First Galveston Kayak Fishing Trip @ Rollover Pass

Well its over due for me to write about my fishing trip to Galveston to take my kayak out on the gulf and see if I could catch a Red Drum.  Coming from Dallas, I have read a lot about the Red Drum and kayakers going out to the Oil Rigs (appx. 3 miles off shore) to catch fish.

Well I promised my wife that I wouldn't go out that far, and frankly going that far by my self was a little scary since I usually don't even go that far on the lakes!  So off shore outside Rollover Pass a little would have to do.

(more pics below if you want to skip the story)

I took off after work on Tuesday Oct. 7th.  Due to having obligations Friday evening I had to head back on Friday morning.  This gave me 2 days to fish.

To get ready I knew my regular tackle wouldn't cut it.  I hear the Red Drum are good fighters and their scales are rough and can cut through regular line and braided line.  So I got myself a Ugly Stick Tiger by Shakespeare.  I needed the strength.  To top that off I got 50 lbs braided line with 1 foot steel leader.  Not going to let these big fish off the hook!

So I loaded up my kayak and gear and off I went.  Luckily I have an aunt who lives in League City who let me stay at her place for a few nights.  So I got off easy when it came to cost of staying down there.  With only a 30 mile drive I could be there relatively early and hit the water.  After getting there closer to 11pm then 10pm I went to sleep ready for the morning.

Bright and early I took off after some coffee and donuts (thanks Aunt Carol) and headed to Rollover Pass.  I had heard that rollover pass presented good opportunities to catch flounder and Red Drum.  There was no way that I wasn't going to give myself the best opportunity to catch what I had planned over a month to do.  About the time I started checking directions, I saw that the way that I was going wasn't connected by land, nor did I see a bridge that connected Galveston Island to Bolivar Peninsula.  Hello Ferry!  I had to put my brand new truck on a boat and take it over the water.  That was pretty fun but a little worrisome since I had never done that before.

(pic of the yak & truck on the ferry)

Next thing on my list was to get bait prior to getting to the pass.  I first stopped at the main Galveston Pier that you basically run into when getting to the Gulf side of the Island.  I got out and made my way to the shop only to be told that they didn't have any finger mullet.  So I had to find another place before getting too far along.  So after the ferry, I stopped at a little place called North Jetty Bait Camp.  The place is run by a very friendly guy.  I had to ask for a a couple tips and got to talking to the guy.  The shop has had a rough history from getting demolished in the hurricane to the overrun seaweed that has a very strong odor.  After a bit of talking and grabbing some finger mullet, I parted ways.  Thanks North Jetty Bait Camp for the help and hospitality.

(even tho they didn't have my bait, it was still a pretty cool view in the morning)

Nothing stopping me now from hitting the water.  I pull up to Rollover pass around 9.30 and quickly got unloaded and on the water.  

Now this is my first time on the ocean, with waves and wind and I was a little nervous.  I had no idea what to expect and I never read anything about getting out past the breakers on a kayak (nor getting back, but more on that later). So I push out till about mid thigh deep hop on and start paddling my ass off.  I could not stop paddling till I was past the waves otherwise I would quickly be turned around.  After what felt like 10 minutes of straight paddling I was finally past the waves and was coasting.  The water felt more rough then I thought.  A lot of ups and down.  I was probably moving more then 2 feet up and down due to the swells the whole time.  I was probably less then a half mile from shore, but I don't know for sure.  I was working in about 12-14 fow.

Well I hooked up the mullet and threw my first cast.  All I could do now was wait.

AND POW! Less then 20 minutes later I was hooked!  YES! After all the planning I had caught something and was not going to be skunked.  Was it my Red Drum was it a shark was it a flounder or a stingray. I didn't know, but I had something.  It ended up being my Red Drum.  I had accomplished my goal to catch a Red Drum.  I hooked up with 2 of these bad boys during my trip that day (catch and release).

 (first Red Drum Caught)

After the wind started picking up and the current starting to push me towards the shore and I couldn't fish and keep my place. So time to pack up and head in.  I took my time to head in, mostly just letting the current and wind move me in.  I started getting close to the waves and tied down my gear as best as I thought would be needed. Boy was I wrong.

I paddled through a few waves but I was quickly grabbed by a wave and I basically started surfing a wave (ya know, hang ten!) for about 4 seconds.  What was I supposed to do when this happens? I didn't read this part in any of the off-shore stories I had read.  Well before I knew it I started going off to the side and bam! Flipped my kayak.  I lost my NRS Co-Pilot that I had just bought, my fish finder holder, had my 2 freshwater reels dunked in the salt water (rusted bearings by day 2), and lost about 3 beers.

I didn't care. I had had an amazing adventure and caught some fish on the Gulf of Mexico.  It was a blast.

(Striking a pose with #2)

(Rollover Pass from where I was at off shore)

On my way out of Rollover Pass I was greeted by some guy saying that it cost $5 to park at the pass.  I was in good spirits so I paid him the $5.  He looked official so I didn't second guess it too much and it was only $5 even though I was about to leave.  Started talking to him about being from Dallas and telling him of my red Drum triumph.  And about a problem I was having out on the water with my bait.  My problem was that I was starting to feel my bait being eaten, but the hook was never catching anything.  Well I had no idea what was going on.  This guy tells me "It is probably the croakers."  Without giving it too much thought I was on my way.

Part 2 to cover day 2 in the next post.

Over all I give the experience 2 thumbs up!

Thanks to my wife for letting me make the trip.  I was safe the whole time I promise.

First Trip Kayak Fishing (Jackson Kayak Big Tuna)

Hello All!
Recently took my first fishing trip on my new Big Tuna from Jackson Kayaks.  The first trip was of course with my beautiful wife.  She is the reason I got the kayak with the ability to go tandem.  According to her she wouldn't want to go out solo as much as tandem, and I didn't want to get her a cheap one if I was using a top of the line one because I KNOW she would never go.  Also, wasn't sure what to expect in terms of being able to maneuver, fish, GET ALONG, deal with the heat, turtle the yak, swim to shore, give up on kayak fishing after one go round... Well you get the idea.  But at this point there was no turning back since I had already made my purchase of a yak and all the necessary accessories.

Prior to purchasing, I read everything I could about kayaks and kayak fishing. Anything I could get my hands on.  I took 2 or 3 trips from Allen to Mountain Sports in Arlington to take a look at the Big Tuna and related kayak accessories and paddles.  I read TKF and TFF for hours.  Read stories about triumphs and also read stories about fails and falls.  After reading and researching and talking with my wife and whether she was really going to be in on  the new hobby/addition, I made my mind up that the Big Tuna was best suited for our needs.  Tandem if she was into it and could go.  Solo for if she didn't like it or was unable to go.  After the first trip, I can honestly say it was a unanimous 4 thumbs up!!

We got up early, but not early enough for me (but hey, at least I had someone going with me).  Packed up the Tuna in the back of the truck loaded the gear and off we went.  We ended up at East Fork Park on Lake Lavon at about 7 in the morning.  Unloaded the Tuna and loaded up all the gear we had and down to the water we went.

This was a learning experience for both of us and we have learned that you need to carefully choose where to put in and take out.  We chose the bank next to a boat ramp and I cannot even explain how muddy and such a pain it was to get it ready for launch.  Long story short, I will now use the boat ramp unless there is a sandy or clay bank to put the kayak in. Much cleaner and much easier.  Not to mention that the muddy bank had a dead rotting fish hanging out about 3 feet away.  Not a pretty sight for either of us.

But after we got onto the water it was smooth sailing.  We got into a good rhythm with paddling, fishing, drifting, eating sunflower seeds.  We thought we had a pretty good location and stuck around there for awhile. This part of the story I wish wasn't true, but my wife out fished me.  She caught 2 sandies to my 1.  But to my defense, mine was bigger!  We were out on the water for probably over 3 hours before I even figured out I was getting hungry for lunch so we headed in.

It was a great first fishing trip in my new kayak and I know we both enjoyed our time out on the lake with good weather and good company.  The only problem was that the time just flew by!  I wish I would have brought a lunch so that I could have stayed out there till dinner.  Oh well, the exciting part was that it was a total blast and now plan my weekends around taking the kayak out and doing a little fishing.

I want to mention one thing that caught me off guard a little bit.  Once we got out on the water and got out of the particular arm of the lake that we launched from and rounded a corner I saw about 15 people fishing from the bank in this particular spot.  Maybe I'm doing my part to help spread the yearning to go buy a kayak to fish from.

I heard on the radio today that the 2nd highest sport that is increasing in popularity is kayaking.  And now I know why.  It is a great feeling to be out on the water and relying on just a kayak, a paddle, and yourself to catch fish.

I'm completely hooked and am glad I am part of the growing sport.

Thanks! And tight lines!

Review: 13 Fishing Omen Black & Pflueger Purist

Hello All!

Here is my first fishing gear review.  I will be reviewing my 13 Fishing Omen Black Spinning Rod and the Pflueger Purist Spinning Reel.

First up, let me say that I spent about 1 1/2 hours in Cabela's while deciding what rod and reel would replace the hand-me-down Walmart combo.  I talked to the sales guys, I Googled reviews of products, picked rods up, put rods down, walked to a different section for a breather, paced back and forth, etc before settling on my newest rod and reel.  I figured that my old setup was outdated, but until I cast the first lure with the new combo I didn't know what I was missing out on.

The 13 Fishing Omen Black Spinning Rod (Medium Power, Fast Action 6'7") is an awesome rod that is giving me everything that I was missing out on.  With a good price point of $100 I decided on this rod and am not looking back.  We can first start with the aesthetics of the rod itself.

The rod's finish is a very nice matte black.  I find it very cool and seems to minimizes sun glare. With some polarized sunglasses on and the sun shining, the rod has a unique and awesome look. I didn't see many (if any) other rods with the matte black finish so I could be in store for a surprise when after a couple more years use the color starts coming off or starts to loose its finish, but after 1 year its still looking very nice.

The sensitivity in the rod is great.  I am able to feel everything that I never knew I could fee previously.  I am able to run a jig-n-pig on the bottom of a pond and feel everything it is doing down there.  I can feel if there a weeds or moss or rocks.  Also able to feel all the bites.  The fast action is probably not the fastest of all rods out there, but at this price it might have one of the best.  The flexibility in the tip of the rod seems to show signs of being faster then other rods I have test.

The silver woven portion of the rod is my only complaint.  Fortunately it is only on the small part that twist to hold on the reel and the part hidden by the reel connecting to the rod.  The silver woven part looks a little cheap.  It might not be cheap and could be the expensive part, but to me it doesn't do the rod any justice.  They could have put anything else there and I would have been happier.  I can say that it does match the color scheme of the entire rod so that is nice.  Also, the twist part is the only part that has given me any issue.  The issue isn't a functionality issue, but more of an annoyance.  The silver weave portion that is glued to that actual plastic twist part, and came unglued after a year of use.  Not too big of an issue, I just used a little super glue to put it back in the right place and it hasn't come off after about a dozen more trips.  Let me emphasize that this did not affect the functionality of the rod in any way.  I could see being annoyed if it did get loose again and I was out in the middle of the lake on my kayak, but I don't think its going to move anytime soon with the amount of glue I used!

The lure hook at the end works as needed.  It is pressed against the rod itself does a good job at making it very easy to hook your spinnerbait or Texas rigged worm while getting ready to store or transporting the combo.  I have found that having that part touching the rod the hook will sit in there without the line being taut.

The handle is over half cork and a portion of foam on the bottom when referencing the bottom section.  Above the reel it is mostly foam that is being held, but my thumb is on the cork when casting and retrieving.  I have heard that cork is the cool thing to have at the moment, but I have always had foam.  I appreciate the 2 different surfaces that are on this rod.  It makes it the best of both worlds for me and find it very comfortable to hold.  I have the look of the cork, and the functionality of the foam.

Speaking of comfortability, this combo just feels awesome while using it.  I do feel that it has a very balanced feel and I using it all day does not fatigue me in any sort of way.  The sales guy at Cabela's said that you should look for balance, and really this combination had the most balance of any I tested at this price point.

Over all I am 100% glad that I chose this rod!

Now for the Pflueger Purist Spinning Reel (1330).  I will put a disclaimer that I haven't used any decent reels previously to using this one, but I can say with enthusiasm that I absolutely love this reel.  It is smooth.  It feels well made. It has a good balance with my rod.  It has a smooth and sturdy bail.  It was a great deal when I got it on sale for $59.99.

As you can see from the picture, the bail is made from a metal bar.  I say metal bar because most of the other ones that I looked at had a metal wire.  I exaggerate, but I want to point out that others I looked at had a very thin bail that almost made me think that it was going to break after extensive use.  This one make me feel like I bought quality.  Knowing that that bail travels a long way and make frequent and abrupt stops, I felt that having it thicker would make it more sturdy and I have been glad that I made that decision.

Retrieving line is smooth and I cannot complain about the 10 bearing system used by Pflueger in this reel.  It is smooth as butter after a year.  Hopefully I will learn more about taking care of reels so that it stays this way for a long time.

 The fit of the reel fits very nicely on the rod and is very comfortable to hold.  I am in love with it! As much as any guy doesn't admit to caring how it looks, I am pleased to say that it matches my rod very nicely and I wouldn't be ashamed to take this with me wherever my fishing trips lead me.

Overall I give both of them a 2 thumbs up and wouldn't hesitate to purchase both of these or recommend them to a friend.

Hopefully I gave you a little more information on these products then you had previously.  Feel free to leave a message or ask any questions.

Cost:
13 Fishing Omen Black Spinning Rod - $100
Pflueger Purist Spinning Reel - $59.99

Intro to My Kayak Fishing World

Hello all!

My name is Carter and I like to fish.   It started last summer when I took my hand-me-down rod and reel down to the ponds at a local rec center to see if I could catch anything.  But before I get ahead of myself, maybe I should back up a little more.  When I was in high school in a little north Texas town, my friends from school liked to fish.  I would join them by going to one of our friends house who had a pond with Catfish and Perch (only things that were caught).  I remember catching that little perch while sitting on a pedal boat in the middle of the pond.  I knew from the moment that I liked to fish, I just never followed the passion until recently.

Fast forward to the summer of 2013.

At this point I had been a 2-3 times a year fisherman that has been basically wasting my hard earned money on buying a fishing license every year for the past 5 years.  I was buying a hunting license so it just went together in my mind!  I would go out to Lake Ray Roberts and take my dozen minnows and drop my line from the pier.  I usually would catch one, but with the lack of fishing gear and fishing knowledge to make my fishing trip enjoyable, I just didn't partake in the addiction as much I should have.

So I took my only rod and reel and a spinner bait that I purchased from Cabela's to the local ponds hell bent on catching a fish.  Not knowing anything about how fish act or where they might be in the water, I started casting blindly into the pond.  Well I didn't catch anything if that is what you are wondering.  Not on that trip anyways.  But it had already taken a hold. I was going to become a fisherman.  It took me a few trips to Lake Lavon before I caught my 2nd fish that solidified my craving for catching fish.

Ah, look at that sandie. So glorious at the time when I was holding it. Taking out the lure that had grabbed it from the Lake of Lavon and given it to me.  I had mastered the primitive art of providing food.  If I was in the past where you relied on hunting and gathering your own food, I would not have gone hungry that night!

I showed everyone from my family and everyone at work that picture. I was so proud to have done something right to catch this fish so perfectly and to have gotten to share the moment with my soon to be wife.  Yes, fishing addiction you finally have me.

That is just a glimpse of the fishing lifestyle that I have taken to over the last year! And I am starting this blog to share everything that I do in regards to kayak fishing and my life.  I have a lot to explain to get everyone caught up but hopefully this hooks you like my first sandie.

I can't even wait till I get to tell you about my new kayak.

Cost:
$30 license
$5.99 Booyah Pond Magic