Before venturing out on the ice, check with ice hut vendors for ice conditions. Avoid and be cautious of pressure ridges. Large lakes can produce ridges as high as six feet or higher with open water that are invisible until thirty feet away with fresh snow. When driving heavy vehicles on ice. As you drive,  a wave builds up in front of the vehicle under the ice. Too fast and it is possible to break through the ice. And, large lakes can offer currents, which can eat away at the ice. Never travel onto the ice without a compass, cellular phone or someone close by. When travelling in groups,... Read On

The winter of 2011/2012 has been much warmer and wetter that the normal winter reported by Environment Canada and NOAA. As a result, lakes that are normally frozen are not. Even those lakes that are frozen may not be safe enough. As far north as Lake Simcoe (The Ice Fishing Capital of the World), Ontario, lakes still have open water. With only two days reaching -10C and the majority reaching above 0C/32F, ice has yet to take hold. In fact, much of the precipitation so far this winter has been rain. We highly recommend checking with local tackle shops, fish hut renters and even local police about the ice safety... Read On

Hopefully the following will help those that want to get into kayak fishing without going into a dealer blindly.   I know, it’s a lot of work going around looking at and testing kayaks without buying one, though it’s safe to say that jumping into a kayak purchase with no experience or knowledge of what will fit you best may leave you wanting  something better. So far in my thinking there is no one kayak that is the best for everything. This is why companies make more than one model. If your looking to own your first kayak, your best bet is to buy one that will serve multiple... Read On

Striped bass are a voracious fish feeding on a wide variety of prey fish including alewife, anchovy, croakers, channel bass, eels, flounders, herring, menhaden, mummichogs, mullet, rock eels, launce, sculpins, shad, silver hake, silversides, smelt, tomcod, weakfish, white perch, lobsters, crabs of various kinds, shrimps, isopods, gammarid crustaceans, various worms, squid, soft clams and small mussels to name a few. Food of the Day However, striped bass focus on one kind of food at a time when they are in an eating mood. In is unclear how striped bass communicate their food of the day to other striped bass, but if they elect to eat crayfish, then they will... Read On

First day out in the new Wilderness Systems Kayaks Ride 115! It was freezing low 30′s. This video is of some stability shots.. and about sight fishing. Hope this makes your decision on buying one! Wilderness Systems Kayaks Ride 115 is a must! Read On

Top water baits have always been my favorite. In fact over 80 percent of my tackle box is strictly of top water lures. I’ve been fishing for many years and I have to say I’ve had the most luck with Jitterbugs. Jitterbugs are a very versatile lure because they not only work great for bass fishing (day or night) but many have had luck with late night musky fishing and pike fishing. When first going to a new fishing spot I always start out with a Jitterbug. They’re easy to use and very effective. One of the best reasons to use a Jitterbug or similar bait is that if... Read On

  Tampa, Florida – February 23rd 2012 – The Hard Core Kayak Anglers Club, one of the largest Clubs in West Central Florida, has announced the dates for the five events of their third annual tournament series which will take place in a variety of locations along the West Coast of Florida. The series aims at promoting the sport of kayak fishing and conservation through its catch, photo, and release format with 100% of the $20 entry fee paid out to the event and series winners.   Hobie Fishing, the series title sponsor, will award the Series Angler of the Year with the top prize: A Hobie Revolution 13.... Read On

I have recently came across a great new rig for using a fish finder on a kayak that offers no drilling or glueing of your Wilderness Systems kayak, and only a little altering of a kayak of any another name. To get started you will need a few items. I like to use top quality stuff and will recommend the best products to use for this. You can feel free to substitute products bases on prices. Most of this is available from the HOOK1 store and the rest is soon to be available from them as well. Items: 1 Pelican box type 1120 with at least a 5×5 piece... Read On

Typically, the crappie fishing at Jordan Lake, NC is hot this time of the year.  However, the abnormally warm weather this winter has the crappie a little more scattered than normal.  But, with temps in the upper 60′s we couldn’t justify not heading to the lake.  Of course, many others had the same idea, so my first couple choices of spots were already taken.  Out of curiosity, I went to a tertiary spot that I know fairly well, but have never fished during the winter months.  It turned out to be a great decision.  Although the crappie bite was slow, the catfish bite was red hot! Mary May, Bill... Read On

I have lived in North Carolina for over three years now and every winter I smile from ear to ear knowing that my favorite fishing holes won’t freeze over.  I recently had a chance to take advantage of an unusually warm early winter day and chase some bass and crappie. I met good friend and fellow Froggy Waters guide Gary Ribet on a stretch of local river we wanted to scout.  We launched and slowly pushed up-river.  Gary had 7 or 8 rods out trying for crappie (or anything else willing to eat a minnow) and I tied on a plastic worm to fish for bass.  On my second... Read On