markedman

I'm planning a trip to the New Orleans area the first week of March 2020. Does anyone have any suggestions of places to fish from the bank/shore?

I use a Sigtuna cable on each side. The cables are actually designed to secure a bicycle to a bike rack. They are plastic wrapped steel cable. I connect each end to my tie downs with a padlock. Its secure and since my Lure 11.5 has molded in side handles its relatively theft proof. I wrap the cable around the side handle a couple of times to remove the slack.

Fall is the time to buy. You can usually get a good deal on a used or demo kayak on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace this time of year. Also, dealers will start clearing inventory, especially if next years model will be a redesign. Last year Vibe was offering big discounts on Seaghost models. This year Feelfree kayaks will most likely be significantly reduced. One specific model to look for is a 2019 Feelfree Moken 12. MSRP is $799, but you will likely be able to find one in your price range since the 2020 remodel is already shipping to some retailers.

I have a Feelfree Lure 11.5 and the proprietary track isn't a big deal. A 6 pack of Yak Attack adapters runs $25. In the big picture, that $25 is a drop in the bucket. Vibe makes nice kayaks. The plastic seems a bit thinner than Old Town and Feelfree.

Maybe I missed something, but why not use a Flambeau Bazuka and connect it using pad locks to your roof rack? I have one and use a long shank padlock to secure it to my tie downs in the bed of my truck. I use a small padlock to lock the bazuka itself.

Just a few thoughts. You can greatly increase the stability by adding some Scotty 302 stabilizers. Also, a bixpy jet is a much better alternative to a traditional trolling motor. It's much lighter and easier to set up as long as you have a rudder. The major benefit of a kayak is getting into those places you can't take a boat. My favorite fishing spot has a very limited opportunity for bank fishing and you can't get a boat to it, but you can pull a kayak down the trail and launch it.

As I mentioned, you can sometimes find a deal there. Bought a FeelFree Lure 11.5 kayak there this week. MSRP $1259. I paid $837. A few other places are reducing prices on that kayak, but not to that extreme. I'm pretty sure the are revamping that model for 2020.

I actually live about half way between York and Hanover. I prefer to spend money at a bait and tackle shop in Hanover. B&B Lures has an excellent selection, reasonable prices and great advice. I much prefer to buy my stuff at a local bait shop whenever I can.

Just recently sold my Pelican Bass Raider. It's ok for 1 person. I'm 5'10" 250# and my son 5'8" 125# and it was really cramped when we were both using it.

The one near me isn't very busy, but has the biggest fishing gear selection in town (York, PA). BassPro is 40 miles from them and Cabelas is 75 miles from them. Their only competition in York is Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart. You can get some decent deals occasionally if they have something on sale and then you happen to have a Good Sam membership for another 10% off. Don't think they are busy enough to survive though.

Last summer a guy in Harrisburg got off a boat and while stepping on the dock he slipped and hit his head. He never surfaced and they found his body the next day. If he was wearing a PFD, he most likely surfaced immediately even if he was unconscious. It may seem overly cautious, but the PFD should be on your body before you get on the water and should remain on until you are safely on shore again.

I've heard the rudder does make a big difference. I do agree with you that a rudder should be included with most kayaks. Vibe is one of the few manufacturers that includes a rudder. To make it worse, the rudder for most kayaks is about $300 extra. The biggest benefit to keeping the Lure 13.5 is that you can add a overdrive to pedal it or even a motordrive as an electric motor. Many buy it for its versatility. On the negative side, the overdrive and/or motordrive goes where the transducer pod is located so if you upgrade you have to do a different solution for your fishfinder such as a cellblock mounted on the geartrack.

Dont know much about the Lowrance, but I'm curious on you experience with the Seaghost 110. Getting ready to pull the trigger myself and would like to hear any feedback.

Anybody find that 5th picture in the Amazon link disturbing ? ?

Pinchot Lake is listed by PA fish and game as a top lake for LMB. It's only 10-15 miles from Harrisburg. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/GiffordPinchotStatePark/Pages/Fishing.aspx https://www.fishandboat.com/Locate/BestFishingWaters/Pages/LargemouthSmallmouthBass.aspx Some bank fishing there.They have canoe and kayak rentals, but no boat rentals AFAIK.

I have a 6'6" ML Spinning Rod and like it a lot. It's very versatile and I've caught a lot of fish with it.

It's in the flyer I got in the mail. Sale starts June 14th and runs until July 7th so you won't see that price yet.

If you didn't already make your purchase, BassPro has the green Mach 2 combos on sale for $99.97 from June 14-July 7. $60 off regular price.

Yes. Both models are 33" wide. They come with a rudder installed, front and rear hatches and a transducer bay. Most notable limitation is they can't be upgraded to a pedal drive. The Bonafide kayaks have this same limitation and are also very good kayaks. However, the Bonafide kayaks are considerably more expensive and don't come with a rudder. The last time I checked a rudder wasn't an option even at an additional cost. If you want to be able to upgrade to a pedal drive later than a Feel Free Lure 11.5 or 13.5 would be a good choice.

You might want to look at a Vibe Seaghost 110 or 130.

I better go check my tackle box!

I have the Triumph. Its 6'6", so its 3" longer than your requirements, but its definitely worth a look. It's very versatile. Caught Bluegill, Crappie, Bass and Catfish on it and its handled it all well. I have UL to heavy spinning and casting rods, but if I can only take 1 rod for multiple species it would be the Triumph.

I have the president 20 for panfish. Works great. Using a Browning Airstream 6'6" UL purchased at BassPro. My other UL is a 6'6" Okuma Celilo purchased at Dicks. My son usually uses it. For me the extra length allows longer casts if need be, but it's not too long if there are a lot of trees around. Either rod can be had in the $30-40 range.

Lew's Tournament Carbon SLP Baitcast Combo, 6'10", RH, Medium Heavy at Gander Outdoors. This isn't the green or Orange combo, but it might interest you. Their regular price is $150 and they have it on sale for $100.

Check with Bass Pro Shops. Each spring they have a trade-in sale. The trade-in forms say they donate the traded in equipment to local organizations that encourage kids to fish. One of the combos I traded in was a unused Zebco spincast combo. Some of the other equipment I saw in the trade-in bin looked to be in good shape.