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.

Christmas Kayak Fishing Gifts 2015

As usual, my Christmas wish list was mostly composed of kayak fishing accessories. I am more than grateful for my family's appreciation for my hobby. Here is what I got:

Engel Cooler Bag: I have been wanting once since they were released a while back. There are many times that I would rather the soft sided cooler over the hard UC30 that I currently have. The book bag straps and the ability to hold ice just like a hard sided cooler make this thing super versatile. Not only at home on the kayak, this cooler bag is going to accompany us on beach trips, road trips, camping, etc.

Berkley Aluminum Pliers: After going through several cheapo pliers I have had enough. Hopefully these solve that problem. Aluminum base and stainless steel jaws, plus a braid cutter built in. What else do you need in a set a pliers?

Sealskinz Waterproof Gloves: Another item that I have been watching for a while. Frost bitten fingers while trying to fish are the worst. These things are 100% waterproof and windproof and do an ample job at not cutting down your dexterity too much. Plus they work with touch screen devices! Time will tell if they solve all my problems with gloves and cold weather fishing.

Oakley Radar Lock Customs: Pretty obvious gift here. I have been using the same set of Oakley's for the last 5 years, so it was just time for an upgrade. Leave it to my wonderful wife to go all out and get me a custom pair. If you haven't fished with a quality set of sun glasses, I highly recommend you upgrade. Once you do, you will never go back. Oakley is my brand of choice.

Kokatat Hydrus 3L Dry Pants: Tired of cheap stocking foot chest high waders, I decided to ask for a quality pair of dry pants. Two reasons why I asked for a set of dry pants this year. First, I don't wade at all, so I felt there was no need for a pair of chest highs. Two, I hate stocking foot wader made with neoprene. Your feet get soggy and they smell really bad after a days use. The Kokatat pants have waterproof socks built in with a nice pair of ankle cuff that solve that problem.

I can't wait to put these gifts to good use. I will be sure to give them an honest assessment in the future.    

Best Kayak Fishing Water Bottle? Vapur Anti-Bottle

When I first received my vapur anti-bottle I thought how clever the idea was, but questioned the durability. Come on. Really? A plastic bag for a bottle. No way that can hold up to the punishment that yak-anglers put on their equipment. After three weeks of continued use I have been surprisingly incorrect. If Mossy Oak agrees to allow someone to use their patterns you bet that it is built tough and the vapur bottle sure is tough. 

From the kayak to the powerboat and even in the field hunting, the vapur bottle is adaptive and rugged enough to handle it all. The container itself is simple and impressive. All of the seams are watertight and finished with no sharp edges. Each seam has a generous overlap of material that can handle rugged conditions. The cap is impressive as well. A screw in type with an o-ring seal and a super secure closure to ensure no spills. An added benefit is an integrated locking ring to secure your anti bottle to whatever you need. The coolest thing about the anti bottle is the portability. When empty you can roll the whole thing up to fit into your cargo pocket. A great feature for cramped kayaks. 

My only complaint is the capacity of the anti bottle. On an offshore trip in Florida I found myself constantly refilling the bottle. The .7L capacity just wasn't enough for me even on a 75 degree fall day. The good news is that there is a 1L anti bottle, but not available in the mossy oak pattern yet. 

Some ways to improve the anti bottle would be with the addition of vapur's available filtration systems. Maybe there could even be an opportunity to add a lifestraw attachment that could be used to drink from unsanitary sources for all the survivalists out there. I gave the vapur anti bottle 4/5 stars. My only issue is the capacity, but for kayak anglers with limited space this is a tremendously innovative way to meet your hydration needs.

Catch Me if You Paddle Season 1 Trailer

Offshore Kayak Bass Fishing

I will admit that for the vast majority of my time fishing from kayaks I have concentrated all of my efforts near the shoreline. Sky high temperatures in Central Texas and a lack of bites where I normally fish have pushed me away from the bank and in search of underwater structure.

Two things that you will need to make this transition are a marker buoy and either an contour lake map or an app such as navionics for your fish finder or mobile device. I am running navionics on my iPad in conjunction with my vexilar sonarphone fishfinder. With the iPad GPS and the navionics app I know exactly where I am at and where I am in relation to the underwater structure that I am wanting to fish. Couple that with the marker buoy serving as a casting target and you have a perfect combination for fishing structure.

By no means did I invent this method. Pro Bass Fisherman have been using it for years, but I have rarely seen kayak anglers employing this method out on the water or in videos. It was something that I was reluctant to try, but after success on my first outing trying this method, I will be sure to use it a lot more. Check out the video to see how it works.