A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Well Mr Geez, all the above ought to get ya off on the right foot.
Anchors- I use a 5lb lead bar and 50ft of 1/4" nylon line. It's compact and easy to stow and given the dynamics of kayaks, holds pretty good, unless you have a lot of current to worry with. 50' of line is about 20' more that you will ever use, but takes up very little space.
Saturday we got rite-sized on our fishing gear. Found a bait/tackle store where we told em our dilemna and the owner and the nicest patron took us under their wing and saved us from ourselves.
Today (Sun) we went to find the water. Started over in the Keaton Beach area (closest to us) and found what to us looked like newbie/kayak heaven at HagensCoveWMA just south of Keaton. Then we headed across 98 and found WakulaBeach (and TnTs, and StMarks, etc). I must say that I have rarely seen a more pristine, peaceful, and beautiful place. We watched a lone kayaker paddle in from along the shore, and spoke with him a few minutes. A supernice softspoken guy in a camo green sitin who seemed happy to answer a few of our questions.
Standing there taking it all in and sifting through all the great info you have all so freely shared...I think Im finally 'getting it'. I think my 'crisis of the unknown' has melted away and all thats left to do is get wet.
I cannot thank all you guys enough again for your tolerance and patience. I hope I can earn some good fishing buddies and maybe some great friends. And if I can ever do for any of you...?
Tried this yesterday, the full report is over in "Freshwater". It worked pretty well with canoes, so I don't see why it wouldn't work with kayaks, if there was a reason to do it.
When we got to where we were going to fish we rafted the two canoes together. Then sank stake out poles in the bottom, between the boats, at the bow and stern. This worked very well for holding the boats in position to fish a specific area and didn't let them swing with the wind and current. The two boats tied tightly together, balance each other and make a nice relatively stable platform.
We left them tied together for the paddle back down to the ramp. This set up handles well enough. They'll track straight as long as the paddlers apply power equally on both sides. One paddler can be in the bow, or both in the stern, but at least one needs to be in the stern for steering.
I think this rig might pole okay by a single person. I might try that, next time we go. Think I'll also try the electric motor on this rig.
