First "real" outing tomorrow

SteelHorseCowboy · October 03, 2018, 04:52:32 PM

Yeah I christened the kayak yesterday, introduced her to water and luckily a little fish slime too!
But it was only on about a 20-30 acre backwater lake that you can see the entirety of from the boat ramp.
Tomorrow morning, soon as I see the kid off to school and the wife off to work, I'm hitting up a bigger lake.
There's only one (public) place to launch, at the very tip of that southern finger. I'll have to paddle in about two miles to reach the open lake. I'm not worried about that, I've explored that whole finger in my second pirogue before it deep sixed and sent me for a swim.
The water is normally pretty clean and clear, the gators rare, and the folks with big boats like to launch into the river there at Alabama landing. Finch lake is normally home to crappie and white perch fishermen in smaller stick steer boats and jon boats. Don't know if there's a HP limit (I doubt it), but the biggest I've seen was only about a 30 horse.

I've got my ice pack for my lunch bag in the freezer, sandwich, chips, a couple of Clif bars already packed in that lunch bag, and my Bubba Jug half gallon water jug cleaned and ready for ice and water.
Already got my jogging pants, long sleeved fishing shirt and wide brimmed straw hat laid out and ready. I've got a good farmer's tan going on, but my face and legs got a little tingly out on the water yesterday.

Lol, of course my fishing gear is already loaded in the car! It always is.

I'm ready to go! Probably going to do more sight seeing and scouting than fishing, but you know I'm gonna wet a line!

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Lipripper · October 03, 2018, 04:56:52 PM

Glad you got some fish slime on it and good luck tomorrow when you take it out on the bigger water

SteveTX · October 03, 2018, 10:42:20 PM

Have a great time don't forget your PFD.

Bassinkorea · October 04, 2018, 02:50:51 AM

Good luck SHC and have fun

SteelHorseCowboy · October 04, 2018, 06:30:09 AM

Quote from: SteveTX on October 03, 2018, 10:42:20 PM
Have a great time don't forget your PFD.

Yep, thought about that last night right before bed! Always on the bank and being a good swimmer, I'd completely forgotten. I've got Connie's inflatable vest set out along with a mini first aid kit.

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Oldfart9999 · October 04, 2018, 07:40:02 AM

Got your snake repellent?
Rodney

SteelHorseCowboy · October 04, 2018, 02:53:10 PM

But of course! Left the gator and bear repellant at home though, it's too big and I can't attach a lanyard to it, but the snake repellant fits nicely in a shoulder holster and I have a lanyard for it.

What I did not count on was the spider.
I was drifting close to a huge hollow cypress while clearing a backlash, looked like it'd been struck by lightning. The tree, not my reel.
I bumped against the tree, and thought I saw a piece of bark fall off of it.
WRONG! SO WRONG!
This piece of "bark" hit the front of the kayak with a thud.
I looked up and it was the biggest damn spider I've ever seen outside the Discovery Channel! This dude was easily the size of my hand, it was staring at me and had it's two front legs up in the air like "COME AT ME BRO!"

So I dropped my rod across my lap, grabbed my paddle and with a war cry that sounded like it came from a 4 year old girl I proceeded to raise hell.
I beat the chit outta everything, the boat, my rod and reel, myself, my feet (pretty sure I'm gonna lose a toenail), and when that demon spawn from hell paused just long enough in the center of the front dry well cover, I landed a direct hit and splattered that sucker.

I looked around for a nice spot and paddled to the bank to collect my wits and relieve myself. Decided to eat my lunch while I was there, then washed the viscera and carcass off the boat.

Don't think I'm taking my 5000 out in the kayak anymore. I've always noticed I have a hard time casting with it while sitting. I'm not sure why though. Of course it's a bit more finicky than my other reels, but I don't see how I can fish all day with it and have no problems, but as soon as I try to sit and fish I have backlash after backlash.

Didn't catch anything. Spent most of the time split between paddling and clearing backlashes. I only took the one rod and reel, and I really couldn't say why I decided to do that.

This is the area I explored. Could have gone further, but got a slightly later start than I expected and I kept stopping to watch the scenery. Today was the second time in my life that I've seen a wild Bald Eagle. Funny how they're supposed to be a symbol of freedom but I only ever see them in cages...
Harrassed a small group of wild pigs just a bit. Between them and the abundance of beavers, I felt I was pretty safe from gators.

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the_huber_show · October 04, 2018, 03:16:08 PM

OMG I'm dying on the spider

I would have been the same way!

Even tho you didn't catch anything sounded like a good day in nature and on the water

Lipripper · October 04, 2018, 05:02:57 PM

Thanks for the report SHC and like I aid before every day is an adventure around you.

Sorry you didn't catch any fish maybe next time.

SteveTX · October 04, 2018, 07:40:33 PM

Quote from: SteelHorseCowboy on October 04, 2018, 02:53:10 PM
What I did not count on was the spider.
I was drifting close to a huge hollow cypress while clearing a backlash, looked like it'd been struck by lightning. The tree, not my reel.
I bumped against the tree, and thought I saw a piece of bark fall off of it.
WRONG! SO WRONG!
This piece of "bark" hit the front of the kayak with a thud.
I looked up and it was the biggest damn spider I've ever seen outside the Discovery Channel! This dude was easily the size of my hand, it was staring at me and had it's two front legs up in the air like "COME AT ME BRO!"

So I dropped my rod across my lap, grabbed my paddle and with a war cry that sounded like it came from a 4 year old girl I proceeded to raise hell.
I beat the chit outta everything, the boat, my rod and reel, myself, my feet (pretty sure I'm gonna lose a toenail), and when that demon spawn from hell paused just long enough in the center of the front dry well cover, I landed a direct hit and splattered that sucker.

I looked around for a nice spot and paddled to the bank to collect my wits and relieve myself. Decided to eat my lunch while I was there, then washed the viscera and carcass off the boat.

That was great!

TheLastRodBender · October 05, 2018, 06:36:24 AM

I HATE spiders... I likely would have ended up in the drink.

Good to hear ya got the boat wet! Good thing about a Yak is you don't necessarily need a ramp (granted I dont know this property's policy), just a road that comes within carrying distance and a place to park, so exploring areas is easier can be easier than needing to paddle 2 miles out of that creek.

SteelHorseCowboy · October 05, 2018, 06:44:26 AM

I bit off more than I can chew, and I'm freaking hurting!
I've torn my right rotator cuff pretty decently in the past. Nothing major, but bad enough that I have chronic pain from it. It happened while dislocating my shoulder, which now seems to have a mind of it's own.
I've also dislocated my right scapula (shoulder blade) in the past.

I've been told many, many times by my doctor, even recently as it's gotten worse, that I need to exercise my shoulders and back to build up more strength in my rotator cuff, rhomboids, and lats to help support these messed up bits.

But I don't think my doctor ever intended that I should hop in a kayak and take a 5 mile trip with no training leading up to it.
Approximately two miles in up the finger, paddled around a big pool between the finger and main lake, then approximately two miles back down the finger.

I never felt any sort of "burn" like I was getting a workout!

I've made a smoothie for breakfast, and I'm drinking it from a straw. I had a bowl of cereal, but I can't lift the spoon to my lips so I gave it to the kid. He wasn't gonna complain, it's Count Chocula.

Lol, looks like I'm sticking to the smaller backwaters until I build up some more upper body strength.

Really sucks too, because I want to explore the upper part of Finch lake. I've parked my car at Alabama landing and snuck in to this spot before. And I'll tell ya, it was LOADED.

But fishing from the bank, all I could reach was what I could cast to. I want to fish that whole finger!

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SteelHorseCowboy · October 05, 2018, 07:29:03 AM

Quote from: TheLastRodBender on October 05, 2018, 06:36:24 AM

I HATE spiders... I likely would have ended up in the drink.

Good to hear ya got the boat wet! Good thing about a Yak is you don't necessarily need a ramp (granted I dont know this property's policy), just a road that comes within carrying distance and a place to park, so exploring areas is easier can be easier than needing to paddle 2 miles out of that creek.

Here's a little back story of me and spiders.
When I was around 3-4 years old, my grandad was getting onto me over something I'd done. Just giving me a little scolding.
Grandaddy NEVER got onto me. So as I was sitting there on the couch while he was literally shaking his finger at me, I did what little kids do: kind of shrinking down in fear and shame.
Stuck my hand down between the couch cushions and got bit by a spider. Been terrified of spiders ever since.

In my late teens I started to kind of get over it. Then at 20, I went to Iraq. Never saw a spider there, I think because the CAMEL SPIDERS ate 'em all!

So then I was scared as hell of spiders again.
The spider yesterday was bigger than any camel spider I saw in Iraq, but just barely, and they can get huge.
I've said before about catfish, world records only exist for those who care about putting their names in the record book. Same with camel spiders. I think their max size is listed at around half the size they can actually get. Thankfully, the biggest I had the displeasure of seeing was just slightly larger than a cigarette pack. But when I torched it with Rem-oil and a cigarette lighter, it screamed and chased me until it's legs melted.

I double checked the map. The spot I'd snuck in to fish at is wildlife reserve. The entire property surrounding the lake is wildlife reserve. Whoever told me it was private property and pointed out their hunting camp are actually full of crap and have placed a camp there illegally. I'm going to launch from there next time, and if they give me any grief for trespassing again I'm going to call the law on them.

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