Wednesday, July 6, 2016

He's Back

After not posting to my kayak page for a long time, I am back sharing all the great news about kayak fishing here in Florida. Stay tuned for new and exciting updates coming out of the 2016 ICAST.  ICAST starts next week at the Orange County Convention Center.

Be safe in the sun and have a great day in the great outdoors.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

NRS' New Pike Fishing Inflatable Kayak



As the weather in the Southern States start to warm up, now is the time to get your kayak and fishing gear in order. From time to time, I like to introduce anglers to new kayak products that I find interesting enough to report on.

Today, I want to talk about the new NRS Pike Fishing Inflatable Kayak. I know you are already rolling your eyes. But this might just be the trick for anglers who live in condos and apartments and have no space to store a roto-molded plastic kayak. I know first hand how hard this can be. Back in 2005, I worked out of a hotel in Pensacola, FL doing hurricane recovery work. I had my Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140 Angler kayak with me strapped to the roof of my Honda CRV. Everywhere I went my kayak went with me. It was a real pain in the you know what to have to drag my kayak everywhere I drove. Well today you have a great option, the NRS Pike Fishing Inflatable Kayak (IK).

I know there are inflatable kayaks and there are inflatable kayaks. Most these were not designed for anglers. They were designed for recreational kayaking, not fishing. The Pike Fishing IK has been designed stem to stern for anglers. Right down to the three Scotty Mount pads that let you attach Scotty accessories such as rod holders and a fish finder mount to the kayak.

The Pike Fishing IK comes in a compact, convenient package that you can easily store in a closet and carry in the trunk of your car. This IK is constructed of top-quality heavy-duty, abrasion-resistant PVC material. Because of the IK design, it can be inflated to very high pressure. This along with the use of a rigid, drop-stitch PVC self-bailing floor gives the angler a stable, flat, rigid platform for sight fishing. The IK comes with two removable skegs which allow you to choose the one that is better for your tracking needs. A comfortable collapsible seat that adjusts to your fit is included in the package. The kayak has 32 stainless steel D-rings that lets you rig your boat exactly how you like it. Along with the seat, the package comes with an Easy Access Tackle Bag that has parallel YKK® zippers that gives you easy access to stored items and tackle. The IK is equipped with bungee lacing in the bow which provides a handy spot to lash down a small cooler, a tackle box, or a dry bag. Two nylon webbing daisy chains are provided in the stern as attachment points for clipping in those items you want close at hand. The Pike Fishing IK has two carry handles make it easy to carry or drag to and from the water. And last but not least, the IK design used top-quality Leafield C7 valves to ensure easy, reliable inflation and deflation.

NRS Pike Fishing IK Specifications:
Length: 12'8"
Width: 39"
Interior Width: 17"
Weight: 51 lbs. with all included items
Tube Diameter: 11"
Number of Air Chambers: 3
Valve Type: Leafield C7 Fill & A7 Pressure Relief
Tube Fabric: 1.2-mm thick, 2000-denier PVC
Floor Fabric: PVC-coated drop-stitch
Number of D-Rings: 32
Number of Handles: 2
Repair Kit: Includes: 3 patches, PVC glue and valve wrench
Bungee lacing in bow
Daisy chain attachment loop strips
Includes:
Three Scotty Mount attachment points
Easy Access Tackle Bag
2 Removable Skegs
Nylon bag with shoulder straps
Warranty: 3 year retail, 3 year commercial






When thinking about adding an inflatable kayak to your fleet of fishing kayaks, do not pass up looking at the NRS Pike Fishing Inflatable Kayak (IK).




To get a closer look at this great fishing platform, visit the NRS website, http://www.nrsweb.com/ or visit a local kayak retailer in your area.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

2012 Forgotten Coast Kayak Fishing Classic



On April 13th - 14th, 2012, Forgotten Coast Kayak Anglers will be hosting their 5th annual kayak fishing tournament. This year the tournamant supports the Wakulla County Senior Services Center. The Center provides meals on wheels, elementary school drop off and transporation services throughout the Wakulla County. For more information and registration visit http://www.forgottencoastkayakfishingclassic.net/tournament.html

Thursday, January 5, 2012

3rd Annual Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando Shad & Crappier Derby

This is the time of the year when Tom Van Horn, Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando Staff Writer, holds the annual Central Florida Shad and Crappie Derby. This is third year of this great fishing event. It is held from December 17, 2011 to March 17, 2012 in the Greater Orlando area.
This fresh water fishing tournament is a CPR event. That means each angler catches, photographs and releases each fish the angler catches. This tournament is absolutely free and is open to all anglers who register at any of the central Florida sponsor sign-up spots.

There are very few rules. Anglers can fish any location in the entire state of Florida. There is no fishing time limit. Fish when ever you want where ever you want. All registered anglers must log into and upload their catch photos to www.cfshadderby.com. All photos must be taken using the official derby measuring device and include the official derby sponsor token.

This can be a family event everyone can enjoy. So go to the derby home page and find a sign-up sponsor location and sign up. Remember the tournament is free.

Be safe in the Florida sunshine and have a great and safe day on the water.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Indian River Paddle Classic Results






The 3rd Annual Indian River Paddle Classic is now history. What another great event. Bryan Cheeks, tournament director, said "Congrats the to the 60 anglers competing in the 2011, 3rd Annual IRPC. On day made just for those fishing from a kayak. Without a ripple on the water and limited boat traffic, the fishing was surprisingly feast or famine. While some came back with stories of multiple large fish, others came back with nothing to brag about. Congrats to our "Kayak Kids" who were all given a medal and a new reel for participating!" Mosquito Creek Outdoors in Apopka donated two Engel ice chests, Florida and Florida State colors, and Coastal Charities and Strike Zone donated the yellow Ocean Kayak that were big raffle prizes.

Paddle Classic Tournament Results.

Redfish / Trout SLAM Category

1st Richard Zaremba
2nd Dilan Arnold
3rd Mitch Roffer

RED Category

1st Steve Gibson
2nd Doug Fisher
3rd Joyce Myers

TROUT Category

1st Nick Dyroff
2nd Jose Vidal
3rd John Dobbins

Lady Angler Award Elaine Christian

Jr. Angler Award Owen Wetzel

Visit http://www.indianriverkayakfishing.com/ for tournament phots and other information.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Solar Shield Sunscreen Test 09/29/2011

On September 29th, I set out for Sebastian Inlet around 9:00AM to test Solar Shield sunscreen and its affect on catching fish and killing live bait. I arrived at the Sebastian Inlet State Park around 10:15AM. It was sunny with a high temperature of 89 Degrees. There was a 20% chance of thunder storms. The wind was out of the east at 5 mph. I started fishing on the north side of the inlet on the beach. I used two surf rods. I opened one of the three sunscreen sample packets, see photo to the left and applied the sunscreen to my face, neck, arms and hands. I did not wash my hands after applying the sunscreen. I started the day using frozen shrimp on a two-hook pompono rig using the small 7'-0" rod. I applied sunscreen directly to the shrimp. See photo to the left. After my first cast, I caught a 12"-14" whiting which I returned to the sea. On my 12 foot surf rod, I was using a single hook set up and 2' square chunks of frozen lady fish. While fishing from the beach side, I did not catch any fish on the big surf rod and frozen lady fish. After about an hour, I caught a small stingray on the small rod using frozen shrimp that had been coated with sunscreen. After about 2 hours of fishing, I packed up and moved to fish along the channel inlet where it opens up into the the Indian River. I started with frozen shrimp on the small rod and caught many very small pin fish which I fed to the birds. Because I was able to net finger mullet, I switched to live bait. After putting the live finger mullet in to my bucket, I squeezed a packet of sunscreen into the live bait bucket. I took a live mullet from the bucket and tossed it out into the inlet using the small rod. After about 20 minutes, I caught a small 16" redfish. I released it back into the water. I rebaited my hook and tossed it out. I fished for another two hours with out any luck. I was fishing in an area where there were other anglers. During the time I fished, I could not see any other anglers catching fish. I stopped fishing around 3:30 PM. During my fishing, I did not see any affect on my live mullet or the ability to catch fish because I had sunscreen on my hands or in my bait bucket.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Hook & Tackle Solar System UV-40 Tee



Not all UV protective gear are perform equally. The new Hook & Tackle Solar System UV-40 Tee is the right shirt if you spend many long on the flats fishing.

Features:
UV 40 Sun Protection, Quick Dry Moisture Management, Odor Management. Available in Long sleeve, vented back and as a short sleeve pocket tee.

Content: Cotton-Rich Feel - Ultra Soft Solar System Fabric.

Colors: White, Sand, Sky Blue, Aqua Green, Sunrise and Banana

Size: M-2XL

Visit Hook & Tackle or your favorite fishng outfitter to get your shirt today.

http://www.hookandtackle.com/main.asp?sd=20060521120055&cat=20060520141226