Check out the Kastking Blackhawk 2. I have three of them. I left two in South Africa where I spent half of my time and the other one I carry in my vehicle. I believe them to be absolutely outstanding I would highly recommend them to anyone. I purchased mine through Amazon at a cost of just over $50. Enjoy!

Yes there certainly is! I highly recommend the Kastking Royal Legend GT. It is currently on sale at Amazon for about $35. I own three Kastking baitcasting reel‘s and I absolutely love them. This one has a 7.2:1 retrieve speed. It is guilt, smooth, good drag and great looking. Give one a try. I believe you’ll be very satisfied.

Fishyakker 222 has offered you some incredible advice that is worth re-reading. It is obvious he knows what he’s doing as a kayak fisherman. I am just learning. This is my 3rd year.

Let me share with you my perspective on a couple of your questions. I used to own a 20 foot bass boat with a 200 horse motor that nearly put us into the Poor House. My wife demanded that we sell the boat and so in an effort to continue getting on the water I purchased a kayak. At the time, I felt it wise to go extremely cheap, so I purchased a Walmart brand, Lifetime Tamerack 100, 10 foot kayak. I then watched YouTube videos and decked out the kayak very nicely. I normally receive compliments from other fisherman who don’t realize I am fishing from a cheapo kayak.

I do not have a peddle drive and I do not have a depth finder. If I want to go somewhere or stay in a position, I have to use the paddle. This of course limits the distance that I can go in my kayak.

I have found from experience that if the wind is blowing at 10 miles an hour or greater, that is not the day for me to go kayaking. I have to wait for nice days, with nice weather, and a wind speed under 10 mph.

It is true that it is difficult to complete one cast and retrieve without having to re-position the yak. Since I fish big lakes in the Missouri Ozarks, I am not having to deal with strong current like you would find in a river. I therefore anchor in an area where there is lots of structure that I can throw to, and I work that structure while anchored. When I finish, I pull up the anchor by hand, and then move down a bit to the next good place and anchor once again. I keep my paddle on my lap so that I can keep the kayak pointed in the direction I am casting. It’s not ideal, but I don’t believe that any fishing from a kayak is ideal if you are transitioning from a 20 foot bass boat.

Last week I nearly lost my anchor twice because it got stuck on roots and branches, but I was finally able to work it loose. I went out and bought another anchor with the thought that I will probably be forced to cut the anchor rope and then I’m gonna need another anchor. I now have a spare.

I’m not afraid of using the anchor to hold my position because I am not fishing in areas where there is high current. I am dealing mostly with current and water flow that is caused by the wind. Often times, I will head out of the main lake into a cove in an effort to shield myself from the wind. Windy days ruin the kayak experience for me, so I simply stay away from the lake on those days, or if I get caught in a windy situation I wasn’t expecting, then it is likely that I will leave the lake early that day. I’ll cut my trip short.

I am saving up now for a new kayak that I hope to purchase next year. I am looking at the NUCANOE ULTIMATE. I will accessorize it with a trolling motor with spot lock technology and I will put a Honda 2.3 gas motor on the back of it. My intent is to create a kayak that is much like a bass boat as it can be.

I have commented for far too long. I’m sure if you get out in your kayak more often you will learn techniques that will work for you. Then you will find that your enjoyment of kayak fishing will increase dramatically. I wish you the best of luck! Be blessed! BeaverTooth

I prefer the ultralight set up for bluegill and trout. If you want to go really inexpensive, you can purchase a Shakespeare Micro ultralight rod and reel combo at Walmart for around $30.00.

Apparently, a lot of guys spend big money on ultralight rod and reel combos costing $150 and upwards and upwards.

If you find an ultralight rod that you really like, you can go on Amazon and buy a spinning reel by KASTKING in the “500” size for about $25. It has nine ball bearings. I have several KASTKING reels and have found them to be an incredible value for the money.

I guess it all boils down to how serious you are about fishing, and how much money you have to spend. Fishing equipment is getting more and more expensive every year.

I use a 3 pound folding grappling Anchor and it holds my kayak just fine on the lakes nearby my house. I try not to kayak fish when the wind is over 10 mph. My kayak is fairly light weight and it’s 10 feet long.

Hey Fixor Fish! I just watched a YouTube video about a kid name Mitchell fishing out of the sea eagle that you recommended. It is simply quite amazing! I don’t believe it is the boat for me, but I do believe that it could be the boat for many people and it is certainly in the right price range compared to what we are paying today for various major name kayaks. It looks like a winner! Thanks for the recommendation!

Well put! I certainly have done that before!

I am primarily a bass fisherman, with very little experience fishing for Crappie. The water level has just gone up on Bull Shoals and I didn’t even get a strike today as I bass fished. It seems that all of the other boats are Crappie fishing. I am fishing from a paddle kayak and I do not have a depth/fish finder. What would you suggest I use to fish for Crappie, and how would you suggest I find them without a fishfinder?Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I would say that this advert would be an excellent package deal. If that particular kyack meets a person's needs, then it certainly has the whole package at the right price. It is hard to beat Bass Pro Shops on being honest and ethical, so this may be a great deal for a lot of fishermen. I personally was looking at kyacks that were more elite and therefore in a higher price range because that what I was interested in. Kyack shopping can be exhausting, confusing and frustrating, so good luck to everyone out there.

You may find it difficult to purchase a really great fishing kayak with a trolling motor within your price range. I would think you would spend that amount of money strictly for the purchase of the kayak. Then on top of that you would need to invest in the trolling motor set up. You would no doubt be in The $2500-$3000 range. I have been very impressed with the Old Town sportsman 106 powered by Minnkota for $2500. I also am highly motivated by the NuCanoe Unlimited with a bow mounted Motor Guide trolling motor with “spot-lock.” Their set up is around $3000. Both of these kayaks would be out of your price range, but since I have been studying the subject in hopes to purchase a trolling motor powered kayak for myself, this is some of my findings. Good luck with your search! I’m sure that if you are patient, you will no doubt find what you’re looking for.

Wow, that is an amazing deal you made on the flicker shad’s. I’ve been buying them at Bass Pro shops for $3.99 each and I am thrilled with that price after spending $7-$15 on other types of lures that don’t work near as well. i’m going to try to post a picture of a catch of eight fish, four different species, that I recently caught with the flicker shad on Bull Shoals.

Here is the info on the Berkeley flicker shad. I should have listed it with the original post.
Bass Pro-
Berkley Flicker Shad Crankbait - 2-3/4 - Slick Purple Bengal
SKU: ‌2095779‌
#7

I just fished Bull Shoals at Shadow Park for the very first time in my kayak. I launched at the boat ramp and went directly across to the tree line and began to cast a flicker shad crank bait. On my third cast I caught a nice 16 inch largemouth bass. In the last week I have caught largemouth bass, black bass, white bass and bluegill on this amazing little lure called a flicker shad made by Berkeley. Give it a try! May all your fishing expeditions be happy and rewarding!