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ARF Bayou Bash 2015

December 21, 2015
Fish, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Saltwater
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Back in October the ARF crew made their annual pilgrimage to Grand Isle.  Of course the weather was terrible and fishing was tough, which is pretty much why I never got around to posting about it.  I only managed to make it down Saturday into Sunday morning.  The wind blew and the tide was high but clarity was good and the trout were out there to be caught. I stopped in Leeville on the way in and caught about a half dozen before I decided I had had enough of the wind.

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No reds for me which feels weird, but that’s how the weekend went – at least for me. This was my first opportunity to give the new Kraken 13.5 a go and it is very nice. One trip is hardly enough for an adequate review, but I liked what I saw in it on Saturday. Can’t wait to use it in good conditions. If there is any question of it’s stability – I was standing in the marsh fishing with 20+ mph wind gusts and it was no problem. Way more stable than I thought it would be, and I’m thrilled about that.

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That night under the lights, while most were asleep, I could have caught a million undersized white trout and specks with the fly rod off the dock if I wanted, but then it started raining – and it didn’t stop until Monday.  Big thanks to the guys from ARF and their perennial drought relief services.

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Head to the ARF website to read the rest of the reports: Bayou Bash 2015 ‘Embrace the Blow’

Jackson Kraken 13.5

October 29, 2015
Gear Review, Kayak Fishing, Kayaking
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I picked up a new boat from Massey’s the other day – the Jackson Kraken 13.5.  This is a brand new boat for 2016, a shorter version of their original Kraken, a boat designed with help from Jim Sammons that has been really popular with offshore kayak anglers since it’s debut.

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I don’t intend to use it much offshore, but I liked the design and think it will be a great fit for inshore fishing down here in Louisiana.  Jackson really didn’t have a dedicated kayak fishing boat in the 13 foot range that wasn’t a tandem, so this one piqued my interest when I heard about it’s release.

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I’m hoping a boat in this size will hit a sweet spot for me between speed, stability, and weight.  I picked up the Elite version which comes with it’s own color coordinating K-Krate.  Not sure if it will take the place of the tried-and-true milk crate, but we shall see.

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I got a chance to take it out this past weekend in less-than-spectacular conditions.  I caught some trout, the boat performed well.  I’ll hold off on a full review, but suffice it to say I am pretty excited about the new ride.

For more info on the new Kraken 13.5, check out these articles: