With the first airing, on WFN ,of Ocean Kayak presents The Kayak Fishing Show with Jim Sammons coming up in just few weeks. We are very excited to announce the show times for the first quarter. The first episode, Baja Big Game, will air for the first time on Monday January 11 at 10:30 pm and will air a total of 6 times before episode two begins. This first episode takes us to The Hotel Punta Colorada in Baja’s East Cape in search of Marlin. I am joined by my good friends Howard McKim and Matt Moyer to target some of the biggest fish ever fought from a kayak.
The airing schedule is as follows.
WFN HD & SD (On Air) 10:30:00 PM Monday, January 11, 2010
WFN HD & SD (On Air) 6:30:00 AM Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WFN HD & SD (On Air) 2:30:00 PM Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WFN HD & SD (On Air) 8:30:00 PM Sunday, January 17, 2010
WFN HD ONLY (On Air) 4:30:00 AM Sunday, January 17, 2010
WFN HD & SD (On Air) 12:30:00 PM Monday, January 18, 2010

Episode 2, Our Alaska Adventure, will begin airing 10:30:00 PM Monday, January 18, 2010 and will follow the same airing schedule. This schedule will continue through all thirteen episodes of our show.
Episode 2 will bring us to Prince of Wales Island and Rocky Bay Lodge for some absolutely amazing fishing action and some close encounters with Humpback and Killer Whales.

Once again we ask, if you are not already getting WFN please contact your cable provider and ask them to start carrying it so you can see ours and a lot of other great fishing shows. If you are not sure if your provider is carrying WFN here is a great place find out, with links to your providers so you can ask them to start carrying it. The World Fishing Network.

If you would like to learn a little bit more about kayak fishing, visit Kayak Fishing Tales Web TV.
Here you will learn some great kayak fishing tips, see some of our unique destinations and meet some of the great people we have had a chance to fish with while shooting our TV show and Exofficio presents Game On 1 and 2, our kayak fishing movies.

Our newest video is now up and you will meet my good friend Kayak Kevin Whitley. He gives us some tips on fishing with live eels for Striped bass in Chesapeake Bay.

You can also see these videos on the WFN Kayak Fishing Tales video page.

At this time we have 20 of these videos on line and will continue to put up new videos about every two weeks. Make sure you visit Kayak Fishing Tales on a regular basis or subscribe to the channel so you will be notified when ever we put a new video up.

If you any questions about kayak fishing or our show please feel free to contact me directly, I am always happy to answer your questions. We are also always looking for the next great kayak fishing destination to visit and shoot for our show, so please forward your ideas.

Jim Sammons
Jim@Kayak4Fish.com
(619) 461-7172

All Smiles

A Happy young angler

As a fishing guide, one of my greatest pleasures is watching a new kayak angler land their first “kayak fish”, that feeling is multiplied a hundred fold when it is one of my kids. I cannot begin to tell you how many times, after a day of hooking and handing off fish to my son, he has bragged to me that he out fished me and that he is a natural. I will never forget the time, during a trip to Punta Colorada, that my, then eight-year-old, son and I had a double hookup of Dorado from the kayak. I told him he was on his own on this one, and he handled the task like a pro. Yes, I was the proud father on that day. He is now 14 years old, taller than his dad and has become my favorite fishing partner and every once in a while he actually does outfish me.

My son Randy kayak fly fishing in Montana

If you want to get a child into kayak fishing the first thing you want to do is make sure they are comfortable on the kayak and on the water. The best thing you can do for your child is to enroll them in swimming lessons, this of course is something they will carry with them the rest of their lives. The ability to swim will take away much of the anxiety involved with sitting on a kayak, there will be no worries of “ what will I do if I fall in.”

Until the child is old enough to handle a kayak on their own, with most kids that is between the ages 10 and 12, kayak fishing with a child is best done from a tandem kayak such as the Ocean Kayak Malibu II XL. These bigger kayaks will give you plenty of stability for those times when the child suddenly wants to reach for something floating in the water. In addition to the added stability, you will have plenty of room and a dedicated place for the child to sit. When my kids were small, I would turn the forward seat so that it was facing me. In this configuration, I could always see my child’s face, making it much easier to judge how they were doing. This setup also makes it easier for me to help them with a hooked fish or retying a jig.

Setting up a Tandem with the front seat faceing backward

Going old school here, my daughter in the tankwell of my scupper pro. She is now 17.

You should start by just taking the child for a short paddle on flat water such as the bay. Leave the rods at home; see if they enjoy being on the water. This first outing, if the water is warm enough, is also a good time to practice getting on and off the kayak in the open water. Try this first in water that is just deep enough for you to touch the bottom. If your kids are like mine, they will have a blast jumping off the kayak over and over again. This will lessen any worries they have about getting back on the kayak if they fall in. The adult should get back on the kayak first, so they can balance the kayak and assist the child to get back on. If available in your area paddle by one of the haul out buoys with the Sea lions on it, this is always a thrill for the kids. Do not forget that kids get bored fast so keep this outing short and entertaining.

There are several reason we recommend starting out in the bay, you will get a better idea whether the child is comfortable on the kayak and there is a much lower chance of them getting seasick. Yes, you can get seasick on a kayak and a seasick child is a miserable child. The surf zone can also be very intimidating for kids, and many adults, unless you are very proficient in the surf zone you risk dumping your kayak along with your child and gear into the drink. Another nice thing about fishing the bays is the ability to get off the kayak for a break. When out with my kids I try to break up the day by fishing for a couple of hours, then hitting the beach for lunch or just goofing off in the sand, then fishing another hour before heading home.

A nice spotted bay bass on San Diego Bay

You want your child to be comfortable while out on the water, a kid sitting in wet clothes is going to become cold and miserable in a hurry. Just like yourself, you need to dress your child appropriately for the conditions. Along with the required PFD (personal flotation device), putting your child in a small wetsuit will keep them warm all day. You can pick up a child size wetsuit from Costco for about $24, and kids love wetsuits. I always carry some extra clothes in a drybag in case my kids get too wet. A light windbreaker is always a good idea, even on the warmest days the wind can cool your child down in a hurry. Do not forget a hat and sunglasses as well as a lathering of sunscreen before you head out. It is a good idea to also bring along plenty of your kids favorite snacks and juices, it will just make the day feel that much more special.

If the child is old enough to help paddle, that is great, they will really enjoy it and it will make them feel like they are helping with the work. If the child is going to help paddle, make the investment in a child’s size paddle. A child will struggle with a larger paddle and will become discouraged very quickly.

Just as with any type of fishing with kids, the most important factor to remember is, this outing is about the kid catching fish not you. Most kids that are just being introduced to fishing will be happier catching ten Mackerel than they would trolling around all day hoping for a Yellowtail. Again, the bays are a great place to start; you will have the opportunity to catch many fish to keep a smile on your kids face. In our local bays, your child will have a chance to catch spotted bay bass, Sand bass, Halibut, Bonita, Mackerel, and many other species.

Another nice Bay bass, and look at that smile

Bring light tackle spinning or spin casting reels that are easy for the child to master, a bait caster in most kids hands is just asking for trouble. Though you want to use gear that is easy for the child to handle and not to expensive, I steer away from the low-end “kids” rods. These rods can actually cause more problems than they solve. I do think that the child should have their own rod for which they feel responsible; I always make sure the kids take part in the cleaning of the gear after the trip. I generally load the reels with six to eight pound test to entice more bites. Fishing the drift on the moving tide, with a small grub just bouncing on the bottom, keeps the casting to a minimum and will ensure many bites. You can add a small piece of squid to help entice more bites. Another good option is to setup near one of the bait barges, there are usually a good number of smelt, mackerel or small barracuda willing to bite and give your kid a great fight. For the smelt or Macs a small sabiki or bait catching rig works great, cut it down to two hooks to avoid problems and your child will have a blast catching fish all day. Keep another rod with a small crank bait, such as a Berkley Frenzy, handy. When you make a move, let the child hold the rod while you troll to the next spot. You will be amazed how many fish you can pick up this way.

A big bat ray makes for a suprise catch for this young angler

Teaching a child to fish can be a bit frustrating at times, I know that I have had times when it was announced “it is time to go home”, just as the fish are starting to bite. Remembering that the day is about hanging out with your kid and turning them onto a sport that you love, this means patience and sometimes sacrificing what you would like to be doing like staying on the water all day. Sometimes the shortened trip will mean less hesitation the next time you want to take them out on the kayak. The rewards will be well worth it in the end when you find you have a fishing partner for life.

Take a kid kayak fishing and this is what you will see. All smiles

You can learn more about kayak fishing on our website Kayak4Fish.com

This is a repost of an earlier blog but it has been updated to include our most recent trips.

My wife was asking me the other night what fish we have caught while shooting Ocean Kayak presents The Kayak Fishing Show and Exofficio Presents Game On. I told her, “a lot”, but it was just in my head I had never written it down. So it got me thinking about all the fish species we have been lucky enough to catch during our 2 years of kayak fishing and shooting Game On 1 and 2 and The Kayak Fishing Show. Anyway I sat down and made a list of the different fish we caught in different locations. I am sure I am missing some but here is my list along with a few photo.

Species caught During the shooting of The Kayak Fishing Show, Game On 1 and 2 by our crew.

Game On in Florida

Florida:
Speckled trout
Lady fish
Salt water Cat fish
Blue fish

Tarpon

Red fish

Alaska:

Alaskan Halibut
Ling Cod

Ling Cod kayak fishing in Alaska

China Rock fish
Black bass
Tiger rockfish
Quill back rockfish
Yelloweye rockfish

Canada

Pike in Canada

Pike
Small mouth bass
Large mouth bass

Musky

Chesapeake bay

Jim with a Red fish in Chesapeake bay

Red Fish

East Cape:

Matt and his jumping Striped Marlin

Striped Marlin

Snapper
pargo
humbolt squid
Amber Jack

Howards Blue Marlin

Blue Marlin
Dorado
Roosterfish
Hammerhead shark

Texas

Texas Redfish

Red fish
Speckled trout
Flounder

Panama

Jim Sammons and 120 pound yellowfin tuna

Yellowfin Tuna

Roosterfish
Mangrove snapper
Cubera snapper
Rainbow Runner
Jack Crevalle
Blue Trevally

Paul and his Panama Snook

Snook
Pompano
Triggerfish
Greater Barracuda
Porcupine puffer
Black tip shark
White tip shark

Montana

My first Rainbow trout on the fly

Jeff's Brown Trout

Petawawa Canada

Kens' Musky

Tiger Musky

Jim with a Walleye

Cedros Island Baja Mexico

Mothership trip on the Islander

Jim with a Yellowtail

Paul with a Calico Bass

San Diego Bay

My son Randy with a Spotted bay bass

50 different species so far, and I am sure I am missing a few. With more great locations to come this list should continue to grow.

Of course we are still in search of more species and more great locations. If you have any ideas or suggestions on places you would like to see please let us know. We may even put you in the show. You can reach me at Jim@Kayak4Fish.com

Mark Olis with his first Spotted Bay Bass on San Diego Bay

Last week I took outdoor writer Mark Olis out for a day of kayak fishing on San Diego Bay. He will be writing about our day on the water for the Cabela’s Outfitter Journal magazine . Mark is an avid outdoorsman but kayak fishing was a new experience for him and he really seemed to enjoy it. You can read his first impressions of our day of kayak fishing on his blog. Outdoor Addictions

Catching Spotted Bay Bass in front of a Navy ship

San Diego Bay is a great place to fish and the fish are generally very cooperative. You will get to see a little of this fishery during an episode of Ocean Kayak presents The Kayak Fishing Show with Jim Sammons and on Exofficio presents Game On 2.

This Video goes over the proper attire for kayak fishing in colder weather

Just because it is cooling down doesn’t mean it is time to put away your kayak.

It is that time of year once again when many kayak anglers will start to stow away their kayaks and fishing gear and opt for warmer recreation. It is also the time of year when some of the best fishing can be had if you take the proper precautions and have the proper equipment.

During the shooting of Ocean Kayak presents The Kayak Fishing Show and Exofficio presents Kayak Fishing: Game On, we have kayak fished in some pretty extreme conditions, from extreme heat in Panama to freezing cold in Alaska and Chesapeake Bay.

Waders, Beanie, Gloves to keep warm in Alaska

With the proper clothing and equipment, there’s no reason you can’t be out on your kayak in most temperatures. (as long as you check the weather forecast and everything is looking good). You just need to adopt a more conservative attitude in any extremes conditions.

With the approach of winter I thought it would be a good time to give some tips on cold weather kayak fishing.

 It goes without saying that you should bring along all of your standard safety items, and you should always be wearing your PFD, a PFD not only will keep you afloat but also gives an added layer of insulation.

Yelloweye Rockfish in Alaska, I am wearing my Alpental fleece jacket

 In cold weather your biggest concern should be swimming, because immersion in cold water can quickly lead to hypothermia. Obviously, the best way to avoid swimming is to stick to water conditions that you are comfortable with.  But even still, you need to prepare for the worst. That’s why you should; never go kayak fishing alone in cold conditions, never go further out than you can comfortably paddle back (even in the worst of weather), and most importantly, you need to dress appropriately.

 Dressing appropriately means dressing so that you’re comfortable when; you’re fishing, when you’re actively paddling, and in the event that you find yourself swimming.

The trick is having a layered clothing system. A layered clothing system involves a base layer, an insulating layer, and an outer layer.

 The role of the base layer is to pull moisture away from your body. This is where synthetic materials like polypropylene or Capilene work great, and this is also where you should avoid cotton, like the plague. For this layer I generally choose Mysterioso, they make pants, shirts and socks that will keep you toasty warm even if they get damp.

 Another option is to use a farmer john style of wetsuit as a base layer, particularly if you’re expecting to get wet, which would be the case if you are surfing or running rapids. Neoprene does a great job of insulating when you’re in the water, but the downside is that it’s not very comfortable when you’re dry.

 Your second layer is an insulating layer, and it should do its job whether it’s wet or dry. Fleece is your best option here. For my upper body the layer I choose  is my Exofficio Alpental Fleece Jacket.

On my lower body a pair of fleece sweat pants does the trick.

 For your outer layer, paddling jackets and pants work great because they’re water- and wind-proof.  My personal favorite outer layer is the lightweight, breathable waders from Coleman/Hodgman combined with a good paddling jacket. The waders I use are the Guidlite Breathables with stocking foot and waterproof zipper. (You will understand the reason for the zipper after several cups of coffee and several hours on the water.)

Waders, Paddling Jacket and PFD, with a bunch of layers underneath to keep warm on Chesapeake Bay

They’re comfortable and I can fit many layers underneath, depending on the air temperature. One thing to keep in mind though is that with waders, you Must to wear a PFD and your wading belt.

There is often some kickback when we suggest wearing waders in the kayaks due to the long held myth that if you fall into the water wearing waders that you will sink. Well I am here to tell you that this, is exactly that, a MYTH. A few years ago I  even made a video exploring and destroying this myth.

Though I feel we have proved that drowning in waders is a myth we still implore you to wear your PFD and wading belt, and also if you plan on just surfing or running rapids in the kayak a wetsuit or drysuit would be a better option.

 On my feet under my stocking foot waders I choose either some good wool socks or my Mysterioso fleece socks. Either of these will wick away the moisture keeping your toes dry and warm. If I will be wading, as we did in Montana then wading boots are needed over the stocking foot waders, If I will just be fishing from the kayak then an over sized pair of sandles works great.

If you’re going to spend a lot of time kayak fishing in extreme cold conditions, then a dry suit might make a lot of sense, especially if you’ll be paddling through surf, or fishing in rougher water where there’s a good chance of getting wet. A dry suit keeps your body completely dry, even when you’re swimming.

A few additions to keep you comfortable would be a warm hat, gloves and some neoprene boots to keep your feet warm.

 One more very important thing, before you head out in a kayak make sure you know how and have practiced your self rescue. When the water is cold you will need to get out of that water as soon as possible, the longer you are in the water the greater your chance of hypothermia. After you have fallen in the water, is not the time to realize you are not sure how to get back in. Here is a quick video showing how to reenter your fishing kayak.

Well, hopefully this was helpful and it will get you to spend more time on the water out on your kayak getting in on those winter time bites.

As always feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at

Jim@Kayak4Fish.com

And if you are not getting WFN yet please contact your cable TV provider and let then know you just have to have it.

As promised I will be keeping you up to date on our kayak fishing adventures while shooting Ocean Kayak presents  The Kayak Fishing Show with Jim Sammons and our movie Game On 2, here is a report about our trip aboard the Islander this past week.

On the morning of October 4th my videographer, Will Richardson, and I met up at Point Loma sportfishing, here in San Diego, to board the sport-fisher Islander for a six day trip down the Baja coast to Cedros Island.  The Islander, owned and operated by Shane Slaughter, along with being a great long range sport boat  has earned a reputation as the premier mothership kayak fishing operations. With her fine crew and specially built kayak rack they have long range kayak fishing down to a science. The Islander can hold 22 kayaks on her rack and with that few people it is quite comfortable at the rail. Anglers sleep in stateroom accommodations and the meals are something you would expect to get at a nice hotel not out at sea. After loading up all our gear and kayaks, filling the tanks with live bait, and getting the trip run down from our captain we headed out to sea at about 10:00am.

Islander with a full load of kayaks

Off loading our kayaks at Cedros (photo courtesy of Paul Lebowitz)

 Cedros Island is located three hundred miles south of San Diego which meant a thirty hour boat ride before reaching our destination. The wind was up and the seas were rough which meant a queasy ride for many aboard for the trip, the chef trying to feed us every two hours didn’t make things any better for many of the passengers, not being prone to sea sickness myself  this was a great time to sit around fattening up for all the planned paddling and pulling on fish I was looking forward to. About 24 hours into the ride down the coast the Islander crew put out the trolling lines and we were quickly rewarded with some nice football size yellowfin tuna, though not huge by any means it took everyone’s minds off of the rough ride and got them thinking about fishing

Chartermaster Paul Lebowitz with a Tuna caught off the boat. (photo by Will Richardson)

Paul with a 7 pound Calico

Jim Sammons with a 6 pound checkerboard

Darkness came quickly and we headed back to the big boat for another big gourmet meal and some much needed sleep in the lee of the island.

The boat pulled anchor before light the next morning and made the short run over to Cedros Island where we would be fishing for the next three days. Everyone was excited to get the kayaks on the water and again most of the guys had Yellowtail on their minds.  The wind was once again relentless and you just couldn’t seem to hide from it. Even with that the guys started hooking into some great fish.

 

Cedros Yellowtail (photo by Will Richardson)

 

Cedros Yellowtail (photo by Will Richardson)

 

Cedros Yellowtail (photo by Will Richardson)

I stayed on the inside for a while getting in on my much loved Calico bass fishing with Reebs Kelp assassin soft plastic lures and Sebile magic swimmers.

 

Jim Sammons and a Cedros Calico(photo by Will Richardson)

But the calls of yellowtail fishing kept coming in over my VHF so I switched gears and gave the yellows a shot. Within short order I had boated four of these tough fish.

 

Jim Sammons with Cedros Yellowtail (photo by Will Richardson)

Jim Sammons with Cedros Yellowtail (photo by Will Richardson)

Day two at Cedros was more of the same with me starting out fishing the bass on the inside while the rest of the guys hunted yellowtail. On this day the wind was up even more and half the crew decided to fish off the Islander while the other half stuck to our kayaks.  Trying to stay as tight to the island as I could to keep out of the wind I was tossing a Sebile Magic Swimmer into the rocks for the bass and getting quite a few of them. While I was releasing one of my bass the water erupted a couple of hundred yards behind me. In two feet of water a large school of larger yellowtail was crashing on a school of bait in water barely deep enough to cover their backs.  Because I had my bass rod in hand, a Shimano Calcutta 300 TE, I launched my swimmer towards the school of fish and the lure was quickly inhaled. Because I was fishing in the rocks for bass I had my drag locked to keep the fish from running into the rocks and breaking me off. This of course bent my rod in half as the big yellow took me for a ride out to sea. How I landed this fish without him breaking me off I have no idea, I was rocked on much heavier gear a little later that day. Captain Shane came over in the boat skiff and took the fish off my hands to get it into the cooler on the boat so I could have top quality fish when I got home.

Jim Sammons and Shane Slaughter with my bass rod caught Yellowtail. (photo by Will Richardson)

The guys fishing on the kayaks got thier share of fish but word came back that the guys fishing the big boat had really put a hurt on some good numbers of fish.

The morning of day three at Cedros Island brought another day of wind, and though we tried fishing close into shore the wind made fishing very tough from the kayaks. I fished as close to the shore as I could and got a good number of bass but most of the guys just stayed aboard the Islander and fish. Tired of fighting the wind the fiew of us that did fish the kayaks headed back to the boat by 11:00 am. The captain said he was marking good numbers of fish very close to the island so we all decided to fish the big boat for the afternoon. What followed was about as wide open of a yellowtail bite as I have ever seen , at one point everyone with a line in the water was hooked into a fish. The only bad thing about that was the knowing that without that wind we could of all been on these fish from our kayaks, though no one was complaining, there was too much action going on aboard the boat.

Jim Sammons with a boat yellow

The Hot corner (photo by Will Richarson)

 

Paul Lebowitz with another nice YT (photo from Paul Lebowitz)

This bite went on for about three hours and a lot of fish hit the deck.

After that we started our long 30 hour boat ride home, once again in tough conditions. A couple of stops were made on the way home for some nice size yellowfin tuna but mostly is was just slow going heading into the wind and swell.

 

Though the conditions were not ideal on this trip I think it will show people the potential of this type of trip with the kayaks. If only a bit better weather was had I know our counts from the kayaks would of been out of this world.

Anyone interested in one of these trips should contact the Islander Sportfishing office.

 

Once again we are always looking for that next great kayak fishing destination, so if you have some ideas please feel free to contact me at  Jim@Kayak4Fish.com

If you are not already getting WFN, please contact your cable provider and let them know you want WFN so you too can watch The Kayak Fishing Show with Jim Sammons.

 

 

Jim keeping warm in his ExOfficio Travel Gear under the Parliament Building

There is something disturbing about emerging from a backcountry trip after 6 days. An uncomfortable ‘birthing’ back in to the land of the living and urban sprawl. An opposite feeling to that revelation of ease and comfort you have as you realize that you have escaped your life, job, cell phones, smelly people, cubicle, desk chair spackled existence.

On day two of this trip, producer Ken Whiting turned to us and tried to explain a feeling he had just felt. “During that hike, I had this sudden sensation that I belonged here.” Those words rang true to my very core. It was the same feeling I had been having, the same weird warmth that I was having so much trouble trying to explain soon after the packing ended and the paddling had begun.

We talk about it a lot around here. How the average person’s world seems increasingly farther and farther away from the wilderness. Forests are getting smaller and more controlled. People fear things like bugs and fish, and the simple skill of lighting a fire seems beyond far too many peoples grasp. It takes only a short while in the woods to realize that you are perfectly safe and at home out in the wilds. There will be work, pain and hardships, but your body was designed to take it, your body needs it. Your body needs to get out of the office and be set free on nature to feel whole again. A feeling many of us will never ever get to feel as we grow more and more urban, and are less apt to send our kids outdoors. Lucky for, Jim, Ken, Lisa, Jamie, and myself, we have a job that forces us outside and keeps us there. This time it lead us to the banks of the Petawawa river.

Now let me talk a bit about equipment…before I tell ya all about what happened, lets talk about how we did it.

In order to make this adventure possible, safe, and filmable… we needed some special gear. Drybags were our first priority, we needed dry clothes. NRS made bags that were perfect for us, from big bags to hold all our tents, to small bags that would fit in to the gunnels of the Trident 13 kayaks. The bags worked perfect, and everyones gear was kept perfectly dry, on a very wet trip. If you paddle a lot, get some NRS bags, these things are super tough and totally waterproof. Also, on the topic of Kayaks. The Ocean Kayaks we took on this trip served us perfect. In our opinion, no other fishing kayak coulda handled the beating.

Second, we needed to be able to recharge our batteries. We had the chance to test out Brunton’s big solar panel and battery combo. No special gear required, we just folded out the panel and it juiced up a battery that we could plug our cameras directly in to.. just like a wall socket. Worked like a charm and kept Lisa and I shooting for a whole week without a plug.

Now for safety. Jim and I aren’t whitewater ‘yakkers, se we needed a couple of helmets to keep our noggins from getting bonked. Sweet Protection’s helmets were the go to choice, as they are rugged, and still manage to look cool.

As for camping, our tents were all from Mountain Hardwear, and these babies rock. They are super lightweight and the poles can totally take the beating we put them thru running the rapids.

Last, we needed to be fed. We went with dried pre packaged camp food from Backpackers Pantry. Mostly because the food is super tasty and filling.. but as an added benefit, it packs well and is super light. I recommend the cheesecake. It rocks. Done.

The Petawawa River was amazing. Our first two days were spent on lake Traverse with none other than musky fishing legend, Jamie Pistilli. Jamie camped out with us for the first night and made sure we knew where the musky were. (as you can read in his last post) All three boys caught Musky that day. Proving that Jamie is one heck of a guide.

After leaving Jamie behind to run home and celebrate his son’s birthday (which co-incidentally also marked the anniversary of his gong show of a musky catch in Game On 1) we began a rambling row into a wonderland of Canadian fall beauty. The leaves literally changed before our eyes, from green to bright orange, to flaming red. The first day offered little in the way of musky, of which Jamie had given our anglers a burning hunger for the previous day. As we left Traverse behind, the river narrowed and the trees grew tight around us. The bitter cold of the night before finally seeped from our bones as the paddling loosened up our muscles. Jim caught another small Musky, but the big ones would just blow up and spit out our lures, leaving the anglers frustrated.

Our first campsite lay just beyond a small rapid, nestled in the elbow of the river… simply, perfect. There was an awesome little drop pool just in front of camp. In that pool lay a plethora of catfish, you could catch as many as you had soft plastic grubs. Each one was over 6 pounds, and had a fun fight to haul them up. All three of us immediately grabbed rods and jig heads and began hauling them up until our arms tired. This is what we were looking for. No one fished here, so the fishing was easy. Catfish may not be a 45 inch musky, but it sure was fun, and as long as our rods were bent, there were smiles on our faces.

Early to rise on day two and a short row to ‘crooked shoot’, with a few fish along the way (mainly bass and a bunch of musky blow ups, nothing big landed).This was the only technical whitewater on our route, and we knew that the raft wasn’t gonna take the beating. So we broke down our equipment and prepared to portage it to safety on the far side of the rapids. This was fine for our packs and barrels, but there was no way the four of us could haul the raft through the kilometre long trail. While ken ran the kayaks with painstaking perfection through the complicated pools of rushing water, we brainstormed a solution. It would be rough, but we could do it. We had to haul the raft over a rocky outcrop, and down through and old logging chute. It took us most of the day to finally get back in the water. Ken had the stamina to keep fishing (which amazed me since he had to run the rapid twice, do a 1 k portage, and help line and haul the raft), Lisa and I needed to jump in the lake to clean off the stink of sun beaten labor, and Jim simply passed out in happy exhaustion with a glass of wine and a book.

Third day started sluggish, but offered the first real signs of musky. Ken called us over as he had stalked a musky in to a corner and felt like it was gonna strike.  As we got the cameras rolling that fish exploded to the surface and finally stuck on a hopping frog. This began the ultimate musky fishing trip ever.

Musky are a tough fish to catch. Trust me, I have sat and watched the best try and fail for hours on end. That’s the way musky are. A frustrating fish, but when you catch one you will be willing to spend days trying to get the next monster. In pressured waters like the Madawaska River, we have sat for days with only one musky even bothering to bite a line. In Jim’s words, “You gotta be really patient, or a bit nuts to wanna catch one of these fish.” The Petawawa was different. Here, the musky were plentiful, powerful, and hungry for lures.

Ken had it dialed in for the next two days. The weather turned a little rainy and that only seemed to help the bite. Four big musky in 6 hours became the new record of the day as the veteran kayaker hauled in monster after monster. The trick was to hit the pools just before the rapids and just after with big Sebile Lures.

Sebile meets musky

The musky were hungry for the little bass in the pools and the Sebiles were the perfect treat. This was the special day when lady luck shone down on our producer. This was Kens ultimate fishing day.

Jim was getting  frustrated. He caught the only walleye of the trip and lots of little ’skis but so far, no monster musky. The walleye made for a nice dinner, but his arm was getting sore from casting and no fish. His eyes were on the prize as our final day loomed on the horizon.

On the morning of the sixth day, there was fish for the great Sammons. First he conquered the bite, as finally a massive 38 incher stuck to his big silver Sebile. The rest of the day was followed by fish. Many fish. In three hours Jim caught 3 monsters. Bringing our count  to 15 musky in 6 days. That many in a year would be a respectable amount. That many in just a few days is insane. Perfectly, wonderfully, Insane.

We even managed to walk away without lodging any hooks in our hands…

The most serene and wonderful camping trip of all time, complete with great food (from Backpackers Pantry) and great friends. The Petawawa river was an adventure of a lifetime. Amazing that it could be so close to home. Proves that sometimes, in order to find great adventure, you don’t need a lot of money, you just need to look a few miles from your own back door.

A quick thanks to the folks at ExOfficio, Ocean Kayak, NRS, Backpackers Pantry, Sweet Protection, Brunton and Mountain Hardwear for making this trip possible. Please give these guys a visit, and keep your eyes on the blog, as soon we will be telling you all about our crazy adventure in San Diego and northern Baja. We are hooking up with out old friends Paul Lebowitz and Matt Moyer for some more big game adventures

See you all in San Diego!

Will

(Photos provided by Lisa Utronki and June Veenstra)

Hit The Petawawa System with Jim and the Heliconia boys yesterday. We fished from noon Saturday yesterday until early Sunday afternoon . We caught 7 muskies, had 6 other fish follow and broke off 2 on bass gear. Insane action out there….

Yesterday Jim and Ken both caught their first skis about an hour apart. ( Jim Also scored one beautiful Smallmouth bass) I was a happy man, so nice to see someone excited about catching a new species of fish let alone two guys catch ” the fish of 10,000 casts both within an hour.. …  The sun went down I scored a small one on a spook ( 28″ or so…)

We woke up Sunday feeling refreshed, it was one really cold night to be sleeping outside. We had fish on film but wanted a bigger one. Jim and I trolled baits back to where we had action the night before and it did not take long for my bait to get nailed. It sounded like a toilet bowl flushing…

In she came a nice 42″ ski, our biggest of the trip. Huge head skinny body… she jumped 3 times and swallowed my bait. I cut out all three trebles and off she went.
I scored 2 more fish with the guys then headed back to the launched and caught a 33″ right near the launch…

The crew is heading down river until Thursday, they should be in for more action- White Water and stretches of river that get little to no fishing pressure. Stay tuned for more from Game on 2. Thanks for having me up guys and Lisa! It was a blast

Here are a few shots

This week marks the return of Jim Sammons to the wilds of Upper Canada, as we head back to the river and explore the untapped waters of Algonquin Park.

Last year Jim cut his chops and learned to surf white water waves on the Ottawa River. That week he managed to narrowly escape being pulled under by Joe’s Hole, an experience that he may never dash from his mind. What amazed us all is that even right after his near death experience, he bounced back and just kept fishing.

In the end, with the help of Jamie Pistilli, Brendan Mark and Ken Whiting, he managed to survive the wilds of Ontario, and come up with some monster Pike, Bass and Muskie.

We always knew that Jim would be back. Canada is our favorite place to fish, as it is our backyard, our childhood playground, and one of the most incredible places on earth. Now, with the TV show on the horizon, and a hit movie on our hands, we choose to live a second adventure here on the production teams home turf.

This time is gonna be a bit different. This time we are cutting the cord and going wilder than ever before. Six days in the outback, in one of the biggest stretches of untouched wilderness Canada can afford, on some of the only boats that could possibly fish in these rapid locked waters.

We are gonna be six days on the Petawawa River, out of range of cell phones and hotel rooms. Running on dried food and solar power. This time, we are really gonna be roughing it and fishing old school.

The Petawawa river is a 116 mile long behemoth, popular with whitewater kayakers and canoers. Much of the river is dense with rapids, which Jim is going to need special training to handle. Luckily, Ken Whiting and Brendan Mark are back to lend a hand. There are few people who know how to handle whitewater in a fishing Kayak like these guys, and they are going to be putting Jim through his paces before we can conquer the river.

One of the great challenges ahead for the sport we love is bringing more Anglers to the sport. Right now we see it taking off in coastal regions as kayaks prove themselves on the oceans and saltwater flats… so far, the river fisherman haven’t really taken notice, and we are gonna show them why they should. Kayaks can get to places on these rivers that no motor boat can, and as we saw in Montana, they drift better, and coast right over obstacles that would ground out a drift boat. Whitewater rivers show the next level. There are tons of fish between the rapids, fish that powerboats just can’t get to. But if you know how to run the river, you will often be the first to toss a lure at the unsuspecting monsters below.

None of us know what lies ahead. Will our Brunton solar recharger be able to keep our cameras rolling? (all the preliminary tests say yes.. this thing is COOL!!) What will we catch on this virgin river? How will Jim fare on his second attempt at the mysteries of rapid running? Will there be enough beer to last the week??

These and more burning questions will be answered in the weeks ahead… as Game On and the Kayak Fishing Show returns to Canada for round two…

Will

P.S. I promise not to try and kill him this time. I have to head to San Diego to shoot with him after this, and I choose not to incur the wrath of Allene…