KBF Grind: S2 ep1

My fault, my failure, is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them. Jack Kerouac

Thank God I have a wife that understands what makes me tick. She may not understand the big deal with kayak fishing but she knows that it is my passion and it plays a huge part in my life. I’d like to thank her from the bottom of my heart for her support. She knows me on a level that no one does and although she has shown the patience of Job towards me…I know that deep down she expects something greater to happen and with that I grind.

“Where would you rather be than right here, right now?” Marv Levy

If you didn’t know there is a national championship coming up…the Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship. I was there last year and there was no other place in the world that I’d would've rather been…none. I didn’t win it and although after finishing day one 18th out of 256, when day 2 was over I was not even close…I think I was 56th. Was I upset? No, There were some great fishermen there and if anyone thought it’d be easy they were sadly mistaken. The conditions were brutal and it affected everyone equally. Was I prepared…physically? Yes. Mentally? To an extent I was…but I know what I need to work on and that is adjustments. When to adjust and why. In saying that, it still doesn’t mean that I’ll win it this year.

 Do I think I can win it…I wouldn’t show up if I didn’t. This year, my track record with other tournaments gives zero credible evidence to back up my confidence. 12 tournaments with zero wins…if I were a major league pitcher I’d be sat down to the minors (or fired) so that’s essentially what I’ve done. I’ve gone back and looked at every tournament I entered and picked out my drawbacks. I did some very irresponsible things considering the level of competition that is in Northwest Ga. I ditched what I knew for second hand info and other times I stuck with a strategy that clearly wasn’t working out of stubbornness.

It’s a new year and I’m already grinding. I have the equipment to succeed and I am overly excited to get this season started. This year I will do the “cliché”, stick with my strengths while recognizing my weaknesses. I will say this too…a Championship is not the time to be messing around with new unproven techniques. Been there, done that.

Here’s my “not so detailed”  grind strategy.

• fish every chance I get... regardless of weather or how tired I am. The weather in the south is so  unpredictable that although the national championship is later in March  this year, it doesn’t mean that it’ll be warmer. I’ve seen it snow in April…so, I’ll take what the weather deals me and be ready to fish in cold, rainy, or icy conditions on March 31.

• work on my strengths…crank baits, swimbaits, jigs etc. I know my weaknesses within my strengths and that is a positive.

• organization- every thing from how I load my boat to how much tackle I take. Much work needed there.

• it may not be cold…it may be warm and the fish already on bed, so where can I go to fish for prespawn/spawning fish RIGHT NOW? Florida…going for a week real soon. I know it’s a far cry from Kentucky Lake but I can fish shallow water and work on some tactics that are worthless around here this time of year, plus, It’ll be warm.

• I’ll make a trip to Kentucky Lake in early March just to look around.

• in between all of that…I will fish, I know I said that already but feeling a fish bite, testing your setups i.e. line type, line weight and rods to hooksets and reading water/maps. It all helps in keeping you ready.

Again, this year…since no one has a standardized training regimen for kayak fishing tournaments…the spirit of my training will be “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.” Check back for the next blog entry about my Road to the Championship. Peace

Note:This blog series is a most helpful tool for me. I'll share my thoughts , failures, successes and ideas...Just not too detailed. I then can go back and look it over and maybe one day my future grand kid may read it and think...I had one crazy ass paw paw.

My daughter's blog site, check it out...

http://ordinaryhaley.blogspot.com/2016/03/just-little-of-everything.html?m=1

Blitzkrieg on the Flats

BLITZKRIEG
pr. bliss-kreeg
German for "lightning war"


I recently spent a week alone on the gulf coast of Florida. My reason for being there was an inshore fishing tournament that I didn't do so well in but the pre-fishing days leading up to it was full of many awesomely unique experiences. I saw manatee, eagles, sharks and...tarpon.

Tarpon were not a target species in the tournament so I really wasn't geared up to tackle the "Silver King" of the flats but when you're fishing and you see one of these bruisers surface, well, you're gonna try and catch it.

This particular day, I had launched my kayak before daylight, paddled a mile down the shore then a mile out in the bay...twice, fishing the whole time with very little luck. On my paddle back through the mangroves that evening some ibis' had flown in to roost ,so I eased over, admired them and took some pictures then continued my paddle in. As I entered a small bay like area I noticed some surface activity, it looked to be a small snook feeding on finger mullet then I saw it...the back of a fish breached the water. At first I didn't know what it was but another one breached showing the unmistakable dorsal fin of a tarpon.

The peaceful float back to camp just got put on hold. You see, I've grown up reading about or watching folks like Lefty Kreh, Stu Apte, Flip Pallot and later José Wejebè chase these fish on TV and in magazines. It would be an understatement to say that catching one would be anything less than a dream come true and here was my chance. I knew immediately that I was severely under gunned with my inshore rigs spooled with 15 pound test but I wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.

First, I tossed a jig, then a jerk bait with no takers. I then grabbed my rod that had a mirro-lure walk the dog type topwater plug on it and made a long cast. Walk the dog refers to the action the lure makes when you twitch the bait while reeling. When done properly the lure will dart from side to side mimicking a wounded baitfish. I want to add that I've caught bass and striped bass on topwater lures before and they both possess the ability to create an impressive strike but what I was about to experience makes those strikes look like pure amateur stuff...after 6 or 8 twitches I was about to be baptized into big boy fishing. The hit was so violent that it startled me. I set the hook and the lure came wizzing by my head. The fish disappeared for a few minutes then I saw one breach again...same as before...long cast, twitch twitch twitch and wrooosh!!!! The fish rolled on my bait without a hook up. 3's a charm right? When I saw another breach, I made the cast and started my retrieve...twitch, twitch, twitch. This time the fish came from several yards behind my lure. I watched it's wake  and anticipated the strike...WROOOSH!!! This strike had all of the anger, attitude and precision of a blitzkrieg. I set the hook and I had him. It probably lasted only a few seconds but the fish stripped line like my reel was on free spool then it did what tarpon are so famous for...it jumped, twice! It looked to be in the 20-30 lb range and eventually threw the hook, this creek chub fisherman from the hills of North Georgia raised his first tarpon all by himself while in a kayak. It was the most intense bit of raw nature I'd ever witnessed on the other end of my line. It made up for my poor showing in that Sunday's tournament and while I may not enter another saltwater tourney, I will most definitely go back to E.G. Simmon's park with a plan...not to raise a "Silver King" but to get my hands on one. Peace

Jackson Kayak Fishing Blog: Paddle to your Island Paradise 25 Aug2015

...just the thought of paddling out to an island to camp and fish would put a smile on most faces.

The latest article that I wrote for the Jackson Kayak Fishing Blog . This is what I'm most passionate about and I hope you enjoy it. Peace

Link: http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2015/08/25/paddle-island-paradise-pt-1/

Jackson Kayak Blog: An Appalachian Wild Goose Chase

An article I wrote about one of the most beautiful lakes in the Southeast USA.

Link: http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2015/06/14/appalachian-wild-goose-chase/

Georgia's Grand Cathedrals pt1

This series will feature some of Georgia's most beautiful places, at least that I've seen. I hope you enjoy them.

Georgia is a hot bed for outdoorsman. It doesn't matter if you paddle, hike, fish or hunt...this state has the finest to offer in some of the most pristine areas around. I'll start this with my favorite place in the state...Little Tybee Island. The fishing is good, there are clams to dig and the island is virtually untouched by civilization. It has a vast maritime forest to explore that looks straight out of an old Tarzan movie. The beach, besides the little bit of trash, looks no different than it did when the Yamassee indians  fished and hunted there 500 years ago.
If you like to camp, fish and wish to visit a truly magical place, you have to give this place a visit.
Do your homework... I planned every trip through information I got off of the internet. I called local paddle shops for shuttle information.(fyi:parking on Tybee Island is outrageous but its free outside the city limits and the paddle shop will have info on that) You'll need to take enough water and food for the trip. Bug repellent is a good ...no, great idea to take along and make sure you have suitable camping gear for the coastal winds and storms that may pop up.
This island is raw nature...it doesn't care if you're there or not. As beautiful as it is it can definitely bite back so, show her great respect by planning appropriately, tread lightly, leave no trace and enjoy the magic. Peace
This is a video I made from my last trip to Little Tybee.

Beautiful creatures like beautiful places...

There is a river in North Florida named Santa Fe...warm and the color of a strong tea it makes its way towards the gulf. At it's headwaters it rises from the ground in magnificent fashion. Not as a trickle but full flowing and ready to support the diverse ecosystem that surrounds it. Along its path there are beautiful blue springs that are nestled in pockets along the shoreline feeding the river as it grows. The banks are lined with cypress and live oaks draped in spanish moss. The river is home to manatees, alligators, numerous birds of every color and in my opinion...the jewel of this flow, the Suwannee bass. Although small...the world record is 3lb 14oz...the Suwannee bass is full of fight and a real badass but wears the most beautiful colors of any black bass species. His favorite food are crayfish which thrive along the limestone bottom this ancient river has carved. This fish is not hard to catch since they are voracious feeders, all you need is a small jig or crankbait that mimicks a crawfish and the ability to not be completly hypnotized by the river's beauty. To float and paddle the Santa Fe is an experience to behold because it is one of God's great outdoor cathedrals. If you kayak fish I urge you to do a quick Google search, after you explore via the web give "Santa Fe Canoe Outpost" a call...they can set up a shuttle and give you all of the information you'll need about camping and fishing on this river. The folks at the "outpost" love the Santa Fe and are eager to help anyone wanting to explore it. Make time for a trip to experience this jewel of old Florida and if you're lucky you may hit the motherlode of the Santa Fe's hidden gems, the Suwannee bass.

The only time I've ever seen a building as beautiful as nature...

In December of 1990 I was 21 years old and stationed at Buchel Air Base Germany, my friend asked me to go with him to check out Burg Eltz...all I knew was I'm going to see a castle. We drove about a half hour , parked in a gravel parking lot and set out on a trail that led down the side of a mountain. It was snowing and the ground had a light dusting on it. I'm from Silver Creek, Ga and I'd seen plenty of woods, snow and gravel parking lots but when we rounded a curve in the trail and I looked off into the valley I was treated to one of the most beautiful sites I could imagine ... Behold "Burg Eltz"