juicecarlson

Yeah i suppose i couldn't go wrong either way. It was funny - i had two different guys from the shop advocating for each respective yak, making good points. I'll let y'all know what transpires when i pull the trigger. For the record, I'm 6' 1" 175 and a lanky son of a gun haha.

I took a gander at the Radar 115. You made a great choice - it seems to do a lot of things well from all I've read. That boat is technically in my budget. So, in a couple weeks when i paddle a few, I'll make sure to give it a whirl. (That is, if i can keep myself from buying one before Sunday! 71 degrees in Wisconsin...)

Hey y'all, I just went to a local purveyor of kayaks with my heart set on a Native Slayer 12 Pro. It's marked down to $1100 from around $1370. Pretty sweet kayak. Seating and other features seem great. Materials are fine. Not really any dry storage - bow storage isn't exactly water-tight (not a deal breaker). Asked, on a whim, to see a Bonafide RS117 because it had comparable features at first glance... Actually, materials are better. Metal in place of plastic and the design seems a bit more stable. I primarily fish medium-sized lakes and prairie potholes and smaller rivers and streams (The Milwaukee River is the largest I fish). I want to be able to stand and fish for prolonged periods of time and still be able to handle some moderate river fishing. The Bonafide is $100 cheaper and seems like more boat, honestly. I'll be test-paddling both in two weeks. But before I do, I thought I'd ask y'all. What do you think? ~Juice

Just be advised there are numerous reviews stating there are some shelf life/quality concerns with some of these spools. That being said, I’m rolling the dice on a spool to fill a reel I bought yesterday with the 10% sale mentioned above!

I'm sure some have seen this, but DSG has a Maryland sales tax holiday in store and online thru 8/18 with $10 off purchase of $50+. Code: TAXFREEMD18. Haven't checked to see if it works out of state, but it's not stated in the restrictions. CAN'T be stacked with other offers. Not stellar, but 20% off ain't bad, I suppose.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes, folks! I'll try not to lurk too much!

Fruit preserves > smallmouth jam any day!

Hey, y'all. I bank, wade, and yak fish with spinning, casting, and fly gear. I've been fishing for 28 years. Smallmouth bass are my jam. Can't wait to contribute and learn a thing or two.