2016 Kayak Fishing Setup

I figure that with a new year upon us, now is a good time to go over my kayak fishing setup that I will be employing for the upcoming fishing season. I am still paddling a Hurricane Skimmer 140, a lightweight alternative to the average barge that you see now a days on the market. Here is how I have it rigged out for this year:

Nocqua Pro Power Battery Pack

I am always looking for ways to save weight on my kayak. So when I heard about Nocqua's feather light lithium battery setup designed with the kayak fisherman in mind, I had to give it a try. Once my pro power kit arrived, I immediately dug in an examined the components. Much to my surprise, Nocqua made sure to include top notch items to make for a professional installation. From marine grade heat shrink, simple instructions and quality electrical connectors, there were no shortcuts taken in assembling this kit.

So what about the performance? To put the battery to the test I installed it on my Garmin 73 Side View and ran during a fishing tournament. The goal was to get at least 6 hours. Much to my surprise, even while running side scan and GPS, the lightweight powerhouse rewarded me with a full 7 hours before my screen went dark. Pretty impressive for such a small battery. Check out the unboxing and install video below.

 

2015 Kayak Fishing Recap

Its that time again to look back on all the great kayak fishing memories from the previous year. This time last year I set out to become more involved in the Central Texas Kayak Fishing Tournament scene and to become an active blogger for the sport. I will be honest that I fell short of some goals and overachieved in others, but that is life and I am very proud of the year I had.

My kayak fishing year started off as most do with rigging and preparation for warmer weather. As spring rolled around I was more than ready to start fishing the spawn and the upcoming tournaments. My tournament aspirations ultimately fell short of my expectations, mostly because I became a Dad to a beautiful baby girl. The time for preparation and pre-fishing was just not available with my fatherly duties. The few tournaments that I did fish made me realize that if you want to be successful, you had better have the time to devote to pre-fishing. Unfortunately I am not a good enough angler to show up to an unfamiliar lake and catch a stringer. Ultimately, I like fishing tournaments, but my participation is going to be limited to the events that fit the family's schedule.

What I am most proud of from the 2015 Kayak Fishing Season is the development of Catch me if you Paddle, my Kayak Fishing Blog and YouTube show. Even with a busy work and family schedule, I have been able to post at least one blog a month and I developed the first season on YouTube with nine episodes. During the year I was able to fish for more species than just Black Bass and even caught my first ever Striped Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass and Crappie.

I look forward to 2016 and all the kayak fishing memories to come. I hope you enjoy my 2015 Recap video and stay tuned for more as I continue to grow Catch me if you Paddle.