With the advent of loop-to-loop connections from fly to leader, many fly fishers have gotten away from the tried-and-true nail knot. I’ve tried both (and other options), and among them all I find the nail knot to be the strongest connection with the least likelihood to “hinge”. My long-time tool to make tying the nail knot easier was an inexpensive small U-shaped channel that was attached to a nipper. It was great for years in fresh water, but only a year in the salt had the pivoting joint bound up tight in spite of being cleaned and lubed after every trip. I went online to dig up a replacement, and found the Duncan “Tailknott’r”.

Most of the contestants in the Kayak Fishing ClassicS spend a lot of time on the water pre-fishing the areas of our next tournaments. Scouting an area is a key to success in any fishing tournament and it can take up a lot of time. In a kayak, just getting there can do the same. “Bassyaks” has the answer!

There are very few accessories for your kayak that you’ll use more during a day of fishing than your seat, and probably none that will contribute more to your comfort while you’re on the water. I have low back problems, so after a bit of sitting with my legs out, I generally need to get into shallow water and on my feet for a while. I’ve tried several seats with “traditional” cushions, and always wind up shifting my weight every few minutes to eliminate the “pressure points” under my sitz bones. I was looking for a solution to the problem, and I found Skwoosh.

I will be the first one to admit that I am not too keen on change. I have been paddling fishing kayaks for about ten years, and have never had any issues. The folks at Estero River Outfitters had been after me for the last couple of years to be on their Hobie Fishing Team. I kept declining because I liked the kayaks that I was using. Finally, Jeff Stuller talked me into trying out a Hobie. WOW!

Last fall, I received a YakAttack “Mighty Mount™ Scotty® 241 Track Mount Kit” to try out. This kit comes with two “Mighty Mounts”, a Scotty “241” base, and the hardware to install it on Wilderness Tracks (5/8” track) or ½” wide tracks like the YakAttack “Gear Track”. The kit retails for $30 on YakAttack’s website, and for an extra $5 you get both sets of hardware so you can mount it to any track system. I don’t have a kayak of my own with a track system, so I had to sneak my wife’s Tarpon out to give it a try.