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Showing posts from February, 2017

From Bass fishing to Bowfishing

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Two weekends ago was beyond busy...busy with fishing!  With the recent warm weather than we have been having I knew it was time to break the cabin fever.  It also meant I finally get to take my brand spankin new Hobie Pro Angler 14 out.  I was like a kid in a candy store as I spent all week getting it rigged up for its first voyage. Ain't she beautiful! Now that the pre-excitement stage has been set...to the good stuff!  Sunday is when all the adventuring began.  I was meeting quite a few KBL members and other area kayak fisherman at Coffeen Lake, a local power plant lake in Southern-Central IL, for a preseason shootout (aka a friendly competition).  The day began for me around 3:30 a.m.  Even though it's only an hour and a half drive and we were meeting at 6 a.m., I could not sleep any longer! I was so excited to try out my new yak!  I paced as the coffee machine slowly but surely poured my caffeinated jolt that would get me to the boat ramp.  As I made my drive down thei

Making Your Own Path in the Fishing Industry

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The sport of fishing as we know it continues to grow exponentially.  Fly fishing, bank fishing, float tubes, jon boats, kayaks, canoes, bass boats, paddle boats, arm floaties, pontoons, mom and dad's speed boat, decked-out bass boats, etc.  As the vessels and technologies of each advance, we see the sport continually evolving.  Beyond the type of vessel/method you use, our sport has evolved even further.  We have tournament fishing, leisure fishing, fishing-when-the-wife/husband-lets-me, guiding, social media fishing.  Tournament fishing is spreading like wildfire (in a good way) thanks to technology, such as TourneyX . The social media fishing scene also evolves constantly.  Prostaff applications now ask for your YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, blog, website, and related information.  Some choose to use all of these platforms, some focus on one and supplement with another.  I focus on the blog/writing and Facebook, using YouTube and Instagram as an additional tool.  No

The 4 Most Essential Kayak Tools to Never Leave Home Without!

Now you probably read that title and thought...only 4?! There are so many more essential items than just 4 and yes I would agree.  A couple that came to your mind was probably fishing gear, snacks, bump board, and the dreaded tournament identifier.  Now I forget those a lot of the time but they don't make my essential 4 list.  To be honest it's more like an essential 10 list but if I had to boil it down to 4, this would be the 4 top items that I would not leave the boat ramp without...side note, this doesn't include the recommended safety precautions (PFD, light when needed, whistle, etc...) those are essential they are mandatory! Now let's get started! 1.  The first essential item on my list is a Sharpie marker.  If you ever see me at the ramp I usually have access to about 3 (pocket, in yak, and in the truck).  They can be used for many different things out on the water!  It is great for last minute additions to your tournament ID and touching up on your bump board.