Power Team Lures

If you are looking for some great baits for Bass fishing, look no further.  These baits are designed and tested by real fishermen, just like you and me.  100% Made in the USA!  Which these days is very hard to find.  

Power Team Lures offer creatures, craws, grubs, worms, lizards, and jigs.  I have used their 3.5" Texas-Rig Jig in both heavy cover and weighted at the bottom.  Both methods produced bites when nothing else seemed to do the trick.  They also have a product called Hog Tonic that contains 100% Amino Acids, that helps keep Bass on longer.  It really works!   

So if you want some really good baits, made in the US, with great customer service, check out Power Team Lures.  Quickly coming to a bait shop near you.  Use this code http://r.sloyalty.com/r/tMYP9sTpMrZG and save $5.00 on any order of $20.00 or more.
#PowerTeamLures

D.S
#HOOK1KFG

Gear Review: Shimano Sienna FD Reel

If you are like me, spending $100 or more on a reel is a bit out of reach.  With 3 children under the age of 5, I'm not left with a lot of money for fishing gear.  I do however, want quality gear and tackle that is affordable.  Sometimes that is difficult to find though.  Until I stumbled upon this reel.  I needed a reel for inshore fishing, that would stand up to the saltwater and wanted smooth operation.  The price was ideal at $30.00, so I bought the 2500 FD.  My first one worked flawlessly, but sank into the Bay on my kayak disaster.  I immediately bought a replacement and a 4000 FD.  It has a graphite frame and aluminum spool that is approved for saltwater use. As you would expect from any Shimano product, it works flawlessly.  The Sienna comes in 500, 1000, 2500 and 4000 sizes for any application.  Works equally well with Mono or Braid too. So if you are looking for an inexpensive, but quality reel, take a look at the Shimano Sienna series. So far it has been the best reel at this price point I have ever used.  It definitely isn't a Stradic or Sustain, but the price is way more affordable than those options, for those of us that are on a budget.  

D.S
#HOOK1KFG

Kayak comparison

I have had the opportunity to try out several different styles and models of kayaks recently, so I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences on them.  Now I'm not an expert nor am I a Pro Staffer for any brand.  These are just my impressions and opinions on the various choices out there.
  

First up is the very popular and well known Wilderness Systems kayaks.  I have been on several Tarpon 12 in the past and had the chance to try out a 2014 model this past weekend.  The Tarpon 12 is 12' 3" long and 30" wide.  It weighs 67lbs with a weight capacity of 350lbs.  It's one of the most popular kayaks out there and for good reason.  It's fast, comfortable, relatively stable and fairly easy to transport.  Here is my opinion on the Tarpon 12, in the areas that I feel are important.

Fishability:  9 out of 10  The angler edition has flush mount rod holders and a trax system for unlimited accessories. 

Comfort:  9 out of 10 It comes with an adjustable seat that is very comfortable.  Has adjustable foot braces.

Stability:  7 out of 10  At 30" wide this kayak felt pretty stable, but not enough to feel comfortable standing in it.

Speed:  9 out of 10  The Tarpon 12 is very fast for a 12' kayak, and it tracks very straight.

Agility:  8 out of 10  Most 12' kayaks are pretty agile and the Tarpon is no exception.

Portability:  7 out of 10  I found this kayak to be a bit heavy and cumbersome to load on my Jeep Cherokee by myself, but loading in the back of a truck was no issue.

Overall:  49 out of 60  The Wilderness Systems Tarpon 12 is a tried and true kayak.  It's a great option for fishing or pleasure paddling.  The price is also reasonable at just under $1,000.00.

The next kayak I was able to try was the Ocean Kayak Frenzy.  Not really a fishing kayak, but it's a kayak.  The Frenzy is 9' long and 31" wide.  It weighs 44lbs with a weight capacity of  325lbs.  It's not fast, but very stable and extremely easy to transport.

Fishability:  2 out of 10  The Frenzy has no rod holders, but some could be installed.  There isn't much room on this kayak for gear either. 

Comfort:  7 out of 10  You have to buy the seat of you choice.  Does not have adjustable foot braces.

Stability:  9 out of 10  At 30" wide and the design of the hull makes this kayak a very stable platform.

Speed:   5 out of 10  Very slow kayak and doesn't track very well.  It was, however, very easy to paddle.

Agility:  10 out of 10  The Frenzy can turn on a dime, and can get into very tight places.

Portability:  10 out of 10  With it's light weight and small size, the Frenzy was extremely easy to load on my Jeep.

Overall:  43 out of 60  The Ocean Kayak Frenzy is a great little kayak.  Made more for pleasure paddling.  With a price of $450.00, it's a great way to get out on the water with a limited budget.

Next up is my Malibu Mini X.  The Mini X is 9' 3" long and 33" wide.  It weighs 40lbs with a weight capacity of 325lbs.  It's a bit slow, but cuts through the water easily, is super stable and extremely easy to transport.

Fishability:  9 out of 10  The Fish & Dive and/or Recreational versions have flush mount rod holders and the famous X-Wing will fit on the Mini X.  Also the square center hatch can hold a lot of gear with easy access. 

Comfort:  7 out of 10  You have to buy the seat of you choice.  Does not have adjustable foot braces.

Stability:  9 out of 10  At 33" wide this is a very stable kayak.  It's built to stand in which can be done.

Speed:  6 out of 10  Slow compared to longer kayaks, but easy to paddle and tracks fairly well.

Agility:  10 out of 10  The Mini X can turn on a dime, and can get into very tight places.

Portability:  10 out of 10  Very easy to load and unload on my Jeep.

Overall:  51 out of 60  The Malibu Mini X is a fantastic little kayak.  Well suited for fishing or pleasure paddling.  With a price of $580.00, it's very budget friendly.
Finally, the last kayak I had the pleasure to paddle was the Malibu Stealth 12.  The Stealth 12 is 12' 4" long and 33" wide.  It weighs 55lbs with a weight capacity of 450lbs.  It's a very popular kayak for fishing and for good reason.  It's fast, comfortable, very stable and fairly easy to transport.

Fishability:  10 out of 10  The Stealth has 4 flush mount rod holders, a build in live-well and the X-Wing as an option.  Lots of storage with the gator hatch, which is large enough to store rods.

Comfort:  7 out of 10  You have to buy the seat of your choice.  Does have adjustable foot braces and a seat for your little angler to ride with you.

Stability:  9 out of 10  At 33" wide this is a very stable kayak.  Build to stand in which is very doable.

Speed:  8 out of 10  Has the speed needed to get to your fishing hole.  It's width slows it down a bit, but hardly noticeable.

Agility:  8 out of 10  Typical agility for a 12' kayak.

Portability:  8 out of 10  This kayak was fairly easy to load on my Jeep Cherokee by myself.

Overall:  50 out of 60  The Malibu Stealth 12 is a true fishing kayak.  The ability to carry live bait in the live-well and being able to stand makes this kayak a great choice for fishing all bodies of water.  At $900, you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Well there you go.  These are just a few kayaks of the hundreds to choose from.  I know which one of these will be my next purchase.

D.S
#HOOK1KFG

Safety on the water.

Safety on the water should always be the number one priority. The old saying, "A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work," I disagree. I've had a bad day of fishing and I would have rather been at work that day.  Here are the safety requirements for Florida. Each State may be different, and this list is just the MINIMUM required. When it comes to safety, more is better. 

Florida Safety Equipment for Kayaks (less than 16 feet in length)

• PFD - All vessels are required to have onboard a wearable USCG-approved personal flotation device (PFD) for each person. The PFDs must be of the appropriate size for the intended wearer, be in serviceable condition, and within easy access. 

I highly recommend that you always wear your PFD when out on the water.

• Sound producing device - All vessels are required to carry an efficient sound-producing device, such as a referee's whistle.

• Navigation Lights - Watercraft under oars (such as a canoe or kayak) may display the lights prescribed for sailboats (less than 7 meters), but if not, must have ready at hand an electric torch or lighting lantern (flashlight) showing a white light to be displayed in sufficient time to prevent collision.

• Visual Distress - Vessels less than 16 feet in length are required to carry at least 3 visual distress signals approved for nighttime use when on coastal waters from sunset to sunrise.  Vessels 16 feet or longer must carry at least 3 daytime and three nighttime visual distress signals (or 3 combination daytime/nighttime signals) at all times when on coastal waters.

• NOTE: Coastal waters means the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and all bays, sounds, harbors, rivers, inlets, etc. where any entrance is over two (2) miles wide to the first point where the distance between shorelines narrows to 2 miles. 

I also recommend filling out a float plan before each trip. Even if it's just telling someone where you will be, how long you'll be gone and when you expect to return. Here is an example of a float plan.  

Float Plan

Here is a great safety video posted by the Gulf Coast Kayak Fishing Association. I highly recommend watching it.

Gulf Coast Kayak Association Safety Video

D.S

#HOOK1KFG

Transporting Fishing Rods

I'm sure there are a hundred different ways to transport fishing rods, but this works well for me. I just took a scrap piece of 1"x 4" drilled some holes in it and attached two L brackets. I then zip tied those to the ceiling of my Jeep. In the front I stretched a bungee cord between the grab handles. That's it, very cheap and easy. 

Now I can carry 5 rods, up to 7' long, with me every day no matter what. My kids can still ride comfortably, and I'm always ready to fish.

D.S

#HOOK1KFG

#PowerTeamLures

Things learned the hard way.

I suppose if you're on the water long enough, something is bound to go wrong. Of course, I didn't think it would happen to me. Well boy was I wrong.

I have always tried to err on the side of caution, but sometimes inexperience and poor decisions come back to bite you. One kayak fishing trip in particular, ended up in disaster not too long ago. Here's what happened.

The first mistake I made was not researching the location. The area I went to fish that day was the mouth of a Harbor connecting the Bay to the Gulf. It was a strong outgoing tide and conditions were not favorable. Not to mention it was November, so the water was a bit chilly. I had a weird feeling before I launched, but I pushed on and paddled out. I found a good spot that I wanted to fish, but I realized the tide was going to push me out into the Gulf. So I dropped anchor and grabbed my fishing rod. Immediately I knew that was a bad idea. Before I could make my first cast, my anchor caught and over I went. Let me stop right there.

Anchoring in swift current or strong tides is a BAD idea. What made this situation even worse is I had no anchor trolley. I was tied off in the middle of my kayak with the anchor line on the wrong side going under my kayak. Even now that I have an anchor trolley I never anchor in current or tidal situations.

So there I was wet and clinging to my upside down kayak. I was not wearing my PFD, which I ALWAYS wear now. None of my gear was tethered, so I lost pretty much everything. Luckily my wallet and keys were in a pelican case that I was able to save. Both rods, all my tackle, my phone and camera were lost along with my wedding ring. I also lost my slip on water shoes, which later you'll find out was very bad. As if that wasn't enough, I was also hooked in the leg and tangled in my fishing line.

Luckily I had a knife that was attached to my milk crate which was still on my kayak, so I was able to cut my anchor line and untangle myself from the fishing line. I wasn't sure if I could get back on my kayak, so I swam over to rocks, oyster bar, and used them to climb back in. That was a huge mistake barefoot and no gloves. Yeah I ended up in the ER with some nasty cuts on my hands and feet. I think the worst part was the 300 yard paddle back against the tide. Mother Nature kicked my butt that day.

So what did I learn. Well I never kayak in situations that make me feel uncomfortable. I always wear my PFD now. All my gear is stowed away or tethered to my kayak. I wear shoes that strap on instead of slip on. I stay far away from oyster bars and never anchor in current or swift tides.

The water has an alluring quality, but it can be unforgiving. Take the time to research the area you want to fish, use the proper safety equipment and always rig up as if you were going to capsize. Be safe and happy paddling.

D.S
#HOOK1KFG

Kayak Rigging, Anchor Trolley System

Kayak fishing, just like any other hobby that we all seem to get into, has an endless amount of upgrades and accessories that can be installed. Since there are so many options out there, I've decided to start a series of blogs covering one upgrade/accessory at a time. If there is something specific that any of you want to know about send me a message and I'll write about it. In this post I'm going to cover a very important accessory, an anchor trolley system.

An anchor trolley system, while not absolutely necessary, is a very important system for your kayak. It allows you to get in the best position to catch more fish. If you are in a body of water that flows or in windy conditions, this system is a must. I've been out in windy conditions without an anchor and it was a huge pain. I spent more time paddling into position than I did fishing. After that I purchased an anchor to use. That was better, but I could only tie it off in the middle of my kayak. No matter how I did it, I could never get my kayak to face the direction I needed it to. So I purchased and installed an anchor trolley. What a huge difference it has made. I can position myself exactly how I need, so I can catch those big ones. 

I would say an anchor trolley system is one of the best upgrades that you could make on any kayak to improve fishability. You can purchase this entire system from HOOK1 Kayak Fishing Gear

D.S

#HOOK1KFG

#PowerTeamLures