Cerulean Adventures

2012-04-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a while since I have posted here but life has a tendency of getting in the way of more entertaining pursuits. Anyway, I figured it was time to update the blog and here it goes.

While this blog is intended to document my kayak fishing adventures, at times you will find that I do cheat a bit and take a stinkpot out. In 2010, my beautiful bride decided that we needed a new addition to the family and set her course to make that addition. Was it the dog? Well yes, she did get a dog then too but that is not what I was referring to. What she wanted to add to the family was a powerboat. She researched and found a great deal on a 2004 Bayliner 192CU. The Bayliner (named the Oh! Boat) is about 19' in length, has a beam of 7'7", and sports a 135 Mercruiser Alpha 1. The WOT speed on the boat is ~40mph. This boat can haul ass. :)

We had taken the boat out a few times in 2010 but as with many boats, it needed maintenance and we were slackers in getting the trim cylinders fixed in 2011 so it sat in the driveway longing to be used.

A few weeks ago we got off our butts and took the boat to Jordan Point Marina and had Justin take a look at it and fix it. On a side note, if you ever need boat repairs, go see Justin. This guy is top notch. Great pricing, quick service, friendly and knows customer service. Anyway, along with getting the trim fixed, we also purchased a much more road worthy trailer for the boat.

To go along with our newfound appreciation for power boating, I decided to jump the curve and get my USCG Boaters Licence. You all can rest assured that I passed the test with flying colors so the waterways are not more dangerous with me on them!

This weekend we decided to take the boat out for it's maiden voyage of 2012. We researched where we would go and decided to launch from Osborne Landing in eastern Henrico County. This was our first time launching from Osborne and I can say that it is a great facility. There are 6 boat ramps, lots of additional dock areas to tie your boat off while you get your truck parked, and nice bathroom facilities.

We headed up river towards Richmond and stopped off a mile or so up river in an area that looked fishy. We anchored and tried our luck. The fish did not want to cooperate there, although it was a nice stretch of river. Rebecca was not content staying in the boat so she took a spot on the transom trying to get the fish to bite at anything she threw their way.

After striking out, we headed up river. Rebecca captured me making my best cheesy captains pose as we ventured west.

We finally made it to downtown Richmond and anchored up by Southern States. I was able to hook into a decent sized Hickory Shad that we quickly turned into bait for what we hoped would be some sizable Blue Catfish. That would be the only fish for a while. At one point, I did get the worlds smallest White Perch to take my hook and while he proved to be quite a fight, I bested him as I landed all 3.5 inches of him in the boat.

After a while of soaking some cut shad, one rod finally went off and the fight was on. While it wasn't my best cat ever, it was nice to get something a little bit bigger on the boat. Forgetting my ruler and scale at in the truck, I could only estimate the size of the fish. I estimated it in the mid 20" range. Maybe upper mid 20's.

That would be all the fish for the day. Though we did not slay the fish, it was a great day on the water and it was nice to get the boat out and slimed up a little.

Getting the boat home was a bit more of an ordeal. We had to make some adjustments to the trailer that we only noticed after we got the boat on it the first time. We decided to use this trip as a way to make the adjustments as the boat would be in the water and we could adjust the length of the boat stop. This went well except for the frustration of having to load the boat on and off the trailer a few times to insure we got it to the right location.

By the time we got home, it was dark and this made our already difficult driveway even more difficult. Having gotten the boat half way down the driveway, I made the critical mistake of cutting too hard and one of my truck tires fell off the driveway and into the grass. Well, as luck would have it we were stuck. Expletives rang out from behind my truck's steering wheel and at that point all I wanted was a shower and a beer. After many failed attempts to extricate the truck and boat, we called it and sent for the troops via a phone call to AAA.

Within 30 minutes, the tow truck was there and the driver was the best tow truck driver I have ever encountered. He was pleasant and assured me that this was nothing and he'd have us extricated in short order. He was right. He winched the truck out of it's trench and got everything lined up and good to go. To take it a step farther, he handed me his flashlight and said "Point this where you want the boat". He hopped into the driver seat of the truck and after about 10 attempts he got the boat to it's rightful home. After doing so, he made the astute observation that "Hey man, your driveway is not the easiest to navigate!!!"

Well the day was over, the shower was taken and the beer was cracked open. Except for the troubling end of the day, the day was awesome. We had the boat on the water for about 5 hours and had a blast running up the river and catching a few fish. I can't wait to take it out again!

Product Review: YakAttack Park-n-pole!

2011-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I won a YakAttack Park-n-Pole from Hook1 (www.kayakfishinggear.com). Within a short few days, the Pole was delivered to my house. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was benched from flats fishing for a while. However, last weekend I was able to get out and finally put this pole to it's test. First things first, this pole is much lighter than other poles that I have seen. Significantly lighter!!! You would think that being that light, it would lose some of it's rigidity, but this is not the case. This is a very solid pole. There are features that are really great about the pole. First of all the foot at the top is very comfortable and makes it easy to drive the pole into the sand. When used as a push pole, it is wide enough to not dig into the bottom. There are two notches on the foot of the pole which allows you to use the pole to grab anchor lines to bring them in. There is a hole in the center which I will be using in the future to allow me to push the pole into the sand but then tether further away from the pole itself by attaching a rope to the hole. A final and incredible feature is that this pole floats. One thing that I will be doing with mine is putting a couple of pieces of SOLAS tape near the grip so that in the event that my pole begins a float of its own, I will be able to easily see it in the water. Also, I figure that even though I have my VisiCarbon Pro on the back of my yak, there is never too much visibile signals to other boaters. My over all opinion is that once again YakAttack has hit the ball out of the park with another great design. If you are looking for a Stakeout Pole, look no further and get one of these great poles from YakAttack (www.yakattack.us) or from Hook1 (www.kayakfishinggear.com).

James River Blues

2011-07-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

I am a bit delayed in posting this due to other obligations. Anyway, last week I got a message from Rob Choi that he was taking his buddy Dorian out for Dorian's first adventure on a kayak and wanted to know if I wanted to join. Having had little luck so far this year I figured it was worth it to go out and see what we could get into. We arrived at the launch in 105 degree heat and proceeded to get our gear ready. After some minor setbacks with gear malfunctions, we finally got to the river and were ready to go. Rob gave Dorian a crash course in kayak technique and away we went. Despite my lack of significant fish thus far this year, I was more hopeful that Dorian would hook up with something nice. On the paddle out, Dorian pointed out one of the benefits of kayak fishing and that is the peaceful tranquility while being in such a beautiful area. Thanks to him, we noticed what a beautiful sunset it was.

While paddling down we took a moment out for some photo op's before setting up in our first location.

We got set up in our first location and little action was happening. We moved a few times before hearing that tell tale sound of a clicker going off as I look over and see Rob doubled over. Well at least one of us got a fish. The fish ended up being a mid 30's flathead. A bit later, Rob is doubled up again, but he loses this fish at the boat. Another nice fish though. Then I hooked into a small blue cat.

It wasn't the big fish that I wanted but it was a fish nonetheless and I was happy to get a little slime. Then it happened. Dorian hooked up. Now I am happy because when you take a newbie out on the water, the most important thing is to get them hooked up. Dorian lands a nice little channel cat (it was getting dark and I couldn't get a look at it but there are pics up over at www.angling-addict.com).

Finally I hear the clicker on one of my rods go off and I wait. Then it goes off again and I wait. Finally it goes off and starts screaming. I engage the spool and the fight is on. This is not the biggest fight I have ever had from a cat, but it was a good fight nonetheless. After getting the fish to the boat only to be splashed by a tail slap a few times, I finally wear out the fish and get him beside the boat. This is what I caught.

This blue cat measured in at 30" and was a blast. After about 30 minutes of no action, we began our paddle back. When we got to the shallows, we noticed tons of blue cats, flathead's, and a few big carp looming near the boulders.

Despite the 100 degree temps and bathwater warm water, the evening was great. I am especially glad that Dorian was able to get his first fish from a kayak and hope that he will do it again soon.

Finally got dinner.......Rudee Inlet 7/17

2011-07-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

After taking my son to his baseball practice, I decided to take a little jaunt out in Rudee Inlet. The original plan was to hit Lynnhaven Inlet, but I ran into my buddy Joe who had just spent the day there and after his bleak report, I decided to change my venue. I find my way over to the launch and get my gear out and ready in record time. Once on the water, I throw out a line with a bucktail and gulp and troll my way out into the inlet. In no time the rod doubles over and the fight is on. Drag pulling, boat twisting and turning, and finally after an epic battle, I land this:

I thought I had a good size flounder but it ended up being a croaker. How did this little fish put up that much fight? I continued on my voyage.

On my way out to the bridge and metal bulkhead, I run across a different kind of pirate boat.

I am sure kids all around would love to ride on this boat, but the sounds of Capt. Morgan across the loudspeaker gave me a bit of a headache.

I keep paddling and find my spot out by the bulkhead only to find out that when rigging the Commander120's anchor trolley, I missed one terribly important piece.....the cleat. Oops. Well thank goodness the current wasn't ripping and I could survive with the foot cleat. As I was plopping my bucktail/gulp appetizer in and out of the water, I saw one charter coming in from what looked like a successful day on the water with what appears to be 9 marlin flags.

There appeared to be parade of the charters coming back in from their day's adventures.

If you are wondering why there are all these photos of the boats, and no fish porn, it is because there were no fish in that area to be caught. After putting in some time at the bulkhead, I head back into the inlet in hopes of finding something to bend my rod. As I was paddling back, I ran across this boat and had to take a photo.

After that, I paddled up into the inlet. Ran across Mike M. and chatted with him for a bit. Seemed that he and I were tied with one fish each. Then paddled back up to the docks and tossed a line or two and called it a day. This is what my cooler looked like at the end of the day.

Looks impressive until you see how little the cooler is. Ok so people keep wondering how this one little fish is dinner. Well he will be broiled with some onion and margarine and then flaked over a salad. I never said he was going to be a hearty dinner. :)

Safety Post #2 - Boaters and other potential issues

2011-07-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

I wrote the post about safety during storms, but after a few recent encounters, I thought I would follow that up with a post about how to stay safe when you are the little man on the water.

Kayaks are great for getting around to various skinny water locations, as well as a thrill when on open water in the hunt for more exotic species of fish. However, there is no denying that if you are paddling around a kayak in an area with powerboats, you are the little fish in a big pond. There are a few things you need to keep in mind to minimize your risk.

Make yourself visible. During the day, you can do this by flying a bright colored flag a few feet above your kayak. I use a YakAttack VISICarbon Pro safety flag and light (www.yakattack.us). This flag is great because it is a bright safety orange flag that is designed to not produce drag thus not impeding your efficiency on the water while keeping you nice and visible. As you can see in the photo below, the orange flag is very visible and stands out well. Also there is SOLAS (Survival Of Life At Sea) reflective tape behind the flag which adds to the visibility. The coast guard states that you must have a visible signal device on hand that you can shine at an oncoming boater in the event that you need to signal them. To me this is not enough. At night I wear a head lamp that I can direct at a boater, however I also have the light on my VISICarbon Pro which produces 360 degrees of light and has one of the highest visible ranges of any light on the market. One addition I plan to make (though I dont have it yet) is to add a signal light to my PFD, this will help make me visible in the unfortunate event that I become separated from my kayak.

Be aware. Being the small fish in a big pond means that you need to be vigilant about knowing your surroundings. Always try to stay one step ahead of the danger that exists. This means looking around you to see if a boat in the distance is coming your way full throttle and if so, prepare an exit plan. This also means to know the patterns in your area. For instance, I know that at dusk the channels of most waterways will be congested with boaters and people on PWC's trying to get in before dark. I stay away from the main channels during this time. Same thing at sunrise. There is a lot of traffic heading out at that time. There are other peak times as well but they may vary depending on your location. Be mindful of these times and try to stay clear of main channels. Another part of being aware comes into play when paddling near a shore fishing location. An 8oz pyramid sinker can be as deadly as a bullet if you get hit by one and it is your job to insure that you are a proper distance away from the shore fishermen and do not encroach on their turf. You may argue that you have a right to be there just as much as they do, however you are not casting your lead where they are standing, but they are casting where you are. Keep a safe distance.
Have the proper safety gear. The USCG requires that you have at minimum the following items: A PFD on board, A visible signal device (can be as simple as a signal mirror), and an audible signal device (whistle). The PFD should not just be kept onboard, but should be worn at all times. To comply with USCG reg's there is a great little safety whistle that you can pick up at most outdoors stores that has a whistle, signal mirror and a dry storage compartment (pictured below). However, keep in mind that this is only the minimum. Other items you should consider carrying include (but are not limited to) a hand held marine radio, a flag and light (as mentioned above), PFD safety light, safety knife, signal flares, a cell phone, and a handheld GPS.

Make an exit plan. This sounds crazy but you should always have a plan in the event that you have to move quickly. It is better to figure this out when you arrive at a location rather than when you need to get moving. Typically if I am in a main waterway, I tend to try to stay on the shoreside of any channels. That way I just keep it in my head that if I have to move, I just need to head toward shore.
Keep your head clear. What this means is don't drink or do any mind altering drugs while on the water. I know this will cause a round of boo's from several weekend water warriors who like to get out and have a good time inclusive of their favorite malt beverage. However, if you don't have a clear head, you may not be able to make the quick decisions needed to get you out of a potentially dangerous situation. Just like with driving, you may do just fine with a few drinks, but when it goes bad, it can go horribly bad and you are the small guy out there. Chances are, it will go terribly bad for you. Save the drinks for the bar after you are done and are telling the tales of the day to anyone who will listen.
Keep your rolodex handy. Not really, but at the same time you should have the numbers of the various emergency contacts on hand and if you see someone doing something dangerous, don't hesitate to call the proper authorities. The last time I was on the water, I had two men who appeared to be intentionally casting at my fishing partner and me. They were casting double bottom rigs as hard as they could right at us then reeling back in as fast as they could, then doing it all over again. We moved on to another spot but in hindsight, I wish that I would have called the authorities. We were far out of normal casting range but they were trying their hardest to get to us. If they did that to us, they would do it to someone else.

This post is not intended to scare anyone off the water because it can be very easy to have a safe and enjoyable time on your kayak. However, it is important to keep your head straight so you can continue to have those enjoyable times.

Welcome Home Buddy!

2011-07-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

On Independence Day weekend it is only fitting that I would get to fish with my buddy Mike. Mike has spent the better part of the past two years stationed in Bahrain with the Navy. He is finally back on US soil. The outing was bitter sweet, because this is also the last time I will get to fish with him for at least a year as he is being stationed in Gulfport Mississippi. It is with great appreciation for what they do that I thank Mike and every other soldier out there defending our nation. However, this is not a blog about military appreciation so you are probably reading this for the fishing report of the day.

We hit the water at 8:00am and launched from Crab Creek at the Lynnhaven Inlet. We ran into Wayne at the ramp and discussed strategies. Wayne indicated that he was going to focus on the back side of the inlet and we were going to focus on the bridge and front part of the inlet. With that we began to launch. We made our way to the bridge, however the current was full on ripping through and we decided to fish the main channel of the inlet first and when the tide slowed up a bit we would hit the bridge in search of Tog, Sheepshead, and Flounder. We began fishing the channel and had moderate luck with some flounder, but mainly were getting torn up by crabs. After fishing a bit, we noticed that the tide was slacking up. We headed out to the bridge.

We had our ammunition and were ready for battle. The fish stood no chance against our sharp hooks and tasty bait.

We fished the pilings for a bit but had no luck with the Tog or Sheep's. We began to drift the outgoing tide for flounder but the best I could come up with was a bit over 15".

While fishing for flounder, I started hearing what sounded like fish jumping right behind my boat. Unfortunately we found out that it was not fish, but it was two very annoying shore fishermen who appeared to be intentionally trying to hit us. We were nearly into the channel and they were heaving as hard as they can, then reeling back in as fast as possible then casting again. They are lucky we were in good moods, or else we would have called the cops on them. If you are out there and see them doing the same, feel free to call the cops and if I am out there and see it I will do the same and show the cops this photo.

We decided to head back in and try the tennis courts as well as a few back coves. Mike gave it his all but we were not getting much love from the fish.

We anchored up and took a breather and stood up for a bit. I was able to scare up a little croaker, and then one rod doubled over. The fight was on. I got the fish to the top of the water and saw that it was a Ray. Having not caught a big fish in a while, I had hoped to land this one, but it came unbuttoned.

Mike had dropped a piece of mullet in the water and noticed that the Gudgeons were going crazy over the mullet. He began to catch the Gudgeons by hand and ended up with about a dozen or two.

We departed and began our trek back into the launch. On the way back, Mike caught a nice little grunt right in the butt. Anyone can catch a fish in it's lips, but it takes real talent to catch on in it's keister.

After that we called it a day and headed back in. I did get the opportunity to get a photo of Mike with one of his prized fish of the day.

The hilarity of the day was not over though. After Mike left to go get a new rack put on his truck, I continued loading up my gear. As I was packing up, there were two young ladies getting ready to go paddle boarding. As they were bending over getting their boards ready, there was a kid just coming in from a day on the water with his dad. Watching him staring intently at the young ladies as they prepared their boards was priceless. Unfortunately at the time, my camera was in my kayak and I was up near my car. However, here are the ladies.

And here is the kid.

I only wish I could have caught his pubescent gaze as he stared at them. The funny thing is that the girls did notice and were giggling about it, but it didn't deter him from his gaze.

All in all despite not getting much love from the fish, it was great getting back out with Mike. I wish him luck in his new adventures in Mississippi and know that we will fish again. I look forward to that day.

Father's Day Weekend Day 2

2011-06-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Day one was such a blast, we decided to do it all over again. This time we picked Rudee Inlet because there were reports of big croaker possibly making a showing and with Redfish eluding us, we decided that maybe we could pick up points for the bonus fish of the tourney. This time the crew consisted of Trapper, J-Boogie, Bentpole, Agent VA, and myself. Sure we could all have normal names like Jim, Jarred, Aubrey, Joe, and Thom, but where's the fun in that?

As I approached the parking lot, Bentpole was there ready to hit the water. He was nice enough to wait for a few moments until I unloaded and was ready to launch as well. Now anyone who knows me knows that it takes more than a few moments for me to get my stuff together. This shows that Bentpole has the patience of a saint to wait that long for me.

After we launch, I begin a drift down the first shoreline and catch a flattie in my first cast. This bodes poorly for the rest of the day because any angler knows, that if you catch a fish on your first cast, then you are screwed for the rest of the day.

After I unload the potato chip sized flounder from my hook, I hear some chatter going on behind me. I turn and see that Bentpole has befriended a young lady who was paddle boarding out toward the bridge. You can tell from her brisk stroke that she was indeed enamored by BP's charm and charisma.

We made our way out to the bridge and I get my lure stuck in one of the rocks beneath the bridge. I ended up losing the lure and spent a bit of time getting myself set up again. After tying on a new lure, I begin to paddle to the rest of the group. I was oblivious to what was going on around me and JetSki Brian (www.jetskibrian.com) took this photo of me. Thanks for the shot Brian.

After getting set with the rest of the crew, I cast and immediately get hooked up with a 16.75" flounder. Now at this point I am psyched because it was a bigger class of flounder than I had been catching the previous day and my hopes for a keeper were increased.

After getting his good Juju from the swedish bikini paddle boarding team member, Bentpole started catching some flatties as well. Having left his camera at home, I did the honors of documenting his catch for the AOTY race at www.piratesoflynnhaven.org.

The rest of the day was filled with dink fish and lots of sight seeing. We paddled up into what is commonly known as Rich Man's Cove only to find that even the crabs were not biting. We paddled back and decided to explore the creek leading back to Ocean Breeze fun park. As I turn the corner in the creek, I run across Agent VA making it look easy. He sure appears to know what he is doing.

We drift back to the aquarium and that is when the action heated up.

Hey Trapper, um..... there are people in the aquarium who can see this spot.....oh and there are a ton of windows in that building.

Agent VA gets bowed up and is fighting hard.....he will never land that, I don't think anyone has ever landed a citation sized sign pole.

I finally get something to bite my line and it is only this fella. He had somehow gotten all tangled up in my line (no where near the bait, for what it's worth). He was released to annoy another angler on another day.

That concluded the day on the water. After that, I ran back to the condo to shower and pack for the POL Monthly Meeting at Bluewater Seafood (http://tinyurl.com/bwseafood). Below are pics from the meeting. There was supposed to be an awards ceremony for the tournament but since no one caught qualifying fish, the awards were not to be. Given that the money raised for the tourney goes to a charity of the winners choice, we gave the choice to the first person to step up to sponsor this tourney. As a result, Mark Lozier from Marsh Works Lures has asked that the money raised get donated to the Tidewater Chapter of Heros on the Water (HOW). I have already been in touch with Tom V from the Tidewater Chapter and have made the proper arrangements. This is a great cause and I am happy to have our procedes help this worthy charity. For more information about HOW please visit their website at http://www.heroesonthewater.org/

While at the seafood market, I tried my best to add some points to the Angler Of The Year Race at POL!!!! Do you think they will think they are honest catches?

Father's Day Weekend Day 1

2011-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

The weekend started off well. The Pirates of Lynnhaven were having a charity tourney targeting Redfish. Unfortunately the Redfish did not receive the invitation. However it turned into a great weekend after all. I was with a group on Friday fishing out of Lynnhaven Inlet. This was the second time this year fishing Lynnhaven and I still love the inlet. I am not too fond of the boat traffic there, but I still love the inlet.

We launched out in search of some bait fish and were able to score a few mullet and some killifish. We decided to head out in search of the target fish. After getting skunked for the entire morning, we set up on an oyster bar right off the main channel and took out our ultra lite gear to take a break and catch trash fish. And trash fish was bountiful. I ended up catching more croaker and grunts than I could care to count.

After that I wanted to cruise over to a flat that I had much success with in the past and from the satellite photos on Google Earth, still looked to have the characteristics that I was interested in for Red's. The fish were nonexistent but I did have some fun taking photos of the crew.

Jim was more than happy to model his glowing green Malibu.

Dean was taking the minimalistic approach in a WS Commander.

I was loaded down with WAY too much gear on this trip in my WS Ride135.

Dave had disappeared and we found out later that he tried another flat with no success then headed in. Jarred had just met up with us and we will have more on him later.

We headed over to the main channel and began drifting for flounder. We each got a flounder or two. At this time a boater in what looked like a massive old and dirty Yacht. It was probably a good 30-35' ugly boat. They seemed to take aim at our group. Now typically we keep a calm and cool demeanor, but this was geting ugly fast. Jim began yelling at them using words that perfectly matched his New York accent. They got within feet of us at what seemed like near full throttle (it wasn't in reality, but it sure was enough to throw up a nice 2 foot+ wake in the no wake zone were were in). Anyway shortly after this we drifted the channel by the Oyster Reef and I make one pass with no luck, but right behind me was Jarred and he scored a nice 18" flatty that he took home for dinner.

The day was coming to a close so we paddled in and packed up for the day. We did run into Chuck at the launch who reported that he had taken his son out and his son caught his first fish from a kayak that day. It is great hearing stories like that, especially on Fathers Day Weekend.

Storms on the horizon!

2011-06-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, we have had some storms roll through that got me thinking about on the water preparation and safety in the event of a storm. Lightning is nothing to laugh at but there are many more issues that could arise from being caught on the water in the unfortunate case of a storm. Before I continue, let me get this out of the way. I am only sharing personal experience and advice that I would give. I am in no way an expert nor am I certified in anything relating to water safety. Take what I say here as advice from someone who has a little experience in these situations and who has learned from his mistakes, but if you would like true water safety lessons, I am sure that the USCG Auxiliary has some classes available or at least could point you in the direction of a good safety course.

Ok now onto the fun stuff. Before I get into the advice, I thought I would share a little story about a day that I would like to not repeat. The day started off the same as many others. Not a cloud in the sky, and a trip was planned to hunt for redfish on the flats back in the Lynnhaven Inlet. I met up with my friend Mike and we headed out in our quest for spot tailed fish. We made our way back into the south eastern part of the Lynnhaven River and were rooting around the various coves that were present back in that area. I happen to look to the west and noticed a huge wall of black clouds closing in on us. I look at Mike and we both knew we had to abandon our search for fish. We begin to paddle back to the launch point but the clouds were closing in quickly and before we knew it, the wind kicked up and the rain started pouring. It should be noted that this was a day that there were no predictions of thunderstorms. We were only about halfway to the launch when visibility became only a matter of inches and our paddling efforts were getting us nowhere. A decision had to be made. There were no good options at this point, but I did remember the exposed sandbar to our right. We paddled quickly over to the bar and pulled our kayaks up to the highest point of the exposed sand. This was a bar that was far from any trees and we were really rather perched up in the middle of the water. We laid our fishing rods flat as not to have them serve as lightning rods and we both sat up on our kayaks and used our PFD's (Personal Floatation Devices - Life Jackets) to cover our heads from the pelting rain. The storm at this point was right over our heads. We would see the flash of lightning at the exact same time we were hearing the thunder. With each crack of lightning you could smell the electricity. One bolt of lighting hit the water just behind us. Then just as it came, it also left. A decision was made that despite our experience, we would continue fishing after the storm cleared out enough for us to safely paddle again. As we were packing up our stuff, Mike looks at me and says "It's a damn good thing we are soaked from the rain." When I asked why that was, he simply replied "Because, this way you can't tell that I pissed myself".

So with the storms that we had this past week, I spent some time thinking about why it was that we survived that experience and what I should be thinking about to be prepared if that were to happen again. Here is what I came up with.

Remain calm! If you are freaking out, you are focusing your energy on stress and not on figuring out the best solution to your problem. Yes it is a terrifying experience to live through a storm like that, but people survive them on a daily basis and it is best that you keep a level head and worry more about your plan of action than what bad stuff could happen.

Educate yourself on safety practices. The reason in we picked the sandbar as our safety zone was because I knew that in the area we were in, the shoreline was lined with tall trees. Everyone should be aware that lightning strikes the tallest spot and if you are beneath a tree, it is more likely that you will be struck than if you are away from the trees. For the same reason that we didn't sit under a tree, we laid our rods flat. Also the sandbar would raise us up from the water level and with visibility next to nothing, we couldn't risk being blowing back into an area we were not familiar with.

Know your surroundings. If you are not familiar with the area you are paddling in, you should not venture too far away from the launch. If you are going to a new place to fish, it is advisable that you research the area first. There are many tools to do this. Google Earth is one of the best since it allows you to really get detailed views of the area.

Have a plan. I know, you are thinking, I have a plan when I go out. I know where I am going to go to get into the fish. I am talking about having a safety plan. It may not be the most glamorous part of kayak fishing, but you do have to be aware of where you are and how you will get to safety if an emergency comes up. I try to plan even for wind. I have had times where I will be heading one way and the wind kicks up so strong that no matter how hard I paddle, I am not making progress forward. In these situations, I usually have a backup route to take that may not offer as much resistance in the wind. I also like to have a "shortest distance to safety" plan. This would be a general understanding of where I would go in the event of an emergency that would get me to shelter, or to safety the quickest.

Technology. While technology may not prevent you from getting struck by lightning, it will help in both prevention and recovery. First, a radio with NOAA Weather stations available is a handy tool in preventing you from getting caught by that storm that seems to sneak up on you. I know for a fact that had we been listening to the weather stations on the day detailed above, we would have avoided the experience all together. While that storm seemed to sneak up on us, it did come from somewhere else and the weather stations would have given us fair warning. Second, safety lights/flags should be used at all times. Many people think a safety pole is only for night time. Keep in mind that when conditions deteriorate, a kayak is very hard to see. A safety flag will make you more visible and if conditions are not ideal, having a safety light will make you visible to oncoming vessels. There are many brands of lights and flags, but I prefer those sold by YakAttack. These are designed with Yak Anglers in mind. I use a VisiCarbon Pro. This is a collapsable light pole with a high intensity LED. It also incorporates a high visibility orange flag. It is a great safety light. For me the final piece of technology that I carry is a cell phone. Mine is an iPhone so I can use it to access GPS, Nautical Maps, and other useful items. However the most important part of the phone is the ability to call 911 if needed. I do keep a few numbers programmed in (Marine Police, USCG Stations around where I am, etc...), but if you find yourself in an emergency situation 911 is the best number to call. If you have a VHF/Marine Radio, you can use the emergency channel as well, but what I have been told is that 911 is the best bet.

USCG prescribed safety gear. This should go without saying, but the gear that the USCG prescribes for kayak's is there to keep you safe. You should have a PFD. One thing to keep in mind with your PFD is to get something that offers some visibility in the event you become separated from your boat. If it is not a highly visible color, it should have reflective surfaces to help aid in your rescue should you need it. Also you need to have both a signal light and a signal horn of some sort. This does not need to be a high intensity light and a fog horn. There is a great whistle that Bass Pro sells that is a combo Whistle, Mirror, and Dry container. The mirror will act as a signal light as it can reflect light from boats or the sun. And the whistle will act as your signal horn.

This is clearly not a complete list of everything you need to know but it should be enough to keep you safe.

Rudee turned not so family friendly!!!!

2011-05-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

I took the day off on Friday to get a kick start on the holiday weekend. After getting my gear ready and packed, I got down to Rudee early to mid morning. As I get ready to launch I talk to one fella who reports nothing but a couple dink's being caught in the morning. I then run across Kayak Kevin who was waiting for Lee to show up to go attack the flatties. We chat a bit then it is time to launch. I paddle over to the cop docks for a bit and get no love from the fish, then work my way out to the front. Once I get to the bridge, I get a little love but nothing major. After a while, Kevin and Lee show up and then another kayaker shows up, but everyone is having about the same luck. I move over to the other side of the bridge and set up with my foot anchor on the oyster bank and cast into the bridge. I start catching the flounder. They are all undersize but damn there were a lot of them. The biggest I got was right around 17".

After a bit I caught a tiny croaker and wondered what to do with him.

I saw that one of my rods was still rigged for catfish and decided to put the croaker on the the 10/0 circle hook and let it soak for a bit. I fished for another 30 min or so when my rod doubles over and the fight is on. I had no idea what the hell could have gotten the croaker. It was pulling drag like mad and it took a bit to coordinate myself to fight the fish. Just as a line of Jet Skier's were going out, the fish made it's first appearance as it did a tail dance just by the wall of the bridge channel. One jet skier stopped to watch as the fish did two more tail dances. The head on this fish was enormous. My heart was pumping because this would be the first serious fish of the season that I have fought. I get the fish closer and it takes a dive for the oyster wall, then comes back up. He does the a couple more times before becoming spent and finally succumbs to my fight. As I lift the tip of my rod up to pull his head out of the water so I can get my lip grip's into his mouth, the line snaps and the fish slowly sinks before reviving and swimming away. Having caught several big fish in my life, I would estimate this to be a bluefish over 35". I had a tough time identifying it as a bluefish because it seemed a lot taller/fatter than a blue, but after reviewing photos online to match to my memory, I have come to the conclusion that it was just a great big blue. When the line snapped, I shouted out a few words that turned Rudee into a less than family friendly environment. The fella on the jet ski shouted over to me "I saw it, I saw it. You had a monster. I saw it." It made me giggle but was still upset at the line break. At least I got it to the boat. I would have loved to have gotten a photo but it was fun just fighting the fish.

I was able to catch my first red of the season though. Here is a photo of it:

All in all I caught a couple tiny croaker, a bunch of undersized flounder, and almost landed a monster blue. It was a great day!!!!

Hobo Camp? What hobo camp?

2011-05-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Last night a friend (who has asked to remain anonymous for reasons of national security) and I decided to hit the river and see what we could find swimming in the waters. Before we hit the river with our rods, we needed to get bait, so I remembered what my good friend Dan mentioned about getting bait down at Anncarrows Landing. Lets see, he said, park to the right of the boat ramp, follow the path around to the right, pass the hobo camp, a little further down you will pass their piss bucket, then you will come up on a clearing where you can net lots of fish by the discharge. Now, I have known Dan for a few years and I knew that he has a dry wit about him and he likes to flavor a story a bit with bouts of hyperbole and various other verbal spices. So my friend, we will call him Agent X, and I began to walk down the path. As we turn a bend and round the corner of a thicket of trees, no shit, there it stood. In all it's splendor, was the hobo camp. Now I didn't want to disturb it's inhabitants because having not run into this species of mammal before, I was unsure how it would react to us nosing around the camp. At the same time, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to document this species in it's natural environment. Alas, the illusive hobo would not exit it's shelter, however, I was able to document it's nest.

Many apologies for the blurry nature of the image, but I was moving quickly as to not alarm the hobo(s) as I had come unprepared to present an offering. Next time I will prepare with a quick stop to the ABC store.

Anyway, after throwing my net many times to little success by the discharge, we returned to the ramp. My arm was beginning to tire from multiple throws from the cast net and unfortunately threw the first couple throws rather poorly. It was at that time that I heard the voice of an Anncarrows siren. It was a voice that beckoned from above in an accent and cadence that confused me as it was not accompanied by banjos as I was so used to. The voice said, "Hey man, you aint gonna get no fish like dat. Gimme that there net and I'll get some of them der fish." So I figured, what the hell, and let him have the net to do his best. The first throw was about as atrocious as the two that I had. He said, "Damn man, I gotta get down there, I'll be right der and Imma gonna get some of dem der fish." I figured, whats the harm. So he came down. Now this is where it was interesting, he really wasn't that good at throwing the net but he had an ego that told him that damnit, he was the man. Also, if he was able to throw one good one every four or so throws, I was more than willing to let him tire out to feed his ego.......and my bait bucket. So after a while, we had several bluegill, perch, river minnows, and a gizzard shad. We were ready. We thanked the lad and were on our way.

We headed down to the Mayo bridge. Now when we got there, the bridge smelled like a turd. Not like when people say "Oh it smells like shit here", but it really smells like old food or some other not really fecal matter smelling item. No this actually smelled like a log of fecal matter. I don't know what is wrong with this city, but damn it was nasty. We set up to fish anyway. After a bit of a wait, Agent X had his rod go off. He fought for a bit and then brought in a nice 20"ish blue cat.

After catching it, he asked what he should do with it, and I advised him to present it as an offering to the overseers of the bridge and pointed to the fella with a 5 gallon bucket to our right. Agent X made the offering and the overseer was pleased and allowed us to stay. Within a few minutes of catching that fish, Agent X was bowed up again. And like before, Agent X lands another blue cat.

Unfortunately, that would be the last of the fish for the night. Before leaving, Agent X hooked up again, and this time it was something huge. However, in and effort to bring him to the surface, Agent X tightened the drag a bit too much and the river monster broke free, taking a nice piece of jewelry dangling from it's lip.

All in all it was a great night on the water. I caught nothing, but was pleased to spend such a great night with my friend Agent X. It was great seeing the joy in his face with each strike he got.

Ragin' James!

2011-05-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day at work. We had many distractions not to mention a taco party to celebrate the end of the semester. While there I played around with photographing the food, but secretly I was pretending that I was trying to get a photo of a trophy fish.

After busting through the day, I was elated to see an email from one of my friends and co-workers Kamnab. He was heading down to the Mayo Bridge to fish for catfish, and striper. I made short order of packing up, picking up my wife, and rushing home to change before heading downtown to meet up with him. I got there and the fella's had their lines out but nothing much was happening.

The water was murky and raging as storms were brewing on the horizon.

After being there a few minutes, one of Kamnab's friends caught a small blue catfish, then another, followed by another. My line was rather lonely and feeling ignored. All of a sudden one of his friends rods went off and a lot of commotion was going on since finally the prize of the night was on the business end of the rod. With assistance from a drop net, the prize was landed.

I wish I would have gotten the name of the fella that caught this so I could give him proper credit, but his smile tells the entire story.

The sun was beginning to set and I had a feeling that the bite was about to turn on.

Sadly, I was wrong. I went home skunked, but I did have a good time in a new fishing location. I will be back because this was a very easy to reach location close to my work.....and who can argue with views like the one right above this????

Non-fishing report

2011-05-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend would have been a fishing weekend by schedule, but I had something more important to do. Gasp!!!! Yes there is something more important than fishing. This past weekend my son, Jake, got awarded Best All Around in Virginia Beach. The day started off with Jake looking really sharp.

As we entered the Virginia Beach Convention Center, they handed us a pamphlet describing the awards ceremony as well as giving the program for the day.

The stage was flanked with two screens projecting the winners of this years Best All Around.

The stage itself had a table filled with the trophies that would be distributed later that day.

The ceremony got underway. There were two high school students who were acting as Co-MC's for the ceremony. They spoke about the history of the event and then turned the program over to an Urban Theater company. The theater company put on a performance art piece speaking of to the horrors of bullying. After the performance, lunch was served. Not expecting much, I was amazed how good the food was at the Convention Center. They treated us to salad greens, grilled BBQ chicken, fried fish, beef brisket, beans, veggies, and much much more. After lunch, the mayor of Virginia beach got up to speak about the award and then to present the award winners with their trophy and certificate.

27 children ranging from elementary school up to high school received awards and a few adults received awards. Only two fourth graders received awards and Jake was one. He was ecstatic about winning, and meeting the mayor.

Jake was presented with a really unique star trophy as well as a nice certificate of appreciation.

I always knew he was a great kid but to have him recognized for citizenship at this level is something really special. His mother, step-parents, grand parents, and all other family members are so proud of his accomplishment and he makes us proud every day.

Now that could have been the end of the weekend but no, it was only the beginning. I ended up having such a great weekend. Jake and I spent time that afternoon and evening with my parents at the beach. We had a great dinner and then spent a little time walking the boardwalk, listening to beach music, and having ice cream before the storms came.

The next day the weather was predicted to be rather nasty. However, that was not to be. Jake and I decided to head up to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. We made it our mission to ride all the rides we normally DON'T ride. We had a blast. Buddha defined nirvana as the perfect peace of the stat of mind that is free from craving, anger, and other afflicting states. Had Buddha been with us this day, he would have simply taken a picture of the two of us and put it in the dictionary beside the word nirvana.

So despite not fishing on my weekend, I could not have imagined a better way to spend the weekend. I am fortunate, my son is also my best friend. I do truly love being on the water. It is one thing that brings true happiness to me. However, there are few thing that make me not want to be on the water, and spending time with Jake is one of those things.

I will return soon with a fishing tale, but for now despite not having the tug on my line, I am as content as I could be. I had a spot of heaven without being on the cerulean playground.

Lynnhaven Fishing Report

2011-05-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Little BRB (Jake) had a double header in the late morning/early afternoon so I didn't get free until later. After doing some errands dropping off things at DV8's house for next weekend's demo day, I finally made my way to Lynnhaven. I launched and fishing the entrance to Crab Creek and back along the grass line and picked up a few short flounder. Though the action was not great, it was fun getting a little pullage.

After a while I paddled over behind the little oyster bar near Chick's and tried for some pullage over there. Unfortunately the only things biting over there were the gnats. They were everywhere. I didn't spend that much time over there as a result. It was too bad because I love that spot. Never catch too many fish over there, but it is just a nice place to paddle around.

I let the outgoing tide drift me out to the bridge. Out there I got a couple of really tiny flatties, actually thought they were hogchokers becuase of how small they were. The sun was setting and it was beautiful out there. I ran into a fella named Cory who goes by the name Sandy that reported the same bout of undersized flounder. Anyway, the sunset was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and despite a lack of good fish, it was a great day on the water.

Product Review: Precision Pak CRatePak

2011-05-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have been rather well known for my lack of organization as well as my general pack rat nature while on the water. My new years resolution for kayaking involved changing this reputation. After careful review of several products, I decided to give the CRatePak by Precision Pak a try.

First things first, the simplicity of the pack is really nice. It goes over a standard 12"x12" crate and secures by 8 velcro straps. There are no zippers to corrode. The assembly was very easy. Next challenge was to figure out what goes where. On the two sides, there are two well sized pockets with velcro straps to secure your gear. On one I put my top water bait tackle box. On the other side I placed a few odds and ends that I need easy access to. On the one side there is a place to store your knife. This is really useful as it is within an easy arms reach for when I need it. On the front is a slim pocket that I am using to keep my license handy and beside it is a pocket perfectly sized for my spool of flouro leader.

There is a top flap that is secured by really strong velcro. This will keep your gear safe in the unfortunate case of a turtle. While I have yet to truly turtle, it could happen at an instant and I want my gear safe. The center of the top flap is another pocket that I have several soft plastic baits as well as a couple frequently used tools stored. This will make for easy access to many of my commonly used items. Finally on the back there is a three rod holder secured by a backing board. This will allow for three rods to easily be transported on my yak without using my trolling scotty mounts or other mounts which may get in the way of me reaching for my gear.

There are four rings at the top corners of the pack which are used to either bungee your crate to the kayak, or to hang your tools off of. I will be using them to bungee my crate to the pack. Over all I am very pleased with the ease of assembly and the options for organization that the Precision Pak CRatePak offers me and would recommend it to anyone looking for a better organized experience on the water.

Rudee this weekend

2011-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Got out on the water and caught fish....the end.

Nah I can't leave it like that. First day out I hit the water to find out that this will be the first day of the year without a dry suit or waders. Water temps were in the low low 60s and comfortable. Paddled over to the Cop Docks and found two blues pretty quickly. The first was a smallish fish but over all fun to catch. The second was a complete mess. It looked to be 20ish inches long. Fun fight pulling drag. However when I got him up over my boat, the fish came unbuttoned. Then the fish dropped to my deck and started flopping around, jaws a chomping WAY too close to my twig and berries, so I reach down and grab the tail to get him in control. This just pisses him off more and he launches from my grip doing a triple back flip with a twist and does a perfect reentry into the water.

I fish a bit longer and nothing happens so I move on. I paddle over to the grass island and run into Tom V and his friend Kevin who was on the water celebrating Kevin's first day of retirement. We shoot the shit for a bit about various things and I move on. I troll the grassline and get no love. I start paddling out to the bridge when I run into LivTaYak. We talk for a bit and he heads in. I go out to the jetty since it is kinda calm out. I fished out there for a bit but the wind starts kicking up and throwing me into the rocks so I figure it is a good time to get back in toward the bridge. Once over to the bridge, I run into Matt and he and I fish the bridge. We both got into the blues and Matt is just bailing fish right and left. They really liked his gulps. They were less interested in my crystal minnow, but I do manage several fish. I would show pics of all of them, but damn, they are bluefish. They all look just about the same:

After the bite settles down a little, we paddle back to the cop docks. After a bit, Matt asks if I have pliers or could help him with something. I paddle over to see what he needed help with. Well he asks if I could get something out of his front hatch. I pull up and lean in and almost vomit. He had a bluefish from the week before in his hatch. Suddenly the entire inlet smelled like week old rotten bluefish. I hand Matt my pliers and say, "You can get that out yourself". With little love and an emanating stench over there we paddle over to the grass line near the launch were we see a fella bowed over looking like he is having the time of his life. We get over to him and it is Robert (RLee). It was his maiden voyage in a yak and that was his first fish caught by yak. There is nothing like the joy of your first fish from a yak and I could see the smile on Robert's face. Glad you got that first slime Robert. We all fish that area for a bit and I get one fish over that way. I can't remember if Matt got any. We continue to fish for a bit but it seemed to die off and it was getting dark so we packed it in. Good fishing with you fellas.

The rest of the weekend went a little like this. Blow blow blow......blow harder.....blow blow blow.....paddle hard....skunk skunk skunk.....see Matt again, he's got fish.......paddle hard....blow blow blow.....Then see DV8 and Alissa, and someone with them (not sure who he was but seemed like a really good lad). Did come across a bunch of these over by the bridge:

Thought those were supposed to give you good luck, but that must only work on land.

Product Review - YakAttack VISICarbon Pro

2011-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

The first tournament of the POL Tournament Series is over and I placed first with Bill Martin placing second. Coming in first or second earned you a sweet YakAttack safety tee shirt as well as a beautiful trophy designed by www.fishdv8.com.

Coming in first though won you two more prizes. First you get to determine where the proceeds for the money raised from tournament entry gets donated. Second, I won a YakAttack VISICarbon Pro safety light.

I thought I would take a moment to give a review of this awesome light after putting it through it's paces. I had played with a VISIPole before, but never the VISICarbon Pro. The first thing I noted was how compact it was when all folded up. The beauty of this is that the entire light/pole/float folds up neatly and is able to be stored inside the flag. Opening up the pole itself is a snap. The lightweight fiberglass pole unfolds and slides together in three sections to form one solid pole. After you put the pole together you need to put the flag on for extra visibility in the daytime. The flag is also the bag that the pole folds into. This is ingenious because it serves as the bag as well as a stocking to put over the light at night in an effort to remain visible but not spook the fish.

I got the version of the VISICarbon Pro that can be placed into a rod holder with an opening of at least 1.75" or into a Scotty Mount. I chose to place mine in one of the two Scotty mounts that I have behind my seat on my Ride135. The first thing I noticed is how awesome this looks in comparison to the home made light pole that I had earlier. The VISICarbon Pro looks like it is made for anglers as it blends nicely with our rod's. I took mine out for a spin on a windy day on the James River and did not notice any drag created by the Pole or the Flag. The design of the product is very aerodynamic to reduce wind friction. There is a wide band of SOLAS (Survival Of Life At Sea) tape between two bands of orange tape just below the light. SOLAS Tape is highly reflective and will provide 360 degrees of reflective surface at a height that will make you visible even in uneasy seas. Finally there is the light at the top of the VISICarbon Pro. I have not been out at night with mine yet, but it is the same light that the VISIPole and VISIPole II have and this is a high intensity light created by TekTite that has a burn time of over 100 hours, is ultra light weight and waterproof up to 1000 feet.

Overall I am very happy with this product and would recommend it to any kayaker. The retail price on this is $85. If you are budget conscious, you may want to consider the VISIPole II which is a similar design with the exception that the pole does not break down into a size that would allow for storage in the flag. It's pricing starts at $40. This is without a doubt the best flag/light pole I have seen for a kayak on the market. Go over to www.yakattack.us to purchase yours today.

So at least we didn't die (AKA - Fishing the Flood)

2011-04-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well to keep the momentum going, I took advantage of a freely given Kitchen Pass and met up with Journeyman (AKA Dan Smullen) at Anncarrows Landing to go ahead and fish the chocolate milk looking James River. The current didn't look too bad, but after hearing from a lad that the river was at 8 feet today and will be cresting at 17 feet tomorrow, I figured that the water was on the rise. But what the hell, we are experienced professionals right?

After we took our time getting ready, we finally sauntered down to the river. At this point the one side dock was now covered in water, it wasn't when I got there. However, the other dock was fully exposed. So we went ahead and launched. Getting out in the river was no trouble at all. We paddled up past the folks casting their hand lines wrapped around beer bottles and their upside down spinning gear. Ok let me take a pause and if anyone is getting offended by this, I am not making that up. Keep reading and you will hear about some other fantastic shit that took place today.

Anyway, we paddled our way past the wall and up the river. It was interesting but no worse than currents we see in Lynnhaven. We see fish busting water so we head that way. We get our spot and anchor up and begin fishing for both shad and kitties. I give up on the shad after a few minutes because with the muddy water and fast moving current, it is no use. I keep fishing for kitties using cut bluefish from yesterdays adventures.

Dan decides to move his location and begins a dance that looked all to familiar and gave me a PTSD relapse back to when I was desperately trying to recover my anchor from the first island of the CBBT. Well Dan gets it down to the last few inches of anchor rope, his kayak is up on two wheels like a scene from the Dukes of Hazzard and I am certain that son of a bitch is getting dumped in the drink. However by some stroke of luck, he recovers the anchor and disaster is averted.

As I am finishing my round of laughter, I notice that my anchor point has moved and is at the mid section of my boat. It was like the world went in slow motion but I could do nothing to change what was happening. My boat starts pulling the same two wheeled stunt as Dan's and I go to release the anchor from the cleat. However in the process of doing so, one of my carabiners gets locked into my handle. After a dicy few moments, I was able to free the anchor rope and pop the breakaway and free the anchor.

At this point Dan and I have a quick pow wow and decide it is best to paddle back in and fish from the shore for the day. The paddle downstream was very quick. We were back to the launch in no time. When we arrived at the boat ramp, we realized that both docks were now submerged. This is when the day was about to get interesting.

As Dan and I are packing up our stuff, a guy and a girl come over and are eyeing our gear. They appear to be both brother and sister and father and daughter all wrapped up in one. Being at an inner city fishing hole, I was surprised that I could still hear the banjos over the T-Pain. So we answer questions about the boats, and the girl tells me that my boat is real nice and the guy looks at Dan and tells him that he's real purdy. So with that, Dan and I pack up our stuff and get ready to go stand on the wall and fish a little. As we are walking the brown mile to the wall, a dude and his girlie come walking by and ask if they could "borrow" some of our gear so they can fish too. I regretfully turn down the offer to donate my gear to complete strangers while fishing in the hood but wish them well. They give me a look back that can only be described as the look one would give you after you tell them that you just killed their kitty. We trudge on.

We walk our way down the wall and find our spot. We begin casting our Sabiki rigs thinking that if one hook is good 6 is better. Things are good. The weather is nice, we are in one of the most diverse fishing areas in the state. We breath in the culture.....as well as a little wafting of fecal smell from the sewage treatment facility around the corner. However, one thing is missing.....the fish. No one is catching anything. I cast and I cast, but to no avail. I stomp my feet and scream up to the heavens "Why do you forsake me?". Just then as if a gift from the heavens, Zeus appears riding in on his crimson chariot....or maybe it was a Rascal, carrying his Thunder Stick!!!!

Dan can't help but smile at the sight!!!

Zeus wields his mighty staff and casts his line out a country mile. I believe that his first cast knocked out an angler standing of the opposite side of the river. But after a recast of his 15' Thunder Stick, he sent his shad spoon sailing into the abyss of the chocolate river (Yep, that dude was fishing a spoon on the end of that massive heaver).

However, even the mighty Zeus and his Cane of Fury were no match for the swift moving river. Along with his 1000 yards of line that he cast out, Zeus effectively tangled 90% of the anglers fishing the wall.

Not to be outdone, Zeus' friend Apollo lets his line meander down the wall just past where we were. We get entangled and when I pull the line up and see that he is using 100lb mono on his Zebco 33, I know I am outmatched.

After we untangle, the guy beside us casually alerts us to the fact that, as he put it, "that son of a bitch boater just fell in the river". We look across to see a very nice 24' Trophy anchored up with a bobbing person floating away from it. Fortunately, both boater and boat were reunited. The same can't be said of the cooler that fell overboard from the boat too. That was washed into a sand bar for a while and the boaters could not reunite with that. However, some quick thinking scavengers on the other side of the river made quick work in absconding with the cooler as soon as the boat went down river.

After that, Dan and I decide to call it a day. We begin to walk back down the brown mile to the car passing by anglers, families out for the nice weather, a naked kid, more anglers, and wait....what was that just before more anglers? Yep a damn naked kid. I did not take a photo of that because there are laws that prevent that kind of thing. I just shake my head and figure I had seen it all. NOPE!!! That is when we walked by this guy:

For those who are wondering, yes that is a live bird on his shoulder and if you could see the other shoulder, you would have seen the fresh steaming bird shit on that one.

The good news was that Dan was able to bring home a new friend from the river:

Oh and I almost forgot. Now I have seen some crazy shit float past me when I am fishing. I have seen abandoned Paddle Boats, tackle, a captains chair, and countless pieces of fishing equipment.....however today was the first time I saw a used maxi-pad float past us.

This place is classy!!!!

The site has changed but it remains the same

2011-03-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have posted but I am resurrecting it from Davy Jones locker. While things remain the same, I have modified the look just slightly and what is more important is that I plan on posting more frequently this year.

I have been busy doing everything but fishing recently and that has got to change. Blue Kitties are being caught in the James, the shad will be making their move up the James soon, and Bluefish are waiting to show up. I have heard good reports of Redfish showing up in the shallows in tidewater and with the water warming up we should see Tog soon. The bridges are producing Striper with regularity, trout continue to show up, and within a short few months the waters of the bay will be filled with flounder. Am I ready? Hell yeah. This is the time of year that I typically go nuts at Bass Pro, Greentop, and local tackle shops. However, with my little tumble in the bay last year, I had to replace a good portion of my gear so it is all new and ready to go. I can't wait to see my rod tip bow and the drag scream on my reel.

I have a good feeling about this season.

Ok I have a kayak, now what gear do I need?

2010-01-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

So you went out and bought the latest greatest plastic boat and now you need to know what gear you need.

The first must have above all else is a PFD. You probably thought I was going to say a Paddle. A paddle is needed but the most important item is a PFD. You should probably get one that is designed for Kayaking. Typically these allow more mobility of your arms and sometimes even fit different in the back to accommodate the back rest of your kayaks seat. Also your PFD should have areas to store other essential safety gear.

The next must have is a paddle. This is your motor. Selecting your "end all" paddle will take lots of testing and trial and error. You will possibly never settle on one paddle. There are many things to consider on a paddle. First is the length. I use a 230cm Bending Branches Slice Angler paddle. However, I am sure that my future holds many more paddles. The next thing about a paddle is the material the shaft is made of. There are shafts made of, aluminum, wood, carbon fiber, fiberglass, and I am sure many more substances. The next thing to consider is the blade. The things to consider is the blade outline, the lengthwise curve, and the cross section.

The blade outline is what the blade looks like straight on. There are two types of blade outlines, symmetrical, and asymmetrical. Typically symmetrical blades are designed for whitewater while the asymmetrical blades are more suited for sea kayaking and flat water.

The lengthwise curve is the curve of the paddle when looking at the paddles edge. Most beginner paddles are flat with little to no curve. This offers more forgiveness in the paddle stroke. However, you do lose some efficiency since there is less friction between the water and blade.

The cross section is what the blade would look like if you cut the tip off the blade and looked at the cut edge. There are 4 typical styles of cross sections. They are, flat, spoon, dihedral, and wing blades. For beginners flat, and dihedral blades are best. They offer forgiveness that the other two do not. Spoons and wings provide more power, but are harder to control and require a bit more experience to paddle.

Finally you need some safety gear. Kayaks are not heavily regulated by the USCG and require only a few things. First, you are required to have your PFD onboard and accessible. However, I would recommend wearing the PFD anytime you paddle. In the event that you capsize and are floating free in the water, you would be well served to already have your PFD on. You never know when a current may pull you away from your boat and if your PFD is safely stored on your boat, it is going to do you no good if you are separated from your vessel. Second, you are required to carry a signaling device. This can be a mirror or some form of light. Third, you need an audible alert. This can be an air horn or a whistle or anything that can emit a loud sound on command. Bass Pro shop sells a great little whistle for about $5 that has a Signaling Mirror, a Compass, a Whistle, and a dry container all combined. This really covers what you are required to have by Coast Guard Regulation.

That can't be all right? Well no. Just because it is not required there are other things that you should carry for safety. A paddle leash would be a good idea so that your paddle will stay with your kayak at all times. These are very simple devices that are made out of various materials and cost very little to acquire. You can even make one out of items you may have sitting around your house. The important thing is that the leash should be long enough to not impede you paddling but short enough to keep the paddle close by when it becomes separated from you and the kayak. You should also consider a safety knife. A safety knife should be kept with you at all times. I keep mine in one of the pockets of my PFD. This is important in the event that you capsize. When capsized, you may find yourself tangled in your decking rope, paddle leash, gear leashes, or even some underwater obstacle. You need a knife available to cut you free, but at the same time you need one that will not cause you more harm. A safety knife is designed with a blunt tip to protect you, yet a serrated blade to help cut through whatever is binding you. SOLAS tape is useful in making your kayak visible from a distance. SOLAS stands for Survival Of Life At Sea. This is a highly reflective tape. I have about 6 strips of SOLAS tape across the hull of my boat above the water line as well as a couple of strips wrapped around my flag/light pole. Speaking of the flag/light pole, if you are going to paddle at night, you need to have a light available to signal your presence. You don't have to have the light on at all times, but if I am paddling, I prefer to have at least one stern light going. I have two for my kayak. One really bright light about a foot off my deck, and one about 3'-3.5' up on a pole. I leave these on at all times and keep a head lamp ready in the event that I need it.

Yak Attack makes a product called the VISIPOLE which nicely combines, the Pole, SOLAS Tape, and Stern Light together. They are virtually indestructible and can be purchased at www.yakattack.us or through any of their authorized retailers. No I don't get a kick back for saying this, or any compensation. They just make a really great product. The one thing that the photo does not show is a signal flag. It is best to get a highly visible flag for daytime paddling. When mounting a light (if you are not buying a prefabricated one), make sure that you mount it on a pole high enough for most boaters to easily see. Keep in mind that when paddling in rougher conditions, you may find that the waves can hide you momentarily from view so you want to give yourself the best chance at being visible.

A commonly overlooked piece of safety gear is dry storage containers or bags. When out on the water, it is advisable to keep a set of dry clothing in the event that you capsize. You can get dry bags at most outdoors stores or sporting goods stores. You should also carry at the very least a cell phone and you most likely would want to keep that in a dry box or bag. You will find many other things that you may wish to bring that would be best stored in a dry compartment.

This list is by no means complete but does give a general look at things you should bring for safety. Other items include signal flares, power bars, drinks, rain/dry gear and the list goes on and on.

What kayak is good for me?

2009-11-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

So you have decided to get into kayaking and or kayak fishing. Now you want to know what kayak is good for you. Well one of the things that I have learned along the way is that it is best if you try out several kayaks before purchasing one.

My first kayak was a tandem SINK or in other terms a two person Sit INside Kayak. I thought that this was a wise purchase because my wife expressed an interest in kayaking and fishing from the kayak and I figured that we could use it together or when I went out alone, I would just have more room to store all the stuff I carry with me. This was good in theory but terrible in execution. One sure fire way to drive your relationship into the ground is to get two strong minded people trying to both paddle and fish from a tandem kayak.

My second kayak was a SOT or Sit On Top single person kayak. It was an Islander Moku. It was about 12" long and not very noteworthy other than the price. It was very inexpensive to me and as such I had to have it. This freed me from the tandem SINK. However, I am 6'5" and 250lbs. This kayak was designed for someone much smaller than me and was a bear to use. It was very wobbly so I was constantly adjusting to the waves and current. I was EXHAUSTED after every trip.

Finally I got the kayak that I still use today. It was a Wilderness Systems Ride135 SOT kayak. It is designed for the kayak angler and is incredible for me. It is a bit wider than most standard SOT's. It is 32" wide at the seat and has a pontoon style hull which makes it more stable on the water. And it has an incredible amount of storage.

Ok so why this walk down memory lane? Well I wanted to detail some of my mistakes in purchasing which could have been remedied by some patience and practice.

First up, where can you get the practice. Well this can be accomplished easiest through a vendor demo day. These are popular in the spring with many vendors but they also have them throughout the year. At a demo day, you can literally test out dozens of different kayaks and equipment. They are usually held by the water, in a bay, or lake. Also, vendors will bring their whole gallery of kayaks out. In my area Appomattox River Company (ARC), Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (BMRS), and Wild River Outfitters (WRO) have annual demo days. I would highly recommend going to one and trying out a bunch of kayaks. Usually these are free, sometimes they will have a nominal fee which goes to cover things such as park fees or insurance needed for such an event. If you can't find a demo day, look for local clubs. I am active with the Pirates of Lynnhaven Kayak Fishing club and we regularly have people asking about what kayak to buy and without fail, someone is always there to offer to let the new kayak test out their kayak. Dont be shy, jump onto one of your local kayak club's online forums and ask. You will find that people are eager to help promote the sport.

Now you know where to get the practice, but what should you look for. There are many theories as to what the best kayaks are. I will not get into specifics on brands & models because most brands make solid kayaks, but sticking with one of the more popular brands will probably serve you well. A few of the popular brands are Wilderness Systems, Native, Ocean Kayak, Hobie, Herritage, and Perception. What I will do is detail 3 different types of kayaks and give pros and con's to each.

First up is the touring kayak. This is a SINK style kayak. These are designed for slow rivers and open waters. They can also be referred to as a sea kayak. They typically are long and narrow with a lot of internal storage in the bow and stern. These are designed to cut through the water and are great if you are looking at long paddles on slow moving rivers, lakes, bay's or even in the ocean. If you are looking at fishing from one of these kayaks, it is possible, but probably not your best choice. I have known people to fish from them, but shortly they moved to a more fishing friendly platform.

Next up is the SINK or Sit INside Kayak. This is a style of kayak where the seat is inside the cockpit of the kayak and there are closed walls around the cockpit. The benefit of this style kayak is that it often provides a dry paddle for the paddler, especially if it is used in conjunction with a skirt. They are excellent for lakes and protected waterways where the possibility of flipping over (turtling) is reduced. They can be outfitted for fishing and often are. However, if you plan on using your kayak to fish deeper water like oceans and bay's or in areas where the possibility of flipping is increased, you my want to avoid a SINK.

Third is the most popular style of kayak for fishing. That is the SOT or Sit On Top kayak. This is a kayak where the seat is on top of the kayak deck and there are recesses for your feet (foot wells) rather than a closed cock pit. Also SOT's incorporate Scupper Holes. This allows the kayak to self bail in the event of a capsize. SOT's are much safer as a result. Also SOT's allow you to easily position yourself in many ways to add to the flexibility needed when fishing. It is very easy to sit forward, side saddle, or even stand in some cases and fish from your kayak. You can easily use this style of kayak in virtually any body of water. However, due to the scupper plugs as well as the lack of a cockpit, a SOT is typically a wetter kayak than a SINK. Although, kayak manufacturers have been doing some really interesting things with their deck and seat design over the past few years to make them a drier ride.

This is just a general overview of the different types of kayaks. For more specifics, visit your local kayak retailer, or send me an email and I would be more than happy to assist in anyway I can.

The basics of what this blog is about

2009-11-20T05:35:00.000-08:00

I decided to start a blog to assist those new to kayak fishing or at least those who are new to kayak fishing in Central and Southeast Virginia. I am going to try to blog a few times a week on topics ranging from the basics to some rather specific topics that will hopefully help you get more out of your kayak fishing experience.

Each blog will be on a single topic. It may be as simple as kayak selection, or detailed as what bait/lure to use when? One thing that I will not be blogging about is specific locations to catch fish (honey holes). I will give general descriptions, but it is in bad form to post up such information. With that said, I have no problem taking people to these spots. There are many ways to know when I am going on an excursion. I will try to post up here. But also I organize my trips on the Pirates of Lynnhaven Kayak Fishing Club's forums located at http://www.piratesoflynnhaven.org.

One note, all of the information I share here is gathered from time I have spent on the water and knowledge I have gathered from others. When I first got into kayak fishing, I could barely catch a Croaker on a double bottom rig, but now have moved up (only a little). :) So if you are reading this and see something that you have taught me, feel free to comment on it and take the credit. I have no problem giving credit where credit is due.

I hope you all enjoy this blog.

Welcome To My Blog

2009-11-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog post so it will be rather lackluster. Look here for rants and raves, complaints and confessions, and general ramblings from the mind of a madman. Ok maybe I am not a madman. Anyway, that is is for now. I will think up a good topic in the near future.