"Road to the Championship" blog 2

    Planning for the unknown is difficult...I have no idea what the weather will be on March 19 when I paddle out for the 2016 KBF National Championship, no idea what the water temperature will be and certainly no idea where the fish will be. At this point it's a guessing game but I can put myself in different situations and I can visit unfamiliar lakes and try to figure the fish out there...its just practice and as long as you're putting forth the effort and learning then that part of the preparation has been successful.

Last Friday me and a friend drove up to Sparta Tennessee with the intentions of fishing the Collins river for muskie but as my luck would have it, the Collins was high and muddy. We came up with a new plan where we'd fish the clearer Caney Fork river on Friday then fish a section of Center Hill Lake on  Saturday.

     We launched Friday around 1pm into the Caney Fork and was immediately startled with the depth of the river. There were spots that reached 40 feet, the water was 46° and was moving pretty fast. For about 3 hours we fished a  1/2 mile stretch of river. We tried every thing that we had, from jigs to crankbaits but nothing worked. After a frustrating few hours we called it quits and headed to our camp.

   Saturday morning we were greeted with 24° air temps at one of the many boat ramps on Center Hill Lake. We launched into extremely stained water and headed up river to the falls. The water was high and 46° and the fish were uncooperative. On the flip side the high water made the "falls" a magnificent site...that coupled with the steep Bluff walls along the river and the occasional bald eagle truley made the lack of fish unnoticeable. We paddled and fished for 9 straight hours and the next day my shoulder felt as if a draft mule had kicked it numerous times but it was great hanging out and fishing with some fellow Jackson Kayak teammates. After a nice dinner at a local restaurant and some rest I packed up and headed back to Georgia. On the ride home I heard that the bite was on at one of our local lakes so I took Sunday off from fishing, changed my tackle around and planned to fish this local lake on Monday.

Monday morning was cold and extremely windy. The news of 18-20 mph sustained winds almost kept me in but I decided to go ahead and chance it. My thoughts were, if it was tournament day we'd be fishing.

   I started out fishing some sheltered deep timber with no luck then got a quick ride courtesy of the wind to the other side of the lake. The lake was white capping and as I drifted over a point I threw a downsized bait and was immediately bitten. The fish felt like a nice one and after I landed it she was 18" on the hawg trough...a solid fish by any measure but too late in the day to determine a pattern. I'd be back on Tuesday and take up where I left off.

Tuesday was colder and exactly what February should look like. 34° temps, snow and a northwest wind. Again, I debated on staying home but I had to see if the fish would be triggered by the front that had set in. Upon reaching the boat ramp (which is normally packed) I noticed one other boat on the water and immediately thought...it'll be good or this will be stupid but you won't know unless you go. I launched in an almost white out, paddled to yesterday's point and after several casts with the same lure from the day before caught a 14" bass. He was just a small one but I wasn't skunked and I knew that others may be hungry....in the fishing game, confidence is a very powerful component and in competition a confident angler is hard to beat. It only takes one fish to gain that confidence and now I had it.

The other boat in the lake came by and stopped to talk, he introduced himself as Jason Mullinax from Cartersville. Jason is an engineer by profession and an avid tournament angler. He fishes local tours as well as competing as a co-angler on the Walmart FLW tour where he's had some impressive success. Looking back, we probably looked like a couple of dummies... I held onto his bass boat while he kneeled out of the wind and snow having a long conversation about tournaments, Kentucky Lake, and just fishing in general. I found out that he was as passionate about the sport as I was and although we went after fish in boats opposite of each other on the spectrum, there was a mutual respect for each other. Jason gave me some good information about what these fish were doing and I headed off to the other side of the lake.

An hours worth of fighting the wind and snow I headed back to the spot where I'd caught my lone fish. I cast my downsized lure and started my retrieve...3 fish on 6 casts with a combined length of 56" of fish later, suddenly I no longer felt the cold. Confidence was renewed in me. I felt a sense of victory considering the conditions and the size of fish I caught and left with a smile. I certainly have a lot to work on but so far so good...peace!

"The Road to the Championship" blog 1

Championships...recently we were treated to a couple of the greatest championship games on the planet. The Superbowl and the NCAA College Football Championship, unfortunately my teams didn't even get a sniff at the chance to contend for it but I enjoyed watching both of the games. I love watching the intensity and heart that a player puts out during "the big game". I've always thought that if I was faced with competing for a championship that I'd put forth the same effort.

    In my 46 yrs on earth, I've only played in two Championships... The 1978 " Santa Bowl" where the Pepperell Dragons Mite football team (my team) won and the 1991 "Buchel Bowl", a flag football championship where we lost in the final seconds. I don't really remember how it felt to win that big game but I do remember explicitly the pain felt with the loss. I personally know people that have won state championships in wrestling, football, baseball and even two friends that have NCAA Football National Championship rings but I've not been blessed with the opportunity to compete on the really big stage...until now. The Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship...on March 19 and 20th 2016 almost 400...yes 400 Kayak anglers will go at it on Tennessee's legendary Kentucky Lake to see who is the best that there is. For us that eat, breath and live kayak fishing this is the ultimate championship...this is our Superbowl.

    As I stated before, I don't have a lot of experience in preparing for championships but I do have a plan...have you ever seen the movie "Dodge Ball"? There is a scene where the underdog dodge ball team meets their new coach, Patches O'Houlihan. Patches is a salty old dude that's bound to a wheel chair. Shortly after meeting the team he decides to run a drill where he pulls some wrenches out of a bag and starts throwing them at members of the team...when asked why he was throwing wrenches he says, " If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." It makes perfect sense to me...until the week of the tournament when I will be on Kentucky lake for practice, I will fish no matter what the weather is or how I feel and I will fish in lakes that are known to be hard lakes to fish like Lake Allatoona (aka: the Dead Sea)...if you can consistently catch Bass in the "Dead Sea" I believe you can probably do it anywhere.



With this blog series I am inviting you along with me on my journey to the greatest game I've ever played in. The next month and a half will hopefully be entertaining and I'm sure a little adventurous. So tag along and win or lose I'm going to give it all that I have. It's game time folks and I'm all in. Peace and thank god for little plastic boats!


Note: I ask if you would please leave in the comments where you're from and any other information you'd like to share...anything from criticism to a secret bait for Kentucky lake or where some schools of GIANT largemouth may be lurking in the lake.
                            Thanks, Jim

http://jacksonkayak.com/communities/kayak-fishing-community/

   http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/

https://bendingbranches.com/

The Big Rig's "B" Side

At any given time of day there is a good chance that one of two things are going on inside my head. There's a good song playing or I'm scheming for my next kayak fishing trip.

 I'm always listening to music and its been that way since I was a young boy. I grew up in the mid 70's - early 80's and the highlight of the week was going to the record store at the mall with my $5 allowance. I'd buy a new single record from my favorite band and then hit the arcade for a few games of Pac Man. A single was a record with two songs. It had an "A" side and a "B" side. The "A" side was always the feature song and the most popular. The "B" side was normally a forgettable song but every so often there was a hidden gem on that "B" side. I remember buying The Police's "Every Breath You Take" single and the "B" side had a song called "Murder by Numbers" which is still one of my favorite Police songs.

   Now that I'm much older and in the age of music downloads the "B" side is a forgotten term and I no longer save money for records, now I save to buy kayak fishing equipment. Last year I purchased a brand new Jackson Big Rig kayak from my local Jackson dealer, Cohutta Fishing Company. They had the urban camo edition standing on its end just inside the front door and I was impressed. The boat came from the factory completely rigged and ready to fish. They laid her down on the floor and asked me to try the seat. It was the most comfortable kayak seat I'd ever sat in. I knew it would be stable due to the width, the side fishing rod troughs were perfect for the type of fishing I do because I tend to get in some brushy areas. The storage capacity and weight limit would more than suit my needs for multi day float trips, the leaning rail really excited me because I could picture slowly drifting the grass flats of St.Joe's Bay in the Florida panhandle for schools of redfish. This boat's "A" side was exactly what I was looking for. I went home and tried to do some research on this newly released boat and found some very good reviews. They all talked about the stability, deck rigging, seat and the ability to stand while fishing which were the same features I'd been told about at the dealer. I decided to buy what seemed to be the perfect boat for me. I stopped at a public lake on the way home and paddled my new Big Rig for the first time and I loved it.

   My passion is river fishing and my first trip was to my favorite North Georgia tailrace river for a true boat test and hopefully a trout or two. On this river is where I discovered my boats dynamic "B"side. The Big Rig has a very shallow draft and allowed me to float through areas that my last boat wouldn't. I expected some added resistance in the river current due to the boat's size but it actually turned and maneuvered very well allowing me to duck into pocket eddies along the river. When I came to a favorite section of river that is slower and deeper I stood up. As I stood there drifting in the standing position I realized that for me, this is the perfect river boat. That higher point of view offered me the ability to see underwater structure, eddies, current breaks and even fish from a distance that allowed me to cast before the fish were aware I was around. On that trip I landed my largest brown trout ever, a 24 inch 5 pound female beauty.

   Since that first float trip I've owned my Big Rig for 14 months. I've had it on the water over 175 times, its been on 7 different rivers ranging from the mountain tailrace I mentioned above to a blackwater river in North Florida.  This boat is by no means a "whitewater" kayak but I've ran some decent class 2 plus rapids in it. I've had it loaded down with enough equipment for a 3 day float trip plus my fishing gear and the boats performance was only slightly affected. Best of all, I stand for hours on end fishing. I can cast and set the hook without feeling unbalanced and I can stand and sit with ease. It is literally like having a bass boat on my favorite trout river. The Big Rig has added a whole new dimension to my river fishing that I didn't expect. I've caught more fish and I'm a better fisherman because of it.

   I don't know if Jackson had planned on the Big Rig being such a diverse fishing platform but this unknown side of my boat is the most exciting feature I've found. It is an outstanding kayak for all types of water and fishing applications and if you're in the market for a new kayak this boat should definitely be on your list to try. Her "A" side is a huge hit but the "B" side rocks too.

Jackson Kayak blog: Riverbassin Cartersville re-cap

http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2015/12/27/cartersville-riverbassin-team-rivergoat/

Jackson kayak blog: peace of mind

This article was posted on the jackson kayak site on christmas eve...Merry Christmas to me.
http://jacksonkayak.com/blog/2015/12/25/finding-peace-mind-home-water/

Haley's letter

On Thanksgiving morning I'll take my daughter to catch a flight to Big Sky ski resort in Montana. She's accepted a job that will last until April...


Leaving home and everything that is comfortable is hard, it'll be the hardest thing youll probably ever do. You won't have me to point out the briar patches or the thick mud like I did on our fishing and camping adventures. This is all you and I'm confident that you'll be fine. This may a bit cliché but its in your blood...you can groom this urge for further adventure or put it on a shelf.

Fear will tell you to quit. Don't listen. Be hard headed and prove to yourself just how tough you are.

You are going to change but it will be good change...some people call it a soul search...this is a time that you realize just how strong you are, when you understand things that you've been clueless about in the past. You'll realize how smart you are and just how ignorant you've been. It's OK, learn from it...this will only make a better "you".

You'll realize that what scared you in the past was silly and that the real fear is not living...you have a ticket to live large, to see beauty that others only see in books. Take it all in and thank god for the opportunity and courage to go on this adventure.

This is the time in your life that you go with the flow... you'll see that Rome Georgia...as awesome as it is has its faults...Have an open mind and embrace what every single person you meet brings into your life, whether it's positive or negative, tuck those observations back in your mind because 20 years from now what information you gathered will be nuggets of wisdom. It will make life much easier down the road.

Never turn down a chance to see the country side...especially with a local. It could be a river, a ski run or a restaurant. Go check it out. They don't call it Big Sky country for nothing.

Don't worry about home...I've got this. It'll be here when you return.

If you need anything... Call me. I have been exactly where your mind is right now. I've felt the same fears and anxiety that you'll feel. I've also skied down an 10,000 foot mountain, dove in to local culture and had the time of my life. It changed me too...

So, these tears that you may see flowing down my face on Thursday may alarm you...don't let them. Not one of them will be sad tears...they're simply tears of pride and happiness. You see, I see some of me in you. I want you, my daughter, my teammate to live life like its an ongoing adventure.

Make friends...

Work hard...

Play harder...

This is all you...kick some ass.
I love you

"My First Ultimate Adventure "

    My friend Bill Clifton's mom, very bluntly said, "you're 19, school or the service."

Those words hit home...not what I wanted to hear but definitely something I needed.
I had never folded, ironed or washed clothes, hell, I'd only shaved a couple of times but I went to see the recruiter and I chose the United States Air Force Security Police.

On 28 November 1988 I flew to San Antonio Tx for basic training...I was green, scared and the prototypical Mamma's boy. After 14 weeks in San Antonio and  4 weeks of training at Fort Dix NJ I emerged a changed man and could iron the hell out of some clothes and could put a sweet shine on a pair of jungle boots.

My first duty station was Carswell AFB (aka...CarsHELL) in Fort Worth Tx. The duty was less than desired but I have some great memories and made some great friends...Joeseph G. Schmauss III, Ali Turon, Andreas Liss, Bob DeLeon were some of the best people I'd ever met.

Word got around our dormitory that a pile of orders were at headquarters and they thought I was going to Turkey...oh hell naw! I had requested Germany, Guam, the Azore's, Italy and Japan...something had to be wrong but then again I hadn't requested Fort Worth Texas in the previous "dream sheet" either.

When I arrived at headquarters I found that I indeed had orders but to my surprise, they were orders to an fairly unknown base in Germany....Buchel Air Base.

 Buchel was actually a German Base known as Fliegerhorst Buchel with a small US detachment of about 100 Americans. It was on top of a mountain surrounded by agriculture fields, farms and small villages. In the valley below was the Mosel River and wine country. It was some of the most beautiful country I'd ever seen with it's castles, vineyards and cobblestone streets.

I left a sunny 70 degree Atlanta day knowing  that this leg of my military service was the adventure that I had sought. I landed 12 hours later in a rainy cold Frankfurt Germany and was met at by fellow airmen Dave Torok and Mike Fluck at my gate. I remember thinking on the ride to Buchel, "Hoss, I'm a long long way from home." While that was true, everybody else was a long way from home too.  I made friends with David Towler, Dan Smith,  Eric Nollman, Don "Ski" Swiatkowski, Paul Flaherty, Dave Mapus, Jeff Richardson, Bill Haldeman, Wolf Shiedel, John Cunningham, Cephus Sturdivant and Greg Murphy (RIP)...we were all in the same boat. We partied hard, worked hard and played hard. We won best USAF small unit and in our off time went to numerous wine fests and skied in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

While I'm much different now than I was then, those 4 short years were the single most educational, mind opening piece of my life. It was a pleasure to serve and a blessing to have served with the quality of men that I did.