I promised Tony some fishin' pictures

[Paddletrucker]

So, the weather was GREAT here today. Near 80 degrees, clear skies, and I was going fishing if I had to run over people to do it!

I got to the river and admired my new bamboo landing net that my wife had boughten ( :D:p Josh :D;) ) for me a while back. I've been REALLY busy, so I haven't had time to fish for a few weeks, just drive...home...sleep...drive. Repeat. This was the first time I've got to use the net. I like it. It floats and it looks nice. Floating gear is essential to a kayak fisherman!
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P1000075.jpg

Here is the fishing assault vessel, all rigged and ready for a bass chasing outing. I didn't put the fish finder on because I forgot to charge the battery, and it also has a light on a pole that makes it legal to paddle at night, but I wasn't going to be out near dark, so I didn't put it on. I usually paddle and fish a lot at night during the summer.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P1000084.jpg

Didn't get anything big. Mostly 14-15 inch dinks like this, but I was on the water fishing and that's better than working. (Even though I could have been doing the oxygen sensor, the header panel, or the fender, or the lift on the Jeep.)
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P1000078.jpg


Finally, the sun started to fade behind the hillside and the wind picked up. The temperature dropped and I began to get a little chilly, so I headed on in.
My chariot awaits me, sagging springs and all.:D
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P1000083.jpg

Now, you can buy a number of different roof racks to haul kayaks on top of your vehicle. Some attach to the rain gutters, some attach to the luggage rack already on some vehicles, and some require to drill through the roof for permanent mounting. They have all kinds of different securement options. They range in cost from a few hundred bucks into the thousands. Or...you can do like this cheap redneck and just use a Jeep Cherokee XJ (green ones work best:smiley-taunt002:) and 20 bucks worth of nylon motorcycle straps from Wally World. :D

All loaded up and ready to head home.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P1000085.jpg

There are really two reasons why I haven't done my lift yet. One, the tires were in pretty good shape when I bought the Jeep. I thought I'd get as much wear as I could out of them, and then do the lift. I didn't want to buy tires before I needed to and I SURE wasn't going to run these little tires on a lifted XJ!:crazy: Turns out, my XJ is really freaking easy on tires. They're hardly wearing at all. I hope that's true after the lift, too! The other reason is hauling around my kayak. As much as I hate the saggy look and as much as I want to get the lift on, I'm not sure that I'm looking forward to throwing a 65 pound, 16 foot long hunk of plastic very high when it's windy! It'll be uber cool, though, to roll up on the scene with a lifted XJ!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[XJ Wheeler]

Nice day! Helped me to relax. :D Sometimes time spent like that IS more important than time spent doing the things we think are important.

[cpttuna]

do they make small trailers for kayaks?

[editedforsafety]

I'm looking forward to doing some more kayak fishing this year. I didn't too much in years past because it was a pain to haul them with my car, but with the xj and two sets of thule kayak carriers I can throw two up there in 5 minutes.

[Paddletrucker]

do they make small trailers for kayaks?

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailers/Yakima/Y08106.html

They do, but they're generally pretty expensive. On top of that, lots of guys like to customize their own. That's what I'm wanting to do. I want a long box on one side and the kayak on the other, all lockable. Also, the ability to add some racks on top to haul up to three kayaks. With the long box, I can leave all my fishing gear loaded all the time and be ready to go at a moment's notice, just hook onto the trailer and drive off. I would like to use the lighter weight motorcycle wheels. Light and good ground clearance, and since I doubt I'd ever have 400 pounds on it, I'm sure it'd be adequate.

[bluedragon436]

Looks like a good time... I hope to pick up a kayak this year... nothing quite as nice as yours.. but something I can go out and relax with, as well as get back into fishing with.. Not sure how much fun it'll be to load up on top of my XJ w/ 7.5" of lift and 33's... but I'm gonna do it.. and of course being as how mine is a Green XJ as well, means it'll make it all the more fun and useful carrying tool!! LOL.. I plan on making use of the stock cross bars as well, but am going to pick up the padding for the top of the bars and then run some cheapo straps just like you did too... Plan on leaving mine loaded when I'm home so if I on a whim decide to go out and enjoy a nice day on the water I can..

Interested to see that you have registration numbers on your kayak.. is that required in OK, or is it just because you are operating it at night?? I have been trying to research what the rules are for this up in DE... I know I have rented kayaks and gone kayaking before on the water both fresh and sea wise, and have never been told I had to have a registration... so I'm going to keep checking into that... don't want to have any issues... especially once I do start fishing with it!!

[prerunner1982]

Nate, looks like that would be a pretty place when the trees are green. Where up your way is that?

James, I am not 100% but I believe any water vessel in OK has to have the reg #s unless it is on a private lake/pond.

[Paddletrucker]

Nate, looks like that would be a pretty place when the trees are green. Where up your way is that?

It's SPring Creek near Locust Grove. It's pat of the Grand Neosho River System of lakes, specifically a clear (usually) spring fed cold water creek off of the Grand Neosho River above Lake Ft. Gibson. It is nice in the Spring, especially. One of my favorite places to fish and paddle.

Here are some more pics of it with everything a little more green...


My favorite spot on the entire river system. I've caught more big fish in this little narrow shallow stretch that anywhere in N.E. Oklahoma. This is where the fish in my avatar came from.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/PB080018.jpg

Cool cliffs, too.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P9250014.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P8150016.jpg



Below the cliffs.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P8140008.jpg
The rocks on the right have produced some nice fish.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P8150005.jpg
A nice spot to watch the sun go down. Here, you can see a campfire at the boat ramp where I launched.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P9040008.jpg
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P8150006-2.jpg


One night, as I'm paddling back, I saw this guy's Jeep in the middle of the creek. He was trying to drive out to a gravel bar and didn't make it. Here's the pic and the video of it being winched back across. The truck they used to winch her out was an old Ford P/U.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj298/picsofnate/P6190009.jpg

P6190011.AVI - YouTube

[Paddletrucker]

Looks like a good time... I hope to pick up a kayak this year... nothing quite as nice as yours.. but something I can go out and relax with, as well as get back into fishing with..

This one is old. I can't say that I recommend the Ocean Kayak brand after paddling this one since 2007. The rod holders are just PVC pipe and it's outfitted with a fish finder that costs less than $100. I just mostly use it to see the bottom contour, find structure, and know the depth. You can find these things used a lot. Just watch the weight ratings on them, they are optimistic, at best. Kayak fishing has exploded since I started, no doubt due to the cost of gas. When I started, I never saw another kayak out. I was one of just three in this state posting on all of the kayak fishing forums. Now, there is a huge group of us and we have tournaments all season long. If you're in the north east, I'd suggest kayakfishingstuff.com or kayakbassfishing.com (mostly bass fishing, as the name implies) and especially YakAngler.com for more info about kayaks, gear, fishing, and even used kayaks for sale. kayakbassfishing.com has a pretty fun on line tournament I do every year, too. Pretty great prizes.



Not sure how much fun it'll be to load up on top of my XJ w/ 7.5" of lift and 33's... but I'm gonna do it.. and of course being as how mine is a Green XJ as well, means it'll make it all the more fun and useful carrying tool!! LOL.. I plan on making use of the stock cross bars as well, but am going to pick up the padding for the top of the bars and then run some cheapo straps just like you did too... Plan on leaving mine loaded when I'm home so if I on a whim decide to go out and enjoy a nice day on the water I can..

Just make sure you use a bow and stern line that runs down to the bumper. Most important part of tying a canoe or kayak down. Keeps the wind from getting under it and pulling UP and ripping everything loose. Leaving a kayak in the sun can harm them. Either park it in the shade, a carport, or get one of the many spray protectants to fight the effects of harmful UV rays on the boat.





Interested to see that you have registration numbers on your kayak.. is that required in OK, or is it just because you are operating it at night?? I have been trying to research what the rules are for this up in DE... I know I have rented kayaks and gone kayaking before on the water both fresh and sea wise, and have never been told I had to have a registration... so I'm going to keep checking into that... don't want to have any issues... especially once I do start fishing with it!!

We've had to register anything that floats here forever. Last year was the last year for it, though. In May, I can take those numbers off for good. It wasn't expensive, only about $10 per year, but keeping the stickers on was always a pain. You can tell that I've let mine go to crap since they are coming off in a short few weeks.

Check out the websites I posted above to see what your local regs would be. YakAngler.com is a great source. We have to have a certain grade of PFD (Personal Floatation Device), a whistle, and a white light visible from 360 degrees for two miles if paddling at night, which I do. Of course, each state is different. Some require you to wear the PFD and others just have it available. I wear mine anytime I'm on the kayak, regardless of the water depth. I keep my camera, fishing pliers, Red Man and Skoal :rolleyes::crazy:, and a set of line nippers on a retractable lighter leash on mine. If I'm fly fishing, I clip a fly fishing multi-tool to it, as well.

[nickyg]

seems like a nice relaxing day, I'm jealous.