Not just Kayak Fishing, a Lifestyle....
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Kanan Lures Black Friday Sale!!
Stock up, these prices are can't beat. I definitely suggest picking up some of or all of the crankbaits.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Top 10 Holiday Ideas for the Kayak Angler in your Family
All these products are made by great companies! We use and stand by these products. We feel they will truly help you put more fish in the kayak or boat.
1. Hoo Rag
Everyone wears some sort of coverage for their face. Whether it's to block the sun in the summer or the cold and wind in the winter, Hoo Rag has a rag for everything. And from what we've found they have to best designs to fit your fishing style.
Price Range:$10-$20
2. Hard Head Custom Baits
Plain and simple, we fish these jigs and hooks and they flat out put fish in the boat. They are affordable, innovative and not your regular boring jig head. Also, they are made by a fellow local Kayak angler. They are a great stocking stuffer and can be found online at the link above or locally at All Tackle in Annapolis, MD.
Price Range: $5-$10 per pack
3. Bust Em Baits
Once again another company owned by local kayak anglers. They make the absolute best soft plastic jerk bait out there for Stripers on the Chesapeake Bay in every standard color and they can make custom orders as well. Another great stocking stuffer available online at the link above or at a number of local tackle shops.
Price Range: $5 per pack
4. Smallie Stix Fishing Rods
A company I just found out about this year based out of PA. Don't let the name Smallie Stix deter you from thinking these rods can catch just about everything. They are extremely well crafted rods, look awesome and put the hammer on the fish.
Price Range: $130-$400
5. Astral Footwear
I'm a big fan of the Brewers, but Astral makes a full line up of kayaking shoes for both him and her.These shoes are an everyday wear for me. They are lightweight and well designed water shoes.
Price Range: $99
6. Light Tackle Kayak Trolling the Chesapeake Bay By: Alan Battista
This book as most of you know was written by a member of the Snaggedline Forum Community. Alan is an accomplished Striper fisherman and he writes a great book. The book is an easy read and is very informative. A lot of these information and tactics can be used throughout the country for other striper fisheries.
Price Range: $17
7. Chesapeake Rigs
This rigs are custom designed by the aforementioned Alan Battista. His proven tactics lead him to create the Chesapeake Rig, his twist on the umbrella rig.
Price Range: $30
8. Kanan Lures
Still the most affordable quality swimbait on the market. I'm a big fan of the Alosa Minion Crank Baits. There is always at least one tied on my rods during bass tournaments. These lures have truly helped me succeed in the MAKBF series and other freshwater tournaments.
Price Range: $6-$15
9. Rep Your Water Hats
Rep your Water makes some really cool designs for hats, sticker, and t-shirts. They are a husband and wife owned company out of Colorado. It started on the river fly fishing and it has progressed to making designs for almost every state!! Check them out for a design so you can Rep Your Water.
Price Range: $25
Okay everyone get shopping!!
1. Hoo Rag
Everyone wears some sort of coverage for their face. Whether it's to block the sun in the summer or the cold and wind in the winter, Hoo Rag has a rag for everything. And from what we've found they have to best designs to fit your fishing style.
Price Range:$10-$20
2. Hard Head Custom Baits
Plain and simple, we fish these jigs and hooks and they flat out put fish in the boat. They are affordable, innovative and not your regular boring jig head. Also, they are made by a fellow local Kayak angler. They are a great stocking stuffer and can be found online at the link above or locally at All Tackle in Annapolis, MD.
Price Range: $5-$10 per pack
Our favorite design, the Weighted hook w/ Spinner.
3. Bust Em Baits
Once again another company owned by local kayak anglers. They make the absolute best soft plastic jerk bait out there for Stripers on the Chesapeake Bay in every standard color and they can make custom orders as well. Another great stocking stuffer available online at the link above or at a number of local tackle shops.
Price Range: $5 per pack
The new 10" Jerk Shad
4. Smallie Stix Fishing Rods
A company I just found out about this year based out of PA. Don't let the name Smallie Stix deter you from thinking these rods can catch just about everything. They are extremely well crafted rods, look awesome and put the hammer on the fish.
Price Range: $130-$400
5. Astral Footwear
I'm a big fan of the Brewers, but Astral makes a full line up of kayaking shoes for both him and her.These shoes are an everyday wear for me. They are lightweight and well designed water shoes.
Price Range: $99
6. Light Tackle Kayak Trolling the Chesapeake Bay By: Alan Battista
This book as most of you know was written by a member of the Snaggedline Forum Community. Alan is an accomplished Striper fisherman and he writes a great book. The book is an easy read and is very informative. A lot of these information and tactics can be used throughout the country for other striper fisheries.
Price Range: $17
7. Chesapeake Rigs
This rigs are custom designed by the aforementioned Alan Battista. His proven tactics lead him to create the Chesapeake Rig, his twist on the umbrella rig.
Price Range: $30
8. Kanan Lures
Still the most affordable quality swimbait on the market. I'm a big fan of the Alosa Minion Crank Baits. There is always at least one tied on my rods during bass tournaments. These lures have truly helped me succeed in the MAKBF series and other freshwater tournaments.
Price Range: $6-$15
The newest additions to the minion family for 2014.
9. Rep Your Water Hats
Rep your Water makes some really cool designs for hats, sticker, and t-shirts. They are a husband and wife owned company out of Colorado. It started on the river fly fishing and it has progressed to making designs for almost every state!! Check them out for a design so you can Rep Your Water.
Price Range: $25
10. Tackle Webs
The perfect solution for some extra storage space on the kayak. Tackle Webs makes many kits for specific kayaks or if you have your own idea you can buy each piece separately.
Price Range: $20-$50
The tackle webs set up on Shane's Hobie Outback.
Okay everyone get shopping!!
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Pickerel Paper!!
Welp the pickerel were really hungry before the freeze tomorrow! Shane and I both got citation pickerel this weekend over 24"
First fish of the day, 23.5" Pickerel
Shane's 24" Maryland Citation Pickerel
Matt's 24.25" Maryland Citation Pickerel
Lures:
Hard Head Custom Baits Weighted Spinner Hook with Bass Assassin 4' paddletail (Slammin Chicken)
Color: Purple or Silver
Size: 1/8th or 3/16th oz
Hard Head Custom Baits Stand up Jig w/ spinner and a live minnow
Color: Red, Silver, purple
Size: 1/8th oz
www.hardheadcustombaits.com
Most fish were caught in the sunny areas where the water was 1-2 degrees warmer than in the shade. These fish were more aggressive to bite. The fish in the shade tended to follow, but actually bite much less. Most fish were caught just off a ledge or near fallen timber. I haven't used live minnows yet this year, but soon it will be cold enough to break out the minnows.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
2014 Fish for a Cure
This past weekend Shane, my Dad and I participated in the Fish for a Cure Tournament to benefit the Anne Arundel Medical Center Cancer Center.
The Captian's Challenge within the tournament pits all teams against one another to raise the most money for the cancer center. Our team "Kayaks for a Cure" was the first team of kayakers to ever participate in the event. We were able to raise $3,640!!! While we were able to raise a solid amount of money, the winning team "Club 411/Full Moon" raised over $33,000!!! Overall the event and party raised upwards of $250,000+.
While the Captains Challenge is the most important aspect of the event, there is also the fishing tournament. Knowing we would be on kayaks and up against 72 other teams all on boats that would mostly troll with planer boards, we knew our chances of catching the largest Striped Bass was unlikely. So we set our sights on the 5 Heaviest Perch and Heaviest 3 Fish Slam Categories.
We set out Saturday at the Bay Bridge from Sandy Point State Park. Immediately I found birds working just north of the bridge and got on some fish. They were all unders so I continued on. I was trolling a custom made umbrella rig with two 4" storm shads and a Rapala Xrap. While I was at the birds I was jigging with a Hard Head Custom Baits Metal jig.
We didn't find much happening at the bridge except for the Toad Fish Shane was able to get on some bloodworms while searching for perch.
We went ahead and loaded everything back up in the trucks and went over to Jonas Green Park to try for the rest of the slam. We knew we could find a pickerel very easily and then we planned on the full team focusing on getting a keeper striper.
I was able to get a pickerel around 22" and in the meantime Shane searched for some perch and my Dad trolled for stripers. After some more pickerel I got a call from my dad that he had caught a 24" striper!!! We had gotten our SLAM!! While we knew it would be close we were at least happy we could weigh in a full slam.
Our Slam ended up totaling 5lbs 15oz just edging out the second place team by a little over a pound.
The Captian's Challenge within the tournament pits all teams against one another to raise the most money for the cancer center. Our team "Kayaks for a Cure" was the first team of kayakers to ever participate in the event. We were able to raise $3,640!!! While we were able to raise a solid amount of money, the winning team "Club 411/Full Moon" raised over $33,000!!! Overall the event and party raised upwards of $250,000+.
While the Captains Challenge is the most important aspect of the event, there is also the fishing tournament. Knowing we would be on kayaks and up against 72 other teams all on boats that would mostly troll with planer boards, we knew our chances of catching the largest Striped Bass was unlikely. So we set our sights on the 5 Heaviest Perch and Heaviest 3 Fish Slam Categories.
We set out Saturday at the Bay Bridge from Sandy Point State Park. Immediately I found birds working just north of the bridge and got on some fish. They were all unders so I continued on. I was trolling a custom made umbrella rig with two 4" storm shads and a Rapala Xrap. While I was at the birds I was jigging with a Hard Head Custom Baits Metal jig.
We didn't find much happening at the bridge except for the Toad Fish Shane was able to get on some bloodworms while searching for perch.
We went ahead and loaded everything back up in the trucks and went over to Jonas Green Park to try for the rest of the slam. We knew we could find a pickerel very easily and then we planned on the full team focusing on getting a keeper striper.
I was able to get a pickerel around 22" and in the meantime Shane searched for some perch and my Dad trolled for stripers. After some more pickerel I got a call from my dad that he had caught a 24" striper!!! We had gotten our SLAM!! While we knew it would be close we were at least happy we could weigh in a full slam.
Our Slam ended up totaling 5lbs 15oz just edging out the second place team by a little over a pound.
Dad, Shane, and Myself accepting our Slam Prize courtesy of All Tackle.com
The other winners include:
Heaviest Rockfish:
1st - MSSA - Captain Dave Smith - 31 lbs 6 oz
2nd - Team Alltackle - Captain Keith Frasier - 14 lbs. 4 oz
3rd - Team TPI-LANDERS - Captain Mike Fallowski - 14 lbs. 1 oz
Heaviest String of Perch:
First Light - Captain John Page Williams - combined weight 5lbs 8oz
1st - MSSA - Captain Dave Smith - 31 lbs 6 oz
2nd - Team Alltackle - Captain Keith Frasier - 14 lbs. 4 oz
3rd - Team TPI-LANDERS - Captain Mike Fallowski - 14 lbs. 1 oz
Heaviest String of Perch:
First Light - Captain John Page Williams - combined weight 5lbs 8oz