Anti Kayaker...lol. Interesting thread.

Ok.  So there is an interesting little tit for tat thread going where I can't help but to throw a little gas on to the fire.

there's a guy named Dan M on the Alaska Outdoor Directory forum.  http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/156865-Homer-Winter-King-Derby-postponed-to-March-25th?p=1587226#post1587226

About three years ago, I told the administrators on that board that I was done with their forums as they continued to allow personal attacks from this idiot.  This guy was bashing me for my videos and the fact I was doing it out of a kayak was causing everyone and their brother to fish Kachemak Bay now for kings and I was the major reason since I made it look so easy.  Hahaha. 

I know a few..okay maybe a lot of folks think I am self promoting versus promoting the sport.  Well there is obviously some truth to that as I do receive a bit of non monetary compensation for seminars, equipment, and such.  But I'd like to think a few folks have benefited by being introduced to a sport that even I thought was crazy a few years back. 

So I have two points here.

As kayakers, let's try to do what we can to safe out on the water.  Unexpected things happen and even I have a story of being unable to rescue myself.  You can find it here:  http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/articles/139-kayak-fishing-how-to-articles/1676-qwaders-of-deathq-another-perspective.html

But preparation and safety should be priority number one.

Second, this is something I never should admit to, but I have a philosophy in life.  If you help me, I will repay you ten fold.  If you mess with me, my family or friends.  Expect my repayment to you to be a thousand fold.   

Please don't throw too much gas onto the fire if you go to that thread to look.  I've already perhaps done more than I should have and I don't want to start a kayak vs powerboat war.  But then again,. I am not going too suppress your right to free speech.  lol.

Rudy,
After reading the AODF thread I couldn't help but wonder what the impact the King commercial harvest makes regarding "pressure" when compared to Sport fishing. Found these numbers from the 2016 season.

Alaska Fish Radio (online):
The allocations to fisheries for 2016 under the regulatory management plan are as follows:
2016 Treaty Chinook Salmon Allocations
Number of Chinook Salmon — All-gear treaty quota 355,600
Purse seine (4.3% of all-gear)                         15,291 Chinook salmon
Drift gillnet (2.9% of all-gear)                        10,312 salmon
Set gillnet (1,000)                                            1,000 salmon
Total net gear allocation                                  26,603
Troll (80% after net gear subtracted)              263,197
Sport (20% after net gear subtracted)             65,799

If 99% of Homer Kings are from other places they fall into the Treaty Quote numbers...so if I understand this right -Sport fishing allocations only account for 20% of the Winter King Salmon total take.... the fear that the "Plastic Navy Fleet" would somehow catch enough feeder Kings that they would cause the demise of the fishery is almost laughable if I didn't know there are people who believe just that!

Speaking of "Power Boats", while most were very considerate about the kayakers out there,  a few buzzed a bit to close to me for comfort...speeding past a kayaker in a large powerboat can create a dangerous situation. The race back to short after 4pm made me glad I was already on the beach...boats running wide open parallel to the shore almost "in the surf" in an attempt to cut off the rest of the "Fleet" returning for weight-in....


P.S. In addition to my flag, my blaze orange hat wasn't a fashion statement!

Want to point out that the numbers from, http://www.alaskafishradio.com/2016-southeast-ak-chinook-salmon-quota-and-allocations/
were for South East Alaska...not sure about South Central -  but are probably a good example of the allocation percentages overall...

I was going to make a statement on that blog but opted out. My point was that social media such as the AODF thread service no purpose but to highlight the A$$ hat.
If you review the Kelp thread it's abut facts, passing lessons of safety to others and genuine concern for others.
Great group and look forward to fishing with you soon.

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So....I read the thread. I do have a strap system that will make it easier to right my own damn kayak next time it happens. Don't plan on leaving this sport in the next 20 years, so it inevitably will happen again. I sure wish I had it on my kayak during the Derby. I bought it for use out of Whisky Gulch. The biggest lesson I learned is to be equally prepared in ALL waters.  It was poor judgement to think one frigid body of cold water is safer than another! Anything can happen.

I have practiced re-entry and strongly believe I could have gotten back on the kayak if I could have righted it.

If I could re-live Saturday, I would have had that damn strap on my kayak.

I do believe if you can't right your kayak and can't get yourself back on it, you have no business on one in the Alaskan waters. I do believe it is irresponsible to expect boaters to have to pick you up, particularly if you are unprepared and don't have a clue what you're doing. The last thing I wanted to do was disrupt the power boaters on Derby day!

I'm far from advanced in this sport, but have put in quite a bit of time in the water in the past year. I have heeded all the advice on safety that I have been given.

I learned a lot that day and will continue to promote safety practices every chance I get.

The boat that picked me up, "Triple Play" is from Soldotna. I went and thanked the guy at his office today and gave him some winter king I caught from my kayak in January (since he said he didn't catch one on Saturday). His name is Indy Walton. He was super nice and would not allow me to ride back to the harbor in the Harbormaster boat as it didn't have a place for me to get out of the wind. He put me in his warm cabin and drove me back. Great guy.

Thanks to the others who responded.

See you guys next time!


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More people die fishing from boats than kayaks, mainly because when you are in a plastic boat, it's hard to get too cocky, complacent or arrogant. We prepare and take our chances and learn from our mistakes and others who share their experiences. It's the kayak anglers who are not connected to forums who end up fatalities. Get out there, keep fishing and keep sharing your experiences. It's what makes our sport great. Alaska is on my bucket list and looking forward to it. Tight lines. Scott

Rudy, I have dealt with a few down here on the Columbia and Klickitat rivers. There is always 1 ass hat for 100 boats. I chalk it up to your in their "honey hole" and they don't like the competition. Expecially when your successful. Im betting you could save him from drowning and he would still blame you for it.i don't mind tooting my own horn when a guy is a dick. My first year salmon fishing, I caught a few in close quarters fishing and one guy proceeded to trolling ever closer to me each padd till one pass to many he trolled so close I had a rock wall on my left 2 ft away and had to remove my rod from my rod holder to keep it from being snapped by his bow. I kept my gear in and literally hooked up with his stern a short 6 foot or so away.

Most boaters I have been around, if you give they give.as it should be. At drano lake in the "toilet bowl " I get hung out to dry on the outside from a jerk now and then but most give room. The ones that don't,are jerk to other boats as well.

I read that thread you linked Rudy. You would think if someone was concerned about to much pressure on the fishery they would complain more about the existence of a King Salmon Derby than they would about one guy on a plastic boat sharing with others that they too can catch fish from a plastic boat.

I can say, without a doubt, that watching your videos is what encouraged me to try this sport.

Kat,

When Alaska Raft & Kayak does their next seminar in Homer, I hope you get a chance to talk about your experience. It would be very valuable for everyone to hear how well you were prepared for the situation, and how well you reacted. It would also be good for everyone to hear your reflections and how you improved your practice for the future.

We tend to spend a lot more time talking about fishing gear than we do about safety gear. One thing you mentioned struck a cord with me (actually several things did, and one in particular). I sometimes find myself fishing off the end of the spit with less safety equipment, for instance my radio, than when I fish off Whiskey Gulch. Your reflections from your experience will change my practice as well.

Thank you.

Kat, you did everything correct.  You had the right equipment including a radio. 

It was a freak deal with the down rigger ball.   Had the powerboats not been there, ryu or i would have cut the downrigger  line and jumped on top of your kayak and righted it.  The uncomfortable part would have been you getting warmed up as we got you back.

Yaktastic and easy yakker. Thanks. I agree its a minority. But this guy has done it to me before. Its obvious he creates issues as a charter boat tried to run him and his crew down.  Thats never appropriate but given my run in with him and the lack of support he gets, his character is an easy read.

Kayakers should just be aware of the local morons.  He is/was a firefighter.  Im sure his bosses will appreciate his anti non Local demeanor when the town is virtually reliant on the tourism industry. 





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Rudy,

After reading your blogs and posts I was convinced I could do it from a kayak, especially since your boy is doing it with you.  The amount of information you have posted has helped me a ton and saved me from going the boat route(although I still have my eye on a mokai eventually lol) There are a lot of people with big mouths on that site, are you responsible for a lot of us getting into the sport absolutely. Are you singlehandedly responsible for the demise of the winter king fishery that this guy is accusing you of, not at all.  Do not stop doing what you are doing because of some A-hole epically since you were doing nothing wrong.  If there is one thing I have learned being in Alaska is that everything is bigger in Alaska including the BS.

That guy lost all credibility when he tried to cash in on Alaska reality tv with his "Alaska man caves" flop. 14 years ago he didn't even know what a winter king was and lived in Washington. 

I do have a strap system that will make it easier to right my own damn kayak next time it happens. Don't plan on leaving this sport in the next 20 years, so it inevitably will happen again. I sure wish I had it on my kayak during the Derby. I bought it for use out of Whisky Gulch. The biggest lesson I learned is to be equally prepared in ALL waters.  It was poor judgement to think one frigid body of cold water is safer than another! Anything can happen.  I have practiced re-entry and strongly believe I could have gotten back on the kayak if I could have righted it.  If I could re-live Saturday, I would have had that damn strap on my kayak.
I do believe if you can't right your kayak and can't get yourself back on it, you have no business on one in the Alaskan waters. I do believe it is irresponsible to expect boaters to have to pick you up, particularly if you are unprepared and don't have a clue what you're doing.

The last thing I wanted to do was disrupt the power boaters on Derby day!

Kat - before I had even picked up my Outback in Anchorage I had already designed and then ordered the components for making my own strap system for righting a kayak with an "expected" 50 lbs of gear and bungied fish on board. My envisioned "worst case scenario." Once I had my boat in the yard I proceeded to sew up the rig based on the dimensions of my boat and my body size - arm reach and leg length and boot size. The hand hold will be used either for righting the boat or assisting my re-entry if needed. The foot stirrup allows me to use my body weight and height to easily "stand up" to force the kayak to roll over.  I suspect you may have the "store bought" version but one day when we meet up I'll show you my design and perhaps it might be a better way to go based on an exact fit to your body. Mine even floats! And is only the size of my hand and weighs 8 oz. And only cost a few bucks in materials.

Let me say regarding your last statement in the quote - Don't EVER think the value of your life or safety in an emergency situation might be an inconvenience "imposed" on someone else to help you out. That can be a one way ticket!

The take away from your experience has value beyond numbers. It has opened up the safety & rescue dialog not only on this forum where it genuinely hits home but its an eye opening discussion outside this family of friends that has given at least some power boat anglers a chance to reflect on "what if" scenarios of their own boat going down. I can almost guarantee that there was not a single power boat out there with "gumbie" survival suits on board and no one was wearing an immersion suit of any kind. And as you can SEE as the parade of boats pass by you 90+% of the occupants are never wearing PFDs unless its a child. I hope hundreds of power boaters will realize how vulnerable THEY are....yes, even compared to a kayaker like yourself. If they go in the water they are going to fair much worse! Drowning takes 30 seconds.

You are really our Poster Girl For Safety Awareness! Relish in the lime light for the positive side of it. 

Same dude that wanted Jake to buy his drives back from him? Yeah... Dude better hope he don't run into us out there lol.

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Rudy, you are the best and introduced me to something I absolutely love. I will always have your back for that. Demanding money for a drive system found on the beach is pretty petty and low.

Kat, what happened with the downrigger ball? It sounds like it got wedged in between some rocks. What is this strap idea being talked about?