ThatFishingGuy

I've been using a Dobyns Sierra 693 for years as a general purpose light tackle/finesse rod. Thrown everything from 1/16oz ned rigs, 1/8 oz shaky heads, weightless wacky/t-rig senkos, up to 3/16 oz t-rigged worms, drop shots and underspins without an issue. Came in to a bit of money and want to upgrade it to something a little higher quality, more sensitive and lighter, so I'm looking for suggestions! Ideally want to stay spinning as opposed to casting. What do you think? I've heard great things about the Shimano Expride B line, but I'm not sure which model would work best. But also open to other suggestions!

I've been interested in picking up a Shimano Blackmoon bag. They have a front load and a top load version - I had a similar bag that was front loaded, and I personally think the top load would be more useful

Haven't fished in probably 8-10 months, honestly because life gets in the way, as does mental health. Was working a bunch and honestly didn't have the mental capacity to do much of anything but sit around at home. I have chronic depression and the fall/winter is always worse for me, but I got out today! And I'm glad I did! And I'm also glad to say, I haven't lost all of my fishing skill/intuition. I was walking around a new to me, decently sized pond and noticed a nice rocky point, with the wind pushing straight into it. So I made a few casts with my black/blue bladed jig, and landed a decently sized 2 and a quarter pound largemouth. Nothing to write home about, but questioning my fishing skills after taking such a long hiatus has brought back a bit of my confidence. This was in Colorado, St. Vrain State Park, air temp about 60°, not sure of the water temp but still fairly chilly, and right before a cold front moved in. I will say this has reignited the fire I have for fishing after not doing it for some time, and I'm definitely going to go out more this week. Being laid off has some of it's advantages 🤷‍♂️

Do you think a 2000 size Vanford would pair well at only 5.3oz? Any thought whether the rod would be able to handle 1/8-3/16 or 1/4oz shaky heads in addition to similarly weighted drop shots? From what I've read it seems to handle between a medium-light and a medium, which makes me think it would be good for both of these techniques.

What do you guys think? For use of drop shots, shaky heads, ned rigs, wacky/neko rigs. How does it compare to the 6'10"? What reel would pair well with it? Thanks!

Not to take over the thread but I just had a somewhat related question. For those who use a fishfinder with with yak attack switchblade/cellblok configuration, does it add a bunch of drag to the kayak when you're pedaling? When I get mine I don't mind drilling holes (thats what I did with my Topwater 120 paddle) but the ease of removal of the entire system is definitely a draw for me

So I'm coming up with a bit of a long term goal - purchase an Old Town Sportsman 120 PDL and a trailer to tow it. I currently live in an apartment in Colorado which makes things a little more difficult as far as storage, but they offer covered parking spaces so I figured I can rent one of those to store the trailer with the yak on top of it, and lock everything up so no one steals it. Are there any concerns about storing a kayak on a trailer long term? Will it be okay being somewhat exposed to the elements (albeit under a roof) of Colorado? Anything I should know or be concerned about? I plan on getting a Malone ecolight single kayak trailer that Old Town also sells on their website. FWIW, someone stores their jon boat on the side of the road leading up to the apartment complex, locked up, and I've never seen anyone mess with it. So I'm not super concerned about someone trying to nab it. Thanks!!

I've used it, its quality and shipped fast IIRC

I've caught trout on a 1/4oz bitsy bug jig. Snakehead on a shakyhead Numerous catfish on cranks

When I had it, I used the side and top bags for soft plastics and accessories, and the main body of it for tackle boxes, granted I had a bit more space to keep them attached with a sit on top kayak and it minimized what i needed on the "deck". Hope it works out for you.

I'm almost certain I did. It was a tiny neighborhood pond that I fished very often because it was nearby. Never caught anything over a pound and a half over the 3 years or so I fished it, but one day caught a five and a half pounder on a spinnerbait. It was crazy to see nothing big for years, and then out of nowhere a monster

Not sure if its exactly what you're looking for, but I used something like this for a while when I had my kayak. It fits into a standard milk crate, and it has a shoulder strap you can attach to carry it with you outside of a crate. I thought it was a good solution to being able to keep my tackle together regardless of if I'm on the yak or beating the bank, and you could totally bring this thing onto a boat with you too. I only ended up getting rid of it when I upgraded to a blackpak and realized I like a backpack style better than a shoulder bag when I'm hitting the bank. Gonna invest in a Shimano Blackmoon backpack soon for the bank-beating I think.

Does anyone have opinions on these rods? I was thinking of making one my next purchase for more finesse stuff than I use my Dobyns Sierra 693 for (so light shakyheads, ned rigs, drop shots, wacky rigs, small swimbaits, things of that nature). I'd consider either the Megabass Levante or Orochi XX as they both have the "shakyhead" model, but the ALX Maestro seems very similar and the price is right in the middle. I currently have an ALX Zolo Deputy I use for jigs and texas rigs (1/4-1/2oz) which has really impressed me with its sensitivity, but have never used a megabass rod. Just looking for opinions from people who have used either one of the three. And while I'm at it, what reel would you pair with these? I was thinking a Daiwa BG 2500 with either straight 8lb braid, or braid to light fluoro leader. Thanks! Appreciate the input!

I also drive a CRV ('05) and think its great. Had to buy aftermarket roof rack cross bars because mine didn't come with any, but I'm 5'6" and had no problem loading my 12' kayak on top. I use straps that hang from the ceiling to store my rods, there are spots for 5 but I can lay more on top. Leaves the trunk and back seats open for storage and/or people

This is the right answer IMO