A couple of months ago, the Outdoor Blogger Network had a gear review giveaway opportunity for one pair each of men's and women's Bogs® Boots. I threw my name in the hat and crossed my fingers for a win, since I had been shopping for a good, warm pair of boots to use in my winter kayak fishing trips.

January 6th, and it’s my first angling outing of the New Year. I hope it’s an indication of how my fishing is going to go for the rest of this year!

After seeing some of the recent conversations related to jigs and jigheads in the Yakangler forums I’ve been paying closer attention to articles related to them. This weekend I came across a new product and although I haven’t tried it, I think it looks pretty promising. In fact, I’m not sure why it hadn’t been thought of before.

While surfing and getting organized for the upcoming 2012 launch of the Kentucky Kayak Fishing Association, I’ve been reading a lot of environmental information.  It has me thinking about ways to promote sustainability.

Now that we are squarely in the shadow of an all-too-rapidly approaching winter, I’ve been re-evaluating my “go-to” baits and reorganizing for colder conditions.  After all, it doesn’t make sense to be clinging to my larger or faster baits when we know the fish are much less active.  That’s not to say I won’t throw a 6” worm if nothing else is working, but as a general rule, my tackle is much smaller for this time of year. 

I ended up having a great evening on the creek last Friday. The water levels were good and the water itself was fresh, not stagnant as it occasionally gets towards the end of summer. There was the slightest telltale hint of that crisp autumn air that seems to re-energize after a few weeks of summer's dog days. I caught a few bluegill on my fly rod and a little fatty of a spotted bass.

After buying a kayak last summer to replace my trusty old Trout Unlimited Madison I met up with the folks from Yakangler.com. The first kayak fishing trip they had planned was for the coming weekend on the Cumberland River, premium trout water!

The original 9" Hookout was developed in 1956 and anglers continue to use it over 50 years later.  It has proven itself time after time as a safe way to remove hooks and lures.  Baker continues to develop tools to aid both casual and avid anglers alike and now carries over forty different products.

 

I went back home to Western Kentucky over Memorial Day weekend.  I had a great visit with my family and a great fishing trip to boot!  Armed with my 5 wt. TFO Fly rod and a decent choice of bassin' flies, I may not have caught any trophies but I made up for that with the number of fish I caught.

If you've looked at fishing kayaks you already know there are several manufacturers offering many shapes, sizes and features to make your fishing experience a good one. With differing opinions on which yak is the most functional it's really difficult to know which one is the best fit for you. After trying a few different models I knew the Hobie Outback was destined to be my ride.