November 2017 Sokayak

Southern Kayak Fishing
issue #13 www.sokayakfishing.com NOVEMBER 2017
CLOSE LOOK:
Florabama
ATLANTA
FEBRUARY
2 & 3, 2018
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Editors Message
I often have to remind myself that
the other fisherman and I are on the
same team so-to-speak. With every
political and economic aspiration our
world has, the fishing world grows a
little darker. The fact of the matter is,
in 2017, there are not many places left
that are truly considered secret spots.
As unfortunate that is, it should serve to
support the larger idea that if only you
are using a location, there is no reason
for the rest of the world to help preserve
it. We are having a tough enough time
preserving our pristine locations with
the support of outdoorsmen all around
the world.
We need people who care about
F
riendly faces. We hope to see them the area to use it. We need people to
everywhere we go, though it will park at those spots and fish. Yes, it may
never be 100% of the time. We hope be an inconvenience to the person who
to wear them at all moments through life, comes directly after, but at least they
but know it could never happen. Things are going fishing that day. There could
happen daily to people all around the easily be a time in the future where
world that make it impossible to be the these fishing locations are so refined
best version of themselves that they can or the fish are so sparse that going
be. Some days, a single misstep in the fishing will not resemble what we think
original plan is enough to wipe the smile of today. That will be a very dark time
off someones face. Not a large set-back, for us. A point in which exploring loses
but something as miniscule as seeing all meaning. Connecting with nature,
another car parked in your secret what I view as the most important part
fishing spot or another fisherman inching of humanity to preserve, will simply be
too close to you on the water. Too often a faade.
do we let these small inconveniences Each time you run into another
determine when greetings dissolves into fisherman on the trail or on the water,
arguments, when relaxing trips turn into these things need to be running through
pressure cookers. your head. Sure, they may not respect
(continued)
November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 3
Editors Message
(cont.)
Southern the area like you do. They may have
Kayak Fishing no idea what the hell they are doing.

They may be the exact opposite
type of person than the one you
Publisher Don Kirk would like to go get a beer with. The
Don@Southerntrout.com good news is they dont have to be.
Editor Ragan Whitlock Their presence alone means that
Ragan@Southerntrout.com some good has been put towards
the conservation of the area.
Managing Editor Leah Kirk Whether it is in the form of money
Leah@Southerntrout.com from fishing licenses, the gear that
Assoc. Managing Editor Loryn Latham they are wearing or the hotel they
Loryn@Southerntrout.com stayed in during the trip. Whether
Technical Advisor Tim Perkins their voice will be heard in the form
of petitions, lawmaking or simply
Field Editor Steve Moore raising children with the correct view
Editorial Conslutant Olive K. Nynne of nature. There is collateral good
Contributors from the inconvenience of seeing
someone else out there. So, give
Rob Baker them a smile. Do not try to find the
Tony Chavers flaw with their fishing technique or
Steve Gibson gear choice to make yourself feel
Danny Holmes better. Look at them only as fellow
Phillip Landry teammates, striving towards the
same higher goal as you are. Today,
Tim Perkins more than ever, we need at least
Paul Presson one community out to act that way.
Steve Sammons
John Williams
Captain Kristen Wray
Southern Kayak Fishing is a publication of Southern Unlimited, LLC.
It is produced in conjunction with Southern Trout Magazine and
Southerntrout.com. Copyright 2017 Southern Unlimited, LLC All rights
reserved.
www.SoKayakFishing.com
4 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

July 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l5
This Issue
Editors Letter 3
And the Winner Is...

10
30
Kayak Hacks 22
Soundproofing
Hurricanes: 30
What Do the Experts Say?
CLOSE LOOK 43
Florabama Coast
Featured Lodging 44
Cape San Blas Inn
Featured Dining 48
Indian Pass Raw Bar 56
Working the Slosh 56
St. Joe Bay
Kayak Attacks 66
Fall River Smallmouth
A True Behemoth 74
Penn Slammer III 6500HS
Blood Lines: 82
Heddon Heritage, Part Two
Does a Paddle Type 88

Really Matter?
Jackson Mayfly 96
A Fly Fishermans Fantasy
Fishing Kayaks: 106

No Motor Zone 48
74
66
88
82
96
106
November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l7
And
the Winner
W
hen most kayak anglers
think about a day on
the water, they envision
solitude and serenity. This is not the
case for competitive kayak anglers.
Tournaments can be the farthest thing
from solitude. For the novice, they can
be hectic, confusing, and exhausting.
r is...... Paul Presson

Prepping for a tournament is hard work
in itself. Deciding where to fish within the
boundaries determined by the tournament
directors. Mapping the terrain of the area is a
must, know the area that you will be fishing.
Most anglers will prefish their predetermined
spots days in advance. Checking the winds,
tides, and barometric pressure is all part of the
game. Equipment preparation is more extensive
than just a regular outing. Everything must be
checked and rechecked, one frayed fluoro line
leader or a bad knot can mean the difference
between winning and losing.
The captains meeting is usually the night
before a competition. This meeting includes
receiving your captains bag, a bag full of goodies
usually provided by the sponsors, measuring
tools may be distributed, and this ensures all
anglers are using a standard measuring device.
A good majority of tournaments are catch and
release. Poker chips, playing cards, or other
indicators may also be handed out. These items
are to be displayed in a photograph with the
anglers catch during the tournament. This is to
make sure the fish is actually caught that day.
When taking a photo, a date and time stamp
is also required in most catch and release
tournaments.
Captains meetings are a place for individuals
to eyeball your competition. When the meeting
commences, the rules are explained in great
detail. There are many different categories
determined by geographic location (what type
of fish) and whether it will be an onshore or
offshore endeavor. This is also the time to meet
some of the sponsors and buy raffle tickets for
fishing gear and trips that have been donated
to be given away. When the meeting is over, it
is time to go home and check the gear one last
time.
The day of the competition,
the start time is predetermined,
usually, first safe light. Typical
tournaments span from six-
eight hours. This may sound like
ample time, but like any other
day on the water, the time flies.
Upon catching the first fish, the
fun begins. Pulling the fish in,
placing it on the measuring board,
placing the indicator and taking
the photograph. This is the time
when another hand or two would
be very nice. It may sound easy
enough, but many tournaments
winning fish have been lost while
performing this juggling act.
Many an angler has been
disqualified by not meeting the
official weigh-in time. Those
anglers that want that one last
cast, may jeopardize a winning
day. At the weigh-in, phones and
cameras are turned into officials
for the photos to be reviewed The
judges will check the measurement
for each competitor. As other
anglers file in, one can feel the
anticipation in the air. Whispers of
the monster fish that have been
caught are swirling.
In many tournaments, there
are several categories. There are
winners for species, biggest fish
and there are overall winners,
each tournament is different. For
the competitors, this is a time to
mingle with other anglers and
compare fish stories.

As the master of ceremonies steps up to the stage, the winners are named
and the trophies distributed. There is little that compares to being awarded for your
fishing skills in front of your peers. Now, it is time to get your favorite beverage and
talk about what could have been.

Participating in a kayak fishing tournament is hard work. Winning a tournament
is an affirmation that all the days out on the water have paid off. There are no losers,
new friends are made, competitive juices are flowing, and lessons are learned.
So, the next time you compete and hear the words.....And the Winner Is...... just
remember, everyone that competes in these rigorous competitions should consider
themselves winners.
9th
ANNUAL
2017
Hank Patterson Patrick Folkrod Jeff Trigg
Josh Laferty Abbi Bagwell John Miko
1 2
Catch, Measure and Release
888-582-7763
www.measurefish.com

www.kakukayak.com
O
ne of the first things children learn is to not make noise
while fishing. While there are differing opinions on
whether fish can hear conversations at normal speaking
volume, there is no controversy about other loud noises. After
all, fish have two ways to hear. First, there is a bony structure in
their ears called the otolith that is very efficient at alerting them
to sound. Second, for close-up vibrations (and sound causes
vibration), they have an organ called the lateral line. The lateral
line only comes into play for close-in vibrations, usually within
a foot or two. Therefore, unless we trigger the lateral line by
being right on top of the action, the primary sources of noise in
a kayak are wave slap and anything thumping or scraping the
hull/floor.
Solving wave slap is easy. Just use an anchor trolley to
position the bow or stern of the kayak perpendicular to the
waves to minimize the thump against the kayaks side. Dealing
with the floor is a more challenging problem. If your kayak did
not come with rubberized inserts already installed (many man-
ufacturers call these traction pads), you could buy a kit from
Seadek or just make one yourself for under $15.

Kayak Hacks
Soundproofing
Steve Moore
Photo: Heath Holland

The Seadek traction kits are cool, but cool with the tunnel hull acting
comes at a cost. On their main kayak page, they as an amplifier. Before
advertise different packages for a broad range of the start to the current
manufacturers. Click on yours, and the website shows season, I worked with
options for various kayaks with another click revealing Heath Holland, one of
the dimensions of the included 5 mm thick cutouts. the subscribers to my
If you want to avoid DIY, it is a slick turnkey solution Kayak Hacks Fishing
just stick the insert in the right spot, and you are channel to figure out the
ready to go. For DIY enthusiasts, the information on best DIY solution. My first
dimensions gives an overview and the estimate of the approach was to go to
amount of material required. Walmart and pick up some
I own a Native Ultimate 14.5 foot kayak with a cheap rubber car mats for
spacious, unprotected floor that insists on making under seven dollars. As
noise whenever I put something down in front of me you can see in the video,

those were a total fail. The is finding glue that will actually adhere given the low
material was too thick and surface tension of HDPE. After an extensive search,
far too heavy! Heath found I discovered Loctite made a spray adhesive for
a 3-mm yoga mat for eight polypropylene and marine applications. Be sure and
dollars at Walmart that use the 300 level (professional performance for
was exceptionally light maximum stickiness in the tough kayak operational
and provided plenty of environment. By itself, the Loctite spray does not
raw material to work with. provide enough grip on the sides to hold material down
The mats come with and when the edges are rubbed and bumped. I initially
without a pattern. thought VHB adhesive tape would be a good solution
The challenge to locking the edges in place since GoPro uses it on all
with any modern kayak their adhesive mounts. But, it failed quickly. Instead,
made from high-density pick up some contact cement.
polypropylene (HDPE)
Once you have the adhesives, creating a sound-
proof floor is simple. Get some paper sheets to create
a template for the specific areas needing soundproof-
ing or merely place the yoga mat on the floor of the
kayak and draw the rough outline using a Sharpie pen.
Once cut out, trim to refine the fit. Sharp scissors work
fine on the 3 mm mats for detail work. To make long
cuts, lay scrap wood underneath the mat and use a
razor knife. The blade will dig into the wood and move
quickly through the material. Once all sections are cut,
apply the adhesive using a two-step process.
First, apply contact cement to the outside edge
of the yoga mat and along the perimeter where it will
stick to the kayak (the spray goes in the middle). You
only need a inch line of glue since it is just for the
edge. Contact cement requires at least 15 minutes to
cure while the Loctite spray only requires a few min-
utes, so do the contact cement first. After waiting the
appropriate amount of time for the glue, spray Loctite
on the mat and the kayak. Use newspapers, plastic
sheets or painters tape to protect from overspray. Wait
the additional time required per the directions on the
Loctite can. Carefully lay down the mat and press to
stick. Once pressed on, the material sticks and does
not allow fine adjustments. If it goes on wrong, quickly
pull it up and lay down again.
So how well did it work? After a full season of
hard use in brackish inshore fishing, everything contin-
ues to adhere well. There is no curl at the edges, and
the Loctite spray has worked like a champ in holding
the middle in place. Now, those spooky redfish dont
have a clue when I am lurking nearby!
Disclaimer: Do not apply any suggestion if it will ruin

the appearance, function or structural integrity of your
kayak. You are solely responsible for determining if
the above ideas are appropriate for your boat and the
author and publisher disclaim any responsibility for
your actions and decisions.

Photo: Heath Holland

Is Swain County NC a Fishermans Paradi
Hundreds of miles Trout are also
of native mountain common in our four
trout streams flow rivers the Oconaluftee, Great Smoky M
through the Great Little Tennessee, the Eagle
National
Twentymile Hazel Chambers Nol

Smoky Mountains Tuckasegee and the Creek
Creek
Creek Creek Forney
Creek
Cre
National Park above Nantahala, one of

Fontana
Dam Fontana
Fontana
Cheoah Lake
Bryson City and Trout Unlimiteds top Lake
Lewellyn
Lake
Fontana
Branch Fontana
129
Cherokee freestone 100 rivers. And now, a 2.2 Boat
Ramp
Village
Marina Cable
Lake
Alark
Cove
Public Access 28N Boat D
creeks with native rain- mile section of the Tuck Boat
Ramp Lemmons Almo
Public Access
bow, brook and brown
Boat P
through Bryson City has Stecoah
Branch
Boat Ramp
Public Access
143
trout. Most streams been designated delayed 19 Wesser
74
offer all three species. harvest waters, and For more information, Nantahala
River
Needmore
Road
promises to have one of contact the Bryson City /

the highest trout counts Swain County Chamber of Wayah Road
of any stream in the Commerce 800-867-9246. Upper

(NC 1310)
southeast. Nantahala
River
estern
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hat yo
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Kephart Fork
Creek
Upper
Raven
Fork
Straight
Fork
Road
You be the Judge.
Prong
441 Straight
Fork Heintooga Two mountain lakes The 30 miles of trout
Clingmans Indian Oconaluftee
Raven
Fork
EBCI
Hatchery
Ridge
Road offer trout fishing streams on the
Dome
Mountains
Deep
Creek
Creek River
Raven Fork
Big Cove
Road The 29-mile long, Cherokee Indian
Park
land
Trophy Section
Blue Ridge
Parkway
19
11,700 acre Fontana Reservation are the
eek
Lakeview
Cherokee
Cherokee Indian
Reservation Lake and its smaller longest privately-owned
19
Drive
downstream neighbor and stocked fishing
Tuckasegee
Old 288
River Whittier 441
Cheoah Lake both have waters east of the
Boat Ramp
ka
Public Access
Bryson
Whittier
Boat
Tuckasegee
River strong populations of Mississippi. The 2.2-
Dock Alarka Ramp
ond
Creek City Public Access
74 trout, particularly near mile Raven Fork Trophy
the mouths of streams
Park Alarka
Road
Conleys
Creek
Conleys
Creek Dillsboro section is home to the
flowing out of the Great
Road
28S
biggest trout in the
441
Little
Tennessee
Smoky Mountains Smokies. This specially
River
National Park. Cheoah is regulated section is fly
Visit GreatSmokiesFishing.com
regularly stocked by the fishing only and catch
for profiles of all 26 Swain County
State of North Carolina. and release.
fishing locations on this map. All are
just minutes from Bryson City, NC.
Hurricanes:
What do the
Experts Say?
One force of na-
ture everyone in the
southern United States
has to deal with is hur-
ricanes. Unfortunate-
ly, this has been borne Jerry Dilsaver
out several times al-
ready this year and

One force of nature everyone in the southern United States has to
deal with is hurricanes. Unfortunately, this has been borne out several
times already this year and the meteorologists at the National Hurricane
Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov) say there is a high probability another of
these potentially deadly cyclones may pay an unwanted visit before
the 2017 Hurricane Season ends on December 1.
Different areas of the Gulf Coast have been bombarded several
times since Tropical Storm Cindy made an early appearance this June.
The other storms to impact there included Tropical Storm Emily and
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Tropical Storm Emily formed quickly in
late July and blew across southern Florida from the West Coast to the
East Coast bringing mostly excessive rain, downed trees and broken
limbs.

The nasty stuff started with Hurricane Harvey in mid-August.
It slammed into southern Texas and wouldnt go away for a week.
It brought the triple threat of very strong winds, coastal flooding and
life threatening excessive rainfall that still hadnt fully dissipated at
this deadline. Hurricane Irma formed on August 30 and ramped up
to be the strongest Atlantic Hurricane ever recorded. It smacked
southwest Florida, then ran up the center of the peninsula. It was
large and strong enough that it also caused significant damage and
flooding on Floridas east coast and the Atlantic Seaboard.
Hurricane Jose was a little entertaining as it made a loop off
the Bahamas before heading offshore up the East Coast and doing
another loop off New Jersey before falling apart, but still brought
coastal flooding and excessive rainfall from the North Carolina
Outer Banks to the Mid-Atlantic states. Hurricane Maria had
wreaked havoc to Puerto Rico and the islands and was turning to
head up the Atlantic at deadline. While expected to stay far enough
offshore to not cause excessive damage, the North Carolina Outer
Banks were evacuated in preparation for flooding.
All fishermen have dealt with the passing of storms. If the
storm approaches slowly enough the barometer drops slowly there
can be a strong bite a day or so before it arrives, but the bite shuts
down when the barometer drops quickly. The falling barometer
is a signal of weather change and fish tend to feed heavily and
aggressively as long as it is low, but when the drop speeds up it
signals a significant weather change is coming soon and fish stop
feeding and move to their protected areas to weather the storm.
This was first chronicled by Hall of Fame Fisherman John Alden
Knight in the early 1900s.
When a storm passes fishing usually comes back pretty
quickly unless there was significant flooding or rainwater runoff.
After Hurricane Floyd hit N.C. hard in 1999, the fishing in the lower
Cape Fear River and nearshore ocean was wide open before all
the debris had washed out the inlet and the water had cleared.
The speckled trout took a little longer to become active again, but
red drum and flounder were biting well as soon as anyone went
fishing. King mackerel were just outside the Cape Fear River Inlet
and fishermen were catching 30 pound class kings in water so dirty
they had to reel the fish within a foot of the surface to see well
enough to gaff them.

But what were the long term effects?
Dr. Mitchell Roffer is recognized worldwide
for his expertise on reading salinity, clarity, current
flows and more to lead offshore fishermen to the
right places to catch fish. Tournament fishermen
using the information from Roffers Offshore
Fishing Forecasting Service (www.roffs.com)
catch the lions share of blue water tournament
winning fish each year, so Roffers knowledge
must work. What most fishermen dont know is
that Roffer is an ardent and accomplished kayak
fisherman in the Melbourne, Florida area and he
uses knowledge gained from years in the business
of helping others in offshore waters to help locate
good inshore spots for fishing on his kayak.
We easily see the short term effects of
a passing storm and how quickly or slowly fish
return to normal patterns and feeding activities,
Roffer said. Fish are surprisingly resilient and
often are feeding again in a day or so, but their
patterns may change. Those patterns change
because of one or more ways the storm affected
the local water and it may not just be temporary.
Hurricanes can change local fishing in the long
term too and I think that is more crucial than in the
short term.
Roffer said some of the short term effects of
a storm passing are a drop in water temperature,
the amount of trash in the water, increased
turbidity, water quality and fresh or salt water
intrusion. While these usually clear pretty
quickly, they arent guaranteed to and if they
remain a factor long enough, they can affect the
habitat and create long term or even permanent
changes. This is especially so in areas like the
south-central coasts on both sides of Florida that
are already dealing with toxic runoff from flooding
in the Everglades.

Water temperature is easy to see and measure. The rains associated with
a hurricane are cooler than the water in all but a few mountain lakes and streams,
so the water temperature falls. Any thermometer will verify this. The speed of the
storm, not the wind speed, helps here. If the storm passes quickly, it shouldnt
dump as much rain and the water temperature shouldnt fall as much or as quickly.
However, the location in the natural flow of water also affects this. Lakes
collect water and a layer of cool water added to the top can cause an inversion.
Past hurricanes have overloaded several Corps of Engineers lakes and created
serious downstream flooding when huge amounts of water had to be released due
to concerns with dams breaching. This flooding reached deep into and often beyond
flood plains and causes erosion and picks up debris and effluent not normally in
the river system. Flooding also displaces fish.
Inland floodwaters have to reach the ocean to dissipate, so they negatively
affect coastal waters too. The negatives include increased erosion, plus an influx
of effluent, debris and cooler water. There is an immediate shock to the local
ecosystem that it may or may not weather, plus the erosion also affects areas you
dont see. Ledges and points where fish like to feed can disappear. Sea grass and
shellfish beds may be covered with sediment or killed by a prolonged influx of fresh
water. Land may disappear, or even occasionally appear, new inlets may appear
and current ones fill.

Hurricane Katrina created a new landscape along the Gulf Coast in 2005. Many
islands were reduced greatly and some disappeared completely in the Louisiana
Delta, Mississippi Sound, the Mississippi/Louisiana Marsh, and especially the
border islands in Breton and Chandeleur Sounds. While hurricanes are notorious
for breaching barrier islands and creating new inlets, Hurricane Floyd hit North
Carolina in 1999 at just the right angle to close New Inlet and has negatively
affected fishing in several bays by eliminating the ocean as a clean water source
for them.
One of the worst things that happens around lakes, along rivers and in coastal
marshes is an abundance of rain stresses the infrastructure. Septic tanks may
overflow, sewer lines may burst and sewer treatment facilities may be overburdened
to the point raw sewage is dumped into the water to prevent damage to the facility.
Needless to say, any of these issues will play havoc with the water quality. NOTE:
Thirteen avoid water because of bacteria notices were issued in three southeast
Florida counties on September 20. This included inland waters and beaches.
Flooding and erosion also affect the quality and safety of consuming fish
from affected areas. In addition to the known contaminants, agricultural fertilizers
and chemicals are washed into and down rivers in large amounts. Fish that are
washed away or otherwise move from one area to another may carry viruses or
develop them in the new location. Roffer warns that the long-term issues have
great potential to be severe and damaging to fisheries.
Capt. Marshall Hardin operates Semper Fish
Adventures in south Texas. He fishes inshore on
Baffin Bay and in the Gulf of Mexico from the inlets
at Port Aransas and Port Mansfield. Hardin said
Hurricane Harvey has severely affected the area
in multiple ways. He mentions that the wind blew
the water away from his section of Baffin Bay and
when it returned after the storm, there was too much
fresh water with it and it took almost a month for
the bait and fish to return. He hopes that influx of
fresh water for so long doesnt create other issues.
We were fortunate over around Loyola and
Rivera Beaches and didnt have as much physical
damage as they did north of Corpus Christi, Hardin
said. The infrastructure there is still crippled to
the point its difficult to get fuel on the water unless
youre a commercial boat. However, the Gulf seems
to have recovered and fishing is going off big time.
I have friends with boats on trailers that are going
to gas stations and convenience stores for fuel and
are catching kings and bottom fish well and they
tell me the offshore billfish bite is incredible.
Neil Taylor of Strike Three Kayak Fishing
in Safety Harbor, Florida said they were pretty
fortunate with Hurricane Irma even though the
eye went right over them. He said the excessive
rainfall and wind pushed baitfish around and the
fish followed.
The baitfish and the fish usually move deep
or to protected water when storms approach and
this time they moved to protected water, Taylor
said. They moved to the upper bay and creeks
and canals off of it to get away from the wind. My
first day back fishing was three days after the storm
had passed and I couldnt find bait or fish in any of
the spots they had been before the storm. The next
day I moved from the lower bay to the upper bay
and found plenty of bait, with fish stalking them.

Taylor said Tampa Bay is large, with a lot of
flow to and from the Gulf of Mexico, and it usually
takes about four to six days after a big storm for the
extra rainwater to work through and fishing to return
to normal. This was a big storm and it took six days.
He said he didnt know where the manatees went,
but it had been more than a week and they hadnt yet
returned to where he had been seeing them regularly
prior to the storm.
Jonathan Grady of Yakn Off Outdoors in
North Carolina said he was concentrating on the big
red drum in the Neuse River at the time the hurricanes
were passing and was far enough inshore all he got
was a little wind and a lot of rain. Grady said this is
pretty close to the salt line in this river and the fish
are used to sudden influxes of fresh water and seem
to deal with it.
The river is several miles wide at this point and
the deluge of rainwater moved out pretty quickly,
Grady said. Even after 5-8 inches of rain from one
of the storms, it cleared pretty well in less than a
week. One thing that was interesting was that when
the river was dirty and had a lot of rainwater in it,
the fish were bright orange pumpkins, then, when it
cleared, they lost a lot of that color.
Fish dont feed during storms, they have
developed appetites, and when the barometer begins
rising again they will usually begin to feed. If it wasnt
a harsh storm or it passed at a distance and the
impact wasnt significant, they should still be in their
same haunts. However, the damage from a direct
hit, especially from ocean surge or excessive rainfall
runoff, may have forced them to relocate. If a storm
is late in the season and causes fish to move away,
they may not return until the next year. Hopefully
the damages to the habitat are not so severe they
become long term issues, but it could take a while to
find out.

Southern Kayak Fishing
CLOSE LOOK
Florabama Coast

CLOSE LOOK Florabama Coast
Cape
San Blas Inn
T
he beauty of kayak fishing is the ability to put in and take out anywhere.
We dont need large boat ramps or deep channels to take us to and fro
the fishing. For this reason, we are not tied down to the usual fishing
lodges that you think of. Because we have our own gear, guides are not a
necessity and large bay-boat sized ramps are not the only way to enter the water.
In fact, we are at a disadvantage in these locations because we cannot travel as
far away from these heavily trafficked ramps as our outboard counterparts.
Up and down the bay near Cape San Blas, there are small islands dividing
the water in St. Joseph Bay. As most fishermen would note, both sides of islands
are always great locations to begin a fishing trip. Perfectly located in a backwater
bayou created by Pig Island is Cape San Blas Inn.

Florabama Coast CLOSE LOOK
The Inn would be a

wonderful lodging option were
it hours away from the closest
fish, but the fact that it has a
dock where you can watch tailing
Redfish from a hot tub is almost
too good to be true. An average
morning after staying in one
of the few rooms at Cape San
Blas starts with sitting down to
a fantastically cooked breakfast
at the main table. The fare can
range from stuffed French toast
to an individual Quiche both
served with eggs and bacon.
This is a very far step from the
continental breakfast you get
at a Holiday Inn. After walking
out of the Inn, which really looks
more like the extravagant beach
house of an anglers dream, it is
just a short walk to the end of the
dock.
FISH TALES TOLD HERE
It should be worth noting Experience the Hardy Effect!
that before ever getting out on the
water, my first cast from the dock
brought in a small trout. Not a bad
way to get started. After dropping VISITHARDYWV.COM #HARDYCOUNTY
into your kayak, which can be
tied to the dock for the entirety of
your stay, you can catch quality
Redfish and Trout without ever
leaving the Pig Bayou. The lack
of other fishermen and the ease
in which you can get on the water
truly give the feel that this is just
a backyard pond of the Inn. FOLLOW US ON

JOURNEYS
St. George Island, Florida
If you decided to venture

outward a hundred yards, the entire
OF SGI
mass of St. Joseph Bay is at your
disposal. From here, you can travel
in any direction to fish countless
islands, sand holes and grass flats
within a short paddle. In addition to
240 E 3rd Street, St. George Island
large redfish and trout, cobia and
flounder become prevalent as the 40 E 3rd Street, St. George Island
water deepens into the bay. (850)927-3259
In the off day (or hour) between www.sgislandjourneys.com
fishing trips, the Gulf beach is just info@sgislandjourneys.com
a short walk or drive across the
road and Indian Pass Raw bar is
within a 20-minute drive for dinner.
Regardless of the time of year or
the weather, Cape San Blas Inn is a
must-visit destination. You can catch
huge fish, eat great food and sleep in
a fantastic room. What else is there
to want?

Others have streams,
we have a trail.
Jackson County is home of the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail,
which maps out 15 prime spots to catch brown, rainbow and brook trout in CASHIERS
the crystal-clear streams of the Great Smoky Mountains. With more than
4,600 miles of wide-open rivers and secluded mountain streams, we have CHEROKEE
the states longest contiguous stretch of Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. DILLSBORO
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Discover the epic waters of North Carolinas
Trout Capital today. DiscoverJacksonNC.com

Indian Pass
F
ishermen who fre-
quent Apalachicola
and St. Joseph Bays
are very vocal about the
lack of breweries, restau-
rants and bars near these
great fisheries. Once you
meander down to these
spots for a fishing trip you
are very much separat-
ed from the luxuries of a
growing town. This is a
wonderful escape some-
times. Other times, af-
ter spending a day in the
oppressive Florida sun,
relaxing with a cold beer
and eating quality sea-
food made by someone
else is a must.
s Raw Bar November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 49

Luckily, though the choices are slim,

one place fits the bill in every category.
Standing above all the rest is the oyster
bar fishermen dream of while on the water.
The Indian Pass Raw Bar is a little slice
of heaven in between Cape San Blas and
Apalachicola. The casual styling, fantastic
food and long-standing honor system all
make this place a hidden goldmine.
Upon arriving at Indian Pass, the
first thing you may notice is the outdoor
seating. There are dozens of chairs and
tables outside, most of which hold a
sunburnt, Columbia fishing apparel clad
beer drinker. Yes, because of how good
this place is, sometimes the summer
months include waits for an open table.
Luckily, instead of patiently waiting in
a line or driving around until your table
is ready, you can grab an honor card.
These cards allow patrons to grab a beer
(or three) from the large standing coolers,
mark their future purchase down on a
card, and relax with a cold one outside.
The patio is where the experience
first starts to take hold. Everyone outside
is primed and ready for crab leg or oyster
heaven but there is no sense of rush. I
guess when you have the ability to grab
a beer with no line, sit in a comfy chair
and talk about fishing, all the antsy-ness
tends to wash away. Conversations are
delightful, new friends are made and each
one is given a beer-clinking farewell as
they are given the green light inside.


The moment of truth when your

own name is called creates a feeling that
is unparalleled. The closest experience I
can think of is having your name called at
a college or high school graduation. Still,
when you have been working or fishing
all day in the Florida heat, I always feel
like I have worked harder for the name
call at Indian Pass. I certainly deserved it
more.
After being seated family-style
near a group you just spent the last 30
minutes drinking and fraternizing with,
you finally hand over the menu card to the
waitress. Mind you, this menu card has
been taunting you since the arrival. Upon
getting your drink card you are also given
the menu card to look over and make a
pre-emptive decision on. Business wise,
it shortens the time that each group has
to spend inside because the order has
already been made when they take a
seat. Patron wise, it allows you to salivate
over each plate you read or see as you
walk to and fro the drink cooler. It is a
dastardly move that always ends in an
over ordering of food.
This is the portion of the article where
I am obligated to make a food suggestion,
something I believe is the best prepared
or freshest food on the menu. I am sorry
to say, but that will be impossible. I am
an oyster man at heart, so I will default to
what makes Apalachicola so well known.
Not only are the oysters large and bereft
of sea-taste but also they are incredibly
substantial on the texture front. I love raw
oysters no matter what, but some

people (correctly I must add) believe
them to have a slimy or somewhat
snotty texture. The Oysters from
Indian Pass, served raw, will have as
much of a coherent texture as those
that are steamed at other restaurants.
Still, if you go to Indian Pass
and only try the oysters, a terrible
disservice has been done to the
establishment. Shrimp and crab legs
must be seen on the table at all times.
Sure, you can get shrimp anywhere
and they will probably taste fine. It is
hard to ruin a shrimp cocktail. I urge
you, however, to realize that these
tasty morsels do not even belong in
the same sentence as the ones you
would find at the neighborhood Red
Lobster. It would be like comparing
Dwayne the rock Johnson to Andy
Dick; they are barely the same thing.
The crab legs follow suit. They are
juicy, flavorful and almost beg to be
dipped in melted butter.
With all this in mind, it would be
woefully disrespectful to take a trip to
either Cape San Blas or Apalachicola
without stopping at Indian Pass. I
dont mean disrespectful to me or
the raw bar, I mean disrespectful to
you. You would be depriving yourself
of one of the best and most relaxing
meals you have ever had. Try it
once and let us know if your summer
vacation plans were just set for the
next ten years.

Working the S

Slosh
St. Joe Bay
I
t is hard to pinpoint where any beloved outdoor saying or term
came from. Some terms are known by every outdoorsman and
some are as limited as your immediate hunting and fishing part-
ners. For example, we all learn at a young age what the dreaded
term backlash means. It means a birds nest, a tangle or what-
ever other indoctrinated term you want to choose as the result of
poorly using a bait caster. We all know the terms and use them
more frequently than we wish we had to. A long list of adjectives
often precedes their use.
Other terms are specific to a small community or family. Pools
on trout streams, blind locations in duck swamps and structure
markers in saltwater bays are all given names by those who have
noticed the uniqueness in the area. If there is a place you want
to go back to over and over again, I highly doubt that it will be left
nameless. My favorite of these named beauties has always been
a natural duck hunting blind aptly named the rock. Yes, there is a
rock there, but no it is not the only rock in the swamp. The splen-
dor that comes with placing a generic name on something you
hold dear is that the listener must be in-the-know to differentiate
what you mean.

I have long viewed a specific spot in St. Joseph

Bay with that level of adoration. This beloved spot is
known as the Slosh to friends, family and myself.
After a long discussion with friends, I finally pinpointed
its origin to a tackle shop in Mexico Beach. This is
where a local guide gave us the scoop on where to
go that morning. It was not a golden egg of knowledge,
perhaps only a six or seven sentence description of a
good place to send an angling tourist.
What inevitably happened was my friend and I
heard this information, got in the water, and paddled
around until we finally found fish. After that first redfish
hit the net, we credited the guide with our success.
This must be the slosh, we said. Over the course
of the next several trips to St Joe Bay, we refined the
area we now referred to as the slosh with obnoxious
regularity. A 6-pound gator trout gave us our first notion
that this place was special. A 30 redfish with multiple
tail spots soon followed. The proverbially nail in the
coffin came around our 5th trip to the area.
We were wade fishing with our kayaks tied to
our waists. Lunch brought several more Dales Pale
Ales than expected and immediate fishing success
was not likely. We stuck to our usual plan of attack for
these situations, blind casting popping-corks. These
rigs are very successful when done correctly, plus they
require a semi-constant action that keeps an easily
distracted angler focused. After a few fruitless casts,
my cork didnt ascend after I made anaggressive pop.
I made the error of preforming what I refer to as the
Bassmaster Classic, an overly zealous hook-set
that results in the line breaking. After I overcame the
original heartbreak of losing a fish and the rig I spent
too long trying to build, I noticed something that could
only be described as a frustrating gift. Of all the knots
I tied for the popping cork rig, it seemed as though the
weakest link was the one tying the rig onto my line.
As a result, I could see the cork bobbing along

the grass flats as the fish made his escape. Whether it
was a desire to unhook the fish from the cumbersome
rig or needing to overcome the embarrassment, I tied
on a big bucktail jig and started after the fish. Though
I was not nearly as good of a swimmer as the monster
I expected to have on the other end of the line, within
a few minutes I had positioned myself for a cast at the
quivering cork. I sent the big hooked jig flailing out in
hopes of wrapping it around the contraption I made,
but was yards away. This scene played out for a solid
hour as I lived a Rapala Fishing mini game, trying to
hit the flashing cork with my jig. Finally, after swimming
at least 100 yards away from the kayak, I made con-
tact.

I wrapped my hook perfectly around one of the

suspended weights in the rig and set the hook, more
gently this time. This fish went running, the fight last-
ing less than a 10th of the total time spent with this
endeavor. The monster I had dreamed up turned out
to be a 15 puppy drum. After a brief but very real mo-
ment of disappointment, I unhooked the hardest fish I
ever caught and watched him swim away to the safe-
ty of the grass. The swim/tip-toe back was agonizing
without the enjoyable added weight of a hard-sought
dinn. Pouring sweat and finally noticing the sunburn
that had been creeping down my ears and nose, I got
back to the kayaks to hear that welcoming phrase.
Only in the Slosh, my friend snickered.

In the subsequent trips, we went on to catch nice sized Flounder

and Cobia from that small group of grass flats and sand holes. Each
trip served as another final nail into the legacy of the location. Now,
we speak of the slosh as an old friend, much like that guide from the
tackle shop probably does. I can only imagine the specific fish that
are conjured up in his mind when he mentions the term. We both have
had great days in our lucky spot that we call by the same name. I am
quite sure, however, that the locations are radically different.
Over the course of a dozen or so trips, my fishing partners and
I took the passing advice given by a local guide and forged it into a
successful adventure. That is the only way great fishing locations are
found. Of course you attempt to research before hand, but time on the
water is the only way to know for sure. With that in mind, I will leave
you with an educated estimate of those same 6 sentences given to
me a long time ago. Take whatever you deem as useful information,
then spend the time figuring out how you can personally catch fish in
the area.

The place is full of fish, but you gotta not spend

so much time out in the open, there are too many
big boats that can zip around out there. Check out
Google Earth, youll find a ton of sand holes off the
back of the major islands like Blacks. Push up into
em, but not just the deep stuff. Up and down the bay
near the shore is a shelf of like 2 to 4 water we call
the Slosh. Damn we have caught some good fish in
that.


Kayak Attacks
Fall River
Smallmouth
By Steve Moore

Y
ou love your kayak! As you fished through the summer, caught plenty of
nice fish (or at least thats what you tell everyone) and now its time to hit the
river in the fall for smallmouth. Good call! Many experts regard smallies as
the hardest fighting fish around on a pound for pound basis. In the fall, they are as
ravenous as bear getting ready to hibernate. Perfect!
Before launching to take advantage of cold weather smallmouth patterns,
recognize that your pattern has to change as well. Air temperatures cool and wa-
ter temps cool even faster! While hypothermia may not have been an issue in the
summer, it is a creeping danger as shown on the water temperature graph from
the Potomac River Little Falls gage. The small triangles represent the historical
average and in early September, the river is usually a comfortable 85 degrees but
plunges to a chilly 50 degrees by the end of October; equating to a worst case sur-
vival time of around 1 hour. So, the first and most important part of attacking river
smallies is to dress for success!
Beyond watching the temperature gage for your own comfort, recognize that
smallies are most active when the water temperature is between 65 and 78. Using
the example of the Potomac at Little Falls, the best time to be on the water will be
from early September and mid-October. After that, feeding activity drops off with
40 degrees being the start of the skunk as the smallies move lethargically to
deeper water to hold over for the winter. However, the reality is that once their pri-
mary forage, crayfish/crawfish, go dormant when the temperature reaches the low
50s, the season is effectively over. Again, using the historical data from the Little
Falls gage, fishing will be pretty bad starting in Novem-
ber. Visit waterdata.usgs.gov to find the historical data
for your river and water.weather.gov for a forecast of
future levels for planning trips. Sadly, not every gage
has temperature data; causing you to have to click on
every gage for a particular river to find one with either
a current temperature reading or a historical archive of
temperature.

As the temperature moves into the optimum range, the smallies move to the
shallows to gorge on baitfish and crayfish. You can find them on all the typical
structure gravel bars, weeds, downed trees, ledges, and eddies if the water
levels create safe conditions. Looking to discharge levels (more reliable than gage
height), use the historical averages (the small triangles) to plan a trip that overlaps
with the optimum temperature range. [Picture 2] Note also the day by day actual
variation caused by storm spikes. In the example from the Potomac at Point of
Rocks, you would not have been able to use the river at all during August of 2016,
but September would have been great with below average levels exposing a vast
amount of structure and consolidating the smallies in a few spots! The low levels
may even have kept the power boats off the water, reserving long stretches of the
river to kayakers and canoeists. Both low and high levels create challenges as the
water behaves differently rapids may ebb and flow and narrow sections may run
far too fast for safety.

Once on the water, the most critical piece of gear in your boat will be the
anchor (a real one not a chain). The accepted guideline is for the anchor rope
to be at least three times the water depth. In the Fall, you should have even more
than that to execute a stealth approach on low water holes. Anticipate the flow of
the current and gently lower the anchor at least 30 feet ahead of the holding posi-
tion. Feed the rope out slowly and come to a gentle stop. If the water is a bit high
and fast, be sure you use your anchor properly. Attach it with a slip knot for a fast
release if the current moves the kayak with unexpected force that could cause a
tip in cold water. Even experienced kayakers get this wrong; never attach the line
directly to the ring on the anchor trolley. Doing that moves the line out of your di-
rect control and may force you to cut the trolley to keep from tipping. Instead, run
the line through the ring and tie it with the slip knot to a cleat within reach. Attach-
ing a float to the anchor line allows you to return to it and retrieve it if you have to
release for safety or to fight a fish.

Once in position, most of your summer lures will work just fine. Use soft plas-
tics in crayfish colors melon and shades of brown worked slowly in rocky areas.
For baitfish, select light lures with flash and work them in fast darts and stops.
Tubes with rattles can be effective imitations for both baitfish and crawfish. Since
smallies tend to gang up as they vacuum up forage, do not spend too much time
in any particular spot. If there is no action, move on.
With water hitting the optimum feeding temperature after a long summer of
hot, sticky weather, fishing in the fall can be exceptionally comfortable and produc-
tive! In short, let the other guys go hunting while you have the river to yourself!

We take you fishing....
Southern Drawl
Kayak Fishing
offers saltwater and
freshwater trips. We
fish the saltwater
backcountry from
Tampa Bay to Pine
Island Sound,
targeting snook,
redfish, spotted
seatrout, tarpon
and other species.
In addition, we fish
freshwater lakes and
streams in southwest
Florida for bass,
bluegill, shellcracker,
tilapia and exotics
such as oscars and
Mayan cichlids.
2519 Wood Oak Drive

Sarasota, FL 34232
(941) 284-3406
www.kayakfishingsarasota.com
not for a boat ride!
A True Be
PENN
Slammer III
6500HS
N
ow again kayak anglers have the need to gear to handle bigger fish, espe-
cially when we are paddling the blue waters of mid-Atlantic or the Gulf of
Mexico. Recently we had the opportunity to get a close look at the PENN
Slammer III s 6500HS pinning reel. First off, let me interject a comment. The PENN
Slammer !!! 6500HS is a damned serious fishing machine that has a bit more
brawn that is ever so slightly different 6500 model from last year. Manufactured
by of the most trusted names in fishing, PENN. Otto Henze founded the PENN
Fishing Tackle Company in 1932 to manufacture the world's highest quality fishing
tackle. Now a brand in the Pure Fishing stable, the commitment to excellence has
not waned. To that quest, we tip our hats to the current generation of spinning
reels.
ehemoth:

The reel is part of a family spinning reels that
includes the PENN Slammer III 3500, 4500, 5500, 6500,
7500, 8500, 8500HS, 9500 and 10500 spinning reels
that weigh from 13.9 to 43.1 ounces, and have drags in
the 30 to 60-pound class. Anything else special about
this reel? Well, when introduced in 2016 they were an
award-winning show stopper at ICAST that year.
From the minute we laid hands on this behemoth,
we liked it. It is as smooth as we hoped it would be, and
it cast big payloads with ease. The PENN Slammer III
6500HS comes with everything you might expect from
a top tier fishing reel with multiple innovative features
that we have never seen before on a spinning reel. A
spinning reel you can depend on to stand up to the most
challenging, strong sport fish. Featuring classic open
face design, the reel is recognizable thanks to its black
and ruby red accents. Solid metal frame, sideplate and
rotor for strength and durability are quite impressive.
The PENN Slammer III 6500HS has gained in max
drag of 40 pounds. However, compared to the standard
gear ratio 5.6:1, the 6500HS has an increased gear ratio
of 6.2:1. With a higher gear ratio, its line is recovered
with each turn of the handle. Is 47.5 compared to 42?
Perhaps it is not a big deal most of the time, but can
often be the margin between a hookup and missed
fish. A high gear ratio reel recovers line quickly, but it
also has enough torque to fight bigger fish. At a tidy
24-ounces, it is neither too big or too small for kayak
fishing.
There has been concern among some kayak
anglers that some PENN spinning reels lacked a drag
system resistance sufficient for serious saltwater fishing
action. The PENN Slammer III 6500HS has a solid
40-pound drag setting. PENN increased the resistance
level of the brakes in order to efface the initial surge in
drag pressure. Bigger sizes have also bigger maximum
drag and weight in the 50 to 60-pound class, but they
are pretty good size reels that look more like boat reels
than they do those designed for kayak fishing.
Their Dura-Drag System is durable. Created for heavy
duty fishing so it features an innovative drag system that
creates ample drag pressure. The Dura Drag system uses
a special phenolic formula that protects the reel from water
sprays and gives anglers a smooth fishing experience. It is
scientifically proven that after thirty hours of drag pressure,
a PENN reel with that Dura Drag system performed as it
were new, while others had a great damage. In other words,
it protects the reel from deterioration during a harsh battle
with a fish. According to PENN engineers, this drag system
uses the same materials as racing cars manufacturers who
are using this formula in the car transmission.
PENN Slammer III 6500HS utilizes an Anti-Reverse is
a system that prevents the reel from turning backward and
engages the drag to release line without any movement of
the handle. When a big cobia or mackerel bites and tries to
go the other way, there is no pull back on the handle thanks
to the anti-reverse system.
The PENN Slammer III 6500HS uses a full brass
gearing system that is cut using a CNC machine for
precision and strength. This includes the entire gear
system composed of the drive, pinion and isolation gears
and means that you have cranking power that will last over
time. Unlike other gears that are often made of aluminum or
another composite material, brass is going to stand the test
of time. Another benefit of brass gearing is that it produces
a smoothness that you just dont get with other materials.
The PENN Slammer III 6500HS utilizes 6 stainless
steel ball bearings, CNC (a computer-controlled subtrac-
tive manufacturing process) gear technology, and internal
CNC brass gears. It is a small wonder that the construc-
tion material should make you understand its extremely
durable. Additionally, its IPX6 Sealed System prevents flex
when fighting a fish. IPX6 Sealed means that the reel and
its internals are protected from the water and salt water
corrosion. It has also a thick bail wire and comes with a
handle with a metal ball knob, plus a rubber knob. Both
the body and the spool are sealed with an IPX6 rating. Its
about as close to waterproof as they come.

PENN Slammer sizes from 3500-5500 have an automatic bail trip mech-
anism that automatically moves the wire from open- to the closed position. The
models 6500-10500 feature a manual bail trip. Braided line has a tendency to slip
on the spool, but thanks to the anti-skid gasket there is no problem. It keeps your
line steady and protected from slipping.
Clearly, a behemoth in its class, the PENN Slammer III 5600HS is pretty
much in a class by itself. It may not be the perfect kayak fishing reel, but it will
probably be among your favorite once most have been retired to the garage.

Blood Lines:
A
s is the custom of Blood Lines, the goal of this column is to trace back
the lineages of many of todays popular baits. Many like injured minnows
and side-hook underwater minnows came and went. Many like the Heddon
Torpedo are still go-to-baits found in about every kayak anglers tackle box. If there
is a better bait for taking river smallmouth bass than Heddons Tiny Torpedo, I have
yet to cast it.
First introduced by Heddon in the 1920's, all of the early versions of the Heddon
Torpedoes sported what is now referred to as L-rig hook hardware. The L-rig is
a fascinating two piece or surface hardware design that was state-of-the-art in its
day. Progressively morphed Heddon Torpedoes in wood offered by the famous
Heddon Heritage, Part Two
tackle maker ended in 1936 (some say 1939). As is the case even until now, lure
inventors gave their creations catchy names like Dreadnaught. One of the most
feared weapons in the First World War was the propeller driver torpedo.
Factually speaking, the Torpedo was not an earth-shaking entry into the
fishing market. For thirty years prior Heddon had become the countrys leading
tackle company by selling wooden lures that many say look like a wooden cigar.
Heddons long skinny, double propped Torpedo was quickly copied by PawPaws
Slim Lindy Torpedo (cashing in on the 1920s Lindbergh craze). In more recent
times Smithwick introduced the Devil Horse, another skinny torpedo style bait, as
is A.C. Shiner with is stubby Double Torpedo.
Heddons the long skinny
Torpedo Spooks (#9139 and
# 9129 were first shown in
the 1934 dealer catalog, says
NFLCC member, Alan Schwaber
of Arlington, VA. Over the years
Schwaber has put together
an eye-popping collection of
these extremely difficult to find
Heddon Torpedo Spooks. While
exceptions do exist, as a general
rule the addition of spook to an
old wood series of Heddon baits
denoted that it was a plastic
version.
The Heddon Baby Torpedo
is the flagship the companys
modern series of torpedoes. This
2.5, 3/8 oz stick of dynamite
is a proven topwater bait that
smallmouth and largemouth
bass cant resist. Its single prop
spins and spits water. The Baby Available where ever Anglish is spoken,
Torpedo can be worked slowly the currently available, Heddon Tenny Torpedo
with twitches and pauses or is a highly effective, killer bait in lakes for large-
reeled constantly at a medium mouth bass, and even deadlier on river small-
retrieve like a buzz bait. In rivers, mouth bass. Smaller than my thumb, this little
work the bait in shallow shoreline spook in black shore minnow is my first "go-to"
water, in eddies, near submerged topwater bait. The Tint Torpedo is still the perfect
rocks and in fast-moving riffles cross between a buzz bait and a walker. I really
for giant smallmouth. In ponds love the "small lure buzz bait" action it provides.
and lakes, pause the Torpedo Tipping the scales at 1/8 ounce, its compact
near wood and weed cover, design, aerodynamic shape and balance al-
gently twitching it to entice big low anglers to be accurately cast considerable
largemouth. The most popular distances. The 1.5Teeny Torpedo currently is
the torpedo trio, Babys are available in ten color/pattern. Discontinued col-
available in 16 color/patterns that or/patterns such as Black Shore are pretty easy
include traditional favorites such to pick up online or at older tackle stores.
as Black Shore, Frog and white/ The Baby ad Teenys big brother, the Mag-
redhead. num Torpedo, has been the worlds top-selling,
a top-producing spinner-equipped lure for generations. The 3 5/16 , 5/8 oz.
Brought back by popular demand, it is the super-sized version of the popular Tor-
pedo family designed for those seeking a heavyweight lure for giant fish. Equipped
with heavy-duty hooks and hardware, the Magnum Torpedo stands up to the abuse
big fish dish out.
Magnums create an impossible to ignore wild splashing surface disturbance,
making them the perfect lures for schooling fish. Use quick, short and erratic twitch-
es to make Torpedos perform at their best. Their shape and weight allow anglers to
cast these lures a little farther than many other prop-baits, allowing them to reach
those special fish-holding spots quicker and easier. Magnums are available in two
scale patterns and two frog patterns.
Im guessing that about everyone reading this is a fan of torpedo lures. As
Paul Harvey used to say at the conclusion of his daily broadcasts, Now you know
the rest of the story.
Does a Paddle Typ
D
rift boat and raft fishermen can answer
this question easily. Yes, of course it
matters. One perfectly aligned thumb
crunch, the result of slightly too long oars,
is enough to justify that answer. Luckily,
kayak fishermen do not really have to deal
with the door jamming pain that come from
multiple oars. Most issues kayakers face are
effectiveness based. Still, the answer to the
question is a resounding yes. The paddle
certainly matters.
Here is a quick guide about how to make

the perfect match of paddle to kayak and
kayaker:
1. Length is the #1 culprit of a disappointing

match.
a. The worst-case scenario out on the
water is having a paddle that can barely reach
over the side of your vessel. Certain kayak
brands are notoriously wider than others, those
with a designated trolling motor area almost
always fall under this category. By no means
will the same paddle work for a streamlined,
speed oriented kayak as well as a wide fishing
kayak, built for stability when standing.
b. Most standard paddles range from 210cm to 260cm. For a low-angle
paddle, what most non-river fishermen would need to focus on, I prefer a 250cm.
Granted, I am 65 and use a kayak with a 32 wide deck. For the average 510

pe Really Matter?
person, using the average 28 wide kayak, I would suggest a 230cm o4 240cm
paddle. REI has a great online chart for those wishing to reference their specific
length. From my personal experience, always guess longer if in a bind.
2. Paddle composition should be considered.
a. While it is less important than the length of your paddle, what the paddle
is made of can still play a big factor. The most common blade materials are carbon
fiber, fiberglass, and plastic/aluminum.
b. There are pros and cons to each type but the clearly superior composite,
carbon fiber, has only price as a hindrance. Plastic is by far the least expensive of
the bunch but much less reliable.
c. Fiberglass and aluminum are relatively cheap and low-cost paddles.
Recreational kayakers should certainly stick to these options and the quality of the
product has begun to match the needs of avid fishermen. Still, if you plan on fishing
for more than a few hours or more than a few days in a row, carbon fiber is the way
to go for the shaft. Your arms and shoulders will thank you after a few thousand
paddle strokes.
d. Matching a fiberglass or high-quality plastic blade to a carbon fiber
shaft is my go-to every time on the water. Though they are expensive, Werner is
a incredibly reliable maker of these. The Cyprus Carbon Straight Shaft is worth
every penny.
3. Blade design: Low Angle or High angle, feathered or not feathered?
a. The one area most kayak fishermen are not very well versed on is
what the differences in blades actually mean. Most cheap, plastic paddles come
in one generic style of blade and the expensive brands seem to focus more on the
aesthetic than functionality.
b. Ultimately, this will not really make too much of a difference. For those
who do not know, feathering is simply a design in which the blades are not in
alignment. Offsetting the blades reduces a small amount of wind resistance and
helps wrist fatigue, as you do not have to twist as much for each stroke. If you are
given the choice, choose feathered. If the paddle that fits you best isnt, there is no
reason to worry about it.
c. The angle of the paddle is worthwhile only if you know the specific type of
Kayak and fishing areas you will frequent. For example, I frequently use a Jackson
Mayfly, a kayak built for fly fishing. Because of its build, the seat is remarkably
high on the kayak. This sort of style is perfect for a high-angle paddle. If you are in
a kayak built for stability in the ocean, with lower seating, you may want a lower-
angle.
d. If you plan on doing any sort of standing and poling through flats with
your paddle, you should absolutely get a high angle. The width of the paddle will
help to displace more water and there will be a more natural movement through
the water from the standing position.
It is also important to always
have a spare paddle on a long or
multi-day journey. As long as some-
one in the group has a cheap, plas-
tic one stored, it should be okay. The
risk of losing a paddle is low, but
rocks and crevices in rivers are no-
torious for shattering anything that
gets caught. No to mention the ease
of losing it in a vast open water bay.
Nobody wants to drag someone for
the remainder of a trip, and certainly
nobody wants to be dragged.
In reference to the maker of
quality paddles, Feelfree, Werner,
Carlisle and Seattle Sports are top
notch. Coming in at around $100, the
Carlisle Predator is a great fiberglass
option. The Seattle Sports Seawhis-
per is an affordable carbon fiber op-
tion, sold on Amazon for $110. I al-
ways suggest spending slightly more
for something that has the ability to
last years longer than the cheap op-
tion. Regardless of which one you
purchase, make sure you always
keep it on a carabiner and attached
to your kayak in some fashion. A
rope attached to the middle of the
shaft, and tied to the carabiner is al-
ways a good option. For those of us
who have a higher propensity for los-
ing things, reflective tape or flotation
bands are wonderful, low priced op-
tions to help make sure your new toy
does not go to waste.

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Jackson
MAYFLY
A Fly Fishermans Fantasy
I
t may be easy to think that Kayaks are all pretty similar. Some
are wider, some are taller and some have an inordinate
amount of bells and whistles. From afar, however, they all
look the same. Almost any kayak gives people the opportunity
to sit with a single rod and catch a fish. Apart from that, things
start to vary significantly.
Many people, certainly including fly-fisherman, need a
few more options with their kayaks. What if you need to stand
up and sight-cast to fish? Just this simple, obvious issue takes
a lot of addressing by manufacturers. First off, the kayak must
be wide and stable enough to accommodate a large person
balancing while standing up. Next comes the gear storage issue.
Fly-fishermen are happily high maintenance with regards to the
gear they need. Obviously, the rods are significantly longer than
what you would use otherwise. My standard spinning rods are
7 while every one of my saltwater fly rods are 9.

Most fishermen, fly or spin, carry
at least two rods with them at all times. A
standard rod holder that points the rod in the
air behind the fishermen may be fine when
you are using a spinning rod, but doesnt
fit the fly-fishing world. Imagine trying to
cast to a tailing redfish with a 9-foot hazard
directly in the line of your backcast. With
the limited space on a kayak, this is not an
easy problem to remedy.
Apart from the long rods, there are other
gear issues. Unless the floor is completely
uncluttered (unlikely), fly fishermen need
to bring along a strip basket. Fly fishermen
also need easier access to their fly boxes
and other gear than spin fishermen do.
Finally, the way the seat is positioned
and the way the kayak travels are
significantly underappreciated factors. A
fly-fisherman is put in the position of having
to stand almost every time they wish to
cast. Sitting low in a kayak is a terrible
idea for this sort of constant movement. It
is common sense that the lower you sit,
the harder it is to stand up. In the small
area given to the angler by a kayak, this is
a recipe for falling. Even if you manage to
avoid a rod breaking or overboard inducing
fall, you will certainly create a larger wake
that scares away any fish nearby.
Another easy way for fish to be
spooked is by an unnatural movement of
the kayak through the water. Fly-fishing
is a stalk-oriented form of kayaking. You
need a kayak that has a low-sight profile
and moves smoothly through the water.
Anything else will just create headaches as
you watch tails turn into v-shaped wakes
darting in every direction.

Luckily, there is a kayak
company that has found a way
to remedy all of these worries.
Jackson kayak has manufactured
the fly-fishermans dream vessel. I
will inevitably fall short in describing
every thoughtful addition to this
kayak, though half of them should
be enough to spark interest from
the long-rodders.
To start, the width of the kayak
is quite large. From end to end,
the kayak sits at 35. This allows
fly fishermen, even tall ones like
myself, to fish standing up without
worrying about an embarrassing or
costly fall. Standing fly fishermen
should also be glad to hear that
the floor of the kayak has been
significantly altered. There is a new
snag-free decking on the kayak
that resembles how you would
feel atop a casting platform. This
allows piles of fly line to easily land
near your feet without worry that it
will catch on some element of the
kayak.
A very underrated new
feature to the kayak comes in the
form of storage. You would expect
to sacrifice elements of gear
storage when the deck has been
cleared for fly-fishing. Instead,
Jackson decided to mount two
compartments on either side of
the kayak walls for fly-storage. You
can fit your own boxes into the
compartment or simply attach flies
to the imbedded fly patches.

Even though fly-fishermen
will spend a large amount of
time standing, an easy transition
between paddling and sitting to
standing is a must. The Mayfly
features the option of very high seat
and several luxury improvements.
First, the seat is made of a
breathable mesh that wont stick
to the sweatiest of backs. The seat
also has an inflatable Therm-a-
rest lumbar support pillow, a small
addition that pays big dividends
the day after fishing. There is also
a dry storage bag that hangs off
the back of the seat as well as a
Platypus hydration bladder with a
direct line to the front of the seat.
As if the seat needed anything
else, there is a sliding tray under
the seat is rated to hold two Plano
3600 series tackle boxes, or in
my experience, two spare reels,
a large fly box and a bottle of
sunscreen.
The Mayfly also offers a fairly
obvious improvement to the fly-
fishing game that not many other
companies have considered.
These game changers are known
to skiff fishermen as tubed fly rod
holders. Yes, those holders that
allow the tips of the rod to snuggle
securely inside the kayak walls and
with the reels securely strapped
down into a recess. It is hard to
explain how great it feels to carry
two different 9 rods without having
to sacrifice an inch of space within
the kayak.
There are many more
additions that would just
be exhaustive to cover. It
almost feels like overkill to
mention the Power-Pole
accessible slot on the back
of the kayak. Just know,
from the two additional
spinning rod holders to
the nine RAM accessory
mounting tracks, this boat
is the most well thought
out kayak on the market.
If you are interested
in purchasing a new
kayak, there is one
question you must ask
yourself. Have you ever
had the dream that many
fly-fishermen share?
That dream of spotting a
beautiful tailing redfish
nestled in the spartina
grass, gently grabbing
your favorite fly rod and
casting that shrimp or
crab fly within inches of its
face. Watching the quiver
of an excited fish about to
make a deadly mistake.
Seeing that beauty turn
its head, and grab the
fly. You set the hook and
she takes off, sending an
unmistakable v in one
direction then another.
The tail remains out of the
water as she darts back
and forth, dragging you
across the flat with each
ounce of classic redfish
energy. Even though it is
a dream, you can almost
feel the excitement every
time you think about it.
If you have ever
felt yourself drifting off at
school or work, thinking
BRADYS HANDMADE
about being in this exact
situation, then I am
speaking to you. You can
either buy a kayak that
will make this dream more NETS
difficult, or you can buy the
one specifically built for it.
One trip in the Mayfly will
remove any doubt that
this is the only kayak fly-
fishermen should ever
look at. Jackson has
reached the mountaintop,
now we get to reap the
benefits.
BradysHandmadeNets.com
For custom designs, please email
us at bradyshandmadenets@
gmail.com
Tel: 1-864-216-5878
Location: Spartanburg, SC
Fishing Kay
No Motor Z
yaks: I
t may be easy to think that Kayaks
are all pretty similar. Some are wid-
er, some are taller and some have
an inordinate amount of bells and
whistles. From afar, however, they all
look the same. Almost any kayak gives
people the opportunity to sit with a
single rod and catch a fish. Apart from
that, things start to vary significantly.
Many people, certainly including
fly-fisherman, need a few more options
with their kayaks. What if you need to
stand up and sight-cast to fish? Just
this simple, obvious issue takes a lot
of addressing by manufacturers. First
off, the kayak must be wide and sta-
ble enough to accommodate a large
person balancing while standing up.
Next comes the gear storage issue.
Fly-fishermen are happily high main-
tenance with regards to the gear they
need. Obviously, the rods are signifi-
cantly longer than what you would use
otherwise. My standard spinning rods
are 7 while every one of my saltwater
fly rods are 9.
Most fishermen, fly or spin, carry
at least two rods with them at all times.
A standard rod holder that points the
rod in the air behind the fishermen may
be fine when you are using a spinning
Zone?
rod, but doesnt fit the fly-fishing world.
Imagine trying to cast to a tailing red-
fish with a 9-foot hazard directly in the
line of your backcast. With the limited
space on a kayak, this is not an easy
problem to remedy.
Apart from the long rods, there are other gear issues. Unless the floor is
completely uncluttered (unlikely), fly fishermen need to bring along a strip basket.
Fly fishermen also need easier access to their fly boxes and other gear than spin
fishermen do.
Finally, the way the seat is positioned and the way the kayak travels are
significantly underappreciated factors. A fly-fisherman is put in the position of
having to stand almost every time they wish to cast. Sitting low in a kayak is a
terrible idea for this sort of constant movement. It is common sense that the lower
you sit, the harder it is to stand up. In the small area given to the angler by a kayak,
this is a recipe for falling. Even if you manage to avoid a rod breaking or overboard
inducing fall, you will certainly create a larger wake that scares away any fish
nearby.
Another easy way for fish to be spooked is by an unnatural movement of
the kayak through the water. Fly-fishing is a stalk-oriented form of kayaking. You
need a kayak that has a low-sight profile and moves smoothly through the water.
Anything else will just create headaches as you watch tails turn into v-shaped
wakes darting in every direction.
Luckily, there is a kayak company that has found a way to remedy all of these
worries. Jackson kayak has manufactured the fly-fishermans dream vessel. I will
inevitably fall short in describing every thoughtful addition to this kayak, though half
of them should be enough to spark interest from the long-rodders.
To start, the width of the kayak is quite large. From end to end, the kayak sits at
35. This allows fly fishermen, even tall ones like myself, to fish standing up without
worrying about an embarrassing or costly fall. Standing fly fishermen should also
be glad to hear that the floor of the kayak has been significantly altered. There is
a new snag-free decking on the kayak that resembles how you would feel atop
a casting platform. This allows piles of fly line to easily land near your feet without
worry that it will catch on some element of the kayak.
A very underrated new feature to the kayak
comes in the form of storage. You would expect to
sacrifice elements of gear storage when the deck has
been cleared for fly-fishing. Instead, Jackson decided
to mount two compartments on either side of the kayak
walls for fly-storage. You can fit your own boxes into
the compartment or simply attach flies to the imbedded
fly patches.

Even though fly-fishermen will spend a large
amount of time standing, an easy transition between
paddling and sitting to standing is a must. The Mayfly
features the option of very high seat and several luxury
improvements. First, the seat is made of a breathable
mesh that wont stick to the sweatiest of backs. The
seat also has an inflatable Therm-a-rest lumbar support
pillow, a small addition that pays big dividends the day
after fishing. There is also a dry storage bag that hangs
off the back of the seat as well as a Platypus hydration
bladder with a direct line to the front of the seat. As if
the seat needed anything else, there is a sliding tray
under the seat is rated to hold two Plano 3600 series
tackle boxes, or in my experience, two spare reels, a
large fly box and a bottle of sunscreen.

The Mayfly also offers a fairly obvious improvement to the fly-fishing game
that not many other companies have considered. These game changers are known
to skiff fishermen as tubed fly rod holders. Yes, those holders that allow the tips
of the rod to snuggle securely inside the kayak walls and with the reels securely
strapped down into a recess. It is hard to explain how great it feels to carry two
different 9 rods without having to sacrifice an inch of space within the kayak.
There are many more additions that would just be exhaustive to cover. It
almost feels like overkill to mention the Power-Pole accessible slot on the back
of the kayak. Just know, from the two additional spinning rod holders to the nine
RAM accessory mounting tracks, this boat is the most well thought out kayak on
the market.
If you are interested in purchasing a new kayak, there is one question you
must ask yourself. Have you ever had the dream that many fly-fishermen share?
That dream of spotting a beautiful tailing redfish nestled in the spartina grass,
gently grabbing your favorite fly rod and casting that shrimp or crab fly within inches
of its face. Watching the quiver of an excited fish about to make a deadly mistake.
Seeing that beauty turn its head, and grab the fly. You set the hook and she takes
off, sending an unmistakable v in one direction then another. The tail remains out
of the water as she darts back and forth, dragging you across the flat with each
ounce of classic redfish energy. Even though it is a dream, you can almost feel the
excitement every time you think about it.

If you have ever felt yourself drifting
off at school or work, thinking about being
in this exact situation, then I am speaking
to you. You can either buy a kayak that will
make this dream more difficult, or you can
buy the one specifically built for it. One
trip in the Mayfly will remove any doubt
that this is the only kayak fly-fishermen
should ever look at. Jackson has reached
the mountaintop, now we get to reap the
benefits.

A Museum for the Southern Fly Fisherman
The Fly Fishing Museum of the The scope of the museum covers an
Southern Appalachians originally area with more than 14,700 miles of
located in Cherokee, NC has a new accessible trout streams the nine
home in neighboring Bryson City where Southern Appalachian States of North
it shares a building with the Bryson City / Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland,
Swain County Chamber of Commerce. Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky,
Its centrally located on the town square Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama; the
across the street from the visitor center. Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern
The Museum is open Monday thru Band of Cherokee Indians; as well as the
Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and admission Great Smoky Mountains National Park and
is free. the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Bryson City, NC
PHOTO BY JIM HEAFNER
Through exhibits and videos youll

learn about legendary Stream Blazers, the FLY FISHING MUSEUM
OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS
evolution of rods and reels, basic knots,
fly-tying, types of gear, types of gamefish, Fly Fishing Museum
regional fishing waters, and the history of of the Southern Appalachians
fly fishing in the Southeast. 210 Main Street
Whether you are a long-time fly Bryson City, NC 28713
fisherman, or have only attempted or never 800-867-9241
tried fly fishing, you will find something to
enjoy and to learn from in the museum.
FlyFishingMuseum.org
Professional Fishing Guide & Instructor
Whether you sh
with family, friends,
colleagues - or if you
are new to the sport -
come and be
my honored guest
on the water.
Tell me your goals for

the outing, ask all the
questions you want
and learn all you can.
I specialize in coaching
conventional and y
shing techniques on
Texas lakes and rivers.
Exchange stress for

relaxation, fun and
memories.
Lakes:
Canyon, Dunlap & LBJ
Rivers:
Guadalupe, Blanco
& San Marcos
Boat, Kayak or Wading
(210) 771-0123
www.TeachEmToFish.net

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Southern Kayak Fishing

issue #13 www.sokayakfishing.com NOVEMBER 2017

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival world premier.

Kayak Fishing no idea what the hell they are doing.

4 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

And the Winner Is...

Does a Paddle Type 88

Fishing Kayaks: 106

r is...... Paul Presson

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 11

14 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

16 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

20 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

22 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

Photo: Heath Holland

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 23

24 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

Disclaimer: Do not apply any suggestion if it will ruin

26 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 27

Twentymile Hazel Chambers Nol

National Park above Nantahala, one of

promises to have one of contact the Bryson City /

of any stream in the Commerce 800-867-9246. Upper

30 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 31

32 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 35

36 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 39

40 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 43

44 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

The Inn would be a

If you decided to venture

46 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

Others have streams,

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 47

s Raw Bar November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 49

Luckily, though the choices are slim,

50 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 51

The moment of truth when your

oysters no matter what, but some

56 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

I have long viewed a specific spot in St. Joseph

As a result, I could see the cork bobbing along

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 59

I wrapped my hook perfectly around one of the

60 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

In the subsequent trips, we went on to catch nice sized Flounder

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 61

The place is full of fish, but you gotta not spend

62 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 63

66 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

68 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 69

70 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 71

2519 Wood Oak Drive

November 2017 l Southern Kayak Fishing l 75

78 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017

80 l Southern Kayak Fishing l November 2017