2nd Annual Salmon Slam at Lake Berryessa

This Sunday I participated in Salmon Slam at Lake Berryessa. My Sunday of fishing got off to a rocky start. I am still renting and testing fishing kayaks before purchasing and showed up on Saturday to see that Headwaters was closed for Bay Area Paddlefest. Fortunately for me, Victor was also entered in the tournament and was nice enough to trailer a Coosa to Lake Berryessa for me. With a vessel secured, all I had left to do was catch fish.

I arrived at 6:00am on Sunday and was shocked. I had expected to see maybe 20 kayak fisherman. Instead I saw one side of the Lupine Shores campground full of kayaks and their owners. I asked Victor how many fisherman had entered and he replied,"70." With that many folks to compete with I figured that I would have a nice relaxing day of fishing, and maybe catch a fish for dinner.

In the first 20 minutes of fishing, Victor hooked a 16 inch long bass while trolling for trout with a dodger and nightcrawler. I thought,"Well now that Victor got a fish, maybe I'll be next. We trolled the immediate area for another 30 minutes with no luck. We decided to head for the main lake. I switche my rig up about 4 times in the troll to the main lake, but still no luck. We arrived at a cove where fish were hitting the surface. Since the last time fish were hitting the surface of the lake, cowbells seemed to work so I broke those out and started trolling. After awhile with no bites I asked Victor how much line he had out and he said,"75 feet." He asked me how much line I had out and I said,"about 40 feet." So I let out some more line. Within 30 minutes I was getting bit. The rod went down and I heard music to a fisherman's ears; the drags was sounding. I started reeling and the I saw the fish hit the surface and dart from side to side. I couldn't see the whole fish, but I could make out the dorsal and tail fins, and the distance between them was significant. If I could land this fish it would be great for my tournament standing. I managed to do so and got it into the hawg trough. A king salmon over 19 inches long! I was one happy fisherman. Not only did I have a nice fish in the boat but I had found a rig to catch fish in this cove. I put on a fresh nightcrawler and started trolling again. In a short while I boated another fish, an rainbow trout that was just shy of 17 inches. I kept at trolling the cove and broke off one more fish. Now it was judgement time.

I paddled into shore knowing that I had a nice king salmon, but not knowing how anyone else had done. I untied the stringer and walked to the officials table. As I passed people I heard things like,"Whoa," and ,"nice fish." At this point I was beaming from ear to ear. It was then my turn to measure in. Even the judge was impressed with the king salmon, that officially was 19 3/4 inches long. I also had the rainbow, which measured in at 16 3/4 inches for a total of 283 points. I asked where that put me as far as rank and he said,"currently you're in 2nd. I couldn't believe it.

By the time all of the fisherman measured in, I dropped to 3rd. Still not bad for my first kayak fishing tournament. I left that day with a new rod, new paddle and bunch of lures.

Thanks to Ricci for hosting the event and thanks to Dan and Victor for helping me with all my paddling needs. 

Yakhopper Kayak Fishing Series- Clear Lake

This past Sunday I was able to participate in the Yakhopper Kayak Fishing Series at Clear Lake sponsored by Fisherman's Wharehouse. The event was held at Edgewater Resort in Kelseyville. The target for this event was Bass. I arrived on Saturday night and was welcomed by the NorCal Kayak Angler crew with open arms and food. It was nice to sit around the fire and think that camping season has finally arrived.

I woke up at 5:45 AM to the sound of everyone getting there gear together. After making some coffee to get us going, my friend Lisa and I were headed down to the launch with our kayaks. The lake looked so magical and one could only imagine how beautiful the day was going to turn out. At 7 AM kayaks headed out in different directions. Some went to the Island, while others headed towards the state park. It seemed like everyone had a game plan.

Lisa and I decided to work the docks in front of the houses and weren't having any luck at first. I was throwing a worm wacky style and Lisa was throwing a night crawler. After about 30 minutes I headed over to Lisa to see how she was doing and she said that she had a fish on and it was big. The fish jumped and came unhooked. I couldn't believe that I had missed all this but it gave me hope that we were in the right area. This time I decided to drift a minnow on my other Rod, while I continued to cast out the wacky worm. Had some small bites on the minnow but they were really light. It was now close to nine so I decided to paddle in to check on the wife, I knew that she wanted to get out on the water.

On the way back in I started to get some bites near the docks but nothing was sticking, it almost felt like the minnows were just moving frantically. When I got near the Edgwater Resort the rod was getting a little bit more action but nothing was sticking. I got to the beach to find the wife ready to get out on her kayak and I was eager to get back on the water. I quickly ran back to camp got some more coffee and something to snack on. When I got to the water I found my buddy Glen launching after taking a break and he stated that he caught a 21" bass. I knew that was going to be a high target to shoot for.

I headed the the other direction and found last years winner fishing an area near the docks. As soon as I pulled up to him he had some major bend on his rod only to lose what looked like a winning fish. I paddled around the area with minnows drifting and was thinking that this was going to be a great spot.

About 10 minutes later I felt my rod move and thought to myself this could be it. It had a couple taps and then Bam, the rod goes bendo the line takes off and then stops, I lost the fish. I was bummed thinking its 12 and that was probably my only chance, since the weigh in was at 1. I then proceeded to drift the area. About 10 minutes later its fish on again, this fish put up a great fight. I was afraid that I was going to lose it. I saw it come to surface and it looked like a good size fish, went to grab my net and the fish took another dive, going under my kayak. I was able to grab the net and reel the fish in closer to the kayak and netted the fish. My heart was pumping, this was the first bass caught off my kayak. I was worried it was going to jump out of the net. I started to take the pics so that I could submit to be judged, then let the fish go. The fish measured in at 17.25".

I continued to drift and not more then 10 minutes I had another fish on. This time I was a little worried because it was on my 5' Ugly stick. The rod was bent so much I thought it was going to snap, the fish kept taking line even when I tightened the drag, this had to be a big fish. When I finally saw some color, it was big and it took a few dives under the boat. When I got the fish in the net it had some great weight to it and measured in at 19".

It was now 12:30 and I didn't know if I would have time to keep fishing. Without knowing what  had been turned in I thought that I might be a contender for third place. I decided to paddle in and not take a chance at missing the weight in. When I submitted my photos, I found out the third place Bass measured in at 20.5". I was so close, it was great to know that I almost placed.

     

Lisa and I were one of the lucky ones to win one of the goody bags. They had different items from the various sponsors of the event.

I had such a great time out there with the NCKA crew. It was my first time catching Bass from my kayak and what a great way to start. I am already looking forward to the next event at The Alemeda Rock wall. I would like to thank the Fisherman's Wharehouse and Eric Kaai for putting on this event. Also a big congrats to the winners of the event.

-Victor Woolworth

A new life for a classic kayak

 Hello my name is Dan, and I'm a Kayakaholic....   For those that don't know this about me, I tend to have a soft spot for old kayaks and canoes. There have been so many incredible designs over the years that went out of production and fallen by the wayside. Kayaks like the Necky Looksha Sport, Mariner Coaster, Perception Super Sport, Scupper Pro, etc have always held a place in my heart. So when a guy came in with an old beat up Necky Dolphin to sell at the swap, the kayak geek in me jumped at the opportunity to buy it. $150 for a kayak like this was to good to pass up. I have always thought of the Dolphin as a real paddlers Kayak. It responds well to edging, it surfs like a dream, has good capacity for touring, and in the right hands and with leg straps it can even be rolled. I thought fixing up and rigging an old kayak like this would be a fun project and something fun to blog about, but more than that I thought it would help pay tribute to the angers, and the kayaks that came before us. So fallow along as I revamp my Dolphin into my version of the ultimate coastal exploration/ fishing craft! 

Your idea's and input are welcome and encouraged. Thanks for participating. In fact the first question I'm facing is weather to do a Rudder Kit, or just Have a metal skeg that drops down. Any thoughts?


Here are a few before shots.   

Here is the cockpit. 

Beautiful lines, Ugly boat :)

Looks like some rental numbers on the side. Lots of sun damage on the hull and all the buckles. 

Here are a few updates!

New side carry handles

Sea Dog Foot Braces and accessory tracks.

Yak Attack Pan Fish with Go Pro mount. 

Lots more to do and lots of great ideas. Check back soon to see the progress. As always please submit ideas in the comments section below! Thanks.


Update 3/29 Seat is now complete. I used the back band out of a Necky Vector. The seat dropped right in and only took 4 bolts to secure it nicely to the yak. I used a Valley Sea Kayaks pad for my bum.

Clean and updated! 

Bungee Keeps the seat nice and upright.

Cockpit is almost complete! 

3/30
Time for the fun part. Today we installed some of the fishing gear including, rod tip covers, Hummingbird fish finder, tackle box and more. Check out these photos.

We took a blow torch to the kayak today to clean up all the scratches and loose burs. Its amazing how nice it came out. 

Simple Bungees hold on the tackle box. 

Couple of rod holders mounted to the tackle box makes for an adaptable ride. 

Shot of the rod tip cover I installed off of a Jackson Cuda. This allows me to store my rods flat on the deck and keeps them from getting snagged on thules and low hanging trees. Also you can see the Mad Frog transducer arm sticking down. 

The Hummingbird was a super clean install thanks to the Yak Attack Mighty Mount and Screwball. The whole fish finder and transducer can be taken off in a matter of minutes and all you have is a small black plate. Props to Yak Attack for thinking outside the box! 

I also added a deck bag strait off of  a Necky Vector 13. This made for clean easy storage on the deck and a place to store my extra transducer wire. 

Another shot of the upgrades we did today. Not finished yet, but getting closer. 

March 31 - April 1st 

I took the new and improved Dolphin up to a Fish and Chill Weekend in Redding with the North Valley Slayers kayak fishing club. The first day we hit Whiskeytown Lake and the second day we floated the Sacramento River from the Sundial Bridge to South Bonniview boat launch. The first day I had it rigged with the fish finder and scotty rod holder on the front for trolling. Everything worked great except for the lack of fish. The lay out was simple clean and easy to use and work around. I never felt as if I was hitting my gear with the paddle or snagging my poles on stuff. The kayak was fast and spunky. It handled great in the wind and I did not feel the need for a rudder. 

Day two on the Sac River I set it up for river fishing. No depth finder and instead of rods and nets sticking up I used the rod stagers and tip cover to stow my rods, and tilted my Scotty Rodmasters low and out the back to hold my net. I also was sure to lash everything down to ensure nothing got lost in the case of a capsize. I actually tested this out just to make sure everything was going to work like I planned. The whole deck layout was secure and easy to get back into. As far as the boat goes, all I can say is WOW! This things rocks! This is the first sit on top that I felt I could paddle like I would in my sea kayak. It caught eddies with ease, surfed anything and everything. The bow is incredible while in a wave. It never dove or shot off corse. Even without thigh straps I was able to do some pretty bumpy water and even make it look stylish. The cockpit fit is so secure. I may be going over board with this statement, but if I had to choose only one kayak to paddle I think this would be it. Thank God I don't have to choose! 

Here are some photos from our trip. 

Such a beautiful Lake. Great moment in the AM. 

Loving the look of this new yak! 

End of the day! 

Happy paddler.

Here are the shots from the Sacramento River Float. 

Epic place to fish

My river set up. 

Surfing the river! 

Sitting side saddle. 

Lining up to surf a wave under the Cypress bridge. 

The roughest water of the day was this boily hole below the Cypress bridge. 

Great day great boat.

One last thing! Major thanks to Rich at Snap Dragon Designs for these custom hatch covers. This boat is BONE DRY after hours of play on the river. 

Fishing the Moke 3-7-12

What a great day to be on the water. The weather started out chilly and windy, but then the wind died down and gave us a awesome day of Fishing. On this Trip we were joined by Joe and Jeff visiting from the Headwaters Adventure Company up in Redding. Donna and Ron joined for the day which was a great surprise these two are usually found in their sea kayaks. The gang met at the shop at 8:00 and we all headed towards the hatchery.

Right at the start of the trip Dan hooked up with a nice size trout while standing up on the Native Ultimate. This kayak is great for standing in, and it showed while Dan brought in his catch. Shortly after Joe caught a trout as well the day was getting off to a grand start. Joe and Jeff were paddling the Jackson Coosa and it was amazing to see how fast they could turn with minimal effort. Both of them were helpful in spotting fish from their high positioned seats.

We arrived at Cow Beach where Dan and Donna would be departing the fishing trip for the day. Someone had to get back and run the shop. At this point I was thinking is the Moke going to skunk me again? Dan wished me luck and headed on his way back to the store. I told the guys we could shore fish for a bit and when they were ready we would head back down the river. Shortly after without catching anything we decided it was time to hit the river again.

We floated down the river, hoping things would pick up when all of a sudden my line starts coming out and I think "oh no not a snag". Well this snag came loose and put up a small fight and at that moment I knew it was fish on. I screamed out loud "fish on", I was so excited that I was able to get the skunk off.   The fish made a small jump and I was able to bring it to the kayak and net it with no problems. The fish was a small native trout, but it sure felt good to have a fish on board. I had Joe snap a couple pics and it was time to let the little guy go.

On the way Down the river Jeff was able to find a nice little pocket where he was able to get his first fish, a little guy also, but he decided to hit the spot again and had a feeling that this was the spot. After giving it a few shots he has a fish on and brought to the boat a nice Native Steelhead about 16-17", the color on the fish was amazing. We were so excited that we didn't even look at the time to see if it was a native or not, we later confirmed with photo of the fish.

At this time Jeff decided that we should start paddling so that they could get going, they still had the ride back to Redding. I decided that I wanted to try the pocket myself and see if I could get a bite. Not even 10 seconds went by and it was fish on again. Got the fish to the kayak and it was another little guy but was still entertaining bringing it to the kayak while the current kept trying to turn me in circles. After this fish I caught up to the rest of the group hanging out by an area that backed up by some houses. Joe, Jeff and myself caught three small native trout at this spot. We fished about 15 minutes hoping to catch a nice steelhead. We were getting bites every now and then so we knew that this was a good spot. All of sudden I feel a big tug on the line and I am thinking this is going to be a nice fish. Its got some weight to it and the rod is bending, Ron even states that it must be big. We all thought that I was going to bring a big steelhead up to the kayak. As fast as my face lit up when I felt the bite it turned sour. The fish surfaced and it was a giant Sacramento Sucker fish. It was still fun bringing it to the kayak, even though it wasn't a steelhead. After this we all called it a day and headed to the takeout.

It was such a beautiful day and the weather was pretty favorable to us. It was great to be able to fish with the group and it was great to see Ron on a Sit on Top kayak. I am looking forward to hitting the river again soon. The season ends at the end of the month, so I will try and get out there a few more times. If you are interested in making this float down call Dan at the Headwaters for information. Even if he can't make it out with you he can give you some great pointers.

Here are some more photos: