Fortunate Indeed

Last week while having Chinese takeout, I found my self craving the crushed fortune cookie. Usually I just eat the cookie without looking at the actual fortune. Being that this cookie was crushed I bothered to read the fortune. It said "In the near future you will realize just how fortunate you are". I handed it to Kelly and she replied " you should already know that".

This has had me thinking for the last few weeks and I quite often find, that I need a kick in the ass, to remind me. She is absolutely right! And she is a big part of my fortune.

I find that you are as only good as those who stand behind you, and I have some excellent support staff. They never question my decisions and stand behind me even when they don't know the outcome. Its their trust that keeps me going on and I am bound and determined not to fail them. I try to tell them how much I appreciate what they do, but I have never done it here. So here it goes.

Old Man Ruthless and Me

The first is my Father, Larry Routh, from the absolute beginning he has stood behind my efforts, not only morally, but financially. I know his interest is genuine as he has become very involved and even enjoys kayak fishing himself. Ruthless Fishing would not exist if it were not for him. So Dad I am eternally grateful for everything you have done! I could not ask for a better business partner.

My Love, My Kelly!

I also have to thank Kelly, she has been the best thing to happen to be since the birth of my daughter. Her love and understanding have made me a better man, and given me the motivation to "keep doing what I do". She is also an avid paddler, and becoming quite the kayak angler. I look forward to a rich future with her, and yes I an very fortunate to have her by my side!

My fishing buddy!

I also do it for this young lady, not because she is mine, but she loves to do what Daddy does. Cara is very enthusiastic about fishing with me. And I most certainly am not going to let her, or any other kids down! Our kids are the future of the sport, and if we don't pass it along, how can it continue to grow after us? And it s not just my kid that is interested in Kayak Fishing. At my latest seminar I had a large crowd but not many questions asked. I noticed a mom and her two boys sitting in the front row. I could tell the youngest of the boys wanted to ask a question, so I walked over to him and encouraged him to ask. Immediately he asked "Does in matter what color the kayak is?" I was floored by this, and continued to answer his question. After this both boys asked several questions that I would expect from experienced anglers. So after the seminar, I was approached by the mom and her sons. She said that they attended a lot of seminars that day, but it was mine that sparked the boys interest the most. Again I was taken back, so I called them over the the booth and gave them a signed copy of my book, they looked like the just got the new J.C. Penny wish book. They walked away as the mom turned and mouthed "Thank You So Much". I often doubt if what I have done has made a dent, but its time like this that I know I have. I am truly fortunate to have a following, both new and old. Thank you so much!

So my point in this rambling is that fortune was right, I am truly fortunate and will never need to be reminded again of how much.

Hope you all enjoyed the post, and I promise that its all fishing from here out!

Tight Lines,
Cory

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

Virginia is well known for its contributions to the history of our great country. The waters of Virginia were and are the very lifeblood of our country and many great men and women have roots in Virginia. These same waters are 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 even some of the northeast states started the kayak fishing craze....and I’ll give them due credit, but this is about some Virginia folks who have contributed so much to the sport nationwide. In the Tidewater region alone, we have pro-staff members representing every major kayak manufacturer. Not to mention the world class kayak fisheries we have here in Virginia, but that’s another story for next month.

Let’s step back to around 2005, there were few hardcore kayak anglers back then, those of us who were serious about it got together and organized the Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association (TKAA). The initial plank owners included many Virginia kayak fishing pioneers, such as Chad Hoover, George Hughes, Ric Burnley, Kevin Whitley, Mark Lozier, Jeff Suber, and me. Through the years TKAA has became one of the largest clubs in the sport. TKAA also started is annual Charity Kayak Fishing Tournament, which gives the proceeds to Project Healing Waters and Heroes on 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 240 entries and contributed thousands of dollars to its charities. It is one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the country and they continue to grow each year. Kudos to Tournament Director, Wayne Bradby, for taking the tournament to the next level! Check them out at tkaa.org

Kayak Kevin's latest DVD

Now let’s talk 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 is arguably the most extreme kayak angler of all time, but he keeps it real and loves fishing his home waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Kayak Kevin is on the Ocean Kayak Pro Staff, the first Virginia kayak fishing Master Angler, and with three DVD’s under his belt has become a seasoned filmmaker. His most recent DVD is "Kayak Fishing the Chesapeake Bay 2 Warm Water Species". You can find out all about Kevin at kayakkevin.com. Kevin is truly a mogul to the sport and a Virginian!

Mark flyfishing the South Holston River

I really need to mention Mark "vbfinsup" Lozier. Mark is an accomplished blogger as well as an exceptional kayak fishing guide. Mark has contributed so much to TKAA, HOW and to the sport of kayak fishing. Mark has given numerous seminars and is a very familiar face to many as he manned booths at various fishing shows. Mark is on the Native Watercraft Pro Staff, as well as Diawa’s Pro Staff, and is a rep for Marsh Works. Mark chronicles his adventures on his blog  Fishn’ Ain't Easy , be sure to check out his latest adventures. In 2012 Mark has started his own kayak fishing 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. Not too shabby!

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

Chads peacock bass.

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

The last author is yours truly, my book "Kayak Fishing: The Complete 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 most complete kayak fishing library ever! All from a few guys from Virginia!

Another Virginia kayak angler that is also leading the charge with new and innovative gear, is Luther Cifers of Yak Attack. Luther has engineered and produced some outstanding products for rigging fishing kayaks. It started with the VisiPole 360 light, and his most recent product the, Mighty Mount, PanFish, Gear Trac and 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 the USA!

Super angler and dad Rob Choi.

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

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

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!

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

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.

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

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