My 2009 exploits in a little plastic boat...

[BlueDaksi]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself to what appears to be a great site and collection of forums to learn about bass fishing. I found out about this place from the students at the Rochester Institute of Technology Bass Club, for which I am the club advisor.

I've fished off and on my whole life, but have become a real kayak fishing nut over the last six years since I moved from Oklahoma to Western New York. I can't believe the fishing opportunities here in the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario Region!

I still consider myself very much a developing bass angler, but had the best season ever in 2009. I put together a video of just some of my kayak fishing exploits from this past season...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcaYg...layer_embedded

I look forward to being a part of this active community of bass anglers!

[Bassboss]

Hey man, welcome to the forum!! Your video is really cool, and I've been wanting to get one for a while, but my dad says that they suck, and they're really uncomfortable. What do you have to say about that?

[Bender]

Welcome from another upstate NYer! That's a great video. I think that I have to get a kayak for next year just to get on all of the available ponds around here but I never fished sitting down so it may be an adjustment. The fishing is great up here but the winter (my first here) is brutal!

[WaffleJaw]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

Hey man, welcome to the forum!! Your video is really cool, and I've been wanting to get one for a while, but my dad says that they suck, and they're really uncomfortable. What do you have to say about that?

Welcome to the forum Bluedaksi!

Bassboss,I do alot of fishing out of small homemade canoes...Basically the same as a sit on top Kayak...Im a bigger guy at 5'11'' 215lbs and still find them pretty comfy,I say alot of it depends on the seat your using...You get a good gel seat then your fine...I usually fish for about 4 hrs straight and the only issue I have is lugging back up to the truck

I like them,extremely quite while paddling to areas...Good workout and great for small water,coves and creeks.

The only real drawback (for me) is battling windy conditions....even with an anchor,you can make a cast and still find yourself spinning in a 360 while your retrieving your lure....But this only happens mainly in open coves.

But what really sucks is they can be just as expensive as a small used boat/trailer/motor combo (craigslist)....

[woody]

Welcome Welcome Welcome!

Thank You for that great intro.


-Mark

[nofearengineer]

Welcome, Blue. I think you'll be a great addition to this forum.

[keithdog]

What a way to make a splash! Loved the video. It was a lot of fun to watch. I think your going to be a fun addition to the club. Welcome aboard.

[BlueDaksi]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Bassboss, I think that as long as you're fishing and having a good time when you're doing it, that's all that matters, whether your standing on the bank, in a $40,000 bass boat, or in a canoe or kayak.

For myself, everything seemed to click when I started fishing from a kayak. I was a frustrated angler for many years, and only started recreation paddling a little over six years ago. I soon figured out that I could fish from the things!

When I started out kayak fishing, my thinking was that if I didn't catch fish (which happened more often than I'd like to admit...), at least I would still have an enjoyable day out on the water. However, I immediately encountered a problem with this line of reasoning. I started catching more and bigger fish!

Here's just a few of the reasons that I like kayak fishing...

-Although wafflejaw makes a good point about the fact that a good fishing kayak and a used boat/trailer/motor combo can cost about the same, I don't have to worry about gas for the motor or charging up and lugging around a battery. I couldn't tell you how many times that I've been in an aluminum boat when it had a mechanical failure and ended up having to paddle it back in to shore back or worse, was never even able to leave the shore in the first place. Plus, I don't have to register or pay taxes on my kayak.

-Access to water where you can't get larger boats into (where the stoopid bass are ). I'm limited only by legal access and how far I'm willing to drag or carry my kayak to get it into the water.

-They are very quiet and I can get in closer to cover than larger boats can.

-Kayaks are comfortable for me - I've spent many 8+ hr days on the water without ever standing up.

-Being so low to the water allows me to easily skip lures under things like overhanging branches, docks, banks, etc., and my Malibu Stealth 14 is stable enough for me to stand on if I want to.

-And perhaps the number one reason that I like kayak fishing... Sleigh rides!

[Abbeysdad]

What is your affiliation with Malibu Kayaks that makes your video sponsored and produced by them.

[zooker]

ahh so the plastic armada grows..welcome to the site..we aint right but we is alright..

Originally Posted by BlueDaksi

I can't believe the fishing opportunities here in the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario Region!

ya don't say huh?? i grew up in that region so i am well aware of the fishablity of the region.-i miss the grape pies-

Originally Posted by BlueDaksi

Bassboss, I think that as long as you're fishing and having a good time when you're doing it, that's all that matters, whether your standing on the bank, in a $40,000 bass boat, or in a canoe or kayak.


And perhaps the number one reason that I like kayak fishing... Sleigh rides!

boss you should of igured it out by now.. it is NEVER about the size of the boat but the size of the anglers skill in that boat..

a 14 foot malifew stealth?? i had a 16 footer than down sized to a bigger boat..ya i said down sized to bigger boat.-an oxymoron-

sleigh rides are somtimes fun though my longest was around 6 miles till he broke me off-shark.

zooker

[BlueDaksi]

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

What is your affiliation with Malibu Kayaks that makes your video sponsored and produced by them.

I made the video myself entirely on my own - actually the first video that I've ever edited and put together. I'm officially sponsored promotional staff and am a member of Team Malibu Kayaks. My 13-year-old son is also an avid kayak angler and is officially sponsored by another kayak company. He was not to be outdone by his old man and I helped him to make a video of his summer fishing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1HTLDBXknU

Originally Posted by zooker

ahh so the plastic armada grows..welcome to the site..we aint right but we is alright..

ya don't say huh?? i grew up in that region so i am well aware of the fishablity of the region.-i miss the grape pies-

boss you should of igured it out by now.. it is NEVER about the size of the boat but the size of the anglers skill in that boat..

a 14 foot malifew stealth?? i had a 16 footer than down sized to a bigger boat..ya i said down sized to bigger boat.-an oxymoron-

sleigh rides are somtimes fun though my longest was around 6 miles till he broke me off-shark.

zooker

Grape pie is definitely another benefit of living in this region and we've made a trek to Naples almost every year that we've lived up here to get some. The long winters are not a benefit. With this next winter storm moving in, I'm resigning myself to the fact that we won't have much more open water and even when there is, fishing sub-40 degree F water can be deadly if you're not adequately prepared.

Glad to know that there are other 'yak fishermen here!

[Bassboss]

Originally Posted by BlueDaksi

I made the video myself entirely on my own - actually the first video that I've ever edited and put together. I'm officially sponsored promotional staff and am a member of Team Malibu Kayaks. My 13-year-old son is also an avid kayak angler and is officially sponsored by another kayak company. He was not to be outdone by his old man and I helped him to make a video of his summer fishing...

Great video again Daksi!

Get him to make an account here too, we'd love to have him here! And we could always have some more kids on here like my self!

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

And we could always have some more kids on here like my self!

Isn't one Bassboss enough?

[zooker]

Originally Posted by nofearengineer

Isn't one Bassboss enough?

lmoa.. true nuff..

zooker

[muddy]

Originally Posted by BlueDaksi

Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself to what appears to be a great site and collection of forums to learn about bass fishing. I found out about this place from the students at the Rochester Institute of Technology Bass Club, for which I am the club advisor.

I've fished off and on my whole life, but have become a real kayak fishing nut over the last six years since I moved from Oklahoma to Western New York. I can't believe the fishing opportunities here in the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario Region!

I still consider myself very much a developing bass angler, but had the best season ever in 2009. I put together a video of just some of my kayak fishing exploits from this past season...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcaYg...layer_embedded

I look forward to being a part of this active community of bass anglers!

Do You know J Francho from nybass and bassresource. He is a Kayak Fishing Nut, sponored by a company that makes them and also is deeply involved in that end of the sport.

[BlueDaksi]

Originally Posted by muddy

Do You know J Francho from nybass and bassresource. He is a Kayak Fishing Nut, sponored by a company that makes them and also is deeply involved in that end of the sport.

Yup! John's an awesome angler. I met him this year and we've been out on the water a few times.


John also owns a local Rochester business called Reel Smooth Reels and has a great reputation for being able to turn good reels into awesome tricked out works of wonder in addition to just offering basic reel cleaning, lubrication, and servicing.

There are actually quite a few other awesome and active kayak anglers in our area who go after everything from black bass, pike, to big steelhead and brown trout and everything lesser and in between. We also have a few kayak fly fishermen who fish for bass in addition to trout.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by Bender

Welcome from another upstate NYer! That's a great video. I think that I have to get a kayak for next year just to get on all of the available ponds around here but I never fished sitting down so it may be an adjustment. The fishing is great up here but the winter (my first here) is brutal!

While it wouldn't be as nice as standing on your Stratos, you can fish standing up in some kayaks.
I've never fished from one but a guy I work with bought one and he was telling me about it.
Don't know which one he has, I only know that he got it from Dunham's.

[BlueDaksi]

Originally Posted by Bender

Welcome from another upstate NYer! That's a great video. I think that I have to get a kayak for next year just to get on all of the available ponds around here but I never fished sitting down so it may be an adjustment. The fishing is great up here but the winter (my first here) is brutal!

Where did you move from? I'm still not used to the winters (this is my sixth) and I probably never will be. The great fishing makes it somewhat worthwhile.

Saranac Lake? You are literally surrounded by water and are not too far from some of the most famous bass fishing waters in the Northeast US. I think that a kayak would be a great way to get at all of the water where you are at. I kayak fished in Lake Champlain a few months ago.