Wavewalk as a fishing machine

I spent most of the morning fishing my "home waters" at the 206 bridge out of Genung's Fish Camp.  Whew it was a very active morning.  Thank goodness for the fishability of my W500 and the catchability of those Emmrod Saltwater spinning rods.  The number of fish caught were enough to cause my forearms to ache by the time I went in.  When it comes to handing speedy saltwater eatting machines those Emmrods are really something, so much control and no worried breaking a rod.  The games they play up close to the kayak are much easier to win if you are playing the game armed with an Emmrod.  Lure wise it was so simple just asprin tablet jig heads with big eyes and either a DOA glow paddle tail or a Zoom Trick worm.  All in all this was fun day on the water and would have been great day for anyone fishing with kids, there was no way they could have gotten bored.

Emmrod fishing gear and the CraigCat

Each CraigCat boat has two storage boxes right behind the seats.  I've been told that some people use these boats just for riding around, playing and be still my heart, NOT FISHING.  But I suspect the fishing bug bites everyone from time to time.  So how is this for cool, a whole set up right in one those little boxes, tangle free and ready to fish anytime anyplace.

CraigCat ready to go

This is the largest of my dual hulled fleet.  It really deserves more water time but it's so hard to give up the comfort of that W500.  Fishing kayak that it is the fishability is actually an equal of the CraigCat.  But the CraigCat is a smidge faster thanks to it's 25hp Mercury compared to me paddling the Wavewalk.  With that motor on the back it's a fun exploration craft and can cover lots of water on just a few gallons of fuel.  Performance wise maybe 30+ mph and it's a blast the whole time on the water.  Maybe sometime this week I'll get it out for a test run since it's been some time.  This would be a great time to try and get some gator shots out on the St Johns River near home.

Low tide shot of the world's best fishing kayak

This picture was taken at low tide right when it was starting to come in.  At high tide the water is up to the green grass line in the background and all other items are hidden underwater.  That fishing kayak of mine is great for exploring this kind of area since it's easy in easy out and allows so many positions besides sitting legs out and back aching.  Right now our water is still very clear so at times you can cast right to a feeding fish and watch them crush your lure.

The original Emmrod - The Packer

My wife and I spend lots of time a trade shows and alike dock shooting the little Emmrod Packers.  That is the original Emmrod that started the company making the poles it does today.  Now I've used one quite bit sporting an ABU Record 4, 5500C or 6500C and been very happy.  But I've spent very little time fishing with the Packer rig as it is avaiilable with the little Shakespere Synergy 10 reel.  Like many anglers I figured "oh yeah, used them when I was little, just for kids that kind of thing".  But the reality is many folks love the easy handling and simple operation of a spincast reel.  So what the heck, I might as well try one for the day and see what happens in my regular kayak fishing inshore spot.  It was a blast, wow, did I ever have fun with that rig.  When I got home big time cleanup was in order since it had caught a load of bluefish as well as 4 little just legal seatrout.  Once cleaned up it now is ready for it's show duties again dock shooting and doing demos.  But I suspect not too long from now I'll sneak it out on the water again

Kayak fishing Emmrod and Wavewalk

I wanted to post this shot since I had a few folks ask to see it again.  A nice looking redfish caught on a topwater lure with our topwater special Emmrod.  Loads of fun and the W500, the best fishing kayak out there, allowed me to see the fish working in the shallows by standing and looking over an oyster bar. 

Nice largemouth caught on an Emmrod 7 coil spinning rod

I just got this picture from a friend in VA. he looks like one happy fellow.  That is one nice looking bass on an Emmrod.  His rig is the same one we recommend for most avid anglers looking for a fun spinning outfit.  This shot is the kind that just brings a smile to your face.  Man that fight must have been outstanding!  The cool part he is also a fellow kayak fisherman.

Free Shipping at Jeff's Tackle Box - WOW!

From now until May 8th 2010 I'm going to be offering free shipping on the Emmrod of your choice from http://www.jeffstacklebox.com/ .  Here is a picture of my choice of spinning rod from the Emmrod lineup.  It works very well from a boat or kayak and in my own case has landed loads of fish.  The rod details are it's an Emmrod Saltwater pack rod spinning rod with 7 coils.  With a reel similar in size to my Daiwa 1300SS it's a blast to fish with.  In Shimano a 2500 series reel would serve just fine and up to a 4000 series would also work.  Line wise a good super line like the 10lb Fireline pictured gives you a rugged compact little outift that can handle some mighty tough fish.

Kayak fishing lazy cat

Hit the office early and this is what I find.  Sleeping on the job dreamng about kayak fishing, silly kitty.  Guess I really need to get that PFD set up for Chopper. 

Kids and Emmrods

I was at one of the local Wal-Marts today while Kate was at church.  While picking up some more Zoom Trick worms I spoke for a few minutes to a young family about tackle.  They were picking out rigs for their kids and neither parent had a angling background except when they were kids.  It struck me how I need to get a article done about gearing up kids with tackle they can have fun with and parents won't worry to much about the stuff being broken or ruined.   The little Emmrod Packers are great for kids and even allows a transition to adult style angling with casting tackle since that same pole works well with the ABU round bait cast reels.  For more advanced kids the all around spinning rods as represented by our spinning model saltwater pack rods are ideal.  Wal-Mart did have  great deal on some closeout spinning set ups so hopefully right now those kids are catching a few.  Guess I really need to learn to carry a few Emmrods ready to buy in the Ranger so when I run into folks they can pick them up on the spot.  Here is a shot of one of my brothers sons in Canada last summer.  For a young man who does not fish that much he caught a load in Canada on his Emmrod.

Great kayak fishing action today

I headed over to Genung's Fish Camp around 6:30AM.  Great conditions and loads of action on the water today.  The only problem was the fish in question were either jacks or bluefish but there were loads of them.  Here are a couple of shots on some of the lure damage, before and after a solid hit.

Welll how many Emmrods were shipped today?

Right now Chopper is going over the days receipts.  Checking to see if he will be able to afford that new cat scratching device he saw on TV.   He is thinking very hard about kayak fishing tomorrow since it means possible fish inards if the big guy in the Wavewalk fishing kayak can get his act together.  Besides he is also training the new kitten here in the office for duties below his station.

Kayak fishing assistants

This is but one of my low cost assistants here at Jeff's Tackle Box.  Chopper is a real office go getter, his big talent is holding down furniture in the event of a hurricane.  As you can see here he is working on his craft and appears quite good at it.  I've got three other assistants who all perform various duties around the office to keep things moving smoothly.

Whew! CraigCat all cleaned up

The only power boat I still own is a CraigCat.  Loads of fun and sometimes it is nice to just motor along the St Johns River near home in Palatka.  Today I finally took the cover off for some spring cleaning.  Wow, it's been quite a bit since that boat has been cleaned up.  Took me almost two hours of pressure washing and brushing to get looking decent.  These little boats are kind of like a rag top 50's sportscar on the water.  They run around 30mph with two aboard getting very good mileage to boot.  For a day trip on the river it's just really kind of nice.

Kayak fishing at the 206 bridge in Florida

Kayak fishing with great fellow anglers is an absolute pleasure.  Today I had the chance to spend a few hours with two excellent paddle craft anglers, Jeff and Keith.  Both men have spent lots of time on the water so trips like this are easy when everyone knows the drill.  Weather wise we had our own personal dark cloud just hovering around much of the time trying to decide how much rain to drop on us or just blow us around.  But when it finally passed it was really nice to be around the water.  The Wavewalk W500 reminds me time and again how well suited it is for fishing.  The boat fishes much bigger than it really is since you have loads of work space and room to move around that a much longer kayak would nver give you.  The option to stand whenever you feel like it is an advantage that keeps you on the water far longer than any other fishing kayak out there.  Of course the Emmrods in combination make for a day of fun lime no other on the water.

Gander Mountain April 11th 2010

Fishing rods for kayak fishing, it all went well.  Loads of folks came buy to try out and use the Emmrods.  There were lots of questions and the outside demos helped quite bit.  Once folks see just how well the rods cast that's half the quesion in their minds.  The other is just how does it feel during the angling battle.  The Emmrods keep gaining ground with serious anglers as people see just how well they fish.  I've been using them for quite some time and frankly my other fishing rods have been racked for nearly a year.  Emmrods are the real deal and although they have been part of my gear for 4 years now using them 100% of my fishing time has been very interesting. 

Kayak fishing red Ranger now with a logo

Just had my red Ranger done up with a proper Emmrod logo.  Now when I'm out kayak fishing there will be little doubt that the best fishing kayak around is on the water with the Emmrods.  Still waiting for the adoring beeps and waves from fellow motorists, maybe soon.

Not always always game fish from a kayak

This shot was taken fishing near Crystal River FL a few months back.  It's a lizard fish and sometimes they fill areas and the poor gamefish never get a shot at the lure.  Oh well at least you get a pull on the end of the line.  One thing about kayak fishing when you are loaded with other than gamefish in an area you can't always take off to another spot so easily.

Kayak fishing Emmrod spinning rod

I had a few folks ask for a close up view of the spinning rod and reel combo I use for kayak fishing.  This is my basic setup, a Daiwa 1300 SS and the Emmrod Pack rod saltwater spinning in 7 coil configuration.  It is spooled with 10lb Fireline and in the case of the Mirrodine rigged here has a 20lb fluorocarbon leader.  The shot was taken on a friends boat we were checking out for mother shipping kayaks to far off locations.

Kayak fishing bait thieves

When you kayak fish in Florida things want to steal your bait.  They range from crabs to little fish that can just destroy a soft plastic trailer in seconds.  You think you are getting hits but the reality is your hook is being cleaned off like a little kid munching corn on the cob.  Pinfish as shown here are one of the biggest offenders.  Funny thing is I once read that they are very good fried up but it must take a load of them for a meal.  They are also suppose to be very good bait but I'm a dedicated artificial lure guy so that is a no no for me.  This little guy was let go to eat another day.

April 10th fishing poles at Gander Mountain again, round two Emmrod

The Gander Mountain folks enjoyed our last visit back in March so this coming Saturday April 10th, 2010 we'll do it again.  The time will be 9AM till 4PM same as before.  This should be a blast!

Not fishing kayaks

Well sometimes you have to spend money on something other than fishing kayaks or more fishing gear.  So it's out with old lawn mower and in with the new.  I priced the parts for tuneup and repair for the old one and it was nearly the same as a new one.  So it was off to the store with my daughter and son in law, she has a great discount working at the place.  New one got the lawns done so that clears a day for fishing later on this week.

Kayak fishing blues

Sometimes you head out with the best of intentions.  The day looks fantastic, the weather is wonderful, the water is calm, and the surface of it is potmarked with dimples from feeding fish.  WOW, what could be better?  Hmm let's see how about if the dimples were not caused by pirana like little bluefsih who eat everything thrown at them.  Today was lots of fun on the pulling and yanking side but not so much on fish for the table.  I had a blast and gave four new prototype Emmrods a nice workout. 

Kayak fishing dangers

There are many dangers to kayak fishing but in my neck of the woods there is one that can eat you. Florida is known for gators. Fun to watch until you understand they can be a concern at times. In areas where folks feed them it can be an issue for human safety. Small dogs and other pets might be in danger if gators looking to being given food by people mistake them for the treats of the day. I saw this guy off the Dora canal yesterday visiting some friends from their power boat. Not a critter you want visting with you in a kayak.