beautiful morning on the water. And a few fish too...

[oc1]

Nice fish.  Nice photos.  Nice rig you have there.  I like that pole for staking yourself down in the marsh.
-steve

[Three se7ens]

looks like a great day, congrats Adam

what rod and reel did you used ?

All those were caught on a Crowder Salute 7'6"  6-12 lb rod, with a Daiwa BG 2500 reel loaded with 15 lb powerpro super 8 slick line.  Its absurdly light, which really matters when throwing artificials all day.  And the light line and rod make all the difference trying to get decent distance out of 1/8 oz-1/4 oz artificials.  I use Vudu shrimp more often than not, and keep at least one rod rigged with that at all times.  Ill mix in some weedless baits (paddle tail or jerk bait) rigged on a weighted hook, 1/16 - 1/8 oz in the grass or over oysters. 

My other go to setup for inshore is a 7'2" Wright and Mcgill Blair Wiggins flats rod, 6-12 lb, with a Fin Nor Inshore 3000 also spooled with 15 lb braid.  Both will throw a 1/4 oz weight far longer than you'd expect. 

Benni, the kayak is easier than a boat.  Both in time off the water, and in getting in the shallow stuff and getting close to fish without spooking them.  I regularly fish flats that are under 2' deep at low tide, and you'd be hard pressed to even get to the fish in a boat.  And when you do find them, they dont spook until you literally run right over them in a couple of feet of water.  If I spook something, its usually within a couple of feet of me.  Ive watched entire schools run right under me in 4' of water and not even notice me(or care).

The yak is a lot of fun.  Its good exercise, and its so easy.  I can put it in the back of my truck and load up in 20 min.  Try that with a boat...  The best part for me though is it really forces you to focus on the basics.  I like fishing light, I dont want to haul a bunch of tackle boxes with me with lures to cover everything under the sun.  Many days, I start off with 2 rigged rods and dont re-rig the entire day.  I just want to focus on the basics.  The whole "newest, greatest lure" attitude kinda bugs me.  People were catching fish just fine before mass marketing got its teeth in the business.  Also not a huge fan of the typical method of boat fishing here, which is anchor, drop dead bait on bottom, and drink beer until something bites.  Im more interested in figuring out the when, where, and why of catching fish here.  The tide swings are huge, and the fish are almost constantly on the move.  Fishing is hard here, but those who understand it do quite well.

Dominick, I certainly understand what youre saying.  Being on a kayak is nothing like being out on a boat.  Its not far off from comparing a bicycle to a car.  You are less protected, but more maneuverable and more likely to be prepared for less than ideal conditions.  Ive been 3 miles offshore with a nasty chop, and it was perfectly fine, albeit a little wet.  Big fish certainly take you for a sleigh ride though.  Even those reds will pull you around a bit.   

I can put up some more pics of the kayak and how I have it rigged if anyone is interested.  This is my third one, and I like to think Im starting to get it figured out, at least for what I do. 

[Shark Hunter]

My Trident 13 is still bone stock.
I thought I would be ready to rig it up and fish by now, but I still only use it for bait deployment.
300 yards out and back in a few minutes, then wait for the clicker.
I only have a few dozen drops under my belt.
Robin has dropped more baits for me than I have done myself.

[steelfish]

All those were caught on a Crowder Salute 7'6"  6-12 lb rod, with a Daiwa BG 2500 reel loaded with 15 lb powerpro super 8 slick line.  Its absurdly light, which really matters when throwing artificials all day.  And the light line and rod make all the difference trying to get decent distance out of 1/8 oz-1/4 oz artificials.  I use Vudu shrimp more often than not, and keep at least one rod rigged with that at all times.  Ill mix in some weedless baits (paddle tail or jerk bait) rigged on a weighted hook, 1/16 - 1/8 oz in the grass or over oysters. 

My other go to setup for inshore is a 7'2" Wright and Mcgill Blair Wiggins flats rod, 6-12 lb, with a Fin Nor Inshore 3000 also spooled with 15 lb braid.  Both will throw a 1/4 oz weight far longer than you'd expect. 

yay, those are really light setups.
I think my smaller reels I use is a shimano sonora 4000 with 20lb braid, I also have a abu garcia cardinal s30 with 10lb braid but havent use it yet, I plan to use it on a fly rod wriight & Mcgill 5wt that I want to turn into a spinning rod but havet find the time yet for that.

I bet your gear can cast those 1/2 lures way far.

[Three se7ens]

yay, those are really light setups.
I think my smaller reels I use is a shimano sonora 4000 with 20lb braid, I also have a abu garcia cardinal s30 with 10lb braid but havent use it yet, I plan to use it on a fly rod wriight & Mcgill 5wt that I want to turn into a spinning rod but havet find the time yet for that.

I bet your gear can cast those 1/2 lures way far.

The difference in casting distance with either of those rigs, and my first inshore setup (quantum cabo pts 40 on a ugly stick inshore select 12-25 lb) is night and day.  Even after dropping from 30 lb braid down to 20 lb braid on the cabo, it still doesnt throw light lures all that well.  Its been relegated to heavy jigs and plugs. 

Im a little concerned about the Daiwa being completely open to the elements, especially with the a/r bearing being directly under the rotor.  Heard a number of reports of the a/r failing in just a few uses in some cases with kayak fisherman.  I hope it works out well, it checks all the right boxes except sealing.  And there arent many options for a small, well sealed reel unless you spend big bucks on a shimano.  I still want a stradic CI4+, but I could buy 3 of the Daiwas for what the stradic would cost. 

Oh, and big fish on light tackle is seriously fun! 

[steelfish]

Oh, and big fish on light tackle is seriously fun! 

I bet on that buddy.

thats why I still own some really lights rods like my daiwa magforce 6-14 rod paired with the shimano sonora 2500 and 6lb hybrid mono line, I once caught a decent sized triggerfish and still is on my list of most memorable fights LOL, my setup cost 1/4 of yours, tho.