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Cruisin’

February 20, 2013
Fishing, Gear Review, Kayak Fishing, Kayaking, Retail
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Picked up my new 2013 Desert Camo Cruise from Pack & Paddle last night. The color is a mix of black, brown, and sand; I think it came out really good. Desert Camo is available in all the Jackson Kayak Fishing line, so with the Cruise being part of the Rec line I had to pay a little extra for it. The only color that really appealed to me in the Rec line was the Earth and I’ve already got an Earth colored Cuda 12.

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I’ll have to do a minimal amount of rigging to make it a fishing craft fit for me, but that was one of the reasons I was drawn to the boat. The Cruise is my blank slate, I can rig it out how ever I like. Jackson does provide four inserts screws in typical locations just waiting for Ram mounts, but you’ll have to buy those yourself as they don’t come with the boat, something I failed to remember – I keep thinking the Cruise is in the Fishing line because it just looks like it should be.

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While at Pack & Paddle I was able to attend LKFC’s monthly meeting. They’ve got their first tournament of the season coming up this weekend, Marsh Madness in Cocodrie. It’s got a pretty interesting format, click the link to check it out. Wish I didn’t have to work this weekend. Another interesting tidbit I found out at the meeting was from John Williams with Pack & Paddle. They’ve launched a new section of their website dedicated to Kayak Fishing in Louisiana. It looks to be a great resource for both rookie and veteran paddlers. Check that out as well, love those folks at Pack & Paddle.

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Dawgknots kayak paddle belt

June 4, 2012
Gear Review, Kayak Fishing, Kayaking, Retail, Rigging
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Back in March I got an email from Drew Gregory about trying out a paddle clip belt from Tory Bell at Dawgknots similar to one I had made up for myself. Of course I jumped on the invitation, I was curious to see how it compared to my own, hopefully it was an improvement.

Why does one need a paddle clip belt? The two main reasons I have are stealth and convenience. Often times I am fishing shallow water with spooky fish, any abnormal vibration will send a fish fleeing. A paddle clip belt allows me to attach the belt to myself and I don’t risk making noise when I place it down on the boat. It also makes it convenient to switch from paddle to rod, I don’t have to reach down as far, allowing me to keep my eyes on any spotted fish, so I can make a cast without guessing where the fish is.

The belt, in my mind, is now a necessary item I take with me kayak fishing, especially when I plan to stand and fish. Mine is a little uncomfortable, especially with the prototype rod holder I put on it. I’ve had a chance to use the Dawgknots belt a few times now, in fact I’ve got it on in this video, you can hardly tell it is there except of course when you see a horizontal paddle:

I think the belt is a definite upgrade to my design. Tory uses a lightweight backing plate behind the actual paddle clip that makes it much more comfortable to wear. It also clips together and cinches tight, meaning it should fit any sized person, I actually had to cut off some excess nylon. My old design only allowed for the use of one belt hole because the other belt holes were occupied by the zipties to secure the paddle clip. It is a lot cooler looking too with the braided paracord, like you find on survival bracelets. So in a pinch you could cut it up and use the paracord.

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The belt is not found on the Dawgknots site yet, I think Tory is still getting everything finalized. If you’re looking to get one soon, you might try shooting him an email, which you can find on his website. All the belts are handmade, very high quality. Of course he has other products as well that you may be interested, check them out at Dawgknots. Tory is a great guy to deal with, you won’t be disappointed.

UPDATE: Looks like Dawgknots is no more.

North Georgia finale

June 1, 2012
Coldwater, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Freshwater, Retail, Wade Fishing
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Sunday

Day 4 was not much of an encore for Blake and I, but more a much needed day of rest before we packed up and headed out. I did some halfhearted fishing, but after breaking off a few times I gave up. I hooked a few fish before then, but landed none of them. Mom caught a pretty nice trout though, on an inline spinner that Blake had tied for her (think wooly bugger with an attached spinner).

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That afternoon we all took a ride to the Toccoa to check out the footbridge on the Benton Mackeye trail. We all agreed it was over-engineered for the pedestrian traffic it sees, but our wives took comfort in that fact as it swayed while others passed us by.

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That night we sat around the campfire, a perfect way to end a trip up to the cabin.

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Monday

Monday morning we headed out with the Subaru packed to the gills. While Blake and I fished, our wives had a good time at the outlets in Dawsonville and the Arts in the Park Festival in Blue Ridge. They did get a chance to stop by the new Blue Ridge Fly Fishing to pick up some swag and flies for Blake and I. I didn’t even have to ask – that’s love. I think they enjoyed the trip as much as we did. There is just something about those wild trout that gets my adrenaline going. I know they aren’t big, but they hit dry flies with reckless abandon and when you do hook into something bigger than 8″ – it is exciting! Especially with our 1 and 2 wt rods. It was sad to leave the cabin, but we’ll be back.

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