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Product Review: Columbia PFG Terminal Tackle Shorts

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Tackle tray is 4 1/2″ wide by 7 3/8″ tall. Elastic lanyard and small pocket can hold pliers, etc.

Yes, I’m wearing gloves. Those will be reviewed soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used to use MMA training shorts in the board shorts style to surfboard and kayak fish. No, I don’t train MMA but they were stretchy, and had hip pockets to hold my phone. After years of use they started unraveling, and since I rarely board fish anymore, I was looking to replace them with shorts that had open front pockets since I didn’t plan to be swimming or wading in waist deep water.

Columbia Sportswear makes a line of clothing specifically for fishing, called Performance Fishing Gear, or PFG.  I hadn’t worn Columbia clothing for more than a decade, but the shirts and pants I had before were very functional and reasonably priced.  My dad still wears my long sleeve, button down, collared, vented fishing shirt to do yard work. 🙂

West Marine has a great selection of the Columbia PFG line, so I tried on some long sleeve, high tech, sun reflecting shirts and the Terminal Tackle shorts.  Columbia shirts run a bit big.  I wear a Large in other brands of fishing shirts but their Medium is roomy for me.  I was a size 30 in the shorts which is about what I wear in surf trunks cuz a 30 really has a 31 – 32 inch waist maybe?

I liked that the Terminal Tackle shorts had 4-way stretch material, deep, useful front pockets, and a zippered side pocket that could fit my Galaxy S8 Active. It also came with a bottle opener / line cutter on an elastic leash.  I don’t keep anything in my pockets while seated in the kayak, but having pockets would be super helpful during the loading and unloading process and for boat fishing.

Purchased some long sleeve shirts that I haven’t tried yet, and the Terminal Tackle shorts.  Oama fished in them, and they were comfortable due to the stretch. I loved having a place to put my keys and phone when I got out of the water.  They’re also sun, stain and stink resistant which is key when you’re using smelly baits for picky oama.

Kayak fishing for 6 hrs was a much better stress test.  The shorts were comfortable in the heat, didn’t chafe, dried quickly and held my pre and post fishing stuff easily.  They look more like walk shorts than surf trunks, which is ok I guess.  I removed the bottle opener/line cutter and can attach a fishing tool to the elastic lanyard if I want.  At $50 in the stores locally, they’re cheaper than stretchy surf trunks and at times some colors are on sale at www.columbia.com.  The Terminal Tackle shorts are everything I wanted in fishing shorts – I highly recommend them.

Product Review: The ubiquitous Frabill oama bait bucket

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The strongly recommended bait bucket to use for oama in Hawaii has been the Frabill Flow Troll on the left. If you see fishermen carrying that bucket you know they’re either planning to catch bait, or have live bait in it to dunk.  What makes it so convenient to use is that it’s weighted to float with the door facing up, and when pulled, water flows through to aerate the bait in the bucket.  But the feature that separates it from the rest, including the Plano (parent company of Frabill) bucket on the right, is that the Flow Troll has a spring loaded door that allows you to push it open with one hand and drop in your oama, without having to unlatch and latch the door.

If you had to fiddle with opening and closing a latch, there’s a good chance your precious oama would find its way out. We even carry the Flow Troll inside our kayaks when holding live oama, and dunk it overboard occasionally, to give the bait fresh, oxygenated water.

Trust me, don’t buy any other bait bucket unless you will always have two hands available to access it.  You should be able to find the Flow Troll at your local tackle shop for $15 or less, and expect it to last for many oama seasons.

Product Review: Sufix 832, the best braid you can use?

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The guys and I have been using braid on our reels to get maximum line capacity, and maximum casting distance.  Braid lasts longer than mono but is more expensive.  We had tried different brands before trying Sufix 832 Advanced Superline.

Thad:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returning from a 7 year fishing hiatus due to new daddy duties, I was surprised to learn that braid had become the prevalent line used by most fishers. Hearing about the benefits of braid made it a no–brainer to switch. This meant having to upgrade much of my old gear to “braid friendly” versions. Keep in mind I’m still a relative newbie to braided lines so this review is limited to first hand use of a few brands.

With so many braid choices on the market, I decided to start with one I had heard of and that a coworker swears by – PowerPro. It took a little getting used to the characteristics of braid and I had to learn some new knots to replace ones I used with mono, but I loved being able to cast my light lures with lines rated at such heavy breaking strengths. Further research of the pros and cons of PowerPro made me want to test other braids and see the differences for myself.

I wanted to start with the affordable brands available in the US market and not dive right into the ultra-expensive JDM ones. In addition to PowerPro, I purchased Spiderwire Stealth, Daiwa J-Braid, and Sufix 832. I spooled them on to different braid friendly whipping reels to test on the flats and off a marina dock. Both the PowerPro and Spiderwire are 4-strand braids while the Daiwa J-Braid and Sufix 832 are 8-strand.

I prefer the casting smoothness and suppleness of the 8-strand braids. I feel like my casts are longer and I hear less humming of the line going through the guides on both the cast and retrieve. I also haven’t experienced any wind knots – something I had occasional issues with when using the 4-strand PowerPro and Spiderwire.

One noticeable disadvantage of braid compared to monofilament is its abrasion resistance. For this reason, monofilament is still my line of choice when dunking certain rocky spots. But for whipping lures, I won’t (can’t) go back to mono. Between the two 8-strand lines I tested, I’ve noticed much less fraying on the Sufix 832. Repeated casting of the braids cause the lines to show signs of fuzziness or minor fraying where I hold the line with my finger when casting. I cut that section off and re-tie my leader when I notice this. Anytime I feel line rubbing the reef or underwater structure, I always inspect it carefully to find the damaged area for removal. Honestly, there have been a few times where I could not find a frayed section on the Sufix 832 even after feeling a line rub.

Line diameter on the Sufix 832 is also noticeably thinner versus the J-Braid. A friend who was using Daiwa J-Braid asked me what line I was using so I recommended Sufix 832. He later told me he bought some Sufix 832 but didn’t buy a big enough spool to fill his reel because he didn’t know it was so much thinner than Daiwa J-Braid. The thinner Sufix 832 meant he could fit more line on his reel.

From what I’ve seen, some JDM braids are at a whole nother level of strength and performance – if you’re willing to pay the big premium in pricing. Are those braids so much superior to my current favorite Sufix 832? I guess that would depend on your fishing style and how big your wallet is. For my style of fishing and budget, Sufix 832 is more than enough. The advantages I gained over monofilament in terms of casting distance, breaking strength, line diameter, and longevity of the line, far outweigh its higher cost and decreased abrasion resistance.

Scott:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sufix® 832® Advanced Superline® is the strongest, most durable small diameter braid on the market”, or so says the marketing claim.  “832” is called such because it incorporates 8 fibers woven 32 times per inch.  8 fibers make a “rounder” braided line than the 4 fibers that a lot of the competition use.  All of that sounded great when I made the switch from PowerPro a few years ago, but I mainly wanted a braided line that wouldn’t cause backlashes when casting my bait casters.

I had some really bad backlashes prior to switching to Sufix 832 that required scissors to cut out the tangle.  Often I ended up with so little line left that my casting distance was greatly diminished.  Sufix 832 was a smoother, slicker line, and I had far less backlashes. The few backlashes I did get could be easily pulled out, and the subsequent cast was backlash-free.  This was enough to get me stoked on Sufix 832 and loaded it on all my reels.  I’ve never had Sufix break on me, even when fighting sharks that weighed more than twice the lb test rating.  I now realize that more yards of Sufix 832 went on my reels than PowerPro because the diameter of Sufix is smaller.  Smaller diameter braid translates to longer casts and less resistance when dropping a jig or weighted bait down, even more reason to switch to Sufix 832.

In this video, I had freshly spooled Sufix 832 Coastal Camo on a 13 Fishing Concept Z reel and not only was it packed loosely, I cast it dry which increased the chance of backlashes.  The backlash happened immediately and my lure flew off, but the tangle was really easy to pick apart.  I packed the line tight and had no problems after.  Charley’s Fishing Supply just started carrying Sufix 832 in bulk spools. It’s the best braid I’ve used so far.

Wet Sufix 832 pinched with my left thumb and forefinger to provide tension still eventually cuts into my thumb but the waxy coating delays slicing a lot more than less coated lines did.

Product Review: 13 Fishing Omen Travel Rod and Concept Z reel

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I had seen the 13 Fishing brand of rods and reels in tackle catalogs and mainland kayak fishing forums but never really considered using them in Hawaii because they were primarily geared for the fresh water market.  JD, our Hawaii Rapala/Sufix/VMC sales rep was working the 13 Fishing booth at the Fred Hall Show in March and surprised me with a 3 piece Omen travel rod to use with their innovative Concept Z salt water rated bait casting reel.  The “Z” stands for “Zero” ball bearings in the reel; instead it uses “space age polymer bushings” that don’t rust since there are no metal components involved. The non-ball bearing bushings purportedly increased casting distance., which seemed counter intuitive. The physical size of the reel was smaller than the bait casting reels I had been using inshore yet boasted a max drag of 22 lbs. Definitely had to give this reel a try.

Inshore, I mainly use 1/2 oz lures, which are challenging to throw on a bait caster in 15 mph winds.  I was really surprised that the Z reel could cast further on a shorter rod than what I experience with my  slightly longer, softer 1-piece rod. And I was hardly backlashing, even when casting into the wind.  Once I realized I could cast without backlashes, I swapped the 17 lb mono out for 20 lb Sufix 832.  That further increased casting distance. The stiffer tip on the travel rod “walked the dog” easier, and the 3-piece rod felt like a solid 1-piece.

When I did need to adjust the casting brakes, I really liked the way the “Beetle Wing” side plate popped away from the reel frame and swung open but stayed attached to the reel to eliminate dropping it in the water.  The brake settings were on a dial unlike the more common pin setup where you have to pull out or push in the pins.  Definitely easier and safer to adjust when fishing.

The form factor was really light and comfortable to hold and retrieve, and the cranking power felt pretty good for such a small reel.  I was in a Spring season slump when I started testing the gear, and made a lot of great casts but wasn’t hooking fish.  Finally I hooked a 19 inch kaku that was so over powered by the reel it came in green.  Here’s how that day went.

Then I dunked the reel while releasing a fish and took it apart at home. There was a lot of blue reel grease on the moving parts and quite a bit of drag grease on the carbon fiber drag washers, which I assumed was spread when the reel was submerged, then sprayed externally with Corrosion Block.  I cleaned most of the grease off and reapplied a light coating.  When I fished the reel again, the drag was a little sticky and the gears didn’t feel as smooth as they did before my cleanup.  So I opened the reel up again, applied more gear and drag grease and the reel performed great again.

After fishing the 13 Fishing combo for 3 months I found it to be a joy to fish inshore, launching light lures at kaku and small papio.  I was able to land this 3lb white papio before it could get sharked, but the reel’s smaller gearing and short handle crank made it a little more exciting than I preferred.  The reel is definitely not a winch but is a blast on smaller game.

Instead of breaking the 3-piece rod down I just leave it assembled but when I get a chance to travel and fish I’ll definitely be taking it.  I think the Z reel casts so well because it needs less inertia at startup, so it doesn’t make the spool spin excessively fast, thus experiences much fewer backlashes.  Been just 3/4 effort casting to get the same distance I would get with my larger inshore bait casting reels.

No corrosion but I did need to clean off the drag washer residue on the main gear. Didn’t look like materials prone to corrosion were used.

The reel is really easy to open up and maintain.  I don’t think corrosion will be an issue in the long run, but it does appear to need to be liberally greased to perform optimally.

At $200 MSRP, the Concept Z reel is a great first bait caster to start with since it’s so forgiving to cast and maintain but is also a joy for the seasoned fisher to use due to the small form factor and ergonomics.  Paired with a light rod you can cast all day and not get tired.

Brian’s Fishing Supply has started to carry the Concept Z reel, please call ahead to see if he still has some in stock.   If that’s not convenient you can always purchase it online at Tacklewarehouse.com.  And no, I don’t get any commission if you purchase the reel. 🙂

 

 

Product Review: Maui Jim prescription sunglasses

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My initial pair of prescription polarized sunglasses were Oakleys.  The Asian fit frame with nose pads was comfortable and impact resistant but the polarized coating easily scratched and the dark grey lens was too dark to use in low light.  The optical shop where I had purchased the Oakleys recommended Maui Jim (MJ) polarized prescription sunglasses for my next pair. I was surprised to find that the MJ frames were even more comfortable than my Oakleys due to the light weight frame and adjustable nose pads.  It was important to me that the frames didn’t sit on my cheeks and fog up.

My original Twin Falls pair. Still in great condition by my eyesight changed!

I purchased a MJ wrap around style called Twin Falls in 2015 and loved the way they looked and fit.  Got them with a bronze lens that would be good for most lighting situations. The bronze lenses seemed to cut glare yet made colors brighter and my eyes felt so “relaxed” in the outdoors and so uncomfortable without them.

Three years later, my prescription changed a bit and I started developing a slight cataract in my left eye.  No wonder the guys could see boats in the distance and fleeing bait that I couldn’t!  It was time to get a new pair of polarized prescription sunglasses and I considered the options.  I narrowed it down to Maui Jim and Costa Del Mar.  Erik had been field testing two Costa pairs on his boat the last couple of years and said the polarized non-prescription glass lenses were the clearest he has ever used but the frames themselves weren’t comfortable enough to wear for everyday use.  Since my fishing time is much smaller than my drive-in-the-car and outdoor use, it was an easy decision to go with Maui Jim again.

Maui Jim has so many frame styles that it took a while to narrow down my choices.  Since I wanted maximum glare blockage, I needed to stick with the wrap style, and decided on another Twin Falls since I loved the first pair so much!  My 3 yr old frame was still in great shape so I considered just having new lenses made but Maui Jim’s Fishing and Marine Specialist, Mike Battistoni, replied to my request for a product test and offered me his VIP pricing on frame and prescription lenses if I’d do a fair review.  Turns out Mike is an avid fisherman and fishing industry veteran who grew up in Southern California but has been working out of the Florida Maui Jim office in the last few years. As large a client base as he supports, Mike was extremely responsive to my emailed questions.

Mike explained that MJ prescription lenses don’t come in glass but do come in “MauiBrilliant” which are the lightest and optically clearest plastic lenses in the world.  They use 3 rare earth elements to view the 3 main colors (red, blue and green) and add a white base polarizing film that allows the wearer to see a purer white when looking at a white background.  No other competitor offers these features to provide true color viewing.  MJ also uses a bi-gradient, mirror coating on the top and bottom of their lenses to reflect the brightest light away from your eyes, in effect squinting for you.

I really am at the 2018 Div II High School Softball Semi-Finals. I just happen to be wearing my fishing clothes ‘cuz they match St Francis’ colors!

All I know is I can see really well again.  I can’t get over how well I can read street signs and license plates.  The frame’s arms don’t pinch my temples yet fit snug because I have adjusted the nose pads for a custom fit.  I wanted a pair that I could wear for driving, fishing, and in low light. It’s been a hassle to switch to non-sunglass eyeglasses to see when I parked the car underground. I sometimes wear the MJs in stores or restaurants to see far but take them off when talking to people so I’m not viewed as a weird guy with Unabomber tendencies.

 

The horizon, mountains and water look brilliant yet natural, and the polarizing effect built into the entire lens really cuts the glare.  I can see fish following my lures and spot the subtle movement of bait fish again.  Absolutely love the new Maui Jim Twin Falls and wholeheartedly recommend Maui Jim sunglasses !

Find a Maui Jim retailer near you to try a pair on.

 

Product Review: VMC 6X Circle Hooks and 4X Treble Hooks

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We’ve collectively been using VMC 6X Tournament Hooks and VMC 4X Treble Hooks for a few years now with great results.

Here’s what the guys have to say about them.

VMC 6X Tournament Circle Hooks

Darren:

Mustad circle hook that opened up on a shark

12/0 VMC Tournament 6X circle hook

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had been using offset circle hooks with whole or cut fish for uku and wasn’t satisfied with the poor hookup ratio.  A lot of fish were lost due to pulled hooks.  A few opened up on big fish and sharks. When I saw the 6X Tournament Circle hooks at McCully Bike, I liked that they were not offset and the severe angle of the hook point made the gap small.  Small gap meant better holding power, I hoped.  Tried the smallest size, 12/0, and the hookup ratio greatly improved.  More hookups meant more fish in the boat.  Been using the 6X circle hooks going on two years now and am very happy with them.

Scott:

12/0 and 14/0 Perma Steel and 12/0 Coastal Black VMC 6X Tournament Hooks

uku with 12/0 VMC 6X circle hook in mouth

 

 

 

 

 

When Frank and I started fishing the deep off the kayak with chunks of opelu, I asked Darren, my uku sensei, for advice.  He said he liked the VMC 6X Tournament Hooks because he believed the small gap allowed the non-offset hook to slide forward in the fish’s mouth as it ran with the bait, and turn into the jaw.  I liked that it was half the price of the Owner hook that closest resembled it and was available at most Honolulu tackle shops.  The hook point wasn’t as sharp as the Owners but was sharp enough to scratch my thumbnail.

So far I’ve used the Perma Steel version in the 12/0 size (available in most Honolulu tackle shops) and caught uku, sharks and lost mystery fish that cut high up on the leader.  While I don’t like battling sharks off the kayak, I was impressed that the hook set in the corner of the jaw and kept the leader away from the shark’s teeth.  We’ve recently purchased the new Coastal Black version online, which feels like the Japanese designer hooks, and is coated to further resist corrosion.  Looking forward to seeing how they work.

VMC 4X Treble Hooks

Kelly:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been using VMC reinforced treble hooks for 3 years and have come to prefer these hooks over other available brands. For inshore trolling, I use the very small treble hooks, about size #8-#12 (about the size of an edmame) and have caught many fish in the past few years. A few noteworthy catches have been 8 lb white papio, 6 lb omilu, 5 lb kagami, all on Oahu. Luckily, I have not had a VMC treble fail me yet. The hooks are extremely strong and very inexpensive. I buy mine from J&E fishing Supply in Kalihi. The hooks are about 30 cents each, which fits right into my pake fishing budget 🙂 As with most trebles, the hooks are rather sharp as well. The one drawback about these VMC mini treble hooks is that I have not found another fishing supply store here that carries them.

Thad:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been replacing the weaker treble hooks that come attached to small topwater and subsurface lures with 4x strength trebles.  I had previously been buying 4x strength Owner hooks but came across the VMC O’Shaughnessy 4x trebles at a much, much cheaper price and with good reviews.  They come in 25-packs at a lower price than what I paid for an 8-pack of Owners.

I purchased both the silver and red hooks.  It’s a personal preference for me but I like the red hooks because I think they resemble the blood of an injured fish.  Both colors are equally sharp although I have found a few hook points that needed some touching up with a sharpener.  It could be due to the way they’re packaged loosely in the container.  The Owners by comparison, are packaged carefully so they don’t move around and the points don’t touch anything so they are always very sharp.

Corrosion resistance has been impressive.  I always rinse and dry my lures well after using them and have not yet noticed corrosion on any hook.  The packaging on the 25-packs says the hooks are made in France.  I’m assuming the cost of producing hooks in Europe is much higher than in China, and hooks’ quality is much better so it’s surprising they are priced so well.

Promar ProFloat Landing Net

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I’ve been using the smaller 13.5″ x 18.5″ ProFloat landing net by Promar every week for more than 2 yrs now, wade fishing, kayak fishing and boat fishing.  It floats, can be used as a temporary bait hold, has snag proof mesh that even treble hooks don’t foul, has an elastic lanyard, and best of all, it’s cheap!  It sells for about $20 – $25 in the local tackle shops.

Look closely, there’s a tagged kaku recovering in the net

 

My net is still going strong with no wear whatsoever.  The only time I couldn’t land a fish with it was when a sharp toothed aha was too long to fit in the deep net and I didn’t want it falling out in my lap.

When I’ve used friends’ nets to land fish, invariably we’d be wrestling with a hooked fish that was connected to the net by the other hooks.  Do yourself a favor and buy this net.

The stuff I use and why I use ’em – Fishing Tackle

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(Updated April 2019)

Since starting the blog portion of this site in 2014, I’ve stumbled upon equipment to make my fishing easier, more productive and more enjoyable.  I can’t share our fishing spots with you but I can share the equipment I especially like.

The gear categories are fishing tackle, fishing attire, and kayak fishing equipment.

My style and preference may be very different from yours so please take that into account.  Where I deviate the most is using bait casting gear instead of spinning gear.  I’ve mentioned why I like to use bait casters here.

Some of my gear may be discontinued but you should be able to find a newer, hopefully better version of the product.  If you have a product you think is better, please share it with us.  I’m always looking for continuous improvement.

I’ll update this list as I think of other products to add or replace, and write separate product reviews for the really deserving ones.

Fishing Tackle

Rods: I primarily use bait casting gear and like my rods to be as light in weight and as sensitive as possible.  I try to be careful with my rods so I’ve been able to use graphite / carbon fiber rods which are lighter and more responsive than fiberglass. The lightness really makes a difference when I’m whipping or jigging for hours at a time.  For whipping, I try to find G. Loomis demo rods on eBay, and use Shimano Trevala rods for jigging.  I also have a Shimano Game Type-J jig rod that is a super light, strong delight to jig with all day.

Reels: Again, I primarily use bait casting reels.  I used other brands in the 90s to kayak fish and they corroded quickly so I switched to early model Shimano Calcuttas and have used Shimanos since. The Shimano bait casters rated for salt water are easy to cast, corrosion resistant and fairly easy to maintain.  If I need to have the reel professionally repaired, Shimano’s flat rate repairs have been very reasonable.  Reel parts are also available online at a great price with expedited shipping.  I’m able to do most of my reel maintenance myself now, after bungling my initial repairs.  Besides the Calcuttas, I use Shimano Curados, Tranxs and a Trinidad (conventional).

Line – Backing or Main: Sufix 832 braid. I’ve tried the other popular brands with less than desirable results.  I’ve found Sufix 832 to be round (8 strands), smooth and cast very well.  It doesn’t bind into itself they way the other brands did, and if I do get a rare backlash I can easily pull out the snag without too much drama. I’ve heard great things about Jerry Brown braid and want to try that soon.

Line – Top Shot: I’m able to put Seaguar Invizx fluorocarbon on my bait casting reels. I’ve tried to put it on a spinning reel and it spun itself off.  Invizx, being castable fluorocarbon, is nearly invisible in the water and very abrasion resistant. It takes a lot of rubbing on the reef to get cut off by a fish but it also makes it hard to break off snags.  I use Invizx on my trolling reel and inshore casting reel.  Invizx only goes up to 25lb so I don’t use it on my plugging setup.

Line – Leader: Seaguar Blue Label fluorocarbon leader. I like that Blue Label is supple and easy to tie knots, and doesn’t seem to kink like some other brands.  I use 40lb Blue Label in place of wire leader when kaku are around and don’t think I’ve been cut off yet.

Hooks: When I lived in California, I’d go on party boat trips once or twice a year.  The guys would tell me that if you’re gonna spend the money for these trips you don’t want to lose a fish because your hook was too weak or too dull.  The “designer” hooks cost a little more but you know they are sticky sharp and won’t break on a fish.  I use a Gamakatsu Live Bait hook as the front hook on my double trolling rig because the short shank doesn’t extend out too far and make the bait look funny, and an Owner Flyliner hook on the rear hook because the longer shank will extend out of the fish and be easier to unhook. I pinch the barbs down because I often tag and release and it’ll be easier to pull out of my flesh. I replace my lure trebles with Owner Inline Singles for the front hooks and Owner 4X trebles for the rear hooks.  The designer hooks have a corrosion resistant coating and when they begin to rust I toss them.  Usually I lose them before that happens.  I started using the big VMC Tournament Circle hooks to fish big baits from my kayak’s rod holder.  They are strong and sharp and not as expensive as the Owner and Gamakatsu circle hooks.

Update April 2019: I now use VMC hooks in place of the designer brands wherever I can because they perform almost as well and are often close to half the price of the designer hooks.  My hookup ratio hasn’t seemed to suffer. Here’s an team review of the VMC 6X circle hooks and 4X treble hooks.

Lure Clips: Tactical Angler Power Clips.  These clips make it easy to slide in and out lures very quickly and the wide bend allows the lures to swing more freely than if tied directly to your leader. Haven’t lost a fish due to clip failure yet.

Weights.  I do use a special weight to whip and troll.  It’s my secret weapon.  Maybe I’ll reveal it later.

Swivels.  I don’t have a specific brand but I do try to use ball bearing swivels.  The bait casting reel doesn’t introduce line twist like a spinner does so I don’t have problems with tangles.

Lures – Whipping. I’m of the belief that the bait fish in Hawaii are small and shifty. Most of the plugs available domestically are larger than I prefer, or don’t cast well in the wind.  Friends and I have been using 1/2 to 3/4 ounce, 4 to 5 inch JDM lures that match our hatch, cast well and most float.  They are hard to obtain at a reasonable price but I’ll write more about them later.

Lures – Jigging.  Since the Japanese invented the Slow Pitch jigging technique it stands to reason that the JDM jigs are the best.  The jigs available locally work too, and I’ve had some amazing results with the Live Deception jig by Ahi USA.  I love jigging but don’t get to jig very often. Friends and I are still trying to get better at the sport.  All but the Live Deception, 4th from the top, are from Japan, but some were sold in the local tackle shops.

Landing Net: Promar ProFloat landing net.  It floats, it has tangle free mesh, an elastic lanyard and it’s cheap.  What more can you ask for?  It’s available in the tackle shops in town.

Gear Lanyards: I use various tethers on my tackle bag and kayak.  I really like the T-Reign Retractable Tether because it doesn’t leave loose cords around to get tangled in.  So far, after a few years of use, they haven’t corroded.  I use Boomerang Snips too and after years of use, if the retractable spring stops working I glue an attachment point and use the T-Reign tether to hold it to my bag. (see photo)

Waterproof Tackle Bag – Patagonia Stormfront Sling.  This bag is expensive, and the price has gone up twice since I purchased it 2  yrs ago.  But the main compartment really is waterproof and makes for worry-free wade and boat fishing, and easy cleanup. Patagonia honors their lifetime warranty. A zipper tab broke and they gave me a brand new sling bag after 2 yrs of use.  This time around I won’t be carrying bait for oama and stinking it up.

Fishing pliers: Rapala aluminum pliers.  All my previous “carbon steel” needle nose pliers have eventually rusted out and left corrosion stains in their sheaths.  These aluminum pliers shouldn’t rust but they are shorter than the ones they are replacing.  Hope they’re long enough to keep my fingers away from sharp teeth.

The stuff I use and why I use ’em – Kayak Fishing Equipment

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(Updated June 2021)

I finally got an offshore kayak, in Jan 2019.  Since that allowed me to go further and deeper, a few other accessories needed to be updated.  

I’ll mention the kayak fishing products that perform especially well.  Please check out my other gear recommendations.

Kayaks: Ocean Kayak Trident Ultra 4.3 , Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro, both discontinued.  Here’s the in-depth review of the Trident Ultra 4.3.  The Scupper Pro is long (14’9″) and narrow (26″), so it paddles well but is tippy and doesn’t have much room in the cockpit.  Adding a rudder to the Pro really made it an efficient paddler in the wind and current.

Rack: Thule bars, Thule Glide and Set pads and cradles. I’m able to slide the yak onto the rear hatchback without much back strain.  Please read my short post about the rack system. 

Paddle:  2-piece carbon shaft Werner Camano paddle.   Light, strong and has an adjustable ferrule to change the angle of the offset. Looks beautiful too!

Jigging reel for offshore. Shimano Trinidad 14. Silky smooth, high gear retrieve and easy to maintain. And has a clicker so the fish’s runs are audible in videos. 🙂

Trolling reel for offshore: Avet SX Raptor.  Small, light footprint for a workhorse 2-speed lever drag that’s super easy to maintain.  Moved up to this to quickly get into strike drag after hooking fish, and for boosting big sharks off the bottom in low gear. Max drag 26lbs. Amazing little reel.

Hooks: VMC Live Bait hook size 3/0 to 5/0 for front hook, VMC Inline Single hook size 2/0 to 5/0 for stinger hook. 

Leader: Seaguar Invisiline 40lb fluorocarbon. 

Wire Leader: Knot2Kinky 35lb.

Main Line: Sufix 832 braid.

Swivels: VMC Heavy Duty Ball Bearing Swivels with snap and without.

Click here to see VMC tackle in the Store.

Click here to see Sufix line in the Store.

Kayak Seat: On Scupper Pro – Surf to Summit GTS Pro with a Hot Seat pad.  The more padding the better when sitting and bracing for more than 4 hrs.

Life Vest: NRS Chinook. This vest was made for kayak fishers and has a lot of pockets and attachment points.  The high back starts at my lumbar and doesn’t get in the way when I lean back.  It’s like wearing a comfortable tackle bag that can save my life.

Stuff in the NRS vest:

  • Personal Locator Beacon (PLB): ACR ResQLink+. If I need to be rescued, I can push a button and the Coast Guard will be sent my GPS location.  My emergency contact will be notified also. The unit is waterproof and floats.  Wearing it gives me and my loved ones peace of mind.
  • Whistle.
  • Motorola MS350R floating walkie talkie.
  • Standard Horizon HX300 vhf radio.
  • Gerber Neat Freak scissors.
  • Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool.
  • Pre-tied leaders.
  • Hooks, swivels and lead.
  • Cell Phone.
  • Aquapac waterproof phone bag.

Waterproof, Floating Walkie Talkie: Motorola MS350R.  I can keep in touch with my fishing partners for safety and fish reports.  Often we’re within eye sight but not ear shot of each other.  I’ve lost 1 walkie talkie so far, so I’m now buying refurbished units to minimize the loss.

Gerber Neat Freak scissors.  Designed to very cleanly cut braided line so the raw edge can be threaded into small eyelets.  I have this attached to my life vest and have cut fluoro leaders and braided main line free in dangerous situations.  I’ve also cut defrosted bait into chunks with it.  Very easy to handle in a pinch.

Fishing pliers: Rapala aluminum pliers.  All my previous “carbon steel” needle nose pliers have eventually rusted out and left corrosion stains in their sheaths.  These aluminum pliers shouldn’t rust but they are shorter than the ones they are replacing.  Hope they’re long enough to keep my fingers away from sharp teeth.

Bilge Pump: Seattle Sports.

Rod Holders: I have two Tite-Loc Rocket Launcher on the Scupper Pro and an Angler’s Pal Stainless Steel holder on the Swing. The Angler’s Pal is adjustable to 360 degrees but is hard to remove so I leave it mounted, parallel to the deck.  The Tite-Loc isn’t as adjustable but is easily removable with one allen screw so I take it off the Scupper Pro.  Both have performed well and haven’t shown signs of corrosion.

Fish Finder (inshore):  Huminbird Fishin Buddy 120.  Discontinued. This simple unit has both a side finder that scans the top portion of the water in front of my kayak and a traditional bottom finder.  Runs on 6 AA batteries.  I cut off the fixed plastic tube that held the transducer cord and mounted it on the kayak with Ram Mounts.  The transducer creates a small bit of drag but having a fish finder on the boat is worth the extra resistance. If I need to paddle far I’ll lift the transducer out of the water.  Fishing without it is like fishing blind.

Fish Finder (offshore): Garmin Echomap 44cv. My first “real” fish finder ever, and this has GPS maps so we can mark spots and find known hot spots.  It has amazing resolution in its “traditional sonar” and the CHIRP sonar view has picture quality bottom returns.  We couldn’t fish the deep without it.

(I cracked my Echomap 44CV when it was out of warranty and now have a Echomap 44CV Plus. Has better maps and better sonar detail.)

Net:  Promar ProFloat Landing Net.  Besides the fact that it will float if I drop it, it also has snag free mesh.  Fish I’m about to tag are much more controllable sitting in the net in front of my lap.

Gaff:  After our small boat friend Erik hooked a 35lb shibi in the area that we fish and eventually landed it with a kage gaff, I’m trying to remember to take a small traditional gaff again and a bat.  For years I got by without even a net since the fish I caught were small.  We’re in the process of making a shorter kage for our purposes.

Kayak Cooler (inshore):  Seattle Sports Kayak Catch Cooler.  This 20 inch cooler fits the bow of the kayak really well and has a removable waterproof  inner sleeve that keeps the fish separated from the block of Arctic Ice – Alaskan Series that I use.  Easy to reach forward and store fish, and when I pull the fish out at home, it’s like they were stored in the fridge.  The inner and outer bag clean up quickly.  No more fish spoiling in the hot Hawaiian sun.  Click here to read about the amazing Arctic Ice product.

Kayak Cooler (offshore): Hobie Catch Bag made by Reliable Products.  This is their larger bag, 36 inches long and holds 70 qts.  Frank’s first ono caused us to have to use both both our Seattle Sports Kayak Catch Cooler and we quickly realized we needed a larger bag if we were going offshore.  It doesn’t come with an inner bag so I use a large dry bag to hold the ice and fish, keeping the catch bag relatively clean.

Live Bait Bucket: Plano Flow Troll. The same yellow bait bucket we all put our oama in.  I submerge it in the water every so often to refresh the water for the oama, and keep it in the cockpit when I paddle.

Dry bag: Sealine see-thru bag of miscellaneous stuff. Used to be water proof but has been poked too many times by fish spines and tag applicators.

Rogue Fishing Company Protector 3.0 Phone Tether.  I couldn’t unlock my waterproof phone through a waterproof pouch and switched to this in June 2021. Can now send and receive texts and take photos.

Rogue Fishing Company Defender Rod and Paddle Leash. Much lighter and quieter than the coiled hard plastic leashes I had been using.

The stuff I use and why I use ’em – Fishing Attire

By 4 Comments

(Updated April 2019)

Just a few years ago, the only people you’d see decked out in hats, neck gaiters (those tube scarf things) and long sleeve performance shirts were fly fishers. Now all the sensible anglers are adorned that way.  Since we’re in the sun a lot and always wet, I try to cover up with materials that provide UV protection and stain resistance, shed water and breathe.  Cotton retains water and isn’t your friend in these situations, stretchy polyester is.  That applies to everything on your body.

I’ll briefly list what I like to wear, from head to toe.  Please check out my other gear recommendations.

Anetik mask, Anetik performance shirt, Columbia Terminal Tackle shorts, Anetik shade socks

Patagonia Sunshade Crew: All these blood spots washed off. Note the vertical zippered pocket. Very easy to open with one hand.  Maui Jim Twin Falls wrap around sunglasses.Sunglasses: Maui Jim Twin Falls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunglasses: Maui Jim Twin Falls Polarized Prescription.  So light and comfortable, and the nose pads keep the frame off my cheeks.  The polarized bronze lenses remove glare but allow enough light in to see when the sun is lower in the sky. Wrap style minimizes the amount of light sneaking in from the sides.  Couldn’t find oama without them.  My fishing and everyday glasses because Maui Jim makes the best looking, functional sunglasses, IMHO. I’ve tried sunglasses made specifically for fishing that have great lenses but uncomfortable frames/arms. I wouldn’t want to have to carry around a pair to fish with and another pair to drive home with. Here’s the in-depth review.

Neck Gaiter –

Buff UV Mask. Buff is the industry leader in neck gaiters. I like the way the UV Mask drapes over the shoulder area for even more sun protection, and has perforated breathing holes that won’t unravel. 

Anetik Face Mask.  This contoured mask fits the best out of all the masks I’ve tried, is very breathable, and doesn’t fog if you breathe through the perforated holes.  It looks the best also, IMHO.

Long Sleeve Performance Shirt – Patagonia Sunshade Crew. I’ve tried a lot of long sleeve fishing shirts and these are my favorites.  They are light weight, breathable, stain resistant, loose fitting, under-stated and have a zippered chest pocket.  Everything you want in a fishing shirt and attractive enough to keep wearing after you’re pau fishing.  I store my phone in the easy to unzip pocket when I don’t wade too deep, and put my sunglasses in it when I’m cleaning up at dusk.  Patagonia has a Fall clearance sale (30 – 40% off I think? Free shipping over $75) of the product line (style or color) that won’t be carried into the following year so I try to stock up then.  I haven’t had any problems with my shirts so far, but if I do, I can take them to the local Patagonia store in town for repair or replacement.

UV Leggings – Anetik Shade Socks.  Designed specifically for kayak anglers, these socks breathe well and negate the need for sun tan lotion on your legs. As an added bonus they provide some protection from jellyfish stings! Here’s a brief review.

Shorts: Columbia PFG Terminal Tackle.  4-way stretch, sun, stain and stink resistant with 2 deep front pockets and a zippered side pocket large enough to hold your phone securely. Here’s the in-depth review.

Underwear: Polyester stretch material that wicks water and doesn’t bind on those long kayak paddling days.

Foot wear – Wading: Tabis with felt soles and zipper.  I really should buy a better one that keeps the sand out and supports my foot.

Foot wear – Kayak Fishing: Surf booties, ankle cut.  Enough protection on sole if I have to walk on the reef, and light enough to swim with in an emergency.

 

Easier way to car rack my yak

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I’ve been racking my 15 yr old Scupper Pro on my 18 yr old Subaru Legacy Outback (they didn’t make actual Outbacks back then).  Like the yak and car, my body isn’t getting any younger.  The Scupper Pro is 14′ 9″ and close to 60lbs wet, which is light compared to modern fishing kayaks, but getting harder to hoist onto the rack after paddling for 4 hrs.

Turns out Thule makes a sliding pad and cradle system so old paddlers don’t have to clean and press their yaks.  You put a protective mat on the back of your car, lean the bow of yak on the mat with the stern on the ground and push the yak onto the rear pads that swivel and allow the yak hull to slide through.  The two front cradles are set to hug the hull snugly.  Resting the yak on the back of the car really takes the pressure off a stiff back.

 

Found the discontinued version of the Thule Glide and Set system on eBay and a cosmetic blem version of the Thule Waterslide mat on Amazon at great prices and the system really did make racking and unracking a breeze. Hopefully I’ve added 10 more years to my kayak fishing career.  As added bonuses, the yak sits more securely when strapped onto the rack, and I can open the hatchback while the yak is on the raised pad.