Ruthless Fishing Blog

Virginia is for Lovers..and Kayak Fishing. Part 1

2012-01-01T07:11:00.000-08:00

Virginia is well known for its contributions to the history of ourgreat country. The waters of Virginia were and are the very lifeblood of ourcountry and many great men and women have roots in Virginia. These same watersare again making a contribution to the development of another great history,the history of Kayak Fishing.

I know....I know many folks will say that Florida, Texas, and evensome of the northeast states started thekayak fishing craze....and I’ll give them due credit,but this is about some Virginia folks who have contributed so much to the sportnationwide. In the Tidewater region alone, wehave pro-staff members representing every major kayak manufacturer. Not tomention the world class kayak fisheries we have here in Virginia, but that’sanother story for next month.

Let’s step back to around 2005, there were few hardcore kayakanglers back then, those of us who were serious about it got together andorganized the Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association (TKAA). The initial plank ownersincluded many Virginia kayak fishing pioneers, such as Chad Hoover, GeorgeHughes, Ric Burnley, Kevin Whitley, Mark Lozier, Jeff Suber, and me. Throughthe years TKAA has became one of the largest clubs in the sport. TKAA alsostarted is annual Charity Kayak Fishing Tournament, which gives the proceeds to ProjectHealing Waters and Heroeson the Water (HOW). Tidewater HOW Director, Tom Vanderheiden has made this chapter a leader in the organization, and runs one heck of a program! In 2011 the TKAA tournament had over 240entries and contributed thousands of dollars to its charities. It is one of thelargest kayak fishing tournaments in the country and they continue to grow eachyear. Kudos to Tournament Director, Wayne Bradby, for taking thetournament to the next level! Check them out at tkaa.org

Kayak Kevin's latest DVD

Now let’stalk about some of the kayak fishing folks that hang their hat in Virginia,starting with the legend himself Kayak Kevin Whitley. Originally called the"HRBT Bandit", Kevin is no stranger to those in the sport. He isarguably the most extreme kayak angler of all time, but he keeps it real andloves fishing his home waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Kayak Kevin is on the Ocean Kayak Pro Staff, the firstVirginia kayak fishing Master Angler, and with three DVD’s under his belt hasbecome a seasoned filmmaker. His most recent DVD is "Kayak Fishing the Chesapeake Bay2 Warm Water Species". You can find out all about Kevin at kayakkevin.com. Kevin is truly a mogul to the sport anda Virginian!

Mark flyfishing the South Holston River

I reallyneed to mention Mark "vbfinsup" Lozier. Mark is an accomplished bloggeras well as an exceptional kayak fishing guide. Mark has contributed so much to TKAA, HOW and tothe sport of kayak fishing. Mark has given numerousseminars and is a very familiar face to many as he manned booths at variousfishing shows. Mark is on the Native Watercraft Pro Staff, as well asDiawa’s Pro Staff, and is a rep for Marsh Works. Mark chronicles hisadventures on his blog Fishn’Ain't Easy , be sure tocheck out his latest adventures. In 2012 Mark has started his own kayakfishing service called 1^st Landing Kayak Fishing Services.

The next three authors all have successful kayak fishing books.Out of all the 6 major books on the sport, three authors are from Virginia. Nottoo shabby!

The first Virginian to write a Kayak Fishing book is Ric Burnley.Ric is a regular contributor to several publications, including The SaltwaterSportsman, Outdoor Life, The Chesapeake Angler and The Fisherman Magazine. A longtime fishingbuddy to Kayak Kevin, Ric has shared some great kayak fishing adventures,including offshore tuna and amberjack fishing. His book "The CompleteKayak Fisherman" was one of the first books about the sport. You can findit at www.burfordbooks.com

Chads peacock bass.

I consider Chad "Knot Right" Hoover a great friend and fishingbuddy. We have fished together all over the East and Gulf coasts. I considerhim one of the most knowledgeable kayak anglers ever. Chad is the Pro Staff Coordinator forWilderness Systems Kayaks and is a Naval Officer based in Norfolk, VA. Chad canfish anyway and everywhere possible, but his passion lies in freshwater bassfishing. Chad grew up a bass fishin’ in the swamps of Louisiana and theknowledge he learned has made him one awesome kayak bass angler. Chad has putall his knowledge in his book; Kayak Bass Fishing, and itscomplementary website www.kayakbassfishing.com. KBF is one the most popular kayakfishing resource on the web. Chad is also an owner of HOOK1 which is an online store specializing inkayak fishing gear. "Knot Right" is a great contributor to the sportand continues to lead the charge!

The last author is yours truly, my book "Kayak Fishing: TheComplete Guide" is also a great resource for the beginner kayak angler. I have also produced a Kayak rigging DVD, both available at www.ruthlessfishing.com. I've got lots in the works so stay tuned here and at the Ruthless sites for more. Put Kevin’s DVD's, Ric's, Chad's and my books together, and you will have the mostcomplete kayak fishing library ever! All from a few guys from Virginia!

Another Virginia kayak angler that is also leading the charge withnew and innovative gear, is Luther Cifers of Yak Attack. Luther has engineered and produced someoutstanding products for rigging fishing kayaks. It started with the VisiPole360 light, and his most recent product the, Mighty Mount, PanFish, Gear Tracand the Bullet are going to make any kayak a fishing machine. In just a year,Luther has made a great name for the YakAttack brand, and its all made in theUSA!

Super angler and dad Rob Choi.

It would be wrong not to mention a great up and coming KayakAngler. Richmond, VA’s own, Rob Choi. In the last few years he has caught justabout every notable fish in Virginia. His blog documents it very well and hisvideos are outstanding. Rob has caught the eye of the industry and you would bewise to follow his adventures on www.angling-addict.com. Rob is also a great artist; check outhis painting and fish prints, you won’t be disappointed.

Well there you go, a few Virginian's who have, and will do so muchfor the kayak fishing community. Please check out the links, and follow the blogs! I’llchallenge any other state to come up with more, and if you do I am even sure I’llfind a few I may have missed.

Next month ill highlight the greats kayak fisheries here in Virginia! See you on the water!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

So we have had lot of changes here at Ruthless Fishing, the first being or switch to Freedom Hawk Kayaks. We look foward to using their kayaks and being a part of new fishing kayaks to come. We are very excited to be apart of the Freedom Hawk team. Second is the reorganization and relocation of the business to NC. We will be under the corporate name Ruthless Outdoor Adventures llc, but will keep Ruthless Kayak Fishing just as it is. We will be running trips in both NC and VA, in both fresh and saltwater.

The second change is bittersweet as my longtime friend Mark Lozier has decided to branch out on his own and create 1st Landing Kayak Fishing Service, we would like to wish him best of luck with his new venture. And we know he will do well!

We look foward to reporting our fishing adventures here and our hunting adventures on the Ruthless Outdoor Adventures blog.

See you in 2012!

Cory

Trout are Here!

2011-10-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

The spotted trout bite is great with lots of under slot fish to be had and a few keepers in the mix! Anyway a great time on the kayak. They should be around until the first hard freeze, and the stripers are starting to show as well. Give us a call if you want to get a trout trip in before they leave.

Tight Lines!

Something Different

2011-09-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

We are not just saltwater guides, we also run trips in freshwater too. However I havent got many requests for sweetwater until yesterday. Dave and Gary from Richmond, VA had a custom request to fish for Trophy Shellcrackers (biggest of the bream) for a gentlemans CPR tournament that ends on Labor day. Lake Western Branch is renowned for large shellcrackers so we loaded up th kayaks light fishiing tackle and dozens of night crawlers and headed for the lake.

The idea was to fish in about 8-12 feet of water, we used the fisfinder to locate fish in these areas and bottom bounced worms. We started out with some small fish but not many bigger fish, we had one to go about 8 inches, but we were looking for 10-12 inch fish. All of a sudden Davids rod goes off, his 4-pound test bream outfit looked like a bow, and on the verge of breaking.

After a bout 5-minutes of fight, and speculation of what this monster was, it finally came to the surface. A nice 10-pound 27-inch channel catfish.

Not a bad fish for such light gear and from a kayak no doubt. The big shellcrackers were hard to find, but after talking to the boater out looking for th same, we had a much better day. We are still running trips until it gets cold and the spotted trout are showing up in Lynnhaven, book now the wewthwr ia getting cool but the fiahing should be heating up. See you on the water!

Gettin Started Somewhere.

2011-08-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Lets face it, not all of us were kayak anglers from the start. Most of us gained our love for fishing as children, wether with our parents, grandparents, or whoever. When it comes to kids kayak fishing can be a bit overwelming. So I choose to start by seperating the fishing part from the kayaking part.

So saturday I had the opportunity to introduce my lovely girfriends twin boys, to the fishing part. It was very successful and quite possibly the most exciting thing they have ever done. They cannot wait to go again. If you have young kids and want to get them started here is how to do it. Now there are a few things you need to make this work, and they are:

1.) A relaible fishery, if they are not catching fish they will bore quickly. I suggest bream, they are very reliable and a sucker for worms and bobbers. Oh yea dont forget to mash the barbs on the hooks.
2.) A bucket, put their fish in it and let them observe the fish, this works wonders if they are squeemish. It also garners a Catch and Release mentality, ill ask "Do you want to Eat them?" and almost always get begged to let them go.
3.)Small spinning rods, lets face it kiddy push button rods are cool, but teach em how to use a spinner and you will be ahead of the game.
4.)Snacks, drinks, and a close bathroom. This is self explanitory, and not every fishing hole has a bathroom. Usually not an issue with boys.

5.) Patience and understanding, let the kids do all the fishing. They will need your constant attention, but only help if they ask. Dont get upset if they mess up, and encourage them with lots of praise even with small fish.

So if you got small children between 4 and 6, this is a pretty good way to get them hooked on fishing. Pretty soon ill take the boys kayaking, and will be sure to share that as well.

See you on the Water!

Heroes On the Water Outing

2011-07-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Took advantage of a wonderful and humbling experence today. I volunteered to help out with a Heroes on the Water outing for its Tidewater, Virginia Chapter. Along with 10 other volunteers, we took 10 Marines from Portsmouth Naval Hospitals Wounded Warrior Regiment kayak fishing in Owl's Creek. I have caught lots of fish from a kayak, but none are as rewarding as watching these folks have fun and relax. Seeing their big smiles when they catch a fish is the cherry on the cake.

The volunteers also have a great time giving back.

Off they Go!

Fish on!

Big smiles, this is what its all about. Love sharing out sport with these guys.

This young lady took the cake with this 21-inch flounder, her first fish ever, and on a kayak!

More volunteers enjoying a great day on the water.

If you get a chance I highly suggest volunteering for your local HOW chapter, their website is www.heroesonthewater.org

Friday Double header

2011-06-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Got two seperate calls for charters on Friday. A conventional trip for Mark and a flyfishing charter for myself. We chose Rudee Inlet and paddled out front to check out rumors of bluefish blitzes. Found this comorant struggling to swallow an oyster toad. He almost did as good as we did.

Not long after we got to Lake Rudee, we saw birds dipping and a small blitz. My client missed a hit and marks client got his bait cut in half. Mark managed to hook up and got an airshow before getting broke off.

Bryan Shuman from PA, and Mark casting to the blitz.

Donn Nalls from TN, first time flyfishing from a kayak. In all the day was slow, but everyone had a great time. Think we developed a few kayak anglers for sure. See you on the water!

2011-06-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

Had a great first trip of the season, had Scott and Maddy Rampona out for Maddies first kayak fishing trip ever. We chose Rudee Inlet for is ease of fishing. Fishing was slow but we did manage a few croaker that they took home for lunch. Scott is also a fan of the Vibram Five Fingers. He lost a big flounder but ill think he will return to get it later.

My girl, Kelly Mayorga also joined us for her first kayak fishing trip as well, she is an ASA certified Level 2 Kayak instructor and now an avid kayak angler as well.

And I dont get alot of photos of me but Jet Ski Brian visited us and took this and the first picture. His website is http://www.jetskibrian.com/

Things are starting to heat up and even the Lynnhaven River is starting to show some promise for red drum. We are steady booking trips so get you trip in ASAP!

Put them on lock down.

2011-04-18T09:08:00.001-07:00

I learned a very strong lesson last week. I had my two show kayaks up on my roof in prep for the Va Flyfishing Festival. On wednsday night someone cut my straps and relieved me of my brand new Camo Manta Ray 14.5. Moral of this story is to alway cable lock your kayaks down. A $8 cable lock could have saved me about a grand. Also go out and record the hull ID numbers off of your kayak ASAP. Ill never make this mistake again.

Paddlesport 2011

2011-03-31T05:33:00.000-07:00

What a busy month March has been. Last weekend I attended The Jersey Paddler's Paddlesport 2011. I joined Mike Hooks, Woody Callaway, and Kelly Fisher of Legacy Paddlesports in the Native Watercraft booth. This event is one of the largest Paddlesports consumer shoes on the east coast. Kayak fishing was very well represented.

Rigged Kayak Fishing boats were everywhere, the event program even featured a kayak angler on the cover.

Several Kayak fishing experts were there, here is John Oast, Joey Cambria, and the legendary Kayak Kevin.

Drew Gregory was also on hand to talk about their new kayak, the Coosa.

The place was madness, and alot of anglers became kayak anglers this weekend. It was a great event and I look foward to next year. Now its about time to start fishing, but first catch us at the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival April 16-17th. Tight Lines!

Great press from Canoecopia 2011.

2011-03-21T14:37:00.001-07:00

Check this out....way cool. Pat Durkin column: Kayak fishing offers cheap trip | wisconsinoutdoorfun.com | Wisconsin Outdoor Fun Wisconsin Hunting, Fishing, Camping| Wisconsin Hiking, Biking, ATV

Canoecopia 2011

2011-03-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Had the opportunity to join Rutabaga's "Canoecopia" as a guest speaker and to work in the Native Watercraft booth. This was a great event that hosted hundreds of vendors and thousands of consumers. It was nonstop and I believe over 50 Native Watercraft left the building with their happy owners.

I had a great crowd for both of my talks, they were very interested and asked lots of questions.
They even laughed at my jokes!

Canoecopia was a great event and I hope to return. Headed to The Jersey Paddler's "Paddlesport" next week, see you there!

Let the Shows begin.

2011-02-26T07:43:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we attended our second of several fishing/paddling shows. The Central Carolina Boat and Fishing Expo, in Greensboro, is near my home town so we take the opportunity to visit with my Dad, and our fellow kayak anglers in NC. The North Carolina Kayak Fishing Association (http://www.nckfa.com/) was there in force, Jerry Dilsaver and Mark Patterson were waving the kayak fishing banner along with us. Get Outdoors (www.shopgetoutdoors.com) also had a killer showing of Wilderness System and Native Watercraft fishing kayaks. In all a great event with plans to have kayak fishing specific areas and speakers in 2012. Next stop is Rutabaga's "Canoecopia" in Madison (March 11-13), WI and Jersey Paddlers "Paddlesport" in Somerset NJ (March 25-27). Ill have more on these in the next few weeks. Stay Tuned!

Fall Fishing off to good start.

2010-10-10T13:52:00.001-07:00

Fall bite is upon Us

The change in weather is always a welcome sight for fishing here in Tidewater. This is the time for the fish to fatten up for the winter ahead. I started my weekend fishing trips early on Thursday night. Four of us including myself planned our first striper trip of the year to the HRBT.We made an after work launch at 7 which played out to be the wrong time. To kill time while the tide turned we visited with other kayak anglers we ran into on the water. Including a visit from our local on the water police officers! Wow!! I can honestly say in all my years on the water that is the first time I have ever been checked by the Man.The worst part was he asked to see every safety item but not our fishing license. Asked if we had them but did not ask to see them. I wanted to show them off I have spent $55.00 on license and wanted to show them off. Well we moved on, the tide changed and still no fish. About 11:30 we decided to pull the plug and wouldn't you know it the fish turned on. Several schoolie stripers and even a Grey Trout kept me busy. Was a good way to finish a slow night on the water. Off the water at 1am and home to bed....

I kept the fishing trend going by heading to Rudee Inlet with my friend William Ragulsky. William was entered in a local fishing tournament this weekend so I tagged along but kept my distance and fished for Trout this day.I made a plan and I stuck with it and that was to fish only one style of bait and make it work. That would be the Killa Squilla form Marsh Works. I worked the ledges and drop offs with the incoming tide. I had a lot of trout and all color variations worked on the Squilla that I tried. I love the on the water R&D part of my job...

One more try on Sunday. Same plan as Saturday. Except I threw only one color and used the same retrieve and technique from the previous day. The bite was alot slower but I increased my species. Actual managed an Inshore slam. A couple of flounder one nice Redfish and that Trout I was hoping for, a keeper. A real nice 22inch Speckle Trout! Took my glory pictures with my first big trout of this fall and let him swim away. All in all fall is starting to look very promising.

Fishing with Heroes

2010-09-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

Had the honor of kayak fishing with 18 warriors from Project Healing Waters and the Marine Wounded Warrior Regiment. This trip was organized as part of the 6th Annual TKAA Charity Kayak Fishing Tournament. Each year the Heores On the Water or HOW, organizes volunteers and equipment to take these deserving indiviuals out for a day of kayak fishing.

We had both fly and conventional anglers and every one took to kayak fishing like it was second nature. For the rest of the day we were all kayak anglers.

Some took to the open water solo, while others found a spot with their brothers and enjoyed the day. These Marines found the hot spot of the day.

This particular Marine caught his first kayak fish today, and others even caught their first fish ever..on the kayak. I believe they might be hooked.

I take pride in being able to "give back" to these deserving indiviuals by sharing my passion. In one way or another I believe we are doing in a day, what it takes the government much longer to do. HOW continues to grow and chapters are organizing nationwide. If you want to volunteer or contribute to the Heroes on the Water, please check out their website at http://www.heroesonthewater.org

Lynnhaven Scouting trip.

2010-09-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

Got an early start to scout out some spots in Lynnhaven Inlet. I was joined by Mark Lozier, Jay Kocan , and IFA competitor Scott Inge from Raleigh, NC.

Paddling into the sunrise.

Scott starts the morning with a nice sleighride.

He nets a nice redfish after a quick but hearty fight.

The fish ends up being a nice 28-inch multi spotted redfish. It hit a redfish magic spinnerbait.

It was not a gangbuster day but things seem to be picking up, we even managed a few trout this morning. We have lots of slots open for fall give us a call to get in on the action.

2010-07-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I owe everyone an apology for not posting fishing reports and photos. I have been going through alot lately including a seperation. I wont go into depth but the dust is finally settling and I am ready to move on. I have also moved to Knotts Island, North Carolina, which is about 45minutes south of Virginia Beach. I have taken over the caretaking responsibility for private Hunting and Fishing Camp there and simply love it. Well have more about it soon.

Now a fishing report. First of all this year has been a slow one, everywhere in tidewater fishing has been slow, and the air temperature are sweltering. I did have an opportunity to fish with Jim (Arrow1) from TKAA on Saturday morning, and believe it or not we had a pretty good day getting small flounder in Rudee inlet. He also managed to land a small redfish, which are starting to show up more lately, but not like past years. I am confident that with the abundance of bait, the late summer and fall will be red hot.

We are steadily booking trips for September and october, so get wiht us soon so you wont miss a great trip. I am also offering freshwater trips out of the camp in Knotts Island for bass, bream, catfish, chain pickeral, and perch. Check out the website for more information.

See you on the water!

Ruthless

Snow in Virginia Beach

2010-01-31T14:01:00.001-08:00

It has been 30-years since we have had a significant amount of snow in Virginia Beach.

The weatherman got it right and we reciveved about 8 inches of snow, as seen here on the avalanche.

The morning after the storm yielded some great images.

We are pretty locked in with winter, but we are still doing shows and are getting some great interest in trips this year, 2010 is going to be a killer year! See you on the water!

Kiptopeake Kows Come Home

2009-12-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

On monday I made my second attempt to catch a Kiptopeake Kow. Left work about 2pm and made the 45-min drive across the CBBT to Kiptopeake State Park. When I got there there were already kayak anglers on the water, Kayak Kevin and Shante were set up to film footage for his upcoming DVD "Kayak Fishing the Chespeake Bay". Jay Flemming was also on the water taking some phonemenal stills.

Kayak Kevin and Shante with their cameras running!

There was a great sunset, but my Sony a700 is getting serviced, so I had to catch some stills from my HD camcorder. They are OK but not up to par with the DSLR's.

Jim Porter came down from Maryland he caught this nice citation striper during the daytime bite. Photo courtesy of Jim Porter, taken by Jay Flemming. http://www.jayflemingphotography.com/

Chad Hoover caught this monster 51.5-inch striper at the pound net poles. Photo courtesy of kayakbassfishing.com.

We are offering trips out to the ship, but we require you have the proper winter paddling apparel. Call or email us for details. The fishery here is very unpredictable, but get there at the right time and the payoff can be BIG!

Cold Water Kayak Self Rescues

2009-12-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Was joined by 6 members of the TKAA for our annual turtle recovery practice. We use this opportunity to let people know the reality of cold water kayak fishing and to see if their clothing and gear can make the cut. As always I am the first to go over or "turtle".

TKAA tournament director Wayne Bradby excuting his turtle.

And his successful recovery. "IM ALIVE"!

Tom, Justin, and Vic waiting for their turn.

Group shot of all the participants, everyone successfully recovered and came prepared. Everyone went inot the 40 degree water and noone went home wet and cold.

We are keeping an eye on the Striper fishing at Kiptopeake I have a few trips pending and will start booking as soon as the bit gets hot. In January we will premier our new website start to stream episodes of the show. We will also shut down charters to have booths the winter fishing shows (dates and locations will be posted soon). See you on the water or at the shows.

Busy Weekend

2009-11-08T16:03:00.001-08:00

Had charters all weekend, two on saturday and one today. Despite Saturday's excellent weather and clear water, Lynnhaven Inlet had no love (or trout) for us. For Sunday I opted to fish Rudee inlet.

Joe Calahan from Richmond was my guest today. He brought his motorized NuCanoe and we spent most of the trip looking for fish.

Joe managed to squeek out a spike trout about halfway through.

I lucked out and landed a nice 20-inch trout rigth at the end of the day.

Toothy critters!

We will be taking a break for the next two weekends but will move our operations to the Elizabeth River for trout and to Kiptopeake State Park for trophy stripers. Book Now!

Fall is here and so are the Spotted Trout

2009-10-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

We got a very short window of opportunity for spotted trout here in Virginia. Having the day off I decided for a pre-dawn launch at the Owls Creek Ramp in Virginia Beach. Mullet were busting everywhere so I cast a super spook jr to the commotion, I was gettting severl blow up but no takers. IN the Shadows I saw another kayaker fighting a fish, It was Trevor Holiday a fellow plankowner of TKAA and a great artist. I cast my lure and it was smashed as soon as it hit the water. After a quick fight I landed a nice 24-inch citation trout. We called wayne Bradby over to take a pic..and here it is. These fish were caught less than 100 yards from the launch.

It seems that as the sun came up the mullet went down and so did the trout, so we switched over to sub surface lures. I gave Trevor a Rip Tide Ultimate Inshore Minnow, he put it on and hooked up in a few casts.

Got em in the net! 18-inch trout.

Trevor likes the Ultimate Minnow and so do these trout! You can get you Ultimate Monnows online here! http://www.riptidelures.com/html/ultimate.html

A really "Crappie" day

2009-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

My good pal Jay Kocan just bought a new house on one of the freshwater lakes in Virginia Beach. He wanted to paddle it, so we launched from his yard and went looking for some sweetwater pullage. Crappie was the fish of the day, Jay used his fly rod and I used jigs.

Most of the fish were small but still fun on ultra light gear.

Jay with a scrappy crappie.

There were also some hungry bass in the lake.

Jay fly casting from his Native Ultimate 14.5 the best flatwater kayak available!

My biggest crappie of the day, I caught him vertical jigging around a downed pine tree.

Fall Flounder

2009-10-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Went solo fishing today and had a nice day on the water. I saw what I thought was a stingray settle down on a oyster bar. Realized that it was a flounder and cast to it. The fish did not hesitate and took my lure. after landing the fish near by motor boats promptly moved into my spot. Fish was 23-inches. POTLICKERS! LOL!

HOW TKAA Charity Event Winner

2009-09-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Had the pleasure of fishing with 15 warriors from the Wounded Warrior Regement at Portsmouth Naval Hospital and Project Healing Waters. The fishing was tough but there were some fish caught, the biggest was a 12-inch redfish caught by Marine Bronson Bell, he went home with a custom rod by local rod maker Jese Buke of JB rods. Everyone had a great time and we cannot wait until the next event. Also if you know a vet who can use a day of kayak fishing, pleas contact me and we will get them on the water!

TKAA Tournament Slide Show

2009-09-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

David Schwartz of
http://www.davidschwartzphotography.com/
volunteered to be the official photographer at this years TKAA Charity Kayak Fishing Tournament. He followed the whole process from the captain's meeting to the awards ceremony. He is truly a talented photographer and I highly recommend him for capturing your special event.

The slide show can be found at http://www.davidschwartzphotography.com.temp.livebooks.com/tkaa/index.html

Thanks to David for his work and to all those who made this a great event.

Short trip with "lil miss ruthless"

2009-09-22T18:04:00.001-07:00

Got out for a little pre-tournament scouting with my daughter Cara "lil miss ruthless" Routh. She loves to paddle and I got to get her a Werner paddle of her own. We caught lots of small trout and pinfish. Got 20 HOW and PHW vets to fish with in TKAA fifth annusl charity kayak fishing tournament. Tigh Lines!

Redfish action still hot in Virginia Beach

2009-08-30T19:25:00.001-07:00

Took John Fuller and Nick Kutner out today for a quick afternoon trip. As soon as we got to my spot in Hidden Cove both guys hooked up, here Nick fights a scrappy red.

And Nick's hero shot.

John also hooked up in the same spot.

An John gets a hero shot as well (check the perfect lighting).

Things are going to get better as fall approaches, book now, we are filling up fast!

Hawaii Fishing trips

2009-08-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Had the opportunity to fish with two members of the Aquahunters family while in Hawaii. The first was with Ji Fay and his son Issiac, Ji took us out in his outrigger canoe on the private waters of the Kaelepulu Pond Reserve. Below is a picture of Ji, Issiac, and the Routh boys posing for the camera.

The pond is a brackish water estuary that is allowed to flush with Pacific Ocean water every month at the highest tides. This flushing creates a killer fisher for Papio, Baracuda, Milkfish, and a species of Talipia. Issac joined us on his kayak.

Ji and dad contemplating which lures to use.

We hooked a few nice baracuda, but noone was able to get them to the boat...yes they were that big, and toothy!

One day before I was to fly home, Boogie-D aka Dave Elgas of Coastal Kayak Tours offered to take me on his inshore run from The Backyards to Haliewa ( over 5 miles). We launched right at dawn and the wind was behind us all the way.

Not 5-minutes in and we are both hooked up with Papio. These were very scrappy fighters and after the first, I wanted more!

Boogie-D with a Papio, notice the swells, thay got bigger as the day went on.

Our final catch, we kept 4 papio, and a Leather skin jack. we released a triggerfish, and a needlefish.

These guys were part or our final day Lual and were very tasty on the grill with Hawaiian Seasoning!

I had a great time and the hospitality of our fellow kayak anglers was second to none. If you want to check out the Hawaiian kayak fishing scene check out www.aquahunters.com and if you are on Oahu and want the to hire a kayak fishing guide check out Boogie-D at www.coastalkayaktours.com.

Can't wait until I return!

ESPN features Kayak Fishing

2009-08-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Todays blog is a link to a piece done by Colin Moore of ESPN. Enjoy and we have alot more on the way from Hawaii!

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/saltwater/news/story?id=4418580

Aloha from Hawaii!

2009-08-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

Aloha from the North Shore of Oahu! On vacation with family in Hawaii and found out about a Kayak fishing tournament in Haleiwa, just down the road from our rental house at Sunset Beach.
This tournament was the 2009 Papio Open with two divisions, the target species Papio or Bluefin Trevally and a big fish catagory. The papio catagory had an $1800 total payout while the bigfish catagory winner went home with a new Oceak Kayak Prowler.

This event attracted 47 anglers and was a well run and organized event.

Papio was the target species!

There were some great catches in the big fish catagory including this 18.8 pound Ula (Great Trevally) caight by Steven Uchida.

Other pelagics were also caught such as this Mahi.

And this 24 pound gaffer Mahi caught by Chris Paglinewah.

Ji Fay took second place in the big fish with this 31.9 pound Kagami (African Trevally).

The target species division (papio) was taken by Micah Pignoley with a 7 pound Papio, he took home $1000.

The big fish division was won by Michael Nevius with a 33 pound Great Trevally, he took home the OK Prowler.

Group shot of all 47 anglers and support staff. Great turnout and tourney!

It was an honor to meet all these kayak anglers, and really great to see the enthuasium that all these anglers have. The sport has a lot of potential in Hawaii and it was great to be a part of this tourney. Mahalo! More to come!

Double Header Weekend

2009-08-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

Got out for two days with John, Todd, and Doug. On saturday we fished out of Seashore State Park. John hooked up off of the bat with two fish.

These slot redfish are real fiesty.

Doug fighting a scrappy redfish. Saturday was pretty good with about a dozen redfish caught between the four of us.

Doug taking a hero shot...Smile man!

Day two we were joined by Mark and Kris.

Mark started the day out right, he landed a few reds today.

Doug with a small but scrappy flounder, there were plenty of these mixed in with small croaker.

Everyone had a great time and that will finish out my trips for August. Mark will still be available to book and guide trips while I am gone. Keep track of my Hawaii Adventures on my Facebook page. Aloha!

2009-08-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

Took a break from charters and made a road trip to Wilmington, NC with Mark Lozier. We met up with Chris Tryon and Ryan Meddock of Hook, Line, and Paddle, for their first annual Kayak Fishing Tournament. The Captains meeting was held at their retail store, which is awesome.

Tournament day started with threatening clouds, but we lucked out as things eventually cleared and the fish started biting.

Mark found some fish and was measuring this slot redfish as I paddled up to him.

TKAA made a great showing, here the Moore boys tag team a small bluefish.

Chris Tryon checking digital pictures for verification.

Flounder were numerous, here a few displayed at weigh in.

The food was fantastic, here is the comfort food spread by Middle Of Island.

The HLP crew posing for a picture.

Charity Tournament VIPS.

There were lots of prizes, including four kayaks, and a great raffle. Everyone had a great time and I cannot wait until nexts years event.

I will have one more trip before heading out to Hawaii for two weeks. Mark will be running the show while I am gone, so give him a call to set up a trip. Aloha!

7-19-09 Lynnhaven Family Outing

2009-07-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Had a great trip with Jim, Chris, Ken and Carla. We managed to find lots of hungry flounder and croaker. Ken hooked up with a redfish early. Keep em out of the pilings.

Ken lands his fish and gives the camera man a big smile!

This was Carla's first kayak trip, add fishing and she is hooked!

Jim with a fiesty under slot flounder, there were lots of these guys around.

The whole gang had a great time, and the smiles say it all.

Keep in mind ill be in Hawaii the latter part of August, but Mark will be around to hanlde any trips. Book now the fall is going to be HOT!.

Sunday Spottails and Cara's First Spot.

2009-06-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Mark guided Kim Damarand on his first trip in Lynnhaven. Kim caught fish and even gave the flyrod a try.

Kim bowed up on a Lynnhaven redfish.

With Mark on a charter, I offered to take my daughter Cara kayak fishing in rudee inlet. She brought along her Barbie rod. Afer a little instruction Cara has no problem catching and reeling in this spot. It was her first fish ever, and on a kayak. Every time I look at this picture I get more proud of her. I cannot wait to share more of my passion with her. Daddy's Girl!

Kayak Bowfishing!

2009-06-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

Launched at 7am on saturday to shoot (litterally) the bowfishing episode of the show. Mark was already on the water scouting for his sunday charter.

Marks friend Chris Lally was also fishing, she loves her ultimate 12 tegris.

Chase was the first to spot a ray and make a shot.

Chase landing a nice cownosed ray, these guys can get over 50lbs.

Tim getting a sleigh ride and a shower from a huge cownose.

The whole crew on the "Mothership".

First TKAA "Heroes on the Water" event a big success!

2009-06-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday June 2oth the TKAA hosted its first "Heroes on the Water" event. Eight marines and one Navy seal from Portsmouth Naval Hospital attended the event. Approximately 20 TKAA members provided extra kayaks and their time to get the indiviuals out on the water. The volunteers met at 6am and had everything ready for the HOW participants by their arrival at 9am.

In less than 5 minutes all marines and volunteers where out on the water without a hitch. Every one gathered at the ramp for a group shot! OH RAH!

Everyone spread out and started to fish, the temperatures were soaring but so was everyone's spirits.

Caleb the Navy Seal did not touch a fishing rod, but really enjoyed his time out on the water, he had spent the last two months in a hospital room. He really likedthe Ultimate Multisport Propel, even with his injury he moved quite well in the Native Watercraft.

TKAA member Ryan Anderson chatting with Caleb.

Even though fishing was slow, some guys did manage to catch fish here Marine Cpl. Mike Manning fights the big one.

The splashes and commotion made everyone stop what they where doing to see what Mike had on the line.

Which turned out to be a keeper flounder, which he took home to eat.

His brother, also a marine also had one one but it turned out to be a foul hooked stingray.

TKAA member Mike Coates, who is a Navy IDC, and the event emergency specalist, managed to get bowed up as well, even the volunteers got to fish.

Mike 's fish turned out to be a scrappy black drum pup.

At lunch Pizza was provideed by Crab Creek Pizza and served by the Moose Lodge Youth Group. TKAA president, Mark Lozier enjoying a slice under the shade tree.

As a token of gratatude the HOW warriors were presented with medal that read "Our Hero" on the front and TKAA Heroes On The Water, June 20, 2009 on the back.

Caleb posing with his medal. Its hard to beat that big smile.

Or these big smiles!

In the end our first event went on without a hitch, the volunteers knew what to do and everything ran as smooth as silk. I would like to personally thank everyone who helped out, and loaned us your kayak and or your saturday. I cannot express how proud I am of my fellow TKAA members, and how grateful I am of the Warriors who made sacrifices to protect my freedom. I cannot wait until September to do it again.

Got some "me" time

2009-06-12T18:46:00.000-07:00

Got out on Wednsday to scout out some spots for my charter on sunday. On my second cast I hooked up, and continued to find slot sized redfish every where I looked.

The action was non stop and I landed about 20 fish in just an hour and a half, sunday is going to be a good trip.

I like the action shots but it is hard to snap pictures and fish at the same time..I need a photographer.

Spinners and Riptide Conley grubs were the ticket...no stinky baits needed!

Last but least I finnally solved the long lost mystey of where

missing socks go...the ospreys get them and tie them in knots to keep us from retrieving them.
Things are getting better and trips are booking up fast ... give us a shout if you want in on the action.

First Trip in Lynnhaven Inlet

2009-05-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

Mark Lozier guided David Wolf from New Jersey on a full day trip in Lynnhaven Inlet. Mark got out the day before and caught this nice 30-inch redfish. He caught a few and then left them alone for his charter.

Mark met up with Mr.Rich Bentley, a pervious client, now an avid kayak angler, and a very good one. He was on the water friday with Mark during his scouting trip.

The scouting worked, on Saturday he managed to put Mr. Wolf on the fish and he landed a few. Mr. Wolf had a great time and vowed to retun to fish with us again in the fall. Things are starting to heat up there and slots are booking up fast.

Rudee Inlet

2009-05-17T05:16:00.001-07:00

Had the pleasure of guiding Jeff Turner and his son Logan for their first saltwater kayak fishing trip. Logan has just graduated from The University of Richmond. Logan was the first to hook up with this small flounder.
There are dredging operations in Rudee now through Memorial Day. There are pipes running everywhere and the water is dingy. I think this made fishing hard for the day. Good thing it should end soon.
Mr. Turner's target species was bluefish, and ther are some big ones in Rudee, his first fish was pulling hard.

But ended up being a smaller bluefish....but still a first for him.

We continued to fish but only managed to squeek out a few fish. Everyone still had fun as you can see by the smiles. I am sure I created a few more kayak anglers on this trip...and that is what it is all about.