Monday, October 1, 2012

How to Catch Crab From Your Sea Kayak

I put together a quick edit of GoPro footage shot during the OSOM Perfect Day Project. While it's not overly exciting, it serves as a good instructional piece for others.



If you're interested in learning the finer details of quick and easy ways to catch and prepare fresh seafood while kayaking, I'm running two full day, on water classes at the Lumpy Waters Symposium in Pacific City, OR on Saturday, October 20th and Sunday the 21st.. Click HERE for registration info.

Kayak Angler's Choice Awards 2012:

There is a little over a week left to vote for your favorites in the 2012 Kayak Angler's Choice Awards. I've been nominated for Kayak Angler, Kayak Fishing Guide, and this blog has been nominated for Kayak Fishing Blog of the Year. I'm honored to be on such a prestigious list of kayak anglers, and would appreciate your vote. Voting closes on October 10th.

Monday, September 10, 2012

2012 Kayak Angler's Choice Awards Voting Begins!

I'm honored to be nominated again for Kayak Angler and Kayak Fishing Guide of the Year. In addition, this blog has been nominated as well. Last year enough of you voted for me to take 3rd place in Angler and Guide OTY. This year I'd like to try and win it!

Voting begins at 9pm EST 9/10/12 and continues through 10/10/12. You can vote by clicking this link: http://www.yakangler.com/choice

When casting your vote, please remember I never have, and never will raise your taxes :)

More about me:
http://www.kayakangler.blogspot.com/
http://www.seatrash.blogspot.com/
http://www.aldercreek.com/


Thank you!

Friday, August 31, 2012

Kayak Angler of the Year Nominations 2012

Nominations are open (and closing at midnight eastern tonight! 8/31) for kayak angler, kayak fishing guide, and kayak retailer of the year, and more. Last year your support helped me take #3 angler and #3 guide of the year for 2011. Let's see if we can take #1 this year.

This is just the nomination phase, voting will ensue soon after nominations close. I will post the link for voting as soon as it's available. Click this link to nominate your favorites: www.yakangler.com/choice

-Jason

Monday, July 30, 2012

Guided Kayak Crabbing Aug. 18, 2012

Dungeness crab have invaded the Oregon coast! Big, fat, delicious crab to be exact. It's time to go get them!

Learn how to catch crab from your sea kayak with compact handlines and Crabhawks (perfect for multi-day trips)-


I'm offering full day guided kayak "Crabbing for Sea Kayakers" trips on the Oregon coast for $95/person. The first date is set for August 18th, 2012 from 10am-4pm. Price includes your guides, crabbing gear & bait, and can include kayaks & paddling gear if needed. You will need to purchase an OR shellfish license. We'll meet on the coast at (location TBA) at 10am on the 18th, fish through high tide, and eat our catch on the beach at the end of the day! (OR food handling regulations require you to cook your own, but supplies and instruction will be provided.)

Call 503-285-0464 to sign up, or comment on this post if you have questions.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Crabbing for Sea Kayakers - Aug. 18th - Oregon coast - $95/person

Aug. 18th - Crabbing for Sea Kayakers - Full day at the Oregon Coast - Catch & Eat - $95/person - Call 503-285-0464 to sign up. Includes your guide, crabbing gear, kayak & paddling gear if needed.


Thursday, May 31, 2012

San Juan Islands Kayak Fishing Trip Report

I had the opportunity to spend four days guiding five wonderful people in the San Juan Islands over Memorial Day weekend. 

We arrived in Anacortes, Washington Friday evening and drove our trailer of sea kayaks on to the ferry. Landing at Orcas Island an hour later, we made our way to the East side of the island and set up camp at Moran State Park.

Early the next morning, we met our group at the harbor; John, Suzanne, Paul, & Roger. My friend Steven and fellow guide Jerry rounded out our group of seven. Boats and gear were unloaded onto the beach and then quickly packed full. We launched Saturday morning at 11:30AM to clear skies, light winds, flat water, mild temps...generally perfect conditions to take a group of newish sea kayakers out for their first multi-day kayak fishing trip.



After a basic skills refresher and safety chat at the back of the harbor, we paddled away from Orcas Island and began our crossing to a small island a few miles away. Boat traffic was higher than normal due to the holiday, but the conditions were mild and the crossing went smooth. We arrived at the island at 3PM and set up our base camp for the next four days. Some hiked around the island, and some napped before dinner set around the camp fire as the sun set over Canada in the distance.

I listened to the NOAA marine forecast on my VHF radio before going to sleep. The report called for winds out of the SW at 10 to 20 kts and wind waves two to three feet. It wasn't ideal for my groups first day of handline fishing for lingcod, but we would make do. I could hear the wind howling through channels and islands in the distance as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke at 3AM to whipping winds and crashing waves. I convinced myself it wasn't really more than 20kts because my tent was not slapping the top of my head yet as it had in high winds on another recent trip, but a quick check of the VHF revealed a small craft warning and winds of 30kts out of the SW until 9AM. The plan to get fishing early was scuttled. Sleeping in, drinking lots of coffee, reading, hiking, etc. were now the pre-noon plan while we waited for the wind to settle. The sun was shining, and the islands are beautiful, so there could be worse things than enjoying them from shore.

At 2PM we regrouped for lunch at the campsite. The wind had settled since the morning, but was still blowing 20kts out of the SW, making fishing challenging if your an expert, much less trying it your first time. I paddled out to a West facing headland and dropped my jig on the leeward side. I drifted quick, but with a little coaching I was sure I could get my group to hold position long enough to entice a fish. I paddled back to camp and gave the group the go-ahead to get suited up. By the time everyone hit the water, the wind had died down to 10 to 15kts; Still challenging, but definitely do-able. We spent the next couple of hours learning how to hold position in the wind and waves and keep our handline presentation vertical. Soon after, Paul hooked and landed a cabezon. We fished a few more of the points of the island before paddling back to camp for dinner & cocktails by the fire.

A quick check of the VHF before bed revealed a clear opportunity for fishing in the morning before another small craft warning with 25kt winds arrived in the afternoon with a chance of showers. We decided to break camp in the morning and make our way to another group of small islands to the South. We would fish each island hard until we found a keeper. We'd be protected from S wind in the lee of the islands, and if it got to be nasty they would offer us protection for a quick bale out to the harbor.

I woke at 6AM to cloudy skies, near glassy water, no wind, and light rain. We had a quick breakfast of fruit, bagels, and oatmeal before packing camp and launching at 8:30AM. We paddled South toward the small island group with no boat traffic and flat water. Upon arrival at the first island, I positioned our group over a reef within fifty feet of shore and we began jigging. Within fifteen minutes, John had hooked a keeper sized lingcod. His first reaction was to pull it strait out of the water, but I shouted over to keep it in the water until it calmed and then clip in with the locking lip grippers. He landed the fish perfectly as I made my way over to measure it. As I got closer I noticed it was a blue lingcod, something I hadn't seen much of before. I measured the fish at 28 inches, which is a keeper. 



John positioned the fish's head towards me and I gave a quick few raps between the eyes to close the deal. John and Steven paddled over towards the beach where they filleted and bagged it for the nights meal. 

As we were transferring the fillets to the soft cooler, I noticed a seal poking it's head out about 20 yards away. Seals are normally bad for fishing as they either scare away, or steal all the fish around. We fished the West island for another twenty minutes but the seal wouldn't leave, so we did.

We paddled East to the next little island and fished a reef around it for an hour with no success; The seal had followed us on our crossing and was popping up every five minutes, scaring all the fish. I decided to try and scare him off, and paddled hard towards it while shouting, and he disappeared. I thought I had won, but he popped up a few minutes later and I charged again, this time slapping my paddle on the water. Again he disappeared, and again I thought I had won, until a few minutes later I looked down by my hip and he was six inches below, giving me the stink eye. I rafted up with Jerry, half expecting the seal, who no doubt found me an amusing buffoon and a good play mate, to climb up on my deck.

At this point the wind and holiday boat traffic had picked up substantially, and we paddled back into the harbor where we unloaded our gear and headed back to Moran State Park. We arrived at 4PM and put the lingcod fillets in a marinade of soy, olive oil, ginger, garlic, and salt & pepper as we set up camp. The fish cooked perfectly, white and flaky, and we enjoyed it with tortellini & pesto, brie & salami, and capped it off with coconut ice cream and peaches for desert. There might have been a little bourbon and a few beers involved as well. It was a fitting meal for our last dinner on the islands. 

The next day we broke camp and caught the ferry back to the main land. Another successful San Juan Islands multi-day kayak fishing trip down!





Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Saltwater Fishing for Sea Kayakers in the San Juan Islands

Saltwater Fishing for Sea Kayakers: 

Lingcod - May 26-29, 2012 - San Juan Islands, WA

Fish for lingcod from your sea kayak with handlines while touring and camping in the beautiful San Juan Island archipelago.


 Crabbing - July 26-29, 2012 San Juan Islands, WA

Fish for dungeness crab, with catch and release opportunities for bottom fish while touring and camping the San Juan Islands by sea kayak.


Both four day trips are reasonably priced at $650. This includes your guides, kayaking & fishing gear (or bring your own), meals & snacks, and camp fees. You will need to bring your camping gear and personal items, and purchase a Washington saltwater fishing license, and shellfish tag for the crabbing trip in July.

Call Alder Creek at 503-285-0464 for info. Click HERE to register.





Thursday, April 19, 2012

Free Clinic: Fishing for Sea Kayakers @ Alder Creek Paddle Fest 4/28-29

Interested in catching fish on your next sea kayak trip? Join me at the Alder Creek Paddle Festival at Vancouver Lake, WA on April 28 & 29th and learn how at one of my free clinics offered throughout the weekend. If Sit on Tops or more your style, Jackson Kayak's Drew Gregory and Portland kayak angler Isaac Miller will be on hand to show you the ropes.


There will also be over 200 kayaks, canoes, & SUPS on the beach for you to demo as well!

Call 503-285-0464 for info.

I'll see you there!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Portland to the Ocean Expedition. April 7-11, 2012

The OSOM crew is busy prepping for our upcoming "Portland to the Ocean Trash-pedition", and we need your help to make it happen. We've come as far as we can go on our limited budget working as kayak guides, and we're still quite a ways away from securing the camera equipment necessary to make this happen. If you feel inclined to contribute to the success of this project, please click this link to our Facebook Donate Page for secure donations via PayPal. Thank you!


Project/Donation Description:

We're paddling our sea kayaks from Portland to the Ocean - April 7-11th, 2012, with canoes in tow to serve as garbage barges to collect all the trash we find on this 100+ mile journey to the Columbia River's terminus at the Pacific Ocean. Our goal is to document the path of plastic pollution from purchase and consumption at a downtown convenience store to the storm drain, into the river, all the way to the ocean, and it's eventual convergence with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. By documenting our efforts to stop plastic litter from making it's way to sea, we hope to inspire others to do the same.

We're trying to raise $1500 for this trip. We need a few more cameras, memory cards, batteries & solar chargers..... a website, media packets, and money to cover shipping costs of prizes for our cleanup contest. The list goes on! Anything helps...$5, $10, $500....It all adds up! Please support our project by donating or sharing with your friends.

Please email jself76@comcast.net upon making a donation via PayPal to confirm receipt.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Kayak Fishing Update: 2012 Guided Trips

There is much to report to my neglected blog. First and foremost, the dates have been set for my 2012 guided kayak fishing trips in the San Juan Islands. 


2012 GUIDED KAYAK FISHING - SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WA.


The first trip is set for Thursday May 26th through Sunday May 29th, and is for those wanting to fish from sea kayaks. We'll focus on fishing for lingcod with hand lines while multi-day touring. We establish a base camp on Jones Island, off the SW corner of Orcas Island and learn the skills necessary to do a multi-day sea kayak fishing trip of your own.

The second trip option is July 26th to July 29th. On this adventure we include dropping crab traps in search of the incredible Dungeness crab. We base camp at Jones Island and conduct day paddles to learn the skills necessary to paddle competently and harvest the bounty of the sea.

Your guides, meals, camp fees, tackle, and hand lines (and crab traps) are included in the price. Kayaks & paddling gear can be provided at no additional cost to you if necessary. You will need to supply your own camping gear, toiletries, personal items, and purchase a Washington fishing license.

If you have any questions about what to bring please contact Alder Creek. They have a full line of paddling equipment and accessories, and would be happy to assist you in getting outfitted for your trip. Please remember to keep your personal gear to a minimum, but keep your comfort in mind. Remember the goal is to travel light and efficiently.



Things have been going very well at Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Our "Never Ending Cleanup Contest" on Facebook has awarded people with gear from Hilleberg Tents, Keen Footwear, Ibex Outdoor Clothing, Kokatat Watersports-wear, Sweet Protection, Aquapac, Skwoosh, Klean Kanteen, Thule Car Racks, Ocean Paddler Magazine, Cackle TV, and Valley Sea Kayaks

PICKIN' & PADDLIN': OSOM Paddle With the People

We're offering local trips around the Portland, Oregon area through Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe as part of our mission to take an active role in the stewardship of the places we play. The first OSOM "Paddle With the People" cleanup trip is set for February 26 on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. Click here to sign up. We'll spend a couple of hours picking up trash as we paddle around the Portland waterfront and Ross Island section of the Willamette. All the money raised goes directly towards helping fund our upcoming cleanup expeditions.


OSOM "PDX 2 SEA" Kayak Cleanup Expedition

Our first cleanup expedition; "PDX 2 SEA" is set for April 7-11, 2012. We are paddling our sea kayaks from Portland, Oregon to the ocean with canoes in tow, and picking up all the trash we find along the way. We are filming our trip to make a documentary and help promote the OSOM movement, and pro adventure-photographer Sean O'Connor from Freesolo Photagraphy is joining us to take still images.

We are busy installing camera mounts on our Tiderace Kayaks. The impact that GoPro cameras have had on action-sports is substantial to say the least. These relatively low priced, tiny hi-def cameras allow users to capture events on video unimaginable to the average consumer just a few years before.

We'll soon be exploring new shooting angles of coastal play & touring, surf footage, and kayak fishing. One of the keys to doing this is a clever little contraption called the Greenfish CPR Mount. By mounting Scotty Locking Rod Holder bases on the decks of our sea kayaks, we hope to capture video that is entertaining and engaging from a variety of angles. The CPR mount makes this simple and easy. 

"CPR" stands for "Catch. Photo. Release". Greenfish is "an apparel company with a conscience and a conservation minded mission. They believe in sustaining fisheries for the long term. For each Greenfish product you buy, they donate 5% to the sustainable fisheries partner of your choice through their Greenfish Gives Program."

....and they make some pretty sweet T-shirts and caps too!