Always Have a Backup Plan

Over the years I have often needed to change from Plan A to Plan B. This weekend may have been the first time I have used Plan C.

The November Tournament for the NTKBF Club was scheduled for Saturday at Mineral Wells State Park. I had been prepping, modifying, tinkering and organizing gear for at least a month though it felt like longer. Of course, Mother Nature decided she would unleash Big Bad Wolf style on the North Texas area Saturday. The tournament directors rightly chose to postpone the tourney to a later named date. I had already planned to drive up to the Dallas area to stay with my brother so I activated Plan B. I called him and we made a plan to fish a south shoreline, somewhat sheltered from the wind, at a local lake. I would load up, follow the same travel schedule, fish and then return home. No big deal. I'm flexible.

Fast forward to a few hours later. I was attempting to load the kayaks on top of my SUV and the Big Bad Wolf made her presence known. I loaded the Coosa and strapped her down which wasn't too bad. Lifting a 70 pound kayak over your head in the wind is never fun but it went fine. The next task was to load the Cobra Tandem on top of the Coosa and strap them both down. I have done this before but never in the wind and especially not in 30+ mph wind. Four times I got the Cobra up and almost in position when out of the south a demon wind would rise up and remove the kayak from its perch. Luckily no damage was sustained but after the fourth time I just sat down in a chair in the yard. The Cobra weighs in at 80 lbs and the angles and wind and spinning and lifting wore me down. My body said no more. My mind told me this was an omen. Mother nature was telling me this trip was a no go. And so died Plan B.

I was mad. Upset. Disappointed. My wife pulled into the driveway and saw the melee in the grass. She saw the disgust in my face. I asked her to help me re-rack the kayaks in the garage and we talked about a conversation she had with my soon to be 8 year old. He really wanted to go fishing. I thought about the Leon River but the strain of the dragging and loading just deflated me. I told her I would think on it and we finished the unload.

I was reading the forums looking for ideas and then a light bulb radiated in the front of my mind so bright I could have lit the block! I know a place! It would take a phone call and a little good luck but I knew a place where my son and I could both go, the wind would be an advantage and we could make a real memory or two. I made the call and it was a go. We were going to do a Father-Son outing with one of my good fishing
buddies and his son. Plan C was alive and well.

We all piled into my small SUV and made the hour trek to a place we call Dave's. It's a lake with a few acres, hungry bass and in a valley where the south wind is a big help in casting. We all four fished for a while and then the two boys went traipsing through the underbrush looking for grasshoppers, Devil's Claws and any other insect that could be caught. We only spent three hours at Dave's but it's some of the best time I've ever spent with my son.

The time was great. Plan C worked. I learned a lesson. We ended the day with over 30 fish, a container full of finds and great times. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Sometimes, a backup plan to your backup plan is the best plan of all.

The Excursion to Galveston Island - A Preview

In Central Texas we have the best of both worlds. We are close to great freshwater fisheries and great coastal fishing. Four hours in a car can get me to Lake Fork or Port A. Depending on my excitement, sometimes less. My next trip will be the fourth trip of its kind that I have taken with a group of men that share my passion for saltwater fishing. I refer to us as the hardcore fishermen of our circle but in essence, it is more like "Salt Core". The trip to Galveston has become an annual affair and is one we have been dreaming of for several months now. 

This will be the first time we have gone that we will have kayaks for everyone and we plan on doing some teaching, fishing and getting in lots of paddle time. We started with some freshwater time yesterday getting everything lined out, getting everyone oriented to what's going on and making final preparations for Wednesday's departure. 

When we get together, fishing becomes the focus. Among the six of us we have close to 200 years of fishing experience. Fishing is our pressure valve. We use the time to re-attune with our natural instincts. Reading the weather, the wind, the fish, the tides adds something back to your soul that corporate jobs, grinding 40-60 hours a week, and a work focused culture seems to slowly siphon away.  Cell phones become GPS navigators and tide predictors. Computers are rarely, if ever used, except to report the days catch and log what's going on for future trips. 

I'll be writing some while I am there. I may or may not post until I get back but will be gathering information, testing gear, logging conditions and the like. The Astral Brewers will get their toughest workout to date and I have an Okuma reel I want to report on. Also tumbling through my brain are ideas on: kids safety on the water, a "Get These First" accessory guide to kayak fishing and some new  rigging guides for outfitting that new kayak. 

Stay tuned for more late this week and maybe a few pictures along the way. 

Turtle Now to Save Your Life

The idea of falling out of a kayak is the exact reason why people either:
#1 Don't/Won't buy a kayak
#2 Buy a particularly wide kayak

This is nothing new. People don't buy any floating vessel only to end up bobbing beside it shortly after launch but maybe they should try it.

Later this week we will talk about PFD (life jacket) selection and that will play a role here but for now I want to talk about the first thing you should do on your first trip out with a new to you kayak.

Turtle! Jump out! Flip the thing and get wet! Don't just do it because it's 129 degrees right now (though that helps). Every kayak paddler should know how to get back IN/ON the kayak. When you Paddle/Fish like I do, it becomes even more important. Let me tell you my first experience with turtling and why it's so important you practice re-entry.

I have been paddling and fishing since 2003. In that time I have owned multiple kayaks of the sit in and sit on variety. During that time I had never fallen out/off my yak. After reading several stories of drownings, near drownings and bad events due to turtling during all times of the year, I decided for me and my family, we needed to practice. We practice all types of drills at work and that is to be prepared for the worst. The same can be transferred to the water. Practice so when the time comes, you don't panic and end up, well....dead.

In late spring I purchased two new sit on top Cobras, a single seat Navigator and a Tandem. These are the only boats in our fleet now and get a lot of usage. The first time out I told my wife and kids we had to know how to get back on. I told them I would go first so they could see how to do it and then they would try. I walked the kayak out to waist deep water with my PFD on and jumped on to the Cobra. No problems. This was more of a test for me before I went out to where I couldn't touch. It gave me some confidence and I paddled out to 10 feet of water. I counted to three and rolled off the side. Oh, crap! Something was wrapped around my leg. As I tugged on it panic started to creep in. Breathing was becoming more labored and I needed to let the PFD do its work. I relaxed and floated upright. I could feel the cable or cord growing tighter as the kayak drifted further away. Of course! The paddle leash. I grabbed the leash further up toward the connection to the yak and pulled hard. The boat floated toward me and gave me some slack around my leg. I loosened its grip from my leg and let go. I was free! So was the Cobra though and I had to swim for it. I kicked and thrashed my way along side and latched on. I rested for a minute, exhausted, and planned my attack. I would try to propel myself out of the water and grab the opposite side of the boat (perpendicularly), then hoist myself onto it and voila. What I didn't calculate was how tired I was and how heavy I was. I managed to get out of the water enough to grab the other side but promptly pulled it over on my head. This is not good. I pushed the boat off of me and righted it. Attempt two I didn't even grab the other side. People on the shore, including my family, are starting to wonder about this display I was putting on. I held on to the kayak for another five minutes and then gave it everything I had and finally, I got on top! I was out of breath, panting and glad to be aboard. And let's be clear, I'm no couch potato. I can still paddle 10 miles a day and at 6'2" am still under 200 lbs. Worn out. That stupid paddle leash got me.

Over the next few days I kept replaying that scenario in my mind, thankful I had done it. I had been arrogant about not turtling. I figured it would never happen to me. That all went away that afternoon. I was humbled by a paddle leash. Thank God that the water was warm and I had my PFD on. If it had been on one of my January outings when the water registers somewhere between 38 and 40 degrees, even with my PFD I could have died. The chill of water that cold takes your breath. You hyperventilate and usually end up gulping in water. You can drown while you are floating. If that doesn't get you the hypothermia will. The only way to survive the water in the winter is to get out of it as soon as possible.

You need to know how to get back in your kayak whether it's warm or cold. Things can go wrong. People die. If all you had to know to survive was how to get back in, wouldn't you do it? That is why I implore you to turtle now! Learn while it's warm. Wear a PFD. Turtle. Reboard. Practice.

If you want to try turtling before you buy a kayak you should test one out at a Kayak Demo Day like the one Austin Canoe and Kayak is having September 15th and 22nd. Just don't forget to wear a PFD.

For a video check out the link below. This isn't mine but is very helpful.Credit to Ken Whiting of Kayak Fishing Tales.

Chris Payne's Paddle/Fish

I've been fishing over 30 years and the majority of my time on the water has been spent in Texas with the occasional trips out of state. In 2003 I bought my first kayak and a new era in my fishing life was born. I learned the ropes quickly about gear, paddling, fishing, packing, safety and got a degree from the school of hard knocks with a major in kayak fishing. I learned a lot of ways to not do something.

I love kayak fishing. That's the bottom line.

As of today, I work with only a few companies. When I  endorse a product  or business it is one I use daily. I can't support or be supported by something I don't believe in. I want to save people the trial and error expense that I have already paid. I will do some product reviews, give thoughts on certain innovations and even share a few fishing secrets along the way. Thanks for reading and I hope you like the website enough to share it with your friends!


Chris Payne