Wavewalk Kayaks

The first unofficial Wavewalk group fishing outing in Florida was held December 14, 2009 at Crystal River, Florida.  Gary Rankel, Ed Wheeler and I participated, fishing out of the new 2009 W500 fishing kayaks.  Ed and I were in our bright yellow boats and Gary was in his green “Packer Yaker” (the name of which I understood only after asking him about it–seems he is a life long Green Bay Packer fan with as much passion for the team as he has for fishing.)

We started the day at our usual breakfast place right on highway 19 in Crystal River the day with a hearty meal for the task ahead.  We hit the road in heavy fog, heading over to the Ozello area for launch from the parking area of a local seafood restaurant.   They have a great kayak and canoe launch directly off the lot and, as long as you park well away from the patron spaces, you are fine.  Besides, nothing beats a fried grouper sandwich at the end of a day of fishing and, since you are already there, why not partake?

We launched into water that was as smooth as a sheet of glass in the fog.  It was wonderful.  The temperature was ideal and only a few of the flying teeth (sand gnats) were bothering us.  We headed out on a falling tide using a large culvert to take us through to the other side of the bridge.  That saved us at least a mile of extra paddling while heading to Gary’s favorite fishing spots that he was anxious to share.  Our trip out was aided by the tidal flow, so each stroke was easy and effortless.

We began casting as soon as Gary indicated we had reached his spots.  I started right off with a small sea trout and soon after, Gary landed a really nice one.  I also managed to land a number of lizard fish on my lures.  These fish are not considered a game fish and serve only to keep the fish I really wanted from getting to my baits.

Our rigging was standard inshore Florida style.  We used both bait casting and spinning gear.  Ed and Gary used superlines, while I relied on mono for my bait casters and reserved the superline for my spinning tackle.  We used both fluorocarbon and mono leaders as the presentations dictated.  For lures, top waters are always a good choice in the Crystal river area.  Gary preferred the IMA Skimmer, a very thin pencil style top water from the Japanese bass fishing market, while Ed and I stayed with our proven Spook Jr’s and Mirrolures.  The baits all managed to produce hits, but the actual hookup percentage was low that day.  That’s why we call it fishing and not catching.

The entire day was memorable– both for the company and the adventure.  We saw lots of new water in a different way and enjoyed the antics of both birds and dolphins.  At one point, while we relaxed wading near a small island, two dolphins decided to share our fishing spot.  They were in a deeper cut a few feet from us, just ripping into schools of mullet.  Times like this show who the really talented anglers are– the ones that swim with the fish, to be exact.  Sure they ran off our quarry, but watching them is always fun.  Besides, who knows, maybe we can pick up a thing or two from the real experts in these waters?

We ended our day around 2PM and headed in back through the same culvert we used first thing in the morning.  With a slightly stronger incoming tide, that short ride was fun with the W500 shooting right through the center, using the paddle only to keep from hitting the sides.  A really remarkable thing that struck me about this whole day was the comfort we had fishing from these boats.  None of us are young men –I am the youngest at 55, both Ed and Gary are the 70 year old range.  Between us there have been back issues ranging from simple sciatic problems to major surgeries.  To a man, the W500 is a boat we could use easily and comfortable.  In any other fishing kayaks, our range would not have been as great and there would have been many more stops to get out for unkinking.  This trip was only the start.  There will be many more to come, fishing the waters off  Florida’s west coast in the world’s most comfortable and fishable paddle craft.

Jeff

John Fabina’s report from his inspiring kayak fishing trip in Michigan Upper Peninsula:

-”I spent time on two rivers in two days. Fishing started slow the first day but picked up the second day. The W made it possible for me to take a small entrance off the main river and find a beaver lodge. There was a nice deep hole by the lodge. I caught quite a variety in this honey hole. Smallmouth bass, perch, northern pike, and my first walleye landed on the W which was 18″. I lost one the same size the day before alongside the boat, I forgot my landing net. I was also able to sneak up on a deer, and snap a photo. My W truly made this an enjoyable and successful trip.”

John’s camo W300 at rest on the river bank

-”When I returned from my fishing trip Jeanne’s new W300 had arrived. Thanks for the extras. She is very much looking forward to getting on the water.More photos to come of Jeanne’s new W,
John”

Nice perch

John’s ‘built-in’ fish-measuring ruler

Same applied for measuring walleye

Good size smallmouth being welcome on board

John’s integrated water bottle holder (this is not a covert ad!)…

Beaver lodge

Entrance to beaver lodge

Unsuspecting deer photographed by John




John Fabina from Wisconsin sent this great two-day kayak fishing report:

-”I had a chance to slip up to Northern Wisconsin and try river fishing. It was still a little chilly and the fish didn’t seem very aggressive yet. We did manage to catch a few but no trophies.”

“It was a great trip down the remote river. Again the W300 opened up new opportunities. It was the most comfortable four hour float trip I ever took. ”

“It was very easy to get out on the bank of the river, spots that I wouldn’t have had a chance to get out with my old kayak.”

“Spending more time standing and fishing is becoming more second nature for me. The second day was spent on a nearby flowage. Again hours of comfortable fishing thanks to the W300! Can’t wait till my next trip.  John F.”


Photography: Gary Ziech and Bob Hehn

John Fabina recently got his new W fishing kayak, and this is his first report from a fishing expedition, with the kayak rigged for fishing:

-”I ventured out today to try to find crappies or blue gills. I tried two lakes, water temps were in the low 40’s. I found fish but I couldn’t coax them to bite. It may be a little early yet. More importantly it was my first time out on the W with fishing gear. Out for six hours on two lakes and no back fatigue!

My fish finder mount is a portable unit that came with a plastic base and battery holder. It also came with a nylon soft case which I removed and will use for ice fishing.

Sometimes the best set up is the easiest. I simply used the W’s bungee to secure plastic base and added a safety cable. It is very secure. I mounted the transducer sideways on the bracket and attached it with the suction cup on the side of the W. It worked great. Now we just need the water to warm up.

John”

Jeff reports:

-”I did a few hours fishing with Jeff Maron again yesterday.  We called it his bachelor party since he is getting married today.  He and his girl friend decided to tie the knot.  So we celebrated with a short fishing trip yesterday.  We had a really nice time and the weather cooperated.  Warm water, nice breeze and fish eager to bite made for a really good time.  I’ve attached a couple pictures.  Jeff took one of me sitting in the W kayak with a nice bluefish.  I’ve also attached a shot of Jeff with a ladyfish.  He is attired in full anti sun gear very popular in Florida right now.  With so many cases of skin cancer many folks take every precaution, Jeff is one of them.  Oh by the way Shady Oyster wants me to give a fishing seminar on April 4th for about and hour and a half.  Should be fun.  Just one more step in my quest to become famous.

–Jeff”

The bottom line is that there’s no such thing as a short kayak fishing trip:

Unlike recreational paddlers who don’t fish, kayak fishermen don’t just hop into their kayaks and go fishing for half an hour. Kayak fishing trips are in most cases much longer, and although no one seems to have accurate statistics, it seems like the average kayak fishing trip is longer than two hours.

Why does it matter?

Our website features this article about long kayak fishing trips , which explains how important it is to have an appropriate kayak for them, that is a kayak that won’t get you tired prematurely, and won’t make your legs numb and your back ache, and thus ruin your trip.

It also talks about storing your gear and tackle in your kayak, and other issues that matter in long fishing trips.

But coming to think of it, since nearly all your fishing trips are likely to be long ones (say longer than one hour), it means there’s basically no reason for you to compromise and get one of those hyped, run-of-the-mill SOT or sit-in fishing kayaks that offer you neither adequate comfort nor enough dry and accessible storage space.

More from Jeff McGovern:

-”If I could only match up beautiful days with fabulous fishing success that would be wonderful. As it was we fished the new area blind having no idea how or where to begin in such a large body of water.  But in checking with some of the guides we met on the ramp even they had a tough day which of course happens sometimes. My friend Jeff is a fairly new to kayak fishing having spent years fishing from powered boats.  He is learning fast, handles his kayak very well and is getting in shape for longer paddling sessions each times we head out. Funny how all that paddling can keep you in shape.”

-”The area we fished yesterday was out of River Breeze Park in Volusia county Florida. The park itself is a popular launching spot for many of the local guides who regularly fish with clients in the north section of Mosquito Lagoon. There are modern shower and restrooms right near the ramp. That’s real nice for a day where you might have been pushing through mud for hours at a time to reach prime fishing spots. Fishing in this area is accomplished via sight fishing where you can actually see the fish to cast it. This might be an individual but most of the time you are casting to huge schools of redfish sometimes numbering in the hundreds. That is why guides use flats boats with a poling tower to allow them to see long distances. They will then pole the boat into position for a proper cast, this type of approach is much more silent than a trolling motor and not as likely to spook the school.”

-”In the kayak world the stand-up capability of the W shines here since compared to any other kayak you can see better simply by getting up. For years canoes were the silent boat of choice here for anglers wanting the best possible silent approach. That segment is now being taken over by fishing rigged kayaks.
We did see fish but they were not interested in our offerings. Toward the end of the day we had figured out a pattern for trout but had to leave after only a couple of fish. But that is information for the next time and gives us a positive place to begin. I did get a chance to get out three of my older three piece saltwater pack rods for a workout. They have been stored away in some cases for almost five years. It was good to get them out again and find yet another set of rods perfect for use in the W. Those old rods really respond well to the cannon style launch you can get casting from a W saddle.”

Those of you who are familiar with this blog already know Jeff McGovern is an expert kayak fisherman from Northeastern Florida, and a Wavewalk Kayak fan who has contributed great kayak fishing articles and reviews, as well as pictures and movies to our website.

When Jeff told me he was coming to Boston on a business trip it was clear we had to meet and go paddling together, rain or shine. Well, it so happened that it rained abundantly thanks to ‘hurricane’ Kyle, but that didn’t deter us, and we grabbed a couple of W kayaks and headed to my favorite spot - the Charles River Reservation.

Well, I won’t tell you any fish tales, and this alligator we’ve encountered on the bank is not a real one. It’s an amazingly realistic sculpture that a local resident put there for everyone to enjoy:

Jeff had read about Treehouse Island in the W kayak review that Adam Bolonsky’s wrote on Wavelength Magazine, back in 2005, and he wanted to visit the place, so we paddled there under torrential rain.

We got to Treehouse Island and landed, and discovered the place was undergoing some renovation, and was a bit of a mess.  The third floor of the tree house had collapsed, and its second floor was pretty much gone too, so we couldn’t climb up and watch the Charles River scenery, unfortunately.

While we were there the rainstorm had gradually weakened, and we continued our paddling trip in clement weather…

Jeff getting ready to launch

After the trip Jeff told everyone that he had so much fun just paddling the W kayak although it had been the first time in his life to be in a boat without taking with him any fishing gear…

Scott Johnson lives in Minnesota, and has diversified interests in the outdoors - He likes to hunt, fish, and photograph.

Last year Scott contributed a review of his first W kayak, a 2007 model F2, and this year he got himself a second, 2008 F2 model, and sent us a new review.

Scott’s F2 kayak rigged for fishing trips.

Well, Nina managed to get that pink mini kayak for $400. It’s just her size. I gave her the high back air seat from the SOT kayak I won a couple of years ago at the Jacksonville classic kayak fishing tournament.

So it was yesterday we hit the water. The trip was a long one. Our adventure yesterday lasted around 12 hours of solid on the water time. Mostly touring and a little fishing. We traveled to find the end of Moses Creek from the intercoastal waterway. Got to the point we could go no further winding our way into narrow passages which at low tide we could only see down the water way the sides were too high. Sometimes we had to remove the rods and duck down under trees and brush. The area is known for gators and alike but we only heard crashing through the brush off to our sides ans saw none of them. A few times it was up and over logs just like on the W video.The W was right at home in those tight places. I should have thought to bring just Emmrods and it would have been easier. It got into the low 90s but water temps were still cool. All in all the W did the trip just fine. Twelve hours with limited getting out time is a long day but comfort wise it was great. With both boats rated in the 325 range she had me on the heavy load part. Speed wise I was a little faster over long range and would pull ahead over open water sections of the flats heading to the creek mouth.
I have found that for cleaning out the W after nasty trips like this one it’s easier to let the sand remaining inside after rinsing just dry out. Then it can be swept with a small brush and just scooped out of a the hulls. That way you get it all. Everything you get near the water here gets loaded with very fine sand particles. By the time we got back the W hull was loaded with mud, sand, sticks, leaves, live little crabs,assorted lunch trash, and some dirty water. Remember I mentioned once the W is a 4 wheeler kayak, this is proof of that.

We got in some really tight spots. The W took the trip on in fine shape. Being so short that really helped in this situation. A long boat in the 12 to 15 foot range would have been impossible to get around in tight quarters. Of course I also had the advantage of being able to stand to see over things, very difficult in almost any other boat. Of course I did try out Nina’s mini kayak. Aside from being sure nobody saw me in a bright pink boat it worked well. To tell the truth though I don’t think I could have done the 12 hours in it. The riding position in the W works for long periods. It’s very hard to explain to someone without them trying it. Logic would at first say that air seat with all the padding should be far more comfortable. But that is just not the case.

Got to tell you that trip was brutal. When we got back we were both wasted. Getting home we still had all the gear to clean up but we made it. We arrived home around 7PM but it was well after 9 buy the time I was finishing up the reels. Nina got enough sun to match the color of her new boat.

With the tide driving into or out of a narrow creek the water can really get moving. Moses Creek is serpentine, twisting and winding through the marsh. In reflecting on 12 hours in the saddle the W works well.
–Jeff (more…)

Sometime, on a fishing, paddling or camping trip you may have to leave your W Kayak outside overnight.  Naturally, you’d like to secure it against theft, as much as possible.
The easiest and most effective way to do it is by using a long chain and two padlocks:
You take the chain and make a tight, vertical loop around the cockpit - between the hulls. You close the loop with one padlock, and tie the remaining part of the chain in a loop around a tree, a fence or your car rack, then secure it with the second padlock.
Sometime you can secure both loops with a single padlock, or better - use both padlocks as double security for both loops.

Nothing can prevent determined thieves from cutting the chain or breaking the padlock, but this system would require some premeditated effort on their part.

It’s also recommended to detach all deck mounted rod holders and other removable gear, and keep it with you together with your paddle, fishing tackle and personal equipment.