Enigma Edge & Daiwa Tatula... Perfect Combination?

Microwave Line Control System by American Tackle
on the Enigma Edge   Photo: Chris Carson

Back in January I attended a trade show in Mississippi for Twisted Oak where we purchase a large percentage of the fishing gear and other outdoor related products we sell at Twisted Oak. This was the first time we had been to the show in January and it did not disappoint.

As we entered their special buy area, which had items marked down for whatever reason (be it clearance or they got a good deal and were passing it on), I found a fishing rod that caught my eye.  It was the Aaron's Edge 7' Medium Heavy by Enigma (Aaron Martens signature).

Specifically, the thing that caught my eye was the first line guide.  They call it the "Microwave Line Control System.  As you can see in the pic, it looks sort of like a conventional size line guide with a micro guide on top. I thought it looked interesting. I did a little research and found that the Microwave Line Control System was made by American Tackle and designed to reduce vibration and increase line speed to result in a smoother longer cast.  I had been looking for a good setup for a frog rod and decided to give it a whirl.

Daiwa Tatula on the Enigma Edge   Photo: Chris Carson

While we were at the show, I also picked up a Daiwa Tatula100HS.  This reel replaces the

conventional bait caster's line guide with the T-Wing System.  The T-wing system allows more line to travel through the "T shaped" slot  by rotating forward to take full advantage of it's size and rotates back for reeling to maintain efficient spooling. The advantages are huge.  Fewer backlashes because the line gets out of the reel before it builds up behind the line guide.  In fact, I'm not sure I've backlashed that reel yet, which will be even more impressive as this story continues.

The T-Wing System in the reeling position on left and the
casting position on the right . Photo: Chris Carson

I guess it was about March before I got it rigged up and ready to fish.  With great anticipation, I spooled it up with 50lb Power Pro, paddled out to a particular "froggy" location and let that first cast rip..... My reaction was "Hmmm, not too bad." As I continued fishing it, I wasn't all that impressed.  I wasn't disappointed either; I just felt like it didn't seem like much of a difference than any of my other setups. I went fishing several times over the coming months.  I continued to experiment with the settings and controls.  The setup still seemed to perform well, but I just wasn't near as excited about fishing it as I thought I would be.

About a month ago, I thought  "I wonder how this thing would be at skipping a jig".... I'm not very good at skipping a jig, but desperately want to learn and thought maybe the Tatula's design might help.... Worth a shot right?  I thought so.  I began trying to skip with it.  I got about 2 tries into it, when I got snagged in the root ball of a Cypress Tree.  I pulled myself over to get it and ended up doing what I call the Zoro technique to get it back (you know....where you reel down to the lure and thrust and parry until it comes unhooked). When I pulled it back out, jig intact and tight to my rod tip, I thought I had better check it for damage.  So, I did.  In doing so, I noticed my line was wrapped around the rod, so I put it up and went back to fishing on my actual jig rod figuring I would work that little issue out when I got home because there was only a few minutes of daylight left.

A nice little bass on the Enigma Edge
paired with a Daiwa Tatula   Photo:Stephen Martin

I unloaded the rods and began a closer inspection of the rod tip and it's line wrap later that night.  What I discovered, blew my mind... In my haste to get on the water and try out this little combo I put together, I altogether missed the 4th line guide from the top AND.... wrapped the line round the rod for good measure before going through the next line guide.  So, to recap.... For 4-5 months, I had been fishing this rod and reel combo of my own selection that was to be ultra efficient in line management to result in smoother, longer casts with less effort, and then handicapped myself by fishing it while wrapped around the rod and totally missing a line guide, creating what had to be a ton of friction.

I fixed that little situation and hit the water again soon after. I was speechless.... I gained probably 20 yards with about 30% less effort on my cast.  Now, I am VERY impressed.  I love this combo.  So much so, that I am thinking about trying it out on a few different applications including skipping docks.  I am determined to learn this technique and be successful.  I believe that this combination will help minimize backlashes and be a little more forgiving.  

What really impresses me about this combo is that I didn't notice the issue for more that 4 months.  Probably 80 hours or more of fishing... and I fished it quite a bit.  Caught a few fish.... no toads, but some decent fish. I never once felt like something wasn't right.  I just thought there didn't seem to be much different than my other setups.

I always look for the lesson learned, and this time it is to pay better attention to the details.  Additionally, I now do a better job of going through things and checking my rods when I get off the water.  There were so many opportunities to catch that little problem.

I think I might start switching rods and reels to determine if it's the reel or the rod or the combination.  Should be some good research to do some pretty thorough reviews.  Look for that down the road!  In the meantime, in what applications would you give it a try?  Comment below!

Adventure Files: Learning to Fish From A Kayak

Recently, I celebrated a birthday... I turned a whopping 46 years old.  The kayak fishing adventure has just begun for me.  I have no earthly idea why it has taken me so long to see a kayak as an acceptable vessel for fishing.  I fished from canoes as a kid.  Banging around all over the place, we tied it off to trees, trolled, drifted along fishing Rat L Traps and creating great memories.  One would think that fishing from a kayak would be the next logical step. Fortunately, I came to my senses, so, I embarked on another kayak journey with Cole in celebration of my 46 years on this earth.

I was looking forward to doing some fishing, but I knew that still only having one kayak, that was not going to be a real possibility.  I really wanted Cole to experience the kayak as well. I took him along knowing that he would monopolize the time in the kayak, and leaving him to fish by himself on shore while I tooled around the cove fishing was a monumentally bad idea for a multitude of reasons, though it did cross my mind. Fortunately for both of us, I'm slightly more intelligent than that!

The planning for this little adventure being what it was found me at Wal Mart at 11 PM on my birthday eve purchasing a new paddle because of our paddle fail chronicled in Adventure Files: Kayak Fail (not so much) Part 2.  I found a small Propel paddle for just the right price at $23.87.  This will make a great stow away paddle when my new kayak and paddle arrive at Twisted Oak.

A boy and a borrowed kayak
Photo Chris Carson

The next morning, Cole and I headed back to Canyon Lake again.  The water was back to a more normal level.  Boat ramps were open again and most of the picnic tables were out of the water.  The water had receded about 60 yards or so since the last time we were there.  The wind was blowing out of the South at about 15-20 mph. The water was a little choppy in the cove we were in, but we handled it well.  I was a bit nervous about getting broadside to the wind, but the Aquaterra proved to be pretty stable given how narrow it is.

I must admit, I am beginning to like the Aquaterra more and more.  I still can't wait for my Malibu Stealth 14 to come in, alas, I must have patience.  In the meantime, I will enjoy this kayak and milk it for whatever lessons I can gain and use it to teach Cole water safety and how to position the boat for a multitude of scenarios.

The first thing I realized today is the importance of an anchoring system.  On our previous trip, the wind was calm and we could have easily positioned the yak.  Today, I showed him how to read the current to set up a drift since we had no anchor.  Without a drift anchor this also proved to be difficult as we were moving way to fast to be effective (especially in the summer when fishing deep and slow is usually the key).

The Anchor Rock   Photo: Chris Carson

After a bit of frustration, I fashioned an anchor from some parachute cord and rock.  I was inspired by a post on Facebook by Eugene Mora.  It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.  Notice above that I said an "anchoring system".  "System" is a key word here as without an anchor trolley to move the anchor to the back or front of the boat depending on how I wanted to position the boat, I spent most of my time broadside to the wind.

I also quickly realized that dumping a 15 lb. rock overboard with no anchor line management system was a good way for Cole to lose a finger.  Loose rope laying around with a heavy object tied to it is not a safe practice.  

 

Kayak Crate   Photo: Chris Carson

In other news, the kayak crate that I made awhile back worked well.  Although the Aquaterra is lacking in places to stow such an item, we strapped it down with bungees and made the best of it. Cole accidentally flipped it once trying to get out of it in deeper than he thought water. But, the crate stayed in place, one of the rods actually never left the rod holder.  All other contents floated long enough to recover easily, none the worse for wear.

Anchor line management is a different animal altogether though... I'm open for ideas, so comment below or on Facebook and give me your thoughts.

This trip was an exercise in getting a feel for fishing from a kayak.  Figuring out what works and what doesn't was the goal. There are many nuances such as casting angles and gear management that must be re-learned and mastered from a kayak.  For instance learning to flip a jig while sitting at water level will be interesting I'm sure! It's all part of the journey and I look forward to it! 

There were no fish injured or otherwise harmed in this excursion.

Take A Kid Fishing... 6 Tips To Make Them Want To Go Again

Taking kids fishing can be frustrating for an outdoorsman.  The best thing you can do is put down your fishing rod and pay attention to them.  I must admit, I have struggled at this! I know first hand how frustrating it can be.  Here are 6 tips to keep them coming back.

 Invest some time in teaching. We have all heard the expressions that "kids are a sponge" when it comes to learning and picking up new skills.  Teach them to tie a simple fishing knot.  It's a great idea to bring several rods that are pre-rigged (we will discuss why later) Teach them to tie knots while you are pre-rigging these set ups at home.  Here is a great little tutorial on how to tie the Palomar Knot. There are plenty of basic things to teach them.  They want to learn, so teach.  The sooner they learn to do these basic things on their own, the sooner you will be able to pick up your fishing rod again.

Cast at targets.  To expand a little on the previous point, spend some time in the yard teaching them to cast at targets, not just throw it as hard as possible.  I used to sit in my boat organizing tackle or cleaning up after a trip while my 4 & 6 year olds were casting at buckets I placed in different areas around the yard.  They had a blast!  Soon it got to be a daily activity when I got home from work. When it was time to go fishing I could say "Throw it at that stump over there." and they would be able to get it close.

Do what they want to do, but leave the electronics at home. Whatever holds their interest, will keep them coming back.  If they have fun chasing the ducks, let them chase (or preferably feed) the ducks.  I've seen my kids have all sorts of fun harassing the minnows in the bait bucket or live well. Although, if you let this go on too long you will be fishing with dead bait.  Bring the remote control boat and let them play with it for a little while. Let them have their fun and then redirect them back to their fishing activities.

Don't make them watch a bobber.  While the old school bobber fishing is certainly effective, it can be boring, especially for kids.  How many times have you set your kids up with a hook, worm, and bobber and then gone and picked up a lure yourself?  Why? Because you don't want to sit there and watch a bobber either.  Boredom will certainly have them chasing the ducks or asking for the iPod.  Remember earlier we said to pre-rig several rods? Rig one with a bobber and another with a weedless swim bait of some kind.  Texas regulations allow you to be actively fishing 2 rods simultaneously. (Check the laws in your state.) Put out the worm under the bobber out and keep an eye on it while they cast and reel.  They will get more out of it if they are doing something and they might actually catch something on either rod.  I can remember my older brother just shaking his head because I caught the biggest fish of the trip just casting at nothing off the stern of the boat while he was picking out a backlash and not running the trolling motor to keep us in position.  You never know!

Take a break.  Let the kids go swimming.  Really! You can't take kids to the water in the summer and expect them not to swim!  We used to anchor up in a cove and let them swim for 20- 30 minutes.  After that, they were ready to fish again.  When I was in high school, we usually found some time to water ski in the middle of the day.

Don't stay too long.  I can't think of too many things worse than crying and whining kids.  However, I have learned that if they leave crying and whining because they want to stay; that's a good thing! If they are crying and whining because they want to go home, something went wrong.  Kids should want to be in nature... after all it's natural! But, if it's hot, they need a nap, the fish aren't biting, the ducks don't want to play, the batteries are out on the remote control boat, and everybody is cranky and/or hungry, you stayed too long. It's always a good idea for them to leave wanting more instead of wanting to go home.

Obviously, the key is to make it fun.  I saw and shared the meme above on our Facebook page.  It is  a great sentiment, but if you don't handle it right (especially these days), you could turn him or her off for good.  So, stop into Twisted Oak and pick up a few rods and reels, lures, minnows or night crawlers, and terminal tackle.  Get some great advice on how to rig them while your there.  If you don't know where to start, look for Angler Education classes at the store soon!