Looking for feedback on tackle

[JonM]

I have a kayak moored down at the lake that I’ve been getting outfitted for a little fishing. This past Father’s Day, my wife and kids got me some new fishing gear and I’ve picked up a few things since then. The lake stocks mostly large mouth bass, muskie, trout, and panfish. To be honest, I really haven’t gotten into fishing much since I was a kid, so most of what I know is based on old memories and YouTube videos. I’m looking for a little feedback here on what I may be doing right and what I’m doing wrong. What do you guys think of my current setup? Any pointers?

[GanonsGrin]

As long as you have some smaller hooks for panfish and trout, your basic setup looks decent. You are mostly setup for bass with what you have pictured. Those jigs look a little big for panfish, so make sure you have some bait with you for them if you are targeting smaller stuff. Same goes for trout, small hooks and bait specifically for them. Marshmallows and salmon eggs work locally, and rooster tails or spinners work if you’re using lures but I find those work best in moving water.

I don’t go Muskie fishing so I don’t know what you would need to target those, but I would imagine larger hooks and spinning blade lures? I know they are sight hunters and go after movement.

if you’re going after anything big, make sure you have a decent set of pliers and a small anchor for the kayak as well. Some of the big boys can drag a kayak pretty easily. A rope to tie off to branches/docks works just the same.

if you’re not accustomed to kayak fishing, just be prepared for your arms to be worn out after a day on the water.

[JonM]

As long as you have some smaller hooks for panfish and trout, your basic setup looks decent. You are mostly setup for bass with what you have pictured. Those jigs look a little big for panfish, so make sure you have some bait with you for them if you are targeting smaller stuff. Same goes for trout, small hooks and bait specifically for them. Marshmallows and salmon eggs work locally, and rooster tails or spinners work if you’re using lures but I find those work best in moving water.

I don’t go Muskie fishing so I don’t know what you would need to target those, but I would imagine larger hooks and spinning blade lures? I know they are sight hunters and go after movement.

if you’re going after anything big, make sure you have a decent set of pliers and a small anchor for the kayak as well. Some of the big boys can drag a kayak pretty easily. A rope to tie off to branches/docks works just the same.

if you’re not accustomed to kayak fishing, just be prepared for your arms to be worn out after a day on the water.

Thank you. I have a few packs of snells in the clear tackle box (mostly size #4 & #6 hooks) as well as some smaller sinkers and leaders. These should be pretty good for the bluegill I see in the shallows. I hadn't considered using marshmallows before. Back before I got most of what you see here, I was using dough balls on a #6 snell hook. I got a few nibbles with that, but I didn't prepare them properly and they kept melting off the hook. Marshmallows sound a lot more convenient. I'll need to toss a few in there the next time I head out.

As for the anchor, that's definitely on the to do list. The lake is pretty calm, but even then I find myself drifting close to shore. The lake tops out at only 35' deep, so I shouldn't have any trouble hitting bottom with a kayak anchor.

I know the park says they stock muskie, but I have yet to see anyone pull one up there. So, I'm probably not going to be targeting them much. I'm not licensed for trout either, so I'm pretty much sticking with bass & panfish in this lake.

[GanonsGrin]

Were you making your own dough balls or using store bought? I like to fish for catfish and carp and have a good homemade dough ball recipe if you want it. It should work for bluegill as well if you use a small enough piece, but corn has always worked well for me here. Some places won’t let you use it though, oddly enough.

as to the marshmallows, if you used regular white marshmallows you would likely just catch a carp or catfish. They actually make small marshmallow bites specifically targeted for trout and panfish in the bait section.

do you not need a license to fish unless you go for trout?

[JonM]

Yeah. I was rolling my own that day. We were heading down to the lake to do a little paddling and I had just cut the tags off of everything that day. I didn't have a lot to work with, so I just made do with what I had available. That included bait. If I had time to properly prepare them, I probably would have had better luck.

Thanks for clarifying on the marshmallow suggestion. They do have catfish there too, but not a lot from what I've seen.

As for the licensing, you do need a license to fish in PA, but you need to pay more if you're going to fish for trout. I just didn't get mine this year since my wife bought the license along with the rod & reel for Father's Day. Depending on how well my bass & panfish fishing goes this year, I may spring for trout next time. I also need to catch bass larger than 15" if I intend on keeping it since that's the state park minimum.

[Carp]

Hmmm...