Redfish Red Hot!

         Redfish have been in full force the last couple of weeks. Schools of hundreds of them scouring all over the flats! Some days they have been a little tricky but other days eating anything you throw in front of their face. This was the perfect week for Leolla to call me and say that she wanted to surprise her husband for his 40th birthday with a kayak fishing trip. She told me they had some fishing experience but had never fished off a kayak. I told her that I would love to take them out and introduce them to kayak fishing.

    Leolla told me that its was a surprise when we spoke earlier that week. As  they pulled up I walked up to the truck to introduce myself. The husband at that time still didn't know what was going on or who the heck I was! lol! Then Leolla blurts out... We are going Kayak fishing! He was super excited to try kayak fishing. I gave them both a quick run through of the kayaks and we were off. I decide to use shrimp that day because of it being their first kayak fishing experience. The husband was just saying, "I would be happy if my wife catches fish..."  Not even a second later her first cast and boom fish on! Slot redfish:) As I went over to assist and put her fish on ice,  I look over and see his rod bent over with the drag just screaming off! Literally within the first 5 minutes we had a slot redfish and he landed a 30+ inch redfish. I told him you were suppose to save the big fish for the grand finally.;) He said to me, who's to say that will be the biggest fish... I said I like the way you think!:) Next thing you know people started pouring in around us so I decided to move. Usually I don't like to leave fish to find fish but, it worked out this time. The birthday boy ended up catching an even a bigger red than the first one. Totaling four over slot redfish ,with the largest being over 33 inches! Also a few trout. The wife caught 1 slot red fish, a few nice trout, and a shark. I ended up cleaning a redfish, trout, and a flounder for them because they were having a birthday dinner at Walt's. Leolla spoke with them earlier that day. Walt's Fish Market lets you bring your catch in and they will cook it for you.:)  A great ending to a nice B-day of kayak fishing. They are already thinking about buying kayaks.:) 

Kayak Wars have Begun!

Adam Calderon

Patrick Nespeca

  Kayak Wars is a year long tournament that is held world wide. Team Get Bent Fishing is in the US Southeast Division. We blasted off the tournament with a great start! The fist week we managed to land 6 red drum over 20 up to 29 inches, 13 trout over 20 inches, and 24 snook over 20 and up to 37 inches. The first day we caught 5 trophy snook which is any snook over 32 inches. We are aloud to use live bait but, all the fish so far have been caught on artificial lures like soft plastics (Exude's Darts, Mirro Lure's Lil Johns, and intimation shrimp), suspension lures (Yo-zuri's Shashimi Jerk-bait, Mirro Lure's Mirrodine), and Top-waters  (Yo-zuri's Pecil , Heddon's Spooks). For inshore, I usually stick to 15-20 lb braided line with 20-30 Seaguar Fluorocarbon leader depending on the targeted species and clarity of the water. We only get to fish together once or twice a week so strategically picking spots is crucial! Also choosing our gear has has to be top notch, so we have the best chance possible. My kayaks of choice are the Old Town Predator 13 for inshore and Ocean Kayak's Prowler Big Game 2 for the offshore. Both Outstanding kayaks for the Southeast Region's waters. Paddles of choice are between Bending Branches Angler Pro, Angler Ace, and Aqua-Bounds Manta Ray Carbon. All these paddles are exceptionally light weight and cut through the water with ease. For my kayak accessories I depend on Yak-Gear. They have everything thing you can imagine to make kayaking more manageable. (Anchor Systems, Rod Holders, Lighting, Camera Booms, etc...) For eye wear I can't even imagine being without my Costa Sunglasses! The 580 Green Mirror or Amber are my lenses of choice, helping me see incredibly more on the water. Last but definitely not least is Buff USA. Their buffs and gloves are comfortable and provide great UV protection to keep me on the water longer.  Being equipped and organized is one of the biggest keys to success on the water! All though we are still looking for one more teammate, we are all very passionate about fishing and hope to continue on this epic adventure! Up above are teammates Adam Calderon, Patrick Nespeca and I with trophy snook.:)

Winter time fishing officially is here!

   First off sorry it has been a while since my last blog. Had some computer issues that I had to take care of...

          Fall fishing was excellent with everything in it's transitional state. Now winter is here and the fishing is still great if you are using the right tactics. First off don't worry about getting on the water at the  crack of dawn to catch the early bite because it is nonexistent. Even with the warmer days heating the water temps up, the fish are still in their winter time patterns. If you are on the flats look for fish to be sitting in super skinny sand holes trying to warm up, and if you are in the backwaters look for the darker areas where the water is going to heat up faster. Once you have located the fish, slow our presentation down if you are using artificial lures. Most of the bait has moved out except the large schools of glass minnows. Exudes shrimp pattern soft plastics, smaller Yo-Zuri swim baits (Sashimi Jerk-baits), and crustacean looking flies are my baits of choice this time of year. Also remember what I said about SLOW YOUR ROLL! The winds have been pretty heavy lately so make sure you are not blowing by the fish. I use Yak-Gear's Anchor stick or Drift anchor, connected to my Anchor trolley to slow my presentation down. If you put all these techniques together, you will have great success.  Until next time Stay Warm! Fish On! Fish On!