# Kayak Pirates



## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Waiting for my companions to arrive I stood still watching the rivers infinite current flow by. Hearing tires hit gravel behind me I threw my chin up toward the tree tops. The last of my warm coffee emptied quickly into me and I held on to its warmth as long as I could. Flannel had arrived first with ML following only moments behind. We greeted each other excitedly and gathered our gear before launching out for our rendezvous with the river. As rivers do we began our adventure north and slowly let the current take us south. 

I read recently fishermen are merely distracted hikers taking a recess from their path. The sentiment struck a chord as I do enjoy not just the catching of fish but the hike through the woods, the slow wading just off the river bank and especially a quite paddle on my way to a favorite spot. Today our route was taken by boat and paddle. The emersion into your environment this way, if done right, is furtive and a lot can be seen and enjoyed of the outdoors from the low quiet seat of a kayak. Fully loaded with caffeine and the prospect of courting a few fish we were fully congested with excitement. 

We started off with a temperature reading that did nothing to fan the flame of our excitement. The night before dropped to a cold 29 degrees and killed any warmth the water had gained from this years spring so far. My thermometer read the water with a red line that marked 49 degrees. We should have held a funeral for this knowledge was the death of my excitement for any expectation of smallmouth being on fire. You know what they say about work and fishing. So with all of us having the next two days off we smiled knowing we had a full day of dry air, sunshine and freedom to hunt for fish before making camp. 

*Fishing in HD *









*ML Bronze*










The first find I made on the water was not of fish but of something I found to mean so much more to me. Just off the river up on the bank where the water had recently receded was a pop of color that did not match the native colors of springs green explosion. I quickly parked my kayak and walked up the bank to investigate. I reach down and found a child sized paddle. Most people Im sure would think this nothing of importance but to me it was a moment that just seemed meant to be. My thoughts went home of my wife and the baby she kept that we are expecting this summer, our first born. I reached for the small paddle with a heart swollen with a fathers love. The moment meant something. It is a baby boy we will welcome to our family this summer. One day I hope to pass on this love of kayaking, camping, fishing and exploring to him. One day when hes of age I will pass to him a rod and reel and when asked of him he will say, I am angler like my father before me. So I attached the paddle to my kayak on the opposite side of my own and began my trip in the most meaningful of ways. 

We all cast our lines in deeper pools of wood and rock structure but the cold air and cold water proved to be most difficult to overcome in the morning. Our hooks mostly came up empty. I set the hook on a rockbass off some wood on a CrawTube that quickly came off. I am confidante it would have made FO but it was not meant to be. At the tail end of a pool a solid smallmouth in the 14 range passively hit a jerkbait on the pause about 3-4 feet down. Once hooked it fought hard but it too let loose before coming to the boat. It wasnt till much later in the day when the fish seemed to thaw out and become a bit more active. It was back to slow fishing with a tube at the mouth of a creek arm where I hooked a stout 14 largemouth. It gave my spirit a bit of life and I committed to giving the area some extra attention. Flannel and ML headed on down river and I continued dragging a tube real slow on the bottom. You could call it sight fishing because I didnt feel a thing from the end of my line it simply moved. I quirked an eyebrow as I watched my line move unnaturally. I slowly reeled in 4 feet of slack line bowing my rod toward the lure. I set the hook with a homerun swing. Im sure I must have briefly knocked the fish unconscious. Nothing moved. This fish was BIG. It went where it wanted to and to my horror I watched my line move toward the surface. I tried to keep her down but it was too late. The first sight of it was a giant mouth held wide open. When it broke the surface it swung its open mouth back and forth trying to dislodge my hook. It exploded from the water before tail walking a few times at the bow of my boat. Before I could subdue this beautifully big river largemouth it gave me up a championship fight. For her cooperation I took a quick photo of it before watching it disappear into the water again. That catch warmed me more than the good brew of coffee I had downed earlier in the morning. 

*River Green *











I paddled down river and caught up with the gang and told them my story. I was still caught up in the thrill of my catch when Flannel points down river and asks, What the heck is that? We look over and see a giant tree standing naked and bright white. It stood in solid contrast to the other trees around that held a thick armor of bark. The river split two ways at the base of the tree where behind it an island formed. Above, way above at the top of the tree was a nest the size of a car. We knew it to be a bald eagles nest and as soon as we voiced the thought out of nowhere the bird appeared. We couldnt believe our eyes. This area has never had an eagle nesting here in my lifetime. We sat and watched it for some time taking pictures and discussing how blessed we felt to have seen not just this eagle but a bald eagle on back to back overnight trips on separate rivers. It was an amazing sight to see. We eventually made our way passed Eagle Island and arrived down river at our own Island, Pirate Island, where we docked and made base camp for the night. 

*Eagles Nest*









*Perched*









*Soaring Eagle*









It wasnt for fish alone we had come for but to explore and discover a new adventure. Despite the slow fishing we were all in high spirits rambling about how much fun the trip had already been. Flannel put together a beautiful fire and before it was roaring high I had a tent popped up and they both had tied down hammocks for sleeping quarters. The best part of over-nighting on the river together seems to be the campfire chat reviewing the days events and planning the next. When we were all set for the night after gathering wood we stoked the fire and roasted dogs and marshmallows into the night. I inquired of my friends what they had brought along in their coolers and was devastated to find not one but two of us had packed of all things BANNANS, both Flannel & ML laying a curse on our fishing!?!? A soft and soothing sound of running water from the river sung 2 of the 3 of us to sleep. Me I couldnt close my eyes without nightmares of bananas. 

*Fire & Water*









*Pirate Island*









The next day we packed up leaving the island clean like we had never been but before launching out we had a proper breakfast via JetBoil. Ill let ML tell that tale as he was master chef for most of our two day trip. As always both days we ate well. We knew rain was coming and left our island home early hoping to get some good fishing in prior to the forecasted weather change. We all suited up taking a different approach to intimidating fish into our boat. We took a more aggressive approach than we had taken the day before fishing as kayak pirates pillaging the river for smallmouth. 

*Jackson Three*









*River Pirate*









Then the rain came. At first it was only a drizzle. Then slowly it came down at a steady penetrating pace. We knew our rain gear wouldnt last long in this kind of assault. Quickly it failed us and we wore the weather like an extra layer of garment. We all knew in our hearts these conditions were not fishable but neither of us wanted to voice it out loud. No one wanted to submit to the will of the rivers tempestuous and feral side. In two days of kayaking the river in search of fish the river had both smiled and frowned upon us. The love of river fishing is a demanding relationship. Sometimes you win the day and other times she does. After a great lunch it was her time to triumph. For several miles we paddled hard but no matter how hard we paddled warmth was not found in any stroke. Cold hard rain beat at us relentlessly. In the midst of the rain storm we surprisingly enjoyed ourselves. I myself had additional fun when I took my ceremonial flipping of the kayak before making takeout. We had made it . . . wet and cold but victorious having lived out another adventure on the river. But even today after our trip I dont yet know if it was the weather that had slowed the bite or if it was the bananas?


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Camping. Glorious river camping !!! I've been bitten by this bug hard and fallen in love with its simplicity and allure. 

Nothing like snuggling into a warm inviting hammock...


Bitten by the BACKUP... 25 year old hand made wooden craw imitation !!! 


Thumbs up for river camping !


How about a warm breakfast starting out on the river for a day? Coffee and Jetboil equals amazing !!!


Chef ML1187 with a Jetboil breakfast of quinoa,oats, raspberries and blueberries!!! Yum!!!


What a trip. The beauty of the river. Astonishing. Addicting. Fun. 


Can we do again this weekend? &#128513;


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## BaitWaster (Oct 25, 2013)

I enjoy reading these write ups about the Jackson Three. You guys really make the most of your time on the water! Congrats on the river greenie SMB. And really awesome write up


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## canoe carp killer (Apr 2, 2014)

Great report and great read!! Love the Jackson kayaks all together and the three of u with masks on is an awesome pic


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

Looks like you guys had a great time hopefully next time the fish and weather cooperate!


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## mudkings (May 11, 2010)

Great write-up. I like those hammocks.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

monsterKAT11 said:


> Looks like you guys had a great time hopefully next time the fish and weather cooperate!



Thanks Kat!!! As a fellow BigRig owner I'm sure you will be glad to hear that the rig did amazing on the overnight!!!!

I think I could have carried my gear as well as Flannels and SMBs and still had room!

Also the extra weight hardly phased the thing. It was a bit slower to turn but that was it. No issues with stability with all that extra weight!

And that Engel cooler.... DUDE. 30 qt and still plenty of room. 

The BigRig is a over nighters dream man!


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## bellbrookbass (Sep 20, 2013)

Great report as always! Wouldn't be surprised to start hearing some urban legends about ghost pirates roaming local rivers. But at least now I know to bring bananas for protection!


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## monsterKAT11 (Jun 20, 2004)

ML1187 said:


> Thanks Kat!!! As a fellow BigRig owner I'm sure you will be glad to hear that the rig did amazing on the overnight!!!!
> 
> I think I could have carried my gear as well as Flannels and SMBs and still had room!
> 
> ...




I can't wait for my cooler. Unfortunately the big rig offers you a million reasons and options to keep spending money hahah


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## BuzzBait Brad (Oct 17, 2014)

What a story. Sounds like fun. Might have to try this someday. 

Funny you mention bald eagles. I had an encounter with 3 of them at Dale Hollow in Kentucky this weekend. It was really cool.


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## 9Left (Jun 23, 2012)

Very nice report boys... That riverside campfire pic has me really missing the overnight trips. Just awesome...and nice job on the write up Jonathan!


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## deltaoscar (Apr 4, 2009)

Looks like you guys had a great time. 

SMB that LMB is OMG.

Bananas on a boat is definitely bad ju-ju.


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## Aaron2012 (Mar 26, 2014)

Awesome report guy's, it looks like you river pirates had a blast. A big congratulations to SMBHooker on having your first child. I can't till my daughter will sit still long enough to fish for a few.


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## Yakbird (Nov 26, 2014)

The reading about your river trip was AWESOME!!! I loved it all. Well written, with great accompanying pictures. Thank you for taking the time to write about it.


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## Fisherman 3234 (Sep 8, 2008)

Awesome job on the trip guys!!! Very nice read.


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## Eatsleepfish (Aug 3, 2008)

Awesome report SMB! That green thing in your hand is quite nice too


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

Looks like a lot of fun guys! I had big plan to do some river yak/camping trips this year too. Those plans have most likely changed for this year due to a move north of the border. But I've still been able to get some yak fishing in just not of the river variety. I'm going to have to live vicariously through you guys via your trip reports! Nice job and great write up!


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## Cat Mangler (Mar 25, 2012)

SMB, that lmb is amazing, I would have went in a hail storm or blizzard if I knew it meant a fish like that would end up in my hands! That's how to fish.

And congrats on your future bfb(best fishin bud) if you think that catching hogs like that make ya feel good, just wait till the munchkin beats one of your PB's. There is no feeling of pride stronger than that, trust me. 

Super good report once again man!!!


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## bigred0304 (May 13, 2014)

A pleasure to read as always SMB and nice fish! Nothing like being outdoors with the boys. Especially whey you are getting into some good fish.


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## IGbullshark (Aug 10, 2012)

That was a truly awesome report! That Largemouth is an absolute beast!


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## Yakkin4bass (Oct 28, 2013)

Killer write-up!!! Looks like an absolute blast!!!


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

Looks like a great time guys! Something I've noticed in my life is that when you have fun adventures in the rain, or crappy weather, that's the part you miss the most when you look back on a trip.


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## greghal (Aug 22, 2013)

SMB, I love your write ups, you got a way of making us feel we are there with you guys on these adventures. You, co-angler, OSG, and a few others on here have a talent for these great write ups and pics. What an awesome trip. Congrats on the coming of your son, you will be a great dad.


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## savethetrophies (Jul 4, 2014)

Looks like the funnest day of all time... The largemouth was king bro.... Wow!


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## HOUSE (Apr 29, 2010)

greghal said:


> SMB, I love your write ups, you got a way of making us feel we are there with you guys on these adventures. You, co-angler, OSG, and a few others on here have a talent for these great write ups and pics. What an awesome trip. Congrats on the coming of your son, you will be a great dad.


x2 

Where do I sign up for the next trip? That sounded like a blast.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

*


greghal said:


> SMB, Congrats on the coming of your son, you will be a great dad.


*


Cat Mangler said:


> SMB,
> And congrats on your future bfb(best fishin bud) if you think that catching hogs like that make ya feel good, just wait till the munchkin beats one of your PB's. There is no feeling of pride stronger than that, trust me.


*


Aaron2012 said:


> A big congratulations to SMBHooker on having your first child. I can't till my daughter will sit still long enough to fish for a few.


Thx guys, I'm am out of this world excited about this little guy! I can't wait to greet him into the world. Funny thing is I read this report to him and as soon as I got to the finding of the paddle he started moving like crazy in momma's belly. That was really neat. I honestly got a little chocked up when I wrote that part of the report.


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## Just Fishin' (Nov 27, 2012)

SMBHooker said:


> Thx guys, I'm am out of this world excited about this little guy! I can't wait to greet him into the world. Funny thing is I read this report to him and as soon as I got to the finding of the paddle he started moving like crazy in momma's belly. That was really neat. I honestly got a little chocked up when I wrote that part of the report.


Dude, the excitement on that boy's face when he catches his first fish will be priceless and you'll remember that for the rest of your life!

Be honest now... you probably already have a Jackson Mini Tripper in mind for him, right?! haha


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

JUST HAD TO ADD THIS... LOL


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

*


bellbrookbass said:


> Wouldn't bezizz surprised to start hearing some urban legends about ghost pirates roaming local rivers.*


*


canoe carp killer said:


> Great report and great read!! Love the Jackson kayaks all together and the three of u with masks on is an awesome pic


Thx man, I thought it was pretty sweet myself. 

When the water warms no doubt our pirate masks will scare many smallmouth in the boat without even the use of rod & reel. I will for sure be needing a nice Jolly Roger flag waving behind my Coosa to be fully outfitted properly . . . and possibly a spear-gun.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

SMBHooker said:


> and possibly a spear-gun.


I'm 99% sure Jackson make a mount for a harpoon. I'll post a link if I find it.


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## Crawdude (Feb 6, 2013)

Crawdude said:


> I'm 99% sure Jackson make a mount for a harpoon. I'll post a link if I find it.


Here's the link

http://www.fieldandstream.com/photo...haling-harpoon-gun-sale-gunbrokercom/?image=0


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

A fun trip as usual fellas! Wish I could have done a little better fish wise but there's always next time. The camping, comradery and kayaking is a blast all in its own right. I am having fun just perfecting my camping setup.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

This is Flannel's creation. The man simply knows how to make a proper campfire! 










Have some fun next time you camp out on the river or backyard and capture a strong high flame on your camera in slow motion, it's wicked cool. In slow motion it looks like liquid fire!!!!


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## Rybo (Jul 23, 2009)

Great report gents!


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## Schoenherrz (Feb 27, 2014)

How do you guys like the hammock/Tarp setup versus a traditional tent?

Zach


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Schoenherrz said:


> How do you guys like the hammock/Tarp setup versus a traditional tent?
> 
> Zach


I've been tenting for awhile now but ML & Flan got me convinced. I am a soon to be convert!!


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## Schoenherrz (Feb 27, 2014)

Same here! It's looks like it is light weight and small to pack. It also would be nice to be off the ground. I have never slept in a hammock though, I wonder how comfortable they are?


Zach


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

I have only used it a few times but love it so far, and it is getting even more comfortable as I learn. Putting two more nights in it this weekend and can't wait. It has rained on every overnight hang and I have stayed bone dry. You can pick a decent one up for cheap and get started.


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## Deadeyedeek (Feb 12, 2014)

SMB, not sure what you do for a living, but if you aint a writer, you missed your calling!!Super story,great read


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## BaitWaster (Oct 25, 2013)

Congratulations SMB on having a baby boy this summer! I am going to be a father of a boy in August and can't wait! Best wishes to you and your wife!


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## oldstinkyguy (Mar 28, 2010)

Love the eagle pics. Do you sleep ok in the hammocks? One spot I camp on the river is just begging for a hammock, just worried I wouldn't sleep.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

oldstinkyguy said:


> Love the eagle pics. Do you sleep ok in the hammocks? One spot I camp on the river is just begging for a hammock, just worried I wouldn't sleep.[/QUOTE
> 
> I for one sleep amazingly well in mine, and I'm a rather large fella. I think Flannel will agree. The simplicity, compactness, and comfort make them a real winner in my book. Not to mention the entire setup including hammock, upgraded straps, rain tarp, and associated guy lines weigh only a few pounds. I couldn't be happier.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Boy this site is going to take some getting used too... 

Here was my reply... 

I for one sleep amazingly well in mine, and I'm a rather large fella. I think Flannel will agree. The simplicity, compactness, and comfort make them a real winner in my book. Not to mention the entire setup including hammock, upgraded straps, rain tarp, and associated guy lines weigh only a few pounds. I couldn't be happier.


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## Flannel_Carp (Apr 7, 2014)

Ditto! I have slept very soundly every time I have used it. I love the simplicity of the setup and take-down. To me, the openness under a large tarp is much more enjoyable than being cramped up in a small tent. It is nice to be able to set the height of your own ceiling; or for that matter, decide whether you even need it that day or not. My next hammock related purchase will be a nice down underquilt, which is like a sleeping bag but is strung up to hang snugly against the underside (outside) of the hammock. This provides insulation for your body but will not be compressed by the weight of your body like the bottom of a sleeping bag is (negating it's insulating properties). All you need is two sturdy trees that are less than 25' (for my setup) but more than 12' apart and you are able to set up camp.


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## Mississippi (Apr 1, 2015)

Cool trip. I've been wanting to do a river camp. Probably will do a few this year. Seems like a blast!


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

Mississippi said:


> Cool trip. I've been wanting to do a river camp. Probably will do a few this year. Seems like a blast!


Thx Mississippi, you won't regret the decision. Fish aside camping the river via kayak is a unique experience. Warning, you will get hooked on it Fast!


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## GarrettMyers (May 16, 2011)

Excellent report gents. I'm really looking forward to meeting up with you guys on your next adventure.


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