On May 5, 2012,the Kayak Fishing ClassicS will hold our next tournament in Ozello, FL. The Third Annual Ozello Redfish & Trout Classic will be hosted by Pecks Old Port Cove Restaurant, located at 139 North Ozello Trail in Crystal River. This famous eatery is worth the trip by itself, but the Nature Coast is there just to make the trip sweeter.

Mini-Doggle: Definition - Not quite a Boondoggle - almost, but not quite.

Kayak fishing for me is all about the adventure. Not knowing what’s around the next corner, the anticipation of an unknown area and what it could hold, the challenge of unlocking those hidden secrets - that’s what draws me to the sport. So it was a no-brainer when Chip Gibson called me and asked if I wanted to fish Mosquito Lagoon. Did I want to join him and Brad? ”Of course!"

The winter season is upon us here in Southwest Florida.  This can be a great time of year to fish from the kayak. During the winter months we deal with cold fronts, negative low tides, windy days and cold water temperatures. These conditions can be tough, and I wanted to share my thoughts on a few techniques, lure choices and the best times to be on the water for the top four targeted species in my region - snook, redfish, speckled (or spotted) trout, and flounder.

For my last kayak fishing trip of 2011,I made the decision to go to a location that I hadn’t visited in quite some time. This New Year’s Eve trip would serve two purposes: finishing off a great year, and hopefully giving me some content for my next magazine article. I made the some calls and rounded up the usual suspects. Chris and Tom would be there, and I would pick Greg up along the way. As we drove over the Skyway Bridge enroute to Fort DeSoto, we could tell it was going to be a good morning. Flat calm conditions greeted us at the launch. We were soon on the water, casting Heddon “Super Spook, Jr.” topwaters into schools of mullet, looking for redfish.

As the year comes to a close, I decided to sit back and take a look at the year that was 2011.  The year really started in the last few months of 2010 for me when I really started to get involved in on-line fishing forums, especially YakAngler.com.   This led me to launch YakFish.net with the help of YakSushi Media in January. 

As in most of my kayak fishing trips I had a hard time sleeping the night before, so I spent some time going over my gear to make sure everything was in good working order and packing my tackle bag with the items I would need for the next day’s trip. The person joining me on this trip was someone who I enjoy spending time with on the water more than anyone else and who introduced me to fishing some thirty years ago my Dad!

When people around here think of Pine Island Sound they think of crystal clear flats, big fish and high powered inshore boats. When I think of the sound what comes to mind isn’t high powered outboards but instead I think of silently paddling up to a school of tailing redfish.

After my last two dismal trips, I wasn’t sure if I should answer the phone when my buddies Walt and Greg called me. After all, they were the administrators of the beat downs I got fishing with them last. I figured “What the heck, at least I could get some good pictures if this trend continues”. So as we all met at the launch, we were met by another friend of mine, Chris, who has also recently put me to task while fishing.

Ok, so I took some liberties with the title, but like the movie, I’m haunted by waters. I want to know what’s around the next bend in the mangroves, that hidden pond in the back country, or up the river I used to fish when I was a younger man. So when my buddy Walt called me and said “Let’s go see if they are biting up the river”, I jumped at the chance. This time of year the snook head up the rivers in search of warmer water, so this would be a perfect opportunity to see how well they are making a comeback after our terrible winter of a few years ago.

No matter where you live, there are opportunities for a road trip. I am fortunate enough to live within an hour’s drive of the 10,000 Islands and the Everglades. I have long wanted to go on an overnight kayak fihsing/camping trip to some of the outer islands on the Gulf of Mexico and partake in the legendary fishing there. After lots of preparation, my chance came during an April weekend.