In Today’s Newsletter: Head offshore into the Gulf and learn how anglers target fish around towering oil platforms and improve your skills with unexpected lessons from Mr. Miyagi, plus expert rigging advice and an in-depth fishing kayak review.

Head offshore into the Gulf and learn how anglers target fish around towering oil platforms located miles from anything else.

In high school, I learned the ancient Eastern philosophy that learning something new requires forgetting past knowledge. But I blame Mr. Miyagi for encouraging me to take my fishing to the next level. Here’s how lessons from an old master continue to inspire.

A: Texas rigs refer to a relatively weedless presentation for soft plastics. The bullet sinker is streamlined, limiting hang-ups on weeds and trees. Plus, you embed your hook inside the plastic while Texas-rigging, which makes your baits more snag-resistant than most plastic presentations. This adds up to a classic presentation for fishing heavy cover—where you usually catch the most bass and the biggest bass.

In addition, the sinker also slides freely up and down the line, so bass won’t feel added weight when they pick up your worm or swim off with your creature bait in their mouths. This means fish won’t spit a Texas-rigged plastic as quickly as fixed-weight lures, giving you more time to set the hook.

In the article, How To Rig And Fish The Texas Rig, contributor Jory Brass shares his quick guide to this good ol’ setup.

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The current landscape for fishing kayaks is dominated by pedals and motors, but a throwback paddle kayak may be the most important new boat of the year. While the technology, weight and price of fishing kayaks is on the rise, many anglers are asking for a simple, paddle-power kayak that won’t break the bank. Vibe delivered with the Hydra 130.

To complete the Hydra setup, rig the Hydra with a seven-inch fish finder screen and a side-scan sonar transducer. Use a ball-mount arm to attach the display to the pre-rigged inserts, run the cable through the scupper and install the battery in the cockpit hatch and run the battery wire under the hatch lid.

Add a full-size 16-by-16-inch crate to the tankwell. The tankwell is large enough to accommodate a tackle tray ahead of the gear crate with space for grippers beside the crate.

The most important accessory for a paddle kayak is the paddle. To get the most out of the Vibe Hydra, I use a low-profile carbon fiber paddle. Paddle length is an important consideration. The perfect length paddle keeps the paddle blade close to the boat for maximum power and control.

Vibe’s Gravity Rudder is quick to deploy and the blade effectively turns the kayak. The foot pegs are easy to adjust for the perfect fit. The rudder blade is predrilled to mount a Bixpy motor connected to a Bixpy battery pack in the tankwell. The compact impeller motor has the power to propel the kayak for the long trip to and from the fishing grounds.

While the rudder and motor are welcome options for steering and powering the Hydra, the boat is designed to track straight and turn on a dime without help. To keep it simple, I would eliminate the rudder and controls and switch the rudder-control foot pegs for simple foot pegs…

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