I’m curious how they got out of that 3 year contract they had with MLF.

I’d probably rank my casting an 9. I’m pretty darn accurate, and can launch em a good distance when needed. The bait pretty much goes where I intended it to go 95% of the time. My pitching is probably a 7. I’m deadly accurate, but I need to improve my distance. Skipping is a solid 4. I used to be a little better, but I was never great. But since I moved to a state where none of our lakes have much bank cover, I haven’t done it much. I’m out of practice and basically need to relearn this.

I’d probably cry for days. I’ve lost enough higher end swimbaits not to trust myself with a Hinkle.

I never understood where this came from, either. I pitch with a 7’7 and can walk a punker with my 8’ swimbait rod with no issues.

I don’t understand why these trails don’t have more events in Texas. It’s definitely the kayak fishing capital of the country. And they all seem to have been born with rod in their hand. And I’m relatively new to the whole deal, even here in NM, I see new faces every tournament. It’s fun watching it grow.

I’ve only been in my state a year, but I have already seen an influx of anglers show up throughout the year. And almost 20 guys that fish our trail made the trek to Lake Fork (and are making it again this year) for the BOS. One of them won it last year. And the Hobie TOC was successfully filled the field in only its first few years. We all have jobs and lives, so there’s no way a majority are hiking across the entire country for the chance at a couple grand. But it’s definitely a start, And looking back, the sport has taken leaps and bounds in the past few years. It’ll never be as big as the Elites. But I don’t think it’s meant to be. I can’t speak for everyone, but I think a lot of people really enjoy the grassroots feel to fishing kayak tournaments. But it’s nice to have a little piece of the spotlight, and it’s always nice to win a little bit bigger of a pot.

I’d scrap the Chronarch plan. It’s an amazing reel, but if you have to use its name and the word “budget” in the same sentence, there are better options for you. There’s a plethora of quality options in the $120-150 range that will last you a long time, and allow you to get more gear. In order to fish, you need gear. The Chronarch is a want.

Hobie BOS and this will probably be the two major national trails. KBF is slowly, but surely dying. It’s literally no different than the boat tournaments, though. You have MLF/BASS/FLW, tons of regional trails, and countless state trails. Options are never a bad thing, and growing the kayak stage is a great thing.

It’s definitely doable. However it gets old quick. Even more of a PITA if you have a taller vehicle, or you’re height challenged like myself. My kayak weighs in at just under 100 lbs and I car topped it exactly one time. After that I was in the market for a trailer. I rented one from u-haul a few times while I was searching for my own.

Oliver Ngy has a video of him unboxing/ throwing the CNB, I’m pretty sure he mentions the rod he’s throwing it on.

As long as the knot looks fine, I run it til the leader is too short. Tournament days are the only exception.

Getcha some Burrito Baits. I’m a big fan of the jig hook gill and the taquito. He usually puts products up on his site on Sundays.

You only get 1 inflation per cartridge. But the rearm kits are cheap, and easy to install.

I’ve been eyeing some of the carbon fiber paddles from Werner. Not cheap, but they can be a pound lighter. Makes a huge difference

Looks like a pretty feature packed kayak for the money. Use some of the money you saved on it and upgrade to a nicer paddle, for sure, though.

My least expensive rod I own is ironically my favorite rod. My Falcon Jason Christie squarebill/spinnerbait rod. 6’8 MH. Picked it up on sale for like $50. Its just one of those rods that works great for everything, feels great in your hand and is shockingly well balanced for the price. It’s parabolic enough to keep topwater fish pinned, yet still drives small jig hooks home.

S crank 2.0’s have been good for me. At 1 oz, it’s easy to rocket them out and cover a lot of water. The magdraft gets inhaled, it’s a really fun swimbait to fish. I also had an I Slide that got some really intense bites. Unfortunately the pike also like them and decided to keep mine.

From what I’ve heard, BKC is basically just cheap junk with no warranty or customer service. So if it breaks, you’re SOL. I fish out of a BF 105. I can probably answer any questions about it. It’s a tank. It’s heavy, and without the (extra $200) rudder it’s almost impossible to paddle. But I could probably do backflips on it, and I don’t think I could flip it if I wanted. I think they go 25% off at Austin Kayak around either Christmas or New year. You can also finance through AKC’s site if that helps.

Search your local used listings. That’s gonna be your best bet for >$700. It’s the perfect time of the year, too. A lot of people are selling to upgrade over the winter. Malone, Yakima, etc. all make some great looking kayak trailers. But you’d never see me spending that kinda dough. A used jet ski or utility trailer is easily made into a kayak trailer with just a little bit of creativity and a few tools.

I assume some measurement of buoyancy, or possibly just a model designation. Honestly have no idea