Best Kayak Fishing Socks?

Last summer I decided to buy a nice pair of water shoes. With a Columbia outlet not to far from my house, I invested in a pair of Drainmaker IIs. After fishing with my new water shoes for half a season I started to dislike wearing them with just my bare feet. The feeling of my wet bare skin combined with the accumulation of the dirt, rocks and grime that added up inside the shoes drove me crazy. I looked for a pair of socks that would help to solve my issue as well as provide additional sun protection for my ankles.

As I did some research I stumbled across diving socks. I decided to give a pair a try, but unfortunately they only solved one of the problems I was having. A little discouraged, I continued to use the diving socks and just dealt with my feet being constantly soaked and my skin all "prunny" after a day on the water.

Then one day I was told about Farm to Feet, a 100% American made sock that was designed for outdoor enthusiasts and perfect for kayak fishing. After receiving two pairs for testing, I eagerly waited for the weather to clear. Luckily I had a monday off work and the weather turned out to be perfect, so off I went armed with my Drainmakers and my new Farm to Feet 1/4 crew socks. The first thing I noticed about these socks when I began to remove them from their packaging was how light weight they were. As I slid them onto my feet I was greeted by a cooling sensation and a feeling of comfort. The socks are so lightweight that I felt like I was still barefoot.

After arriving to the boat ramp and getting my kayak set up, I stepped into the water for the first time armed with my new socks. Even wet, these socks still felt extremely comfortable. Very quickly after entering the water I realized that my feet were already starting to dry and that wet sensation that I constantly had with my diving socks was no longer there. Several times during my outing I dunked my feet into the water to cool off a bit from the muggy Texas conditions that day. Each time I submersed my feet I was extremely surprised how fast my feet were drying out . The combination of the Farm to Feet socks and my Columbia Drainmakers are a Kayak Fisherman's dream.

While I have only made two trips with these socks I can tell you that they have quickly made a difference in my comfort on a long day of fishing. They are 100% made in America by American Workers and come in at a very reasonable price. In a world full of non-American products overtaking the shelves, its good to see a Company proud to be American made. Check them out at: http://farmtofeet.com

How to- Truck Bed Extender

Originally posted on yakangler.com

http://www.yakangler.com/kayak-rigging/item/3683-getting-there-and-back-bed-extenders

For those of you truck owners looking for a way to transport your kayak, there may be no simpler way to do it than with a bed extender. The handy bed extender has been my method of transportation for the last three years. As with anything in life, there are pros and cons.

Pros: Cheap, Little to no modification to your vehicle as long as you have a trailer hitch already installed, ease of loading/unloading.

Cons: Additional Risk of someone rear ending you

Let’s talk about how to transport your kayak safely when using one. First things first - get a long-load safety flag of some kind. This does not have to be anything fancy. Jackson Kayak gives you one when you purchase one of their boats, and I still use mine. I tie mine off to the front handle of my Native Watercraft “Slayer Propel 13” to give people behind me a little more warning. [Note: In most states, a warning flag is required when any object extends a certain distance past the rear of your vehicle, and/or at a certain angle. Make sure to check and comply with state laws where you travel. IR] 

Next, put some reflective tape on your bed extender. I am routinely on the road well before sunrise, and as with the long load flag I am trying to get others’ attention as much as possible.

Get some quality straps and use at least three for securing your boat. My setup is simple when I cinch down my boat: One strap on the front handle, putting pressure towards the front of my vehicle; another strap on the rear handle applying pressure to the rear; and one more strap across the middle. I say use three, because if one fails the other two will be able to handle the load and keep the boat from moving back and forth, or - God forbid- being launched onto the pavement.

Here is my step-by-step guide how I use my bed extender to load my kayak: Line your boat up centered with the middle of the bed extender. You can load bow or stern first. I load stern first due to the exposed rudder of the Slayer Propel 13.

Undo your strap on your cart (if you use one) and lift the kayak onto the bed extender. Do not try to get the boat fully into the bed at this point.

(Tip: I use an old cardboard box under the bow of my boat when I do this step. This lessens the wear and tear on the boat when you slide it on rough pavement or gravel.) Go to the opposite end of the boat. Using the bed extender as a pivot point, lift with your legs and push the boat fully into the bed.

Now that the boat is fully in the truck bed, begin strapping your kayak down using the three straps as mentioned above. Here are pics of how I strap my kayak down.

I hope this helps anyone looking to use a bed extender. This is a cheap and effective way to transport your kayak if you already own a truck.

Initial Impressions of the Wilderness Systems ATAK

At the recent most Austin Canoe and Kayak (ACK) demo days in Austin, TX I was able to test paddle the prototype Wilderness Systems ATAK. I had only seen the pictures and videos on the Internet prior to that day and this was my first real look at Wilderness Systems newest boat. At first glance, I thought it resembled the Feel Free Lure 13.5 quite a bit. As with any review I do on a boat, I look at four categories; speed/tracking, stability, comfort and "fishability."

Speed/Tracking: It was a completely calm and flat day on the reservoir where the demo days were at, so my experience should be taken with a grain of salt. At just over 14 feet in length and 34 inches wide, the ATAK paddles fairly well. For comparison sake, I would say that it feels much like a Ride 135, but has a little more top speed and I would feel comfortable paddling it 5+ miles. As for tracking, no issues there, but again it was a calm day with no current or crosswind to assess it in. Due to the ultra low profile on the water, I have a feeling that the wind will not affect the ATAK as much as other yaks.

Stability: Top notch, stood up in it on the first try and it was so stable that I even began working a top water lure with no issues. The cockpit is completely wide open and enables you to keep your feet fairly wide apart giving you a good solid base. In the high seat position, I felt no difference in stability due to the higher center of gravity and in the low position you feel like you are on a pontoon boat.

Comfort: The new Wilderness Systems frame seat is now my second favorite behind the Feel Free Gravity Seat. It took Wilderness a while to come up with a frame seat, but the wait was worth it! Low and high positions are easily changed on the water and the seat is mounted on tracks which gives you the ability to trim it fore and aft. Again, the cockpit is wide open, a feature I really like because it gives you the ability to stretch out and move around some.

"Fishability": From bow to stern, this boat is built for fishing. A Large bow hatch is present with a large cover, perfect for breaking down your cart or storing a large fish bag. The sonar pod has been carried over to the ATAK as with other Wilderness Systems boats and can fit the largest of transducers. Gear Tracks are present on left and right sides and run almost all the way from your feet to your seating position, giving you ample space to mount any of your favorite rail adapters. Just behind the seat is an area where only a crate would be able to fit. This is not the norm in fishing kayaks today, but that is because the ATAK has a hinged cover at the rear most of the boat for storing your rods during transport. The cover appears to be the exact same as the center console cover on the Thresher series of kayaks. Some will love this feature and other will hate it. I am not opposed to it, but at this time, I think I would of rather had the extra space.

Wilderness Systems has once again launched a feature packed boat for a certain niche of the kayak fishing community. The ATAK is going to be a flats and bass fisherman's dream.

Initial Impressions on Tournament Fishing

photo courtesy of fishkats.com

One of my goals this fishing season was to become active on the Central Texas kayak tournament fishing scene. After some research of what was available in my area, I selected the dates that I thought were reasonable to participate in with my work schedule. All the dates that I selected were on Saturdays, the typical day that I go fishing anyways.

The first thing that I realized about tournament fishing is that it takes an extreme amount of commitment. The money is one such commitment; not only do you have to pay the required entrance fee, but there may be a membership fee just to join the circuit. Include transportation fees, new lures and other tackle and your looking at hundreds of dollars spent on one Saturday tournament. Now the good news is that if you are a really good fisherman, you can recoup some of those costs. With two tournaments under my belt, I have had no luck thus far. Hopefully I can change that in the future.

Another thing to consider is time. While the tournaments I have decided to participate in are one day events, I have also made the decision to attempt to pre-fish each lake at least once before the event. Careful scheduling must be done to ensure that you are leaving enough blank space on your calendar for pre-fishing days while not allowing yourself to go into a tournament "cold turkey" on a lake you have never seen before. Easier said than done.

I am really looking forward to the upcoming events I have planned. While I haven't won any money or prizes yet, I have met a lot of great people and seen interesting rigging ideas and fishing tactics that make me a better kayak angler. If you haven't participated in a kayak fishing tournament, check one out, at the least you will meet some awesome like minded people to share your addiction with.

Back on the Water, thank god!

photo courtesy of TPWD

After a month away from home training in the People's Republic of California, I took a much needed fishing trip this weekend. My destination was Lake Walter E. Long, also known as Lake Decker and referred to as Decker more often than not.  I have fished this lake before and had decent success. Walter E. Long is a power plant cooling lake and is known for a healthy black bass and hybrid striper population. I was on this particular lake practicing for the upcoming Kayak Angler Tournament Series (KATS, fishkats.com). After finding some good hiding grounds for bass I decided to troll for a while until I made it to the next destination I liked on my gps. I have never caught a decent sized hybrid striper and I knew that this lake was known for 5+ pounders. I gained some speed tossed out a chrome and black lipless crank and tried to keep a smooth 3 mph. Around 10 mins elapsed and sure enough my Scotty Rocket Launcher struggled to hold onto my rod as that lipless crankbait was engulfed. I could tell that this was a decent sized fish and it was definitely not a bass. Check out the video! I may have to start targeting these guys more often.

Kayak Fishing LEDs: Supernova Basic Kit Install

A gorgeous February weekend in Central Texas gave me some motivation to work on the yak. The winds were gusting to 25 mph, so fishing was out of the question. Sitting under my workbench lay the last of my kayak fishing Christmas gifts; Supernova Green LED strips. Pretty straight forward kit with very few steps for a solid install and decent instructions. The hardest thing is probably the wiring. If you have no automotive wiring experience, it may take you a little longer, especially if you have never soldered before.

I started off by temporarily mounting the strips to the bow with some leftover painters tape I had laying around. The Slayer Propel has a nice manufacturing line in the plastic that I used for my straightedge as is looks identical on both sides. Once the strips were in place I drilled the requisite 3/16" hole approximately 1/4" from the end of the heat shrink that is installed on the strip. Now it is time to run the wires and connect everything to the switch and battery. 

For my wiring I ran both wires up to my battery that is secured in the Native Battery Bag underneath the plastic cover below the thwart bar that secures the propel drive. The ground wires are simple; connect both to the battery. As for the power wires, simple switch wiring. Take the power from the battery to one side of the switch and from the opposite side of the switch to the supplied fuse, then to the power wires of both strips. With the wiring complete, all you have to do is mount the switch and permanently attach the LED strips to the hull. Supernova provides a package of 3M adhesion promoter. Apply that sparingly to the areas the strips will mount to and allow to dry for 3 minutes. Once the time is up, peel back a small portion of the protective coating on the back of the strips. Apply to your line and gently press down while continuing to remove the backing until you get it completely off. Last thing to do is to silicone up the 3/16" hole that you ran your wiring through. 

Check out the short install and walk thru video. Can't wait to try them out on the water.

 

Kayak Safety Flag and 360 Light: Better safe than Sorry

Should every kayak fisherman have a safety flag and 360 white light? My answer used to be no and I went all of last season without one. Why am I writing about one now you may ask? Because you can never be too safe! Especially if you fish where I do and it is you versus 300 horsepower bass boats doing 80 mph all over the place. I had too many close calls last season to not arm myself with every safety gadget I can get my hands on. So, in comes the ingenious Scotty 828. Safety Flag, 360 White light and a great place to mount your GoPro. Everything a kayak fisherman needs. Just like every other great Scotty product, the 828 can mount into any scotty base. I plug mine right into a Scotty 438 track adapter on my tank well rails for ultimate adjustability. 

Another added feature of the 828 is the ability to mount the Scotty 135 camera mount to it. By having your GoPro or other brand of camera mounted high on the top of the pole, you get a great look down angle into your cockpit and an awesome view to the front of your boat. I tested it out for the first time this weekend and love the view and can't wait to get some fish in front of it.  Two great products from Scotty that will keep you safe and add to the quality of your videos. Check out a quick walk thru video of the two products.