VirginiaKayakBasser

I just got a new Tatula 6-10 MH that I use mostly for lighter Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and swimbaits. Fished with it twice now and it has become my favorite. Light weight, sensitive, well balanced, easy to cast, and really drives in a Texas rigged hook. I will probably get more. Most of my other rods are Dobyns Sierras, Furys and 20 year old All Star Graphites. This is a great rod!

Stanley Wedge Plus and Vibrashaft have been great for me this year fishing around cypress trees. Great flash and they seem a little more durable that others. Priced well too!

Some people seem to prefer very supple braid, but I like it with a slight bit of stiffness. Comes off the spool better and is much easier to tie knots with. 8 strand J-Braid was what I first started with, but now prefer Power Pro or 4 strand J-Braid. We 8 strand J-Braid can be hell to tie.

I like the Rage Bug too, but get better hook sets with the craw.

The 4 inch Rage Craw is easily the most productive soft plastic bait I have every used. I Texas rig it 90 percent of the time.

4 inch Rage Craw for me. Tried a few, but the Rage Craw is the perfect size, has the best action, and is easy to set a hook through. Bass hold onto them forever! The Rage Craw is my most productive bait after a spinnerbait.

For Texas rigs, I use a 7 foot, medium heavy, fast action rod. Stiff enough for a good hook set and still flexible enough to cast well. The 7 foot length provides plenty of leverage without being too unwieldy.

I like it to fall slow and usually fish is shallow water around cypress trees so 1/8 works best for me.

I never really fish water deeper than about 12 ft, but for 20 plus ft I would use a Carolina rig.

Personally, I think most of the Rage baits are better than most of the others. I use the Rage Bug a lot, but the 4" Rage Craw is my favorite and most productive soft plastic.

Almost anything in the right situation, but I have caught my biggest ones on spinnerbaits.

I guess we all have different standards and opinions when we shop for used boats. The jon boats I look at are all welded, major brands, 14-18 ft, with late model 4 cycle motor and nice trolling motor. They usually run in the $6-12K range used. Maybe more with a decent trailer. My kayak (Old Town Big Water 132 PDL) with trailer and electronics was about $6000.

I would say it's mostly about money. You can get a deluxe kayak for less than a second hand jon boat. Storage is also a consideration. Kayaks will fit in most garages whereas a boat might not. Finally access. You can take a kayak into place a boat cannot or would have trouble going. Some lakes are also kayaks only. I think most people would choose a boat if they could afford it and store it. A kayak is a good alternative for those who can't. For me, it's about storage. My kayak fit easily in my garage.

For night fishing, look for docks with lights. I have done well in the past ripping a lipless crankbait through the light pools. Big bladed spinnerbaits are also great for night fishing.

I have great success using Texas rigged craws and creatures around cypress. I cast the bait right against the trunk and let it fall on a slack like. I use 1/8 oz bullet weight to slow the fall. Work all sides of the tree if you can. I also do well casting right into the surrounding visible knees. I fish from a kayak so flipping and pitching is difficult, but if I could, those would be my fish choice to presentation. Spinnerbaits worked close to the tree trunk, bumping the roots, is killer too. Everyone talks about square bills, but the just get hung up too much where I fish and don't increase my catch rate. Also, there are usually tons of trees to fish so don't waster a lot of time on each one. Active feeders will usually hit the bait on the initial fall or within 5 seconds. I don't work it back to the boat like many people. I am constantly amazed and the tight places big bass get into.

I trailer my kayak and whenever there is a boat ramp available, I just launch it like a normal boat. I only use the C-Tug occasionally.

This really got off topic (Veritas Tournament), but I use 30 pound braid for everything. You can pull a big bass out of slop with it. You just can't horse a big one out of it and sling it up into the boat with a couple of pounds of weeds attached. Might have to use a net.

22 year retired Marine Master Sergeant here.

Mine still wobbles, but would be very hard to actually roll over. I suppose the type of pontoons you have matters too.

I fish mostly Stanley spinnerbaits. Great flash, good hooks, and fairly durable. Also use War Eagle occasionally. My spinnerbaits really take a beating. I have to bend them back into shape every time I hook a decent fish. The main reason is that the line slips out of the R-bend and up toward the blades. That causes the pulling force to be between the hook and the blades, which of course straightens the wire out. When I was young, spinnerbaits were sometimes called safety pin lures because there was a coiled circle, similar to a safety pin, to tie your line to vice the modern day R-bend. Wish manufacturers would go back to the circle.

Most people seem to lose rode while trying to unhook fish. I did that once myself. Now I ALWAYS put the rod in the flush mount holder beside my set while unhooking/weighing/photographing fish. I use a couple of Yak Attack holders to hold my rods horizontally while not in use (I fish under cypress trees a lot). Tubes on a crate a great if you don't have limbs overhead.

I use Crocs.

A "nice" fishing kayak will be more like $2000 - $5000. There are loots of great used kayaks for sale though. Try Facebook Marketplace.

Just don't store it in direct sun and you won't need any kind of protectant. Most of it will rub/wash off anyway.

Mine is attached to the side of my kayak so I never forget it. I would fish without it though.