Adventure Files: Kayak Fail (not so much) Part 2

The adventures have been few and far between for awhile now as I have had to make time in my schedule for coaching my boys' baseball teams.  Although we are in the thick of Little League All-Stars, we finally had a day off on Tuesday, so we got in a little adventure!

Quick Disclaimer: although "failure" is involved in this installment of Adventure Files, the title is more of a continuation of the original story (another chapter if you will), than a failure.

Mini X by Malibu Kayaks

We (at Twisted Oak Hunting & Outfitter Supply) have finally been able to get kayaks into the store. The nice folks at Malibu Kayaks have approved us as a dealer and we are currently awaiting shipment of our first order.

My son, Cole, just turned 11 and we ordered him a Malibu Kayaks Mini-X.  It's a 9' kayak complete with adjustable foot pegs, 4 flush mount rod holders, front storage hatch, another storage hatch between his feet, and standing platform, a rear storage area with a bungee, and the all important cup holder. We also got him a Jr. Explorer seat and paddle to complete the initial package.

Cole's care package from Malibu Kayaks

The only problem with all of this is that we weren't able to close the deal on this purchase before his birthday.  So, I called my contact there at Malibu and asked if they could send me a sticker or something to let him know he was getting a kayak for his birthday. They were happy to make that happen and went above and beyond by sending him an entire care package complete with stickers, a cap, some magnets, a certificate naming him the owner
of a Mini-X in Desert Camo, and

best of all (according to Cole)... A Backwater Assault Paddle.  I must confess, I want one too!


Cole had been driving me crazy (and still is) with questions like "Dad, where is the first place you want to go when you get your kayak?" Of course, I ordered myself one. It is a Stealth 14 from Malibu Kayaks along with an X-Tank, and a Spider Angler seat from Crack of Dawn Paddlesports. So I decided to take him to Canyon Lake and learn some things using the kayak from my original Kayak Fail.

This kayak and I had a brief, but sorted history.  However, I wasn't going to let that deter me from letting Cole have some fun learning to kayak.  We loaded up and headed to Canyon Lake for an afternoon of fun.  We arrived at the lake and chose a spot that was easy to access.  We unloaded and headed down to the water.

The lake was up from the recent flooding, picnic tables were in the water and boat ramps were closed, but we drug the old Aquaterra about 100 yds. down a hill and across the grass to the water and I let Cole have the first run... He paddled around and had a blast.  After a few minutes, he wanted me to try.

My original experience with this kayak was less than successful, so I was a bit apprehensive to attempt to mount this thing for the fear of looking like an idiot in front of my son and a few other on-lookers. Getting in was a bit of a chore, as it was the first time, but without the fear of a cold water kayak baptism, I was able to get in and began paddling around.  I noticed a "No Wake Zone " buoy about 200 yards out and made it my goal to reach the buoy.

This is where things begin to get sketchy.  As I paddled out, (at about the half way point) I noticed a difference in my right and left paddle stroke.  I looked down and the top rivet that secured the blade of the paddle to the handle had come loose. Being attached only at the bottom presented a bit of a challenge.  However, I was determined to reach the buoy.  I used my right "traffic" finger (aka: the bird) to secure the blade to the handle.  I'm still pretty sure I looked like an idiot with my right hand all the way down to one side of the paddle and 3 feet of handle sticking of the left side, but it worked.  I got the the buoy, turned around and came back.  Cole was disappointed that I did not touch the buoy, but I considered the affair a "WIN".

When I returned, I got out and Cole embarked on another voyage.  He began tooling around and the paddle broke.  With only a one sided, long, unwieldy paddle at our disposal, I decided to have Cole practice re-entry and flipping the kayak in order to make Mom a little more comfortable in the notion of getting him a kayak for his birthday. He did a great job.

The video to the right shows him in water too deep to stand.  This time was the only time he didn't get in on the first attempt, which worked out because he was able to demonstrate both ways he learned to flip the kayak.  We probably did it at least 10 times.

After about 30 minutes or so of that, I remembered that there was a two piece paddle stowed in the hull.  Cole got it out and paddled around a bit more, the I decided to take another trip to the buoy.  I didn't get too far before that paddle broke too!  Upon further inspection, it had a flat spot (like it had been run over by a car) near the blade of the paddle.

So, this was actually more of a paddle fail than a kayak fail, but all in all, it was a great time. Cole got to test out his Backwater Assault Paddle, which by the way is AWESOME as Cole says, and we got to spend some time on the water.  No fishing, nothing extravagant... Just good, quality, fun in the sun!
Can't wait for my Malibu Kayak!!!

The Key To Success in Hunting & Fishing

Success is a funny thing.  There are a million different ways to define success; and probably as many ways to achieve success.  Weather it's hunting, fishing, archery, shooting sports, team sports, individual sports, or just about anything else, success plays a big role in our happiness.

Last Friday I endured my Kayak Fail.  I must admit, I was bothered by the fact that this outing didn't go well.  Not only was it disappointing, it was embarrassing, and even hurt my pride a little. Even though I'm 50 lbs overweight, I still consider myself fairly athletic and agile.  I stay pretty active by coaching baseball and softball, and now Tball again along with all the outdoors activities I do. It wasn't long ago that I was in the construction industry, loading and unloading, toting lumber,concrete, and tile around jobsites.

Having had the weekend to think about this, I have come to a new outlook. I realized that I overlooked the learning curve.  In most cases, I would have pressed on and shortened that learning process.  I would have removed all my gear and headed out to flip myself in order to figure out my limits and gain confidence.  However, given the fact that the water temperature was as cold as it was, the chill of the wind on wet skin, and the chop on the water lapping over the side. I limited myself as to what I would endure to compensate for this learning curve, and rightly so. With low water temps, choppy water, and no buddy with me, there were definite safety concerns.

Success and failure go hand in hand.  Life would be pretty boring if we didn't have to work at some things from time to time. Those of us that are hunters and fishermen know all too well that we can do everything right and still not succeed. I have also been around people who do everything wrong and still succeed.  Who among us doesn't know someone who hunts the wrong wind or is loud in the deer stand, plays video games and still ends up with the biggest buck.

Sunset in Hondo from the deer blind

I think many times, it comes down to how we define success. If we expect to limit out every day we, we will surely be disappointed.  If we always go hit the same spots where we had success before, we will again be disappointed at some point.  Without trying new techniques, new places, new baits, etc., we will never grow as fishermen.  The same is true for hunting.  We must test the things we think we know, and try things that may not make any sense to know what works and what doesn't and try to discern why.  The variables are virtually never ending, so success this time may yield failure next time.  Lately, I have been taking photos of sunrises and sunsets, and other nature photos to remind me that ultimately, I don't have to fish to eat and I'm there to appreciate what God has created.  Sort of like the old saying goes. "A bad day of fishing is always better than a good day at work."

When I was a senior in high school my buddy and I went fishing ALOT.  Our first trip together was in January of 1989.  I caught a pretty nice bass that first day and we were hooked. We fished at least 2 or 3 times per week and  had some real adventures along the way.  After a month or two of not catching anymore fish (and I mean ZERO fish), you would think we would have given up, but no, we kept going, kept trying, and kept failing.

Sunset at the Crappie Pier

For a long time, we continued doing those same things trying to catch fish. We went to the same place, used the same baits to no avail.  At some point, we began trying different things, we went at different times, different places, different lakes. Finally, one beautiful day in May right before graduation, we found a pier on Canyon Lake.  We sat there and fished around it for quite some time and finally caught a Crappie.  I don't remember if I caught it or my buddy did, but it was the start of something good.  We met a local there on the pier that told us the fishing was great at night, so we came back the next night at dusk and stayed late into the night.  We caught limits of Crappie. Over the next several weeks, we re-equipped ourselves for crappie fishing with ultra light gear, lanterns, floating lights, etc.  We went back time and again. Sometimes we caught, sometimes we didn't. To this day, I'm not sure what I learned from all that, but I know it made me a better fisherman and I love to catch Crappie to this day.

41" Bull Red

Last August, I took a trip to Port Mansfield with my son to fish with my brother.  During that trip, my son caught his first Trout, Flounder, and Redfish (he had a Texas Slam for the weekend as the Redfish came on Sunday).  I caught two personal best Redfish and we had a great time catching fish and spending time with my brother.  A week or two after that trip, my son and I went back to that crappie pier. We got blanked. Another failure to learn from.

Over the years, I have learned to pay attention to the solunar data and adjust my presentations and expectations accordingly. I have also learned alot about seasonal patterns and have been able to apply my experiences years later to understand why things have worked or not.

Success is a long term goal that is born from failure. We learn from our mistakes; and although it's hard to admit failure, we must continue; even in failure until we succeed. This is the learning curve.

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'!