tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81015868602472735322024-03-06T02:57:36.363-06:00El Camino Blues...Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-75068593524248869232015-02-12T21:53:00.003-06:002015-02-12T21:53:48.966-06:00Florida Act Two: The EvergladesThis is a month late but better than nothing. I'll spare you boring stories of paddling through the mangroves and camping on keys on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico and close encounters with the marine life. The three days we spent in the glades was a completely new and awesome experience. If you want the long winded versions, i'll gladly talk over a beer and tell you of my plans to return again. Maybe then we'll even know what the heck we're doing. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-18896880667541812952015-01-02T08:55:00.001-06:002015-01-02T08:55:22.737-06:00Florida Act One: Space CoastSome friends and I had loosely hatched plans earlier in the year to make a trip to Florida and fish. We had discussed going everywhere from the Keys to the Everglades and many places in between on both coasts. Nothing was ever pinned down before the game of life threw me a slider. My father lives on the east coast of Florida and part of my plans would be to spend some time surfing and eating seafood with him. Dad got mixed up in a bad bicycle accident and was in the hospital for a few weeks and I drove over there to aid in his recovery. Many hours were spent with him sitting in hospital rooms but I was able to sneak off at the break of dawn most mornings and explore new places.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I started out talking to a few guys down at <a href="http://www.fishmore.com/">Harry Goode's Fly Shop</a> and they pointed me in the right direction and were very welcoming and friendly. They run a top notch shop and have everything you can imagine for the local waters. If you are in the area, give them some business.<br />
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The first few days fishing were concentrated around the Sebastian Inlet area south of Melbourne. The weather was beautiful with winds calm and I was happy enough to be cruising through the crystal clear flats and mangroves. The fishing on the other hand was less than stellar. A few trout had fell victim to some Slayer Inc plastics and top dogs.<br />
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There were a few cool sightings that i'm not used to while standing and sightfishing. For one, Florida has a huge number of rays of all sizes roaming the flats just like the gamefish we seek. While poling down a sheltered cove one afternoon I spotted something big in the water. If we were in the marsh it would have immediately been passed up as an alligator gar. As I got closer to the beast and identified it as a four foot Bonnet-head shark. One cast towards his head and he slipped off into the white sand bottom and I never saw him again.<br />
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If the first days taught me anything it was that my tactics would have to change and adapt if I was going to be successful in my new surroundings. For one, in the best marshes at certain times of year, our waters can be crystal clear. For the most part however, our redfish are silly, careless and un-pressured. These Florida redfish are of the highly educated variety. There are no places around the space coast I would call "remote". You may see them fifty feet out, but they saw you at sixty. These fish are pressured relentlessly every day. Frustrating to say the least for an angler from Louisiana.<br />
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The next area on my list was a place just outside of the Kennedy Space Center. If rocket launch schedules ever went to plan I would have been able to see a rocket lift-off the launch pad in the high afternoon sun from my kayak. It would have been an awesome scene but the launch was delayed for unknown reasons and I still went fishing. KARS Park is locally referred to as the "No Motor Zone" and sounded plenty appealing for me to take the drive north of town.<br />
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I'd left the dock earlier than necessary to make my way to the flats before the water warmed up in the afternoon sun. The water clarity was good, excellent for my Louisiana standards but subpar according to locals. As soon as you would expect to see redfish in the morning I was seeing them. The only problem was that they were out cruising the flats and it was dead calm. I did my best to not make a blip of noise or vibration when picking up my rod and casting but they were spooking form fifty feet out from the shadow of the false casts on my fly rod. Dropping a plastic in front of them? Forget about it. My lures were landing a good fifteen feet out in the direction they were traveling and they would flee at the sound of the jighead hitting the water. If this flat was in the marsh, I could have played catch and release for hours. But no redfish fell victim to me that day. Only small trout while trolling from spot to spot. Once again, beautiful scenery and humbled angling.<br />
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The last areas I explored were in the Cocoa Beach Vicinity called the "Thousand Islands". The wind forecasts were building and the area had a lot of sheltered water. Another huge difference is the amount of wind protection you get in Florida vs. Louisana. At home, at best you have a three foot swatch of marsh grass to shelter out the winds. Generally this means that boat control and casting become more difficult when above the 10 mph mark and exponential above that. In these areas, the mangroves among local pines and palms offer a much higher wall of protection from wind. The two days spent fishing this area a few minutes from dad's opened up huge protected coves and lots of local ducks flying around. The water clarity was amazing but fishing was still tough. There were a few trout caught on some pink/chartreuse clousers but still ultra spooky reds that seemed to disappear a split second after you'd spotted them.<br />
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My visions of hooking up on some juvenille tarpon or a snook in this area went out the window. However, the diamond in the rough came from a gentleman I'd met in the fly shop. Jokingly or maybe only half jokingly he said that every drop of water in Florida will atleast hold a bass or two. I'd known this to be somewhat true a few years ago while working in the Orlando area and catching micro bass and bream on my tenkara rod. There was a small ditch running around the neighborhood of the hospital and a few times a week, I'd walk the banks tossing a weedless plastic and catching some 10-14" bass. They would come out of the grass patches and crush the bait. Good fun.<br />
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<b>Coming Up - Act Two: The Everglades</b></div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-6767584020203878462014-12-08T10:25:00.001-06:002014-12-08T10:25:57.496-06:00The First Spilt...I've spent the better part of the first split waking up at ungodly hours and putting miles on my VW and waders. Some mornings have been fantastic and others just an excuse to drink coffee and sit in the mud. Every hunter is hoping for cold fronts, north winds and nasty weather. Let the grand passage continue and hope to have a successful second split.<br />
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-83514598490363999522014-11-12T10:23:00.000-06:002014-11-12T10:23:54.262-06:00Another Eagle Rock Post...Every year around this time, shortly after the first cold snaps of the fall, the sleeping bags and packs come out of the summer hibernation. Ruthie and I took a friend of ours to Eagle Rock to earn her patch. All of the goals we had planned were executed with precision. We only had about two and a half days to make the six hour drive both ways and finish the 26.8 miles. While trying and be back at a decent hour to get up for work monday morning. One of my goals was to catch a fish with my tenkara rod somewhere along the Little Missouri River. We parked and hiked to Winding Stair the first night and I had about twenty minutes to fish before sundown. A few of the fish would charge the fly and stop just short. A fingerling sized hybrid bass ate the wooly bugger as I was drifting the fly and walking down the riffles.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>There were more people on the loop than I have ever seen before. We passed no less than thirty hikers throughout the weekend. The fall colors were starting to pop and the nights were just cold enough to be warm and cozy around the fire. My trail karma caught up to me on the second day. The mini dropper bottle holding my bleach had fallen out of my pack pocket unbeknownst to me. Not three miles down the trail I came across a Sawyer Water Filter that was lying at the base of an old laydown you had to walk around or play limbo with to proceed.<br />
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It's a great time of year to get outside. Something I will be doing plenty of this fall and winter. </div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-5741287365636662002014-10-22T07:22:00.002-06:002014-10-30T07:16:43.254-06:00These Four Fish...For the past seven and a half months our <a href="http://www.lafayettekayakfishing.com/">Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club</a> has had a catch-photo-release tournament going on. The tournament opened March 1st to all club members with a simple format. Catch a redfish, trout, flounder, or bass, take a photo on a measuring board with tournament token and release the fish back into the water. Once the tournament was announced I was very excited because this format suits my lifestyle much better than one day events. Fish when you like, from a public place, catch some fish, take some photos and have a chance at winning a kayak among other prizes.<br />
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My start to the tournament was slow, catching a lot of slot fish. I figured the redfish needed to win would be over 40". My redfish came from a regular ol' day at Point Aux Chene in a pond i'd never fished before. I'd seen a big push in the water in front of me. The fish had spooked and ran around behind my kayak. I tossed my weedless rig over my right shoulder for fun and surprisingly the fish inhaled it on a reaction bite. The size of the fish surprised me when he came boat side and was put on the board. I stuck him with a TAG and was back in the water quickly. I'd planned to upgrade this fish but never caught anything bigger for the rest of the year.<br />
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My speckled trout was the fish I'd worked hardest for. Many mornings of sleep were sacrificed in the pursuit of big trout. I never considered myself much of a trout angler. The one spot I knew big trout hung out was worked on many occasions but only some 19-20" trout were photo'd as summer was in full swing. One morning, a buddy of mine's dad and I went fishing in West Cove in pursuit of some speckled trout. The morning was slow but weather was beautiful. There was a sheltered cove that had just produced six chunky redfish in rapid succession on my She Dog. In the amount of time it takes to call my partner over i'd had another fish on and assumed it was another redfish.<br />
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She ran around my kayak in a large arch and my rod did the work of turning her head and horsing her back to the boat. It felt like a mid slot redfish mainly because I wasn't paying attention. The second she came to surface and showed her silver back, I freaked out. My mind immediately ran through every scenario of how I was going to <i><b>lose</b></i> this fish. This had happened a few times before on some big trout and I was sure it was going to happen again as she dove under my net. To my surprise, a few seconds later she was flopping on the deck of my boat.<br />
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My flounder catching skill was something I worked on a lot this year. Learning where, when and how was a journey in trial and error and lost jigheads. This fish was upgraded many times starting with my 10.5" entry in the spring as a starting platform. As the contest was drawing to a close, I knew I needed to upgrade my flounder for points. anything over my 18" entry would deliver big points. This flatty came on a Gulp! shrimp bounced off bottom in an area of West Cove that i've seen quite a few pulled out of. I never felt the bite, but set the hook hard after feeling weight on the line. As usual I freaked out a little bit upon seeing what was on the end of the line near the boat. Netted her and breathed a sigh of relief as soon as a few clear pictures were snapped and saved.<br />
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I am not a bass fishermen. I can count on my hands and feet the times i've been bass fishing. My summer plans were to spend more than a few evenings around lily pads and laydowns throwing frogs and worms. Work got in the way of that and left me scrambling near the 11th hour to catch one. Many backlashes later the only bass I caught on my black buzzbait came in and was released back to the swamp. This turned out to be my dropped fish score, but a valuable one if I am able to upgrade my skill and length for next year. </div>
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In the end my SLAM entry was good enough for second place. One point behind my buddy Scott for a Native Slayer 14.5'. Pack & Paddle was gracious enough to award me with a $150 gift card and a wooden paddle trophy. As a bonus, everyone who entered all four fish were put into a separate drawing for a Lews American Hero bait cast setup, and my luck kept up and I took that home as well!</div>
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HUGE, huge thanks to Mr. John Williams and <a href="http://packpaddle.com/">Pack and Paddle</a> for sponsoring this eight month contest and putting up the prizes for the winners. I can account for more than a few more interested people in the club and contest on account of this tournament. My hopes are that the LKFC keeps it going and expands it next year. Fly fishing division? Sheepshead? All would be fun and expand the potential entries and fun. Congratulations to Mr. Scott Bienvenu on his new kayak, and all the other winners. Everyone else in the top five had a "Big Fish" award from <a href="http://www.cajunpaddletools.com/">Cajun Paddle tools</a>. </div>
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I am already looking forward to next years contest and will be recruiting heavily to get more people involved with the club and the fantastic series we put on. I mean if I can win, ANYONE CAN!</div>
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<br />Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-57258514985202763652014-10-14T10:25:00.002-06:002014-10-14T14:59:36.211-06:00Photo Dump...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
End of summer</div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-64680935940242119892014-10-10T09:25:00.004-06:002014-10-10T09:26:53.306-06:00The Squall...I'll start off by apologizing to the handful of readers for the apparent hiatus. I spent a few days more than two straight months offshore working. My work season isn't completely through but it has been slowing a little.<br />
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In recent days I have finally made it home and had a chance to get back to the water. The plan started out innocently enough out of a need to upgrade my trout and flounder for the <a href="http://www.lafayettekayakfishing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=80&Itemid=374">Cajun Grand Slam Tournament</a> going on right now. I'd convinced a buddy of mine to play hooky from his morning gig and promised to have him back to the house by 4pm and be on time for his evening job. The weather seemed nice enough to make a trip to West Cove before it's shut down for the next six months. The plan was to make it to some reefs for sunrise and be clicking topwaters over slick calm conditions only to be interrupted by angry trout.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>We were unloading and rigging kayaks an hour before sunrise in the midst of a mosquito swarm that I can only describe as <b>horrendous</b>. I've encountered a fair share of bugs in my travels but this morning was up there with the worst. In a half hurried panic, assisted by the headlights of my car, we threw everything in the boats and hoped to out-pedal the bugs by getting to open water. We kicked into open water and found absolutely no relief in the cove. The cloud of bugs around us were now hitchhikers. We made the 30 minute trip to our spot constantly swatting bugs and just praying for the wind to pick up to welcome some relief.<br />
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When we arrived at the spot, the bugs were still feasting on us, but it was only half forgotten as I landed a few respectable sized trout that attempted to eat a pink/chrome she-dog. There were a few extra swats but only about six trout in the cooler in an hours time. A few of the redfish shorelines didn't pan out. The current was rolling at the point the wind picked up a few mph and we both agreed it was time to try and find some flounder.<br />
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We got the Gulp! out and were in a few holes in the marsh when a doormat decided he wanted to inhale my shrimp lure. It was a fish I could use for the tourney and I was pumped up about finding him. A few more spots produced nothing so we decided it was time to go in search of the redfish we know patrol the back marshes of the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge.<br />
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We didn't make it 100 feet before a small island looked too nice not to throw at. We were both met with immediate redfish smashing our top waters. The territory was familiar and we were rolling right along picking up reds anywhere we saw shrimp jumping. Alden managed to pick up a nice 20"+ marsh trout in the process. Things were looking up when we realized we only had about an hour to make it back to the car to be home on time. We were about two miles away from the launch so we decided to start fishing our way back. </div>
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The winds were set up nicely to blow us back in when we turned a corner into an open bay, and saw a front of clouds that looked angry. We really hadn't noticed the ominous front simply because of how fast it was moving. All day alden had joked that he had forgot his rain gear, and we now joked about it as we figured we may get a little wet. My attention was averted from the jokes when I say a swirl near a bank and landed another nice fat redfish. We immediately made the decision to head back because we realized the black clouds were rolling in quick. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjl_JiCW1EwnXAERFIxCKeXg7ncfGAw_9sSsCJ5fvVv3ehSeZ_BsAoR_yF2-s8dB3lrLsWAD-t8VbhJo4vbuiuK-SwTWvE1p6rVSsTXvhHeMdttCZrGucj02io7qkpLbHp6Ta40O_RKk/s1600/DSC_1862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjl_JiCW1EwnXAERFIxCKeXg7ncfGAw_9sSsCJ5fvVv3ehSeZ_BsAoR_yF2-s8dB3lrLsWAD-t8VbhJo4vbuiuK-SwTWvE1p6rVSsTXvhHeMdttCZrGucj02io7qkpLbHp6Ta40O_RKk/s1600/DSC_1862.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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We hadn't made it another 100 yards when Alden yelled out "LOOK! To your left!". I didn't see anything but he came around me and told me to throw where he was. His she-dog barely had time on the water before it was engulfed by another redfish. I threw into the same spot with the same result. This is where the day took a turn for the worse. </div>
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In the time it takes to fight and land these fish the front was upon us. There was a wall of wind that came down the marsh and immediately started blowing 30+mph and kicking up a two foot chop. My fish was in my net resting on my lap. The wind had tangled the line around my hat and the treble hooks were hooked in the net, the fish, and my pants. Getting blown sideways I was thankful for the stability of the Slayer Propel. In a moments time I'd heard Alden let out a "whoop" and seen himself and his kayak turtling over. </div>
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I couldn't contain my laughter as he stood up and started collecting everything that wasn't strapped down to the boat. He was calling out for help but I was useless given the fish in my boat situation. I cut my line and threw the fish in my cooler. I grabbed his tackle bag that had been floating towards me and when he got back in his boat we both agreed that our fishing day was over. </div>
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At this point we had a howling headwind about a mile and a half to go before we were safe. We made the remark that, "at least it's not raining", all too soon. We were laughing and pedaling as hard as we can into the chop and barely making headway. Alden's voice took a grave turn when he said "I think my boat is sinking, there is defenitely more water in the hull". Something he had mentioned, but shrugged off earlier in the morning. We pulled over the the marsh grass, jumped right in and pulled the boats up. There was no less than ten gallons of water inside the hull of the Hobie. We went about bailing it out in the driving rain that had now moved over us. </div>
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We paddle back out into the weather when the visibility dropped to about 75 feet. This was bad because I was using the only landmark, the telephone poles on hwy 27 as my navigation tool. We were still laughing at the ridiculous situation we'd put ourselves into once again. The driving rain was stinging and we joked "at least there is no lightning!", again too soon. I'd only hoped that we were still going the right direction when the worst part of the storm had gotten over us. There was no way we could keep going and Alden had a feeling the boat was filling up again. We pulled over to the closest marsh island we could find in the fog and hunkered down. The lightning was crashing around us and we were waist deep in the grass and puckered up like never before.<br />
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After about fifteen minutes of laying in the mud the storm started to pass. We hightailed it into the steady 20mph headwind but at this point it was manageable. The current and chop was still kicking and what should have been a twenty minute trip in took us every bit if 45 to make it back to the landing. We once again joked that it would probably be warm and sunny when we got back to the dock and people would ask us "Did you get caught in that storm?", once again, all too soon. We loaded up and realized that things had gone from happy to sad and back again all in the span of an hour and a half. Our ordeal with the squall was behind us as we started our drive home only about thirty minutes later than anticipated.<br />
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To sweeten our deal, we got halted up about 200 yards from a previous accident on I-10 that had slowed traffic. They decided to STOP thru-traffic once the HAZMAT team arrived on the scene. We sat in the car, stuck on the highway for the better part of three hours. Alden never made it to work like i'd promised. But as we both know, when him and I get together, nothing works out as planned. We joked once again that fishing trips are all about making memories. This is a day neither of us will soon forget. I've rushed the writing on this story because of other obligations and sheer inattention. But this one had to be at least be summarized lest I forget the finer details down the road. Til next time...</div>
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<br />Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-48258072479845968232014-07-08T05:14:00.001-06:002014-07-09T03:42:14.327-06:00Appalachian Trail Revisited in 360...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'd been decompressing from a dive in the chamber for an hour or so and started flipping through some old pictures from my 2012 thru-hike. I'd overlooked a good bit of the panoramas I shot along the way. They may look like all the same mountaintop views to you, but they bring back a flood of memories to me. I usually loathe the overuse of filters on photos, but for this purpose I felt like some of them matched the mood of the scenery. All of these were shot and edited on an iPhone. Unfortunately they don't transfer well onto the computer screen. You'll just have to use your imagination.</span></div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-68607726457151951282014-05-24T19:42:00.003-06:002014-05-25T08:18:06.687-06:00Murphy's Marsh...Have you ever felt like the forces that be are trying to stop you from making that trip you have really high hopes for? This is my story...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Me and a few buddies had casually talked about making a two day fishing trip to Grand Isle about a week ago. Everything was looking up until the day before we were to leave. My car had one of those annoying blinking lights on for a few days and it was my first day I'd had to take care of business for a week or so. I called my mechanic and he quickly said "DON'T DRIVE IT!! Call you insurance company and see if they'll have it towed here". I trust my mechanic, so I did just that. My hope was it was some computer error and i'd have it back before nightfall. That didn't happen. This left me scrambling at the final hours before we left, calling friends and trying to cash in some favors and borrow a vehicle that can tow my trailer full of kayaks.<br />
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At this point one of my buddies who had committed to go had to bail because of work. A random phone call from another friend who was just coming in from offshore said "Hell Yeah! Count me in! We can take my truck". So things were good again until at 10pm he called me and said he had to cancel because of a last minute meeting the next morning. He was kind enough to let us borrow his truck though.<br />
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So we're down to two people the next morning but no big deal. Loaded and out the door headed for Hwy1 before 5:30am. The first days plan was to launch off the side of the road near Leeville at a spot that had been good to me last year for PaddlePalooza. We put in by 8:30 and I'd hoped the bad juju was behind me and nothing but tailing reds and hungry trout ahead. As we went through the marsh I was a little discouraged with the look of the area. Muddy, mostly stagnant water in most of the areas I was paddling through. I kept heading west in hopes of finding cleaner water.<br />
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The marsh had yet to produce a bite for me but it was still early. I came to a large navigation canal and saw some huge splashes on the opposite bank. It was so violent and large I knew it couldn't be any kind of fish I was after. It turned out to be a pair of dolphins. Cruising the marshes either lost or in search of a spotted meal. Fishermen may be the only people in the world slightly urked at the sight of them in the water. For this means that our target species are most likely headed for safe waters away from the bottle-nosed predators.<br />
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Lucky for me only a few minutes later, my pink/chrome She Dog went under at the first blowup from a nice redfish. At this point I was happy just to bag a fish and hoped things would get better. There was a nice long sheltered shoreline I was paddling across and saw a small redfish slithering through the grass along the edges. There was no way to put a cast in there so I took it as a good sign and ducked into the next cove adjacent to that spot. In a few minutes a redfish appeared on the bank, laid up next to a shallow mudflat. My soft plastic landed on the mud and dropped right off the bank he was sitting on and he inhaled it. I reeled down to feel pressure and reared back to set the hook like usual. Not sure what broke first, the knot, the leader, or the tip of my brand new Falcon Coastal XG. As the rod loaded and swung back, it smacked my fly rod sticking up behind me and broke off about 6" of the tip section. My brand new 7'6" was now a slightly less sensitive 7 footer.<br />
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Winds were low so I decided to switch over to the fly rod now that the sun was up. After a few false casts to shoot some line and get warmed up I'd hoped to see a few more reds in the area. A shadow appeared a few minutes later and I got the merkin crab flying. A few strips later and I figured it was either a mirage or an oyster bed. I picked up the rod tip to make one more cast when it hung up on something and loaded the rod awkwardly and sent the fly line back at me like a spider web. the fly dug into my pants leg and the fly line was tangled up on everything it could in the boat and around me. There was eight wraps around my spin rod and a complete double wrap around my neck and body. It was exactly as a sunday comics illustrator would draw it for a laugh.<br />
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Needless to say I put the fly rod away after a few minutes jumping through loops and cursing the name of many inanimate objects. A light went off in my head as I remembered that I had a rod tip replacement kit in my first aid kit. I found a spare tip and a tube of super glue and went to work on my Falcon rod. As I attempted to put a dab of super glue into the spare tip, I realized there was super glue running dripping everywhere. There was a hole in the tube of glue and the entire tube was now in the palm of my right hand. I did my best to get some onto the tip of the rod and seal off the repaired tip while simultaneously trying not to glue my fingers to themselves. Somehow, I managed to not glue myself to anything as I looked up and simply said, "<i><b>really</b>?</i>".<br />
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The rest of the day was uneventful, even for fish, Caught a few more dink trout and rat reds and was loading up by 5:30 pm. Brian and I checked into our room at Boudreauxs and I went about cleaning fish while Brian went in search of pizza. Shower, dinner, a cold beer and we were both ready to crash. My sleep lasted until midnight when a neuron fired off and woke me up with a nagging suspicion. I had taken out my fishing tool kit to get my wallet upon check in. My brain told me I had left it on the trailer and forgot to put it up. I'd driven around the bumpy parking lot and to the corner store and knew I couldn't get back to sleep without checking where it was. So there I was, midnight, in my underwear walking around the parking lot looking for a lost tupperware container. I can't imagine what I looked like or what I would have said to someone who asked what I was doing. And yes, the tool box was gone. Along with my SOG multitool, bug spray, first aid and toilet paper.<br />
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Morning came faster than sleep did and we were off to the far side of Fourchon towards the Thunder Bayou area. The bugs were tame save for a few biting gnats and horseflies as we paddled south towards a tidal flat that looked good on a windless morning. The sounds of gentle crashing waves from the Gulf of Mexico were in the distance, unfortunately the flat was far too shallow to produce any fish like i'd hoped. A few pictures snapped and a text sent and I was going back to the north side of the road where some marsh would be. </div>
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A 20 minute paddle after some google map searching led me to the start of what would be a frustrating morning. The reds were few and far between and only to be found near exposed oyster beds. Paddling further and further north had led me to some mangrove filled areas unlike anywhere I've ever seen in Louisiana. Putting together the puzzle for the day I'd figured out that most of the fish were hanging out in the first islands downwind of the open bays. I'd seen a few floating bulls lazily cruising in the calm waters but couldn't get them to eat. My flies were presented properly as well as my soft plastics, but they seemed uninterested. </div>
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The rest of the day went down in much of the same fashion. A few over slot reds here and there but defenitely not nonstop action. Murphy struck one more time on the paddle back to the car. Another dink trout had hit the matrix shad dragging behind me and a quick ruler check confirmed that he was undersized. I put him back and was content with what the day had brought me. The corner of my eye was catching something after a few minutes and I realized the big fish ruler i'd just made was now at the bottom of Caminada Bay. Just another punch and I made landfall without making another cast. Even to some clearly visible redfish in some duck ponds on the way back. </div>
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All in all it was a good learning and exploratory trip. It ended up costing me a few dollars in replacement gear and this and that, but hey, <i>c'est la vie</i>. The next trip down there I will have that much more information on where to go and <i><b>NOT</b></i> to go. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a trip to the store to replace some gear for the next outing. I'm not sure if anyone actually reads long stories like this one anymore. So if you've hung on this long, sorry for the longhand. Maybe i'll keep it short and simple next time. But maybe next time i'll have more pictures and good things to talk about. It's summer time, see you on the water.Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-65368990906995491772014-05-15T17:41:00.000-06:002014-07-22T08:31:25.743-06:00Transitions...<div style="text-align: center;">
Been too long for detailed reports, photos will have to suffice.</div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-33811891816784295832014-04-20T13:31:00.000-06:002014-04-20T13:31:16.991-06:00Eagle Rock Spring...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ruthie and I finally made it back to the Ouachita Mountains in southern Arkansas for a hike around the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunwgw-krwGtHh4fGLAxflVuTW4t3GmoiJa8550FJiYvKjR4UaXQNqtJH7MpeFeUc68DXi6rrczulkQWI5jQ4xTlFc7C5KG_SM_7M4qeZZQ5PL0dcIr4POQnkjZq-xhCNiP2sbBatBUJs/s1600/ERL_Map.jpg">Eagle Rock Loop</a>. We arrived late on thursday night and realized it had been a year and a half since getting back to the Little Missouri River and it's surrounding cliffs and streams. We set up the tent with the help of the car's headlights and slept in the parking lot adjacent to Little Missouri Falls. </div>
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The nights were cool and just barely warm enough to justify using our summer bags. We woke up the next morning damp in a way that only sleeping right next to a flowing steam can do. We headed out from the falls to do the route clockwise. Our goal was to get as many of the water crossings out of the way in the first day just in case a night time shower rose water levels to an unweary depth. The weather was bordering on hot and the trees still hadn't grown a canopy to shade the trail form the mid-day sun. As we approached the Albert Pike section for lunch I spotted a fly fishermen drifting his flies through a pool around a bend in the river and catching small, stocked rainbeaux trout regularly. A quick shout from the trail informed me that olive wooly buggers in size 8 or 10 were inticing the little guys to eat. Note to self: <i><u>DO NOT FORGET FLY ROD NEXT TIME</u>!</i></div>
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Every time we'd hiked the trail in previous years the Langley river gauge had been below 3.5'. That offers safe and easier water crossing that litter the trail throughout. The gauge was at 4' for the day and i'd never realized how much of a difference that half a foot can make. The tops of rocks that we'd previously been able to hopscotch across were submerged in about 4 inches of cold, rushing water. Gravel rock bars that used to be exposed shortening the always wet crossing were shallow pools of water making the crossings that much longer and more fun. After 5 <b>wet </b>crossings, a dip into an icy stream, and numerous other rock hops we settled into the tent streamside somewhere along the Viles Branch section of the trail. We ate and were both nodding off as the sun was going down.<br />
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The next day we'd set up to have a short mile warm up and then head straight into the Athens-Big Fork section of the trail. This section has all of the mountain passes that form the valleys the rest of the trail follows. There was little shade from the sun and the white rocks reflecting its rays back into your face. The first three mountains were behind us when we stopped for a break and to dip our feet in a cold stream.</div>
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I sometimes forget what it's like to gain elevation by foot living in southern Louisiana. It's not an unfamiliar feeling and these passes are quick reminders of what these mountains can do to your legs. We had finished the hardest section of the trail and it was about 3:30pm when we stopped to top off on water. It was only 4.1 miles back to the car and we had a decision to make about how much further we were going to hike for the day. We'd planned for a three day, two night and packed our food to match. With only four miles to go we made a decision to push it back to the car and make it home for Easter sunday. </div>
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We pushed hard for the next hour and a half and made to the car for a change of clothes and got on the road. The hike was fast but I never felt like we were overexerting ourselves. This weekend also taught me that this could be a legitamite weekend outing for anyone within a six hour drive. With a few extra cups of coffee, some discipline in miles and wake up times, and the will to finish in less than 48 hours, this is a challenging and beautiful escape. But next time, i'm bringing a fly rod and taking it slow. </div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-18205457342092556892014-04-15T15:24:00.000-06:002014-04-16T17:35:26.742-06:00New Gear Made By Me...With all of the bad weather we had for the first part of the new year, it left plenty of time open for some sewing projects that have been floating around in my mind. A few online transactions later and a number of hours measuring, cutting, stitching, and re-stitching later there are a few creations of my own hand in my gear arsenal. I like how i'm finally getting around to posting about his crap in april now that I have been spending a bulk of time outdoors again.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The first project I did was an idea for a quilt that had been taunting me since I hiked the AT in 2012. My intent was to write up a long article on how this quilt was a simple, lightweight, convertible, warm weather quilt. Well time has passed and I find myself wanting to paraphrase the long hand and get down to the nuts and bolts. This project took me one night from start and finish but was far from easy. My idea was to be able to use the quilt in or under a hammock, or drape over me on the ground. My design called for a footbox flap that can be closed off or opened up depending on the conditions. There are small loops along the side of the quilt that get attached to small lengths of elasticord that keep the bag in place around your sleeping pad at night.<br />
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It came out pretty good as far as i'm concerned. Matter of fact for the past two months this has replaced the comforter on my bed. All of the materials were purchased in the <a href="http://thru-hiker.com/kits/apex_quilt_kit.php">Quilt Kit</a> from <a href="http://thru-hiker.com/materials/index.php">ThruHiker.com</a>. I've tested it once on a night that dipped into the high 40's. It was warm enough but defenitely a bit on the cold side for the working temperature range of the quilt. The icing on the cake is that it weighs in at less than a pound with stuff sack! This project was well worth the time and effort.<br />
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I've been paddling regularly for about 4 years now. Spending long hours and big miles in any seat can take a toll on your back. I'd been growing curious after spending a few hundred hours in the boat if there was more that I could do to increase the comfort level. Jackson has a <a href="http://www.yakangler.com/paddling-gear-review/380-jackson-lumbar-support">lumbar support</a> that they sell as an accessory so the tinkerer in me thought about how simply one can be made. I had almost all of the materials besides some 1" webbing and some buckles. I used some dyneema fabric left over from the <a href="http://elcaminoblues.blogspot.com/2013/01/making-my-own-frame-bag.html">frame bag build</a> to make the pillow sleeve. It was as simple as sewing in the webbing and loops for the buckles and voila. The self inflating pillow was an old camping pillow I already had as well, so this got done for less than $10.<br />
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I put it to the test on a trip to the marsh recently and was surprised at how much of a difference the support made. I tend to lean forward when paddling hard or into winds but with this it felt better to lean back into it and paddle with better posture. Anyone who puts in long miles and hours in a kayak owes it to their back to give one of these a shot. I will be making a few of these in the future for sale once i've collected all the necessary material. It will fit around all major seats from Jackson, Native and Hobie. If you're interested please shoot me an email or something and i'll gladly keep in touch.<br />
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The last project I had in mind spurred from having one too many close encounters with motorboats in the open waters we fish. Poor boating ethics and carelessness accounted for most of my close calls but either way it helps to be a bit more visible when on the water. Most people aren't expecting to see grown men and women only a foot or so off the water in small plastic boats so a signal flag is an easy way of increasing your visibility. My only problem with them is that they usually require <b style="font-style: italic;">another </b>mount, track or ball to be installed. Most of us have those coming out of every surface on our kayaks, and for simplicities sake I wanted to avoid another piece of mounting hardware.<br />
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I got to thinking that a flag that would slip over the tip of the rod you are not fishing would be a simple and creative solution. I found some safety orange water proof material, reflective cloth and got to the drawing board. The end result is what you see below. About 20 of these were produced and given away to friends that I normally fish with. Who knows it may even save someone's life one day. The flag also doubles as a trailering flag with the addition of a short length of cord and a carabiner.<br />
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I still have a handful of these left so if you'd like one let me know. The reflective material in the center was painstakingly cut out and sewed on in the shape of redfish, trout, tarpon, wood ducks, sacalait....yyyyeah it was a llooooonnngggg winter indeed. If that perfect piece of gear doesn't exist,<b><i> you must make it!</i></b>. Now is the time of the year where we go use them so goodbye til next time.</div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-62437959657462297712014-04-05T08:07:00.000-06:002014-04-05T10:58:35.373-06:00Spring Dun Sprung...South Louisiana finally has the monkey of old man winter off of her back. Water temps across the state have risen and stayed above the "sit still to stay alive" zone. Strong march winds and work have kept me from fishing a lot but I have made a few trips lately. My buddy Scott and I made a trip to and he enticed two gator trout to eat some supper. The big female is still swimming today.<br />
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I still haven't gotten a monster but am working on using new hardbaits and understanding how to fish them. I'd better get on the ball soon if I want to have a chance in the <a href="http://www.lafayettekayakfishing.com/index.php/component/content/article/80-cpr-overview/170-cpr-online-tourney">Cajun Grand Slam</a> through LKFC. This CPR tournament is a fantastic format and runs all the way through to October 1st. And in other slightly related news, after about 10 months of tagging fish through the CCA's TAG Louisiana program, I got my first recapture notice. As you can see this one didn't meander too far from home. I'm 0/1 but with warm weather and spring blooming, i'm hoping to see a few more of these show up in my mailbox. I will be doing my part to stick a few more fish in the near future.<br />
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In other fishing related news, Native Watercraft is bringing the <a href="http://adventurefishingworldchampionship.com/">Adventure Fishing Series</a> to Louisiana! This kind of tournament is 100% different from any other format for kayak fishing and is just up my alley. Long days, long miles are nothing new to me so I feel prepared already. There will be a regional qualifier held in Cocodrie, Louisiana on November 22nd. I will be putting in for my vacation shortly. If you wanna read about some wild times at this kind of event held in the Florida Keys, check out all 4 parts of <a href="http://hookn1.blogspot.com/2014/02/adventure-fishing-world-championship.html">Casey Brunning's Blog</a> and revel in the insanity. Suffice to say this event has me excited. And if you're lazy, watch these. </div>
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I'm hoping to have something worthwhile to talk about and take pictures of in the near future. The full moon in April is fast approaching and I now have a goal in the AFWC to work towards. Stay tuned, our season is picking up and I will be out on the water as much as my schedule allows me too.</div>
Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-26362683707604370842014-02-24T16:23:00.002-06:002014-02-25T10:38:45.962-06:00The Yak Attack CellBlok...For the past few months i've been toying around with the idea of using a fishfinder on my kayak. Fishing this brutally cold winter for speckled trout magnified the advantages I would have by using one. Having absolutely no idea what I was looking at made me take to the forums and internet to gather some intel on what I was getting into. I was tired of pouring over the <a href="http://waterdata.usgs.gov/la/nwis/current/?type=flow&&group_key=basin_cd">Louisiana water data</a> sites to try and find current conditions and such. It was time to invest in another piece of gear that would accompany me in open water.<br />
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Having no previous experience with fishfinders, I took in all the advice from the guys in the club and plugged them into my brain. I reached the conclusion that I did <b><i>NOT</i></b> want a GPS or chart-plotter. Not having this would extend battery life and simplicity. The <a href="http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Fishfinder/Elite4xDSI-en-us.aspx">Lowrance Elite 4x DSI</a> was the middle ground on price, quality and it didn't hurt when I found it on closeout/open boxed item at Academy. So the fishfinder was a go but now I had the problem that almost every kayak fishermen struggles with. Fishfinder mounting....<br />
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My biggest beef with mounting was I could not find a simple, clean, and easy way to mount the fishfinder to go between the S<b><i>layer Propel</i></b> and my <i style="font-weight: bold;">Revo13</i>. If you have only one boat you are going to use you can rig a transducer in a few different ways including a <a href="http://www.fishfindersource.com/4-ways-to-mount-a-transducer-in-a-kayak/">shoot through, or a scupper mount transducer</a>. The cost of buying all the accessories twice and having permanent hardware and wires was not happening. An over the side mount seemed like the right way to go but there was still the cost of double ram balls, rails, battery boxes, wiring, blah blah blah. I could not think of a way that I could do it cleanly and easily. Then as if Luther Cifers received a transmission from my brain, I stumbled onto the beta testing of a new product from <a href="http://www.yakattack.us/">Yak Attack</a> called the <a href="http://www.yakattack.us/CLB_1001_p/clb-1001.htm">Cellblok</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP5BrdkacezXqeNntVj502YjUJvPdm3MdhuEQ5NpUfFQQ80QyNEbhWQOnoA2LO6kUplBtpCYDkaL_xpRQG8R-UaWdqGPc6PscY08To1Kx2ORKUfqWD3U2z7VDUdsmSTzlEL9xHioo1BM/s1600/yak+atack+cell+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTP5BrdkacezXqeNntVj502YjUJvPdm3MdhuEQ5NpUfFQQ80QyNEbhWQOnoA2LO6kUplBtpCYDkaL_xpRQG8R-UaWdqGPc6PscY08To1Kx2ORKUfqWD3U2z7VDUdsmSTzlEL9xHioo1BM/s1600/yak+atack+cell+block.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Ok so he didn't really pick up a transmission from my brain. I'd just been wrestling with the same thing other people have struggled with long before I'd considered buying a fishfinder. The difference is Yak Attack went to the drawing board and came up with a solution to the problem. The product that came out of it is the Cellblok. A rail mounted box that holds everything you need to mount your fishfinder unit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlORB1_n2TbZHRiAcG1mKDyobG5M5QdcNi5GB0Lq5zrdXqfvXHUa90PgQ76aERTUWjgSEasP2r4mi5Qo67QZp5hH0zf-oRMNoy7T14jGItCziouMDhfkFf3H-xWwbm4p73Y8E_aeC5YQ/s1600/cable+horns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlORB1_n2TbZHRiAcG1mKDyobG5M5QdcNi5GB0Lq5zrdXqfvXHUa90PgQ76aERTUWjgSEasP2r4mi5Qo67QZp5hH0zf-oRMNoy7T14jGItCziouMDhfkFf3H-xWwbm4p73Y8E_aeC5YQ/s1600/cable+horns.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZcy61sHHzShnwL8wDBAlm2ycmaPshvva0lKxS57BbC13QbGLCbAyexCCwZ7evK0g1STuJNiFqwZclLI6CMvaH28KB7GbhC2fk2Lkhht37xDsGjhEuICMEyFSxYM72oikbl8DcJnAtpU/s1600/side+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZcy61sHHzShnwL8wDBAlm2ycmaPshvva0lKxS57BbC13QbGLCbAyexCCwZ7evK0g1STuJNiFqwZclLI6CMvaH28KB7GbhC2fk2Lkhht37xDsGjhEuICMEyFSxYM72oikbl8DcJnAtpU/s1600/side+view.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
Some assembly is required as the block ships flat to keep shipping charges down much like the <a href="http://www.yakattack.us/BLP_121611_p/blp-121611.htm">BlackPak</a>. The parts are machined and fits together tightly and cleanly. A few screws hold the box together and a small notch or hole is required to run the battery wires through the side wall. There are holes recessed into the backside of the top plate that will fit a bevy or ram balls. You have to drill out the ones you want to use. I used two 1" diamond plate balls to mount my unit and transducer arm. These are things I would rather do myself because everybody's mounting situation is going to be different. Finally the thumb screws mount on pre drilled holes on either end of the box to go to the rails. The extra transducer wire is wrapped around the horns on the side of the box and secured with some zip ties. I also used a <a href="http://www.rammount.com/NewProducts/ramtransducerarmmount/tabid/4459/">Ram Transducer Arm</a> to go over the side of the boat to the transducer head. Contrary to popular belief, I was able to fish my cable through the black housing that covers the aluminum bar. It wasn't easy to do but it is possible. Running the cable through the sheathing defenitely helps keep the look of the unit clean.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3-0VjzKQT6nPHzs7XuAsbs2eWGiQN0o2_qNsJhOzZCJAFrQDLoOuUAx1QXI4JetEkO2CLj2RVXlF2tsgYtGriyt1AJEWNBRRu4Gjj3SEDZx1sXePN4B3niDA18tZ-kwyKkWBdpfK3pw/s1600/bottomview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3-0VjzKQT6nPHzs7XuAsbs2eWGiQN0o2_qNsJhOzZCJAFrQDLoOuUAx1QXI4JetEkO2CLj2RVXlF2tsgYtGriyt1AJEWNBRRu4Gjj3SEDZx1sXePN4B3niDA18tZ-kwyKkWBdpfK3pw/s1600/bottomview.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0sbDXyZ_-MdJxXaAjdExJ-KGI00sQnmQEVgJSvDA_wNaEKg_oUq9jQog0IlFoKDg0MwiAF34-cJdGhcXH0v2_AYtheM5iw1-N9B-L16HATQ_iKv8OG0kXk86CEt6pNmmDRAP-1J73-o/s1600/transducer+cable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0sbDXyZ_-MdJxXaAjdExJ-KGI00sQnmQEVgJSvDA_wNaEKg_oUq9jQog0IlFoKDg0MwiAF34-cJdGhcXH0v2_AYtheM5iw1-N9B-L16HATQ_iKv8OG0kXk86CEt6pNmmDRAP-1J73-o/s1600/transducer+cable.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
The battery compartment is subject to a little bit of water, either through the wiring notch or from the sliding front door. The floor of the compartment is notched to let water drain out and the door track has two small holes in the middle to drain any water out. I padded my battery with a little bit of extra foam from an old pelican box to keep it from bouncing around.<br />
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With the addition of a 16" GearTrac and backing plate, the Cellblok fit nicely on the gunnel of my Hobie. I'm able to move the unit from boat to boat in a matter of seconds. I'm also able to remove it completely if I don't want it for the day leaving no mounting hardware or wires subject to damage or weather/trailering when not in use. This can also come in handy if you have a kayak fishing vacation planned, or are taking a boat out for a test ride. Secondly you can remove the unit and bring it indoors to recharge the battery. Not having to mess with taking your battery wiring off. I disconnect the plug that goes to the head unit and put my battery on the maintainer. Simple and easy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZLOHpKpH2Jia3tmhgR0qYqUEC6_nPfQGGPLMBvwR-nCAivEDYuzZ4eDup18wi1w5ZAHJ8mM6pR-ryV1L-hrIruGOVfXXgT1aDkFET2etuVQjfWsOQse4ynpXr4N4Qy3zOZQ6AP3U1Oo/s1600/lowrance+elite+dsi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZLOHpKpH2Jia3tmhgR0qYqUEC6_nPfQGGPLMBvwR-nCAivEDYuzZ4eDup18wi1w5ZAHJ8mM6pR-ryV1L-hrIruGOVfXXgT1aDkFET2etuVQjfWsOQse4ynpXr4N4Qy3zOZQ6AP3U1Oo/s1600/lowrance+elite+dsi.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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Most of the newer kayak fishing specific boats are coming stock with rails all over the boat. The cellblok can be mounted in different places given the conditions you will be facing for the day. I also like the over the side mounting and how easily you can flip the transducer arm up out of the water when you have a fish boatside.<br />
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<b>Mr. Luther, another nod for a fantastic mounting solution and one less headache for your fellow kayak fishermen!</b><br />
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Jamming - <a href="http://lostbayouramblers.com/">Lost Bayou Ramblers - "Mammoth Waltz"</a></div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-3670456388045402692014-02-16T23:12:00.000-06:002014-02-25T10:41:30.905-06:00Nothing But Bulls...After weeks of unseasonably cold weather the tides finally turned and warm weather moved in. This past weekend was the first tournament for the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club in Cocodrie Louisiana. This was our version of the "minimalist" tournaments. Doing more with less and putting the skill of the fishermen to test. And if you read on you will see just how much everyone was tested.<br />
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Friday me and my buddy Scott did a little bit of prefishing in some pretty fierce SW winds. Steady blowing 17mph was not ideal but I managed to find a slot redfish in a cove tucked behind some tall roseau cane. Did a lot of pedaling around in a few hours time and wasn't impressed by what I was seeing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb386vcZlU0Fi158DWw-JXLeqSCzCWum5utbBXHFRCtUPuQ0Lg8TQbx88Pz6fqgtmO9U048qkmuCx2tMXS-VMr_eb4949-gl6xgDw-tfw_5ctrXp84VYCTWvAYpVWDzPVXdaIsozl30o/s1600/cocodrie+kayak+fishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb386vcZlU0Fi158DWw-JXLeqSCzCWum5utbBXHFRCtUPuQ0Lg8TQbx88Pz6fqgtmO9U048qkmuCx2tMXS-VMr_eb4949-gl6xgDw-tfw_5ctrXp84VYCTWvAYpVWDzPVXdaIsozl30o/s1600/cocodrie+kayak+fishing.jpg" height="394" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Like always I figured I'd come up with a plan the night before and throw it all out the window when I got on the water the next morning. Spent friday night having a few beers and eating some barbecue. My game plan for tournament day was much like any day on the water for me. Cover ground and get to places few, if any people will want to put forth the effort to get too. I headed out from the marina and made it about 2 miles before making my first cast.<br />
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I didn't stay long in any place until I started to find nice long, sheltered shorelines with clean water. I was making my way down a bank looking for any sign of fish when I saw a redfish tail waving at me. The water was about a foot and a half deep so I knew he was a good fish. He kept moving down the bank faster than I wanted to approach him but he eventually found my lure. One solid run was all I needed to realize he was over slot. A 30" fish is great fun but not your first target on tournament day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqjIoxPLcDL4eYP9ila5xVKfgcV7ZHprC_t-8lCiBIskBR34VnVdfeXOalGVktG6BgdXfJoM7mOODZj0ZTRjI_1LJFYvtCkdYFb-V5acUGFt7clzCfe8jhYiwa5ZQ4JUA3nuMSaqKpWo/s1600/cajun+sleighride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqjIoxPLcDL4eYP9ila5xVKfgcV7ZHprC_t-8lCiBIskBR34VnVdfeXOalGVktG6BgdXfJoM7mOODZj0ZTRjI_1LJFYvtCkdYFb-V5acUGFt7clzCfe8jhYiwa5ZQ4JUA3nuMSaqKpWo/s1600/cajun+sleighride.jpg" height="428" width="640" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6uowQHfIyK9k2w7Ca_JCP8fMTV_55yNBPPE6VGxrAK51cCpU227x8cd1hmN1rn9WDLTYEPU807Xow02MMd3O0zVgfd964hfquJFsjo7T0zTg0C4dmYA_wWx1-qxwT1V7SQyjax5kuK4/s1600/30%22+bull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6uowQHfIyK9k2w7Ca_JCP8fMTV_55yNBPPE6VGxrAK51cCpU227x8cd1hmN1rn9WDLTYEPU807Xow02MMd3O0zVgfd964hfquJFsjo7T0zTg0C4dmYA_wWx1-qxwT1V7SQyjax5kuK4/s1600/30%22+bull.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
Made a few more casts is the area and scooted down a bayou to where there was a nice pond that looked worth checking out. I immediately ran over two <b>BIG</b> reds at the mouth of the entrance to the pond. There was minimal cover in the pond and no oysters to speak of. Just a foot or less of crystal clear water. I pulled up my propel drive and stood up to see if the area was worth going deeper into. About 40 feet into my drift I ran right over a large school of fish. There were big mud plumes going off in every direction for about 40 seconds. I hoped the sluggishness of the fish would keep them in the same area once they settled down. I gave em about 20 minutes to regroup after tucking myself against a bank and having a cup of coffee. My kayak was pushed up onto a mud flat where I wouldn't move and I started booming casts as far downwind as I could.<br />
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It wasn't two casts until a fish hit. He ran like hell but the first time I got a good look at him I knew it would be close to either a perfect tournament fish or over the slot limit. He tape out at 28"! And so were the next two on the consecutive casts!! Hoping, just hoping this was the spot where the perfect redfish was gonna come from was awesome. I made a few more casts in the same area and was getting strikes on every cast. My worst fears were realized when the next pig measured 32". I hate to be the guy complaining about easily picking off bull reds in a school but I needed to find smaller fish!<br />
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I made the decision to leave the area. It was either gonna be the best, or worst thing I did that day. I paddled straight through the school that had re-congregated in the same spot I was picking them out of. By the amount of leaches every fish had sucking on them they were still laid up dormant from the freezes we've been gettting.<br />
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With the weather and water I was seeing I figured it would take 2 hefty reds to place well in this tournament. A lot of the guys in our club are seasoned killers when it comes to redfish and I had to make something happen. After a 30 minute change of scenery I found nastier water than what I left and not a fish in sight. Unless you count the dolphin that was meandering along in a large bay half exposed. The water was a foot and a half at best and she was out cruising. I pedaled my ass off to get a good picture of her and when I was within 10 yards she turned broadside to me, paused, then took off like a rocket! It looked like someone dropped a Volkswagen in the water!<br />
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The rest of the day I fished with half heart but still knowing I could find two fish at anytime that could make a decent showing. I was not far from packing it in when a fish showed up rod length from my boat and was barely moving up a small channel. He ate and I fought him slow hoping he was within the slot. 29". That was it for me. It was quitting time anyways and I figured I'd see how everyone else did at the marina. Didn't feel so bad for myself once I found out a <b>LOT</b> of people were completely skunked. People I consider to be excellent anglers went without so much as a nibble.<br />
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Only 4 fish were weighed for the 33 of us fishing that day! Hard to wrap my head around it but that's what mother nature threw at us for the day. Congrats to the winners and I hope the next one goes a little better for everyone on the water.<br />
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Jamming - <a href="http://www.concertlivewire.com/jpegs/cd/stringbandcd.jpg">.357 String Band "Lightning From The North"</a></div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-45233761749094228182014-02-11T10:48:00.000-06:002014-02-25T10:41:41.717-06:00Wild Azalea Loops...So enough about duck hunting and the utter <i><b>lack</b></i> of fishing we've had this winter. I still love getting out in the woods with Ruthie for a weekend. We'd planned to hike for a few consecutive weekends but these "<i><b>polar vortices</b></i>" have kept us away. We made the commitment to hike a loop on the Wild Azalea in the Kisatchie National Forest no matter what the weather. It looked favorable going into the weekend with slight chances of showers but generally warming from friday through sunday.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The great thing about the Wild Azalea is all of the fire roads that criss cross the trail giving you a multitude of options for a hike. You can shuttle from car to car with others, make short loop hikes or go out and back in a lot of ways. We chose to drive up friday night and park at Evangeline Camp off of FR 273. We geared up and walked under headlight a little ways down the hill to the Boy Scout camp and set up the tarp for the night.<br />
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There was a few ulterior motives for this hike this weekend. Number one was to get out of the house. Number two was to start carrying and training for a heavy load like I'll be carrying on the JMT if i'm lucky enough to get to attempt it this year. I packed in my <a href="http://www.bearvault.com/bearvault_details.php">BearVault bv500 </a>and made it a point to tote and extra liter of water for most of the weekend. As an added bonus I got Ruthie more comfortable with camping in rainy weather in a tarp.<br />
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We set up friday night in a drizzle and it continued off and on all night. The plan was to get up early saturday morning and put in a solid day of around 15 miles. The alarm went off at 7am and after the second <i>snooze, </i>I turned the alarm off. Not the most productive action but it was what it was. We both slept until 9 and we left camp late. Adjusting the route to go out and back after a lunch break on the Lakeshore Trail and we were off through cool temps and scattered sunshine.<br />
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Through the flocks of mountain bikers and white pelicans we made our way up the east bank of Lake Kincaid and the trail was in great shape. Three hours later we were content enough with out progress to take a coffee/almond butter break before the turn around back towards Lamotte Creek. I was happy to sit by the lake and watch birds fly under the canopy of big pine trees.<br />
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Another bonus of going<i style="font-weight: bold;"> heavier </i>for the weekend was that I did not scrutinize my pack weight down to my last clif bar like I normally would. Saturday night we made our trail tacos, a messy dehydrated mix of meat, beans, veggies and spices. Finished with taco bell sauce on a flour tortilla. So easy to make and rehydrate I feel like every backpacker with a dehydrator would do extra miles for them. May warrant an extra post for this one. A fire, messy taco hands, snickers and sleepytime tea before bed and we both crashed a little after sundown.<br />
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The next morning we experimented with a new recipe for trail pancakes. I'd bought an old MSR non-stick pan on closeout for luxury hikes just like this. This too was a simple recipe for mix and pour panacakes. They worked out wonderfully in the small pan. Just have to remember to bring <i>less</i> maple syrup next time as it spilt all over everything on the hike out. Hope that everyone else is taking advantage of this weather before the heat turns on and the camping opportunities drop to nil.<br />
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Jamming: <a href="http://scottbiram.com/">Scott H. Biram "Nothin But Blood"</a></div>
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<b>1. Decoys and Robos</b></div>
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A dozen mallards. Yup, that's what everyone tells you to start with. This, my friends is not the stopping point. Wood ducks, teal, motion decoys. The dozen mallards may work well if you're inundated with flocks of greenheads but in my limited expereience, variety is defenitely the spice of your spreads life. </div>
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<a name='more'></a>I have a few different species in my spread as of now and all of them come from the Flambeau Storm Front Series of decoys. They split the difference between price and quality and for me right now, it works. I'm ending the year with 13 mallard decoys (1 lost and 2 found), 6 woodies, and 5 green-wing teal(one lost to the Atchafalaya swamp). I've also cleaned up a few stray decoys from our local waterways. A pintail and some old mallards. They'll get cleaned up, touched up and rigged for the next seasons spread. And will probably add another half dozen teal decoys for early season.<br />
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As for rigging the decoys, i've found it easier to buy the texas rigged "No Hassle" lines from <a href="http://www.hhlure.com/nohassledecoyanchorweightrigs.html" target="_blank">H&H Lure Company</a>. You can buy the parts separate and rig them yourself however you'd like but the monetary savings isn't much for a small spread like mine. if I were to be <b><i>RE</i></b>rigging a spread I would opt to do it myself. But the 72"/6oz lines have yet to do me wrong. They're easy to wrap round the keel for storage or gather them onto a carabiner and hang. A simple, easy solution i'd recommend to anyone. </div>
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<i>The Mojo</i>. I didn't have one for the first half of the season. Looking at everyone else's spread there was not a hunter out there with atleast one. And if you can't beat them you better join em. A green-winged teal spinner was added to the spread and it helps catch the eye of birds from afar. Up close it may flare them but it no doubt helps more than it hurts. Will probably add a <a href="http://mojooutdoors.com/index.php/vendor-products-menu-item/product/204-mojo-self-timer/category_pathway-28" target="_blank">timer</a> to break up the continuous flashing of the decoy for next season. </div>
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<b>2. The Forgotten Essentials</b></div>
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<i>The Headlight</i> - This is probably the most important piece of gear for any duck hunter outside of guns and shells. Unless you plan on hunting afternoons you will probably be catching the morning flights of ducks in your area. This translates into waking up at ungodly hours and traveling in the darkness before dawn breaks. A good headlight is mandatory. Whether you're throwing decoys or setting up in your blind, you will need to be able to see.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLZMqoRYj0BcnCIMtioFfHOSaiNCOa-xrjcp0rf3zvqziPjZU74aTthOCAOz6W4ZmxJAmH8wQoCA2b3gDieHmSP8IAXcK3or_RYXb8TKwb5tyGfKMZz9pM22tCPgWBATpCo9pm5MmfjM/s1600/revolt+headlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLZMqoRYj0BcnCIMtioFfHOSaiNCOa-xrjcp0rf3zvqziPjZU74aTthOCAOz6W4ZmxJAmH8wQoCA2b3gDieHmSP8IAXcK3or_RYXb8TKwb5tyGfKMZz9pM22tCPgWBATpCo9pm5MmfjM/s1600/revolt+headlight.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/headlamps-and-lanterns/revolt-headlamp-BD620600MCTNALL1.html" target="_blank">Black Diamond Revolt</a> worked well for me on everything from wading into the basin to paddling through the marshes under cover of night. The rechargeable feature on this light is what sold me on it because I knew it would be used for an hour or more every time I hunted. I topped it off every time I remembered and it has a few flashing indicators to remind you when it needs refueling. One word of warning, remember to check that the batteries are seated well and it is recharging before leaving it alone. On a few occasions it did not recharge fully and left me with less than stellar performance in low light conditions. A bit finicky but right up my alley for power, ease of use and size. </div>
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<i>The Call </i>- No doubt the best place for a duck call is in your pocket if the ducks are doing what you want them to do with your mind power alone. You're probably not always gonna be set up on the proverbial <b>"X"</b>. Eventually you'll have to learn how to sound like a duck. Something i've yet to do well. With time and another 8 months to practice, I reckon I might sound like a few species. One call that everyone should have and is easy enough would be a <a href="http://duckcommander.com/store/duck-calls/6-in-1-pintailwigeon-duck-call" target="_blank">whistle</a>. These multi-species calls are hard to mess up and can mix up the sounds coming from your spread. I won't talk too much about calls because I really don't know what the heck i'm talking about. Check back with me next year and i'll have a more informed opinion about duck calling.</div>
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<i>Camouflage</i> - Stop into any post hunt food joint and you will quickly realize that <a href="http://www.realtree.com/realtree-max-4-waterfowl-camo" target="_blank">RealTree's Max-4</a> is king of duck hunters attire. In my opinion it will probably be good enough for any hunting situation you find yourself in. If you do your homework and hide in good cover, brush your blinds appropriately and stay still when ducks approach, camo is more of an afterthought. Wear more <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">brown </span>than <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">green</span>, shut up and wait for the "get em!" call.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgZtG1IebByROOZzMgy6n4rFMBV7j-V7VD2DFPcvbUaWcWwgWNvydKcz3a3kdBgOcx3cIVAI8bJwdaAzUfGr_fGuFlviPi2uL6gqao58LULYzKL4TFmOYGn_M0tREGOUfUqI16dUXbpw/s1600/alden+in+the+duck+pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgZtG1IebByROOZzMgy6n4rFMBV7j-V7VD2DFPcvbUaWcWwgWNvydKcz3a3kdBgOcx3cIVAI8bJwdaAzUfGr_fGuFlviPi2uL6gqao58LULYzKL4TFmOYGn_M0tREGOUfUqI16dUXbpw/s1600/alden+in+the+duck+pond.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
But you must dress the part in this sport. Mossy Oak's <a href="http://www.mossyoak.com/camouflage/shadowgrassblades.aspx" target="_blank">Blades</a> or <a href="http://www.mossyoak.com/camouflage/duckblind.aspx" target="_blank">Duck Blind</a> will work well especially if you're in marsh areas. Where tall grass and roseau cane are the norm these patterns will hide you well. I see a lot of timber hunters wearing <a href="http://www.mossyoak.com/camouflage/bottomland.aspx" target="_blank">Bottomland</a> that resembles the bark of a tree very well with it's vertical print. I like MAX-4 if only because it is probably the most widely available print. Almost any duck hunting apparel company will have their clothing lineup in MAX-4. It is a versatile enough pattern to go from the marshes in Pecan Island to the Atchafalaya Swamp. I really don't think camo selection matters as mush as we put an emphasis on it as hunters. Even your old school military or digital camo prints will work ok if you're not waving your hands in the air and drawing attention to yourself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQU_m1gpOSA1vI35D1QWKU1DYaiNUJASkUlYDqMKF_Gr9PNXpheLVe82splVjKUs9yMAP-RVfY3pmXxRqHuA1sIBkRMVG24cxTlkgk3qDn5zmqaI3HlYpVc1ie2C465YK6-KPSXOI1T0/s1600/camo+in+the+marsh+grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQU_m1gpOSA1vI35D1QWKU1DYaiNUJASkUlYDqMKF_Gr9PNXpheLVe82splVjKUs9yMAP-RVfY3pmXxRqHuA1sIBkRMVG24cxTlkgk3qDn5zmqaI3HlYpVc1ie2C465YK6-KPSXOI1T0/s1600/camo+in+the+marsh+grass.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
If you have deer hunting camo laying around the house then use it. One thing I <b><i>DO</i></b> believe in is a consistency in your patterns. Try and stay with one pattern so your outline is broken up over a consistent shape and size. A difference in backgrounds and textures in the print can stand out very easily. Ducks have a pretty good sense about them especially as hunting season goes on so I believe that <b style="font-style: italic;">concealment </b>takes priority over <i>camouflage</i>. But who am I kidding, i'll probably end up with one outfit of every pattern on the market if I hunt a lifetime. Get what seems right for your situation and hold still!<br />
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<i>The Blind Bag</i> - Eventually your little knick knacks from a pair of gloves to shotgun shells and snack will need to be carried in and out. The items you need on a hunt will depend on your style and dictate the size of the bag you'll need. For me, I plan on doing a lot of solo hunting and staying out for extended periods of time. I chose a Drake Walk-In Backpack for my needs. I usually bring too much water, an extra layer, snacks I won't eat and the ever-present <a href="http://stanley-pmi.com/products/search/category/Vacuum+Bottles" target="_blank">Stanley Thermos</a>. Along with everything else any hunter will need like licenses, calls, ear plugs, cell phone, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmyzw6HwW6SryBxl1lTBE2FWzV8jN2ZMN58Czc9BpH5IlyCyWAoEZE_gTGgniIIHhB9b-upSxZBvQnM_9-A2QSNraZ3tVdU-4nRUT4vjWOo8ByLC5RZbXgc1GymdH-bKpg7OkWa-gwwU/s1600/drake+backpack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmyzw6HwW6SryBxl1lTBE2FWzV8jN2ZMN58Czc9BpH5IlyCyWAoEZE_gTGgniIIHhB9b-upSxZBvQnM_9-A2QSNraZ3tVdU-4nRUT4vjWOo8ByLC5RZbXgc1GymdH-bKpg7OkWa-gwwU/s1600/drake+backpack.jpg" height="640" width="475" /></a></div>
I'm gonna touch on a few of the key features on this pack that make it well suited for my style of hunting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY249PGRqb1MWdkYzW-xoA1v25BZtTkDs0I1x-MHqOQBqXS7ZvOSyOqI90_pt9yHmC86NA_REFcMX4Gpjv1m-NV1qdlxaIp9ZmYYgXpjd1vMPMVhumbPLpaQ4n7HuIHWYYvLberyHCVw/s1600/shell+pouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTY249PGRqb1MWdkYzW-xoA1v25BZtTkDs0I1x-MHqOQBqXS7ZvOSyOqI90_pt9yHmC86NA_REFcMX4Gpjv1m-NV1qdlxaIp9ZmYYgXpjd1vMPMVhumbPLpaQ4n7HuIHWYYvLberyHCVw/s1600/shell+pouch.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
-The detachable shell pouch is especially handy. The closure for it is easy to open and snaps shut <i style="font-weight: bold;">TIGHTLY</i>. It will hold damn close to 2 boxes of 3" shells. It's removable by 2 snaps and 2 metal closures and can be put on your wader belt or used freely in the blind. This is a well thought out addition to anybody's gear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PBPG023M1MJKFrW4A6ppeHAYedgWVUPHUFB7j0eFxws8jnQHcsbeU7f72nmnuf8pi2wdn8s8jC3LoLLE-dDOyVyuIJQ7UQtf_YhSK24WQV6UQmCKpC1VcvLJvJSK9sDWLPgwXhZHuqg/s1600/shell+pouch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PBPG023M1MJKFrW4A6ppeHAYedgWVUPHUFB7j0eFxws8jnQHcsbeU7f72nmnuf8pi2wdn8s8jC3LoLLE-dDOyVyuIJQ7UQtf_YhSK24WQV6UQmCKpC1VcvLJvJSK9sDWLPgwXhZHuqg/s1600/shell+pouch1.jpg" height="432" width="640" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dQxq64JwRNKAtOeH9X4Klmg5ruwvpDYS0u3vLtcFF4UsR6dJfVFSTjB57kLcr-uQyhCugHY76PIWaC9tnUjCuQrDneEPsRllAIQHV-h1q1S6FFX_ciC9u4aU5-wxriAhwuH5oaDLJw4/s1600/shell+pouch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dQxq64JwRNKAtOeH9X4Klmg5ruwvpDYS0u3vLtcFF4UsR6dJfVFSTjB57kLcr-uQyhCugHY76PIWaC9tnUjCuQrDneEPsRllAIQHV-h1q1S6FFX_ciC9u4aU5-wxriAhwuH5oaDLJw4/s1600/shell+pouch2.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0xA0vvGKFyAn4OADOaRrhXYCgU1fPLXZG_M66zRSaO12MzAXbdo5gg7qGwgRlOmKRH0QGUqRKi0GXByqmYKq9PICUOkSaOT7tbu5VyxDmGlfdPIv9xXI590HFevPgwKOe5JCwRyvtdY/s1600/shell+pouch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0xA0vvGKFyAn4OADOaRrhXYCgU1fPLXZG_M66zRSaO12MzAXbdo5gg7qGwgRlOmKRH0QGUqRKi0GXByqmYKq9PICUOkSaOT7tbu5VyxDmGlfdPIv9xXI590HFevPgwKOe5JCwRyvtdY/s1600/shell+pouch3.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
-All of the straps on the pack have buckles so the bag can be hung from anything. Didn't realize how useful this feature was until it was hung from a tree branch one day, then thrown into a boat the next and was able to be secured to the gun box for safe, worry free travel. The buckles are strong and webbing tough.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivegbbkijUBTXOCylxP_7KtDb-Sx8-cZfHDwfSY-nrsIi7a1KkSyq457Q_3DJ6qM7iXMmNjU-eVN9Ske3gaCXtWQlZFIz3QU0gokqVdrUpuTnNW-gIjUVNAYgLn00GQc8BRdPRiT8mSvI/s1600/drake+strap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivegbbkijUBTXOCylxP_7KtDb-Sx8-cZfHDwfSY-nrsIi7a1KkSyq457Q_3DJ6qM7iXMmNjU-eVN9Ske3gaCXtWQlZFIz3QU0gokqVdrUpuTnNW-gIjUVNAYgLn00GQc8BRdPRiT8mSvI/s1600/drake+strap.jpg" height="412" width="640" /></a></div>
-There are side compression straps for the pack to cut down on the bulkiness of the pack if it is unused. Also used it a few times to hold some birds on the way out. I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you have someone walking behind you. I will modify the daisy chain loops for next year to double as my bird stringer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvp6AD9tQlU3_Zf7vnlr9YnKd2KZVBXBB8l43CswhbhY8RcZRjwUxcxMJUydpli7p9trbKEQ8XftBSL5SsOFrQwrVsv0DfMzB581-5s2yiWAbV3lTV1hgPAgwVSWJVsEQtyhmjHMSqmI/s1600/drake+mallard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvp6AD9tQlU3_Zf7vnlr9YnKd2KZVBXBB8l43CswhbhY8RcZRjwUxcxMJUydpli7p9trbKEQ8XftBSL5SsOFrQwrVsv0DfMzB581-5s2yiWAbV3lTV1hgPAgwVSWJVsEQtyhmjHMSqmI/s1600/drake+mallard.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
-The inner pocket and top outer pocket have a zippered compartment to keep essentials dry and out of the way of cold hands rummaging for a camera or snack. I use these pockets to secure things I can't afford to lose during a hunt like my cell phone, wallet, and keys.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH4ArWgtFk64kNg04_OBwrzvERdHKWUEsZEv9oVGsdf-OoVR5M-IIiagNDv8iTJ7whCp4oR6_h_Y5kLKeDR7yXAPk-xVux-XAuFVGpE-Q26-eXTJhnlvBkh-9SHpALfpTzpz4WojcCD0/s1600/bag+inner+pocket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH4ArWgtFk64kNg04_OBwrzvERdHKWUEsZEv9oVGsdf-OoVR5M-IIiagNDv8iTJ7whCp4oR6_h_Y5kLKeDR7yXAPk-xVux-XAuFVGpE-Q26-eXTJhnlvBkh-9SHpALfpTzpz4WojcCD0/s1600/bag+inner+pocket.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipA1xGKglSKQQDrtgXtNfkhyoNeIyrHLsv-bMj9tTlz3dtrlaRFVnlsDELNPK4XPE33tVRmLKkXrI03ZARwmkKfK_u_su8cQi-v0SdgcrjKbI24isCN9Dam_-UIDejqimhEjjqh-k9yBw/s1600/drake+pack+pocket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipA1xGKglSKQQDrtgXtNfkhyoNeIyrHLsv-bMj9tTlz3dtrlaRFVnlsDELNPK4XPE33tVRmLKkXrI03ZARwmkKfK_u_su8cQi-v0SdgcrjKbI24isCN9Dam_-UIDejqimhEjjqh-k9yBw/s1600/drake+pack+pocket.jpg" height="435" width="640" /></a></div>
This pack is well suited for me as a hunter. The shoulder straps are well padded and comfortable. The material it's made out of is tough and they say it's <i>"waterproof"</i>. I wouldn't test the theory and it certainly will not float. So be careful when hanging it from tree limbs! I have had it rain on a number of occasions and I don't remember cursing the company name at the time so I reckon it did a good enough job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sxoc8NwmDqgoEPlJtVEfYXksgnC3kELKAc43LIaIcI8Z3dyoSJpGLOoNsk5E0Xdptb0i3aa_4yseAO-ug3hiKs28X3ggwnnsOcuqqn4pEsIzcaFSWRv_7l1PmeG1fa_qqcl0t151khM/s1600/duck+stamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sxoc8NwmDqgoEPlJtVEfYXksgnC3kELKAc43LIaIcI8Z3dyoSJpGLOoNsk5E0Xdptb0i3aa_4yseAO-ug3hiKs28X3ggwnnsOcuqqn4pEsIzcaFSWRv_7l1PmeG1fa_qqcl0t151khM/s1600/duck+stamp.jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a></div>
That's it! If you're still reading this I hope you picked up a thing or two. This is part of an effort by me to review more of the gear that I could not find reviews on when doing my research. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions and <i>bon chance</i>!<br />
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Jamming - <a href="http://hackensawboys.com/" target="_blank">Hackensaw Boys "Look Out!</a></div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-36888021185107599532014-01-30T21:23:00.001-06:002014-02-25T22:46:28.173-06:00Duck Gear. Part 1: The Necessities...This will be a small series to talk about and review what did and did not work for me through this duck hunting season. Enjoy.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">1. The Gun!</span></b></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Duck hunters love to reiterate after a bad hunt, "Well you can't shoot ducks from the bed", none more is true except for "You can't shoot ducks without a shotgun". When I was gun shopping I talked to a number of gun nut buddies and quickly got narrowed down to the classic <a href="http://www.remington.com/product-families/firearms/shotgun-families/pump-action-model-870.aspx" target="_blank">Remington 870</a> or <a href="http://www.benelliusa.com/nova-pump-field-shotgun" target="_blank">Benelli Nova</a>. As much as i'd love to be shooting a beautiful semi-auto, a pump was gonna be a better choice technically and financially. </div>
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I chose the Benelli mainly because I like the matte black aesthetics and simplicity of the gun. This gun will also chamber any 12 gauge shell from 2 3/4" - 3 1/2". It can go from a dove hunt, to a duck blind, to a rabbit run and back to a goose field with no problems. There is not a whole lot to say about a gun that fired cleanly and reliably, despite operator error. Not flicking off the safety as a flock of teal are approaching or forgetting to discharge a spent shell when going for a follow up shot. I'm glad a lot of those rookie mistakes are now mostly in the past. My advice for any new shotgun owners would be to talk to friends and family and buy the best shotgun you can afford. Just remember this, 12 gauge, 28" barrel, and put a damn strap on it!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">2. The Bag</span></b></div>
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Every gun needs to be transported safely from the home to the field. If you are hunting anywhere near or over water , your gun bag needs to serve a few purposes. It needs to protect the firearm from damage and debris, make it easy to carry and keep it afloat in case of emergency. Being somewhat of a dry bag junkie, I fell in love with the <a href="http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/70485?feat=48767-ppxs&dds=y" target="_blank">LL Bean Waterproof Shotgun Case</a>. It's perfect for me. The bag has a roll-top closure, a fully padded and waterproof lining and will fit a shotgun perfectly. I need no pockets or extras on my gun case. Just a handle and a shoulder strap. All other accessories will go into my blind bag. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">3. Fowl Weather gear</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_efvDG183CGpjARHrhp8S87xqs5lM_zeMXERQ5Kx-Sgg3wdtnUELCne0mshIrRaA78iY2hi3AJyJS26V8mPrTMwccP1geNh7F2sfzbpDHy65HShXqq0dfRZ2GKckNkhdKK-WcYPFU3A/s1600/lacrosse+waders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_efvDG183CGpjARHrhp8S87xqs5lM_zeMXERQ5Kx-Sgg3wdtnUELCne0mshIrRaA78iY2hi3AJyJS26V8mPrTMwccP1geNh7F2sfzbpDHy65HShXqq0dfRZ2GKckNkhdKK-WcYPFU3A/s1600/lacrosse+waders.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stop into any post hunt food joint and you will quickly realize that <a href="http://www.realtree.com/realtree-max-4-waterfowl-camo" target="_blank">RealTree's Max-4</a> camo is king of the duck hunters attire. The first line of defense against the wind and weather is a pair of waders. My <a href="http://www.froggtoggs.com/collections-styles/hellbender/hellbender-mf-s-f-wader.html" target="_blank">Frogg Togg Hellbenders</a> were performing admirably but I knew I needed something tougher. Trudging through ice and swamp was going to be tough on a relatively lightweight pair of fishing waders. My research landed me upon a pair of <a href="http://www.lacrossefootwear.com/performance/hunt/waders/chest/alpha-swampfoxtm-drop-top-max-4-600g-chest-waders.html" target="_blank">Lacrosse Alpha Swampfox</a> waders. The knees and butt are reinforced with Cordura fabric which is a big plus for me. Kneeling in the marsh or sitting on cypress knees is rough on anything but the toughest fabrics. I love these waders for a few reasons.</div>
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They are convertible! Early teal season will be hot and a full chest wader is not ideal. The suspenders are removable and the top folds down into pants. I had to take off about 10" of fabric on the belt and sew it back up to fit me. I really like the versatility of these waders. The drawtabs on the side will help cinch the pant legs down and control some bulkiness.<br />
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The boots are insulated with 600grams of Thinsulate. That's just warm enough. For an early season wader these will work perfectly. I tested these for two straight days of trudging through ice to get to the duck hole. A pair of super thick socks and some toe warmers will keep you warm enough in the freeze. Believe me.<br />
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I have a gripe about the top though. The elasticord around the chest doesn't do much for a skinny guy in a big set of waders. These waders are made one size fits all. A lot of big boys tend to hunt so they had to size accordingly. It's a small complaint but the top doesn't want to stay up very easily. Making the chest pocket and shoulder fit a little bit awkward throughout a days hunt. I will do a bit of modification on this but no sure how yet. One thing I'd like to see is a hand warmer pouch behind the chest pocket, but a separate belt will have to do when the weather turns cold and nasty.<br />
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Overall, the quality of these waders is top notch. Well thought out and versatile. It is impossible to make a pair of waders fit everyone that may want to slink into them. There are a few small tweaks I will be sewing onto these to fit my needs. I already have one rip in them so they are broken in. Another season of abuse will be the real test of these waders, but i'm happy with them as of now.<br />
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These are the bare essentials you need to start duck hunting besides a box of shells or two. Without these things you will not be invited on <b>ANY</b> duck hunt!! The next chapter will cover the rest of the necessary gear to be a self sufficient hunter. From decoys to calls and bags. Now catch those end of season sales and wait patiently for teal season. Eight months and counting...<br />
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Jamming - <a href="http://ppjrecords.com/">Possessed by Paul James "There Will Be Nights When I'm Lonely"</a></div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-86375972633107996582014-01-29T12:11:00.000-06:002014-02-25T22:46:39.550-06:00Duck Season is Over...Duck season 2013-14 is officially over. All wintered ducks that were smart or lucky enough to evade decoys and flock shots are now safe to roam about before migrating north again. For me, it was a huge stepping stone in learning the high art of waterfowling.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>For a few years i've had an interest in hunting of all kinds. Spending days upon days in the marshes made the decision easy to give wing shooting a chance. At first, i'll have to admit to being a little bit intimidated. I was under the impression that you had to have a masters degree in waterfowl to step anywhere near a shotgun and a dozen decoys. Gladly that's not the case, although it may not hurt.<br />
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You see, I didn't grow up hunting like many people have. I'm not lucky enough to have fathers and uncles with high dollar leases and mudboats to back up 30+ years of experience. My rookie season hunting started out like any other wild hair that may pop out of my head. A nagging interest followed by hours of internet research and development. Getting into duck hunting is not an easy endeavor. Despite the popularity of <b>Duck Dynasty</b>, I highly doubt you will see a <i>significant</i> number of trendy duck hunters flocking to the local duck ponds.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Duck hunting is hard. </i>It is the only reason a man would get out of bed at 3:30am to wade through sheets of ice in the swamp to catch the morning flights of wood ducks. There were days that my fingers and toes went completely numb. Hour after hour of looking around the sky hoping to see <i>anything</i> flying. I hunted a lot this season. Exactly what I planned to do. I harvested a few birds and missed a bunch more. A lot of blue and green-winged teal, exactly one wood duck and greenhead drake, some poonies, few scaup, and some mexican squealing hybrid all made it to the table.<br />
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Stay tuned for some gear reviews and advice from a complete novice. </div>
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Jamming - <a href="http://boysetsfire.org/news" target="_blank">BoySetsFire "While A Nation Sleeps"</a> </div>
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-50486215393149056762014-01-23T20:35:00.000-06:002014-02-25T22:47:02.824-06:00Old Man Winter...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm starting to hate that old, bitter man winter. These cold spells keep getting longer and these north winds relentless. Every year at the end of a hot, humid summer, I curse the name of the one that makes it hot and miserable. I now sit and stew over the glory days of summer and the windless afternoons.<br />
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Good thing we live in south Louisiana. In a month or so things will be back to normal and fish will be biting on a completely different pattern than as of recently. This is the worse time of year in my opinion. We have exactly one more football game to watch, duck hunting season is over and the fish, and fishermen are just eagerly anticipating spring. This coincides with the start of my work schedule so, <i>"calm before the storm"</i> as they say. Bring it on, I like to say.<br />
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<br />Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-74495471449210166402014-01-18T09:40:00.002-06:002014-05-20T15:58:33.367-06:00Ducks on ice...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a name='more'></a>It's the last hurrah for duck season. Coastal zone is over for me and only one or two hunts left in the Atchafalaya Basin. Time for me to stop missing those woodies that are dropping in for a look at first light and try to retrieve that teal decoy still sitting in the swamp in water a little bit too deep for me and the chest waders to get through. This is no doubt the toughest time to kill some ducks. They've been tricked and shot up most every day for the past 2 months. The birds that are still flying today are smart and cautious. I'm going a few more times if only to be there to see them fly and see what happens.<br />
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Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-36643475340340529152014-01-13T10:48:00.001-06:002014-02-25T22:47:35.420-06:002014...Everyone who has a suspect memory like mine learns to write everything down lest you want to forget it. So i've compiled a list of goals for myself to work towards in the outdoor sector for the new year.<br />
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1. <b>Big Trout </b></div>
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Trout were more of a mystery fish for me last year. If I caught one it was more of a by-catch than a targeted species. After a lot of listening, reading, learning and <i>fishing, </i>I'd like to target more of these speckled beauties and make a concerted effort to catch a few big ones for the <a href="http://www.ccastar.com/" target="_blank">CCA Star Tournament</a>. There are a large number of good ol' boys that target big trout like they won't breathe without it. I'm sure those trophy hunters will still put in the work and take home the cake, but I'll make a good effort this year to hook a few gator trout. And get a few for the skillet.<br />
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2. <b>More Redfish on Fly</b></div>
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Self eplanatory. Add in exploring the limits of the new <a href="http://www.nativewatercraft.com/boat.cfm?id=52" target="_blank">Native Slayer Propel</a>. </div>
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3. <b>Freshwater Fishing</b></div>
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With the world class marsh fishing across our state, we forget that we have access to one of the largest swamp basins in the country. Bream, Sac-a-lait and some green trout all within a 30 minute drive from the house. I'd like to make more than a handful of trips to the swamp and fight some little fish for a change. </div>
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4. <b>John Muir Trail Thru-Hike</b></div>
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I didn't do a lot of hiking in 2013. Probably do to the absolute overload of hiking i'd done in the years previous and up my AT thru-hike. I'd liken a guess and say that I walked around 3,000 miles between 2011-2012. Taking a little break from it makes me want to get back out there not just for a weekend rounder, but for a long distance trek. The <a href="http://www.jmt-hiker.com/" target="_blank">JMT</a> through Yosemite is consistently near the top of anyones hiking lists and it is calling my name. Guarding any hiccups or curveballs from life and work, I should be leaving <a href="http://www.inov-8.com/new/global/Product-View-Roclite-295.html" target="_blank">295</a> prints through the valley at the end of summer. </div>
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5. <b>Spring Turkey Hunting</b></div>
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What the heck do I know about turkey hunting? Nothing. But what did I know about duck hunting before throwing myself into the marsh and seeing what happened. I've seen some wild turkeys on the Wild Azalea Trail before so why not get deep into the woods for a weekend and try to bag a gobbler. Worse thing that can happen is me and a few buddies spend the weekend camping and enjoying some woods therapy. </div>
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6. <b>Ducks, Ducks, Ducks</b></div>
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In a few weeks the season will be over and i'll have about 9 months to stew and get ready for another season. My first year behind a shotgun has planted the waterfowl seed for years to come. With another year to read, shoot, talk and think about the next season i'm already psyched for 2014 opening day.<br />
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There, now I won't forget to do all of these things over the next year. </div>
Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-90112524253471095402014-01-06T09:54:00.002-06:002014-02-25T22:47:47.555-06:00Ducks, the Hard Way...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Duck season in our state is quickly coming to a close. With these freezing temperatures all across the midwest and through to the gulf coast, we can only hope those birds up north fly a little further south and end up in our marshes and bayous. We've done things the hard way, wading through the mud at ungodly hours to throw out decoys and hide in the marsh grass. Paddled pirogues and kayaks around in freezing temperatures only to miss a few gimme shots on some blue winged teal flying right at us. All I can say is that I love it. I love being there for sunrise and watching the morning flights of birds. It's a different kind of satisfaction to give a flock of birds a quack and see them all turn and dive right in on your decoy spread. I'm going to scout a few more spots before our season closes for the year. I'm going to miss these mornings when they are gone. </div>
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<br />Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-79997508867270783422014-01-05T19:53:00.000-06:002014-02-25T22:47:59.537-06:00Homochitto...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Spent a nice weekend in the woods in the Homochitto National Forest in Mississippi. One sub-freezing night and 2 nice days for a hike. Everything worked perfectly and the whiskey was just right for the fire at night. Defenitely miss the woods and nights spent in a sleeping bag. I hope 2014 has many more like this for me in the future. Don't forget to get out for some woods therapy before the mosquitoes come back!<br />
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<br />Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8101586860247273532.post-81821538153068861792013-12-20T14:43:00.000-06:002014-02-25T22:48:10.762-06:00The North Winds...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Catching those warm days in winter and chasing redfish has been a good time. Duck hunting has been great, duck killing has been another story. They way I see it is i'm getting all my bad days out of they way up front and paying dues to the duck gods. Be careful of those north winds. What once was healthy marsh and cruising redfish is nothing but gator-tail tracks and mud. You can tell winter is here when the kayaks are having a hard time finding enough water to float in. The good news, any shallow water you find is usually much warmer than the deeper holes and is slammed with redfish in the afternoon hours. They are hungry, lethargic and stupid enough to gobble up anything presented properly. </div>
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The ducks are flying. I know because i've seen plenty of them. But very few dumb enough to decoy down and give me a nice clean chance to put some meat on the dinner table. Ain't worried though. They're gonna mess up one of these days and i'll have enough feathers to tie a years worth of flies and a few breasts to sear for dinner. Waterfowl beware. You haven't broken me yet. </div>
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<br />Stephen O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/02208114945585540785noreply@blogger.com