Official Kayaking/Canoeing Thread

Yeah man . Winter is killing me. I launch from the land in the background. To the left is open ocean. Birds of prey in the light house dive randomly. Those gulls are diving on massive schools of silversides. I catch stripers, blues,scup and fluke from that spot. My little slice of heaven. Keeps me sane. That fishing boat in the background is pretty big. Leaves a monster wake. I know you guys have stripers out there in CA .

 

Yeah i don't do much fishing from my yak, but i do explore all the lakes around Los Angeles and take photos. I think I'm about the only kayaker around here in socal! LOL but i do go up to Morro Bay, and its really nice to paddle around the bird estuary. I used to kayak surf a lot when i lived in Morro Bay. On a 12 foot ocean kayak boat lotta fun! Funny story....I used to work at a kayak shop up there and one day Flea from red hot chili peppers cruises into my shop, he had just got off tour, and walked right up to me and said "Hello, I'm a kayak purchaser!" So i sold him 2 boats, 2 paddles, 2 pfd's and we put it all on top of his range rover and i got his autograph and he left!

 

Nice. Flea is pretty cool.

 

Yesterday on the Colorado

 

@teneighty no experience with that model but it's a Thule so it must be pretty bomber.
You should try and see if the local boat/Outdoor store has one to play with.
Or other boaters @ put in/take out are pretty willing to talk gear and let you see thier set up. It's pretty generic info, but hope it works out for you.

 

Wish I had the coin to drop on a hullavator. My hobie can be a pain to load .

 

One alternative to the hullavator is just the plain slide out load bar, it rides inside one of the bars and extends out, prop one end of the boat up on it and slide it forward to mid boat then seesaw it into the back end.
It's not quite as nice but I know several others that use this and it makes things much easier.

 

the roller system works on the same principal as the slide out bar. The bar is just the least expensive of the 3.

 

I use the sideloader bar thing . It helps for sure. After 5 hours plus of kayaking and fishing in the wind,waves and tides with the sun beating down, my yak feels like it's made of cement. I dream of the hullavator.

 

The wife & I a couple of weeks ago exploring some inlets off of the Intracoastal Waterway.

 

Anyone here have the Jackson Big Rig?

 

Out on the Rappahanock river today in the new disco 158, great day, 70 and partly sunny. It's hard to believe I got paid to be there today

 

Old town predator, New fishing boat. Hopefully try it out next week.

 

First trip of the year yesterday. Was hoping for a limit of crappie, but only bass were hitting. This one was the biggest.

 

Smallies were biting today. Wind was a bear with whitecaps breaking over the bow. I got pretty wet, but it was still a good outing.

 

Won a kayak fishing tournament this weekend. Prize was a new Hobie Mirage Outback. The wife has decided she will take that boat and let me upgrade to the ride I want. Good fishing trip! I hammered the walleye which was the ticket to the win, but the white bass were pretty good as well.

 

I got my new ride while vacationing in MN, a 2016 Jackson Coosa HD. Real easy move of my Lowrance sonar/GPS to the new boat except for having to manufacture my own scupper transducer mount, quick rigging of a crate, and I got on the water after returning to NM. Wife joined me on the Outback. Maiden voyage for each boat, and great weather to boot. Fishing was not great with lots of 11-12 inch smallies, but few bigger. I did keep one rainbow and a 14" smallmouth.