See Through Canoes - Get The Full Fishing Or Paddling Experience

Staying with the theme of my last post about watercraft for fishing, here is another interesting new product. It is a transparent canoe. See Through Canoes strives to provide an experience, not just sell a canoe. Located in Idaho Spring, Colorado, See Through Canoes has five different models of canoes and kayaks that have either completely clear bodies or see-through bottoms. No need to visit their showroom, they'll ship their products to you. Michael McCarthy, the company president who is an avid fisherman, says it allows a fisherman to see the habitat and see what he may catch while fishing. For more information go to www.seethroughcanoe.com.

Kayak Fishing Is Taking Off

Fishing from a kayak has become very popular and continues to gain momentum. I have never tried it; however I hope to have the opportunity soon. I have asked several people who enjoy the sport "why kayak fishing?" And here is what they told me, which makes a lot of sense to me.

It is inexpensive and easy to transport compared to a regular fishing boat. No waiting in line at a boat ramp. It doesn't make any noise. I don't have time to take care of a boat, a kayak is as close to maintenance free as you can get. It's fun! You can go just about anywhere on the water, including the very shallow water where fish hang out. My kayak helps me keep my life and my passion for fishing simple.

The photo included in this post is from a fisherman in Texas who is an avid kayak fisherman and ranks very well in fishing tournaments in his simple little kayak. By the way he was using a Rockport Rattler, available from Crazy Fisherman of course.

Fish Identification Made Easy

Have you ever brought in a fish and not been able to identify exactly what it was? Most of us have had the same problem; however, a fisherman from Minnesota decided to create a practical solution (at least for freshwater species). He created Ident-I-Cards, a set of simple plastic coated cards that you can keep in your tackle box or pocket.

The set of nine freshwater fish ID cards illustrate in lifelike color all of the major freshwater fish families. These families include: Bass, Pike, Trout, Sunfish, Crappie, Salmon, Perch, Walleye, and Catfish. The front of each 4"x 6" card illustrates a family of fish with identifying characteristics highlighted. The back of each card gives scientific and common names, record weights and a brief description of each fish - 51 different species of fish in all. A set of Ident-I-Cards makes a great gift for yourself or your favorite fisherman. And of course they are available at Crazy Fisherman. Click here to learn more about the Ident-I-Card.

Giant Squid - Fisherman's Friend or Foe

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute just released a study to be published in the July 31, 2007 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about the Humboldt squid which is invading the seas off the coast of central California. This species of squid grows up to 7 feet long, can weigh up to 100 pounds, and hunts in packs of hundreds. And did I mention it can move through the water at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Over the last five years the Humboldt squid has moved from equatorial waters and is now found near San Diego and Los Angeles where hundreds have washed up on beaches. The article explain why this has happened.

Fishermen, being the sportsman they are, are now fishing for them because they fight like marlins. Some chefs are cooking them like calamari. As a matter of fact, some charter boat captains see squid fishing as an opportunity grow their income. On one hand, these squid feed on the fish commercial fishermen depend on. On the other hand, it has given sport and recreational fishermen a new challenge. Read more about the study here.

The Latest Fishing Innovations

The 50th annual ICAST show was held last week in Las Vegas. This premier trade show is put on by the American Sportfishing Association. The best part of the show is learning about new products. This year 180 companies entered over 600 fishing products in the new product showcase. Product buyers and media representatives served as judges and here are the winners of the 17 categories.

Boating—Bert’s Custom, Bert’s Track System
Clothing—Old Harbor Outfitters, Technical Shorts
Electronics—Lowrance-Navico, 38C HD Sonar Fish Finder
Eyewear—Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, Man-O’-War
Fishing Accessory—Pure Fishing, Inc. Berkley TEC Pistol Trigger Grip
Freshwater Reel—Shimano American Corporation, Stradic F1 Spinning Reel
Freshwater Rod—E21 Fishing, The Carrot Stix
Giftware—MacDaddy’s Fishing Lures, Pink Ribbon Collection
Hard Lure—Emmett Stacey Inventors & Investors, Rollo Lures
Soft Lure—Pure Fishing, Gulp! Alive!
Kid’s Tackle—Outdoor Adventure Kids, Miss Fisherman series
Line—Pure Fishing, Stren Microfuse: Blue Glacier Fluorescent
Reel/Rod Combo—Pfluegar/Shakespeare, PFLEX Fly/Spin Kit
Saltwater Reel—Shimano American Corporation, Trinidad DC
Saltwater Rod—E21 Fishing, Fusion
Tackle Management—Shimano American Corporation, Bristol Bay Portable Live-Well Bag Terminal Tackle—Dee’s Diamond Flasher, Double Dees

The fishing industry always has tremendous innovation. Congratulations to the winners.

Fishing Can Be A Couples Sport

There are only a few options for couples who want to tournament fish together, but Texas has one of the oldest and most active couples bass fishing circuits in the country called "The 2 Of Us." It began almost 17 years ago when a man in Tyler, Texas just wanted to go fishing with his wife. He and his wife started the circuit and now there are hundreds of couples across the state that enjoy the competition and the companionship of tournament fishing together.

The 2 Of Us began with 20 couples in one region of Texas, and has grown to 200 couples in six regions of the state. Most of the women say that it gives them and their husbands a hobby they can do together and that it really builds teamwork between husband and wife.

I know I enjoy fishing with my wife, and there are times when she out fishes me, so this sounds like a great idea. If there is not something like this in your area, then why not get one started. For more information on "The 2 Of Us" fishing tournament circuit click here.

Get Bent Lures - Two Entrepreneurs Pursuing Their Passion

Meet Jim Bernard and Peter Ensio. They are entrepreneurs and craftsmen just pursuing their passion. It is guys (and gals) like this that continue to innovate the sport fishing industry, especially when it comes to new and more productive fishing lures. Let me share their story.

Jim and Peter have been making hand-crafted lures and testing them since 1992. They are two Americans who grew up in the Bahamas. The ocean, fishing, and boating have been a passion of theirs since a young age. Growing up in the Bahamas gave them a playground to pursue their passions and test all of their creations. They originally created lures for their own use and found that they had better results than fishing with store bought lures. Others then started asking if they could purchase the lures they had made. Their standard answer was we don't sell them, and they would get the reply, "why not?"

So, eventually they started making extra lures so they could sell the ones they weren't using if people asked. The demand continued to grow, so they set up a production facility last March ("07) using the techniques and knowledge they had developed over the years. They launched a website about the same time and "Get Ben Lures" was formally brought to market. They continue to develop new styles and shapes including high speed Wahoo lures, Teasers, and Marlin specific lures. Their knowledge from years of observing fish has allowed them to learn what actions, lure styles, and color patterns trigger specific species. The countless hours spent observing different game fish species, their feeding patterns, and their feeding triggers has given them the knowledge needed to come up with the best and most effective design. Now that is "fishing entrepreneurship".

For more information and to purchase go to www.getbentlures.com.

Fishing Rods Made Out Of Carrots?

Founded by two expert materials scientists, Dr. David Hepworth and Dr. Eric Whale, CelluComp Ltd. is a company with a clear vision: "To be the World leader in the provision of products based on high performance composites derived from sustainable sources which utilize green production methods."

Well, their latest development is a fishing rod made with carrot fiber instead of carbon fiber (graphite). CelluComp has also developed a unique molding process allowing blanks to be tailored to individual angler's requirements. I can't wait for them to come to market so I can try one out.

Fishing Is Always Amusing - See This Bill Dance Blooper

If you own a boat you can relate to this video. This exact scenario may not have happened to you, but you've had something crazy happen to you also. Enjoy the video from Bill Dance.

Fishing Teaches Life Lessons to Kids (and adults)

A couple of weeks ago on a boating trip, my 10 year old daughter was complaining that she was the only one in the family that hadn't caught a fish. Honestly she hadn't worked very hard at it. What an incredible teachable moment it was when my wife shared a message about patience, persistence, and just sticking to something until you are successful. She said that most fishermen catch some maybe one out of every 50 or 100 casts. I'm not sure my daughter really bought what she was saying, but she did throw her line out again. Low and behold, she pulled in a nice little striped bass. She had a big smile on her face and learned a great lesson that day.

Fishing Knots Made Easy

There are times when I have a difficult time understanding how to tie a particular fishing knot. I read about them and try to apply them in the right situation, but just can't get it from the written instructions or the picture. Well I have come across a web site that makes it easy to understand. It is called Animated Knots by Grog. Click here to check it out.

Georgia Sees the Value in Supporting Fishing

The Go Fish Georgia Professional Anglers Association will host a championship fishing tournament at Lake Lanier Islands Resort, northeast of Atlanta, in early November. The event will offer $1 million in prize money with $250,000 going to the winning four-man team. Georgia's governor, Gov. Sonny Perdue, has allocated $19 million in state funds to implement an initiative to promote fishing tourism in the state.

An estimated 1.5 million Georgians fish every year with an economic impact of $1.5 billion for the state. I applaud the governor and the state of Georgia for recognizing the impact of fishing to the economy as well as just providing a great quality-of-life recreational activity for so many people.

Looking For A Great Fishing Gift

Berkley, long time manufacturer of fishing baits and tackle, has now produced a PC-based fishing game for the days when a fisherman can't put a line in the water. It's called the Bass Tournament Tycoon. The game features 18 challenge levels and lets you create and manage a bass lake, compete in tournaments, or become a the tournament tycoon.Players can set up tournaments, recruit sponsors, use sonar equipment, and fish with customized equipment. It is rate E for everyone. Click here to go to their official website.

Top 10 Places to Fish With Your Family

The Sportsman Channel has come up with a list of the top 10 places to go fishing with your family this summer. I have know idea what they used for criteria, but here's the list: Clear Lake, California; Sitka, Alaska; Econfina Creek, Florida; Lake Sinclair, Georgia; Guntersville Lake, Alabama; Venice, Louisiana; Lake Ontario, New York; Clinton Lake, Illinois; Cape Cod Massachusetts; and Rogerson, Idaho. For more information visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com.

SteelShad Lure Designer Blake Gills Comes to Iowa

I had was honored of spending the day fishing with Blake Gills, the designer of the SteelShad lure, last Friday. He took a few days off to travel and fish some new lakes and try his SteelShad on different species, so we spent the day at Lake Rathbun in southern Iowa. Pictured is a largemouth bass he caught on one of his custom top water lures which he also tried out.

Blake showed me how to swim the SteelShad to the right or left to closely follow the bank and resemble a wounded shad by bending the lure slightly. All in all we caught lots of fish including five different species of fish on the SteelShad. I even landed a catfish on it, which I've never caught on a lure before. The walleye really went after it also. Learn more about the SteelShad at www.steelshad.com. It was a great day.