By Captain Larry Jarboe

Florida Fishing Kayaks

The summer weather and water temperature have turned to perfect in Key Largo.

The water temperature is in the mid-Eighties and the wind has stopped blowing. Though it is August, the air temperature is only in the low Nineties. My wife and I have taken this time to explore the near shore reefs and out of the way places in our “backyard” in Garden Cove.

Garden Cove is located in the heart of John Pennekamp State Park and is directly adjacent to the Dagny Johnson Botanical Hammock State Park. We can visit both these parks from our Wavewalk stable twin hull kayaks every day without waiting at the highway entrance gate or paying the entrance fees. We can also harvest fish and lobster under Florida and Federal regulations but spearfishing is definitely prohibited. Thus, we have a fully stocked pantry of fresh seafood only a mile or two from our house beside the only commercial docks on the Atlantic side of North Key Largo.

This is the perfect place to operate a fishing and eco-tour business featuring safe and portable vessels that require minimal effort to paddle or operate a motor from. And, when business is slow, I can use these same vessels to harvest fish and lobster commercially in accordance with my State and Federal commercial fishing permits.

The Wavewalk S4 is the perfect kayak to motorize and use to fish or find new spots inshore or offshore. Almost every day, I find more areas to fish that most people overlook in their quest to go faster and further offshore.

It must be nice to be able to afford five or six hundred dollars a day of fuel expenses to try to catch a fish. But, I prefer to save my money.

A dollar’s worth of fuel runs my S4 all day. Or, we can take out a couple more S4’s with electric trolling motors and spend maybe twenty five cents more on our electric bill.

Yesterday, I invested a couple hours to catch some fish from our backyard pantry to eat next week.

The proof is in the pic.

 

 

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Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »

More fishing adventures with Capn’ Larry »

By Chris Henderson

 

Put the anti-ventilation plate (AP) on the Twister kit and was able to get one of my sons to go out (also a friend saw us test running and had to stop). I was pleased with the results. It handled well and the plate made a huge difference. I still need to work on some things.

The motor really started clattering. I am not exactly sure why. I added some gas to it from a can I had around and it may have been really old. I will drain all of that out and get some high octane gas and put in it for next time and see if that makes a difference. I may be just too much pressure on the $50 dollar motor that has lived as a pressure washer up until now. I am also going to move the AP so as to make the prop a little less efficient. I think that may make it a little easier on the motor (sacrificing some thrust). I was messing with the trim but not yet satisfied with where I ended up. And as luck would have it it was high tide so no skinny water to be had.

I will do more testing to get it dialed in. I think I have accomplished my goal of proof of concept. Some lights, registration, and a blind to finish and the I will be ready for the season.

 

 

More kayak rigging, fishing and bow duck hunting with Chris »

 

By Captain Larry Jarboe

Florida Fishing Kayaks

This afternoon, we took the S4 combo out for a quick snorkel trip and beach clean-up.

We took 6 full bags and a box of trash off the only natural sand beach on the Atlantic in the heart of Pennekamp Park. Rattlesnake Key is centrally located in this Florida State Park and has very diverse plant life and a remarkably large hermit crab population which is protected from collectors.

It will take many trips to bring this beach to a relatively pristine state after so many years of neglect of our natural resources.

Fortunately, the Wavewalk S4’s have room for a good clean-up crew and maximum load capacity.

All of us had a great time.

 

 

 

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Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »

More fishing adventures with Capn’ Larry »

By Captain Larry Jarboe

Florida Fishing Kayaks

Yesterday was the day after lobster season opened. I wanted to see if anyone had raided my secret spot so I assembled an S4x2 for my wife and her friend.

We separated the combo for traveling through a narrow creek. My wife really enjoyed the silence of the 12 volt Minnkota electric trolling motor as she plowed ahead of us.

As you can see, no one has found my lobster hole as it is virtually inaccessible by any other vessel than a Wavewalk skiff.

I took two lobsters for the ladies’ dinner. No reason to be greedy. The rest will stay in my inventory.

 

 

 

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Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »

More fishing adventures with Capn’ Larry »