swimbaitrookie

@Archtx9 I wasn't surprised that you caught that beast on a mega tube! I wonder if there's any data on the oldest post resurrected here?

I've been using the regular quads on the billrilla and similar wide baits - looking forward to trying the swivel versions!

That's an absolute beast! Congratulations!!!

THIS ONE! You still need to sell me that slow sink Sissy

I mention that because some yaks are a lot harder to paddle than others. Hobie PA's are not easy to paddle, that's why guys keep the pedal / fins even when running a motor. My Nuc is easy to paddle which is good because my motor plug shorted out when I was 4 miles up river from the ramp I run a 100ah lithium for the motorguide and 2-17.5 ah FPV batteries for the electronics and lights. You don't have to go to that extreme to get rigged up for yak fishing which is part of the beauty of it. You can make it as simple or high tech as you want. I recommend starting simple - don't start with a motorized yak.

This is the truth!

Awesome fish!

Big un!

Denny, if you're going motorized like the MK consider your alternate propulsion in the event the motor dies. Some motorized yaks don't paddle very well. Your battery life should be way more than a few hours but you're going to have to pony up for a good 75 to 100 ah battery. Then you aren't going to want to run your electronics off the same battery so you'll need a smaller battery for your sonar. Since this is your first yak, I'd recommend getting pedal powered and keep it simple. Customize as you go along and see what works for you. With all the accessories available from yakgear, yakgadget, and many other companies, a fishing kayak is infinitely customizable. I started with a used Jackson coosa and quickly started modifying it, trying different products and seeing what I liked. When the time came to upgrade from that I knew exactly how I wanted to rig out my new ride. I'm fishing out of a nucanoe pursuit now and love it. I'd recommend doing test floats on as many brands as you can before committing. Also check out your local kayak fishing clubs, maybe go to a tournament site after check in and talk to other yakkers about their rigs. Most guys I've encountered are pretty cool about sharing the mods they've done on their rigs. At the tournaments I'm always amazed at the wide variety of yaks and transportation systems that guys use. You can surely get some ideas for loading and transporting too. As far as rods go, I use my regular swimbait without considering the handle length. Yes sometimes the extra handle length is a challenge but it's something you learn to adapt to.

I stand the majority of the time in my yaks, but in cold conditions or rough water / wind I stay seated. Casting large baits is a challenge when seated but you learn to adapt and do what you can. Obviously you aren't going to launch a bait as far and it's more tiring, but it's doable. As for hookset and landing fish, I honestly haven't had a problem either seated or standing, single hook or treble baits. My current yak is a nucanoe pursuit, previously fished from a Jackson coosa.

I love finding mudlines created by the wind (or boat wakes) and fishing the K9 or other crankdowns just inside that mudline, edge of the clear water. I like the roll lip and transfer tail, tips up, on the K9 for that purpose.