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I had some business in northern Florida today, so on the way back to Tampa I stopped at Paynes Prairie State Preserve.  I got there around mid-day, not the best light to shoot pictures, but I made the most of it.  As I was walking along the boardwalk that borders Lake Wauberg, a lady came up to me and we chatted.  She asked if I had been to the observation tower and had I seen the wild horses? “Wild horses?”  I thought, no way, these had to be some ranchers horses.  So I headed over to the visitor center and observation tower.  Once there I talked with one of the park rangers and sure enough, the park has wild horses that can be traced back to the Spaniards.  There are also wild Bison and cattle, called Cracker Cows.  Now I have seen wild horses out in Nevada, but I thought how cool would it be to see some here in Florida.  She told me this time of year the best chance to see them is to park at the north entrance and take the trail to another tower.  That’s exactly what I did.  And guess what I found?  Wild horses.  Enjoy the pictures.

If you look real close, in the center of the picture you will see the horses.  I wasnt sure at first, so I watched them for a long time, as they moved out you could clearly see they were horses.  I wouldnt even care to guess how far away they were, but it was a very long ways off.

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  DOA Lures Paddlers Tournament

   June 5^th, 2010

   Stuart, Florida

My long weekend started very early as I awoke at 3:30 on Thursday morning. After a shower and loading the last few things in the truck, I was off to pick up my fishing partner for the tournament, Norm Hall. I arrived at Norms house right on cue, (5am) loaded up his kayak and we were off. About an hour into the trip as he was talking on the phone, he shouted out “OH CRAP”. My first thought was he saw something coming at us that I didn’t, but then he muttered those dreaded words, “Did we get my fishing poles?” That’s right; we drove and left them behind. Well, it all worked out in the end as Norm called another pal of ours who was coming over to fish with us. Sully hadn’t gotten too far yet, so he swung by Norms place and picked up his poles. What a way to start a tournament weekend.

We arrived around 8am to our first pre-fishing spot, Round Island State Park. I had fished this spot once before, but had not had much success here. Located on the east side of the Indian River, it has many small coves and back water areas, but since the tide was low, we concentrated our efforts out on the flats. The first thing we noticed was the huge amount of mullet everywhere, big schools of them all over the flats. Now back here in Tampa Bay, we fish the schools of mullet as the game fish will follow these schools. But over here on the east coast that’s not a preferred method. So not having any luck, we moved out to one of the many spoil islands on the river. Here my buddy Norm found some small trout.

I hooked up a couple of times, pulled the hook on something that felt pretty nice but for the most part it was very slow for me. We called it a morning around noon and headed off to one of the local beach joints for a burger.

Friday morning came and we were off to another location, DJ Wilcox Preserve. Located on the west side of the Indian River, this was an area we fished last year. Although we didn’t catch much last year, we did see some really nice fish, so we decided to give another try this year. Once on the water, we both noticed how stained and dirty the water was, they had been getting some really heavy rains in the afternoons which I believed led to the dirty water and slow fishing. What a slow day, I didn’t see a single fish all day. Not wanting to burn ourselves out, we headed back in around lunch time and as we got back to the launch I paddled by a rope hanging from a tree. As I pulled on it I noticed that it was a discarded cast next, so I started to retrieve it. Apparently it had gotten caught on something and its owner gave up on retrieving it.

I figured I could use all the good karma I could get.  So after loading up, it was off to lunch, a nap then the Capts meeting. The Capts meeting, where we signed in and received our DOA lures which we had to use the next day, was held at the River Palms Cottages. If you’re ever in that area, I highly recommend them. Right on the Indian River, they have really nice cottages, a great beach with a good pier, they are dog friendly and just good folks. 

So after the meeting wrapped up, we were off. Just in time too as the heavens opened up and it stormed like crazy. We ended up at a place called Chucks Seafood. Located in Fort Pierce, right on the Fort Pierce inlet it has a great view of the water and excellent food.  After we ate, it was back to the hotel to go over our DOA Lure package, which all anglers had to use.

Saturday, Tournament day!!  Up bright and early with a game plan, we headed back to the preserve where we had fished the day before. This time we went straight out to the spoil islands and worked them. I finally found some fish, as my first trout of the morning was around 17”. Not good enough here as 30” trout are very common. But at least I was on fish, so you never know what can happen. I proceeded to catch around 30 more trout over the next few hours and then the bite died off. So making a move, I paddled back across to the flats looking for some redfish. But once again, nothing. I had never seen an area so teaming with activity but lacking in game fish. Switching locations yet again I did hook a bigger trout and as I got it close to the kayak I could tell it might be something worthy of placing. As I slipped the landing net under it, it made one last flip and just like that, it was off the hook and gone. And all too soon, the day was done and we were off to the weigh-in. After a lengthy raffle, which held some surprises of its own (a young man there proposed to his girl friend) the opened up the chow line and we got to eat some good catered BBQ.

Unfortunately none of west coast boys fared well, although we had hopes for our friend Mark Bellotte who landed a really nice 28.5” trout.

And all too soon, it was time to call it a day. On the way back to our villa, we ran into one of those afternoon thunderstorms that Florida is famous for.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, during tournaments I tend to focus more on the fishing and not taking pictures, maybe it should be the other way around. Oh well, we are already making plans to return next year. This tournament is more about getting away and hanging out with some good friends than it is about winning anyway. Until then……….

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Big Bend Kayak Report

5 – 13 to 5 – 16 -2010

Day 1 “Anticipation”

Wow, where do you start when you spend three days in paradise?  I guess you start at the beginning.  My good friend Dave Robinson had planned a camping trip to the Big Bend area for some time, I met him on the road in Crystal River and we formed our two vehicle caravan the rest of the way to our campsite. A couple other friends, Tom and Justin would be joining us later.

Base Camp

So after getting the campsite setup, Dave and I were off.  Less than a mile and thirty minutes from the launch, we were on the fish.  We working a small cove and I spotted this tail pop up. Since I was shooting pictures I called Dave over. For several anxious minutes nothing happened. I just knew Dave was thinking, “This guy is nuts, there’s nothing over here” when all of a sudden I heard his jaw drop.

On the second cast Dave dropped it right in front of the “Big Ugly” and it was on.

The rest of the afternoon it was one tail after another.

Pulled hook!!

We poked around, never really getting out of sight of the launch, looking for the other species on our list, Redfish.

Day 1 comes to an end.

Day 2  “Un-Announced Breakfast Guest’s”

Day 2 dawned and since we were dealing with a low tide, (low tides up here equal not enough water for a kayak) we decided to have some breakfast before heading out. Our buddy Tom had arrived the following night, so we were just getting ready to grub out when our guest’s showed up. Now we had been warned about them before hand, but these guests almost ended up as part of the meal.

After breakfast we arrived at the launch to find someone has stolen all the water. No worries. Hoping Windfinder.com would be right about the winds dying down later, we shoved off.

Finding some relief from the leeside of an island, Dave took the opportunity to break out the fly rod. His goal of taking a redfish on fly was not achieved this trip, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

Once the tide had come up, we went back to an area we hit the day before and the reds were there.

Dave with a beautiful multi-spot redfish.

Tom Coffee

All three of us had really good luck with 1/4oz Johnson Silver spoons.  Not too much later our ole friends who we had to come to refer to as the “Big Uglies” showed back up.

Dave set up on one and waited for the perfect opportunity.

Another great day came to an end.

This area is calm country; they farm them just off shore, so we just had to have some for dinner.

Day 3 “Going to School”

Dustin has arrived the night before, so today we would be following him around to a new area. This is Dustin’s home waters and he has the place dialed in. So off the four of us went on a 10 mile paddle in search of more of the same.

The tide was really low as we headed out, once we came back it had come way up and the area looked completely different.

Dustin is one hell of a fly fisherman and he did not disappoint.

He’s pretty handy with a bait caster too. While I was chasing more tailing “Big Uglies”, he was catching them with a spinner bait.

I had no luck what so ever with the black drum, but I did manage a redfish or two. These are really nice fish, they hit hard, are fat as a cow and just don’t quit.

Tom getting in on the redfish action.

Dustin with an absolute pig.

Like all good things, this day came to end way too soon.  Fellows, I enjoyed it. That’s a special place and we will most assuredly go back. null

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2nd Annual Jay “JayB” Brewington Paddle-In

On Saturday April 24th, Paddle-Fishing.com held the 2nd annual JayB Paddle-In at Fort Desoto Park. Kayak anglers from all over came together to honor our friend who lost his battle with cancer two years ago. Along with his friend John Callahan, they started the hugely successful website where kayak anglers can share their passion for the sport. The site has grown immensely since its humble beginnings and is the host for the longest running kayak tournament series in the state.

But today we came to honor our dear departed friend, Jay Brewington.

Enjoy the pictures from today.

Barb Foster, Jay was her first boyfriend.

Just a sampling of the great food we had.

Barb Foster brought a single yellow rose and asked if someone would toss it upon the waters in memory of Jay. Tom Coffee paddled out to honor his long time friend.

As the day came to a close, we all raised a “Proper” glass to toast our good friend Jay Brewington.

The rest of these pictures are just random images.

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Exude – Cigar Mino

When Sam called to tell me he had some new Exude lures he wanted me to try, to say I was pumped is an understatement. I have been a big fan and die hard Exude user for some time. My personal favorites being the RT Slug. I have caught more redfish using the RT Slug in Arkansas Shad color than I can remember. In the past year I was turned onto the Exude Dart and it has quickly become my new favorite. Using the Gold Dart, I won a tournament sponsored by Paddle-Fishing.com last year and caught some of my personal best fish.

Exudes have always had that slimy feeling when you get them wet and these new lures were no exception. They are made with the same process designed to produce a scent trail while in the water. The new 4” Cigar Mino comes in 17 different colors, with the main feature being the over sized tail. My first thought while looking at that over size tail was this would be like other “swim” baits. I haven’t used those much, but the ones I have used I had great success with. Designed to be retrieved with a steady or stop and go action, the vibration of the oversize tail would provoke a strike. Most swim baits that I have used in the past are shaped quite different, usually very thick in the front and tapering down to the paddle tail. These new Cigar Mino’s are shaped more like other Exude lures, with an extreme oversize tail.

I did have somewhat limited success at first, but I attribute most of that to the fact we were just coming out of one of the worst winters on record. I was catching trout, but the redfish would not hit it, I think to the fast retrieve. At that time they were, and in some cases still are, keyed in on small crabs and shrimp, so chasing down a quick moving lure just wasn’t in the cards. But as the water has started to warm up and more bait is showing up on the flats, the redfish have been a bit more receptive. Casting out in front of this cruising redfish, it turned and quickly chased down the Cigar Mino in “Chicken on a Chain” color.

While the idea of a swim bait is very appealing, I have to say I was just a bit disappointed in the action of this new lure. With that oversize tail I thought you would really feel more action on the retrieve and that was not the case. I gave a few to some friends who also made the same comments. I even trimmed one down to see if it made any difference and the results were the same. However, I would use this lure a bit more in the coming months as the water continues to warm and the fish in our area key in on greenbacks and sardines.

If you haven’t tried any of the saltwater Exudes before, you need to try them.

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Spend five minutes on the phone with founder and CEO Chris Cenci and you’ll quickly come to realize what I suspect many have found to be true, this guy has an unbridled passion for fishing.  Combining over 30 years of offshore and inshore experience, Chris noticed a need for higher quality fishing lures to suit his style of power fishing.  With years of tournament fishing experience under his belt, he turned his attention towards producing lures that just weren’t available from most manufactures. Founded in 2007 Slayer Inc has positioned itself as the premier manufacture of high end fishing tackle for the inshore saltwater angler.

Slayer Inc produces two styles of jig heads, weedless jerk bait hooks, inline spinner bait lures as well as spinner bait lures. For the first part of this review I will be focusing on the jig heads and weedless jerk bait hooks.  These two are the ones that I prefer and use the most.

The Predator XXX Jigs

Standard

Available in 1/16oz., 1/8oz., 1/4oz. and 3/8oz. sizes with 3/0 or 4/0 hook (3/8oz only available with 4/0 hook). ***3 jigs per package

“When fishing with soft plastics in deeper water we found that most of the jigheads we were using would loose their finish from scraping around the submerged rocks, barnacles, and oysters. We were also frustrated that most brands came in different weights but only had one size hook which was a disadvantage when we wanted to use different sized baits. The Predator addresses those concerns with a variety of weights, colors, and hook sizes in addition to its triple dipped finish and recessed holographic eyes which will endure the abuse of heavy structure fishing.”

I particularly like these jig heads for a couple of reasons, especially the fact they come in different hook sizes. I feel this is really important when using larger lures, such as the Exude RT Slug. I would use a 4/0 size with this lure, and scale down to the 3/0 for an Exude Gold Dart or DOA Cal. The other reason is the two prong bait keeper that Slayer Inc incorporates on their jig heads.

Weedless

Available in 1/8oz. and 1/4oz. sizes with 3/0 or 4/0 hook. ***3 jigs per package ****Red, Pearl, Chartreuse and unpainted.

“The perfect solution for fish feeding on the bottom while in the grass. Whether you’re fishing around spartina, turtle grass or hydrilla, this jig will give you the opportunity to present your bait to fish that have their nose down; all the while keeping your bait grass free. Awesome for tailing redfish!”

The Destroyer XXX Jigs

Available in 1/8oz., 3/16oz., 1/4oz. and 3/8oz. size with 3/0 or 4/0 hook (1/8oz. only available in 2/0 hook, 3/8oz. only available with 4/0 hook). *** 3 jigs per package

“Tired of using other brands only to have the eyes scratch or fall off when he fished them around heavy cover, Chris Cenci developed the recessed holographic eye of The Destroyer and added the extra quality of a triple dipped finish. Another design advantage came from Eric Taylor who expressed the need for a better bait holder so the plastic stays on the jig when being skipped under docks and mangroves. The Destroyer fits the bill for live bait applications as well.”

XXX Penetrator – Weedless Wide Gap Hooks

“The Penetrators are Mustad Ultra Point hooks which come with a marine grade stainless bait keeper. These fish slaying hooks are available in red or black nickel and 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 sizes with 1/16oz, 1/8oz, 3/16oz and weightless weights. The Penetrator works great with any soft plastic or scented bait rigged weedless”.

The weedless hooks were my first introduction into the world of Slayer Inc.  As a big user of soft plastics, I found the usual weedless hooks just didn’t fit my liking.  I found the hooks from Slayer Inc to be super strong, super sharp and totally superior that what I could buy locally. I especially like the larger style screw type bait keeper.  Once you screw the bait all the way up to the gap at the eye of the hook, you get way more of the bait secured to the hook, preventing your bait from being dislodged once it gets whacked by that big redfish.

I prefer the 5/0 size hook, and the weight I use depends on the water depth and type of fishing I will be doing. If going after tailing redfish, I may choose the 5/0 in 1/16th oz. This setup works well on a Gulp 3” Shrimp rigged backwards. It’s already a heavy bait, so I like the 1/16oz weight as it will sink slower and not bury too far down in the grass. The 5/0 size works just fine on redfish, even pesky rat reds.

After talking with Chris for hours about the shared passion we have for inshore fishing, I have found my lure supplier for as long as he will continue to make them. Great customer service, reliable shipping (he usually throws in some extra goodies with each order) and a great product.

A quality product made by some quality people, check em out and make Slayer Inc your lure supplier today.

Look for part two of this review in the weeks to come as I will be reviewing the inline and regular spinner bait selections.

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Castaway Customs

I while ago I started a project for my

Malibu Stealth 14 Kayak to put some Sea Dek material on the casting platform. Spending most of my time poling, the hard plastic deck of the Stealth 14 made for some sore feet. So I got some prepackaged Sea Dek material from Sam and planned out my project.

First I started out by making some templates of the casting platform and side hatches. Simple construction paper works really well for making the templates.

I then cut the material, which came in separate pieces. Sea Dek comes in several different sizes and colors.

Its very easy to cut with a razor blade, you can even cut it with a pair of scissors. I recommend using a razor blade or razor knife, and make your cuts against a hard edge. This will make a nice clean cut.

I had chosen to cover the side hatches, as I don’t use them at all and wanted the full padding while standing. It gives you additional traction support when pulling yourself up to stand, provides some padding for your feet, quiets noise from dropped objects and looks really cool.

This Sea Dek material is very easy to work with, but be forewarned. Be ready to apply it once you peel off the backing. Its very, very sticky and does not come off very easily.

So, I posted a picture of my project on the

Team Malibu site and shortly afterwards I got a call from Capt. Alex Gorichky

He is also on the Malibu Pro Staff and had been thinking of putting some of the Sea Dek on his Stealth 14 also. Shortly after talking with Alex I got a call from Tyler Shealey of Castaway Customs

Castaway Customs “We specialize in custom SeaDek applications. What is SeaDek? SeaDek is a closed cell EVA foam formulated for the marine environment. It comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses to suit any application.  What is the purpose of SeaDek? The original purpose was to provide traction. Along with the great traction it also reduces fatigue, protects your boat, covers up chips and scratches, dampens sounds, and most of all looks great.”

Tyler was able to scan a Stealth 14 and cut some custom pads for the casting platform, side hatches and foot well area. These are really great in reducing pain and fatigue on the bottoms of your heels on those days you spend a long time on the water.

By cutting the side hatches in this manner, they are still readily accessible. They can be cut to cover the whole hatch if you so choose.

Plans are underway to scan other kayaks; Native Ultimate’s being the next one Tyler will be doing. Kits for the various kayaks will also be available, give them a call at 321-537-2039 for your custom creation.

Sea Dek, its not just for boats anymore.

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http://seadek.com/

Tyler Shealey

http://www.castawaycustoms.com/

We specialize in custom SeaDek applications. What is SeaDek? SeaDek is a closed cell EVA foam formulated for the marine environment. It comes in a variety of colors and thicknesses to suit any application.  What is the purpose of SeaDek? The original purpose was to provide traction. Along with the great traction it also reduces fatigue, protects your boat, covers up chips and scratches, dampens sounds, and most of all looks great.

tyler@castawaycustoms.com

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“The Cotee Cracker Shrimp is the world’s most advanced artificial shrimp. It has a life-like shape with a great tail action and lots of natural looking legs. Special foil is embedded in the tail that creates a brilliant flash and crackling sound just like a real shrimp. It’s shrimp scented too. Flash, sound and scent, the Cotee Cracker Shrimp is better than live bait.”

Conditions: Outgoing tide, N-NE winds, 10-15, then 15-25. Air Temp mid 80’s, Water Temp mid 70’s

Equipment: Quantum Boca 7’6” BCIS 76IM  medium action rod.                                                                                                                               
                    Quantum Catalyst PT20 Inshore Reel, 10 lb Power Pro, 25 lb Seagar Florocarbon leader

Lure: Mission Fishin 1/16 oz Chartreuse Weedless Jig Head on a Root Beer color Cracker Shrimp.

If you’re a big fan of using glass rattles in your lures, then you should really love this new lure from Cotee.  The Cotee Cracker Shrimp is a unique shrimp imitation lure that has a piece of foil embedded in the tail that emits a snapping or “Cracklin” sound when twitched.  I’m a big fan of using shrimp lures when working potholes, sand holes and grass line edges, so I was excited to try them out. This lure is a winner. Rigging this lure is simple, just use your favorite jig head, or you can rig it weedless without ruining the foil. I think this method might work very well for casting under docks. Casting it out into those holes, I just let it fall and gave it a hard twitch off the bottom. I found it easy to cast downwind, into the wind you will lose just a little distance due to all the little legs creating drag. It held up very well after a couple of very hungry redfish tried to eat it for lunch.

The Cotee Cracker Shrimp comes four to a pack, with ten different colors to choose from. Located in Port Richey, Florida check out this local tackle company for all their great products.

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I received a Norton Brass Rattler after the ICAST show that was held in Orlando recently and finally found the time to test it out the other night. To tell the truth, I was a bit skeptical.  Not anymore, over 100 inches of Redfish, Snook and Trout will change your mind real quick.

Conditions: Afternoon, mid 80’s.  Water temp, mid 70’s. Lite winds.  Incoming tide.

Equipment: Quantum Boca 7’6” BCIS 76IM  medium action  rod.
Quantum Catalyst PT20 Inshore Reel, 10 lb Power Pro, 25 lb Seagar Florocarbon leader

Lure: Norton Brass Rattler, 2 ¼”  7/16 oz  Pearl and Gold Flake.

“Norton Brass Rattler spoons are made to cast like a bullet. The rattle chamber is made from real pistol brass. The 5/8″ is from 38 cal., and the 7/16″ is from 32 cal. Both transmit loud clicking sound waves similar to frightened shrimp, crabs and crawfish combined with the bait fish rainbow finish provoke savage attacks from redfish, specks, bass, and other game fish. The unique long life weed guard on the weedless models is made from nylon-coated stainless steel cable.”

The first thing you notice about this unique lure is the rattle.  Made from an empty bullet shell, it makes a dull clicking sound when worked properly.  The other thing I really thought was different was the weed guard.  Made from coated stainless steel cable is completely flexible and can be rigged on or off the hook. After a full afternoon of use, it did get a little mis-shaped, but it is easily adjusted back to its original form.  Given regular use, I would use a slightly stiffer rod, as the heavier weight of the lure was a little bit too much for my medium action rod.  Like the website says, it casts like a bullet.  I found that you could really cast this lure a long way, even into a slight breeze.  The retrieve was much quicker than other spoons in order to obtain that back and forth wobble action that is desired in spoon lures. The hook set was really easy, and I found the hook stayed extremely sharp, even after numerous redfish.  The actual spoon part is made from a hard plastic which held up really well.  Some of the gold flakes wore off, but overall the finish held up great. I also like the contrasting red on the inside of the lure.

Overall, I was impressed with this lure.  Like I said, I didn’t have high expectations at first.  But after using this unique lure, I would highly recommend it to anyone.

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