OPC Experimental GIS Data and Products For Google Earth

   Google has come along way.  Since I havent been able to get on the water latley I have been doing some time online and came across this cool ability by NOAA that will be able to allow you to put pluggins into Google Earth.  What you end up doing while on Google Earth is to open the NOAA link and look for some wind or Gulf Stream info and it will plug in onto the Google Earth map you have open for current or future predictions of what you are looking for.   Looks easy to use and another way to help plan a fishing day out on the water. Some screen shots of some of it i was messing around with below.   Cheers yall and tight lines .

 

 

 

   Just check out the links above.

Olympus Tough TG-1 review

   My wife surprised me earlier this year with a new camera that I can take with me while kayaking.  She got me the Olympus Tough TG-1.  I have found this to be a well put together camera with watertight doors for usb plug in along with one for memory SD card.

Since getting it and useing the crap out of it I have got to say that it lives up to what it says. They say its shock proof, I have dropped it. They say its water proof, I've gone under with it. They say its freeze proof, well I put it in the freezer and it still worked.  Im happy with it, and it takes great pictures.

 

 

 

With 12.0 mega pic, 3" LCD display, and you can charge battery or download pics with just the one cord without having to take battery or memory card out, easy to use controls. This camera has worked out well for me and my family.

 

 

 

Ive been able to find this camera from $399.00 in stores and some EBAY finds for new but refurbished ones for $200.00 and up.  Ive bought refurbished electronics in the past and have had good luck but its up to you and what you are comfortable with from your wallet. There are also other lenses  for this model that can be bought for extra zoom for around $100.00. For myself I just made an extra lanyard with a float with D-ring to clip it to my vest or something to secure it to and I was good. I hope this might help some of  you out, I will think if you got one you would be happy with it.

 



	

Kiptopeke Concrete Ships to Elizabeth River Mad Dash.

We have been wanting to do this trip for a while now. Ever since we found out about the ships it has been in the back of my mind to get out there and catch some Tau Tog.

   This has been a fish that has always been out of my reach untill I got my kayak. Started doing some homework watching YouTube videos, reading articles and even messaged Rob Choi and Kayak Kevin to just make sure that the currents weren't going to be to much for my kids to handle. Again thanks for the help on the current info.

     On this trip my buddy Brice joined us and checked in throughout the morning.

 

 

The plan was to time our trip a few hours before and after slack tide. From the tide chart it looked like slack tide was around 0700 but we didn't get it till about 1030. We paddled out attempted to fish but it was just to fast so we ended up finding what my son now calls his honey hole, a room opened up to the outside which allowed us to paddle right inside and we waited out the ripping tide outside.

 While inside we fished and sure as anything we were having a blast catching the fish we were going for. Inside myself and Orion caught our first ever Togs.

 My first was a little 10 incher and Orion caught a 15 incher.

    I got another 14 incher and then we both caught more smaller ones along with Orions everyother Toad Fish. 

 Mario wasn't able to hook up on this part just got his bait took every time. After slack tide hit we ventured outside and found a good sized crack. We hooked back up with our quarter BlueCrab and dropped lines in the water. I there hooked up with a nice 17 1/2 in Tog landed and Orion hooked up with a bigger one that shook the hook at the boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 Mario still fighting the bait stealers kept his moral up with a good since of laughter and just enjoyed being out there. Bait gone by 1230 it was time head to our next location for some Specks.

   Back across the CBBT toward Top Rack Marina on the Elizabeth River off 17.  Hours there are between 0800 and 2200 for the gate opening and 5 dollars to park. Easy drag to the launch with some dodgeing of the fiddler crabs and oyster beds and we were in the water.

   Doing some drifts toward the bridge and along the bank and we ended up with 3 good sized Specks. 2 18 in and 1 19 in Speck.

   Kids had a blast for the day and with the last good light we headed back in. A fishing trip to remember and cant wait to get back to the ships again.

My Lowrance Elite-4 DSI Fish Finder Install On Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140

 

Well I have been wanting to do this for a long time now. This week I got to the install of my fish finder for my Wilderness Systems Tarpon 140. The unit I ended up going with is the Lowrance Elite-4 DSI. This unit also has a mapping feature that should come in handy when I shall mark my new found fishing holes as I will find them. The install started with finding the spot I felt was more user friendly in placement. First thing I sat in the kayak and had one of my boys hold the fish finder in different spots to test how easy it was to operate.

Using a RAM mount to attach the unit to the kayak, I ended up having to shave with a grinder on two spots on the base to allow it to fit within the factory mounting area.

 

 

Now that the base was mounted it was time to install the scupper mount with the transducer. Since my style yak didn't have a rear access hatch behind the seat i ended up placing the scupper mount in the forward left hole.



 

With a little trimming to the lower plastic holder it ended up fitting nice and snug within the bottom groove out of the way so it will not get snagged or damaged when beaching after a long day of fishing. 

 

Now to run the wires. A fellow fisherman Hanover Yaker in his blog Froggin For Bass used some cool wire hull threws that I was able to find at Boaters Warehouse.

 

 I used two once I found the ideal spots to route the wires. Drilled two holes and with some marine sealant sandwiched between everything it made a nice water tight seal around the wires.

 

 

  

  

I did already have an existing RAM base from a GPS mount I had on the kayak before. I left enough wire that attached to the head unit so I now have the option to mount the fish finder in two spots on the kayak. That was somewhat not the original plan but it worked out in my favor.

 

The battery box is another good project to make this whole project come together. After doing my own research and reading other post from other kayak fishermen along with a phone call to another fellow yaker (Chip) who gave me his idea for adding a car adapter plug to the box, this was my direction to go.

 

 

Found a dry box from Wild River Outfitters and started cutting the foam to the placement of how I wanted everything to go together inside.

 

 

Even had room to store the head unit for when I wasn't using it. Drilled one hole on the handle side of the box, attached the female outlet sealed with more marine sealant, completed the wire job and now I just plug the power cord for the fish finder to the box and presto instant power.

 

 

  The box now can be used to charge my phone in case of an emergency or some other 12 volt device can be plugged in. Thanks to all that had information from there installs to read and tell and thanks for a wife that encouraged me to buy some of the parts for this project. She supports me in my fishing and without her I couldn't have the best fishing partners a man could ask for, my kids. Been a fun project for the whole family now let's fish.

ODU ( Ocean View) Reef

Went out July 2, 2012 to check out the ODU Reef off Ocean View. We parked at the side lot to Ships Cabin Restaurant and walked out to the beach. From the beach looking straight out toward the 10 o'clock direction you can see the bouy about a mile out.

Buoy marking ODU Reef



Took my oldest son out on this trip. It was his first time fishing from a kayak and he got hooked even though he did fall out once. LOL. It took us 30 min to get out there and even with 2 ft seas the way out was a nice paddle. Our weapons of choice were bottom rigs with live bait and cut squid and also poles rigged with jig heads with shrimp gulps. Right away we started getting hit but nothing hooking up. My gulps kept getting pulverised and bit off right behind the hook. Then my son hooked up with a disturbing looking fish that people call a Toad Fish. Ugly looking thing with some teeth and? a big head. I got some bites and hooked up with something a good size then lost it. That went on for about an hour with bites then hookup loss when all of a sudden the son hook up something good this time. 

Sons Shark (Bob)

 I thought he was jokeing at first but then started to hear his drag take off for a bit. Pulled up next to him and when a 2 to 3 foot shark surfaced. He was so excited he yelled out "My first shark and his name is Bob!" As I was trying to help him get the shark off the hook with my pliers I told him to bring it closer and he practically used his rod to flop it in my lap.

Son and I

Let's just say a little quick maneuvering on my part thanks to him flopping the little jaws toward my jewels almost sent me in the water but quickly grabbed the line and got a good hold of the shark to remove the hook safely and send the fish on his way. After that we stayed another hour with no more bites.

Harbor Patrol

 

Anchor made for trip out to the reef

While I was out I was able to test out the new anchor I made for this outing and it worked perfectly. I was able to anchor up on the structure without hanging up or worry about loosing it. Thanks to Rob Choi for posting his picks which made me make mine in a similar way. The paddle back we ran into Harbor Patrol and traded our stories for the area and also seen the video from the shark he caught. All in all this is a fishing spot I will recommend to all.