WAVEWALK KAYAKS

New Fishing Trip Report From Darrell >>

When Darrell had first contacted us, he explained that he was a big guy suffering from lower back pain, and had some balance issues. He’d sold his large size aluminum canoe years ago because he no longer felt comfortable in it, and he’s been researching kayaks and canoes.
Darrell realized he wouldn’t be able to endure sitting in SOT or SIK kayaks, and since he can ride an ATV with a decent amount of comfort he chose to order a W500 Gr, which he got recently.

Darrell Has already designed a unique plexiglas dash that takes the W kayak one step closer to offering the amenities found in a modern, good size motorized fishing boat.
Says Darrell:
-”I think the boat and I need a little more time in the water to be fair with a full review.
I am enjoying my W500 and I am more comfortable each trip. I am going to try standing as soon as the water warms up some. I have caught a few fish out of it, I have mounted a plexiglas dash in it that holds two tackle boxes and my front mounted rod holders. I also added a clip in kayak seat back that works great. I put together a cart using two large trash can wheels.
I tried it in some current last week which did not work as well as I had hoped but I think I will learn to handle it much better with time. Next week I am going to take it to a place with a little less current and more room to maneuver. All in all it is working out great with no problems from the equipment.”

And this is Darrell presenting the results:

New Fishing Trip Report From Darrell >>

The Connecticut Fishermen won this round, the state rolled back fishing/hunting fees, fishing is now $28. instead of $40.
A big plus for the state, even though I still paid the $40 in March, there was no way I was going to fish without my fishing license.

The fishing has been good.
I have not taken my yak out for a fishing trip yet.
But I have gotten out with my friend Daddy Pickle, since March.

We’ve fished Congamond Lake and the Connecticut River.

Congamond Lake is an amazing body of water, it holds many trophy fish, and I had the pleasure of fighting and landing one.

March 10th 2010 Congamond Lake:

If today was my last day on earth, this is how I want to go.

My First Atlantic Salmon ever, and a Trophy Salmon to boot!

30″ and at least 12 lbs if not more, my batteries in my scale were dieing, so the reading wouldn’t read correctly.

It was 20 minutes of pure heaven and pure hell, all rolled into one!

All caught on my RayZ custom Smallie med-lite St Croix rod, with a Prodigy 1500 reel spooled with vanish 8 lb test.

This Fish hit like a freight train, my drag screaming, I’d gain a little ground and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ off she’d go.

I’d gain some back and ZZZZZZZZZZZZ, get her boat side and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, this fish was beating me up good, my arm was killing me.

To afraid to touch the drag, in fear of breaking my light line.

After two more runs out to deeper water she tired enough for Daddy Pickle to sweep her into the boat, even though she did not fit in our Bass Net.

It is a catch, that will be forever etched into my brain.
She was released to be caught another day.

I still can’t wipe the smile off my Face!!

I’ve been chasing Stripers and Smallies on the Connecticut River.

Some were caught from shore, and a few were caught in my Buddy (DaddyPickles) Boat.

I caught my first Keeper Striper of the 2010 season.

29″, caught with a 4″ paddle tail by Strike King, sexy Shad color.
It was a great battle in the strong current on the Connecticut River.

Some very nice Smallies have been caught in the mix too.
All smallies were caught with a 1/8 oz ball jig, rigged with a 2″ paddle tail grub, in rainbow trout color.

So I’d say my season has started off with a bang.

Next week I will be starting some yak adventures along with the release of the
Snapping Turtle (Berine Mack) I rescued last Year from Rainbow Reservoir.
He’s grown quite large, and is ready and able to fend for himself.

Hope all is well.

Tight Lines.

Rox

Jeff McGovern to conduct kid’s inshore fishing clinic at Genung’s Fish Camp, Crescent Beach, January 23

Palatka, FL 1/4/10—Come spend an exciting, fun day with Jeff McGovern at Genung’s Fish Camp from 9 AM to Noon on January 23, 2010. Learn how to choose lures, bait, line and rigging to catch more fish in fresh and saltwater.
Emmrods will be featured and there will be a drawing for an Emmrod Packer Combo donated by Jeff’s Tackle Box at the end of the program. This free event is open to youth and youth groups of all ages and their parents and chaperones.
Coffee and donuts will be provided.

Registration is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.

Genung’s Fish Camp is located at 291 Cubbedge Road (just below the 206 bridge at US 1), Crescent Beach, FL. For more information or to register, please contact Johnny at (904) 471-4144.

For more information about Jeff McGovern or Emmrod, go to www.jeffstacklebox.com

It’s time for another look at this style of bait and the rigging that works best.  I just got back from another of the McGovern family trips to Canada fishing Lake of the Woods.  As with the last three years, the Redfish Magic type lures caught the vast majority of the fish for everyone.  Even folks not in our group, who we had told about the lures years back, were using them with equal success.  It did not even matter what species of fish — northern pike, muskie, walleye, and smallmouth bass all succumbed to these baits.  If you have not tried this type of lure (especially if you live in the northern areas), don’t do it unless you are prepared to catch fish after fish.

I’ve gotten to the point where I build them as required from available rigging.  But if you chose to tear open a Redfish Magic and use it straight from the package, that’s fine too.  They are considered saltwater bait.  The original design is called a jig spinner.  The first of its type was the Beetle Spin, which you can read about in another article here on this site.  Redfish Magic was intended to be a heavy weight version to catch redfish in US coastal inshore waters.   It works very well as intended, but when you transition to freshwater, it works even better.  The lure is two sections: a jig spinner harness with a blade swivel combo, a safety pin type clasp, and then a jig head which attaches to the clasp.  The jig head can be adorned with a variety of trailers from plastic to bucktail.  You can vary the weight of the presentation by simply going to a lighter or heavier jig head.

Rigging properly gets the most out of this style lure.  I avoid the use of as much hardware as possible for this bait.  My preferred method of use is to tie a leader to my main line first.   Last week in Canada, it was 15 lb fluorocarbon for 8lb mono line and 20lb fluorocarbon for heavier lines.  The leader is attached to the main line using a four turn surgeon’s knot.  The lure is tied to the leader using a canoeman’s loop knot.  Both those knots can be found and explained here in this site, as well.  Most important, before tying on the lure, is to put a small section of 1/8 inch ID clear plastic tubing over the “R” bend of the shaft.  This creates a closed attachment loop and prevents the leader loop from sliding onto the shaft of the harness.  It also adds a movement or articulation point so the bait has more action in the water.  With zero hardware (metal leaders, snaps, and swivels), you will catch more fish.  The fluorocarbon leader is tough enough for even toothy fish like pike and muskie.

Our success with this type of lure and rigging is unbelievable.  When we introduce it to other anglers, they are a bit skeptical.  However, after they make the first attempt, they are solidly hooked.  What’s funny is how this usually happens.  We talk about the bait and even show pictures.  They smile and say “Hey, that’s great!” and give the lure to their kids to try first.  You know– too simple, only one hook, great for kids– all that sort of thing.  Then, on the first day with it on the water, they are right back casting their expensive baits with loads of gang trebles on them.  Of course, the kids are just catching fish right and left with Redfish Magics, while the adults pull in empty lures.  By about 10AM, and who knows how much bribery, everyone is fishing them.  When the group heads in for the day, the live well is full and there are some great shots in the camera.
For those of you reading this with a little skepticism, I understand.  The lure is cheaper than most and does not have flashy lights or a super realistic finish.  Put that aside and buy some–you won’t be disappointed. Follow the rigging instructions and make sure you have strong arms for all the pulling you will be doing.  The best places to find them in the south are places that sell saltwater tackle.  In the north, you can find them online in the saltwater lure sections of fishing gear stores and catalogs.

Jeff McGovern (c) 2009

More kayak fishing articles by Jeff

And here is the movie that Jeff sent us, showing his new fishing rod holder, or positioning device:

-”It’s all hype so far. In comparing the Kayak Angler guide to a much wider distributed magazine or rather catalog the information is about the same.  I’ve got both [brand of fishing gear stores] and [brand of fishing catalog] catalogs at the house and the hype you see for various products and the crazy claims are much the same.  For example reels that won’t backlash and can make you a better fisherman.  Total and complete nonsense, I know people that have purchased baitcast reels because of the claims and after a few days use never ever go back to that style.  They did not live up to the claims.

Sometimes people can be saved.  My friend for example had loads of trouble with a bait caster.  I looked at his reel an older hand me down from a relative and found it sound but in need of tuning.  That issue combined with a very one broken down rod was his problem. I tore down and serviced the reel.  Then at a visit to [fishing gear store] had him buy something that complemented that older reel.  Now he loves the setup because it works and it fits him properly.  If he had only seen the catalogs and bought the hype nothing would have worked.

Lures might be the worst of all with claims of filling the boat if a certain brand or type of lure is thrown.  It’s made more complicated by the late night infomercials for things like the Banjo Minnow.
I know the whole thing is upsetting, but remember Wavewalk really does have a totally different boat.  It is like nothing before it, and it will become a boat for the masses.  Other fishing kayaks answer no current issues with the back or comfort since you still sit low.

The answer most folks seem to have to the comfort problem is to add a really nice seat, that I verified by checking with guys with our kayak group here.  They keep upgrading their seats.  First an additional pad then more padding and finally dropping big dollars (like 200+) for a fancy aftermarket seat.  Of course it solves nothing long term.  Fact is boats should have had comfort taken into account up front but I guess that takes away their price advantage. Of course in your case the Wavewalk seat is already there and requires nothing else to work.  Also your day is not ruined when you show up to fish and find you’ve forgotten your seat.
The accessory market is also very interesting.  For the added cost of the “factory” rod holders you really can’t use them in a sit on top.  If you do you subject your reels to loads of saltwater wash over but then again I guess that is good for the reel companies.  Treated in that fashion unmaintained reels would make it maybe one season.

Talking about reels one of the local radio fishing shows here nearly gave me a heart attack a couple of weeks back.  They were on air talking about proper equipment care after use in saltwater.  What they recommended would only benefit a reel repair business or the tackle firms themselves.  Those fellows recommendations were just so wrong.  I tried to call at the time of the broadcast to be on air.  But while I was waiting and driving at the same time my cell lost it’s signal.  By the time I got one again they were on to other subjects and the screener said the lines were too full. I did try again last weekend when they were on but my subject was not on the table so I didn’t make the show.
Oh well, sometimes the pioneers like Wavewalk take the sling and arrows.  I like helping shoot back.  The W kayak is the best of it’s kind in paddlecraft.
– Jeff”

-”My fishing last Sunday was off the chain.  I caught a red an inch bigger than the one a few days before so it was just at the top of the legal limit.  It hit a topwater lure that I worked with what we call a “walking the dog” action .  Pulled like a freight train and actually had me and the W in tow for almost three minutes.  It headed right down a long channel between oyster beds pulling line against the drag at times.  Finally I was able to turn it’s head and within another few minutes got it to the net.

I managed to top off the red with three nice chunky legal seatrout so the meal should be great.  Other than the fish that went home I caught 11 more trout and 12 redfish of which 4 were actually legal as well but the limit is one per day to take. On top of that I got 4 jacks and three ladyfish.  In the interest of the gear heads like me the tackle was as follows:
Redfish 27″ – 16lb Momoi mono line with no leader tied with a loop knot to a Rapala Skitterwalk the smaller size.  The rod was a St Croix glass 5’10″ casting rod and the reel an ABU Record 40
All the others  – 10lb Fireline with either a 15 or 20 lb FC leader.  The lures were a Mirrodine plug or a 1/8oz red jig head with a Sugar Glow Gulp 3 inch shrimp.  The rods were St Croix 7′ Med light Premiers and the reels my old favorite Daiwa 1300SS Whisker Series.

I also tried out a new W accessory that worked very well called a shallow water stick pin.  I’ll write that up soon after a few more weeks of trials.–Jeff”



Jeff McGovern elucidates this complex and sometime confusing issue in a new article entitled Choosing a Bait Caster.

In his article Jeff methodically explains and advises the new kayak angler about different rods, reels and lines, and helps see more clearly into the huge product offering available today in the field of fishing tackle.

The article includes pictures.

By the way, Jeff serves as adviser to tackle manufacturers, and last time he counted he had three hundred fishing rods in his collection…

Children normally find it harder to paddle and navigate than most adults do since they have less power and less developed motoric and spatial skills than adults have.
Kayak Touring is usually associated with the use of long and narrow traditional sit-in kayaks called Touring Kayaks or Sea Kayaks.
Paddling those kayaks requires either exceptional paddling skills or the use of a rudder (or both) for tracking, and it also requires the ability to roll the kayak in case it needs to be outfitted with a spray skirt.
These factors largely prevent children from using traditional touring kayaks and limits them to using wide, open cockpit sit-in or SOT kayaks known as ‘recreational’ kayaks that track poorly unless paddled with a rudder, which in its turn both impedes them as well as complicates things for them.
Therefore, it is quite rare to see children taking part in kayak trips in their own kayaks. The more common solution is using tandem kayaks, or canoes, but most kids love their independence and since they ride their bikes alone from an early age in most cases they expect to paddle their own kayak too, or at least prefer to do so.

The W Kayak tracks better than monohull kayaks, and therefore you never need a rudder to help it track. It’s also more ergonomic for kids than monohull kayaks are since the higher W paddling position adds power to both their paddling and control efforts.

Similarly, children can be taught to participate in kayak fishing trips in their own W kayaks from an early age. The problem in such cases is to make sure that they can operate their fishing tackle safely and independently.