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.

Kayak FAIL

My first kayak outing was a dismal FAILURE.  I have been looking forward (for months now) to getting into a kayak to fish and paddle.  I heard the White Bass are running on the Guadalupe River,  and figured a quick little trip to the calm waters of Boerne Lake would be a good idea so I could get used to the kayak and get things organized, so I could take a float trip to the Guad.  Instead, I learned (well, not so much learned as confirmed) a few things I will outline below.

I had to purchase a few supplies, so I spent about $100.00 on a life vest, whistle, small bungees, a waterproof pouch for my phone and a pair of rubber/neoprene boots that will double as my hunting boots next season.  Having procured my supplies and cleaned out the back of my truck, I loaded the kayak, paddle, crate, rods and reels, along with a cooler for some water and sandwiches.  With all the excitement of a kid going fishing for the first time, I headed to Boerne Lake with my hopes high and smile on my face.

To start with, I should probably set the scene.  It was a beautiful day outside,  the temperature was probably in the mid 70's (don't let this fool you though, the water temperature was probably in the 50's).  The wind was blowing out of the southeast at about 10-15 mph which resulted in a 6-8" chop on the water.

I think the first thing I learned, is that it's not as easy as one might think to strap all that stuff to your kayak.  Bungee cords leave something to be desired.  Although they were tight, things still slid around.  I will have to work on this.  I guess it's all the years of building things and hauling materials around, but I like things to be solid; no movement.  Also, because the kayak doesn't lay flat, it was a little difficult getting things situated.  Between the slope of the boat ramp and the kayak rolling over, things didn't want to stay where I put them; so I was left to leash, lash, strap, and otherwise tie down with one hand while I held and steadied with the other.  I know I need to get better at this and more efficient.  A boat ramp on Friday around noon is not a very busy place in the middle of February, but I would have had some folks pretty angry folks around if it were June.

Once I got everything strapped down and ready to go, I stepped down into the water with a plan.  The goal (and reason for he plan) was not to get wet.  Ultimately I had a picture in my mind that looked very similar to the photo on the left.

Fortunately, there are no pictures or video (that I know of) of the events that transpired over the next 2 minutes.  I faced the lake and headed out with the nose of the kayak in hand.  When I got out to the point where I would have filled my boots with water had I taken another step, I stopped and eased the kayak into the water floating it between my legs to the point where the seat ended up right below me.  Everything was great so far.  I sat on the kayak and immediately realized that I wasn't far enough out and the rear of the kayak was still on land.  In case you are wondering, this makes the boat flop violently right and left with every movement.  This is also the point at which I realized my plan was inadequate.

I began lunging forward to try to get the boat fully into the water.  I tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to put my feet in the boat... one at a time, then both at the same time.  Every time I picked up my feet, I had to slam them back down into the water to regain my stability.  By now, I had about a gallon of water in each boot. This might be a good time to point out that although I got them on clearance, I made a $50 investment in a pair of boots to keep my feet dry.  So, I put my paddle on the surface of the boat ramp and leaned toward it, swung both feet in the boat and pushed off at the same time.  I was finally actually on the kayak, in the water.  It was about this point in time that I realized that all the water that was previously in my boots, was now soaking its way through the small foam stadium seat that I used as a seat cushion.  It's also worth mentioning that there are two scupper holes in this boat to drain water , and neither of them are under the seat.

I gave a few paddle strokes to get away from land.  Then I began to try to get a feel for the stability by moving around a bit.  It still felt a bit unstable and therefore made me a bit uneasy.  Before I knew it, the wind caught the nose of the boat and pushed me broad side back to the concrete ramp and beached me.  I pushed off again only to get pushed back again.

At this point, I decided that my maiden kayak voyage, as short as it was, was over.  Already soaking wet, from my rear to my feet and from mid forearm to fingers on both hands, I figured that this kayak thing needed a new plan.  So, I bailed out and drug the kayak back on shore.

I went back to the truck and drove down to load it up.  While finishing up getting all my things off of the kayak, I noticed a guy getting into his truck.  I think he had been walking across the dam or in the park on his lunch break because he seemed to be changing his shoes while watching me load up all the rods and crate etc. He drove up next to the boat ramp and asked if I needed any help.  Loading the kayak is really pretty easy, so I refused.  He smiled and waved as he took off making me wonder if he had seen the whole ordeal.

All in all, it took me 40 minutes to drive there, about 15 minutes to unload the boat, get all my gear situated, put on my boots and PFD, 2 minutes in the water, and 10 minutes to load up and another 40 minutes to drive home.  Travel/prep time to water time ratio was 107:2.  I must admit failure on this one.

However I can pick out three positives this trip left me with.

1. The guy that stopped to ask if he could help had a Hobie sticker on his truck.  A fellow kayaker maybe?  It's good to know that if I needed help, he was willing.

2. I feel pretty good about my crate set up, although I need to figure out a better way to tie that down.  It took some violent weight shifts and jostling without losing anything.

3. After this ordeal, I wasn't 5 minutes from the lake before I was on the phone with Diablo Paddlesports in an attempt to get a WIDE, STABLE, kayak for Twisted Oak.  I had a dealer pack by the end of the day!

In no way am I giving up here.  I will be back on a kayak soon.  Hopefully a Diablo.  When the water warms up a little more, I will even give this kayak a shot again... when I don't mind getting wet!

Kayak Fishing... No More Excuses

If you read my "What's In A Name" post or know anything about me, you know I am no stranger to fishing the waters of Central and South Texas.  Canyon Lake, Medina Lake, Travis, the Guadalupe, Medina, Blanco, Colorado, Frio and the Nueces Rivers have all been my fishing waters along with the bays and shorelines from Rockport to the King Ranch on down to the Port Isabel Causeway.  I even have a story about alligators, deer, and a Game Warden at Choke Canyon that someday I may write about.  Of course I will have to change the names to protect the innocent (no really no laws were broken).  It's an interesting story nonetheless.  However, one thing I have NEVER done is fish from a kayak.  This week, that will change!

I have been looking (for quite some time) to put kayaks in our store, Twisted Oak Hunting & Outfitter Supply.  We are finally close to working out a deal with a company that will remain undisclosed until we get that worked out, but to say the least it has been a long hard road.  Since I began thinking about this (over a year now), I have wanted to give it a try.  It can be an economical way to get away from the crowds, and high pressure fishing that public access banks provide. In the last year I have made many friends in the fishing community and many of them fish from the yak and do well.  My excitement for this new endeavor continues to grow, but as we have not been able to get any kayaks here in the store, I have refrained from just going out and purchasing a kayak (to the dismay of my 10 yr old son) because I want to paddle what we sell.  However, my friend Brian Taylor with 5x3 and several other sponsors has graciously loaned me the use of his kayak while I am trying to get this worked out, putting an end to my wait!  (THANK YOU BRIAN TAYLOR!!!!!!)

Several weeks ago, Brian brought me his Aquaterra kayak. She is sleek and seems a little narrow for my 260 lb frame but that will not deter me.  It is a Sit On Top (SOT) model with adjustable foot pegs large front and rear hatches and came equipped with what looks like a couple Scotty Rod Holder mounts that need the actual rod holder pieces.  Other than that, your basic kayak with a paddle.

As it does not have the actual rod holders.... and the temperatures have been a bit low... and I have no experience kayaking... and I have no cold weather gear to wear on said kayak... and I have not yet purchased the all important PFD,  I still haven't put this thing in the water!  So, I have been working on an anchor trolley, a kayak crate with rod holders (I cut and flared PVC to make my own rod holders), and figuring out my general set up.  Also, it's worth noting that I haven't spent a dime yet... Remember, I said it was economical!  However, I'm quite sure I will want to change it all when I get it on the water!  Oh well!

Sometime this week, I will be purchasing my PFD and finishing up all these little projects.  Still left on my list is mountings for tools, a lid for my crate, leashes (I plan on making those too), and an anchor.  I plan to share with you my experiences good and bad about kayak fishing.  Once school is out I will be introducing my son to kayak fishing as well and relating that experience as it unfolds, so stay tuned!  Hopefully we will have a little video along the way as well.

I have been a little apprehensive about getting wet as water temps this time of year are likely in the 50's, but I can wait no longer!  Afternoon temps will be in the 80's this week, so I'm hanging out the shingle: GONE FISHIN'!