Everyone has their "happy place", "black rock" (O.A.R. fans will get this), or something that makes them feel free.  I feel free by fishing from my FeelFree kayak.  Kayak fishing has brought me closer to the sport than ever before.  So much so, it is now my only fishing vessel.  After a tough month of fishing, this Labor Day weekend fishing marathon reminded me what makes me feel free (or FeelFree).... Day 1 The extended weekend began with early Saturday morning fishing.  I arose early and let the dogs out, which introduced me to the early fall Wisconsin air of 48 degrees.  Used to the summer air, I felt a slight chill and grabbed a sweatshirt.  It was still dark, a hint of light peeking over the trees to the east.  I jumped in the Jeep, ready for my 2 minute commute to my local reservoir. I was greeted by an expected empty parking lot.  The lake was covered in a foggy haze.  Except this was not fog, it was the haze of heat escap...

The Mississippi River, Ojibwe, Great River, Big River, The Mighty Mississip', Old Man River, whatever you call it, the Mississippi has provided transportation, power, water, food, industry, and recreation for civilization for hundreds of years.  I'm reminded of the majesty and history of this amazing river every time I drive the beautiful river road with breathtaking outlooks among the Western Wisconsin driftless bluffs and pass the various Laura Ingalls Wilder historic sites in the Pepin, Wisconsin area.  I'm also reminded of the constant evolution of the river and its footprint when I pass Lake Pepin, a pool in the river formed by sediment from the Chippewa River where it merges with the Mississippi.  I'm lucky to have such a beautiful fishery, and scenery, close to home. I've been fortunate to catch some nice bass and pike (even an owl) there.  Locals speak highly of the fishery.  Bassmaster Magazine recognizes several of its pools along the Wisconsin borde...

This month has been a series of figurative and literal storms.  Various medical challenges in my personal life along with poor fishing in my Small Craft Fisherman life.  Part of the fishing storm has been due to actual storms, high waters, and brutally high temperatures.  My latest outing was no different. Having hooked into, but losing, the largest bass I've had on in a long time, I was eager to hit my home waters hoping to lip it.  A couple days before I ceremoniously de-spooled the mono that snapped under the stress of the tank and replaced it with 40 lb Gliss line.  Gliss is strong like braid but casts for miles.  While I'm add it, I clean, grease, and oil my reels to ensure a mechanically smooth trip. The morning of my 2 minute journey to my local water.  I awake well before sunrise.  I'm used to the early sunrises of the summer, and in denial of the nearing "hard water" kayak-unfriendly Wisconsin Winter growing nearer.  My car pre-l...

It has been longer than usual since my last article.  I thank my regular readers for their patience.  My wife had surgery (she is doing really well now) so I was playing nurse.  With the wife recovered, I was looking forward to my return from fishing, kayaking, and blogging hiatus. The return started with planning a fishing trip with a nearby fishing buddy.  We were going to visit a local lake known for large bass.  I had only fished it once, briefly, but was pushed out by storms.  The bass were infrequent and small, but we decided it was worth a try.  The lake is small, but has promising vegetation, ledges, and other structure.  Locals also tell stories of monster bass being pulled from there.  Given the size and vegetation, it doesn't often see boat traffic.  A perfect place to hit with a group of kayakers. We were also excited to learn two of the guys from the Wisconsin Kayak Bass Fishing Club were going to be in the area.  A...

After last week's day-long charity tournament , I spent the week recovering and licking my wounds.  The winds, Mississippi river current, and Northern Pike left me quite sore.  My mind was still on my next fishing trip, this one at a slower pace. One of my local fishing buddies and I were looking to get together and hit the water.  We discussed and planned to fish my local waters.  As mentioned in my previous posts, it has been a tough bite on my home waters this year since the re-freeze during the spawn.  However, he had fished them the week prior and said the topwater action was good the week prior.  We will meet at dawn. In my excitement to fish with a buddy on my home water, I forget my sonar.  On the redundant trip, I notice more bass boats than usual heading towards the lake.  I opt to launch at a shallow gravel launch opposite the main launch.  My concern is confirmed when I see several bass boats huddling around the launch across ...

This weekend was the Mountain State Kayak Angler's charity tournament hosted by Kayak Bass Fishing and TourneyX .  Excited for my first day-long, nationwide tournament, preparations began early in hopes to snag one of the 10 Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship qualifying spots.  The preparations began last week with a pre-fish on the Mississippi River.  I knew the Mississippi was my only chance of holding a candle to the southern competitors.  As documented in the article " Pregame ", the pre-fish went well.  My location was chosen. Preparations continued this week with a cleaning and application of UV protectant on my FeelFree Lure, which made it sparkle like new.  I also re-stocked my Lunkerhunt frog supply to have a few color options.  Lastly, I stripped my kayak down to tournament mode (removed my camera poles).  I wanted to minimize my accessories to maximize my fishing time.  I also knew some of the backwaters required a low pro...

After fishing my home water with some new success (read about it here:  http://www.smallcraftfisherman.com/2016/07/addicted-to-crank.html ), I text my wife to check the weather over by the Mississippi river.  Severe storms were rolling through the area and my data connection is limited.  She confirms a chance of rain-only forecast.  Though exhausted already, I make the paddle back to the launch, load my kayak and gear, and start the 1 hour drive west towards "Vikingland", as my daughter would say. The drive, though long is beautiful.  The river road follows the Wisconsin border along the St. Croix river until it meets with the Mississippi in Pepin, Wisconsin.  Large bluffs and scenic outlooks line the banks, making the drive enjoyable.  Staying on the Wisconsin side, I enter the sloughs of the Mississippi.  I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to fish.  With a kayak as my vessel, I drive slowly and look for the most inaccessible spots I ca...

I had just ended a fun week of fishing.  Though fun, it was tough.  My local waters only produced dinks.   Still fun, but no help to my standings in the Kayak Bass Fishing Regional Challenge hosted by TourneyX.com.  The sport of kayak fishing is quickly gaining popularity.  This is clear by the increased participation in the monthly regional tournament.  Given my dismal ranking, my goal was to get back into the top 10 in a final push. I fished the Mississippi down by LaCrosse, WI with family years ago.  Often hooking some monster Northern Pike, Sheepshead, Catfish, and Bass.  Bassmaster continuously puts the Mississippi pool 4 down to LaCrosse in the top 100 lakes noting the number of high-quality bass it offers.  Along with praise of the Mighty Mississip' from an angling family member, I decided it was the perfect place to up the ante. Morning-of I'm still recovering for the fishing/fatbiking marathon of the week. I expect fish to be c...