HanoverYakker

I know it's not a striper focused post, but that will happen soon enough here in good ole Virginny....... Spent this past weekend celebrating my birthday with the family..... Friday night - Garbage concert w/ the family - Shirley Manson can sing her tail off - great music!! Saturday - a little bank fishing with the family, because the 20+ mph winds and chop were too much to handle for the entire family to enjoy. Each of us landed a couple 8-10" bass, and I also snagged a snapping turtle whose shell was an easy 14" in length. Sunday - the weather died down significantly and we headed out as a family for another kayak adventure. My wife paddled my son's kayak, and my son rode shotgun on the back of my Hobie Revo 13. Everyone caught fish, my son played in the sand and the wife was able to get some photos. Hope you enjoy the photos and the tale of our adventure....... FWIW - the photos are my wife's taken using her Canon 10D, and she uses large file formats for her photos, thus why I didn't add them here via the IMG tags I usually use. It would be better if you posted the pics directly here. The auto censor software disabled your link. Posting links to commercial sites here is not allowed. Thanks for understanding, MM.

Thank you Eric - I'm hoping to head out soon and give them a shot.

Here's a few of my Panfish photos......

Great videos John - I'm going to try and employ that same tactic possibly this weekend for some specks and then later on some flounders like you had.

Hey Eric - do you find the jigheads work better on certain sizes over others? I have some 10" hogys and wonder how they would fare compared to the Hogy provided swimbait hook that you rig tex-posed.......thoughts?

Those are pretty sweet looking. I might just have to get a few. I have several Hogy's that are waiting in anticipation now to get wet

My current fishing vessel is a 2012 Hobie Revolution 13 with minimal add-ons: 2 - YakAttack 12" GearTracs, Lowrance Elite 5DSI w/ Scupper Kit, custom battery setup using the Large Hobie Gear Bucket, a couple RAM Rod Holders with YakAttack Screwball bases, YakAttack Panfish and Panfish Portrait. Next customization is the crate mod with the storage compartment and lid like others have done.

I only use a couple of ADL spoons in my arsenal and all of them have a small SPRO black swivel (no snap) rigged to the split ring ahead of time. There is an added benefit to using a swivel that you may not be considering here and that is line twist. When using any inline spinner or spoon, it is recommended to use a small swivel to prevent line twist.

Not sure if this will be of benefit or irk you more but if you haven't already, watch the Hobie Intro DVD that comes with the information packet included with your kayak. Near the end of the DVD, they advise you to rinse off your kayak after each use and coat all metal parts with a light coating of WD40........ Just throwing it out there...... I fish mostly in the salt and rinse off my Hobie after each use including the Mirage Drive and coat them with WD40 and have yet to experience any rust (knock on wood)

It was a great event! Most folks fished secluded protected coves in the Kent Narrows and hester area, but a few of us braved the bridge complex. I fished the 50's pilings for a bit before heading to the coves. Only landed one small striper but had a couple reds and 20 white perch. I'll come back up again and try another day but it was fun and for a couple of good causes. Looking forward to next year already. I made a quick video report of the weekend......

It all boils down to where you are going to fish primarily and the vehicle you have to transport the kayak of your choice. If you are launching at remote locations with a significant amount of carting involved, then a Revo or Outback is a better choice. If you are launching across a significant amount of sand but still have to deal with breakers and surf, then a Revo or Outback may be better for launching and recovering. If you are using regualr launched with little to no incline and can cart or drag a minimal distance, then the PA all the way. Ultimately you'll find you're going to need the other one at some point, the question is can you resist the urge to get the second one? I pedal a Revo 13 and love it but know a PA12 or 14 is on the horizon for me at some point. I love sight casting and want to do some fly rodding again and would love the ability to stand and fly cast.

I pedal a Hobie Revolution 13 and opted for the Lowrance Elite 5 DSI. I paired it with the new Lowrance Scupper Kit. I must admit the DSI function is pretty sweet especially in new waters where you are learning your bearings and where your drifts or trolling runs will be. The newer Lowrance X-4 series designed for kayaks should be a serious consideration. Lots of punch for the value. I would steer clear of the scupper kit unless you plan on switching out the plastic threaded rod included in the kit. I have to re-tighten mine after every trip. I am going to switch mine over to a standard 1/4 20 threaded rod and be done with it. With DSI though keep in mind that you do not need to mount it in the water unless you are concerned with accurate water temps. If I don't like the scupper kit I have installed, I will probably just install the DSI transducer in the hull somewhere.