[T. Wiles]

Hey Billy,
Sorry for the almost 2 week delayed response–I didn’t have any photos off my memory card.

SUP’s are great. Like Dave said, they work great for pick-up and go. I really struggled with this early on because, unfortunately, I’m not a minimilast-type. I’m an OCD—pack everything–plus the kitchen sink type…so I tend to overload any vessel I fish.

I own two Badfisher SUP’s by Boardworks plus a SUPerFishal by Jackson.
Badfishers: Pro’s:
Portability and weight. Close to 40lbs and very easy to collapse into a smaller size and throw in a truckbed or even a backseat of a car. They paddle quite well, and the attachable larger fin really aids in tracking so your boat doesn’t zig-zag left to right with each paddle stroke. They are whitewater capable and handle Class I and II drops and ledges with a nice bouyancy that helps you bump, recover, and glide off rocks.
Cons: It’s a bit of a hassle to fold them down just right to collapse them into their “backpack” tarps. You have to inflate them, and your arms will get a bit sore reaching the 14 PSI of the middle bladder. The lighter bouyancy is a bit more susceptible to the wind–( if you tie a small drag chain on the back, it really helps to control your position, stopping the board in light current and wind). It is not quite as easy to attach and secure gear bags and rods to this board–it has a nice bungee system, and I’ve had to add some RODSAVER straps to the D rings to better secure the rods and tubes I take. Overall it’s the board I prefer.

Jackson Superfishal
PRO’s: It’s a solid TANK. This board is tough enough for any beatdown and dragout session you can give it. It’s very stable, quiet, and shallow drafting–glides off mild to moderate whitewater. The front attachment rod hoder tubes and Paddle slot is a great convenient feature. It makes it super convenient to secure your paddle while you fish. Also the included RAM mount ball/rodholders are really effective for positioning suspended rods off the back. It also has many attachment points to attach gear and accessories. The board is “fishing” ready–just drag it to some water.

CONS: It’s a beast to lug around at 70 lbs and 12 ft long, and it’s not easy to casually mount on the hood of a vehicle.. It also does not track well–even with attachable fins-it gets a bit frustrating zigging and zagging as you make your way up some calm water. The foam padding gets real slick with barefeet and sunscreen, and it can get gouged and damaged with minimal trauma from limbs or sharp abrasions.
My biggest reservation is it’s whitewater capabilities: If you hit the wrong round boulder in some heavy class rapids, the rigid board will plow, and it can possibly either duck and dive or vault upward (I’m sure any sit on top Kayak would respond similar). I crashed coming down this Class II ledge downstream from my house. My musky baitcast combo did not stay in the rod tube/bungee holder as I held on to the flipped board, getting charlie-horsed in the thigh by boulders as I settled into the swirl-pool at the end of the run (lifejacket on ofcourse).

I’m really glad I bought both boards. So far, all my friends and family have really enjoyed paddling these things around from ocean flats chasing dolphins and manatees to small mountain lakes and river rapids. I really enjoy both boards for their applications. Both the inflatable and the plastic boards don’t glide as smooth and light as the more agile lightweight fiberglass boards; however I would break a glass board in half if I banged them down the rocky shoals in our rivers.
Another great feature of the boards is that they are super stealthy.
I was able to ease in on several pods of migrating tarpon and present a fly , without spooking them; in fact, Crystal and I had two giant tarpon swim under our boards and hover underneath in the shadows for about 30 seconds without spooking. Still can’t wait to see what happens when I finally hook one of those giants and get towed for a while.

[T. Wiles]

Way to get out Zach…nice striper.
You’ve definitely earned some free time. I hope the new career change leads to bigger and better things, and hopefully some more fishing time.
Did you get my PM about the Boardworks Paddles?

Travis

[T. Wiles]

Thanks guys. That was just my lucky night.
Knox and I met by musky fishing. We both grew up putting in tons of time in on our local waters targeting these larger trout–but haven’t gone as much lately, since less time and more fishing pressure has become the norm. I believe this is our second trip trout fishing together—felt good to cast a 6wt again.
I hope to get out some more for trout in the next 3 months. There should be some more chances at these brutes as more start migrating in.

[T. Wiles]

Looks good Phil. Just add a fridge, tap and a keg of that homebrew you make, then it’s move-in ready.

[T. Wiles]

We’ve been getting some decent rain lately, so you’ll likely still have some active trout and decent flows in the rivers. Big Laurel creek is known for good trout, and has plenty of roadside access, and a nice hike in to the Fr Broad Gorge.

I grew up fishing nearby Paint Creek in TN, and it used to hold large browns for such a small drainage, but something changed….they’re mostly gone but there are always Big brood stocker rainbows that are fun, but not acclimated to the small stream…not challenging to locate them, and they’re beat up from the hatchery.

The shoals near the main Campground in Hotsprings have some nice wade-in smallie water. You have to work for them, but they’ll take wiggle minnows and crayfish patterns.

Be sure to hike the short lookout “Lover’s Leap” on the AT on the south side of the HotSprings bridge….it’s gorgeous up there and only about 1 mile to the lookout.

[T. Wiles]

Here’s what little experience I have:

Hogtown Bayou:

It has a nice ramp, good marsh/flats. We’ve caught good redfish and trout there in the past, but it was quite slow last year. Find the ramp on Google Earth on the East Bay in Santa Rosa Beach N Co Hwy 393. Fish the moving tides from Super early dark:30 , and the bite’s normally dead by 10 AM. We used to motor out of the bay and head north about 1-2 miles and drift fish the open flats on the right side bank (East) drifting back towards the ramp. Tons of ladyfish there last summer, but the trout and reds were off (my buddy said the rains were unusually high that year and the low salinity had the fish pushed elsewhere). It’s worth a shot.

St Andrews Bay: PCB
We hauled the SeaArk there last summer (about an hour drive from Destin with traffic), and the boat ride across the pass to Shell Island from St Andrew’s park was a bit of an adventure. Choppy waves and boat wakes tested the gunnels, but the water was clear and gorgeous. Caught plenty of Jacks, Bluefish, Trout, and ladyfish. We took Mike Anderson’s recommendation for shark fishing and rigged up our catch (a blue runner) and kept him off the back. NO sharks but we did get swarmed by dolphins. Later wound up catching a Real nice gag grouper inshore:

Huge Sandflat North of the Destin Inlet Bridge: west side of the Boat Landing/charter area.

We rented a Pontoon boat last year at the main commercial/Charter Point of Destin and cruised the bay. A big thunderstorm pushed us back from the Bay, and we took shelter under the Bridge upstream from where the Destin Inlet opens to the Gulf. The skies cleared and the sun came out, so we spent our last hour anchored on the sandflat amongst all the other party North west of the bridge. There were tons of boats and swimmers enjoying the water. As the boiled peanut boat, and the ice cream boat…People selling food from skiffs drove from boat to boat… I noticed that they both had rods on board. When I asked what they were fishing for… One gentleman informed me that “ON AN OUTGOING TIDE…you can spot large pods of redfish on the whitesand flat, and they’re quite easy to catch!”
I was devastated that the tide was still two hours from changing to outgoing and our boat rental time was over. No redfish spotted on the flat…just pods of mullet. The water was gorgeous there, and I can only imagine what it’s like to see swarms of big reds cruising over it. It’s quite a crowd there, but I would say it’s worth a try…atleast you can enjoy the water and food if the fish don’t show up.

(Not our catch..but I wish it was…the boat rental was nearby)

Here’s the flat…I think there’s a boatramp on the North side of the point…lots of traffic though

Parasailing was fun:

Hope this helps

[T. Wiles]

I really enjoyed this post, Mike. Looks like some wonderful memories to share with your wife in such an amazing place. I lived up there (Idaho side) for a season in 2001, and I sure do miss it. Hope to take my family back there one September.

Travis

[T. Wiles]

Thanks Zach…Yeah those were Ceramic Veneers made from a stronger glass called “EMax.”
Recently, a lab technician and his wife moved to our area, and this guy is a true artist. His accuracy and quality has helped me take my work to the next level. It’s truly a team effort for a case to go flawlessly like this one.
Got another one to start this upcoming Friday…4 hour straight appointment.

[T. Wiles]

Thanks guys, I’m truly blessed to be where I live…I think there are atleast 10 tailwaters within a four hour drive from my doorstep that have these stripers( I covered most of them on these weekends). Timing them right has been a challenge…but I had ample opportunity to FINALLY dial them in on my nearly 5 weekend pursuit.

David Darnell wrote:

Travis,

do you drill on teeth by appointment or walk in only

It’s always a struggle to manage a practice, and balance a fishing obsession, but when the opportunities come available…I don’t hesitate to travel and fish when I can. Work hard, and play hard…and put family first.
If I’m not booked for surgical extractions or working on a challenging esthetic case, I am blessed to have an occaisional Friday off. I actually just finished one of my most rewarding dental cases just as the fishing/family travel time approached. I was truly blessed with the privilege of treating this young lady, and after a lot of preparation and help from a great lab, I was able to complete some of my best work. It was a sigh of relief to have this completed, and allow me to set off fishing with a clear mind.

Mike Tolbert wrote:

Nice post Travis! May I ask what size rod you used to reel in that beast?

Thanks,
Mike

Hey Mike, I’m fishing a 10 wt Redington Link paired with an older Hard Alox Lamson Velocity V4 with plenty of 60 lb backing.
The Redington CPX is an amazing rod..I can’t believe they discontinued it. The Link is quite nice, but it was only made for a short time. I believe the new Vapen series rods should be outstanding as well.
The lines I use are a 10 wt SA Tarpon intermediate when the fish are pushed into shallow water (due to its stronger core), and a 350 grain SA Textured Tungten SinkTip on the heavier generation (3500CFS to 12K CFS). My leaders are 40 lb fluro linked with a blood knot to Seaguar 25lb fluoro–and this line gets tested to the max. I can’t stress enough the hooks–a 4/0 600SP hook gets buried in their corner jaw, and seldom comes unhooked during the fight. I rarely ever deep hook these fish, which is a problem with J hooks.

This bite should last through September, I may get a few more chances.

[T. Wiles]

I am quite pleased with all 3 Boardworks paddles I own. The 3-piece fiberglass/carbon hybrid is great for stowability and quite sturdy—it weighs abo1 lb 12 oz.
Both the Slater Trout and the black/yellow on the right are Carbon/Kevlar woven, and are super lightweight, and designed to take abuse. They weigh about 1lb 6 oz.

I’ll send a PM after I check on costs.

[T. Wiles]

The Grand Finale:
I was able to finish this June/July fishing binge off with a call to Dave (Gaspergou). He was able to meet me to search some water I’ve been wanting to explore for over 10 years. We loaded the Hog, and set off without any major expectations due to the high sun/high pressure cloudless day—it sure was gorgeous weather though.

About 40 minutes into the trip, drifting beside a narrow island channel, I clearly saw a big striper open its big white jaws and inhale my fly, spitting it out after a couple headshakes. “Striper!” I yelled, disgusted that I missed such a monster grab. We drifted down about 15 yards in the swift current, and I launched the fly back up to the same spot. Here he comes again…chasing, chasing….closer and closer until he’s 2 ft boatside. I pause the fly, and GULP! He sucks the fly down and I’ve got this beast headshaking like a musky with my leader stripped to the guides. Freaking Incredibe Eat!!!
Chaos sets in as he races downstream…Dave hops to the bow, and we chase down the fish with the trolling motor, dodging logs, then finally anchoring in a slack eddy to net him.
I estimate he was about 18 lbs.

Now with the confidence of knowing these fish were present, we now got the boost of confidence to keep fishing hard the rest of the afternoon/evening. We wound up catching a few aggressive bonus bass that chased down the larger flies. Dave’s gorgeous spotted bass had a wolf pack of several other spots follow him in..I hooked in to one of it’s buddies, but it came unbuttoned.

We fished into dusk, without much more luck…but we found some great boulder-filled holes that looked promising. Many of these runs tested the Hog…I was sure glad to have the oars—they surely rescued us getting back down a rocky chute–when the trolling motor got overpowered by the current.
One spot in particular caught my eye on the boatride up, so after we drifted over it , we motored back upstream for a couple more casts in a large back current eddy.

My line got tight in the slack water beside the rushing current…I thought I was hung up, until the bottom started to move. When I saw this beast break the surface and start thrashing and headshaking in the clear water rapid, I couldn’t believe it, “Good God! Look at this fish!” I kept repeating. If he would have broken off, I would have sworn he was well over 40 lbs. He would dig deep, then surface to give some massive head shakes , then disappear to the bottom again…just amazing to watch.

As I looked at the sweeping rocks and the strainer logs downstream, I didn’t believe that we could land him. One downstream run, and we’d be chasing him into some water where I wouldn’t want to test our safety. Luckily, he held in place in our current break charging back and forth, but never driving us back too far. Dave handled the boat like a champ circling us back around, so we could angle the fish downstream toward the boat but never moving us too far from the slack water.

The entire fight, I could feel the 25 lb fluoro maxed out on pull, and the fly line was vibrating in the moving water like a guitar string. The fish finally circled towards the boat, and after one close call with the anchor line, he surfaced, and Dave scooped him up in the musky net. Praise God. I felt so blessed to experience a moment like this.

We estimated him at about 30 lbs, matching my personal best on a fly. He revived quickly in the cold water, and gave me a nice splash with a swift tail-kick. After the nerves settled down a bit, it was time for a victory beer that Dave brought for the trip. Mighty fine IPA:

We fished well past dark, digging flies out of logjams, dodging a random Dobson Fly, and watching fireworks from the locals camping near the water. Dave moved a fish boatside at dusk, but unfortunately, no other fish were landed. We only encountered two striper bites that day, and those were our two fish landed.

We loaded up and I drove home late that night, perfectly content that my striper craving had been thoroughly quenched. Now, my ladies returned safe, and it feels great to have my family back home again. Once life gets settled again, I’ll find my way back out to the rivers. I’ll have to get my fly boxes in order to chase some smallmouth and trout as the dog days of summer settle in.

Have a great summer everyone,

Travis

[T. Wiles]

DUDE!
You’re definitely giving the Kiwi’s a run for their money. Congratulations on getting hitched. Great report and beautiful browns.

Travis

[T. Wiles]

The mothership idea is just what I had in mind for this board… also it’s totally packable to be taken on airlines, so flying it to the flats shouldn’t be a problem. This weekend, I loaded It on the Hog Island, and she stowed just fine on the bench seat. I have several unreachable places where a big ledge, or shelf keeps other boats out of reach. This board should give me some nice access.

The board also loads up easy in a truckbed, while inflated. Can’t wait to get Breelyn out in it.

[T. Wiles]

I really enjoyed that Tim. Looks like an amazing setting and brutal close quarter battles. Supposedly, we have a spring creek in my area that’s similar, except the creek is filled with raw sewage and garbage and dangerous meth heads. If U make it up there this summer, I hope to find fish like you’ve encountered.

Well done.

[T. Wiles]

Tarpon will absolutely kick your ass—oh but it’s so much fun. If you get one in a channel, be prepared to dig like mad trying to turn him. I’ve only had limited experience fishing solo for juveniles on the east coast, and found the Reddington CPX 10wt rod handled them nicely…nothing over 60 lbs was hooked, but they gave me some great runs and leaps. The tannic water fish aren’t quite as explosive as the blue water fish.

Now off the Tampa Bay coastline…same trip… The 100lb class fish were brutal in the deep channels. They hardly jumped…ridiculously long runs that almost spooled large reels when our guide stayed anchored up. I fought one down in 15 minutes of full on digging and keeping the rod angled and tucked low—big mistake. I pulled so hard, it took quite a while for my hand and wrist to recover from the strain.

Crystal brought a nice one in.

This year we’ll be renting a house that’s just off the point in Crystal’s photo. I plan to chase these fish on my HogIsland skiff and on a paddleboard. I expect nothing short of complete chaos and broken gear. My only hope is to avoid an encounter with a bullshark or hammerhead, although I know they’re abundant with the tarpon.

I have 12 wt Reddington CPX rods, but they quite light for a 12. I believe the Predator is a bit more stout and durable. I throw the SA Tarpon intermediate line, although I really love the Airflo saltwater Ridgelines. As for a reel: you really need the best you can get with Tons of backing….I use PowerPro 60 Lb Braid because it lasts forever.

We’re heading there mid May, and I’ll give you se feedback of what we find.

[T. Wiles]

Hey Mike….no shallow water kick up setting, just a propped up locked setting to keep the jetfoot clear off the water. I run with the motor unlocked, that way, if I encounter a collision with the bottom, the motor kicks up. The Yamaha tiller is nice in that the weight of the 220 lb motor is offset by a Nitro-tilt assist that acts like a shock absorber, allowing the engine to fall back slowly, and lift with more ease.

So far, there is no observed damage to the body of the motor nor the transom. I’ve just got some nice gouges I’m the plastic to melt back smooth when I find some time.

Mike, I’d be reluctant for side skirts or even a cavitation plate for the rocks I’m bumping. I’d probably knocke them off in a couple trips. If your on more gravel and flat water, they’d probably be a good bet.

Here’s the repaired foot back today. The welder called me and said it would cost $45. I gave him $60 and still feel like I underpaid him. On the way out…he said they do milling, and he may be able to make me a UHMW foot.
I sure hope he can. Until then, I’m stoked with this incredible repair. He even removed the grates and hammered them out flat.

[T. Wiles]

I own a beat-up ’96 Tacoma 4×4 with nearly 300k miles and it’s running like a top…LOVE it!! I plan to always have a Tacoma in my garage, and hope toreplace it when this one dies.
Crystal owns a 2013 4Runner, and it runs great. It drives like a sports car, but we baby it because it looks so darn nice, and we may trade in one day for another model. With all the interior and nice features, I find myself very reluctant to bang it up and dirty it on hard core fishing trips.
My preference is the Crew Max Tundra with ARE camper top. It tows a trailer like a dream…but like other full sized trucks, it guzzles gas, and is a bit bulky to drive in Metro Atlanta traffic. I still love all the things I can do with a Large cab truck and the truck bed to lug around tons of gear and even load trash, landscaping supplies, furniture, canoes, etc. I believe this vehicle fits the needs of all my requirements of a UTILITY vehicle.

Here it is loaded on a family trip to Florida last June. You won’t believe how much crap you’ll pack when you have a “Zach Jr” running around.

With all that said; if I didn’t choose the full Cab Tundra, it would be a no brainer to choose a Full cab Tacoma, slap on a Rhino liner, and top it with an ARE topper plus Yakima racks. With the money you’d save from a 4 runner, you could add some good wheels and a winch, and you’d be unstoppable offroad. My Tacoma has made it out of some serious mudbogs and steep snow covered slopes before.

I hope this helps Zach.

[T. Wiles]

Sorry to respond a couple weeks late….
The Durajet offers no depth/draft advantages due to the fin of the lower unit still extending down several inches below the transom. Unless it could truly hold up to heavy impact, I don’t see a major shallow water advantage other than prop protection.

The jet foot intakes on typical jetboats extend 1-2″ max lower than the transom to suck the water upward into the impeller. And the Super jets with tunnels and recessed intakes can blast over dry rocks.

An alternative to protect the Lower unit on a prop outboard is to add a “Rock hopper” skid frame to protect the prop. I’ve got this on my Yamaha 25hp on the SeaArk. It drafts 6-8″ on plane (when I have it levered upward at an angle). I keep the tiller motor unlocked, so when I hit a rock… The motor just raises up in my hand. It scares you pretty good when you strike bottom, but the prop has made it through some bumpy shoals.

Now for the tiller jetfoot. I have tested the limits In my first year of ownership, and have put the HogIsland into some sketchy water. Zig-zagging up rocky shoals…cutting off the throttle and pushing down to raise the motor as I hit the unavoidable ledge—saving the motor impact.
A couple of shallow 1-2″ ledges hit at topspeed in flat water have finally cracked the intake jetfoot. So I have now hired a welder to help me stitch together a crack, and add back two silverdollar sized chunks.

I have heard plenty of rumors about UHMW plastic jetfoot a becoming available….and I will definitely buy the first one I can find. Two CNC CADCAM machinists in PA make or have made them…but the only guy who custom milled these doesn’t make them anymore. Evidently a large sheet of that stuff costs over $15k.
His small business barely covered the cost of one sheet over a couple years of making intakes. The other company is Rockproof. They make an excellent intake out of the durable plastic…but it’s only designed for large outboards.

I’ll let you know when I find a better alternative for shallow, rocky rivers. So far, I love the boat and its capabilities.

[T. Wiles]

Went fishing to bring back some groceries from the river. Jay’s been catching walleye pretty consistently, and has taken home some good stringers the past two weeks. I made my way to the river and Jay joined me about 1 AM. The bite was off, and the fishing stayed slow for most of the early hours. About 3AM the moon began to set, and we had several hookups. I’m pretty sure Jay hooked into a giant musky…got some goliath boils in the glare, and his rod stayed bent over solid for about 30 seconds of panic until it shook off…could have been a beaver..who knows?
I finally landed my largest walleye yet..24.5″ a fat 6lb fish. Couldn’t land another one, although several shook off as we nearly landed them. Snagged a few quillback suckers, and Jay landed a healthy white bass.
Crystal, Breelyn, and I enjoyed a great supper, (and even breakfast the next morning) from the walleye, and the whitebass is ready for tomorrow’s dinner.

Hope to get back out there soon

Now, these guys are starting to show up, too. Had some nice fish lost yesterday in a 1 hour window…nearly busted off the jetfoot getting to them…a little welding repair, and I’ll be back out as the nice weather keeps rolling in.

[T. Wiles]

Mike Tolbert wrote:

Nice job Travis!

Anyone catching them on Lake Blue Ridge (Upper end / Toccoa)? Rocky point? Is evening / night fishing the best bet?<br>
Any advice on what works best? I’ve read Topwater plugs and crankbaits work along rocky banks, as well as night crawlers.

I’m thinking seriously about getting the boat wet today for the first time this year, hoping to take advantage of the low pressure front moving into the area tonight.

Any advice is appreciated!

River mouths in the lakes, and the first couple shoals in the current will hold fish. The begin moving and feeding at dusk, and reach various activity moments where they’ll feed heavily or completely shut down all through the PM. If you’re curious, and don’t mind spooking a few, you can shine a bright LED on the riffle, and sometimes you’ll see dozens of reflective eyes in the water when the schools are thick.

I’ve seen some nice fish landed at first light.
A slow, cross current swing retrieve works well, followed by a very slow upstream “crawl” of your bait. The bites can sometimes be very subtle, and the sluggish first encounter May just feel like dead weight on the line. Once they start head shaking, they come unhooked frustratingly often. You usually land one fish for 3+ fish lost.

Once the leaves and foliage start getting thick, the walleye become very active at night crashing the surface spawning alewives. The predatory schools will ambush and attack bait all night…slowly wobbled wake baits, and deeper suspending jerk baits work well. The top bite lasts mid April through early June.

Hope that helps

[Author]

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